*Ding!*
[For reaching Lvl 6, you have unlocked the second system feature of the Idle Evolution System, following the Inventory Space feature.]
[Unlocked 'Item Crafting'] - [Like the caveman in your blood dictates, try smacking things together to craft something superior!]
"...."
Even though he should be used to it by now, Cassius still couldn't believe how ridiculous his system was. Nonetheless, this feature would make things a lot easier moving forward, so he tried it out right away.
BAM!
Following the system's instructions, Cassius smacked a Deadly Panther nail against the staff he had safeguarded this entire time. A bright pearlescent light flashed as the two items vanished.
When the light faded, a completely new item appeared. It shone with a piercing lethality, holding a description just as daunting.
[Deadly Spear (Melee)] - [E-Rank]
| — [Attack: ~11] — |
{[Effect 1: 'Bleed' - (Depletes 1% Health every second for up to a total of ten seconds. Can be stacked.)]}
"Oh?" Cassius's brows raised in surprise. "This weapon is a lot better than I thought it would be. Moreover, it even has the 'Bleed' effect, which should be extremely useful as long as I can land several solid hits."
After getting a good feel for the two-meter black pointed jagged spear in his hands, Cassius ventured further into the Savage Forest, planning to take the fight straight to the monsters.
Another ten minutes passed, with our intrepid protagonist having killed dozens more F-Rank monsters and several E-Rank monsters, like the Deadly Panthers and Berserker Apes. His system interface now looked like this:
________________________________
[Name: Idle Evolution System]
[Host: Cassius] - [Lvl 7]
[Title: Gym Bro (E)]
______________________________
[HP: 428/450] [MP: 400]
[FATIGUE: 25]. [AP: 14]
______________________________
[STRENGTH: 29] (Can lift 500lbs with minimal effort)
[AGILITY: 42] (A little quicker than your average car)
[ENDURANCE: 27] (A single woman can be completely satisfied with this)
[INTELLIGENCE: 26] (Not bad. You could enter the Top 20 of most High Schools in the Country)
[PERCEPTION: 29] (Can you see dead people?)
[CHARISMA: 22] (Exceptionally handsome)
_______________________________
Cassius marveled at his system interface for a few moments before continuing his killing spree.
Elsewhere, in the outside world.
Something began to change on the surface of the crackling Gate. Those still in the process of evacuating noticed this and, within seconds, their faces turned ashen. They saw willowy silhouettes lining the edges of the Gate. Then, they saw… them.
"Monsters!! The first wave is here!! Call the Hunters!!"
At the same time as this panicked shout echoed, a group of armored men and women hurried onto the scene. Their expressions were mixed with worry and fright, indicating their inexperience. Yet, as this was the first Gate encounter for many of them, they steeled their nerves and prepared to show their worth.
"Everyone still in the process of evacuating needs to speed up! Quickly get the last of the critical patients out of here!" A woman with long, flowing black hair and a valiant demeanor directed the hospital staff on where to go to avoid becoming collateral.
She was Corra, one of the rising stars of the C-Rank 'Black Sparrow' Guild, and she herself was of the D-Rank. Unlike the majority of the two dozen or so newbie Hunters that came with her, this was not her first encounter with a Gate. Rather, it could be considered her fifth time near one. It was, however, her first time encountering a Sudden Gate.
Corra would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous, but she had been sufficiently briefed on what to do. As long as nothing unexpected occurred, she was confident in her ability to handle this crisis—
BZZZzzzzttt!!
Even Corra, with all her experience, faltered slightly as dozens of shrieking Savage Monkeys leapt through the Gate and simultaneously cast 'Fear.' Many of the hospital staff and incapacitated patients shuddered in terror, with even a few of the gathered Hunters stumbling back a couple of steps. However, no matter how scared they were, as Hunters, they had to stand their ground.
Moreover, if they managed to survive the danger, they would leave with a lucrative amount of Magic Shards of the F and E-Rank, potentially worth tens of thousands of USD altogether.
"Charge!!!" Corra shouted as she raised her silver longsword above the crowd. "Do not let a single one of the monsters slip past our net!!"
"Esceetch!!!" The opposing monsters hissed and screeched in retaliation. Moments later, the resistant hollers of the Hunters rang out in return. In an instant, the two forces collided, striking each other with utmost ferocity.
Meanwhile, inside of Hoshito General Hospital, top floor.
"...What do I do…?" Aya mumbled while balled up in a corner of Room 406. "I-I don't know what to do… I'm scared… Cassius…"
She had searched for her stepbrother until the very last moments before the Gate's first wave was unleashed. Now, she was trapped in the hospital, too afraid to flee and too afraid to fight. No matter how powerful she was, in the end, she was still human.
Like everyone else, she could feel fear. And she could also experience events traumatic enough to scar even the sturdiest of men…