Genetic Ascension

Chapter 1852: Boredom

Sylas landed on the ground and walked into Casstle Main. As he crossed the empty sheer cliffs that separated it from the rest of the land, it was like time was reversing in real time. The destroyed earth reformed itself until it was like nothing had changed at all.

His mind seemed to be elsewhere.

Isolde watched her son from a distance, her hands still gripping themselves a bit nervously. But after a long while, she chuckled and shook her head.

She knew her son better than anyone. That face... he was still angry.

She had known very early on that her son wasn't normal. If she had to break down the most fundamental difference between Sylas and everyone else, it was that he didn't derive pleasure the same way. Namely, the reactions of others weren't what moved his mood.

If someone betrayed him, he was unlikely to react the way someone normally might to such a thing. He would usually be indifferent to it under 99% of circumstances. If such a person managed to successfully backstab him, though, he would most definitely be angry... With himself.

There was a different sort of anger Sylas experienced, though. It was a very niche sort of anger, one that only happened when there was a very particular set of circumstances met.

It was the sweet spot where someone had just enough strength, or knowledge, or anything that was just dangerous enough to tip the scales in their favor. This was a sweet spot where Sylas was still confident in his win, but almost angry at the audacity of it all.

She, too, could remember that memory from so long ago—the day that her even-keeled son had actually almost killed someone.

What had that young man had? Logically, it was nothing at all. He was pathetic compared to her son as far as Isolde was concerned. Though, she thought so about most people.

What that young man had had, though, was Cassarae's attention. Even if it was for just a short moment. Even if it was only for the purpose of making Sylas jealous.

It was almost like... Sylas was averse to making an effort, and when he had to, it was a slight that infuriated him. Almost like he was enraged that the people who stood across from him were so foolish that they couldn't see the obvious conclusion.

What was especially odd about this was that Sylas was the furthest thing from lazy. So why did putting in effort enrage him so much? And if it was just a matter of feeling disrespected by others, why didn't he react the same to betrayal? Why wasn't he furious when an entire Galaxy Cluster was laughing at him during the Rune Tower challenges?

Isolde knew what it was.

She could see what the omnimous could see.

Sylas was deathly afraid not of effort, but of boredom.

Every time someone was just strong enough, just smart enough, just resourceful enough to force him to show a little bit more of himself... He was one step closer to revealing so much that he couldn't pull back anymore...

And if that happened, then he would have to face a world where the skies were so very bland and the ocean didn't sparkle in the same way. A world where the stars couldn't seem to twinkle and the expanse of space itself had nothing left to offer.

A world where the smallest hints of care and emotion he had would be snuffed out. Because at that point... what would the point be?

If he could never lose, if he could not ever be taken by surprise, if he could never feel his heart race or his blood boil... What purpose would he have?

It was so very contradictory.

Sylas wanted to have all the control in the world, but he didn't feel a need to broadcast it to the world. He wanted to be left alone with his autonomy. He didn't feel the need to prove his supremacy to others.

But every time he was pushed just a little bit, every time he had to show a little bit more of why he was so untouchable, he was closer to being the Sylas that sat at a mountain peak with nothing more to look up at instead of the Sylas that could easily see the mountain peak from its base.

He was content with being the latter. He was happy enough knowing that it existed. He could find his purpose from within it.

But the closer he got to the ceiling, the closer he was to finding out whether or not he would truly never find anything fun in this world.

Would that ceiling have what he was looking for?

Maybe it would...

Or maybe he would just shatter past it like he did everything else.

And deep inside... Sylas was deathly afraid of that endless, vast void of nothingness staring back at him.

The nothingness that would remain if he no longer had anything to chase.

Such a boring life...

What would be the point in living it?

Sylas suddenly looked up, and his sister crashed down from above, leaping out of her bedroom window. He only had time to shake his head before she barreled into him.

Elara took a deep sniff. "You stink."

Sylas blinked. "That's not me."

"The blood is coating you. So yes, yes, it is you."

"Well now it's coating you."

Elara stuck her tongue out. "This is why you're single."

"Am I? I don't remember that being the case."

Sylas viewed back at Cassarae, who seemed a bit absentminded herself. She had yet to dismiss the armor, and it felt like she was still feeling it out.

Sensing his gaze, she looked up and blinked, then made an annoyed face.

"She's right. You're single." She stuck up a middle finger.

"See?" Elara laughed uproariously, hanging off of Sylas like he was some branching tree.

Sylas' lip quirked a bit. He didn't seem to take it seriously at all.

"Earth's situation has changed," Sylas finally said. "We were once 70% water, and now we're more like 20%. There's an important purpose behind that, and many buried resources have been unveiled. We'll need to be more strategic in claiming it all. Cassarae, bring out Szorn."