Genetic Ascension

Chapter 1458: Maze of Events

The map was hardly a map at all. It was a needle pointing in a particular direction while most of the rest of it was foggy and unformed... except for the immediate 100 meters around Sylas.

With a push of his intent, the map zoomed out until the clear region around Sylas became nothing more than a point of light. Then, it stopped, snapping into defined borders.

Immediately, Sylas gained two points of information. The first was that he could render in his map by exploring. So long as he was within 100 meters, it seemed to immediately snap into focus. However, it was hard to tell if he could gain anything else from the map outside of landscape information.

The second thing he realized was that he now knew exactly how large this space was. From the scale, it was about ten thousand kilometers in diameter, a perfectly square map.

However, this place was called a tower. In all likelihood, there was more than one floor, and this was just one of the floors. If that was the case, it just might be a race to the next floors, in which case Sylas' ability to scout would be a huge boon.

“It's only 100 meters because that's as far as my Luck goes in this place...

Sylas realized that if he could improve his Luck stat, he would be able to expand his scouting ability. Unfortunately, his Luck had been stuck at 11 for a long time.

Of course, Sylas could use his Taboo Bond Path to change things, but he had never done that since leaving Earth.

There were two main reasons for that.

First, the ability to do so was especially dangerous. Taboo Bond was all about touching on the Taboo, but this was especially Taboo. Sylas wouldn't forget the danger he had felt the first time he used it. The only reason why he continued to do so anyway back then was because Earth was relatively secluded and he could get away with a lot more on a world still in the middie of its Summoning.

The second reason was because in order to benefit from the Potential of someone else, their Potential had to actually be superior to his own.

Sylas simply hadn't come across an F-tier like this since leaving Earth. It seemed that having 11 Luck like he did was already exceptional.

The first time he felt that he might be able to gain something from targeting someone else was during his battles in the Champion selection. But he still hadn't taken that step. The risk wasn't yet worth it.

Now, however... he felt that it was a mistake not to take advantage of it back then.

If his Luck was large enough, wouldn't he be able to instantly have a perfect map of the Tower of Champions? How exaggerated would his advantage be then?

A creak echoed through the relatively silent plain and a figure poked his head out of the cabin. It was Alex, and he seemed to sigh a breath of relief when Sylas appeared, but it was a relief that only lasted for the briefest instant of time.

The entire prairie swayed all of a sudden, a rumbling taking hold of the ground as the winds kicked up.

[Quicktime Event Triggered][A Touch of Gold][Level Recommended: 50]

[Description: The little house on the prairie is a place of peace and sanctuary, touched by tranquility and graced with the dew of calm. It does not like to have its peace disturbed.] [Event Type: Survival]

[Clear Requirements]

[Escape with your life]

Sylas' gaze flashed. Why was it that this only triggered when Alex appeared? And why was everyone else in the cabin while he was outside of it?

The acres of golden wheat began to grow, spiraling up into the skies and fusing into one another until they formed one humanoid of vegetation after another.

First came the row of soldiers, and then beyond it came the true giants, their heads formed of bundles of hay, their hands matching their heads in fists of hammer-like constructs.

The ground rumbled once again and the earth swayed, the clouds accumulating a large essence of gold.

Sylas, though, still didn't move.

"Close the door," Sylas suddenly said as Alex made a move to step out.

Alex was confused for a moment, but he did as he was told.

[Wheat Soldier (F)][Level: 50]

[Physical: 120,000] Mental: 120,000] (Will: 120,000]

[Wheat Giant (F+)][Level: 50]

[Physical: 180,000] (Mental: 150,000] (Will: 150,000]

The moment Alex disappeared, everything fell into an odd lull. The nearest Wheat Soldier was just a single meter away from Sylas, standing there in silence as though it was waiting for its enemies to appear.

'A safe house,’ Sylas thought, while also taking note of the grades of the threats.

Sylas reached his hand forward and pressed a palm against the Wheat Soldier. Once again, it showed no signs of movement at all, it was as though it thought of Sylas as no different from a part of the field.

Slowly, Sylas understood. “Fascinating...

The Wheat Soldier didn't detect him as part of the threat it had to deal with because Sylas, his Will, and everything about his comprehension was seamless. He was too well fused with the world.

He was a Perfect Spark Master.

But that made Sylas curious because he had never experienced something like this before.

He turned around and went to the cottage, opening the door and shutting it behind him. Without greeting any of them, he was just looking around, trying to see if he could grasp something else.

Then, he looked toward Neyara who seemed prepared for battle.

"Does this floor remind you of anything in the past? Even if the same thing doesn't happen every time, I'm sure there are patterns?"

"Yes, but..." Neyara's expression became particularly ugly. "... This version is one with some of the highest mortality rates. They call it the Maze of Events. The tower is split into hexagonal territorial squares and safe houses. Crossing into a new region means triggering an Event that is impossible to escape from until it is cleared."