Genetic Ascension

Chapter 427: 999

Sylas stood with a stoic calmness as he sacrificed the Gene Crystal.

He had had fantasies of using the Gene Crystal twice with the number of Genes that he had accumulated. Thanks to his Dual Class Constitution, if the first Unique Gene succeeded, his one Silver Gene Limit would become two, and he would be able to absorb another Silver Gene.

Although Rune Flow and Skill Flow weren’t the right match for him, right now he had a ton of potential templates he could use. There was Winter’s Edge, Rune Soul, he could even use his Slow or Freeze Ice-Poison Rune.

However, in the end, he felt that he had already taken too many risks. If he lost his Title without gaining it back, his Wisdom would plummet off a cliff. But even worse than that, losing Basic Aetherflow would halve his combat potential.

It was an unacceptable risk.

Although he had a 65% chance of succeeding, that was a 35% chance of failing. Odds larger than one-third weren’t something he was willing to gamble on.

He would rather the sure-fire chance even if that meant he couldn’t use Extricate on it.

Plus, there was a silver lining to all of this.

If he didn’t use the remaining over 200 Bronze Genes…

He would be able to load up his Genes and his stats.

Sylas’ body trembled and a familiar yet foreign feeling filled him as his Genes were rearranged. He observed the changes as the Silver Gene integrated with him, and for a moment, there was a flashbang that went off in his mind.

He realized that even if he didn’t use Extricate directly, the sensory amplification of Rune Soul and this Legendary Path talent was such that it was effectively the same.

He felt every moment of his Stat Limit increasing to 500… of his Bronze Gene Limit increasing to 20… and then to 40 shortly afterwards…

And most clearly of all, he felt new tiers open up to him.

Silver Genes.

Now, he had space not for just one… but two.

Experiencing the first Silver Gene himself, Sylas realized just how far the gap was. It was a complete and qualitative change, one so large that even Extricate couldn’t quite put a neat bow on it.

—

[Name: Sylas Grimblade]

[Species: Human (F)]

[Affiliation: Grimblade Lineage]

[Class: Arctic Royal (Fragmented)]

[Class: —]

[Profession: Vipermancer (FFF+)]

[Level: 0]

[Coins: 2 133 222 (F)]

[Titles: …]

—

[Physical: …]

…

[Mental: 517]

>[Intelligence: 427]

>[Wisdom: 844]

>[Charisma: 280]

[Will: 872]

[Luck: 22]

—

Sylas was a bit surprised.

His Title, Skill Savant, granted him +100% Intelligence. Because of that, the +80 Intelligence that Aetherflow gave him became 160, and that resulted in his Mental stat going over his new 500-point Stat Limit.

Usually when that happened he would feel a great deal of pain. But this time… he only felt the same comfort.

‘It must be because of my Dual Class Constitution. I can break through Stat Limits more easily now and at the cost of less pain… It’s even comfortable…’

The more he experienced from this new Constitution, the more he felt that he had made the right decision.

With that thought, he began to load up his Bronze Genes until they were filled to the brim with what he had on hand. At the same time, his body felt like it was rippling with vitality and strength.

—

[Name: Sylas Grimblade]

[Species: Human (F)]

[Affiliation: Grimblade Lineage]

[Class: Arctic Royal (Fragmented)]

[Class: —]

[Profession: Vipermancer (FFF+)]

[Level: 0]

[Coins: 2 133 222 (F)]

[Titles: A Tangible Will; System Breaker; Legendary Tamer; Surge of the Die; Baron of Guiz; Skill Savant (FFF+); Madness Conqueror (FF-); Common Arts Enthusiast (F-); A Patient Stalker (F-)]

—

[Physical: 500]

>[Strength: 500]

>[Constitution: 500]

>[Dexterity: 500]

>[Speed: 500]

[Mental: 517]

>[Intelligence: 427]

>[Wisdom: 844]

>[Charisma: 280]

[Will: 999]

[Luck: 22]

—

[Skills: Madness Control (FF+); Basic Scouting (F-); Maddened Enlightenment (FF+); Astral Bind (F+); Momentum Shift (F+); Solidify (F+); Master Scouting (FFF-); Stunning Spike (FF-); Astral Will Fission (FF-); Mirror Step (FF-); Psychedelic Punch (FF-); Arctic King’s Domain (FFF-); Master Counter (FFF-); Arctic Howl Mutant (FF+); Chilling Scythe Mutant (FF+)]

[Comprehensions: Madness (FFF)]

—

[Gene State: Flexible]

[Fragmented Genes: Grimblade Lineage (F); Voice of a King (F)]

[Common Genes: (20) Strength (F); (20) Constitution (F); (20) Dexterity (F); (20) Speed (F); (20) Intelligence (F); (20) Wisdom (F); (20) Will (F)]

[Bronze Genes: Enchanted Scribe (F); (17) Strength (F); (17) Constitution (F); (17) Dexterity (F); (17) Speed (F); (17) Intelligence (F); (39) Wisdom (F); (17) Charisma (F); (40) Will (F)]

[Silver Genes: Aetherflow (F)]

—

[Gene Talents: Blade Aura (Unranked); Sudden Burst (F); Tail Whip (F-); Winter’s Edge (FFF-); Aetherflow (FF+)]

—

Sylas took his time to use Extricate on each and every one of his new Genes. Even when he felt like there were diminishing returns to the enlightenment, he did so anyway, feeling the shock and awe that it could bring him, and the deeper understanding of his stats that came with it.

But to his shock, his Will actually reached a bottleneck at 999.

Sylas had noticed that his Will would have a Stat Limit long ago, but he had continued trudging along without ever running into it. But now he suddenly had.

Now that he thought about it, despite having Mental Stats that were all in the ridiculously high quadruple digits, Nosphaleen’s Will had been at 997.

Was that a coincidence? Or was 999 a universal cap to everyone?

He had a ridiculous 20 Common Will Genes and 40 Bronze Will Genes, and a Dual Class Constitution, on top of having a Tangible Will, but he couldn’t break through this Stat Limit?

Something about that felt…

Off.

Now that he thought about it, he had never run into anyone with a Will stat past 999… other than himself when he fused with the Basilisk King.

He subconsciously made a move to ask the Madness Key about it, only to freeze moments later.

‘A Taboo… This…?’

Sylas felt an anger he had already suppressed on this Will challenge rising up again.

Someone was messing with his Will?

He had never pegged himself as someone with a reverse scale. But if he were to ever have one…

It would be this.

He didn’t like the idea of Will being a stat at all. That was already touching his bottom line.

But Will manipulation?

That was absolutely unacceptable to him.