Genetic Ascension

Chapter 2097: Bold [Bonus]

[Bonus chapter thanks to Killerquaker and BobTheEngineer :)]

The aura around Sylas calmed. He looked down at his hands to see the same bony protrusions in place of his fingers. He felt entirely different, but it was impossible to benefit from it entirely when his body wasnʼt whole right now.

While it seemed like using the abilities of the Ruby Ouroboros came with an infinite escape-death glitch, it still had its limits.

When Sylas created the Ruby Ouroboros, he didnʼt have the same understanding of Will Manifestation that he did now, his ability to craft and transfer what understanding his Vipermancy Profession gave him into a viable path for his new contract was limited.

Simply put, if there was a universal Arcane Madness-like Will for evolution, then there existed one for infinity as well, and he hadnʼt truly grasped or incorporated that into the Ruby Ouroboros.

Meaning, it wasnʼt using true infinity right now, it was using an approximation. Which also meant that it was only a matter of time before Sylas actually dropped dead if he stayed like this for too long.

By extension, that meant if he did this without a real method of healing, he would be finished.

Luckily for him, he had left himself just the smallest sliver of evolution energy.

It wasnʼt much… but everything was a matter of relativity when you were talking about energy coming from an A-tier Demi-God Dungeon.

It had managed to elevate his family to the Demi-God Realms, it had managed to elevate his Classes to the D-tier, and now… WHOOSH.

Energy rolled around Sylas and his Hibernation Halo manifested. His flesh began to wrap itself around him again, weaving into reality as though by the hands of a Goddess of Fate until it snipped to a close with finality as the last of his skin formed.

Sylasʼ once bony hands clenched, his flesh roaring with pulsing veins of blood.

The world calmed and he breathed out.

He looked up into the skies to find the tortoise unconscious, its body—or rather its consciousness—drifting.

Sylas felt that he could probably get a bit more Evolutionary Energy by killing it right now. He wouldnʼt accumulate as much as he would from clearing a Dungeon like this one, but killing an A-tier—even if it was a mortal—would come with a great deal nonetheless.

ʼI should.ʼ

Keeping a creature that could swallow and mutate Dungeons for him was actually quite useful on paper, but it had taken millennia for it to reach this point, and it only managed to take the last step because Sylas had appeared.

If not for Sylasʼ Demi-God Aura, it might have taken it another several millennia to succeed.

Plus, it wasnʼt a Serpentes. It had descended from one, however, it was too far removed from the World Serpent by now, so much so that the only thing they had in common was a vague world swallowing ability and the fact they were both reptilian.

ʼHowever…ʼ

Sylas thought of something and then waved a hand.

The tortoiseʼs consciousness was severed and then pulled into his Hibernation Realm, effectively killing its real body.

Its real body wasnʼt of much use anyway. It couldnʼt even display any true combat prowess.

What Sylas needed was in its memories. He would deal with that later.

He looked back toward the trio standing in the chaos of the collapsing world and all three of them stiffened.

Even standing there, stark naked, Sylas was somehow the most dangerous creature they had ever laid eyes on.

**

The picture had long been shattered, but the image of Sylasʼ foot going through the Zeus Puppetʼs head was ingrained into their very psyche.

No one spoke, and the previous conflict between the Weaver Guild and the Seeing Eye Guild seemed to have long been forgotten.

Everyone was waiting for one thing.

What would the tortoise do now?

Even Rhykan had stopped licking his lollipop, his eyes focused on what was ahead, his eyes narrowed into slits.

But then the earth beneath them shook and a mournful cry echoed.

Their pupils constricted and they looked down toward an enormous body they had all taken for granted.

The tortoise had died.

The skies shook and Sylas appeared slowly from a void as though he was walking out of his own front door.

He was clothed this time. Pressed blue jeans and a black turtleneck tied together by a black belt and loafers. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, a watch adorning his left wrist, and a ring adorning his right hand.

Rage flashed in the eyes of Four, Five, and Six. Even Elder Veraleʼs smile became exceptionally dangerous.

Alpineʼs head hung loosely from Sylasʼ fingers, his hair intertwined in his claws as though he couldnʼt be bothered to hold it any more securely.

The hearts of the others constricted, but when Juxi and Deuvuo walked out soon afterward, completely unharmed, their fear was replaced by complicated feelings.

Were they supposed to be rooting for Sylas now? They didnʼt know exactly how they were supposed to take this.

Chi.

Sylasʼ fingers clenched a bit and the hairs wrapped around his claws were cut. Alpineʼs head fell toward the corpse of the tortoise, and then tumbled into the darkness of space.

Sylas had had no need to bring it out this far, but he had anyway.

Now, his stance was clear.

”You are quite bold, boy.” Elder Verale said slowly.

”Bold?” Sylas asked lightly.

His body vanished and when he appeared again, he would have been nose to nose with the beauty if not for their sheer difference in height, a difference Sylas was sure she was well aware of.

Elder Veraleʼs heart skipped a beat and she almost subconsciously took a step back before she managed to stop herself from doing so.

”Boldness assumes thereʼs actually a chance you could do anything to me. Is that what you think?”

BANG.

Six suddenly attacked, but Sylas didnʼt even look at him.

The Will around Sylas was so primed for Glassvolt and Chaotic Space that if someone he didnʼt want to approached him… A scream echoed through the air as Sixʼs arm was shredded to pieces.