Genetic Ascension

Chapter 1913: Unwilling

Sylas felt the pressure long before he experienced everything else. Not sight, not touch, not even sound.

It was all-encompassing, like a wind as solid as steel pressing down on every inch of his skin with the very same overwhelming presence. It felt like with just a little bit more, his skin would rupture.

Yet, oddly enough, none of the pressure or pain reached his bone, almost like the most uncomfortable sort of humidity. It was like the world wanted him to know that he was unwelcome, but was forced to follow its own laws and regulations, and as such couldnʼt kill him outright.

ʼSo this is the God Realm...ʼ

It took several minutes before Sylas could see the faintest light. And even then, objects were fuzzy and lacking in edges to him long afterward. Breathing the air felt like he was swallowing something solid rather than wheezing for oxygen. His Aether Pathways felt like a deflated balloon, as though he had suddenly gone to an area of extremely low pressure and all of their rotund fullness was sapped away.

Every feeling was designed to make him feel as uncomfortable as possible, a continuous, relentless reminder that he was in a world larger, greater, and superior to himself.

The fact that even several minutes later Sylas still hadnʼt quite adjusted was a huge problem. If not for the fact that he was still clinging to the void and limiting his exposure to the outside world, the danger would have been immense.

But even then, there was only so long Sylas could do this for. He understood that it was a great risk to come here. If he couldnʼt adapt, then he would have to abandon this path and choose another.

Though he was unwilling, Sylas wasnʼt a fool. He felt that it would only be a matter of time before he was ready.

Just making it here would have been impossible without his comprehension of and affinity for space meeting the systemʼs machinations.

Because of the oddity of the split piece of the Mancer Scape, it was in a sort of limbo. As a result, its space was incredibly flexible and easy to manipulate for Sylas. But this also meant that it had been able to sink down into the Mortal Plane when it should have been in the Demi-God Plane.

Sylasʼ own Hibernation Realm was similar in that it was a world both disconnected and yet connected with him. Its coordinates were constantly changing, and yet a tether remained to Sylas. This was ultimately why Sylas had to fight God Beasts of all things when he finally established his city.

More accurately, the Hibernation Realm was only in part being anchored to Sylas, and more precisely being anchored to Sylasʼ location in space.

The reason this distinction was so important was because this meant that while Sylas was in the fragmented Mancer Scape, his Hibernation Realm was forced to be tethered to it as well.

But what would the system do if it suddenly had to tether a world in a space that was so volatile and flexible?

Well, the system would thus have no choice but to make the connection more sturdy so that Sylas could always maintain his connection.

However, in making that connection to Sylasʼ space sturdier... it was likewise making the Hibernation Realmʼs connection to the God Plane sturdier as well.

There was a downside to this, that being the fact that the longer Sylas spent in the fragmented Mancer Scape, the more likely he was to be sensed by God Beasts and have his Hibernation Realm attacked.

However, the upside...

Was that Sylas could personally cross the barrier and enter the God Realms now.

Such a chance would have been impossible otherwise. Mortals traveled into the Demi-God Realms once they managed to reach a certain level, but it was incredibly difficult and required being at the level of a Legend at a bare minimum to have a modicum of a chance at success.

But to reach the God Realms?

There was no such universal path.

It was either you were invited or you were killed. Those were the two options, if such an attempt was even contemplated about.

And now, Sylas had broken that rule due to a series of coincidences.

This opportunity was too important to give up.

In order to keep this place stabilized and open, the Emperor Sanctum had to gather every one of its Ancestors together, even calling out a Legend-level Progenitor.

If they had the chance to keep Sylas trapped in here forever, there were good odds they would make that exact choice.

ʼAdapt.ʼ

Sylasʼ gaze flickered and his Madness Comprehension danced to life.

If his body couldnʼt do it on its own, he would have to give it some help.

His Will flared like a wild flame burning in the night. It pushed against the soot and grime that tried to cover it, and a deep roar reverberated in the depths of Sylasʼ chest.

His senses were ripped open one after another, the pressure that descended onto them being forcefully torn away until Sylas collapsed to a knee, gasping for breath.

Sweat covered him from head to toe, but his Will remained firm.

And finally...

He could see.

Sylas took in the world around him. He sat on a knee in a sea of darkness, purple stones glowing along the cave walls being the only things that gave what he presumed to be an underground space any sort of light.

He knew that the location he spawned in would be random. In order to keep his Hibernation Realm safe, it was on a constant loop around the Beast Heaven. If it stayed in one spot for too long, even with the systemʼs help, it would be noticed.

Still, Sylas figured that if he spawned in a bad region, he could just leave, return to the Mancer Scape, and then try again. That was also true if he ran into anything too powerful-assuming it didnʼt restrict his control over space too much, that is.

ʼIʼll have to keep Madness active to maintain this, then. Letʼs see if I can find anything worthwhile.ʼ