Genetic Ascension novel Chapter 2072

Chapter 2072: Saboteur (2) [Bonus]

[Bonus chapter thanks to chronotitan <3]

Sylas looked down.

From a casual glance, every square looked completely identical. But there were three ways to tell where the bombs were.

The first were Runes. The fluctuations were different around them and Sylas could already feel a lot of the path from here. Just standing in place, he could map out the next seven steps before things got fuzzy for him.

The second was Aether. There was a unique Aether fluctuation as well. Using this lens, Sylas actually couldn't tell immediately. It took him three seconds to find the step to take through this method, and a full twelve before he found the one after that.

To his surprise, his answer using the second method wasn't the same as the first.

Was there more than one path out? Or was one of the methods of detection wrong?

It was odd because Sylas was certain that both of his methods were used correctly.

His Intelligence stat might not be as great as his Rune Mastery, but it was still Willborne. As such, Sylas was technically a Cryst Emperor himself, one with two extremely powerful Aethers.

It was just that his talent in Aether wasn't as easily able to bridge gaps as large as his Rune Mastery could.

But logically, that talent was still high enough that it wouldn't make foolish mistakes.

This left Sylas frowning.

The third and final method of telling which mine was which was actually the most primitive way.

These mounds separated into one by one meter plots looked identical, but each one actually had their differences in density, in porosity, even extremely subtle differences in size and shape.

And from that method...

Both his Rune and Aether methods were seen as correct.

The Golmara's eyes narrowed from behind Sylas, but he didn't do anything. Fighting in this mine field was a death sentence for all of them, but he didn't know why Sylas was taking so long.

Behind them, the woman had her hands clasped and her head lowered.

Sylas' eyes suddenly flashed. 'Interesting.'

He took a quick three steps forward, taking the Aether route.

As expected, nothing triggered.

The woman was teleported forward.

"Wait." Sylas said.

The woman didn't even hesitate to listen.

After half a minute Sylas told her which way to go. She obliged and then nearly sank into a puddle of her own sweat when they didn't blow up.

The Golmara was next. He had his brows knitted, but he ultimately found the direction in just five or so seconds.

The dagger landed. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

In that moment, the Golmara could see the entirety of Sylas' expression as he took a step back. He had expected to see something meaningless. Fear, anxiety, unwillingness-at the very least, rage.

Even those that didn't fear death in the end would show something, even if it was just to curse the Golmara to the fiery pits of hell.

Any one of these would have been fine with the Golmara. Who gave damn about the rage of the dead? A ghost would stay a ghost.

But he didn't get any of that from Sylas. All he saw were those abyssal eyes that seemed like they could look death in the eyes without the slightest flinch, the eyes of a man so self-assured in his own abilities that even if he did die, he would feel as though no one else would have survived in his position anyway.

He didn't just fear death, he almost welcomed it to try, to try and see if it would really be worth him giving a modicum of true effort this time.

And then, just when the dagger landed, Sylas took a single step backward.

It was a step into a square none of them had stepped on previously, a step that the Golmara was sure wasn't

correct.

Did Sylas just want to kill himself first so he wouldn't have the satisfaction?

The Golmara sneered. It was fine with that too. As if he cared. A dead Sylas was the only good sort of Sylas

Grimblade.

BOOM.

The room went white.