Infinite Evolution: My Idle Evolution System

'Yimin may have that weirdly useless Skill, but I have these hands,' Cassius thought as he marveled at his own Unique talents. 'Just like a wanky Japanese Harem Protagonist, I am capable of resolving most female issues with just slight movements of the hand… Truly miraculous stuff…'

Even he himself had no clue how this special Ability worked, but it hadn't failed him yet. And he certainly wasn't one to send back free food.

Smiling warmly, he said, "Just head back and wait for me to return, okay?"

"Master…"

"Okay?" Cassius repeated with another head pat.

"...Mhmkay…" Yimin reluctantly complied while nudging the top of her head into the cup of his hand. "But don't keep me waiting! Every second past the 4-hour mark will be another floozy female hooman head added to my collection…!"

Cassius could tell she was obviously joking based on how she cutely bared her fangs, yet he still played along with her. "Just be nice to them, you silly dragon."

"No! Will not be nice, will tolerate!"

Yimin coldly snorted before turning away from her amused Master. She walked away slowly at first, yet quickly sped forward into a barely discernible blur. Looking closer, Cassius realized that her speed had improved by around 25%, which shocked him quite a bit.

"Even without doing anything, she is able to continue becoming stronger… Just how Overpowered is that?" he bemoaned, feeling that it was unfair how much effort he had to put in.

Even though his rate of progression was in a completely different league to anything seen so far, it was still a real bummer to see power go to someone without any effort taken to acquire it.

Still, Cassius wasn't one to stay glum for long, and with a more important matter at hand, he hardened his expression.

Taking out a fiery skull-adorned Key from his Inventory Space, Cassius appraised it with a couple of flips. Other than a more elaborate and almost alive design, the key didn't seem all that different from a custom-made key. However, as one who could see descriptions, he knew better than to believe what was merely shown on the surface.

|HELL's 1st Floor Key| - [Use? Y/N]

"What happens if I use it right now?" asked Cassius.

*Ding!*

[If you do that, the third dimension will collapse, the fourth dimension will descend, and the world will be overrun by brain-craving zombies! Never use the Key! Not under any circumstances!]

"Will all of that really happen…?"

[Why, of course!... Fucking not! Are you seriously mentally impaired? 𓁹‿𓁹]

"..."

Cassius felt that if the System were the one who had the Troll System Idle Benefit, then it surely would have acquired a thousand AP from him.

He shook his head from side to side before refocusing on the Idle Evolution System. Although it usually gave hateful remarks like this one every time he took advantage of its semi-intelligence to ask a question, it also always followed up with a genuine answer. In a sense, it was like all the verbal abuse he experienced served to pay for the actual answer.

And just as he expected…

[As soon as HELL's 1st Floor Key is used, the Host will disappear from this dimension without a trace and without creating a commotion. He will no longer have a part of him in this Dimension, as his entire existence will be transferred over to 'HELL'—the 7th Dimension of the Ascension Tower's Dimensions.]

[The Host will not be able to return to this Dimension until either he dies and his essence returns here to its source to enter the Cycle of Samsara, or does the unlikely and reaches the end of the Outer Gate area, which is where the Gate Guardian 'The Hellish Sphinx' lays in wait.]

[Either answer correctly all of the Hellish Sphinx's Riddles, subdue it, or kill it to be able to both venture further into HELL and temporarily/permanently leave.]

For the most part, Cassius understood what he needed to do next. Yet there was one part that really confused him. Bringing this up to the system, he asked, "The 7th Dimension? What does that mean? And what is the Ascension Tower? Is that some sort of unique location?"

*Ding…*

[Error!] [Error!] [Error!]

[The System cannot compute! The System cannot compute! The Host is not powerful enough to access this information!]

"I see…" Disappointed he was, but crestfallen he was not. With a casual head shake, he considered his options here.

'The System did say a while back that I needed to have a Power Level of at least the B-Rank, but I am not too sure on where exactly I need to stand to do more than just survive right after entering… That Hellish Sphinx is surely above the B-Rank, but just how much stronger is it than that Rank…?'

Cassius, figuring it to be more productive to just ask the System, did precisely that.

[Above the A+ Rank and below the World's Transcension Rank!]

It answered as ambiguously as possible, causing Cassius's brows to twitch. Asking again, he heard the System say:

[That is all I can tell you, Dear Host! And don't even bother asking what the World Transcension Rank is, because I will not tell you anything about it! ദ്ദി(ᵔᗜᵔ)]

[Now, don't look so glum! I can give you something else instead! No need to thank me!]

Following that comment, a few blue illusory screens flashed in front of Cassius.

*Ding~!*

{[Main Quest #4]} - [A++ Rank]

—[Without taking off your Newbie 5 Equipment Set, you are required to kill every single Hellish being present in the Trial Area of HELL's 1st Floor. You are also to either slay the Hellish Sphinx or answer all of its questions correctly.]

[Time Limit: 3 Hours, 55 Minutes, 57 Seconds]

{[Rewards upon Completion:]}

{[Reward 1: 1000 AP]}

{[Reward 2: A+ Riddler's Riddler]}

{[Reward 3: S+++ Rank HELL's 1st Floor Gate Key]}

{[Reward 4: Map of HELL's 1st Floor]}

{[Reward 5: 72nd Demon King's Ire]}

{[Punishment Upon Failure: 12 Hours in 'Nightmarescape'/Land of Nightmares]}

"The punishment is the same as the last few times," said Cassius. "But the Rewards… Why is the 5th one even considered a reward? That sounds like another punishment…"