Genetic Ascension

Chapter 1681 Interesting

Sylas' Will roared. The Scorned Wraps on his arms pulsed and began to glow.

They manifested, the chains and bloodied wraps that bound his wrists and ankles tightly shaking and quaking.

The bolts of crimson and the cracks of an infinite hell that littered his body began to be pulled toward it.

Deep within the Sin Gluttony Madness Key, a little girl coughed up a great amount of blood. Her body faded in and out, collapsing to the ground.

The very cracks that had been on Sylas' body were transferred to her instead.

Sylas didn't seem to notice this, his eyes radiating with a rainbow glow.

Ever since Sylas got his Virtue Pride Madness Key, he had had a new task to accomplish every day... supposedly. While the Gluttony Seed wanted Genes every day, the Pride Madness Key wanted an act of Pride.

The thing was that this was a Virtuous act of Pride, not a Sinful one. He had to prove his Pride to himself, prove his right to exist, to impose his Will onto the world as a man of Pride.

These were tasks a lot like the ones his Demonic Will asked of him whenever it bucked back into being-acts that were in line with his own personal compass, but pushed him nonetheless.

At the very least, this was what was supposed to happen.

But ever since Sylas had his Virtue Pride Madness Key, he hadn't received a single mission. It was like his new Madness Key was greatly satisfied every day, like everything he did was already an act of Pride enough for it.

And right this moment, it was shaking and pulsing with a radiant might as though it had been pleased once again.

BANG.

The little girl shattered to pieces, and all of a sudden Sylas saw the world with clarity again.

He looked ahead, his eyes slowly regaining their vision. They sharpened and focused, his eyes narrowing.

There was a flicker, and then he looked back toward where Fanelei had been.

'Interesting. I understand now.'

Sylas regained his focus and seemed to be implanted on the road again. The people who had been casually avoiding him before suddenly realized he was just standing there, and the passive weird glances became stares.

"Get the fuck out of the way, what do you think you're doing standing here?"

A palm came for Sylas' back, strong and heavy. The person was at least 16 or 17 years old and was well into the E- tier by this point. Just based on stats alone, they were probably beyond the three million or so range with just Physical stats, let alone what they might have in Mental stats.

"Stop."

The boy's palm froze in place as though he had been shocked by cold water. A four or five-year-old boy by his side had been the one to speak, and yet the teen seemed more scared of him than anyone of the adults around him.

Malikhi.

"This one is Ancestor Fanelei's Legacy Disciple. You would do well to remember his face."

The teen's eyes opened wide. "What-?!"

He had only just spoken when he slapped a palm over his own mouth, not daring to say anything more. He was already scared enough of the little boy. If Fanelei perceived him questioning her choices, he would be finished. His parents would only be able to mourn him at that point.

Well, considering the little boy was actually his father, he wasn't sure if there would be much mourning being done. It could only be said that certain Anelei family dynamics were quite weird.

The boy looked up at Sylas as though it was only natural, and Sylas looked back to meet his gaze.

"You are going to the main guild?"

"I am."

"Do you have a goal?"

"None right now. Fanelei only told me that any Rune Mastery resources I want should be earned by my own hand."

The boy's eyes narrowed when he heard Sylas's form of address.

"I am Malikhi Anelei."

"Sylas Grimblade."

"It's nice to meet you, then. Shall we? I am headed in the same direction."

Sylas nodded.

The main guild, they called it, wasn't located on the planet they were on currently. In fact, the main guild was located on the asteroid belt that circled the Weaver Planet like a ring, each one connected like a series of twinkling stars.

The core of it was on one of the largest of the asteroids, but the series of tens of thousands of small rocks, each containing their own subdivision of resources and things of the like, was as complex as one could imagine.

Quite frankly, from an outsider's perspective, this felt absolutely ridiculous. Why would they put what was likely the most important resource in such a vulnerable position? It seemed far better to hide it in the core of the planet than it was to leave it out and exposed like this.

But the moment Sylas saw it, he felt something completely and entirely different.

A formation the likes of which he had never seen before. One that could move and change, shift and evolve no matter what problems it was facing.

This wasn't the most vulnerable part of the Weaver Guild at all.

It was the absolute strongest part.

And it was just as vast as it should be.

When Sylas strolled in, he felt quite small-the tall ceilings, the expansive stone, the Rune Masters as far as the eye could see.

Sylas was a bit distracted, even as he walked to the counter. Though, considering he had almost died just minutes ago, maybe this level of distraction wasn't nearly enough.

"Have you decided?" Malikhi asked.

"Is there a library?"

"If what you're looking for is a place to study Rune Mastery, I'm afraid it's not so simple. The simplest paths are available, but even they require credit and payment. As a Legacy Disciple, you might receive a few hours for free, but after that..."

Malikhi's voice trailed off. In fact, he couldn't understand either why Fanelei was giving Sylas a hard time if she had already gone out of her way to give him the position of Legacy Disciple.

"How do you earn credits?" Sylas asked.

"It depends. Mission, puzzles, progress. The problem is that the level you enter with is meaningless-only what you achieve from here forward can earn you new credits."

"I see," Sylas said slowly. In that case, as an F-tier who already had a Pure Spark Seed, how much more could he improve? It really did seem like a dead end.