Genetic Ascension

Chapter 1456: A Twist of Fate [750 GT Bonus]

”DAMN IT.”

Authrione materialized within the void, his form battered by surging currents of an enigmatic aquatic Aether. As Sylas had earlier observed, this essence shimmered with tints of both ocean and cosmos, its undulating motion weaving together torrents and depths that birthed an overwhelming force unlike anything Authrione—or Sylas, for that matter—had yet encountered.

If one word could encapsulate Authrioneʼs Aether, it would be...

Weighty.

At this moment, the energy inside him roiled violently, as if digging and tearing under his skin, relentlessly searching to purge every trace of the corrupt venom embedded within. Yet, that poison proved especially stubborn. Despite downing a potent detox Elixir, its effect was alarmingly negligible. Authrione found it hard to fathom how an opponent ranked so lowly—an F-tier, no less—could concoct a toxin so devastatingly effective against someone of his caliber.

What troubled him further was the way his Aether wavered when he attempted to isolate the venomʼs location. His control faltered more than mere Aether Suppression could explain—indeed, that played only a minor role. The real culprit was his Will itself, the very force governing his Aether, which the poison was gnawing away at.

This wasnʼt a typical toxin. It didnʼt ravage his body outright; instead, it stealthily undermined his essential functions. How could one persist without Will?

Had the venom been confined to a single spot, Authrione might have concentrated his power and crushed it by now. But it appeared to have teleported to multiple sites within him, spreading insidiously.

His face hardened. Had he chosen to remain in that battle, death would have been inevitable. The poison multiplied rapidly, intensifying with every passing moment. There was something uniquely sinister about Sylasʼ Will—a trait that rendered that toxin especially contagious.

What slipped by both Authrione and even Sylas himself, still unformulated fully in his mind, was this: Sylasʼ Demonic Will fundamentally contradicted the nature of all that was human on this side of the cosmos.

Sylasʼ Glassvolt Rune, tainted by the Path of Glassvolt—his distinctly selfish journey anchored firmly in his Will—meant that the strength of his Poison Rune was fueled not only by its foundational hundred principles but also by Sylas’ very Demonic Will.

”Lost already?”

A mocking voice finally broke through, signaling Authrione was not alone. But so fixated was he on expelling the toxin that he paid it no heed.

”You didnʼt just lose—you came back with little more than a bloody nose? You fled? I graciously let you claim Champion, and you scampered away like some cowardly vermin ”SILENCE!”

Authrioneʼs roar reverberated, his senses piercing the boundless darkness around them to rest upon a figure of his own kind—a man, tall and formidable, his muscular upper body rising proudly above the four legs of a black-scaled centaur form.

Locking eyes with his cousin, an intense fury blazed within Authrione. But that fire was short-lived; caught off-guard, his gaze flickered with sudden streaks of lightning.

This time, his face drained of color. Losing his temper at a pivotal moment had provoked a harsher surge of energy.

”Youʼve been poisoned,” his cousin said at last, comprehension dawning. Heʼd noticed the Elixir Authrione had consumed earlier, yet such was their raceʼs near-impervious Constitution that he had never imagined Authrione would need it.

Few Poison Masters could even scratch the Pelagor’ defenses, let alone inflict a life- threatening toxin like this.

The Pelagor people were famed for their extraordinary resilience—particularly those born with the gift of Fathomless Depth Comprehension and inducted into the Sanctum. For them, poisons might as well have been fairy tales.

Watching Authrione’s grueling battle against the venom, the cousin reassessed his earlier judgment. A poison master capable not only of breaching their phenomenal Constitution but also of shattering their Wil itself to deliver such a toxin... This Tower of Champions participant would be anything but ordinary.

”Did you face the Primus Imperium?” he finally asked as Authrione stabilized himself. ”The what?” Authrione snapped, turning sharply.

”Check your notifications.”

Eyes narrowing, Authrione scrolled through his messages. The notice confirming a Primus Imperium’s presence and impending alterations to the Tower of Champions shocked him deeply.

But even more surprising was the sudden appearance of another alert moments later. [Primus Imperium Detected]

[Quicktime Event Initiated]

[Quicktime Event Active]

[Ode to Invincibility]

[Recommended Level: 50]

[Description: It has been many cycles since the last Primus Imperium emerged, but today, on this most auspicious day, we have been blessed with not one, but two. Though the Tower of Champions welcomes greatness, only a single True Champion can stand as the ultimate Hero.]

[Event Type: Twist of Fate]

[Victory Condition]

> [Slay a Primus Imperium and claim your birthright as the single, true Champion]

-

Sylas drifted upon the endless ocean, contemplating. He could have retreated to the infinite abyss where they had awaited earlier, but his fascination with this world—the blue lightning dancing across its sky—kept him anchored.

He had devoted substantial time honing the crystalline facets of his Glassvolt Mancy Path, yet the lightning element remained a relatively recent, almost spontaneous addition. Much of his power focused on glass, while the Volt aspect had been overlooked until now.

And then, the notification came.