Genetic Ascension

Chapter 1796: Anyone

The explosion felt like it consumed everything, and yet it ended far too quickly.

The world collapsed around them and shook.

There was a flash of crimson, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared, burning to ash until nothing at all was left.

The blinding lights made even Zayreus cover his eyes, squinting in pain as the rush of air pushed him back.

And then, slowly, it all cleared right before their eyes.

Sylas stood in the same spot he always had. But Old Brama...

He kneeled there on his four legs, a body once tall and broad prone to the ground. His entire arm was gone, a large chunk of it ripped out by the blast. But the shockwave itself was so devastating that it didn't just take an arm, it also took a large piece of his torso.

From here, they could all see the beating of Old Brama's heart. Veins, arteries, bone, and what looked like mechanical parts and tubes hung out of him in treacherous fashion.

Maybe if he hadn't been a C-tier with a powerful Will, he would be dead.

The explosion hadn't just backfired. At the last moment, Old Brama found himself suppressing it and restricting it.

As for why?

It wasn't because he had a change of heart.

It was because Sylas had commanded it through their contract.

Sylas hadn't even moved an inch, even the harsh blowing of the wind having been redirected by Old Brama's actions and toward the members of his Golden Race, forcing them to retreat several hundred meters.

Old Brama didn't even seem all that surprised by the change. He chuckled a bit, his head lowered.

Ironically enough, he looked younger. He had been an old man with sparse hair before, but in his true form, he looked like he was in his mid-forties, a man in his prime. His muscles rippled and his veins pumped with gold.

If not for his ghastly wound, he would have been maybe the perfect specimen of a man. Well, a centaur, anyway. Right down to the lush white coat of his lower half. Unfortunately, that was quickly being marred by a crimson tide.

It should have been a great shock. He had the Will of a C-tier. How could Sylas possibly stop him from breaking rules of the contract?

It had to be remembered that System Contracts could only be taken seriously by those of equal standing. It used the Wills of both parties to ensure compliance.

There were higher-level Contracts that existed that made this irrelevant, but they were exceptionally rare Templates that were highly sought-after useless items.

This was contradictory on purpose.

Every weak man probably wanted a way to enslave someone far more powerful than them. But even if you had such a Template, how could you get such a person to use it?

Yet, Sylas didn't seem to need it at all.

When Old Brama tried to break the contract, ironically enough, he succeeded... but then a second Will appeared, and when he broke that one, a third appeared, and when he broke that one, a fourth came.

Infinite Will.

By the time he realized he wasn't going to be able to defy the contract in time for his attack to work, it was already too late.

Sylas commanded him to stifle the attack and withstand the backlash of the blow.

The irony of it all was that Sylas could have just made Old Brama turn the direction of his blow in the opposite direction and wipe out everyone, including Zayreus.

Zayreus might have been a shocking powerhouse now, but he hadn't grown into his new power yet, and he was still just a D-tier. Old Brama was using a combination of external power and Rune Mastery to bolster himself considerably. Even if Zayreus didn't die from a surprise attack like that, he would have been very close.

This was the real reason Old Brama was chuckling.

Because if he could think of it... he knew for a fact that Sylas could. And if Sylas could think of it but hadn't done it, it meant that he had already thought of a far better idea.

It was all over... they just didn't know it yet.

Old Brama perceived his life slipping away, but he held on. Even if it was just a chance, a small chance...

Megean...

His granddaughter. He couldn't leave her alone in the world. He just...

Old Brama struggled to look up through his now long golden hair. He barely made out Sylas' silhouette from between the shaded strands, but the latter wasn't even looking toward him at all. Sylas was focused ahead on the group of Unitaurs and Aurans.

Beyond the Unitaurs and Aurans was an army of the Golden Grove that had gathered together for the sake of dealing with whatever may come. It could be said that it was extra precaution just in case Sylas had backup with him.

But until just moments ago, it had seemed entirely unnecessary.

What they didn't know was whether this was done by Old Brama on purpose, or if he indeed couldn't break free of Sylas.

Zayreus finally recovered and blinked. He looked at the state of Old Brama, and then his eyes landed on Sylas, before turning back to Old Brama.

Anger flashed on his face. "You useless piece of old trash. I told you to leave him to me, but what is this supposed to be? A pity party? Are you really so loyal to your master? Should I wait while you lick his shoes clean too?"

Zayreus' anger had reached its peak. Yet again, someone was desecrating the Golden Race—his Race. How dare they?!

"If ANYONE dares to interfere, I will kill them personally. The debts of the Golden Race will be settled by me, myself, and I from today forward." His glare settled back on Sylas. "You will die today."

He took a step forward and a Buddha-like aura radiated from him. A golden halo settled around his body, clouds forming loops around his elbows and arms as illusory palms formed around his hands, expanding wildly.

He slapped down with a deathly momentum.