Infinite Evolution: My Idle Evolution System

'An S- - Rank being, likely meaning that she isn't even truly considered an S-Rank,' thought Cassius, his tone growing ever more serious. 'However, even though she isn't a true S-Rank, her danger rating is in the Black range… My first Black-rating existence…'

He should have been scared. Hell, he should have been terrified that such an opponent had appeared!

Yet he wasn't.

For some inexplicable reason, a large surge of excitement washed over him, causing his body to tremble. More than ever before, he was thrilled. He wanted to fight an existence that exceeded his ability to an insurmountable degree!

He needed to fight!

Since his original encounter with the Tyrant Kings and the Tyrant God in that enigmatic Gate, Cassius had undergone many subtle changes. With each life taken by his hands and with every increase in power, his personality had shifted, little by little.

Though he wouldn't necessarily throw his life away against an overwhelmingly powerful opponent, this time felt different. He was willing to gamble; he was willing to risk his life for the sake of power and exhilaration!

Hellion noticed something change within the human's determined gaze.

"...Do you truly wish for death so badly? There is nothing to gain from progressing past this point. No lies have been spoken from my lips. I am far from the strongest in HELL, and you are incapable of defeating me. What do you hope to accomplish from this foolishness? Is there something you are trying to achieve? I don't believe so… Your path seems aimless… scattered…"

Cassius, still caught in the thrill of facing such a powerful opponent, paused to think over her question.

After a moment, his straight lips curved into an excited smirk. "You are right. Under normal circumstances, I would have no need to risk my life in HELL, especially when I'm so weak. But…"

"But?" Hellion inquired, her gaze narrowing slightly.

"But I can become stronger through fighting!"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Like a cannonball of spasming red and black energy, Cassius launched forward at speeds far surpassing anything he had previously displayed.

Another chunk of AP had been dumped into Agility!

"You are kind; I can see that," he said as he blazed toward Hellion. "But I have to become stronger. I want to survive, yes. Yet, to survive, I have to become more powerful. This world is not for the weak; you know that."

Hellion's unyielding eyes tracked the quick movements of the reckless human as though attempting to understand his intent.

"To become strong enough to survive in HELL from your current state would be impossible," she declared, her dainty hand lifting effortlessly. "You somehow became faster just now, but that will not be enough. Leave this place; never come back."

Flick!

It began with a simple flick.

Yet that flick alone was enough to quell the violent, deadly energies rolling out in waves around Cassius's charging figure. Moreover, with that effortless motion came a gust of golden wind that pushed against him with a force far exceeding his ability to resist.

His body rippled in slow motion as the immense force hurled him backward at hundreds of thousands of times the speed of sound. He nearly lost consciousness just from experiencing something close to the speed of light, yet the pain didn't end there.

Cassius struck the 5th Floor's backside wall with a deafening crack. However, the opposing force proved too great; he crashed through the wall and was sent sailing outside the Pyramid.

Ten seconds later.

As his battered body finally began its descent, Cassius regained consciousness. This was the second time Hellion had knocked him out cold, and it hadn't become any more pleasant.

'My bones are mostly shattered… And my internal injuries are not few,' Cassius thought as he assessed his condition. 'I seem to have already crashed into a building or something, but I can't see anything because of the blood covering my eyes, and I can't feel anything because of the extensive damage done to my body.'

It became immediately clear to him that this was a warning. Albeit a cruel one, it was Hellion's way of making him understand the danger that awaited him.

"Heh…" Cassius grinned through bloodied teeth. "That woman is truly something else. *Cough!* *Cough!*"

'If I were relying solely on my Endurance stat, I'd likely need several hours to fully recover from injuries like this,' he mused while activating the S-Rank |Rapid Regeneration| Skill. 'She knew just enough about my stat sheet to know I could survive something like this. Moreover, she also knew I had stealth skills capable of hiding me from bloodthirsty demons while I recovered… Ha…'

The more Cassius thought about Hellion, the more his opinion of her improved. 'Benevolent yet cruel. Kind yet ruthless. Decisive yet careful and precise—my interest in her grows with each passing second.'

Slowly, Cassius rose from the crater he had created in a massive skyscraper located thousands of miles from the Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid. He cracked his neck, his expectant grin evening out into a blank expression.

'I can't let my excitement get the better of me. I need to focus.'

FWIP!

In an instant, he vanished, his destination as clear as day.

Moments later, he was already back on the 5th Floor of the Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid. The first thing he saw was the impossibly gorgeous Hellish Sphinx.

Without turning to face him, Hellion said, "So this is the choice you've made. Death awaits you beyond that Gate; you're aware. Yet you still relentlessly pursue your own demise…"

"Very well…"

Slowly, she shifted her frosty eyes toward the battered human standing defiantly before her. As she did, her aura grew ever more oppressive.

"The kind of death that awaits you beyond that Gate is not a pleasant one. And though I've always avoided unnecessary killing, I cannot allow someone with a soul as kind as yours to meet such an end. Therefore…"

She raised her hand, golden wind gathering around her fingertips.

"I'll have to kill you myself."

WHOOOOOSH!!