Genetic Ascension

Chapter 1184: Work

There had always been something quite fascinating about the Bone-Tailed Lizard. It had a certain propensity to evolve speech patterns or even complex forms of thought. Sylas had found himself quite interested in where this might go or how it might evolve.

But he found out quite soon afterward that he was too focused on things that, honestly, in the grand scheme, didn’t truly matter much. At least not to him.

Those lingering curiosities were all opened wide when Sylas helped Cassarae to take on the Dino Race heritage of Earth. The things he didn’t understand, the curiosities he tried to unearth, those various secrets that seemed hidden in the Bone-Tailed Lizard’s body, seemed far less fascinating to him now.

He had been able to take those studies and help to reform the Scorpion Warlord Armor, even modifying it so that it would work in better sync with Cassarae’s new Dino Race lineage. But after this, Sylas realized that there was no real benefit in doing much else.

In fact, as of right now, the best way to use the Bone-Tailed Lizard was to probably hand it Overlord Status and then have it take on the lineage of the Dogons back on Earth.

Sylas had very seriously considered doing this, but after feeling the changes to himself, and then to Cassarae, he honestly felt that...

It was a bit of a waste.

It wasn’t that it wouldn’t benefit the Bone-Tailed Lizard—it certainly would. But the main issue was that the further Sylas brought it from the bounds of Serpentes, the less useful it would be to Sylas overall.

The same was true of using these E-Grade Dogon corpses as well.

The real reason Sylas hadn’t used them to help the Bone-Tailed Lizard a great deal was because he lacked the time. But ultimately, his lack of time was often in direct correlation to how useful something was to him.

If it would have changed his strength a great deal, no matter how little time Sylas had, he would have made time for it. Hadn’t he somehow managed to squeeze out six months from a few days by sacrificing some things? He was more than capable.

And then there was the Glasirith. The main issue with it was very different. It just... wasn’t of much use to Sylas because he was far better.

The Glass Aether Runes of the Glasirith were too weak compared to Sylas. It wasn’t the perfect reflection of Sylas’ Path anymore, as it didn’t have any Lightning Aether affinity, and the Skills it carried were just weaker versions of Sylas’ own.

In truth, Sylas didn’t even know if he could make use of it right now. He was still arranging the thoughts in his mind, wondering if he could piece things together in the way he was hoping.

What he wanted was a Mount capable of growing with him, a Combat Mount that scaled properly and could also benefit from Overlord status so it wasn’t constantly lagging behind him.

If it wasn’t going to be a Serpentes, then the least it could be was exceptionally powerful.

’I’ll need the Dogon Lineage...’ Sylas thought to himself.

As his mind continued to churn, his thoughts coming up with one breakthrough after another, he was piecing together something quite fantastical.

He had the foundations of everything he needed. But...

Sylas looked down at the Frostbane Feather. At this point, it would be his limiting factor. It was a Silver Grade Treasure, so no matter what he did or accomplished, it would still find itself highly restricted.

However, he had noticed something.

When it took root, it was so much like the Symbiote in action.

This time, instead of letting the Violet Rose Symbiote fuse with one of the creatures, he put it over the Frostbane Feather.

The little wooden worm squirmed as though it felt like something was off. The Frostbane Feather wasn’t giving off the life it usually liked to at all.

Sylas watched this in silence for a long while. Despite his pressure, the Symbiote didn’t take to the feather. But Sylas also didn’t unceremoniously give up either.

He stood there, his mind still churning.

With a flip of his palm, Sylas pulled out the corpse of a familiar Dogon—a woman who once wielded a long, heavy bow and had cost him no small bit of trouble.

After their battle, Sylas had already pulled out her Blood Essence, but nothing else. Back then, he didn’t really understand anything deeper to begin with.

But he was a very different man now.

Because Vaekra had been in the Madness Key all this time, her state had been perfectly preserved, and any parts of her that would have decomposed or separated away, fleeing into the Mesh of Reality, were still very much here...

Aside from her Blood Essence, of course.

This time, though, Sylas extricated her Bone Essence.

Long streams of golden bone marrow were pulled out from her body, and he quickly stored her into the Madness Key again.

Delicately controlling the Bone Essence, he carved into the body of the Frostbane Feather, layering its spine with the Bone Essence.

’Not working.’

Sylas realized this immediately and was about to use the help of the Scorned Wraps to reverse things when there was another flash of understanding in him.

That was right... the Symbiote... and the Frostbane Feather body...

Realization hit Sylas and the inspiration came in waves.

He pulled Vaekra’s body out quickly again, this time snatching something far deeper than Bone Essence:

Her Soul Construct. Her Will Manifestation. And her Will Core.

Then, he pressed these into the Bone-Tailed Lizard’s body.

With a thought, Sylas then activated Total Merge, fusing himself into the Bone-Tailed Lizard’s body just as the Frostbane Feather and the Symbiote took root.

His Will and that of the Bone-Tailed Lizard became one.

Sylas felt intimately as the changes were taking place in the Bone-Tailed Lizard’s body, using his Vipermancy Insight Path Talent to understand it even more intimately than he would normally, as though he had almost gained an entirely new Profession altogether.

’It will work.’