NOVEL NEXT Chapter 59: {[HELL’s 1st Floor Key]} - [S+++ Rank]
Cassius could tell that his stepmother was very passionate about this subject, which frightened the timid Memphis even further. She loved to adventure and discover new things, but when it came to this terrifying woman, she couldn't even muster an ounce of courage. Realizing this, Cassius patted her head before concentrating on Sasha.
"Her yearning for the Gates has a lot more to it than some rash pursuit. If that is what she wants if she awakens, then there is nothing either of us can do to persuade her otherwise."
Although reluctant to agree, Sasha knew he was right. Yet that only seemed to increase her irritation.
Ever since her stepson began changing, he didn't seem to be wrong about anything. And that casual, cooling smile plastered across his normally apathetic expression only served to further her annoyance.
Ultimately, Sasha gave in and dejectedly nodded before rising from the dining table. Her mood became a bit glum as she aimlessly wandered around the kitchen; clearly, something else entwined with the Gate matter was irking her. However, seeing as it was likely a very touchy subject, Cassius didn't bring it up, instead redirecting his focus toward the sleepy beauty walking into the kitchen as if she had just gotten there.
No matter how many times he observed the tendencies of these women, he couldn't stop himself from finding them all adorable in their own ways.
Aya, upon entering the kitchen, approached her seat at the table and began eating without saying a single word. She tried her best to keep her eyes away from the devilishly handsome man a few feet away from her, yet struggled immensely. None besides Cassius noticed this peculiar glancing session she was having with his seemingly oblivious self. But when Sasha finally simmered down enough to be more aware of her surroundings, her face once more contorted in cute frustration.
"Young lady!" Sasha exclaimed. "Why have you been waking up so early?? Are you sick or something!?"
Hearing this sudden announcement, both Cassius and Memphis hid their low laughs behind their hands. Aya, on the other hand, froze in place, with her face reddening in proportion to her immense embarrassment.
"...Mom…"
"Yes, sweetie?" replied Sasha, a bit puzzled over the concealed anger in her tone.
The shadows covering Aya's expression flushed away in an instant as she turned her head up and locked her golden eyes with the similarly colored eyes of her mother.
"You suck!" she announced before storming away in a huff. She couldn't believe that her mother had embarrassed her so publicly, and in front of Cassius no less! Gosh!!
A silence hung over the kitchen table as Cassius and Memphis cautiously watched Sasha's expression fall to the floor. She no longer had a peachy, vigorous complexion; it was instead replaced with a level of desolateness that reminded them of a barren desert.
Understanding that this was their cue to skedaddle, they silently put their plates away and retreated through the house's back door. It also just so happened to be the door that Cassius escaped through a few weeks ago, back when he nearly got caught by the recently relieved Aya.
The vivid memory remained fresh in his mind, but with the massive changes in her attitude and stance toward him, it was hard to overlap them as the same person.
As Cassius's mind swirled with nonsense, Memphis, who ran beside him, could swear that she heard the shattering of something loud back where they had just come from. Yet, when she realized that she was closely sticking to him in an almost intimate manner, she furiously blushed before backing away in a fluster.
Before Cassius had the chance to question her on her unusual behavior, she swiftly vanished from the scene, leaving him all alone in the middle of a street populated by lovey-dovey couples. "Ahh…" As if understanding the truth of the universe, he shook his head slightly, accompanied by a faint, bitter smile.
Left to stroll the streets as a single duckling, he received many stares because of his appearance and purposeful isolation, as many wondered how someone so handsome could be by himself.
Taking this time to search through his thoughts, Cassius occasionally wondered whether Memphis made it home fine. Yet, more than that, his mind traced back to the events that occurred over the last week.
Following the successful conquest of his first Gate, he woke up the next morning and received a 'nice' system notification informing him of the upgrade of his Newbie Training Equipment. He spoke in jest the night prior, in no way expecting his words to actually come true…
From 5,000 odd pounds, the total weight of his Newbie 2 Equipment exponentially multiplied to 15,000, with just his Newbie 2 Sword making up half of that! Just performing a single sword swing for the Daily Quest had become virtually impossible, let alone doing 100 of them!
Cassius felt scammed! But what could he do about it…?
It was only after pushing his body to its limits dozens of times that he finally managed to perform 100 excruciatingly painful sword swings. It was also around this time that he received the system rewards earned for doing exactly double the necessary amount of Daily Quest exercises. From that, he received 20 AP, 2 Stat Points in Charisma, and a 'Key.'
As opposed to the other time-system rewards that the Idle Evolution System gave out for leveling up, this 'Key' was something far rarer and harder to acquire. Its description read as such:
{[HELL's 1st Floor Key]} - [S+++ Rank]
[Normally, it is impossible for one who hasn't achieved transcendence to traverse between the Realms of a Galactic Tower, but this key is one of the few exceptions.]
[Use it on any door of your choice to open up an entryway that only you can see. If you so choose to risk your worthless, moocher life, then feel free to open up this entryway before achieving a prowess of the B-Rank!]