Genetic Ascension

Chapter 1288: Disputed

”Master.”

Thorak’s voice boomed across the rocky plain.

The Rhino Lineage Moon was one of grey and blue, landscapes of heavy rock extending everywhere the eye could see, while mountains filled with complex tunnel systems were inlaid across the terrain.

Thorak’s voice echoed into one of these mountainous caverns, but he didn’t immediately receive a response. Even so, he stood there for a long while, his fists clenched in anger as his blackened skin continued to writhe. It looked almost as though his muscles were a beating heart, the scars of grey that weaved into runes across his body seemingly multiplying with every passing moment.

”Have you retrieved your junior? I am in the middle of a meeting right now. If it isn’t important, this will be for you to handle.”

The voice came several minutes later, almost lazy and unbothered.

”... She is dead. The Scorpion Warlord’s new disciple killed her on their way here.”

This time, the silence was even longer. Thorak knew that this wasn’t because his master was taking time to process things, but instead that he was well and truly busy. The meeting taking place now had commanded the attention of all of the Lineage Heads and happened to be the same meeting Gralith had only just left.

When he finally did reply, it was a low, rumbling chuckle. It didn’t seem particularly enraged, but the annoyance was clear down to the bone.

”It has been a while since something has annoyed me like this. This disciple—when will he begin his rites?”

”Now,” Thorak replied.

”In that case, you know exactly what to do, don’t you? Why do you need to speak to me and waste my time?”

”Master, it is said that their battle began because he has an unprotected Royal Line.”

This time, the answer came even faster than before.

”Is that so... In that case, Gralith would be quite angry if he were to die, now wouldn’t he?”

After this, the voice disappeared and didn’t reply again, even when Thorak asked for clarification.

After a while, Thorak could only turn to leave.

BOOM!

The ground beneath Thorak shook as a heavy, behemoth of a man appeared across from him. He must have stood at over four meters tall, his wrists alone thicker than the torsos of most people.

The 713th Warlord had almost 30 disciples, a number far higher than Gralith’s. Among them, 12 were already C-tiers, 16 were D-tiers, and only Thorak alone was still in the E-tier.

This man was Mosa—their master’s 25th disciple and a man who was well into the D-tiers. Unfortunately, he had the intelligence of a child and the power of a nuke.

Thorak frowned but couldn’t react as the hands of the giant grabbed his shoulders and lifted him high as though he was some sort of doll.

”Why are you upset?” Mosa asked in his odd drawl.

Thorak had no choice but to explain. He had grown used to dealing with Mosa.

It was actually an exaggeration to say that he had the intelligence of a child. No child could draw a Rune Armor so complete. But the problem with Mosa was that he was too straightforward and completely lacked any sort of finesse.

Maybe that was only natural of someone in the Rhino Lineage, but Thorak—and most of his other brothers and sisters—didn’t believe so.

”Little sis is dead?” Mosa growled. ”Unacceptable. Let’s go kill him right now.”

”You can’t do that. Neither can I,” Thorak said. ”There’s a plan—just let me handle it. You will make things worse for Master. This is a matter of face. If you step in, that will give Khan the right to step in.”

”No one is scared of that twig.”

Thorak wanted to smash his head against a wall. The only disciples more feared than Gralith’s on an individual basis were those beneath the 713th Lion Warlord, the 713th Whale Warlord, the 713th Serpent Warlord, and the 713th Ape Warlord.

And even then, against many of them, it was a toss-up.

Plus, Khan was already Level 150, in the middle of completing his D-Grade Foundation. Mosa was still a long way away from that. He wouldn’t last a single exchange.

”Just trust me. He’s only an F-tier newbie. He has skills, but he made the mistake of coming here with arrogance he hasn’t earned yet. He has no idea what he’s gotten himself into.”

Mosa growled, but eventually let Thorak land on his feet again.

Exhaling a breath, Thorak smoothed out his armor. This big bastard almost made him forget his rage. He would make sure that Sylas got quite the welcoming package.

**

Sylas sat in silence at the peak of an ancient temple. Stone of grey covered in moss surrounded him. High above his head, a bronze bell hung, etched with ancient runes, while tall, glass-less windows allowed a whistling wind to come in.

Despite the heft and speed of the wind, the bell didn’t so much as sway. But then again, neither did Sylas.

This here... this was the start position of Sylas’ trials. The rite came in two forms: a normal Rite and a Disputed Rite.f.

In the former case, an in-name disciple would join up with the next batch of disciples hoping to get into the Sanctum. So long as they placed in the top two, they would earn the right to become a True Disciple under a Lineage Head’s tutelage.

This was the rite that over 70% of the in-name disciples took. As for the other 30%... they were given Disputed Rites.

Disputed Rites were triggered when another Lineage Head—just one—believed that an in-name disciple was erroneously chosen, or that the batch of disciples was too weak to prove anything. In some cases... this path was chosen by in-name disciples that had no feats to their name and thus had to choose this route to make up for what they lacked.

This Disputed Rite put an in-name disciple up against not disciple hopefuls...

But fully fledged Beast Warlord Sanctum disciples.