I Reincarnated Into A Single-Celled Organism! - I Reincarnated into a Single-celled Organism! - Chapter 135

Sammuel and Huntington both collided with swords. Both of them were in the third realm, and both of them had a variety of techniques to pull from.

“Who do you think will win?” One spectator asked.

“They’re a similar distance along their evolutionary path, but Sammuel had stagnated for years while Huntington is still growing. I suspect Huntington will win.”

“I disagree.” Another spoke up. “Sammuel may not have progressed on his evolutionary path, but he has had nothing but time to advance in technique.

“Is technique so important?”

“Everyone is born with their set genetic path. Mutations can arise, but most of the time, such things come from inherited genes. However, if genes were all that mattered, then every member of a family would have identical contributions. Why is it that some members become powerful, while others fail or are even sent out to branches? Even twin brothers can have drastically different accomplishments.”

“Techniques?” The man who asked guessed.

“It’s the classic nature versus nurture argument. Noble Families exist because their genes possess advantageous mutations that make them superior to other humans, allowing them to travel further on their evolutionary journey and gain more from it. However, good genes are just a starting point. Whether one makes the most out of their genes depends on their upbringing. Access to powerful techniques, good fortunes, and hard work…”

“It also doesn’t hurt he inherited the genes of a former Lord.” One of the men cut in, leading to more men nodding.

They seemed to understand that better than the other man’s discussion. The one who spoke about those philosophical concepts was an academic compared to those around him, and he could only let out a sigh. For a second, it felt rather surreal to listen to low-educated commoners discuss complex philosophical arguments, but it seemed like most only had a passing understanding of the words, and not what they meant.

To them, it was easier to say that some men were genetically disposed to be superior. After all, if success merely depended on your attainments, then wouldn’t that mean that all of them were responsible for their lack of success? Thus, they were more readily willing to blame genes over technique.

I was beginning to realize that the skills I unlocked as I leveled were called genes in this world, and they were inherited from parents to offspring. Thus, once someone had a mutation that increased their status like Mara did, their children would have that mutation too. Once someone managed to inherit enough advantageous mutations, they created a family line. This is why families were always scouting out for innate mutations so that they could breed them into their family to make them stronger. This world saw no problem with eugenics, it seemed.

That said, a person’s inherited evolutionary path was only part of the equation. Naturally, the work and training they put into it and the techniques they learned could also enhance their strength. This was the area I knew I was lacking in, but neither of these two had that problem. Yet, if anyone was asked, they’d have to admit that Sammuel likely had a better grip on his techniques, having been unable to do anything but train them since his evolutionary path was blocked.

The two men’s swords moved with a speed and finesse that resembled a dance. The two men slashed out again and again, each one aiming to hurt or take the life of the other. Huntington had already been embarrassed by me earlier, and perhaps he took some of that embarrassment out on Sammuel. Sammuel was the one who had blocked him from attacking me, after all.

Sammuel might have once been a famous person, but his backing was destroyed, as was his potential for future growth. If he died during this exchange, no one would investigate too much, and Huntington wouldn’t receive much more than a slap on the wrist. At last, this was what I was able to glean by continuing to listen to the conversations among the spectators.

Their dance of death continued to play out. As the academic had predicted, Sammuel had spent far longer steadying his heart and practicing his techniques. In the end, Sammuel still had superior genes and was a greater genius. Had his father not been overthrown and eliminated, Sammuel would assuredly be in the 4th realm already, possibly near the top, and be the undisputed champion of this tournament. He would disdain to be involved in such a small and inconsequential tournament. This was the reason he was still shown some respect.

Some of the smaller families even had dreams of roping him into their family to take advantage of his genetics, although Sammuel was known for refusing all advances, just as he was known for his heavy drinking, which also served to repel any maidens from chasing him too hard. What woman wanted to marry a drunk with no potential to climb?

