Cassius himself was surprised by the annual human death statistics when he first heard them, and he was even more surprised when he learned that most of those deaths happened because of lower-ranking Gates. Seeing as the weaker Gates had less priority over the stronger Gates, they were neglected and tossed to the back of the line. This often led to countless daily deaths by low-level monsters that could've been avoided.
The way he saw it, the world governments should've been putting more effort into finding a way to close all Gates for good. Yet they weren't. The source of the Gates wasn't being actively sought out; no one even seemed to care all that much about it. And just like that, the Gate and Hunter industry transformed into the Pharmaceutical Industry, effectively making everything into a money-grab scheme.
However, over the last couple of months, Gates have been sprouting up more frequently. This worried the bigwigs upstairs, causing some of them to resume the search for the Source of the Gates—a search that was never even seriously considered to begin with.
It was unknown what they would find, or if they would even find anything at all. But change was occurring.
The world was changing.
Just like it had a century ago, another great Calamity showed signs of awakening. It was on the horizon, simply waiting for the most opportune time to rear its yawning head and bring about the END.
Cassius appeared in the outside world of Russia. His appearance was still hidden underneath a shadowy cloak, yet that did little to conceal the otherworldly handsome features that lay underneath—features that took upon his original black-haired, blue-eyed look and improved upon it. As of now, he looked as if a heavenly immortal had descended and taken hold of his body.
Coincidentally, the Idle Evolution System also said something similar:
[CHARISMA: 70] - [Like an Immortal descended from heaven, you havith appeared. Grace these lowly mortal peasants with your otherworldly grace!]
Over the past few weeks, Cassius had been grinding the Daily Quests to no end. It was thanks to this consistent grind fest that he was able to acquire so many Charisma stat points, which subsequently improved his physical aesthetics to a level that exceeded anything seen on Earth. Just a single glance of his could cause hundreds of women to fall head over heels for him. This also made him the archenemy of almost every male in existence, but that hardly mattered to him.
On a more important note, as Cassius sped out of Russia's territory at several times the speed of light, he felt a familiar presence in one of the Western Countries. His nose crinkled as his brows knitted together. A sigh escaped his lips.
'That girl is at it again…' he thought with a hint of exasperation. 'Ever since she awakened as an S-Rank, and a powerful one at that, she has not returned home for over half a month. I know that she was scouted by one of the most prominent Hunter Guilds in the world—Earth Crusaders—but she has been obsessed with going into Gates and killing monsters.'
Cassius worried that the meek girl he picked up in a Gate following her father's death was no longer the cute, quiet girl he once knew. The yearning for revenge that bubbled inside her after she learned of her newfound power drove her out of the family she had made, instead dragging her down a spiraling pit of no return.
There was also an incident twenty or so days ago that nudged the soft-spoken Memphis further into the path of monster slaying. Specifically, it was when her uncle somehow found her location and began urging her to come into his care.
That event scared her; the fear etched into her beautiful face was something Cassius would never forget.
At first, he was going to deal with her uncle himself, but seeing as this was a hurdle she had to overcome, he held back until a point where his assistance was absolutely necessary. This decision led to a long, drawn-out period of time where kind-faced harassment was typical. The police even became involved at some point, but they were swiftly sent back where they came from by Cassius's mind manipulation abilities.
And then came an event where Memphis's uncle tried to force himself on her when she left for a quick errand to a nearby grocery store. Cassius was prepared to end this whole thing right then and there as he had been keeping a close eye on her. But that was when it happened…
A bright, effulgent light erupted from Memphis's body as soon as her uncle attempted to grope her. This light pushed him back multiple feet, knocking him against a brick wall. Then, when the light surrounding Memphis vanished, an entirely new version of her appeared. The cold, ruthless gleam in her glowing eyes scared her uncle witless. And within mere moments, he left the area, never to return.
She did not stop him.
He felt it to be his obligation to clean up any messes that could potentially backfire on Memphis and the women he now considered as part of his family. If they were unable to get their hands dirty, then he would dirty his hands in their stead.
However, after that incident concluded, Memphis never returned to how she was.
Something that occurred must've made her feel that only her own power could be relied upon, because she never again asked Cassius for help. He didn't bother explaining how he had been secretly looking out for her, and she never thought to ask; after all, very few knew just how powerful he had become.
Memphis went to the Hunter's Association to get her rank tested the very next day. Everyone in Hoshito was astonished to discover that an actual S-Rank Awakener had appeared in their humble city. The headlines even up till now all featured her, with even national newspapers not missing out on any coverage related to the newest S-Rank Hunter, the one who was expected to take the place of the once illustrious Static Baron.