This was the first time Sylas had seen a creature with such a strong Will, but he felt that was more in line with the theme of the dungeon.
The more he thought about it, the weirder he felt that his Will was so high compared to these creatures. Didn't he comprehend Madness from this place? So why were the Wills of these creatures so poor?
'Maybe I'm looking down on humans a bit too much. We're far inferior in the Physical stats, but we seem to have these animals beat in terms of Mental and Will stats.'
Sylas burst into action, Madness already activated. Middle Madness didn't even have the time to open its eyes before that rush of insanity hit it.
Sylas maintained his distance. This was the strongest Will any target of his had ever had, so he wasn't sure how resistant it would be.
Luckily, it didn't seem to matter.
However, what was interesting was that Middle Madness didn't start rampaging instantly. It seemed to try to resist, but it only lasted a few seconds before it lost control.
Middle Madness was like a bolt of lightning. It shot out so quickly and in so many directions that Sylas heard the clashes before he saw the streaks.
Familiar flashing patterns of fighting, mating, and roaring snakes appeared, but they were much more vibrant and livelier than they had been on the First Floor. In fact, because Middle Madness was slamming against the barrier so frequently, it stayed lit for much longer than Sylas was used to.
Sylas almost entered another daze before a whistling wind by his ear snapped him right out of it. What was he thinking? He was in the middle of battle!
But Middle Madness was simply too fast. His eyes couldn't track much more than a blur of black and slight violet.
Middle Madness' Physical was 42, but it was clear that its Speed was a heavy factor. If it hit him…
Everything suddenly came to a stop.
A crumpled mess of flesh and blood fell to the ground. It squirmed about, trying to move more, but it seemed to truly be on its last legs.
When Sylas used the system, he confirmed that it was, indeed, Middle Madness.
Sylas had truly not expected things to end so easily. Little Madness had gone wild for a long while, but when he thought about it, the Fragmented Genes he got from Little Madness were all Constitution-based. Obviously, Middle Madness' Constitution wasn't high enough to counter the Speed it was running into the barrier with.
'I really… was not meant to comprehend Madness like I did.'
It finally sunk in for Sylas.
He had managed to grasp this Comprehension by touching a barrier he wasn't supposed to be around in the first place. It was there to keep him from running, not for him to study.
When he thought about how Little Madness—the Skill—was just an inferior version of his Madness Comprehension, it sunk in even further.
'The barriers, I need to study them more.'
Unfortunately, after Middle Madness killed itself, the barrier vanished.
[You have slain Middle Madness]
[Floor Two of Slithering Madness Cleared]
[>Middle Madness (Skill)]
[>Brittle Gene Elixir (Consumable)]
[>Middle Madness Slayer (Title]]
The Brittle Gene Elixir was a far better reward than his previous Inflexible one. A Brittle Gene State had a 30% chance to absorb Genes.
As for Middle Madness the Skill…
[Middle Madness (Skill)]
[A little bit of Madness never hurt anyone. Exchange your sanity for a speed boost]
This description made Sylas pause for a moment. The description of Little Madness was near identical. The only exception was that it swapped "speed" with "power."
The realization that he wasn't meant to comprehend Madness made Sylas wonder. Could he use these Skills without the side effects, maybe?
'It was foolish of me to not even try. The Will of Little Madness was only six, while the Will of Middle Madness was only eleven. I assume they were able to use these Skills without killing themselves like Middle Madness just did, so why can't I?'
Sylas made the choice to try it out, starting out with Little Madness (Skill) first.
Using a Skill felt… odd. It was like something inside you was wiggling about on its own. That "something" should be his Aether moving along paths he didn't quite comprehend, but the system did for him.
And then it happened.
[Your understanding of has deepened]
[ has reached Common Mastery]
[Your understanding of has deepened]
[ has reached Bronze Mastery]
[Your understanding of has deepened]
[ has reached Silver Mastery]
[Your understanding of has deepened]
[ has reached Gold Mastery]
[Your understanding of has deepened]
[ has reached Legendary Mastery]
[Title: Skill Savant]
[You have displayed great familiarity with a Skill. This Skill has reached Legendary status and has truly become your own]
[+50% success in absorbing related Fragmented Genes]
[Little Madness (Skill)]
[A little bit of Madness never hurt anyone; however, it is nothing to you. Use the Madness to increase your power]
Sylas' eyes narrowed. After a moment, he took the plunge and repeated for Middle Madness. This time, he didn't receive another Title. However, the boost was just as appealing otherwise.
[Your understanding of has deepened]
[ has reached Legendary Mastery]
[Middle Madness (Skill)]
[A little bit of Madness never hurt anyone; however, it is nothing to you. Use the Madness to increase your speed]
'I can't make these sorts of oversights again,' Sylas thought to himself. 'Caution is fine. An overabundance of it will stifle me. This world is inherently one of danger now. Without risks, I will get nowhere.'
It was because he made the choice to dive into that lake that he was given this opportunity. He had to continue being just as bold, or else he would never close the gap between humans and the extinct creatures of Earth.
He walked to Middle Madness, placing a hand on its mutilated corpse.