Genetic Ascension
chapter-133

'Oh?'

Sylas didn't think for very long and sacrificed 35 of his Tickets. It took 10 to get a Common Slot Machine and 25 to get a Bronze one. Unfortunately, he needed 50 to get a Silver one, and he was already running out of Tickets to begin with.

'I assume that the reason so many Tickets were given is because getting anything at all is difficult. But… my Luck should be higher than most, and even if it wasn't… nine chances at a Bronze item should be better than over forty chances at a Fragmented one.'

There was another reason he did this as well.

He had thought that Luck would just be an intangible, hardly noticeable, abstract stat. But almost the moment he got it, he felt the significant change.

Then, there was Lauren… was it a coincidence that a slot machine had appeared here not long after she stole Cassarae's Luck necklace?

With his intention, Sylas slotted in a ticket and watched the machine roll.

The three slots pinged into place, all on different items.

'A City Stele, a sword, and a Gene State Elixir?'

Sylas' brows shot up as he realized something. Was this another chance to benefit from those three starting items again? And maybe this time, of even higher quality?

Either way, it didn't matter. His first roll was a dud.

He used another ticket, and once again, there was nothing.

He went for a third time, and there was nothing once again.

Sylas continued without the slightest fluctuation in his expression. He was already prepared to get nothing at all. However, on the fourth, something changed.

The slots came to a stop on a row of three daggers… no, they looked more like hollowed-out kunai, sparkling with a silvery light.

With a thrum of light, the slot machine opened up and presented an orb of light.

[Flying Kunai (3) (Bronze)]

[Level: 1]

[Ability: Pierce; Evolve]

[Increase Strength Effectiveness by <1%> for every <0.1> Units of Aether]

[Level Up Requirement: <1 Common> Gene]

[Durability: 5/5]

Sylas immediately noticed that this set of flying kunai used the old grading system and not the new. That seemed to come with an evolve ability that allowed him to use Genes to level it up. He couldn't help but wonder what its limits were comparatively speaking…

At the very least, it started far weaker than even F- weapons, but could it grow beyond them? It was yet another thing that he had to spend Genes on, but all things considered, this was a good item for him. He even suspected that although the slot machine failed a lot, when it did succeed, it would tend to give him what he needed. Maybe this was also related to his elevated Luck stat as well, though it was hard to tell.

Sylas guided the orbs of light into his Madness Key, then continued.

'Thankfully, the Madness Key doesn't need a constant flow of Aether like other spatial devices, or else it would be useless back on Earth…'

Sylas continued to spin the slot machine.

The fifth attempt was a failure, as was the sixth, but with the seventh, there was another change.

Sylas' eyes lit up.

The slot machine stopped on a familiar crystal, a Gene Crystal.

[Bronze Gene Crystal (F) (Treasure)]

[One's Genetic Code is a universe within the universe. Endless and vast, the number of meandering paths it can take are uncountable. Use this Bronze Gene Crystal and begin to forge your own path]

[Capacity: 70]

When Sylas saw the Capacity, though, he couldn't help but be disappointed.

The Common Gene Crystal he had gotten had a Capacity of 50 Genes, meaning that he could fuse together 50 of them to create a new Unique Gene.

From his understanding, Fragmented Gene Crystals had Capacity ranging from 1 to 10, for Common it was 11 to 50, and for Bronze it was 51 to 200.

He had ended up with a Gene Crystal on the lower end of the Bronze Gene Crystal spectrum, so the results were bound to be a weaker upgrade compared to the absorption of his first.

In addition, because it was a lower end, the boost he would get for sacrificing the Crystal was limited as well.

With his Common Gene Crystal of 50 Capacity, sacrificing it boosted his chance of absorbing the Genes by 90%. But a Bronze Gene Crystal with a 70 Capacity would only give him a less than 50% chance, an amount comparable to a Common Gene Crystal with a Capacity of only 11.

Of course, he had other boosts that could help him out… but his Soft Gene State had already run out and now he was beginning to understand the plight of everyone else.

It was a hard life walking around with a Rigid Gene State. Even if he raised his Stat Limits, he would still be unable to absorb any Genes.

'This is still better than not having it. I'll consider whether to use Madness as a foundation again… or maybe use the Grimblade Gene as a foundation. Blade Aura could be very useful if it was improved again…'

Sylas decided to consider this later. It was a hard decision. On the one hand, Madness was his strongest foundation and one he should build upon. But with Aetherflow active, Blade Aura synergized with it well.

Sylas rolled again and, to his surprise, the slot machine clicked into place once again. This time, it looked to be a…

'Skill booklet? No, it's different… the patterns are different…'

[The Flow of Battle (Silver) (Quest)]

[The Laws have sensed your Flow of Battle more than once. However, suppressed by a Comprehension much deeper and profound, it has been unable to shine its way through.

[The Pugilists, Warriors, and Berserkers of the past lament this tragedy and seek to give you an opportunity.]

[Find your Flow of Battle and conquer it]

[Fragmented Reward Requirements]

[>Defeat an enemy 1 Level above you]

[Common Reward Requirements]

[>Defeat an enemy 5 Levels above you]

[Bronze Reward Requirements]

[>Defeat an enemy 10 Levels above you]

[Silver Reward Requirements]

[>Defeat an enemy 15 Levels above you]