Chapter 789 Ninth [Top 5 Golden Ticket Bonus]
Mospheral clicked a communication device close.
He was a man that liked to be prepared. Although there was a hint of self-satisfaction as he saw Sylas about to fall, he had still ended up making the call nonetheless.
It was best to have contingency plans for contingency plans, and something like dealing with a potential Progenitor needed to be done ahead of time even if that meant getting an edge by a mere few seconds.
The fact that the a potential Progenitor was on the rise was enough for him to act like this, but the fact that a certain change had occurred not long ago told him that this had to be handled with an extra depth of care.
Bringing out that Ancient Aether Treasure for this event was definitely not something that they would do normally.
All Golden Grove Bazaars were given certain quotas for raising geniuses, and a Treasure at this level was something they might only be granted once every millennia, if that.
This one in particular had been sitting in their District's Treasure Vault for 1287 years before it was finally taken out this time.
It was odd. Ulrik's standing in the Thryskai wasn't particularly high, and there were many talents beyond him in their order.
So why do this for him?
The well-accepted answer was that while he might not be the best of the Thryskai as a whole in this Galaxy, he was certainly among the best in this District, and that was enough.
But Ulrik knew that this wasn't all.
What they would entrust with Ulrik next was something that he had to succeed in no matter what, and this would ensure that that happened.
Mospheral's lip curled just the slightest bit as the fifth Rune crashed into Sylas.
When the sixth came, the wrinkle in his forehead wiggled just the slightest bit before settling down.
However, when the seventh came, his smile faded.
"What?"
He sensed it before maybe anyone else.
…
Voxena could finally feel the weight on her chest being slowly set down.
This was for the best. If she not only helped the Thryskai and gained their favor, but Sylas also died, it would be like killing two birds with a single stone.
She wouldn't just benefit, but she would have none of the drawbacks to deal with.
The best part was that her actions were so subtle that it was a surprise to her that Sylas even picked up on them. That meant that even if Sylas had a backer or a powerful ally somewhere helping him, the odds that things would track back to her were slim to none.
A slight smile tugged at her lip and she barely suppressed her self-satisfaction.
She had always thought herself to be above these women here. While she felt pity for a fool like Eliza that had her innocence tainted, she knew that she would never fall into such a trap. Even if she made such a mistake, she was confident in her abilities to find a way out of it.
She had always been quick on her feet, and now, she would truly have a chance to soar to the skies.
The gap between an Apprentice and a True Disciple of Petals of the Seeing Thorn was far too large. She had been suppressed for too long. Now it would be her chance—
Voxena froze.
Her eyes stared at the crumbling eighth Rune, trying to understand what she had just seen.
Why did the Rune react like that? And when had Sylas' own Rune appeared?
That couldn't even be called instant casting. Not to mention the fact instant casting was a Skill-related ability and now a Rune-related one, even if it had a small delay, although minor.
But just now, there was no Rune.
And then she blinked and Sylas' countering Rune had appeared.
What just happened?
…
Nyssa had timed it all perfectly. She took a step forward, descending from the skies like a fluttering fairy when the eighth Rune was just about to crash into Sylas.
She had it all planned out. She would swoop in like a young, caring maiden in love. All she had to do was decide between playing the character of blushing innocence, or show her true self.
Ultimately, she landed on being her true self and her temperament became regal and untouchable, almost as though an ancient iceberg standing alone in the middle of a vast, endless sea.
A talent like Sylas would certainly be able to see through her act. When dealing with someone like him, who was also so prideful, it was best that she be straight forward when she could.
This was the sharpness of a Florineth woman. They were feared not just for their Healing, or their connections, but also their ability to weave these advantages to further their goals.
Some of the most powerful men in the galaxy had a Florineth wife by his side.
And some of the most tragic ends to these very same men had come from the same women.
But Nyssa was only halfway down when she froze along with much of everyone else.
…
Sylas huffed out heavy breaths, but the state of his body was completely unrelated to the state of his mind.
He felt awakened, like his Will was finally moving akin to an extension of himself…
Like it had shape.
His perception slowed the world down considerably.
When the ninth Rune appeared, Sylas had already gotten the hang of it.
This time, he wasn't foolish enough to slow his perception down before his body. So his eyes had already locked onto the Rune first.
Experiencing the Rune in its frozen state was like the difference between trying to read a book while rapidly flipping the pages and actually being able to pause on every line.
Nothing else in the world was affected but Sylas' own speed of thought, but that was enough…
That was because Sylas only needed his mind to draw a counter Rune. So long as this Rune was perfect enough, it would be able to draw its own Aether.
For the current Sylas, drawing a mere 10 Foundation Rune to Breath Mastery only took a few seconds of thought and him taking his time while drawing.
To Sylas, it took him over half a minute before he could send a Rune out, something that would be impossible to do in battle.
But to everyone else…
The Runes appeared instantly.
CHI.
The ninth Rune crumbled to pieces as the light in Sylas' eyes glowed more fiercely.