Chapter 611: Opened [Bonus]
This wasn't the first time Jake had faced death like this. But every time, his parents would inevitably pull him out of it.
Unfortunately, this time, they were facing an enemy that was far too strong... an enemy that could treat the puzzles they risked their lives against like it was nothing more than a joke. There was no one who could save him but himself.
The thought was odd to him. Despite how often he threw himself into danger, this was the first time he had experienced this thought. His parents had always been there to catch him, always there to care for him, always there to wipe sweat from his brow and give him a pinch on the cheek.
Tears pooled in Jake's eyes.
Would his parents be able to be so carefree ever again? When would they be able to escape from Sylas' clutches? Even if they had a child after him... no, would they even be able to have such a child in the first place? Could they calm their hearts to take such a step while they were beneath Sylas' thumb?
He didn't want that for them... he was unwilling... he really was unwilling...
'I don't want to die...' he thought.
[Title Unlocked]
[A Flexible Will]
[Your Will is truly one of a kind, but it is immature and still changing. Continue to forge it, young man]
[+10 Will]
[+10% Will]
Sylas' eyes suddenly snapped open, striking out with a palm that surged down.
A green arm wreathed in Aetherflow covered his own before surging downward.
Jake had already fallen over 70 meters, and barely a few hints of a second had passed. Everything happened so fast, and the various changes were too much for most to keep up with.
And yet, Lauren still reacted quite quickly as well. She didn't know what Sylas was doing, or why he would take these series of actions, but what she knew was that standing opposing to a man like this meant that she would never be able to retreat.
In that case... oppose him in all things.
Even if it was just saving a teenage boy that he had allowed to fall for some reason.
A pulse of Will came from Lauren's direction and Sylas' gaze sharpened.
At that moment, Sylas no longer held back. He pulled on the Gluttony Seed and his green arm accelerated.
Lauren's intent moved like lightning sparking through the skies, carrying a shocking intent with it.
Sylas' Will had a poisonous character to it, and hers actually carried tendrils of what looked like pink lightning.
The moment they came into contact with one another, there was a booming clash in the air. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Sparks of pink and spiraling green-violet wrapped around one another in the air and ripples spread out in all directions.
The platforms threatened to overturn, violently shaking as the Wills tugged and pulled for
supremacy.
Jake plummeted beyond 80 meters and he was still only accelerating. If he fell beyond 100 meters, even if Sylas wanted to save him, there would be nothing he could do. That was the end of the range of his telekinesis.
His range and Will were far stronger than Lauren's. While it seemed that his and Lauren's Wills were at the same stage of evolution, Sylas' Will stat when boosted by Madness was almost less than four points shy of 7000. That could drown Lauren several times over.
The problem was that Lauren was too smart. She wasn't trying to combat him at 80 meters; she was targeting the point on his arm where the extending green arm connected. Not only did this mean she didn't have to have nearly as much range as he did to make it effective, but it also meant that she didn't really need to destroy his Will either. All she needed to do was delay him.
Plus, while Sylas' Will was so shocking, his Charisma was too unbalanced to make full use of it, while it was clear to him that Lauren's Will and Charisma stats were far more balanced.
Jake plummeted beyond 90 meters. At this rate, it would be less than a split second before he was out of range.
But from start to finish, Sylas didn't have a change in expression.
At that moment, just as Jake was about to truly fall to his death, a green hand manifested from nothing, grabbing him out of the air. It used the final 10 meters to decelerate him before coming to a strong stop.
Sylas' chest heaved and he exhaled.
It was just as he expected. His telekinesis with the help of his Aether could easily pressure with double the weight. If before it was only around 200, now it was over 400 pounds. Jake wasn't even 200; stopping his fall like that was difficult, but not impossible.
However, just because he had caught Jake didn't mean that he was out of danger. Lauren didn't seem to have given up.
Her group finally reacted and they sent several attacks at the young man.
Alex stepped up and a battle erupted in the skies. Darkness and an array of elements from the other sides clashed.
The platforms were swept up into a storm as they unleashed their barrages beneath the gaze of the statue.
Sylas took a breath and he yanked upward on Jake's body.
The young man's parents seemed to finally react to the trouble and they quickly took action as well, a resonance humming between them. Whatever pressure there had been on Cole was released by Sylas and a glittering golden moon appeared between the couple.
A slash of Aether surged out in a golden streak that seemed to slice the world in two.
Lauren's expression changed. She hadn't thought that this weak couple would be capable of
such an attack.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Shields rose and collapsed, formed and then cracked.
The group seemed to have completely forgotten that they were beneath the mighty pressure of this statue. And it was then that, high in the skies above, the head of the statue obscured by
the clouds suddenly trembled...
And then...
Its eyes opened.