Genetic Ascension

Chapter 377: Be Strong [Bonus]

The Arctic Emperor Bear stumbled back, fury lighting its blue marble eyes. It looked at Sylas as though it wanted to tear him apart, but Sylas didn’t plan on having a staring contest with the creature. He already had every intention of ripping into it.

It was then the Arctic Emperor Bear unleashed a howl.

CRACK.

Syals felt his Domain shatter. It quickly came back together under his control, but even then it was shaky.

He could feel that the Runes under his control had been forced into a tug of war battle and his eyes couldn’t help but narrow.

He dodged out of the way of a swinging claw, his mind swirling.

‘This feeling… it’s almost like when the Arctic Emperor Cobra resisted my Beast Totem somewhat…’

There was nothing in his Beast Totem’s description that said it could be countered, but he had felt that the Arctic Emperor Cobra did so in part back then.

Now, a bit of that same aura was coming from the Arctic Emperor Bear.

It was like they weren’t just Emperors of their own little race, but rather Emperors of the world. The Laws of Earth wanted to obey them, and it was even suppressing Sylas’ control over the Runes in the surroundings.

Suddenly, the strength of the bear exploded and Sylas found that he could no longer see its stats as though it had been obscured by something.

This was the power of a beast that had broken the Limits of the world. Or, more accurately… this was a Quasi Limit Breaker. This wasn’t nearly as powerful as it would be on a true Bronze Beast. And yet, it was still able to suppress Sylas’ Rune Soul Realm to this extent.

BANG!

The polar bear Emperor swiped out with another claw, but this time, it was even larger than the first time Sylas had seen it. What was most shocking was that it would have been even more powerful if Sylas wasn’t trying to rein in some control of the surrounding Runes.

Sylas dodged backward, the indifference in his gaze becoming cold.

The claws of the bear detached, becoming a ranged attack out of his expectation. Four scythes cut across the air, appearing before him in an instant.

<Arctic Howl>

Sylas roared and the collision sent him flying back. The brief pause saved him from a fate of being shredded apart.

The four scythes froze in the air, and by then, Sylas had already flown so far back that he almost landed on the shore of the Arctic King Cobras.

The Arctic Emperor Bear was already barreling across the waters. It looked as though it had grown a size, the blue aura around it growing more profound and potent. At the same time, there seemed to be a half-formed bronze crown hanging over its head.

The surrounding polar bears began to roar into the skies as though they were giving support to their Emperor.

At the same time, the Arctic King Cobras began to respond in kind, their howls and hisses filling the valley.

Sylas felt his blood boiling for reasons he couldn’t explain in a few words. In that moment, he seemed to have forgotten everything.

He stamped down on the water once, causing a pillar to rise into the air.

Sylas charged out of the pillar of water, his hair being slicked back by the frosty liquids. However, he looked completely different.

A pair of pauldrons floated before his fists and a pair of shin guards hovered in front of legs. Both were a deep crimson iron color and looked worn from battle.

These were none other than pieces of General Aleen’s armor, and each one was over 20 pounds in heft. The pauldrons alone were almost 40…

And when Sylas punched out, the Arctic Emperor Bear would feel that.

What did 981 points of Strength feel like when it was backed by swinging ballista heavier than a sledgehammer? Well…

ROAR.

Blood flew.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Sylas and the polar bear Emperor clashed in the middle of the lake, claw meeting armor.

The water churned and Ice-Poison Runes spiraled through the air. The frosty energy seemed to only grow thicker and more menacing, but the two were completely relentless.

Sylas unleashed a vicious kick. The shin guard flew through the air, a fiery green leg manifesting within it and slamming against the polar bear Emperor’s head.

Blood was drawn, but a pauldron had already descended from the skies, shattering the bear’s snout. Another pauldron cut up, smashing into its jaw and twisting its already deformed face.

The bear unleashed <Arctic Roar> and Sylas’ next combination of attacks was blown apart.

A claw cut into Sylas’ chest, spiraling snowflakes cutting down from the skies above and shredding through his Aether skin. It was a Skill that Sylas had never seen before.

‘No, it’s a Gene Talent.’

Sylas realized this, but the indifference in his eyes was only belied by his fiery intent to battle. Feeling the blood flowing down his body and dripping into the waters below, he only felt a stronger Will churning in his heart.

Be Strong.

His telekinesis reached out, snatching the bits and pieces of armor out of the air. A blazing green fire poured into them and for a moment, such a strong force descended onto them it looked as though they might be forcefully molded into Sylas’s fists and legs.

However, that was but an illusion.

What wasn’t an illusion, though, was their strength.

Sylas roared, activating <Arctic Howl> again and forcefully shattering the descending current of snowflake blades.

BANG! BANG!

Two quick punches shredded apart what was left of the polar bear Emperor’s bloodied jaw. It lashed out again, but Sylas was too far away. The scythes of its <Chilling Claw> were too easily dodged.

<Chilling Scythe>.

Sylas cast this for the first time in the battle. It manifested right before the bear Emperor’s open maw under his Rune Soul control. It couldn’t dodge even if it wanted to, and it was too exhausted for its Emperor Domain to suppress Sylas.

Caught off guard, the attack pierced right into its open wound.

Normally, even with its upgrade, this Skill wouldn’t be able to penetrate the Constitution of the polar bear Emperor. And, the Ice-Poison would be too weak, causing it to ignore any Special Damage that was possible. But now…

It froze in place, its body crackling as a continuous series of damage ripped through its veins.

Sylas huffed for breath, walking forward slowly as the five seconds of his Skill played out.

By the time he appeared before the Arctic Emperor Bear, it was already trying to break free, but its feeble attempt was causing it to fall apart. The Skill was capable of doing 750 total Damage. After this long battle, the fact that the bear even had that much left to give was a miracle.

Sylas stood before it, looking up at its massive frame.

He took a breath, looking the beast in the eye, and unleashed another punch.

BANG!

He felt the flesh deforming beneath his fist and the world fell into silence… until the body of the Arctic Emperor Bear collapsed, falling onto the surface of the lake.

Sylas took deep breaths, his chest heaving…

And then the Arctic King Cobras went wild, the roars piercing the skies.