The Final Desperation

In the blink of an eye, Genji reached the end of his given month. Due to the pressure of the Spatial Battlefield, Genji chose to stay in EverRealm for the full duration, forgoing his return to Earth.

He might not care about death, but that didn't mean he wouldn't maximize his chances of survival. After all, he still wanted to enjoy his life, even if it was dangerous.

During this time, Genji converted all his earnings to potions and back multiple times, giving him ample funds to load his storage. Genji prepared so many items that he ran out of space in his storage. So, he used the 28 tokens he'd accumulated over the past few worlds to upgrade his capacity.

After five upgrades of 3 cubic meters each, Genji's storage space went from 40 cubic meters to 55 meters, leaving him with 3 tokens. He made his last checks and gathered Bruce, awaiting the timer countdown. 

[Breaktime has ended. Entering the Spatial Battlefield.]

In the next moment, Genji found himself in an open cavern, full of people. However, these individuals emitted an unusual vibe, as if entering a normal mission rather than a war-infested battlefield - they were too relaxed.

Initially, Genji assumed they were veterans with ample strength to back up their behavior, but their lack of situational awareness quickly debunked that. They hadn't even checked if the environment was safe but rather took it for granted!

How could they be so complacent when there wasn't even a starting barrier to protect them? This was no longer confidence but arrogance. Then he realized they didn't give him a sense of threat, testifying to their lower stats.

'Something's not right. Where am I? This isn't the Celestials' base!'

This revelation sent Genji into full alert, compelling him to stealthily scan someone with [Eye of Horus].

 

[Member of OmegaRealm.]

Health: 3,400/3,400

Energy: 80/80

Con: 34

Str: 32

Dex: 24

Int: 8

Spc: 0

 

The benefit of [Eye of Horus] was that it wasn't subject to restrictions like Insight, which was becoming more obsolete as he approached the 3rd step. This meant he could obtain the stats of other realm members, excluding their skills.

That was the benefit of a legendary item. However, this change implied that other people could do the same if they had a similar piece of equipment. It was going to be harder to hide his strength from now on, not that Genji needed to anyway. It was mostly a habit he built during his assassin days. One could never have too many trump cards.

From the trend, Genji assumed members at the 3rd step needed to rely on equipment to obtain stats from enemies or risk unknown dangers. It was a strict change, but Genji was already prepared.

"EverRealm, where did you send me?" Genji whispered.

[Due to the events in your previous entry, the Celestials now see you as an enemy. To ensure your safety, you have been transported to a faction with friendlier relations: the Zergs.]

[Note: This is only possible with OmegaRealm's permission. The Zergs have also been notified.]

Genji appreciated the care, but he had another problem to deal with. Due to killing Silver Empress's body double, Genji had royally pissed off Silver Empress, who would now do anything to kill him.

Luckily, this was a personal grudge so most of the Zergs still viewed him in a positive light. That was why EverRealm dared to teleport him here instead of the wilderness. However, this safety was only temporary since Silver Empress would soon get word of his arrival and deploy forces to track him. If he didn't want to be surrounded, he needed to leave Zerg territory fast.

Suddenly, Genji sensed someone reach for his shoulder. In his alert state, he quickly caught the arm and flipped the owner over his shoulder, right onto the ground. A wince of pain came from the person, but he paused mid-breath when he realized a dagger was pressed against his neck.

"Hey, relax. We're safe here," the person said, raising his undislocated arm.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I was acting on instinct," Genji realized he had overreacted and rushed to apologize.

"It's fine. You must have been through a lot to react like that," the person said, seeing Genji's flustered appearance. From there, he conjured a whole story of how Genji was traumatized by the missions.

"Still, I don't know how I ever make up for this. How about I take a look at your arm? I'm a doctor."

Genji's act further convinced the person of his made-up story. How could someone so humble possibly be bad?

"Don't worry about i-" Before the person could finish his sentence, a sharp pain rushed up his shoulder, causing him to gasp.

"There, all done. You should be as good as new," Genji said, releasing his grip on the arm.

