Chapter 1040: No.

Genetic Ascension

Sylas flipped his palm and the badge disappeared as though he was afraid of people staring at it for too long. Then he spoke.

"There's really only three ways this can go. Either you don't know or care who my master is after seeing that badge and choose to steamroll me, you know who he is and are on about equal footing, or you know exactly who he is and are feeling a little afraid right now.

"Assuming it's the first, then you all probably don't have much to worry about. You can try to poach me, though I can't guarantee that will work. If it's the latter, the situation is a bit more complicated.

"Assuming it's the second, the same conclusion applies. Whether you're hostile with the Beast Warlord Sanctum or not, it's obvious I haven't stepped foot there just yet. As far as you're all concerned, poaching a talent from an enemy should be more important to you than killing an F-Grade.

"And assuming it's the third, well… there are two ways that could also go.

"The less likely possibility is that you're hostile with the Beast Warlord Sanctum. Though, I don't understand how you have such a relationship with a power you see as far above you, I'll entertain the concept for a moment.

"In such a case, poaching me might bring down ire that you cannot fathom. So, again… letting me go would be your best option.

"But then there's the other path. This one assumes you have a neutral or positive relationship with the Beast Warlord Sanctum and it happens to be far more powerful than you.

"Understanding this, handing me the keys to your UniForm might not help you at all; it'll just harm you. If my master comes and I decide I want to take it with me, the odds that you'd be able to stop me are very low. But…

Sylas' gaze scanned over them all one by one. There was a calmness about him as he went through the thoughts the elders here might have had, despite the fact he knew well that the last of the three options was the only one they were considering.

That much was obvious because their reactions to Sylas' words right then were the fiercest.

Indeed… Sylas might not know what Andromeda was, but Gralith certainly would. If he knew that his disciple could make use of his UniForm, why wouldn't he help Sylas take it?

There was too little known about the character of Gralith and other powerhouses like him. They rarely cared to step out into the world anyway.

For all they knew, Gralith was too prideful to take something from a weaker party… but could they guarantee that?

No.

And they certainly couldn't risk such a thing either. It would be the end of them.

Or would it?

Andromeda had just been sitting there for who knows how long. Even those that could manage to use a portion of its power just ended up dead. Sylas was the only one that had managed to trigger its use and actually survive unharmed.

Not only that, but he had cleared their Golden Grove with a speed that even more E-Grades couldn't match.

Granted, that was under F-Grade pressure, and not E-Grade, but it was all set relative to the person taking it nonetheless.

"So the way I see things, you have a few options. Either you chain me up and make use of me because the Beast Warlord Sanctum is weak. You try to poach me and treat me as one of your own. Or you ship me off to the Beast Warlord Sanctum as quickly as possible and hope I don't come back demanding Andromeda be handed to me."

A heavy silence fell. Somehow, even with all these powerhouses present, Sylas steered the conversation.

Yaoyao couldn't help but sigh. Maybe it only made sense that the first talent they managed to find capable of making use of Andromeda was already taken by a far superior power. If it had been so easy to find talents like Sylas among the dregs of the universe, they would have done so long ago.

"Of course, there is a fourth option," Sylas said calmly. "I've already stepped into Andromeda and I know how much information it gives me access to. I bet the more I use it, the more used to it I will get, and the more information I'll be able to diagnose, understand, and decipher through in single sittings.

"Even if you hide my master's origins from me—assuming he is cut from the second or third options—it'll only be a matter of time before I can delve deep enough to find out myself.

"So I propose something else. As you can tell, I'm quite talented, but my greatest weakness is how little information I have on hand. I don't have the same foundation you all do. I will admit that the idea of being able to process so much information so fast is almost intoxicating in a way.

"So, I am willing to form a System Link right now. In this contract, we can decide terms of how I can use the UniForm, and we can also place clauses within it that don't allow me to take the UniForm for myself outside of personal time with it that I'll be asking for."

"So, I am willing to form a System Link right now. In this contract, we can decide terms of how I can use the UniForm, and we can also place clauses within it that don't allow me to take the UniForm for myself outside of personal time with it that I'll be asking for."

Yaoyao's eyes narrowed, but it was Niafon who spoke.

"You're a clever boy. Isn't an agreement from us to sign this contract as good as admitting that your master is powerful to you?"

"Maybe. But that only depends on how you look at it. The contract will be personally signed by me, and your Wills are all more powerful than I am by a substantial margin. A contract only holds as much weight as the two Wills involved. You could use this as a method of control."

The atmosphere became oppressive.

"And you expect us to believe that you're willing to do this? Tell the truth. You're only so willing because you know exactly how powerful your master is. Is that right?"

"No. I don't," Sylas said indifferently. "It's just that Wills don't remain stagnant. Even if you break your word and use it to control me now, soon enough the situation will reverse and I'll surpass you."