Transcendent Gene
Chapter 203: Reward [3]

Chapter 203: Reward [3]

Gio floated through the reflection of himself for an unknown period of time.

That empty universe...

If he could describe it in words, he would call it his "soul."

It was the closest thing to the concept that he’d ever come in contact with. Aside from his own regression, a scene like this was the most tangible proof he had of its existence.

He tried to burn the scene into his [Memory Book], but it was impossible. After all, he wasn’t "seeing" anything. He was experiencing it within his own mind.

[Memory Book] could only store his emotions and thoughts as he traversed this plane, the accompanying image blocked by pure white light.

It was a period that felt as short as a second and as long as ten minutes at the same time. It ended before Gio knew it, yet he felt as if he’d been floating through the void for an eternity.

A powerful suction pulled his mind away from the universe despite his struggles to approach it.

"Huuu...!"

A sharp inhale.

Gio’s consciousness was thrown back into the real world just as his vision returned. The light surrounding him was dying down, and though his body was still sore all over, pain was no longer being inflicted on him.

He’d been paralyzed in an awkward position. He only fell to his knees a few seconds after his mind came back to reality. His muscles felt weak and exhaustion threatened to overcome him, yet, at the same time...

’...I’m stronger.’

He thought he might’ve been hallucinating it, but everything he felt was true. The foreign energy in his body couldn’t be seen anymore, but that was only if one looked for it as its own entity.

It was present all throughout his body. It flowed through his blood and Aether Channels. It was fused into his Aether and Aether Core, fused into his flesh and bones, and fused into his Sequences.

Bzzt!

Gio raised his hand and summoned virtual energy to his fingertips.

It sparked strongly, creating a volatile flash in the air before disappearing. Gio pulled his hand back quickly as he felt his fingertips being burned.

’Is this really possible?’

The virtual energy itself was stronger and more chaotic. From such a small bit of it, Gio felt a kind of power he knew he didn’t possess.

’I haven’t raised my Origin Level even once. If I’m looking at it based on the usual parameters, I still haven’t started moving towards the next stage.’

They would discuss the subject at the First Institute soon enough, but there was no point for Gio to wait until then to learn things he already knew.

’Sequences aren’t meant to get stronger. They’re not really related to climbing the food chain at all.’

Gene Sequences were powers to be used outside of one’s body. Only by improving one’s Bloodline itself could one strengthen the vessel.

One of the most basic measurements for the improvement of a Bloodline was its purity. When absorbed by the human body, any and all Bloodlines would become impure.

It was the result of one’s original blood. The mixture of human blood and a newly inherited Bloodline created impurities that couldn’t be avoided.

There were many ways to avoid them. Gio would explore those methods himself when the time came.

What he knew now was that whether it was purity or any of the other factors that went into the improvement of the bloodline...

’...I haven’t done any of it.’

With his level of perception, he could even somewhat feel the impurities flowing through his Bloodline.

However, there was now something else along with those impurities.

’I want to know what happened to me.’

Gio never denied that it was a great fortune for him to receive a qualitative improvement in his strength so easily. He could accept that much, but he wouldn’t be able to sleep peacefully until he also knew what the reward at the end of the legacy truly was.

’This isn’t the only one.’

According to the letter on the desk, there were several other legacies set up for the destined successor to find.

’If I find them before him...’

If he kept finding these "Prisms" and kept receiving qualitative increases in strength without ever traditionally strengthening himself, what would happen?

’It’s tempting.’

At the moment, he had no way of locating the next legacy site.

But as long as he continued searching for clues, he was confident he’d eventually find it.

Gio clutched and loosened his fist over and over again before slowly standing up.

Bzzzt!

Virtual energy crackled in the air around him with his first few motions before it calmed down.

’On top of everything else...’

Gio touched his neck.

Hekat was back in its necklace form, but there was a very obviously new feeling of bulkiness to the piece of jewelry.

The snake’s voice in his head was much clearer. He smiled as he listened to its complaints. The excitement in its tone betrayed it.

Was he satisfied?

’No.’

Without the answers he sought, he would never be satisfied. Feeling satisfied was also much harder when the search for answers only led to more confusing questions.

’There’s a lot that needs to be unraveled here. I get the feeling that it’s bigger than how it looks.’

Nevertheless, he could only save his questions for a day when he could find answers.

That day was not this one.

Gio dragged himself to the desk and took everything on and inside of it into his Storage Hole.

Once the evidence was collected, he hobbled back through the entrance corridor.

Nobody told him how he was supposed to leave, but he didn’t feel the need to ask. Waiting for him where he landed was a yellow light similar to the one that had brought him to the corridor.

He approached it and touched it. His vision was blinded, but the sensation wasn’t as jarring this time. He could clearly feel himself being moved until he was placed back into the legacy site he’d left.

’This isn’t where I came from, though...’

The arena was behind him. He was now beyond the gate the griffin came through.

"Finally here?"

Neriah’s voice awakened him from his stupor. He was walking in a body he didn’t quite recognize, but he still managed to nod his head.

"Yeah. Did you walk here or did the same thing happen to you?"

"It wasn’t exactly the same, I don’t think, but it’s similar enough. I was rewarded pretty well," Neriah said with a grin.

Gio’s eyes were energized, but his smile was tired as he voiced his agreement. He was sure that he’d wake up the next day feeling amazing, but today only existed for him to cope with the soreness plaguing him.

Neriah noticed his expression and didn’t comment on it.

’He must’ve received something even better than my reward.’

It took her three hours to absorb the new Sequence, and she spent another hour waiting for him after she finished.

He, on the other hand, clearly hadn’t finished receiving his reward until a few minutes ago.

She was very curious about what it was. The letter she read made it seem like the successor was going to be given the grace of the Gods, after all. She had to wonder what such grace looked like.

Nevertheless...

"I did some scouting. There’s no doors, but if we go in that way..."

Neriah led him deeper until they reached a much wider open space.

"...I think that’s our exit."

She pointed up at the sky above them.

Right.

For the first time in several days, Gio saw the sky.

Their time in the legacy site was complete.

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