"What the?! Isn't that too fast?"

"Oh my god, how can I forget? Your arm!"

When Genji mentioned this, the person's eyes wandered down to his wrist, where a hand-shaped bruise marked his skin.

"It's fi-"

"I'm so sorry. Here's a potion. Please drink it. I won't be able to forgive myself if you end up dying because of that." Genji rushed over, frantically waving a bottle near the man's face.

"Calm down" The person caught Genji's arm and comforted him. "This won't affect me."

"You sure? That injury looks bad."

"I know my body best."

"Okay, but you should still keep the potion. Consider it my apology," Genji said, bowing down.

"If you insist."

"Thank you. I'll be in the corner over there. I don't want to accidentally hurt someone like this again." Genji said apologetically before walking away.

'What a nice guy,' the man thought, eying the rare potion in his hand.

Genji, on the other hand, had a different opinion about the encounter. 'That was easy. He didn't even suspect me.'

 

---

Spatial Battlefield

Background:

After countless years of battle, the Spatial Battlefield has become a meat grinder for all forces. However, none of them can afford to pull out because doing so would mean relinquishing control of all planets under their rule or facing the wrath of all other factions. As such, they begrudgingly sent their best, praying they could secure enough victories to expand.

Participating Realms: Ever, Luminal, Mana, Omega, and Sanguine 

Overseer: Eternal Void

Mission: Survive for 40 days. 

Note 1: Due to your actions in the previous session, you have offended all the forces. The Parasites and Silver Empress hate you the most and will persistently hunt you down. The Celestials see you as a traitor, but won't go out of their way to hunt you. All other groups are neutral and will only attack if given an opportunity.

Note 2: Due to your high contributions for the previous session and lack of faction affiliation, you aren't required to serve any agendas. However, damaging your original faction will still result in contribution deductions.

Note 3: Achievements are not calculated in this world. In its place, contribution points will be rewarded. At the end of your service, you can redeem the points for rewards of your choice.

Restrictions: None

 

---

 

Although Genji's mission was easy, he had no intention of taking that route. After the last session, he had amassed a total of 4 million points, but it was nothing compared to the required 10 million to hatch the [Void Egg].

If Genji wanted any chance of using this item he snatched from Silver Empress and Shepherd, he would need to surpass his previous performance. Luckily, he had plenty of enemies to make up the difference.

At this moment, Genji overheard an interesting conversation among a group of friends.

"Hey, who do you think is the strongest person in the second step?"

"In history or just now?"

"Either one. It's not like we know that many people from back then."

"It has to be Shepherd, right? I heard that guy killed a Balancer."

"Do you actually believe that? This is Shady Shepherd we're talking about. There's no way he didn't use a trick. Plus, how is anyone supposed to fight the Balancers? They're invincible on the battlefield. Their stats might be capped, but their skills aren't. Why do you think everyone listens to them?"

"Then what about Insane Poisoner? Didn't he kill a bunch of powerhouses?"

"That's with the Zerg's help. We don't know if he has the combat power to match that."

"But it doesn't change the outcome, does it? His poison weakened everyone enough to allow the Zerg's swarm tactic to succeed. I heard he even provoked a Reaper afterward and won. If we include his poison, won't he also be invincible in the 2nd step?"

'Why does that sound familiar?' Genji wondered to himself. 'Did I hear about this somewhere before?'

"I agree. That guy's poisons are scary. The survivors also didn't have a good time. Apparently, the poison he used directly merged with their powers, making their healing costs humongous."

"I also heard the poison was initially disguised as a treasure. That's why so many powerhouses fell for it."

"Just hearing that gives me chills. Can you imagine drinking a powerful potion just to realize it's a lethal poison afterward? Luckily, we will never meet that person. It's been 9 cycles since his appearance, so he should have been promoted."

At this moment, Genji realized where the familiar feeling was coming from. 'Disguised as a treasure? Provoking a Reaper? Poisoning everyone? 9 cycles? Are they talking about me? When did I get such a nickname?'

