Genetic Ascension

Chapter 1366: Steps

Sylas stared out at the road before him. The dullness in his gaze seemed to be slipping him further and further into obscurity, the air around him growing stale and his body almost becoming fuzzy at the same time.

The outline of his sense of self in his proprioception tingled, almost as though countless hairs across his body were standing tall. The feeling was akin to when one bent or lay on a limb awkwardly for too long, the static sense coming from one’s nerves making it feel as though you were losing sense everywhere.

Sylas had maybe never been so focused in his life, so much so that his brain was losing control over his body itself. The slippage didn’t stop him as his intent focused all the more.

And then, his foot raised up.

An entire three hours had passed. Yet, not a single person had looked away. In fact, the moment Sylas raised a foot, the entire world seemed to hitch its breath again.

Pa.

His foot landed almost too lightly on the golden road. People were expecting bombs, fireworks, some shocking realization, but they got none of it.

One second.

Two.

Three.

They felt like they slowly wheeled by, the seconds ticking away as though each was an eternity of its own. Sandy dunes rose and waned, the sun rising and falling like the waxing moon.

But the three seconds passed, and Sylas was still standing on the road.

It wasn’t something that should have shocked them. They knew that he was superior to Fowler. But the legend of Fowler had been ingrained in their thoughts and hearts for so long that seeing this final F-tier record fall felt like they were also watching the fall of a legend right before their eyes.

If it was close, then maybe Fowler would have kept his reputation. Even now, he should still be the strongest Rune Master in the entire Sector.

But the gap... it was far too wide.

Sylas continued to stand there, the seconds turning to minutes, and then the minutes to hours.

Then the world twisted around them.

At some unknown time, Sylas had suddenly appeared dozens of meters down the road. They had no idea what happened, but it was like their minds retroactively reversed everything they had experienced, reverse-engineering it akin to the way one would fill in the blind spots of one’s eyes with a functional image.

Their brains seemed to short-circuit, and they looked toward one another for the first time.

It felt like a memory of Sylas walking forward at an agonizingly slow pace was being etched into their minds... but they really couldn’t recall that this happened.

It was like someone had erased their real experience and written in something new.

What the hell just happened?

Their gazes snapped back toward Sylas and they grew even more focused, even as many of them grew weary from the strain. Furon’s eyes were practically blackened from the fatigue, large circles hanging around his otherwise impeccable features.

But Sylas was frozen in place again. Furon could swear he saw Sylas’ hand tremble slightly as though he was straining against something, but then the feeling disappeared and he was frozen once again.

Furon couldn’t even begin to wrap his head around what was going on, and quite frankly, no one present here seemed capable of it either.

For the first time, even the elders in the skies were confused.

What Sylas had done before was all within their realm of understanding. This, however... this was very different.

What was going on?

...

Gralith stood in the endless void, watching this scene. There was a glow in his eyes that was growing fiercer and fiercer with every passing moment, his focus seemingly more than anyone else’s.

’Just what... are you doing?’

Gralith didn’t seem to have an answer either, but every one of Sylas’ actions replayed in his mind.

Suddenly, he leapt to the same conclusion that Cassarae had, remembering how Sylas had paused at the beginning of every Secret Realm from Breath onward.

Back then, even Gralith had thought that Sylas was just trying to show off for extra effect, and he wasn’t necessarily against it. But... it seemed that he didn’t understand his disciple as well as his wife did.

Gralith’s eyes narrowed.

Even though he made the connection, he couldn’t understand the why of it all either.

What was Sylas trying here?

He had already done enough, but right now, it looked like he was fighting a battle of life and death.

Practically no one else could see it, but Gralith could sense Sylas’ Will draining with ridiculous speed.

Given how strong his Will was previously, it felt absolutely ridiculous that it was even possible for him to suffer like this in the first place.

With his abilities...

Gralith’s eyes flashed again.

’It can’t be?’

Gralith recalled the only thing Sylas had ever personally asked for his help with. No—more accurately, it was the only thing Sylas had ever asked him for help with that was related to Rune Mastery.

The Tome.

The Chrono Casting Tome.

...

Sylas’ body suddenly raised another foot. He pressed it down and the world shook.

Furon coughed up a mouthful of blood, falling backward and fainting before he even hit the ground. He had reached his limits. But even in the end, he hadn’t seen even a corner of Sylas’ shadow.

Sylas’ body seemed to randomly teleport ahead again, crossing the halfway point of the golden road, but then he too coughed up a mouthful of blood.

This time, it was Bellarouse that fainted, her mind being forcefully etched with memories of Sylas walking that shouldn’t be there. She was certain... she was certain that he had only taken three real steps, so why was her mind filled with dozens of them?

...

Cassarae bit her lip hard when she saw Sylas suddenly cough up a mouthful of blood. There should be nothing dangerous about a Rune Mastery Secret Realm. What the hell had he gotten himself wrapped up into?