The Final Desperation

Genji obtained 3 epic and 4 rare vitality medicines for his trouble, bringing his total to 5 and 8, respectively. The payment was higher than last time because Bechel specifically commissioned this species, and the price was meant to compensate for the time spent traveling.

Bechel took the loot and directed his grandson to apply preservative measures to them before approaching Genji with another request.

"I have something I need your help with. I just don't know if you're willing. It's dangerous," Bechel emphasized, indicating that Genji could decline without any hard feelings.

"As long as the price is right, there's nothing I won't dare to do. If I'm unwilling, it only means the reward isn't high enough," Genji replied with a grin, aware of the upcoming development.

"Finally, some action. I was getting bored with these mundane tasks."

Bechel, relieved by Genji's willingness, elaborated, "Remember the beast that attacked our hunters? You know, the cause of our urgency?" After Genji nodded, Bechel made his bold request, "I want to send a team to drive it away. And if possible, get some of its blood."

"Sure, what's the payment?" Genji asked without batting an eye, making Bechel reevaluate his strength. Only a fool or someone capable would react this way, and Genji didn't seem like a fool to him.

"I'll give you 10," Bechel said, referring to the epic-ranked medicines.

"Give a down payment first and the possibility of a higher reward."

"I'll add five more if you can bring the team back safely," Bechel responded, not hesitating to empty his stash. For Bechel, the lives of his tribesmen were far more important than his hard-earned belongings.

"When do we set off?"

"You don't want to rest? You just got back."

"There are rewards to earn, so why do I need rest?"

Bechel smiled gleefully and handed him 5 pieces of medicine.

An hour later, Genji set off with a team of 30 hunters, all inscribed with a new tiger tattoo. Curious about the significance of the design, Genji pulled someone aside to ask about it.

"This is our totem. We rally under it for courage and strength. To us, the totem is synonymous with our tribal honor. To besmirch it is to declare war on the entire tribe."

"Is there any explanation for the totems each tribe uses, or are they chosen spontaneously?" Genji asked, recalling the bizarre figure he had found in the ruins of a destroyed tribe. At the time, he didn't understand the significance of the design, but now that he had learned more about the culture, he speculated it might have been that tribe's totem.

"Some pick mighty beasts, hoping to obtain a fraction of their strengths. Some pick animals with spiritual significance, embodying their ideals, and some tribes use their ancestors."

"Ancestors?" Genji could understand the first two, but the third example puzzled him.

"Yeah. They believe themselves to be descendants of certain ancient creatures. If you ever come across a totem with a humanoid design, it likely belongs to this category. Naturally, all of this is debatable because they don't resemble their totems at all. If they really are descendants of such mighty beings, why do they look like us? Why do they bleed and eat like us? Shouldn't they have some distinguishing trait that connects them to their 'ancestors'? So, most likely, they chose the creatures they wanted to emulate and tried to convince others to believe the same. It's a case of faking it until it becomes the truth."

"That's some heavy doubt you have there."

"Can you blame me? Am I supposed to believe their ancestors had six arms, three heads, giant bodies, and skin harder than stone? Even myths have limits to what can be exaggerated."

Genji silently agreed with the hunter's sentiment. When put that way, it was hard for anyone with knowledge to take it seriously. The only thought Genji had about the matter was whether any of these stories were true.

If so, there was no doubt they would be a powerful tribe. After all, the power of ancient beings wasn't something to be taken lightly, even if it had diminished over the years. The whole world built its power system by accessing the powers of its past.

Given these circumstances, the beings in ancient times must have possessed strength incomprehensible to the modern day. Plus, there was still the elusive primordial era, the golden age of this world. It would be shocking if there weren't remnants from that time.

"I wonder if I can get any clues if I encounter such tribes," he mused.

After a few more hours of traveling, they arrived at the area where the previous team had been annihilated. Traces of battle and dark specks of dried blood could still be seen on the grass below. However, these were the only remains from that incident. It had been too long for any bodies to remain undisturbed.

