Genetic Ascension

Every time Sylas set out, he would pick an island of rock and aim for it. Though his Aether was in a good place, he didn't want to be complacent.

He had been kicked down enough by this new world to know that caution should be the name of the game.

So, regardless of how effective <Maddened Enlightenment> was, he never took it for granted. And every time he felt his Aether might be running thin, he stopped for the less than ten minutes it took to replenish himself before setting out again.

As time passed, the worries on Sylas's mind grew.

In the Madness Key, he had more than enough beast carcasses to feed himself. He even had the spatial water bottle he had bought the first time he set off to the Basilisk Dungeon.

Unfortunately, he couldn't use either.

If he took out the beast carcasses, they would be fried to burnt ash in a few seconds. And even if he took it out in pieces, trying to eat in a window between burnt and raw, with his mouth covered by this Aether skin he couldn't eat even if he wanted to.

That led to the worse of the two problems.

He could last a few days, even weeks without food. But what about water?

He was already feeling thirsty, and the heat was only making things worse.

If he didn't find a way out of this quickly, he would be facing death again. It was just that this time, it would be orders of magnitude worse.

Without a choice, Sylas could only push these thoughts down, moving forward as best he could. Worrying wasn't going to change anything.

He continuously scanned the region, trying to make sure that there wasn't anything he'd miss.

However, as the hours ticked by, and the thirst itching at his throat grew worse, the thought was quickly becoming all-consuming.

As he moved, he tried to think of a solution. Maybe there was a safe way to ingest something without burning himself to a crisp. Air could pass through, so why not water or food?

The unfortunate part was that it was too difficult to test. Testing alone meant risking his body. A single hole in this Aether skin could mean the end of his life.

He shelved the idea as he continued to move. He would leave it as a last resort. If he saw signs of his body shutting down, he would just have to try those ideas out.

There was another idea that was also brewing in his mind as well, but it was no less of a risk. In fact, it was the far worse of the two.

If he had to resort to that option, he'd definitely be on death's door.

'This place cannot be endless, that wouldn't make sense. Everything I know about the Aether Plane tells me that it's a perfect one-to-one representation of Earth if no advanced civilizations took root. There shouldn't be any geographical locations that bend the law of reason...'

There was no other choice but to comfort himself this way. But the fact he still hadn't seen any signs of life, or the others, was greatly troubling.

Over half a day later, when Sylas' lips were already beginning to crack and peel, he finally spotted something.

He rushed toward the oddity, but when he saw what it was his mood plummeted once again.

[Eruption's Landing (F+)]

[Level Maximum: 10]

[Entry Limit: 2]

[Recommended: 130 Physical]

[Description: The flames are all-consuming, the undisputed king of the elements. But it has a temper. Tread lightly]

Sylas wasn't excited by this at all. Setting aside the fact the Dungeon didn't seem very impressive compared to the others he had been to, there were several problems with its appearance.

First, Dungeons attracted beasts. The fact this was free and clear was a worrying sign, because it meant that there were truly no creatures around here at all. This place wasn't accommodating to life at all.

Second, and probably most concerning to Sylas, was its description.

There was no escaping the flames and heat if he entered this Dungeon in all likelihood. He would probably end up in a not-

too-dissimilar situation to this one, except he would actually have to fight off danger. That would only dehydrate him faster and speed-run his death.

Sylas decisively turned and left. There was nothing to gain here.

He was willing to take risks, but only if they were smart. This felt more foolish than anything else.

The trek continued, long and monotonous, endless and without hope.

It didn't seem to matter how far he went, there wasn't any sign that he was making progress. His eyes just continued to look off into what looked like an infinite distance.

No walls, no ceiling, just endless gold and red.

None of this made any sense at all. There wasn't any natural phenomenon like this. The more he moved, the more certain Sylas was.

The worst part was that he didn't really have any perfect way of orienting himself. He didn't have a compass, and even if he did it wouldn't survive this heat. For all he knew, he was looping around in an enormous circle and was none the wiser.

Sylas came to a stop, his breathing a bit haggard as he stepped out onto an island. His throat was dry, and his mouth didn't seem capable of forming saliva anymore. If this continued, he really would die.

It seemed that in the end, he had no choice but to take drastic measures. But first, he should at least try to adjust himself to optimal condition.

Sylas sat down again, ready to circulate <Maddened Enlightenment>, when his heart suddenly shook.

'This view…'

He scrambled to his feet, looking out into the distance. Then he looked down on the island he was on and a BANG! went off in his mind.

This island… he was certain.

This was the very same island he had stepped onto to save himself after he found the disk.

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