Genetic Ascension

Chapter 1487: Betrayal [1750 GT Bonus]

”Betrayal?” Sylas asked slowly.

“Yes, master, betrayal.

“Explain.”

“True Beasts once ruled the universe. We were untouchable and stood beyond humanoids. We had methods of progress that humanoids did not. That all changed with the descent of the first system, created by a humanoid.

“From the memories of my Ancestor, the True Beasts had a birth rate that was too low, especially at the highest levels. This made battling against the Demons truly difficult, especially since their birth rates were often accelerated.

“The True Beasts and Humanoids thus formed a pact and the first system was created using the True Beasts as a foundation of research. Thanks to this, Genes, Gene Talents, Bloodlines, and things of the like were introduced.

”However, at the end of this era, we were betrayed, our strongest creatures maligned and excised, stricken down from the heavenly perches we sat upon and forced to the earthen grounds. We became creatures of sin, despised by the next system as much as the Demons, all so that the so-called Humanoid Gods could take their turn at the top of the world.

”We acted for the sake of the greater universe. The Demons would sooner have our way of life completely upended and destroyed. Yet, we were stabbed in the back after allowing them to rise up.”

Sylasʼ eyes narrowed. ”And what does this have to do with the Madness Key.”

“The Madness Key, as you call it, is the bastardized remnant of the very first system. We went from creatures of virtue to creatures of sin. Now your cultivation is tied to what the current system likely treats little different from a Demon.”

Sylas frowned.

The timelines seemed messed up. As far as he knew, the Madness Key was a remnant of the Legendary System. But the way the King Serpent spoke, it sounded like there was a system even before the Legendary System.

The implication was that there had been at least three major eras of various systems. “Why can you see it?” Sylas asked.

”All creatures of Sin can see it. It is how we know where our allies remain, those humanoids that will fight to raise us back to the positions we deserve, clearing our name and washing history with the blood of our enemies.”

“If I am on your side, why are you so hostile?”

“I wasnʼt hostile until you brought out a child as a slave.”

A tinge of hostility seemed to return to the King Serpent and Sylas was forced to suppress it again until it once more became obedient.

“The Serpent, the Rat, the Boar, the Monkey, the Tortoise, the Spider, and the Crow. Youʼre saying all of these were ancient creatures of great merit?”

The King Serpent blinked in confusion.

“No. It should be the Serpent, the Monkey, the Tortoise, the Spider, the Crow, the Hippo, and the Scorpion.”

Sylasʼ pupils constricted into pinholes.

The Scorpion.

When he first asked about the seven Sinful creatures, he had been hoping to hear the name of the Scorpion, but he hadnʼt. Back then, he had been a bit disappointed. The Scorpion perfectly fit the picture of a scorned creature, spurned and ignored, thrown by the wayside and often ostracized.

But there were many creatures like that. Who was to say that the Scorpion absolutely had to be one of the seven? So he had ignored it.

What he didnʼt expect was to hear that it was, in fact, related.

This was absolutely a shock.

But there was a second shock.

“Greed and Wrath... what a coincidence.’

Sylas didnʼt believe that in the slightest.

What two creatures were removed from the list?

The Rat and the Boar.

What were the two Paths that happened to already have True Disciples?

Werenʼt they the Path of Greed and the Path of Wrath?

What two Paths did the Rat and Boar represent?

Was it not the Path of Greed and the Path of Wrath respectively?

How could that be a coincidence? Sylas didnʼt believe it was one in the slightest. However, his expression hardly changed as though he hadnʼt noticed at all.

“Is the Hippo a scorned creature?”

The King Serpent seemed to slip from his control for a moment again. In that moment, it seemed offended on behalf of the Hippo.

“They are warriors, the true incarnations of violence. They are proud of their Wrath, much like the Monkeys were proud of their Pride. Because of that, they were targeted in ways different from the others.

“The fact you even asked such a question means it has only worked. The Hippos are seen as jokes, creatures who roll around in mud and arenʼt the slightest bit of threat. There is no greater insult to them. While the Monkeys have become synonymous with poop slinging and a lack of intelligence.”

“You seem very offended when moments ago you insulted me as a monkey.”

The King Serpent coughed as though embarrassed.

“Different circumstance, master. Different circumstance. I thought that maybe your Madness Key was from the Monkey Path. But it doesnʼt seem to be.”

Sylas fell into silence.

What did it mean that two of the Sin Beasts had been replaced with two new creatures? How did the little girl seem unaware of this?

Even now, she was in complete silence, but it didnʼt seem to be the sort of silence one sat in when they had been caught red-handed. This meant that she had likely not lied to him.

But what troubled Sylas was that if he could find out, why couldnʼt other Madness Disciples find out?

Unless...

“Itʼs been too long... maybe when this girl and the Madness Disciples as a whole were still at their peak, it was still the Hippo and the Scorpion. But now, things had changed and there are too few of them to have realized the change now.

“At the same time, this story I just learned of is certainly a highly classified taboo topic that would be impossible to learn from the Madness Key unless I became a Tier Ten Madness Disciple. In fact, the Keys have likely already been tampered with if this has happened...* Sylasʼ gaze flickered.

Just what did all of this mean?