Genetic Ascension

Chapter 2074: Open Mouth

Alpine was surprised that his first instinct wasn't to attack. Instead, he stared at Sylas for a short while, his gaze difficult to read.

It was only then he realized that he couldn't have attacked even if he wanted to. Sylas and he were separated by an endless cavern, suspended in glass boxes.

There were three other glass boxes available, but none of them had anyone in them.

It seemed that they were the first to-.

Alpine's thoughts came to a grinding halt as he realized there was actually someone in one of the three glass boxes already. Somehow, his senses had just glossed over this person as though they weren't there at all.

If not for how focused this person was on Sylas, Alpine had an inkling that he would have glossed over their existence entirely. How was that even possible?

Sylas had arrived a few minutes before Alpine and he immediately felt the gaze on him. Since then, this person hadn't stopped looking at him almost like he was a piece of succulent meat slowly rolling on the rotisserie.

The Glutton.

Even if he hadn't been looking at Sylas like that, Sylas would have known. This was the person he had come all this way for.

But he wasn't surprised. Of course, the Glutton would be here.

There was no way the Glutton would have given up on such an opportunity.

There was a pop that echoed in the air and the second to last box was filled.

Deuvuo.

"Oh hoho, it looks like there's already a little party going on here. How great, how greater. It's always annoying to get to a function early, you know? Then you have to sit around and wait for things to be set up, and then you feel bad because you're not doing anything, then you end up having to help their mother out and she starts touching your arm in that weird 'are you flirting with me or are you just a bit too handsy because your husband's cock doesn't work anymore' sort of way. You know-?"

"Would you shut up?" Juxi's voice suddenly cut through all the nonsense.

She pressed a thumb to one of her nostrils and snorted out a booger. Well, at least that was what one thought it was until a crimson glob hit the side of the glass encasement.

It was only then one would notice one of her arms was limp and her body looked like it had seen better days. But whoever it was that caused it was almost certainly in a worse state.

Alpine's eyes bulged. He flipped his arm to see that the other three orbs were already filled.

They had come here with six Cryst Emperors, and five of them were already dead.

How the fuck was that possible?

"Looks like the gang's all here." Deuvuo said with a chuckle.

Juxi looked around, her gaze flickering. "Really?"

"Hey, I don't make the rules. All the glass boxes are filled. It looks like they didn't learn their alphabet as well as they did their numbers. Should have taken me up on that cookie."

"Did you...?" Juxi's voice trailed off.

Deuvuo shrugged. "I didn't run into any of them. You?"

"One of them..." she said slowly. "The 22nd."

"Oh? Yeah? Unlucky. You're the most injured out of anyone here. And there's some random guy with a fetish for Sylas over here that I don't know. So protecting you is going to be a bit of an issue. BUUUUT, if you help me lose my virginity, something can be arranged."

Alpine had been trying to rein in his temper all this time. If Sylas killed two, and Juxi only killed one, how did the other two die?

He tried to listen to the final words of the last two, but nothing came up. It was like there wasn't anything left of their Wills at all, nothing but a dried husk. The rest had been slurped up and devoured.

If Sylas didn't do it, and Juxi only admitted to one, and Deuvuo was too uninjured, the one who took out not just one, but two rankers was... Alpine's gaze landed on the man that almost noticed like the void incarnate, fury lighting the depths of his eyes.

[Ready yourselves]

The notification hit them all at the same time. Their glass encasements spun along with the world around them.

When everything came back into focus, they had been lifted into the skies with nothing but a vast blueness beneath them.

Up ahead, a large staircase showed. Each stair was illusory and as tall as a normal human. It looked like the sort of staircase only giant gods should be walking.

A swirl of energy appeared before them and then with a poof an illusory tortoise took shape. Its maw opened and words began to slowly pour out. But as though it didn't understand how mouths should move in relation to words spoken, its mouth just hung open as the words continued to stream out, clearly entirely unrelated to its mouth movement.

"You will all climb these heavenly stairs together. There will be an enemy to slay on each step. Successfully slay it and the group will continue onward together. Fail, and you will die. The next person will have to take up your challenge for you and those that still live will continue the challenge.

"Should you wish to replace a fighter, believing yourself to be the better match up, you may do so should both parties consent or in the case that the majority rule in favor of this switch.

"In the case there is a perfect split in ruling, a battle will decide the opinion to follow.

"If only a single person reaches the peak, all rewards of this dungeon will be granted to them alone.

"Should more than one person reach the peak, then the reward will be split if it is agreed to be split.

"If one or more of you decide that it should not be split, a battle will decide who claims the final reward... with a single caveat.

"Whomever defeats the final enemy will have an advantage..."