Genetic Ascension

Sylas felt his Madness state slip away from him just as Madness Minion was pinned down beneath the jaws of the much heavier snake.

To his surprise, even after his Madness faded, the snake hadn't regained its bearings. It continued to wildly thrash about, but this time in a far more confined region, the weight of the python's corpse keeping it mostly in place.

Sylas took deep breaths.

'So it doesn't fade away immediately…'

He felt a wave of relief hit him. Unfortunately, the job wasn't done quite yet. He had wounded the snake heavily, but not fatally.

'Hm?'

His brows shot up.

The thrashing of the snake slowed, and the entry to its wound actually began to corrode.

'A python is venomous?'

This flipped Sylas' world upside down.

Constrictors were constrictors, and venomous snakes were venomous snakes. They took two different routes of evolution, so it was considered unnecessary by Mother Nature herself for the two to share both.

'Another mistake…'

Sylas hadn't even considered that these animals would be venomous. The moment he saw such a large creature, he made the assumption immediately. This time, his "experience" had almost really hurt him. He could be dead right now.

'Will the poison affect the Genes?'

Sylas rushed forward.

—

[Madness Minion]

[Gene Detected]

[Fragmented Gene: (3) Speed (F)]

[Attempt Assimilation?]

[Yes] [No]

—

Sylas confirmed.

—

[Gene Assimilation Starting…]

[Gene Assimilation Triggered]

—

[Gene Assimilation Failed]

[Gene Assimilation Failed]

[Gene Assimilation Successful]

—

[Name: Sylas Grimblade]

[Species: Human (F)]

[Affiliation: Grimblade Lineage]

[Level: 0]

[Titles: A Flexible Will; A Patient Stalker; Little Madness Slayer (Dormant)]

—

[Physical: 9]

>[Strength: 5]

>[Constitution: 9]

>[Dexterity: 13]

>[Speed: 9]

[Mental: 9]

>[Intelligence: 5]

>[Wisdom: 10]

>[Charisma: 12]

[Will: 36]

[Luck: 1]

—

[Skill: Maddened Meditation (F); Little Madness (F)]

[Comprehensions: Madness (F)]

—

[Gene State: Soft]

[Fragmented Genes: Grimblade Lineage (F); (2) Dexterity (F); (4) Constitution (F); Speed (F)]

—

[Gene Talents: Blade Aura (Mutated - Weakened)(-); Sudden Burst (Dormant)(F)]

—

'Unlucky.'

Sylas didn't linger on the thought more than this. At the very least, the venom didn't ruin the Genes, at least he thought so. It was possible that it had had four or more Speed Genes to give, but that was something he'd have to pay attention to in the future.

He scanned the region, checking to see if anything else was coming. He was fairly sure this Madness Minion wouldn't be the only one on Floor Two, so he had no choice but to continue being cautious.

The quasi-kinetic abilities his Madness Comprehension was giving him were likely something that he should explore more, but right now it felt too weak. It felt more like an auxiliary offshoot ability rather than something baked into the Comprehension itself.

Even so, it had definitely helped him just now.

He would also have to do some experiments on the next Madness Minion he came across. How long did he have to activate his Madness for it to have lasting effects? Was it just a single instant? Was it dependent on the target's Will? He needed to know.

Regardless, his Madness Comprehension was his greatest reliance right now. He needed it for more than its influence on his opponents, but it would be nice to know that he wouldn't die the moment he ran out of it. Running away was definitely an option now.

There was also something else of interest to consider…

'When I fell into the Madness, my only thoughts were to go and challenge the BOSS as quickly as possible. But these creatures lose their rationality and even forget my existence. Is it because of low Wisdom?'

There were so many factors at play and it felt impossible to pinpoint them all. For now, he had to recover.

Sticking close to the region the Madness Minion had attacked him from, he activated Maddened Meditation. His grandfather had said that dungeons were easier to clear than spawned cities because there were tighter controls on the variables, so his assumption was that there was a low likelihood another snake would attack him from here anytime soon.

Simply put, this was probably the safest location on the entire Floor now.

In five minutes, he was back up and running. He found that Maddened Meditation didn't just help with his mental fatigue, either. It felt similar to eating the fox. He felt rejuvenated.

He stood.

By now, the Madness Minion's corpse was mostly rotted. This was, without a doubt, the most potent venom he had ever seen. But he was counting on that.

He carefully pulled the python's jaws open again and placed it to the side. Then, using the antler blade and Blade Aura, he cut into the rotten flesh.

As expected, it was far easier than it had been previously and he sliced into the creature, leaving nothing but its head. It fit nicely in his palm, though the blood was less than great.

'Am I really about to use a snake's head as a weapon?'

The incredulity of it all wasn't lost on him, but this was the best option he had right now—that and running.

Snake fangs were actually quite fragile and could be easily broken. They had good piercing power, but were brittle.

'I probably can't rely on the venom. Assuming they're the same general species, all the Madness Minions will be resistant to this venom, and I obviously can't use the python. It's too heavy.'

Go for the head.

That was the best he could do.