Genetic Ascension

Chapter 57 The Flow of Battle

[200 GTs Bonus]

He knew it was stupid, but his rage got the best of him. He could feel that something was attacking his mind, and it was taking all of his concentration to fight back against it.

With his back turned to Sylasʼ location, Vorak didnʼt even notice the flying dagger until it was too late.

It shot downward and ripped apart the Achilles tendon of Drax.

Sylas pulled it back before it could embed itself into the ground. Using telekinesis at the moment, he could only output less than half of his current Strength. However, with the abilities of the dagger, it was just about enough to match him if he wielded a normal dagger without the Pierce ability.

His Will and Charisma average was around 110 or so, which was just barely double his Strength stat. That meant that he needed four times the Will-Charisma average to equate the same amount of Strength… and he would take full advantage of what he had.

The dagger embedded itself into a tree that was nearby, and the second dagger whizzed forward.

Vorak reacted quickly, releasing Snarlʼs wrist and pivoting. With a strong sweep of his bone ax, he knocked the dagger out of the air.

The force was much too strong for Sylas to get control of it in a short time, so he didnʼt bother, letting it fall directly to the forest floor as he fell from the trees above.

He hit the ground in a deep squat, not minding a six-meter drop at all. His knees absorbed the impact like a spring and he rolled forward, dissipating the rest of the force before jumping to his feet.

He accelerated forward.

The others werenʼt sure what had happened because Sylas had already dissipated Madness. He couldnʼt control who was and wasnʼt affected, so he had no choice but to do this to avoid friendly fire.

However, it was because they werenʼt sure what happened that they felt that everything was still going according to the original plan and they burst into action as well.

Sylas, though, was already completely focused on Vorak.

The truth was that he could have likely succeeded in sneak-attacking Vorak as well and taken out one of the largest concerns immediately, but he hadnʼt done so for two reasons.

First, if he used Oliviaʼs weapons to kill or maim Vorak, it would be a question as to who could claim the Genes. Vorak looked like the best opportunity he had to find something other than pure Physical Genes due to how high his Will and Mental were. Sylas didnʼt want to muddy those waters.

Plus, Snarlʼs wrist was snapped, Nala had a nasty gash across its chest and it was quickly bleeding out, and Drax had a useless leg after losing an Achilles tendon.

He had done enough on that front.

And second…

He really wanted to fight him.

Vorakʼs eyes seemed to collide with Sylasʼ and a high-pitched squeal-turned-roar echoed.

The gnoll elite was about to attack when he sensed other humans suddenly rushing through the clearing. He clearly hesitated, his eyes churning with thoughts that felt distinctly more human than beast.

Sylas could feel it. There was a plan to execute, and Vorak was hesitating about whether it was even possible anymore.

It wasnʼt.

Sylas appeared before the gnoll elite, his fist shooting forward.

Vorak took a step back and swung down at Sylasʼ arm, wanting to take the whole thing. But Sylasʼ arm had already pulled back in a feint, his leg whipping against the gnollʼs knee.

Tail Whip.

A subtle glow came from Sylasʼ shin as his kick suddenly accelerated.

His kick cracked against the side of the gnoll eliteʼs knee and it buckled inward.

Sylasʼ eyes narrowed. He had expected more substantial damage than that, but he didnʼt mind it. Caught off balance, Vorak wasnʼt in a position to counter at all, so he pressed his advantage.

His kicking foot descended to the ground and swung back as he shifted his weight, sending a straight right into the gnoll eliteʼs snout.

Blood spewed, and Vorak stumbled backward. Rage lit the gnoll eliteʼs eyes as he looked like he wanted to rip Sylasʼ throat out with his bare teeth.

Sylas could feel the flow of battle clearer and clearer. His mind was so calm under the effect of his heavy Will that he seemed capable of thinking three or four steps ahead.

That was why when the gnoll eliteʼs Aether moved, seemingly about to activate a Skill, Sylas activated Sudden Burst first. freё

His body flickered and his Dexterity increased enough that he went from a full stop to his top Speed in an instant.

The gnoll elite couldnʼt react to Sylas grabbing the arm of the formerʼs weapon and then driving his elbow right into its snout again.

Vorakʼs head whipped backward, the feeling of disorientation so heavy that his eyes watered. He tried to wrestle control of his weapon away, but Sylasʼ Strength was too great to easily ignore.

Sylas drove his elbow across Vorakʼs snout a second time before the latter lashed out with his free hand, swiping a claw at Sylasʼ head.

With movement that almost looked pre-planned, Sylasʼ elbow shifted positions and slammed against the gnoll eliteʼs forearm, blocking the claw swipe. Then, his weight dropped, pulling the bone ax down with him, and Vorak as well, who still refused to let go.

The moment his knees bent to an extreme, he exploded upward, his knee driving right into Vorakʼs chin.

The gnoll eliteʼs grip loosened on the bone ax and instantly, the Scorned Wrap flared up, burning it to ash.

Vorak stumbled backward, but Sylasʼ leg kick from earlier kicked in, causing him to lose his balance and fall to a knee.

Without hesitation, Sylas activated Tail Whip again, driving his shin right across the gnoll eliteʼs skull.

The sick sound of shattering bone echoed, and Sylas stood there, taking deep breaths.

Blood dripped from his elbow, both his own and the gnoll elite, but he couldnʼt feel the tooth fragment embedded into him at all.

His blood was boiling. The flow of battle seemed to be becoming more and more natural to him.