The experienced hunters crouched down and carefully examined the chaotic array of tracks. Like a fine sieve, they filtered out the unnecessary parts and focused on the relevant clues. Although the traces were several days old, the large imprints were still detectable to their trained senses. It was only a matter of time before they found something. To shorten the search period, they split into small teams to scout the area.

Genji watched this process and tried to understand what they were looking for. These trackers were experts in their fields and served as great teachers to Genji’s amateurish methods.

"I see. So you can look for that." Genji marveled at their ingenuity and applied what he learned to the area around him. The clues were faint, but it was already a big improvement from before when he had no leads at all.

Eventually, the trackers found their marks and set off again. They repeated this process over the following day and slowly closed in on the beast. The tracks became fresher, the scenes messier, and the activities more active.

However, on this day, the trackers stopped with a frown. They had found traces of other humans. Even Genji, with his low proficiency, could distinguish these footprints stamped into the ground.

"Maybe it's just a coincidence," the lead tracker suggested. "They might be just passing through."

But these unexpected guests weren't merely transitory; they were following the same route as them, only at a quicker pace. This hunch was further validated when they discovered the remnants of an extinguished fire.

Beneath some piles of grass shavings, Genji found a clear plastic wrapper still bearing crumbs of food. He immediately knew a realm member had left this behind since the natives couldn't produce plastic.

"There's no doubt about it. They're trying to hunt the lion."

It was a simple deduction, as other tribes had no reason to attack the beast without a specific motive. They didn't live close enough to be threatened by it, nor would they travel this far to help the Helixes.

The team leader sighed heavily, expressing his restlessness. "This is going to get messy. I think it's time we consider migrating."

"Why do you seem upset about this?" Genji asked. "Shouldn't you be happy that someone else is bearing the risk for you?"

"It's not that simple," the leader replied. "Beast kings are sentimental creatures. They will stop at nothing to get their revenge if you cross them, especially if you kill one of their clan members. It might not be a big deal if the lion is an outcast, but..."

"You will have hell to pay if it has a backer," Genji finished the sentence for him.

The hunter smiled wryly. "The beast kings don't differentiate between tribes. All they care about is making the perpetrators pay the price, even if it means killing a few insignificant humans along the way. That's why we only wanted to drive it away, despite the temptation of hunting it."

"So you're giving up?"

"Yeah, if one tribe got the news, there are bound to be others. It's only a matter of time. When that happens, there will be a massive confrontation. It's best to relocate soon so we don't have to bear the beast kings' wrath."

"But aren't you bothered by this?" Genji asked curiously.

"Not really. We are a migratory tribe. Changing locations doesn't trouble us since we're used to it. It's a shame that we'll lose many of our conveniences, and it may take a while to find another suitable place, but we'll suffer no other losses. There's no reason to cling to our land so much when it will only hurt us. Bechel always advised us to avoid turmoils since they can drag us into unnecessary trouble, and I agree with him."

"Aren't you holding him in too high of an esteem?"

"Kuniar Bechel is a wise elder. He's been around long before I was born, even before my grandfather's time. The tribe trusts his judgment," the hunter answered, prompting a raised brow from Genji.

'Weird, are their life expectancies really that low, or is the doctor older than he looks?'

"I guess it's time we part ways then," Genji said.

The man gave him an evaluating stare before asking, "Are you joining the hunt?"

"The idea does interest me," he admitted.

"Then I wish you the best of luck." Then the hunter led his team back to the tribe while Genji rode onward.

Once Genji was alone on the plains, he dismounted and asked Bruce to morph back into sheath form. "Let's pick up the pace before we lose our prey, shall we?"

Bruce nodded in agreement and allowed Genji to fasten him to his waist. Next, Genji took out his compass and disappeared from his position.

 

---

 

A few hours later, Genji approached a tense battle between a large lion and a team of hunters. Among the group were four EonRealm members who acted as the main fighting force.

From their performance, Genji estimated that two of their stats were around 48 or 49 points, with a third trailing behind at around 40 points. The exception was the leader, who had developed three main stats, focusing on Constitution as a secondary priority while neglecting Special.

