Genetic Ascension-Chapter 1922: Stupid [Bonus]

[Bonus thanks to BobTheEngineer <3]

Sylas awoke with a wheeze, endless pain ripping through him. He had never experienced a headache this severe. Saying it felt like hammers were continuously slamming against his skull didn't quite do it justice.

It wasn't just that there were hammers, but the pain flared like sirens through his neurons, each one firing faster and faster the more awake he became. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

And it moved. Sometimes it would branch, becoming countless flares of pain, and then they would converge, fusing into one and forming a single thrumming, mad push that made him feel like an axe was splitting his head in two.

"Ah, you're finally awake. Not bad, not bad."

This time, the echo didn't shatter Sylas' brain like it had before. But he could feel it very clearly in his skull.

He didn't understand why a voice was coming from there. But he understood even less how exactly he was safe right now.

He hadn't had his wits about him, so actively hiding in the void would have been impossible. The state of the world didn't allow anyone to exist there naturally. And that was a good thing, honestly. If he had lost consciousness in the void and drifted, who knew where he could have ended up? Even waking up in the Demon World might not have been impossible-though surely an exaggeration.

Simply put, why was his head still attached to his body?

Sylas tried to move but the flares came greater than before.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Your body is in a state I'd like to call mush right now. The fact you even pondered you could move is amusing."

Sylas didn't reply, his body becoming wrapped in his telekinesis until he stood to his feet.

"Well, that's just cheating." The Hydra declared. "That hardly counts."

The Hydra was right about one thing. Sylas' body was in horrid condition, and he couldn't even begin to heal it. The main problem was that there were too many lingering strands of what seemed like S-tier God Will.

How difficult a wound was to recover from depended on the scope and the power of the individual, as well as how good the body that was damaged in the first place was. All factors played a balancing act until it was decided.

The fact that Sylas still didn't have Legendary Physical Genes made it even more difficult, especially since his body was that of a Sacred Race's now.

But Sylas knew that he couldn't stay here forever. If he had to guess, the Hydra had likely used its presence as a deterrent. Beasts were incredibly sensitive to such things, so they would know not to step into this region.

Relying on someone else wasn't exactly Sylas' style, though.

Sylas tried to open his eyes and see what was going on around him, but the moment he made even the faintest attempt, it was like the world decided to flashbang him.

There was no light beaming into his eyes, and yet everything just felt almost... too bright.

"Yeah, I wouldn't do that if I were you either. Your brain right now is a little... um... different."

Sylas frowned. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything. If anything, I saved you."

"After almost killing me?"

"Not my fault you're so fragile. You're a Pride Madness Disciple, aren't you? Don't tell me you're as much a hypocrite as all the others."

Sylas' frown deepened. The fact this Hydra knew he was a Madness Disciple was troubling. But it also confirmed one other thing.

There were Madness Disciples in other Heavens.

This seemed obvious, but it hadn't been to Sylas. The reason being, the Skai Heaven was the Will Heaven. Meaning, those born here tended and leaned toward having stronger Wills. He wasn't quite sure what stat the Beast Heaven represented, but it didn't matter.

No Heaven was more suited to Madness Disciples than the Skai Heaven. Will was probably the most important component of the entire path. Everything else was perfunctory.

"Anyway, you should be thanking me. I got rid of that lingering problem in your brain."

'What?' Sylas thought to himself. He tried to wrack his brain to figure out what the Hydra could be referring to, but that was the last thing he should be doing now. He practically felt his head splitting right down the middle.

But even so, he came to the answer quickly.

Greed. The Rat.

"Now. How are you going to repay me, boy?"

Sylas grew calmer the more the Hydra spoke. Then, he exhaled slowly, using his telekinesis to rise to his full height and look around.

He was at the back of a shallow cave. Sunlight couldn't make it all the way in, which was what made it even more ridiculous that he had found everything to be so bright.

"Repay you? Shouldn't you be repaying me?"

The Hydra burst into laughter that bordered on fury, but wasn't quite there.

"Do you think if I can leave you in such a state with my voice that I cannot kill you right here and now?"

"Maybe," Sylas said. "But you're in the Skai Heaven right now. Even if you manage to take my body, what would you do?"

"Your body is still the gateway back to the Beast Heaven," the Hydra snarled. "That path is still open, and I bet the other side has already long left the belly of that coward."

"And how would you plan on using that path if I'm dead?"

"The system is stupid. It won't notice something as minor as a swap in Wills so long as the body is there."

"I didn't expect an S-tier to have such a poor knowledge foundation." Sylas said slowly.

He wasn't used to explaining himself, but he was right now, and the Hydra still wasn't getting it. This S-tier... was a bit stupid.

"What did you say to me?" a hint of danger layered the Hydra's voice.

"The system gave me an FFF+ Profession, I've long taken most of the reins myself and evolved it to a Silver Grade Profession. It's no longer just tied to the system alone, it's also specifically tied to my Will.

"So I'll ask you again, if I am dead, what will you do?"