Genetic Ascension

Chapter 1596 Small Fee

”The bottom 58 ranks have been decided on. I bet that those of you above them believe that you have earned a right to be treated much better than they have. Iʼm sure that there are quite a few in the bottom that are enraged with whatʼs happening, but they donʼt dare to speak out.

”How about this?” Elbrum continued, a sneer on his expression. ”I will give you all a chance. Those ranked from the 042 Sanctum to the 100 Sanctum, you may pick your strongest champion. You believe Iʼve been unfair, fine. Choose whoever you would like and bring them forward.”

The Sanctums were confused for a moment. What happened to proving yourself to have the right to prove yourself? However, they wouldnʼt look down on an opportunity like this one.

Each one of them had a genius in mind, and some had a hard time choosing between two or three of them. When Elbrum saw the latter group, his sneer only deepened. Their existence only meant that they had no chance.

If these weaker Sanctums didnʼt even have a decisive head of them, it meant that they stood no chance.

What were the odds of a weaker SAnctum producing several unicorns? Those odds were nearly zero. So, if they didnʼt have a decisive king of the F-tiers, it meant that the average strength of their best was already close to what Elbrum expected of them.

To his side, the Emperor Dove and Emperor Lizard couldnʼt help but look at Elbrum oddly. This was an odd departure from the original plan.

The Emperor Dove looked toward Sylasʼ unconscious form and suddenly understood something. Was he trying to save face for what happened earlier? Subtly telling people that Sylas didnʼt ahve to overextend himself nearly so far because he would have had another chance anyway?

A chuckle couldnʼt help but come from the Emperor Doveʼs lips. Scorpions were, indeed, vindictive.

Most wouldnʼt even pick up on it because they didnʼt know Elbrum like he did. He was exactly so petty. Yet, his methods were so subtle and clever that people would find themselves disdaining Sylas without even understanding that they were being manipulated.

Of course, this was just taking advantage of the weak and foolish. Only people who had particularly low opinions of themselves would spend time disdaining something so much stronger than him. But Elbrum obviously knew this as well.

”Donʼt waste my time. You have three more seconds to decide.”

The words lit a fire under the indecisive Sanctums.

”Good.” Elbrum smiled. ”Now, the process will begin again. From the pool of the 031 Sanctum to the 040 Sanctum, one random fighter will be selected. If any one of you can defeat a random selection from them, you will replace their Sanctum in the rankings.

”Of course, I am willing to give you all a chance to back out. However, this will be the last opportunity. So long as you step forward, I will not allow you to retreat again.”

A fire lit in the eyes of the bottom 60 Sanctums. How could they retreat now? It was the chance of a lifetime.

Just one lucky chance, that was all they needed.

That fire was quickly extinguished. It was a result that bordered on tragic.

Elbrum was true to his words. He didnʼt stack the deck or hide his hand while he threw rocks. He truly picked a random disciple from the pool of 10 Sanctums.

Yet, the battles were completely one sided. The longest one lasted three exchanges and ended with a head being blown to smithereens so cleanly that there wasnʼt even a fine mist left behind.

Tragic was right.

As they died, the contrast between themselves and Sylas only became all the more obvious. As the only person who could ahve survived this sort of carnage, the only existence strong enough to put up a fight against those stronger Sanctums, he was in a coma of his own creation.

A youth of the 079 Sanctum unlucky enough to end up ranked as the 100 Sanctum ran for his life the moment the battle began.

Death wasnʼt the only way to escape this sort of fate, just being pushed out of bounds was enough, but the gap between them and the youths of a top 40 Sanctum were so large that not a single one of them had even had a chance.

”Where are you running to?”

A chuckle came from a Whale Warlord of the 033 Sanctum. He was huge, his skin looking like blue leather as the gills on his triple chin flapped with his speech.

His chuckle had a deep, rumbling echo to it, and it could be said that this youth of the 079 Sanctum was truly unlucky.

The choices were truly random, but Borun was the absolute strongest F-tier of the 033 Sanctum, sitting atop the Whale Lineage with a meaty, iron fist that was more than likely holding onto a juicy beast leg of some sort.

He hadnʼt expected to be randomly selected, but since he had made the effort to come out here, how was he going to let his pray go so easily.

The air thickened to the cadence of his voice until the running youth found himself falling through a quagmire of air. It felt like he was pushing as hard as he could, but the ground was slipping out beneath him. No amount of force allowed him to move forward.

And then came the shadow looming over him.

His heart sank to rock bottom, and that was the last emotion he felt before a palm slapped him to a meat patty.

Borun turned his nose up into the air as though his appetite had been ruined.

”Hey, little beauty!” He called out to Nosphaleen though he was unable to see her. However, it was obvious enough

to everyone who he was talking to. ”Donʼt you find it silly your master is unconscious now, leaving a little woman like you to handle everything? You know, I can protect you... just for a small little fee.”

His laughter shook the air.