Everything about the story lined up with his experiences that it was hard to deny it. It must be Genji. There were too many coincidences to say otherwise.

Realizing this, Genji gave the last speaker a strange look, one that persisted for what felt like an eternity.

At this moment, a group of people from the previous cycle entered and rang a loud bell. 'Gather up everyone. I have some information to announce.'

Everyone at this teleportation point had entered the battlefield at least once, so they were used to this greeting. They quickly organized themselves around the group. Genji managed to find himself a seat amid this shuffling.

"Before I begin, I want to acknowledge that not everyone knows this tradition. So, record what I'm about to say and pass it to the next group. That way, we can all stay in the loop about current events."

The entire crowd nodded in understanding and brought out a few notepads.

"Overall, the battlefield has been stable. Nothing too drastic has happened like Silver Empress's rise, but the power dynamic has shifted. The Zergs and Celestials are now the main targets for the other forces, so be careful about joining battles. Contributions are tempting, but your life matters the most."

At this moment, Genji raised his hand to speak. "I can understand why the Zergs are being targeted, but why are the Celestials included?"

"Because they lost many of their fortresses on the front line, leading to a weak point in their defenses. Now, everyone can't wait to break through and attack their supply line," the speaker patiently explained.

"When did this happen?"

"Around 4 cycles ago. Some guy from Sanguine earned a lot of contributions for that. One crazy fellow according to my information, but you don't need to worry about him. He's already advanced. Instead, let's talk about people you might encounter. Pay attention since this is the stuff you want to pass on to the next wave.

First, there is the Barrage Sniper, a Celestial soldier. No one knows his true appearance since he always attacks from a distance, but he's one annoying sniper. If you give him a chance to set up, he won't stop shooting until everyone is dead or destroys his gun. I don't know where he learned such a firing style, but he's only getting better. Fricken wastrel that doesn't consider resource consumption."

The speaker muttered the last sentence, still salty about the encounter.

"He's been transferred to the frontlines, so there's a high chance of meeting him. If you ever encounter an unusually fast fire rate, just run, especially if it's from the same position. It's not worth the risk." 

The speaker paused for a few seconds, giving the audience plenty of time to record the information. Then, a different person started talking.

"Next is Flaming Devil. I don't know which faction he belonged to, but he entered 2 cycles ago. According to the information, he was being chased down by the Parasites when he chugged a weird potion, which caused his body to mutate into a monstrosity.

But with this new form, he experienced a huge spike in power, allowing him to massacre through the battlefield. He was only stopped when a beast king stepped forward and shut him down. I'm including him because he didn't seem that strong when he drank the potion. There's a good chance he returns sometime in the future.

After that is the Swordsman of Bloody Aura, or Blood Swordsman for short. He's a rising star of Sanguine and has a massive body count. Not much is known about him since he kills everyone he meets, but a senior had seen him solo a boss with 40+ stats last world. He may enter this cycle or the next, so be careful.

Fourth, there is Berserker, a powerful melee fighter of EverRealm. At the time, a fortress was besieged by a beast tide, on the verge of collapse when he stepped up. Wielding his heavy sword, he carved through the wave like a hot knife through butter. No matter how the beasts attacked him, he endured it and continued fighting, only getting stronger with each wound.

It was as if he lost all sense of pain in that time. By the end, his ferocity was so strong that it intimidated the beasts to retreat. You can even say he single-handedly defended that fortress. His stat situation is similar to Flaming Devil's, and he entered 4 cycles ago.

Lastly, there is Stella, the Starlit Mage. She's a champion of ManaRealm and has mastered the 4 basic elements of the Elemental Style: fire, wind, earth, and water. Basically, she's proficient in all attack, defense, and support."

"Sir? Why is she called the Starlit Mage then? Wouldn't Four Elemental Mage or Perfect Mage be more fitting?"

"Because the four elements are not her main strength but rather a form of support. Her nickname comes from her talent, which allows her to harness starlight to cast powerful light magic. Moreover, the more stars there are, the stronger her buffs become. These buffs encompass all favorable aspects of a mage, such as spell power, casting speed, and mana recovery. In the right environment, she might even outclass Barrage Sniper in fire rate and lethality."

