Genetic Ascension

Chapter 2008: A Way

[Quicktime Event Cleared]

[Last Breath of a Future Hope - Completed]

[Last Breath Reward Received]

[Future Hope Reward Received]

[Last Breath Reward Received]

[A Last Gasp (Legendary) (World Treasure)]

[A Progenitor is the last hope of their world, the last bastion of peace and the final straight rod against its enemies. However, in order to grow stronger, to improve, to reach toward the stars, a Progenitor must put themselves in danger in ways that its world cannot always support. This, however, will give such a Progenitor the Last Gasp] [Exert a Domain that perfectly reflects the Core of a World you are the Progenitor of and temporarily gain Progenitor-level power] [Uses: 1/1]

Sylas' gaze flickered. This was actually quite useful. To be able to forge a temporary Domain anywhere that would effectively act as a piece of Earth was game changing.

Though it was just a one-time use item, the methods with which he could apply it went far beyond just the temporary strength increase. Maybe for someone else that would be exactly what it was, but for Sylas as an exceptional Rune Master, it was anything but.

This wouldn't just mean the possibility of changing a matter of life and death for him alone, but instead it just might be the ability to change a matter of life and death for an entire population of people.

Sylas immediately moved onto the next.

[Future Hope Reward Received]

[Beacon of Hope (???) (World Treasure)]

[You have successfully saved a world from the brink of destruction and gained its favor. However, you are not of this world and its Core believes that you have been far too cruel to its people. It will under no circumstances accept you fully, but it is grateful nonetheless.] [This treasure will alert you when The Sanctum is in danger]

Sylas looked at the treasure and he would have almost laughed at the shamelessness of it all if he was almost anyone else.

This treasure, one of his very own rewards, was wasted on something that would just alert him if a world he would never gain the acknowledgement of was in danger?

And what then? He would come to save them for another pat on the back?

The worst part about this treasure was that it was only so high level because of the implication. It had to be able to reach him no matter where he was in the universe, and then it would probably teleport him back.

It was basically his Horizon Treasure with extra strings attached. Otherwise, it would have been even higher level.

Sylas looked at the treasure as it bound itself to his wrist. It was a simple golden bracelet, and from what Sylas could tell, it probably wouldn't come off just because he wanted it to.

And that actually fascinated him.

Was The Sanctum's world trying to... imprison him? Chain him to it in servitude?

The bracelet rotated around Sylas' wrist under the pressure of his telekinesis. It shook as he tried to rip it apart. There was a slight pulse of backlash, but it experienced more like a static shock, nothing major.

Yamero appeared by Sylas' side, looking at the bracelet, and then the world around them, and then back at Sylas.

He started to laugh.

"Worlds aren't living beings, they don't have any sense of shame. They only have one goal: their own survival. Even if it means being the most annoying pest possible, it will hang onto that possibility. They're almost like children."

Sylas slowly nodded.

The idea that a world was using the system to essentially make Sylas its eternal guard was... disconcerting to say the least. The system obviously allowed for it, or else this thing wouldn't be on his wrist right now.

Sylas, though, had no intention of being subordinated to anyone, not even a world he had every intention of becoming the Progenitor of. It was just that at a time like this, he wasn't even sure if that was possible.

The description said the world would never accept him, and had even said that he had been far too cruel to its residents. He had only killed those that deserved it while elevating practically everyone else.

However, just as Yamero had said, a world was the pinnacle of shamelessness. It had no consciousness, not really. It only had the singular goal of the survival of it and the people it birthed. That was all that ever mattered to it.

This world sure had a lot of nerve, though.

Yamero found himself laughing. He could see nuances to Sylas' face that most people couldn't see. Maybe it was because when he looked at a person he wasn't just looking at what they were, but also their imprint onto the Mesh of Reality. And right now, Sylas was most definitely gloomy regardless of what his face looked like.

"You know, there's a way to get back at this world?"

Sylas raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Of course. You only have to ask yourself one question. If that bracelet randomly teleports you back, where will it teleport you back to? How does the world decide? The location of most immediate danger...? Somewhere else?"

"You want me to use this to go to the World Core?" Sylas shook his head.

The heat at the center of a world was astronomical. It wasn't something you could handle until you were at least amongst the strongest of the B-tiers, and only an A-tier could definitely assure their life.

The only reason Sylas had survived Earth's Core back then was because Earth's Core had wanted him to be there.

The Sanctum's Core would definitely want nothing to do with him being there at all.

The only chance was if the world itself protected him through the bracelet. But that would be a gamble. If worlds really were as shameless as Yamero said, then it might just snatch its gift away whenever it wanted.

"There is a way." Yamero said. "If we shift the space of the Mancer Scape a bit and overlap it with this world, the Core would overlap with the Demi-God Plane just enough that it won't be in full 100% control of itself any longer."