Genetic Ascension

“Alright ladies, let’s relax for a bit,” Olivia laughed nervously. “No need for such hostility. Let’s all take a breath.”

Just a year ago, Olivia would have brought out a bag of popcorn right now. Either that, or she would be rooting for Cassarae and even standing on her side.

The problem was that this wasn’t the same world she had grown up in and gotten used to. This was no longer modern-day Earth. People died over disagreements every day in this world. You could find corpses littered on street corners, you might get attacked by someone you gave the wrong look, your daily necessities were no longer even guaranteed.

This wasn’t the sort of world to get into petty conflicts over. Especially not when this didn’t exactly seem all that petty.

Cassarae liked to pretend she wasn’t, but she was fiercely in love with Sylas. As for Nyssa, well… Olivia didn’t know much about her, but what she did understand was that Genes were very important in this world, and Nyssa was taking quite the risk by being here with them—the sort of risk that seemed to be at the point of betraying a family with a D-Grade overseeing it.

So, even if Nyssa didn’t have the same sort of feelings for Sylas, what was important was that she had invested enough for Olivia to act as though she did.

Both women wouldn’t back down, and in a situation like this one, well… the stakes weren’t a petty few jabs and words.

It was death.

When both women directly ignored her, Olivia began to sweat. She didn’t even want to get in between them or grab Cassarae, who she was most familiar with. What if her trying to hold back Rae ended up with Nyssa taking advantage to deal a death blow?

“Let’s get one thing straight. There’s only one wifey here amongst us, and she’s not corny enough to use the word ‘hubby’ like some love-sick puppy.”

Nyssa pouted playfully. “So you mean to say you don’t show hubby any real affection either? Terrible in bed and you don’t even have the grace or softness of a woman. I would be ashamed to be married to you. No wonder he’s never mentioned you.”

Cassarae’s eyes blazed.

She knew Sylas well. He wouldn’t mention her even to his own parents, let alone some harlot he was using. But that didn’t mean she was any less enraged by it all.

If it wasn’t for the fact her Destiny Quest had already listed the Florineth as her enemy, she would have definitely triggered another one by now. She was truly infuriated.

However…

She exhaled a breath, the heat that was in her chest relaxing and concentrating into the blue of her eyes alone. It looked almost as though blue flames were sparking like solar flares in the depths of her gaze, but it was controlled.

Then they solidified even further, forming sweeping blades.

Red veins in the whites of her eyes pulsed, even turning somewhat blue themselves as well.

Cassarae was so focused that she paid no attention whatsoever to the notification of her Will increasing. It didn’t matter to her right now, she barely acknowledged it.

The heavy longsword on her back vibrated before settling down.

She stood to her full height.

“I know my man. He’s never touched you. Play your petty games another time. We have work to do.”

Nyssa’s gaze flickered. She had more biting words to say, but suddenly she felt like saying them would actually cost her a victory. So, she decided against it.

“I’ve already done my part. If you survive, then you survive. If you don’t, I’ll be there to comfort hubby.”

Cassarae gave her a glance then walked right by.

Sylas wasn’t one to leave such glaring weaknesses in his plans. When he let Cassarae go to the Petals of the Seeing Thorn, he didn’t know that he would end up having to use them like this. But when things came to this, he had to be ready for things to end up here.

When he changed Cassarae’s last name, he didn’t think it would come back to bite him like this. But right now, it presented an opportunity.

Unfortunately, he wouldn’t be here to help her through this hurdle. She would have to do it alone.

He had given her all the tools that she could possibly need. But at the end of the day, her enemies included an E-Grade and a D-Grade.

Cassarae stepped out into the Florineth compound, tall walls coated in red and violet roses littering the surroundings.

She raised a hand and her Executioner’s Sword shot up, landing in her palm.

Szorn hung over her shoulder, its body—a singular red eye—looking out into the world.

“Scan complete,” Szorn spoke almost robotically. “All is prepared.”

Cassarae’s eyes seemed to slowly glaze over, the fury in the depths of her gaze concentrating into a blue glow over her body. It pulsed and raged around her until blue scales began to appear across her body.

Horns grew out of her forehead, her already tall frame growing another head taller.

Her aura continued to grow, and when it reached its peak, a flash came from Szorn, peeling lines of concentrated Runes taking shape and forming over Cassarae’s body.

There were two elements that Sylas had prepared for Cassarae. There was a limit to how powerful she could grow on her own, not without the same Luck that Sylas had run into.

So, the first chance he gave her was the very same he had received—that very chance at the bottom of the ocean.

Unfortunately, the Great Ape statue was no longer accessible to her. But the others were.

That left the mysterious shadow that Sylas was unaware Alex had taken, the Clypsians, the Dogons, and finally, the Dino Race.

Of them all… Cassarae had picked the last.

But that was still not enough, especially when Cassarae wouldn’t be giving up her Executioner’s Class to take it on fully.

That left Szorn.

A Familiar’s greatest asset to a Rune Master was its ability to make tasks easier. Namely… Rune tasks.

With Sylas as its master, what Szorn could accomplish was a reflection of Sylas.

Including the creation of Rune Armors.

A modified Scorpion Warlord Armor snapped into place on Cassarae’s body. But this one…

Felt far more Serpentes than Scorpion.