*Hiss* "How powerful."

"That's not all. We're in the Spatial Battlefield, where there are plenty of stars in sight, even in the day. Although the buffs are weaker at this time, they still exist. This is practically a home field for her."

"Why do you know so much about her?" Genji asked, unable to grasp how the speaker had acquired such detailed information about another person's talent. It was unusually detailed as if they had read her status page. Did they have someone with such a talent, or was this a high-ranked equipment? If so, what other secrets could they uncover?

In response to his question, all the veterans ground their teeth and clenched their fists. Then, with short breaths of air, one person answered, "Because she would rub it in our faces EVERY SINGLE TIME she beats us! Then she would rob us of our hard-earned money. God damn, I would give anything to wipe that stupid smirk off her face!"

"..."

Genji observed the fuming crowd for a few moments before posing his next question. "How are you sure she's telling the truth? Can't she be spreading false information to intimidate people? That talent seems too powerful, no matter how I think about it."

"A senior with a lie detection talent confirmed it. She's one lucky bitch to awaken such a powerful talent and end up in ManaRealm!"

Genji had no way to argue with that, so he ceased asking further questions.

Seeing no one else speaking up, another person raised his hand. "Sir? What about our realm? Can you tell us about our rising star?"

"Yeah sir, what powerful abilities do they have?" The others around chimed in.

"I'm sure they are just as powerful, if not more."

However, the experienced members could only spread their hands helplessly. "That's the problem. We don't have one."

"How can this be? Don't we have the most people across all realms?"

"We do, but that's because of OmegaRealm's lax rules, which also cause no one to be desperate enough to chase after power like in the other realms. The closest we have is the Priestess, who specializes in healing magic instead of combat.

Why do you think the other realms bully us so much and don't mind letting us go after extorting us? It's because they don't think of us as a threat and want us to earn more money for next time."

"The members were saddened by the revelation and gazed down at their toes in indignation. Why were the rules set like this? It was unfair!

"Cheer up. Don't be upset by this; be proud," the person boomed with a wide grin.

"How can we be proud of this?" The people looked at him in disbelief, doubting if their ears had malfunctioned.

"Why would you want to be like those people? They risk their lives for the smallest gain in power, enduring countless pains in the process. Are you all masochists? Is that why?"

"N-no, sir."

"That's the spirit. Why would we throw away our lives to get a little stronger when it's easier to seek help from friends? We have the most people, so we should take advantage of that. Right?"

"Yeah." The crowd regained their confidence.

"You might not know this, but OmegaRealm also has the highest standard of living. Everyone is treated equally and guaranteed money to survive. In contrast, other realms still engage in rank segregation. If you're not strong, then your life is miserable. Why would you want to join their barbaric system? We are civilized people and should have standards!"

"Yeah!" This time, the crowd was more rambunctious and enthusiastically shouted their response.

"Repeat after me! Civilized people!" The speaker raised his left arm and roared.

"Civilized people!" The crowd followed, raising both their voices and arms.

"Again! Civilized people!" The speaker's voice echoed, filling the cave.

"Civilized people!" The ground trembled from their collective intensity.

"Again!" The speaker's voice pierced the cave, urging the members to follow suit. With each repetition, the volume increased, reaching a crescendo that drowned out all other sounds. Only the resonation of those two words could be heard, echoing through the night and reverberating for kilometers on end.

As the OmegaRealm members distracted themselves with cheering, Genji slipped away. They were an interesting bunch, but he had no intention of joining them. He was perfectly content with his treatment in EverRealm and the freedom it provided. Plus, he hadn't forgotten about the enemies hunting him.

When Bruce was summoned, he gazed strangely at the uproarious cave behind them. Why did it sound like they were partying instead of preparing for battle?

"Come on, don't think about it too much. Let's get out of here."

Bruce neighed in agreement and carried Genji into the distance, away from another one of Genji's strange starts.