Genetic Ascension

Chapter 857  Rex

The giant swung a golden-bladed ax at Sylas, the sweeping downward motion causing the wind to howl.

Sylas sidestepped.

The blade whistled by him, and just as the man was about to retract it, Sylas raised a foot and stomped down.

The wrist of the giant shattered, his body tilting forward and his blade burying itself into the ground.

Using the strength of his stomp, Sylas drove himself up, plowing a knee right through the bottom of the giantʼs chin.

The snap and crackle of bones echoed, the rattling of teeth and the spewing of blood filling the battlefield.

In the same fluid motion, Sylasʼ body pivoted through the air, his heel slamming against the side of the giantʼs temple. The Scorned Wraps danced in the wind, wrapping tightly around his ankle as his blow connected.

The blow was both crunchy and wet, and it only got worse as Sylasʼ hip flexed, driving his leg down in an arc and slamming the giantʼs head into the ground.

Sylas landed at the same time, flexing his quad and shattering the giantʼs head to minced meat.

Silence fell on the battlefield as Sylas slowly retracted his foot, his gaze calm and unbothered.

He turned back to find Alexander looking at him. The manʼs gaze was also calm, but a single glance at his white knuckles told the entire story that needed to be understood.

”Iʼve already defeated your leader, so I donʼt believe thereʼs a need for us to fight. If you insist on it, Iʼm sure you understand what the outcome will be,” Sylas said calmly.

He didnʼt look toward Astrid, but it was hard to miss the elephant in the room.

”What do you want to do?” Alexander asked slowly, his voice just as even as his expression.

”Where is this place in relation to York City?”

”… After the changes, we are about five hours away by small convoy.”

Sylas nodded. That wasnʼt bad. That probably meant that he could make it back in half an hour at most. This also confirmed that he didnʼt get stranded in yet another portal situation.

He was about to make a decision when he paused.

At that moment, he remembered a very particular line when he first saw the Bronze City Stele.

—

[Subsidiary Village Limit: 2]

—

His eyes narrowed. ʼMaybe…?ʼ

Of course, that limit was the Bronze City Stele limit, not the Fragmented or Common one. However, Cassarae had leveled up her City to a Town now. It just might be possible.

**

Cassaraeʼs blade clashed with a heavy spear, fatigue dripping down her brow in layers of sweat. She hadnʼt had the best rest these last few days, thinking sheʼd be able to thrust all this on Sylasʼ shoulders after she was done.

But who thought that bastard would just up and disappear?

”Useless, useless, useless…” she muttered. ”CAN YOU FUCK OFF?!”

Her temper snapped, and her blade suddenly cut through the giantʼs next swing. She cut right through blade and body at the same time, her longsword radiating some oddly valiant, crusade-like aura as it tore a path out.

She exhaled a breath, her chest heaving.

Golden beams descended upon her as the Twin Moon Healers took action again.

She held out a thumb in thanks, but that was all the bandwidth she had to give them.

—

[Notification]

[City ”Darkfell” would like to subordinate themselves to you.]

[Accept?]

[Yes][No]

—

Cassarae was speechless.

Darkfell? Wasnʼt that the current number two ranked city? It used to be constantly vying for number one along with Ironhold, until Casstle Main re-established themselves as number one. Now, it tended to jump back and forth between the number two and number three spots.

”Hmph. Okay, maybe not entirely useless.”

Cassarae rolled her eyes and clicked yes.

The one thing she had never had the time for was building a network of Subsidiary Cities. But she wasnʼt really at fault. No one had time for that—that was because finding enough people to trust for one city was hard enough, let alone having to deal with more than one.

She didnʼt know what Sylas had done or what headache it was going to be assimilating this city, but since the deed was done, she might as well.

—

[Yes]

—

There was a ripple, and Cassarae suddenly felt some restrictions around her loosen.

ʼHm?ʼ

Cassaraeʼs eyes suddenly lit up. ”Son of a bitch, why did no one ever tell me…”

She didnʼt even get the chance to finish her thought when the ground rumbled. Her eyes opened wide.

”… Youʼve got to be kidding me…”

Cassarae snapped out of it quickly, her joking air vanishing.

”RETREAT TO THE CITY LINE! NOW!”

**

Sylas felt the ground rumble first before anything else.

With narrowed eyes and Astrid still over his shoulder, he stepped out to find that the trees were also swaying. But even after he stepped into the air, he couldnʼt quite find what it was that was causing all of this.

Until he finally did.

Short arms, legs as thick as trees, a body covered in flightless feathers. It had jaws that could snap a mountain in two and slit, sunken eyes that bore into oneʼs soul.

Every step it took shook the ground, stripping leaves from their homes and scattering wildlife in all directions.

Its claws almost casually left deep trenches in the ground, cutting across everything with a practiced menace as though constantly honing itself for a taste of flesh.

It was the one creature Sylas had never seen since the start of the Summoning, the one creature he was probably happy he hadnʼt had to come across just yet.

—

[Tyrannosaurus Rex (Bronze)]

[Level: 47]

—

[Physical: 4789]

[Mental: 1388]

[Will: 1899]

—

Rumble.

Sylas stepped on the city wall, his gaze serious as the creature appeared looming over them all.

But then the ground shook again.

And then again.

[Tyrannosaurus Rex (Bronze)]

[Level: 47]

—

[Physical: 4793]

[Mental: 1391]

—

[Will: 1901]

—

[Tyrannosaurus Rex (Bronze)]

[Level: 48]

—

[Physical: 4933]

[Mental: 1509]

[Will: 1973]

—

Three of them appeared at the same time.