Infinite Evolution: My Idle Evolution System

SHING!

Cassius whipped around the blade, tracing its dance-like movements with his crystal blue eyes. It slashed outward, cutting through the air, and produced a satisfying whistle. A few meters away, a clean cut mark appeared on a boulder, and the upper half of the boulder slid off the next second.

BANG!

"How interesting… It feels almost supernatural."

Although Cassius had obtained inhuman strength through his efforts and Character Development, this was the first tangible proof that he was surpassing human limits. It worked to slowly adjust him to what he would encounter more of in the future.

After savoring the moment for a couple of seconds, Cassius conveyed his intent to the Serrated Devil Blade. Yet, instead of reverting to its intact blade form, it spun rhythmically like a coil and wrapped around his exposed right arm. It then adhered to his defined muscles and thinned, appearing almost like a thick sword tattoo.

"Hmm?"

Cassius didn't feel any discomfort from this unexpected action. Instead, he felt a deeper connection with the sword, almost as if they could communicate. Through this connection, he learned that the sword could return to its original form whenever he wanted. But seeing as this form was more convenient for avoiding suspicion upon returning to the outside world, he decided to keep it this way.

"Speaking of which," Cassius said aloud, "how do I leave a Gate? Do I find the way I came in, or…"

Then, as if to answer him:

*Ding!*

[Approximate time till Gate Collapses (and squashes you like a bug): 14 minutes 59 seconds.]

"Ahhh…" Cassius furrowed his brows before blurring from his spot. "Looks like I need to get going then."

Retracing his steps toward the Gate's entrance, he pulled up his system interface, curious to see how far he had come since entering his first Gate.

BLING!

Meanwhile, in the outside world, roughly five minutes before the Sudden Gate's clearance:

"Ahhhgh!!! They just keep coming!" A young man dodged an incoming claw slash, then counterattacked with his sword. "What do we do, Leader?!"

Corra assessed the severity of the situation, quickly realizing that all of the Hunters were running low on stamina. They had been fighting continuously for nearly an hour, and it was no surprise they were running out of steam.

Before long, they would all be dead…

As the Leader, she had to make a decision. But what could she do? Even though her team consisted of F, E, and D-Rank Hunters, their actual combat experience was severely lacking. They could tank some enemy attacks through sheer stat differences, but there was a clear limit to their endurance.

'A few of my squad members are already severely injured!' Corra slashed out several times in quick succession, cutting down nearly a dozen F-Rank monsters. 'But with every kill, double that number escaped the Gate. We are on wave 4 of 5; as long as we can hold them back for another half-hour, reinforcements will arrive!'

"Leader! A few of them escaped our circle!" shouted an E-Rank Hunter, snapping Corra's attention to his position. "They're running for the Hospital! And we still don't know if everyone successfully evacuated!"

"Damn it all!" Corra ground her teeth in frustration. She cut down the monsters obstructing her path before dashing toward the ones entering the Hospital. Yet, these E-Rank Dark Apes were cunning and immediately split up.

'How am I supposed to chase them all?!'

Corra's eyes darted in multiple directions as the Dark Apes disappeared into different parts of the Hospital. Under the pressure of the moment, she furrowed her brows and bolted after the nearest one. She cleaved it down the middle, but the others had already scurried into different pathways, some ascending to higher floors.

"Fuck!!!" Corra had no idea what else to do, so she mindlessly chased them, cutting them down one by one.

Meanwhile, on the Hospital's 4th floor.

As a silver sword flashed on the first floor of Hoshito General Hospital, a beautiful blonde girl sat curled in a corner of Room 406, her face stained with sadness and fear. She was utterly unsure of what she could do during such a terrifying event.

It was then that a sharp, high-pitched chattering pierced her ears, causing her to jolt her head up in alarm.

Terror streaked across Aya's face as her reddened eyes caught sight of a daunting, four-legged shadow clambering outside the open door. Even in her fright, Aya knew she couldn't allow whatever was outside to come in. She stumbled to her feet and raced to the door, prepared to slam it shut.

Yet, as she reached for the handle, a disturbing, toothy grin appeared in the hallway.

"Ahhh!" Aya startled back in fright, colliding with the ground. A stinging sensation burned near her hip, but it paled in comparison to the terror she felt as the high-pitched chattering grew louder.

Shaking like a leaf, Aya screamed, "S-Stay away from me!!"

The Dark Ape didn't care about her screaming. It advanced, each slow, deliberate step intensifying the looming dread in Aya's heart. The creature could sense the young woman's strength—it knew she was stronger than itself. Yet… she was scared.

This forced a sadistic grin onto the Dark Ape's face.

Out of everything in life, it loved scenarios like this one the most.