The teamwork among them was exceptional, typical of EonRealm. The group consisted of a tank who withstood the lion's ferocious attacks with a large shield, a female archer who pinned the target down with powerful arrows, a warrior who matched the lion's strength with his mighty sword, and the leader who balanced all these roles to control the flow of battle and ensure his team's safety.

Behind them were the native hunters, bearing large wolf tattoos and using bows made from animal tendons, bone spears sharpened for piercing, and stone axes designed to break muscles.

Whenever there was an opening, the native hunters would sneak in an attack, relieving pressure from the tank. Their tattoos would light up with each strike as they exerted all their strength. Unfortunately, this effort only left shallow wounds against the lion's tough hide. Even then, the wounds quickly healed due to the lion's robust vitality, rendering them negligible.

Fierce strikes and golden energy flooded the area as the beast struck back with a vengeance. The fighters' arms and legs trembled under this onslaught, struggling to keep up with its powerful strikes. There were many close calls, but the leader managed to minimize casualties.

Desperation formed in the beast's eyes as it realized its grim future. The attacks grew sharper and more forceful, causing many inscribed warriors to stumble back, but the realm members held strong with the help of their consumables.

At this moment, Genji appeared beside the tank and struck him with the bottom of his fist. Caught off guard, the man stumbled into the lion's claw, receiving bone-deep lacerations on his arm.

The leader's eyes widened, and he stepped forward to confront Genji. But before he could close the distance, Genji rotated his torso, pulling [Jaguar] along a wide arc. A large cut appeared on the leader, the tank, the warrior, and even the lion, catching them all off guard.

'He's here to steal our kill,' the leader realized, activating his berserk skill in an attempt to fend Genji off.

Suddenly, his heart palpitated and his muscles cramped up, halting his motion midway. All the other wounded targets experienced the same symptoms as the poison kicked in almost instantly.

Capitalizing on the moment, Genji raised his blade with both hands, [Jaguar] brimming with an inferno of shadow flames. He swung down with all his strength, unleashing a torrent of cutting intent in addition to the flames. He encountered no resistance on the downward stroke, resulting in the lion's bisection.

[Detecting that multiple opposing parties had contested for this kill. The loot will be placed on the target's body instead.]

Genji sidestepped a powerful arrow from behind and leaned downward to snatch the newly manifested item. Pushing his palm against the ground, Genji burst forward like a cheetah and positioned himself outside the group's encirclement. Then, blood flowed through the air, gathering at Genji's side.

This sight greatly angered the natives, prompting them to direct their attacks at Genji.

'Sorry, but I'm not giving you any of this.'

A cocoon of cutting intent wrapped around him, blocking his opponents' view and incoming arrows. When the barrier faded, the tank had regained his footing and slammed his shield on the ground. A sense of aggression swelled within Genji, demanding he eliminate the root cause. However, this feeling faded just as quickly as it came.

[You are under the effect of Taunt.]

[You are immune to this effect due to your high willpower.]

Understanding their intentions, Genji decided to follow their flow, only to swap targets at the last moment. As he flashstepped beside the tank, he brandished his saber at the warrior, removing him from the fight for good. A violent kick met the leader's punch as the muzzle of [Curse Bearer] pressed against the tank's forehead.

A surge of energy intercepted the cursed bullet, exploding to form a veil of darkness. Blood flowed rapidly around Genji as Bruce siphoned their open wounds, preventing the cuts from closing.

A crystal shield manifested on his forearm, allowing him to confront the incoming arrow. Upon impact, Genji shifted his arm to direct the excess force against the leader's heavy fist. The shield, unable to withstand this force, shattered into shards, further obscuring the opponent's sight.

An intense pressure oozed from Genji as he used Dominance Aura to inflict a paralyzing mental impact. His saber cleaved down on the man's neck, striving to behead him.

Suddenly, the pendant hidden within the leader's armor shattered, bringing his mind back into focus, albeit with a raging headache. Sparing no effort, he channeled all his strength and punched the side of Genji's saber, deflecting it from its original trajectory. At this moment, the tank recovered from his strike and swung his shield at Genji.

Genji activated Like A Feather and leaped over the arm, performing a cartwheel midair. As his hair waved from the afterwind, a chain wrapped around the tank's other hand, which was swinging a tomahawk.

