Genetic Ascension

Chapter 768  Odds

”Dear traveller, there are many things to know. But the problem is that your ticket will expire before I have had the time to explain them all to you. You can check your timer whenever you so need to.” Sylas checked his notification screen. However… — [00:23:59:59] — The screen was entirely frozen. It wasnʼt ticking down like it was meant to, which could only mean that his timelock was still active and giving him far more time than should have otherwise been suggested. However, Sylas didnʼt mention this. He didnʼt need to be wise to everything happening in this outside world to know that it would be foolish. Legendary Path Treasures were incredibly rare, so much so that he had run into none at all in the Frostbane Dungeon despite those geniuses being their best. A Gold Grade Legendary Path Treasure was surely on another level entirely. He didnʼt need to be a genius to know that a Treasure that could stop time was shocking. Plus, if this TongueʼHead character was telling the truth, then this timelock wouldnʼt be all that helpful at all. After all, it wasnʼt like he could stop time indefinitely. If it took more than a day to explain everything, it wouldnʼt be worth it. Instead, he would have to ask pointed questions. ”Lead me to a location appropriate for Beast Masters.” ”Right away, dear traveller!” Sylas followed after TongueʼHead, his gaze continuously sweeping. He caught many looking at him, curious about him. It seemed that following after TongueʼHead was a telltale sign that he was likely from a World in the middle of its Summoning. He saw all sorts of Races as he walked. Most looked almost entirely human with just some odd quirks here and here. He saw a few with snakes or tentacles for hair, another few with the upper bodies of humans and the lower bodies of beasts, some more with an extra set of arms and some others with a second, sometimes a third head. Sylas didnʼt seem like a person who was seeing all of this for the first time. He looked quite calm and unbothered, as though all of this was only natural. ”What Race are you from?” Sylas asked. ”Me? Dear traveller, I cannot count as a member of any Race, though if you really wanted an answer, I am from a line of Familiars known as Skullheads.” ”Lines of Familiars?” ”Yes, dear traveler. Familiars are separated into many lineages depending on the way we are born. One of the most common ways to form a familiar is through precious body parts. The bones, the eyes, the heart, etcetera.” Sylas thought of Szorn and slowly nodded. The bazaar looked like it was pulled straight out of the middle east. Dusted roads and flapping tents were the norm, but in the far off distance, in the midst of a sand storm, Sylas could see the skyline of what looked like a… round metropolis. Rather than the hard edges of skyscrapers that Sylas was used to, the buildings were very bulbous and smooth, almost like polished ivory, though it was difficult to distinguish color from such a far off distance. However, even after walking for five or so minutes, weaving in and out of crowds and dodging some people who thought the best way to get to know him was to grab at his arms and sometimes even his crotch, Sylas realized that they were getting no closer. He had peppered the Familiar with questions, but once he felt like he had run out of the most important of them, his steps paused. ”That city line in the distance, what is it?” ”Ah, that is colloquially known as the City of Elites. It is very difficult and very expensive to get in, dear traveller.” ”What are the requirements?” ”This is the Level 30 Bazaar. So, you need to be at an FF- rating at that Level in order to gain entry.” Sylas paused. This sounded like a joke, but he was already aware that the Grading system of Earth was currently skewed. Being an FF- in an entire galaxy was entirely different from being an FF- on Earth alone. Despite the low bar, Sylas wasnʼt arrogant enough to assume he definitely met such a standard, not before he understood more about his own strength compared to the wider universe. ”And thatʼs the only way in?” ”No, dear traveller. It is also possible to pay 100 million Hero Points to get in. Or, you can be among the under-50 elites of any list.” Sylasʼ gaze flickered. ”Where is the Beast Master region you were bringing me to? How far away is it?” ”We are not far, dear traveller. At your Speed, just about another two hours or so.” ”Is there no faster way to travel?” ”Of course. There are teleportation pads hidden across the bazaar, similar to the one dear traveller appeared on. However, they are very expensive to use. In order to make it to the destination you have in mind, it would cost 10 000 Hero Points.” ”And to make it to the City of Elites?” ”It would likewise cost 10 000 Hero Points. All teleportations cost the same regardless of distance.” Sylas frowned. That meant that without a clear map of exactly which regions you wanted to go to, optimizing your transport would be very difficult. It would suck if you were near an area you needed, but teleported away to another, only to have to come back. Given how large this space was, the teleportations could stack up very quickly. And judging by the reaction of this Familiar, it really didnʼt seem to think that Sylas had many points to work with at all. Sylas had grown used to the foolishness of these Familiars already. They often acted in ways that required assumptions to be made, and they were very fallible. So in the end, he had to be the one to steer them right. ”Letʼs go to the City of Elites.” Sylas finally said. TongueʼHead hesitated, but in the end, he obeyed, bringing Sylas to the nearest teleportation platform. It was nothing more than a dusty patch of earth that looked no different from any other around it. But Sylas immediately felt the odd fluctuation. ʼFascinating…ʼ he thought to himself. ”To the City of Elites!” TongueʼHead said enthusiastically. — [Under-50 Elite Detected] [Price of Teleportation Waived] — TongueʼHeadʼs expression fluctuated wildly. … ”District Head Mospheral! Thereʼs been a change! Sylas Grimblade has appeared at a Level 30 Skai Galaxy Bazaar!” The news reached the wrong ears quite quickly. But when Sylas made his decision, especially his talk with Gralith, he knew that the odds of this happening were exceptionally high. Unfortunately… he also knew that wasting this opportunity was not an option. No matter what the risks were, he had spent 10 000 Gold Aether Stones and used up a valuable Durability on his time lock Treasure. At the same time, he could feel that the storm on Earth was brewing and it would only be a matter of time before it boiled over. He had to make this trip worthwhile. Mospheral slowly opened his eyes. ”… How interesting… three targets of interest appearing at the same time. What are the odds?”