Genetic Ascension novel Chapter 12

Chapter 12 Blade Aura

Sylas returned to the core of the elk's territory. Even in the midst of that adrenaline-filled situation, he hadn't lost his head, and he made careful note of exactly where the elk was running.

During the day he spent stalking the elk, he had learned a lot about Blade Aura.

The run-down was simple.

He could only use it a minute at a time before needing ten minutes of rest.

He couldn't apply it directly to his flesh without being assaulted by a strong burning sensation.

While he didn't push himself to see if this would lead to permanent structural damage, when he did test it on a leaf, it shrivelled and basically burnt to a crisp. That led him to conclude that there was a certain level of agitation going on that organic material couldn't handle, and this was especially so for organic material with high water content.

Beyond that, Blade Aura running out felt similar to how he felt at the end of a half-marathon. He was out of breath, his body ached, and he felt like taking a long rest.

However, unlike the end of a half-marathon, he recovered much faster.

Sylas' stat screen didn't have a "stamina" stat, but his assumption was that stamina was baked into Constitution.

He felt that he was a decent long-distance athlete, but this system didn't seem to approve of that analysis. Though, it was hard to tell without understanding how well others fared.

Sylas patiently waited for the ten minutes to be up before he went at it again.

It took him over an hour to undergo this repetitive cycle again and again before he finally succeeded in cutting out the elk's femur, a much more complicated process than just cutting off the leg.

Sylas frowned. 'I miscalculated.'

Judging by the weight of the bone, it exceeded ten pounds. That was heavier than a longsword and was precisely the kind of burden that Sylas couldn't afford to lug around. In a dangerous situation, this would be the first thing he abandoned, and that was not the hallmark of a good weapon.

It seemed that this situation was getting to him, after all. He wouldn't normally overlook something like this.

Now, he was filthy, covered in blood that was probably its own ticking time bomb, and didn't have anything decent to show for it.

'No, this is still salvageable.'

There wasn't much night left, and Sylas had to give himself at least four hours of sleep. That was his minimum requirement. He had to pivot and find a new path forward.

He pulled out the tendons of the leg and placed them high on a nearby tree branch to dry. He just hoped the humidity wouldn't ruin that chance completely.

Then, he brought the femur over to a stone.

Trying to grind a bone down when it had yet to be purged of its water-content was a nightmare; Sylas didn't have to be a wilderness junky to know this. However, the quirk of his Blade Aura just might become useful here.

Sylas bet that if he used Blade Aura on bone, he could speedrun the evaporation of its moisture content and likewise get rid of the marrow within, not much unlike the leaf he had burnt to ash earlier in the day.