Genetic Ascension

Chapter 1172: Rewards (9)

The Time Lineage Tome…

Its existence seemed to be all about understanding the shifts and changes in Runes over the course of time and using that to predict and grasp what changes would occur in the future.

But the irony was that… the Space Lineage Tome felt the exact same.

It was all about tracking the imprints of Runes and what marks they left in the Mesh of Reality, using that to predict and grasp what changes would occur in the future.

‘No… that is the ability of Temporal Delay and Astral Stutter. There are no “abilities” of these tomes, just methods of observing and comprehending Runes in ways that others cannot grasp. I’ve just distilled their abilities down to this understanding because that is what my Progenitor Flame Abilities allow me to see with greater ease…

‘I need to go deeper… deeper than that…’

When you flipped through the Time Lineage Tome, you began to see double, then triple. It was like all the history of the Runes before you were shifting and changing, and the more of this history and potential future you could see through, the sharper and faster you could be at drawing Runes.

The Space Lineage Tome was the same.

But then Sylas thought of something… why did this sound so similar to his Temporal Delay and Astral Stutter Progenitor Flame Abilities? Their descriptions, even, mirrored this exactly.

Were the Tomes and his Progenitor Flame Abilities really just perfect replicas of one another—one meant to grant an ability and the other meant to explain it?

Sylas really didn’t feel like it was so simple.

His Progenitor Flame Abilities were giving him the perception of the Mesh of Reality he needed to make use of these tomes, but the tomes themselves…

There had to be something deeper here.

Sylas sat in silence, his mind churning. Almost naturally, his new Contested Title activated all on its own.

If it was going to get him into a great deal of trouble—likely in the near future—then it should at the very least display its might for him right now.

There was probably some super genius, maybe in his or her old age, rampaging about trying to find him right this moment. Before then, he would have to be ready…

BANG!

A menacing shriek filled the air, fury billowing through the Leava Clan.

It could be said that this was entirely out of character. The Leava Clan was known to be exceptionally peaceful, especially in this region.

Of course, this wasn’t because the Leava were part of some pacifist movement, but instead because they valued quiet. And Fowler Leava, the head of this division of the Leava Clan, was someone most of the family least wanted to offend.

A powerhouse amongst powerhouses, not just due to his actual strength, but also his mind. It could be said that in the entire Sector, he was known as the strongest Rune Master…

The number one C-Grade Rune Master of the Sector.

But now, that respected man was roaring like a madman, throwing the entire planet into chaos.

BOOM!

The roof of a palace—or maybe it was a compound—covered in what looked like stainless steel and wide, glimmering windows, was completely blown off.

And then the man appeared, somewhat disheveled, but oddly… beautiful.

His skin was just the slightest tinge of silvery-blue, enough for it to not follow the normal human skin tones of Earth, but not quite enough for it to be off-putting in a metallic, inorganic sense.

His forehead, neck, and arms were dotted with stained glass that reflected the sunlight above as though looking at the world through a kaleidoscope, but those patterns were none more obvious than the ones in his eyes.

Dancing, swirling patterns of various colors that looked as though they were reflecting the complex thoughts swirling about in his mind. Because of this, while it looked like he had just one pair of eyes, the reflective lights and dancing colors within made it hard to tell if he had just one pair of irises and pupils as well, or multiple.

And then there was his hair, just as fantastical, looking like fractal shards of glass as though he had carefully glued them to his thick, dreadlock-like strands.

But anyone that knew Fowler knew well that he could never be bothered with his appearance. He was chasing after something better, something greater… not just a breakthrough into the mighty B Tier, but also trying to form a might that was even stronger through his Rune Mastery alone.

No… this wasn’t a fashion choice. It was the appearance of the Crystined Race, a race well known to be the smartest in the Sector, and amongst the greatest in intelligence across the universe.

Yet now, the smartest of them was rampaging like a child.

So close. He had been so very close.

But just when he was on the verge of his breakthrough, it was snatched from him, taken away like he never deserved it.

He was unreconciled, furious in ways he could hardly describe. He wanted nothing more than to raze the universe to the ground.

“Elder? Elder!”

The quick flight of several Crystined powerhouses shot over, soaring through the skies.

The Leava Clan was well established, not just in the upper generation, but across them all. Even the Combat Matrix Index was practically dominated by them.

But even so, if they lost a pillar like Fowler, it would be a devastating blow nonetheless. No matter what, if they could manage it, they had to make sure to do all they could to ensure his comfort.

“Find him!” Fowler seethed, his voice practically coming out in a hiss.

The current head of the Leava Clan looked toward Fowler in shock, suddenly understanding what must have happened.

It was rare for a member of the Leava Clan to not be sharp-witted and intelligent. Putting two and two together—especially for their current Patriarch—wasn’t a problem at all.

Eido Leava was a powerhouse in his own right. But the moment he heard the words, he shook.

Fowler had lost the Contested Title? Which of their Leava Clan descendants had taken it this time? How would he deal with this fallout?