Genetic Ascension

Chapter 2123: Fool

Sylas took a breath and looked up to find One had suddenly started streaking toward him. The man moved fast, sharp, so quick it was like he was in one location at one moment, and in the next he was already moving with a vengeance toward him. The violence with which he cut across the air was unlike something even a falling meteor could mimic.

And yet, in Sylasʼ eyes, he seemed incredibly, so very slow.

ʼInteresting.ʼ Sylas thought.

He had only embodied lightning for a short time, but the sparking lines that made up everything made him feel as though distance had very little meaning. It was like getting from one point to the next wasnʼt a matter of thought and intention, but instead a matter of feeling an attractive center and focusing on it, an attraction to a charge that made you feel whole.

Of course, it wasnʼt purely because of lightning that Sylas was experiencing this. The real reason he was feeling this was because his thoughts had entered a state of time dilation. He felt One move out of his periphery and reacted with his flame. It was only a slight precaution, something he did so that he would be able to focus on the feeling running through his body.

What he didnʼt expect was that his Progenitor Flame Ability would have such a profound effect right now.

That definitely wasnʼt because of lightning though. That was due to…

ʼChaotic Space?ʼ

Sylas frowned. His Progenitor Flame Abilities were split into two paths, one of space and the other of time. But this ability to perceive the world in such a slowed fashion was definitely the latter ability. What did Chaotic Space have to do with that?

ʼOh…ʼ Sylas thought.

He was wrong. It wasnʼt Chaotic Space that was acting at all, but instead his Glassvolt Aether.

This was even odder on the surface. Space might at least be tangentially related to time. If one conformed to the thought that there were four dimensions, three of which were of space, and the last of which was of time, there was little chance that an Aether like Chaotic Space would be at least somewhat connected to it.

But no, that wasnʼt what was happening. It was actually an ability Sylas thought had little to do with time at all that was displaying such reality-bending might.

BANG.

Sylas raised a hand and caught Oneʼs fist, looking at it almost curiously.

Did he always have this much strength? Just how much strength was he hiding?

No… this was the strength of his Aether, the strength it had always had, a strength he had never been able to tap into because of his Pride.

This wasnʼt actually Sylasʼ fault. He never received proper guidance, and even if he had, how could the Skai Heaven have the teachers he needed.

Obviously, the Cryst Heaven didnʼt have them either unless One had just decided to lead himself astray all on his own.

ʼThe Cryst Heaven isnʼt at fault.ʼ Sylas concluded.

All things considered, One had the perfect foundation, he was just so arrogant that he thought he knew better than anyone else.

Granted, sometimes Sylas was like that as well. But he was always open to changing his mind when new information was presented. One of the reasons his intelligence was so exaggerated was because of how he adapted and how flexible his mind was.

It seemed that this time, he was wrong. And so, he would fix that.

This strength that was flooding out of him, it was the worldʼs Aether acknowledging a king.

A king that surpassed One.

BANG.

Sylasʼ fist drove into Oneʼs gut. This time, he folded.

All of a sudden, Sylas wasnʼt interested in learning the true name of Oneʼs Aether at all even though he felt that he very well could do so now if he wanted.

As far as Sylas was concerned, Oneʼs Aether was simply an inferior version of his own.

The control that One had over the world, over reality, over existence, it came from an Aether of great pride, one of regal nature, one that sat loftily above all others.

But what good was such an Aether against one that reflected a Throne back at the world.

When Sylas first formed his Glassvolt Aether, he had been given a choice, to either build his throne with the hopes and dreams of others, or to be selfish and carve out the path of an Emperor for himself and himself alone.

He had chosen the latter.

It was just that he didnʼt really understand what that meant until now.

The clouds rumbled and a bolt descended from above, smashing One down into a pit of charred remains before he could even fly very far. The bolt had been as thick as an ancient tree, descending almost like a palm smacking down from the depths of the heavens themselves.

The entirety of the Seeing Eye Guild seemed to have gone quiet.

Sylas stood there, his tie and hair flapping in the wind, a crown having appeared above his head, formed of glass and lightning.

He didnʼt have nearly as much understanding of his Chaotic Space Aether, but at this moment, it didnʼt matter.

Just one perfect Aether combined with his Will was so powerful it felt like the world would break if he pushed it too far.

Why was that?

It was because One was a fool. If his Will were stronger, maybe he might stand a chance, but he had neglected his Will so much that even with a C-tier Aether, he was crushed. The moment his Aether stopped manifesting with any sort of real strength, everything else about him crumbled.

As for Sylas, his Aether was being groomed into an insurmountable mountain by a Will that was Infinite.

Four could only watch from a distance as Sylas stepped into the crater and picked One up by his hair, the charred remains of an average face being all that was left.