Genetic Ascension novel Chapter 2481

Chapter 2481: A Petty Little System

Xarvenya planted a hand against the ground, her fingers digging into the shattered earth as she forced herself onto one knee. Crimson energy continued to leak from her arm, the backlash having torn apart several of the channels she had used to concentrate her attack. However, the damage itself meant very little compared to the humiliation of what had just happened.

Someone had interfered with her power, and she hadn’t even managed to sense how.

"Sorry, sorry! My apologies for that. I might have been a little too rough." The voice carried an almost cheerful air, without the slightest hint of genuine regret. "You see, I’ve taken quite an interest in these two young sword geniuses, and it would be a terrible waste to allow you to kill them here. I hope you’ll forgive me for interfering."

Xarvenya’s crimson eyes narrowed. Whoever this was, his casual tone did nothing to hide the fact that he had just reached across an unknown distance and overwhelmed her control of her own attack.

"Now, as for these two little treasures, I suppose I’ll have to take them with me. I have quite a few ideas for how to nurture such promising talents."

"No."

Tomoe’s response came without hesitation. Her injuries had left her struggling to remain upright, but her blood-red eyes retained their sharpness as she looked toward the empty space the voice came from.

Cassarae was even less accommodating.

"Go fuck yourself."

For a moment, the plains fell silent before the mysterious man released a light chuckle.

"Oh? Such spirited young ladies. I suppose I should have expected as much."

"You know what I hate most about people like you?" Cassarae’s expression darkened. "It’s that you pretend to be some kind of benevolent old bastard while doing whatever the fuck you want. If you want to be an asshole, then be an asshole. Who the hell do you think you’re fooling with all your chuckles and hehe’s?"

The voice seemed to find her words even more amusing, but Cassarae wasn’t finished.

"And don’t think I haven’t noticed that you didn’t kill her. You’re clearly strong enough to interfere, but if you could actually kill Xarvenya, why bother throwing her away? You probably can’t do it, can you? So stop acting like some magnanimous senior showing mercy and go fuck yourself."

"Hahaha! What a mouth you have on you! But that’s fine, that’s fine. Geniuses should have a little fire in them. If you don’t have the courage to challenge those above you, how could you ever expect to reach the pinnacle?"

Cassarae’s lip curled in disgust. She would have preferred it if the bastard had lost his temper. At least then she could have understood what sort of person she was dealing with. Instead, he took every insult as though she were a child throwing a tantrum, and somehow that made the entire situation even more irritating.

Before she could respond, though, a series of golden Runes began appearing beneath her feet.

Tomoe reacted at almost the same instant. Her ruby sword flashed forward, slicing through several of the symbols before they could finish forming, while Cassarae gathered her own Sword Will and struck toward the opposite side.

The Runes split beneath their attacks, only to reform before the swords could complete their movements.

"Oh, very good. Your foundations are even better than I thought. Unfortunately, you’re still a little too young to understand what you’re cutting."

The formation continued expanding, golden lines connecting above and below them until an intricate sphere began taking shape. Every time Cassarae struck one portion, another section absorbed the force, while Tomoe’s increasingly violent attacks only caused the formation to shift its structure.

Cassarae grit her teeth. The bastard wasn’t even here, and yet his formation could respond to their attacks faster than they could change them.

"Though I must say, the Rune Mastery protecting this planet isn’t too bad at all. Quite impressive, in fact. It’s unfortunate that its creator isn’t here, or perhaps I wouldn’t have been able to do this." The voice sighed. "A shame, really. I would have enjoyed meeting such an interesting fellow."

Cassarae’s expression turned colder.

Xarvenya chose that moment to move.

She had already risen to her feet, and the instant the formation began closing around Cassarae, she drove her uninjured hand toward it. A dense concentration of crimson energy formed around her palm, but before she could make contact, the space in front of her contracted.

BANG!

Xarvenya’s body shot backward once more, crashing through several broken ridges before she caught herself against the ground.

"Oh, please don’t make this difficult. I truly have no desire to hurt you."

The Demon slowly raised her head, her crimson eyes staring toward the formation.

She had spent far too long restraining herself, keeping her power beneath the limits this world could tolerate. Even now, the mysterious man was taking advantage of those restrictions, using methods that wouldn’t have been nearly so effective if she could unleash her strength without concern.

But continuing like this would accomplish nothing.

Xarvenya stood, her expression losing the last traces of agitation as a deeper crimson light began gathering within her pupils.

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