Genetic Ascension

Sylas quickly read it. Despite his situation, he wouldn't rashly jump into a Dungeon without understanding what it was all about. The description didn't tell him much, but the recommendations at least told him that it wasn't too far out of his league. If he stupidly jumped into a Level 10 Dungeon or something even worse, it would be too late to regret it.",

He hopped into the Slithering Madness Dungeon only because he felt he had no other choice. He wasn't in such desperate straits this time around.

However, the Entry Limit wasn't a line he had seen before. The Slithering Madness Dungeon had not had it.

Sylas' eyes flickered down. 'These beasts…'

---

[Spitting Cobra (FF-)]

[Level: 3]

[Physical: 64]

[Mental: 74]

[Will: 49]

---

Sylas' pace didn't slow down. He had already expected that since the gnolls hadn't taken full advantage of this region, there would have to be something even Zurog couldn't easily handle, and this creature more than fit the bill.

It must have been at least seven meters long and though it wasn't as large as Big Madness, when it peeked up from its nap and flared out its hood, its intimidation factor was on a whole other level.

A hiss that pierced Sylas' ears echoed.

Sylas felt his steps slow down and his blood run cold. It wasn't out of fear, but something deeper than that.

'A Skill.'

The cobras that were rushing after Sylas no longer dared to get closer, their bodies directly frozen in place. Sylas' Will, though, seemed to be unearthed and shrugged it off.

The FF- Spitting Cobra seemed to be enraged by this and charged, a line of venom shooting out from its maw.

'Fast.'

It was incredibly so, and Sylas was running right toward it, making it even worse.

He pushed with his telekinesis, pushing the venom upward as he rolled forward. He did his best to maintain his momentum, but this also meant that the cobra was suddenly right before him, moving with such Speed that by the time he jumped to his feet, it was already bearing down on him.

A dagger flew out from Sylas', headed right for the cobra that was slithering right toward him.

The cobra was faster.

Sylas sensed Aether moving and an invisible wall formed around it, almost like it had solidified the air in an area. The Speed of Sylas' blade plummeted, and it felt like it had gained ten times the weight instantly.

The Mental of the cobra displayed itself and it opened its maw again, spitting out a line of venom that was even faster than before. Not only was it faster, the venom was an even brighter shade of green and the distance was closer.

It felt like a far more substantial attack, almost like the venom had become an arrow itself. Sylas tried to control it with his telekinesis, but it seemed rebuffed by something.

'Aether… Intelligence? Wisdom, maybe?'

Sylas realized right then that there were more ways to rebuff his telekinesis than just weight. It was just unfortunate he learned in this situation. Even so, he didn't panic.

Sudden Burst.

He exploded to the side, then accelerated forward. He closed in the distance between himself and the cobra, his fist shooting out in a coat of Blade Aura. Now that he had <Maddened Enlightenment> he didn't have to choose between using his other abilities and Blade Aura, he could use them all at the same time.

And keeping in line with that, he activated <Madness Control> at the same time.

His fist slammed into the body of the cobra. Its head loomed above his own, but it didn't faze him in the slightest.

He could feel the wall of solid air trying to slow him down, but he ripped right through it. It seemed that the Skill wasn't too different from his own telekinesis. Against something of more substantial weight, it struggled.

The cobra reeled back, the momentum of Sylas strikes causing its body to curl and its head to snap downward.

Sylas' body twisted as he entered a Flow of Battle state. His torso tensed and his leg whipped out with astonishing speed, coated by Blade Aura.

Tail Whip.

BANG!

The combination of two Gene Talents layered atop of one another resulted in a rain of blood and gore. Blade Aura pushed his Constitution to a level that could more than bear the power of his strikes and he suffocated the cobra in a rain of Skills and Gene Talents.

He almost forgot about the Dungeon for a moment. The other Spitting Cobras didn't dare to come close to their king's territory, and he took full advantage.

He drove the cobra's head into the ground with the heel of an ax kick, and at the same time, a dagger ripped up through its throat in an uppercut motion, blazing forward with over 80 Physical under the influence of his Madness.

Sylas huffed out a breath, his green irises blazing. A good battle, an excellent battle. He was starting to get addicted to this feeling.

He quickly rushed down, not wanting to give the other Spitting Cobras the chance to catch up before he had time to take advantage. He had already lost out on one bundle of elite Genes. He didn't want to face that again.

---

[Spitting Cobra]

[Gene Detected]

[Common Gene: (6) Intelligence (F)]

[Attempt Assimilation?]

[Yes][No]

---

Sylas threw it into his separate storage device. He had been hoping that it would have some Charisma Genes after that telekinesis-like Skill, but it seemed he wasn't so lucky. But this creature was definitely a boon, nonetheless.

He rushed toward the Dungeon. Unlike Slithering Madness, this Basilisk's Reign Dungeon was carved into a tree. It looked like a swirling mass of opal embedded right into a willow. If Sylas had had the time, he would have liked to look at longer. This world was truly filled with fantastical things around every corner.

Unfortunately, he didn't have the leisure.

With a leap, Sylas vanished right into it.