Sammuel movements which seemed unbalanced and haphazard easily dodged most of Huntington’s strikes, and he easily deflected the strikes he couldn’t dodge with his blade.  As his heart remained calm, Huntington grew increasingly frustrated. Eventually, he made a mistake, and Sammuel’s blade struck him, causing a gash across his neck. He jumped back, and Sammuel didn’t carry the strike forward. It was clear that the strike could have been deeper and could have killed Huntington if Sammuel had wanted it.

Huntington’s expression turned sour as he held his neck. He glared at Sammuel hatefully, but Sammuel only stared back, his spine straight and his chin lifted. Huntington’s expression finally sagged, and he conceded the match. One of the top contestants had been knocked out. The crowds went wild. It was even Sammuel, the person people expected the least from. Even if he hadn’t progressed on his evolutionary path, he had truly grown over the years.

He left the stage, giving me a wink before standing with a carefree air as if his victory had been expected. I could only roll my eyes. I was curious what would happen when I fought him. However, he already went this round, so I’d need to verse someone else first.  Three more matches occurred. Brandon ended up defeating the mercenary with ease, causing him to be eliminated. Jordan ended up against Rockford and gained victory, but he was someone who had yet to lose, so he was able to remain with two losses. The Lou family members versed the man with the obscure master and also lost.

Finally, I came up last, and my enemy was Fate, Destiny’s older sister, and the Lou family’s last contestant. She immediately jumped onto the stage, looking over at me with disgust.

“You may have used poisons and tricks to get this far, but your time has ended.” She declared. “Get up here. I won’t accept nonsense about how you don’t fight women.”

“Did I offend you?” I asked, heading up onto the stage. “ I don’t mind, but I don’t recall offending any beautiful women.”

Her expression narrowed. “I’ve already heard about you. You affected my sister’s mood, so I had you investigated.”

“Ah… Fate…” Destiny seemed shocked by her sister’s words.

“She thought you had potential, but once I discovered you were still alive, I tracked you down to a tavern. I’ve observed you clinging to the Broken Prince begging for free handouts. I’ll have to thank Lui or it might have been my sister you’d be mooching off of. Sammuel’s drinking is a form of tempering, but I hear you’re nothing but a drunken slouch.” She glanced up at the stage her seating her sister was on. “I’m sorry, sister, but it’s the truth. This is why I didn’t inform you he was still alive.”

“Sister…” Destiny had a conflicted expression on her face. “Not sure how to respond to her sister’s interference.

I was a bit surprised that I had been tracked. After all, I had been very careful to alter my face slightly from time to time. It seemed like the families had methods that were better than I anticipated. If they sought to track someone, I wasn’t as hidden as I had thought.

“Since you have chosen to enter this tournament,” She continued. “I suppose you’re looking to mooch off of the Capala household. Abigail is a close friend of mine. This is why I joined this competition. I won’t allow any man who isn’t worthy to get close to her.”

Her words were enough to cause the eyes of the remaining men there to spark. It wasn’t unheard of for women to involve themselves in the tournaments, although from what I had overheard, they were more prone to alchemy and formations. Every four years, there were always a handful of women who joined the martial tournament, especially from the Lou family. Yet, the main appeal this year was Abigail offering her hand in marriage to the winner, and so there were fewer women involved than usual. This led many to wonder why Fate was aiming for the top. It turned out she wanted to protect her friend.

Abigail’s expression also softened slightly as she looked down at Lou. When her eyes turned to me, they went slightly cold.

“He aims to insert himself in our household?” Penny snorted. “As if it’s so easy.”

Mara bit her lip, but couldn’t seem to stop herself from speaking. “What if… Brother did win the competition? Would Mistress marry him?”

Abigail glanced at Mara in surprise, but then a thought seemed to strike her. “That… might just work.”

Penny and Mara both turned to her in surprise.

“You can’t be serious!” Penny declared.

“Of course, he’s have to win, you don’t think that’s possible, do you?”

Penny immediately snorted, giving her opinion on it. Abigail covered up her expression, but she seemed to be looking at the match now with a bit more interest.