Genji borrowed the force to adjust his position and glide his saber along a new trajectory, resulting in a strange diagonal cut along the man's back. Suddenly, the splattering blood transformed into a scythe and swiped at the neck. Flustered by this change, the man could barely defend himself as half his neck was severed from below.

Blood wings sprouted from Genji's back, keeping him airborne long enough to split another arrow in half. Upon landing, the liquid morphed into long pikes that shot out at the leader rushing at Genji.

A loud collision sounded as his fist shattered the projectiles, leaving him open to another one of Genji's attacks. A crescent streak of light burst forward from his blade, leaving a deep gash on the leader's chest.

Chaining his attacks, Genji sent out a few more streaks toward the surrounding natives, halting their charges. His saber flared with flames again as he advanced toward his opponents.

The tank exchanged a glance with the leader, seeking permission to use their trump card. After an affirmative nod, the leader stepped forward to delay Genji. Taking advantage of this time, the tank retrieved a legendary consumable in the shape of a cross and broke it.

A flood of energy coursed through his veins, bringing unimaginable power. His muscles tensed up like metallic cables, and his hair spiked up like stalagmites. All his wounds closed under the pressure, and a golden aura emanated from his body. This aura gathered behind his back and morphed into a shirtless giant measuring 5 meters in height.

With perfect muscles and a majestic beard, the aura projection was the quintessential image of a Greek god. Bolts of light flashed around its weapons, which matched those of the user who conjured its image: an axe and a shield.

Just as Genji pushed back the leader, the tank finished his transformation and stepped forward with a heavy swing. The projection behind him mirrored his motion, extending his range by several meters.

Genji sidestepped the attack and swung upward, slicing the arm of the projection. A prominent crackle of black and gold followed as the energy from the two parties clashed. Genji ignored the rebound and advanced for another strike on the shield, chipping off a small piece. However, the damage quickly repaired itself as the tank supplied the projection with more energy.

The tank swiped down to push Genji back into the range of his axe, where he bombarded him with a flurry of swings. Utilizing his parries and dodging skills, Genji neutralized these attacks and fought back ferociously against opportunistic supporters.

Jumping over the arm, Genji conjured footholds and darted toward the projection's head. A dignified glare looked down on him as the projection leaned back its head. Then it burst forward, headbutting Genji with concentrated lightning.

Another intense crackle of energy followed as the projection dimmed considerably. In return, Genji was hurled backward at breakneck speeds, trailed by a storm of arrows. Fortunately, he maintained his stance and easily fended them off with a streak of light. Upon landing, he slid back for a few more meters, but he had a smile on his lips, as if unaffected by this disadvantage.

'It was a nice fight, but I've achieved my goal.'

A flask of poison appeared between his fingers, which he promptly threw at the ground. A sinking feeling filled the team's stomach, but they were too far to stop him. The next moment, a purple fog enveloped the area, forcing them to a stop as their bodies became numb from the accumulated toxins.

Several light coughs sounded within the mist before the distant archer blew everything away with a well-placed arrow. Yet when the cover faded, Genji was nowhere in sight. The blood leaking from the lion's corpse was also gone, leaving it as a simple husk, devoid of its most precious component.

Once the tank confirmed that the surroundings were safe, he dispelled the transformation and fell to a knee, grumbling, "Dammit, who was that? Since when did the realms have such a troublesome opponent?"

"I don't know, but something is off about this world session. There are more powerhouses than usual. He's already the third one we've encountered this week. I suspect there's something more to this competition than meets the eye. Otherwise, the realms wouldn't send so many powerful people to the same world. If we don't want to fail miserably, we better preserve our trump cards carefully. We've already used one, so that's one less for the long run," the leader said before tending to the warrior's wounds.

"Really makes me wonder where the rumor of the treasure came from and why the realms are taking it so seriously. Aren't they usually indifferent to these ancient tales? What's different this time? Just what is going on? Or does the rumor have more merit than we initially thought?"

"Enough questions. Help me out here. This poison is nasty."

"Alright, coming."