Genetic Ascension

Chapter 1870: Disappointment

In the depths of a palace adorned with gold, a man sat in silence.

This was no palace. It was the inner workings of a mountain, one carved out with irregular, reflective surfaces that looked as though a man had continuously punched his way downward to reach this point.

And that man was sitting on a pedestal made from his own bruised and bloody knuckles.

It was hard to tell if that man was truly a man at all. His shoulders and chest were broad beyond reason, his hair-a stark, almost blinding white-shining more like light itself rather than filaments of fine hair.

There wasnʼt a speck of this hair on his face, and yet his sideburns raged with this fiery white light, his arms, back, and nearly all but the core center of his chest and torso covered in the same.

Even with his mouth closed, canines poked at his lower lip, and when his eyes opened, they radiated a ruby red.

One would have thought that he had a purpose for opening his eyes. Though he had been in deep meditation just moments ago, he carelessly ended it on a whim.

Yet, he didnʼt move, continuing to sit there as though listening to the calm rhythm of the world.

The man seemed neither old nor young. Instead, he seemed seasoned. Familiar with life, used to cutting through it with the sharpness of his jaw and the pressed indifference of his brows.

And yet, there was a youthful vitality to him that simply felt...

Endless.

The closer one looked, though, the more curious matters one could find... Until you saw the reflection in the depths of his eyes.

Sylas... and then Fanelei.

He focused more on Fanelei, not recognizing her, but recognizing her very strength itself.

But then he seemed to ignore Fanelei and go back to Sylas.

Why was it that... he couldnʼt see through this young man at all? Who was he? How could he grasp more information about a Legend than he could about a child of the E-tier?

He could feel that Sylas was a Progenitor, but that wasnʼt enough of an explanation, not when they were on his world and not Sylasʼ.

Sylas was like... a walking black hole.

He couldnʼt see his stats, he couldnʼt feel his aura, he could barely tell his Tier only because it leaked out.

It was like Sylas could perfectly hide his F-tier Foundation, but had only just progressed to the E-tier, so he couldnʼt do the same for it.

The fact Maldrith didnʼt know Sylas from sight and his Progenitor status alone just went to show how far within his own bubble he was.

What he didnʼt know was that this was also the exact reason he had been chosen.

The moment he awoke, it was like Planet Gold likewise awoke.

The mountain shimmered, the ocean currents shifted, and the air somehow tasted sweeter.

ʼUnfortunate.ʼ Maldrith thought.

He had been building up momentum for a breakthrough into the S-tier for centuries, only for it to be ruined by the random appearance of a Progenitor.

**

”Young master, it has been confirmed. Maldrithʼs momentum was broken.”

Rhykan shifted a gauntlet on his arm without a word. Runes danced and the gauntlet shrank by a size. It almost looked like it replaced his hand, all the flesh within compressing and shattering.

Yet, Rhykan didnʼt react as though he had just destroyed all the bones in his arm at all.

”Mm. Itʼs expected.”

”What should we do, young master?”

”Of course he wouldnʼt just climb the steps to enter the Emperor Sanctum. Heʼs too arrogant to do that, and also too intelligent. It wouldnʼt only be too easy, but it would also lose him the chance to get an understanding of the culture.

”He has a very curious ability to make the most of a frighteningly small amount of information. If he has time to prepare... that wouldnʼt be much fun at all, now would it?”

A familiar A-tier looked down at the ground. Though Rhykan didnʼt answer his question and seemed to be ranting about Sylas again, he didnʼt interrupt.

”Itʼs a good thing I know him so well. As for your question, thereʼs no need to do anything at all.”

”Young master, Maldrith is a pacifist. He left the Lion Lineage a long time ago. He wonʼt care to act on behalf of the Emperor Sanctum.”

”Mm.”

Rhykan seemed too lazy to explain things that didnʼt have anything to do with Sylas. He had already told him what to do. There was no need to speak any more.

Knowing he had overstayed his welcome, the A-tier turned to leave.

Rhykan looked out into the distance. War was coming.

Honestly, he didnʼt know whether to hate Sylas with all his guts or to thank him.

It was a long shot to use the information he had on the Seeing Eye Guild to make it to Godhood. The path was narrow, winding, and long.

But if there was a War of Heavens... that was a completely different matter entirely.

What those already in power hated the most was chaos.

What those striving for it loved the most was chaos.

However, Sylas was too good at taking advantage of chaos. If Rhykan didnʼt kick down the ladder, he would quickly find him rising beyond him.

Rhykan hadnʼt calculated for the appearance of the Angels. Honestly, it had been so long since the last problem that he hadnʼt thought theyʼd have such a big reaction to Starell either.

He thought that it was over. And deep inside, in that moment, he had experienced... Disappointment.

Not disappointment at Sylas. There was only so much a single person could overcome. But instead disappointment that he had lost an entertaining opponent.

There were too few.

But somehow... Sylas survived.

It made Rhykan realize something.

He had spent too much time sitting on a throne handing out orders. His blade had dulled.

It was time that he step onto the battlefield once again.

A gauntlet crushed his other arm once more.

Erdiulʼs Note: This Rhykan guy straight delulu. Bro is in a one-sided rivalry with Sylas.