The Final Desperation

"Look what we have here, another battlefield," Genji remarked, peering out from behind a boulder.

At the mention of the word, Bruce began to salivate, still remembering all the delicious blood Genji fed him since. It had been multiple days since Genji interrupted the battle between the Celestials and the beast king, and the entire battlefield had gotten word of his actions.

This was inevitable since Genji would cause a massive commotion every time he showed up. Whether it was absorbing the blood from the entire battle zone or launching deadly attacks as a greeting, his impact was substantial.

Due to his cutting intent, most opponents were defenseless against his surprise attacks, resulting in heavy casualties. Unless there was a top fighter to deter him, it almost always ended in a massacre.

The only exception was if the Celestials were involved, but even that didn't stop Genji if they antagonized him. There were a couple of times when he threw all care into the wind and annihilated the Celestial parties after they pestered him nonstop. 

It was only a few tens of thousand contribution points anyway, something he could easily earn back at another battlefield. Besides, he gained a fearsome reputation, something much more valuable than those points.

By demonstrating his willingness to attack all factions, he avoided being entangled in their conflicts. As EverRealm mentioned before, he was no longer affiliated with any faction but an agent of his own agenda.

Furthermore, the Celestials left him alone after realizing they suffered fewer losses than the other factions. Overall, Genji gained more than he paid in penalties.

"Let's see. It's a 3-way battle between Zergs, Parasites, and Sentinels. This should be interesting."

Genji entered stealth mode and moved closer, contemplating which faction would yield the highest contribution points. The obvious choice would be the Sentinels as they were the strongest group, but their lack of blood made him settle for the Parasites, a strong contender for second place.

He flanked large dinosaurs and slowly approached the newly converted Zergs. Although parasitized Zergs and Celestials were rarer than their bestial counterparts, they existed. The Parasites just never prioritized them due to their high variance in stats.

Unlike the Beasts, where every member had at least mini-boss level stats, the other two factions heavily relied on weaker units, supported by their specialties.

The Celestials relied mainly on high-tech weapons inspired by Mecalan technology as their primary fighting force, allowing even the weaker members to contribute.

However, the Parasites weren't interested in these members since they died too quickly to be worthwhile. This wasn't even including energy weapons, which they couldn't recharge.

On the other hand, the stronger Celestials couldn't be parasitized due to their celestial cores. If they tried, they would only be wasting resources since the energy inside the cores would easily repel the invaders. The parasites had experienced many losses before they realized that. 

That was the power of a Celestial Core, a vital ability within their power system. The core was important because it allowed them to unleash the true potential of their combat techniques. 

Without it, they would only be performing clumsy imitations, insignificant in the galaxy. That's why an individual wouldn't be recognized as a celestial until they condensed their cores.

On the other hand, the Zergs relied mostly on their numbers, rarely producing powerful units. The few that do spawn, however, fail to catch the Parasites' attention because the strongest Zergs were mini-boss level, barely matching the Beasts.

The only exception would be the Silver Empress, who acquired the bodies of multiple powerhouses. Even then, it remained unknown if she had reached that point because no one dared to provoke her.

As a result, it was always more convenient to target the Beasts. Why spend so much effort parasitizing Zergs when they could target a beast with equal, if not greater strength?

Therefore, among all the factions, the Beasts harbor the most intense animosity towards the Parasites. How could they not, when the Parasites constantly steal the bodies of their clansmen?

If given the opportunity, they wouldn't hesitate to launch a beheading operation against the Parasite King and his generals. However, this was easier said than done because they rarely show up, if at all. To this day, the beast kings still had no idea where the king and his generals hid, making it impossible to take the initiative. 

After circling the group a few times, Genji spotted multiple beasts with swollen tentacles oozing yellow pus. These were brood mothers, parasites that had matured and started laying eggs.

Upon inserting these eggs into a host, the parasites would rapidly hatch and grow, feeding on the nutritious flesh before taking control of the body.

This was one of the methods the Parasites used to convert units, yet it had a significant flaw. Due to the parasites' swift growth, they lacked developed intelligence. Instead, they operated under the instructions of the mother, acting similarly to biological receivers.

This meant if the mother was killed, all newly converted units would become useless. It was like severing the strings of a puppet. How could the puppet move if there was no one to command it?

Because of this weakness, the Parasites carefully safeguarded these mature units, positioning them strategically in guarded areas. However, this formation only took into account their current enemies, not Genji, who was maneuvering into the optimal ambush position.

As the armies clashed once again, [Curse Bearer] materialized and swiftly delivered three headshots, instantly neutralizing three brood mothers. Their bodies withered away as curse energy rushed into their flesh, decomposing even the parasites.

The cultists of LuminalRealm snapped their heads toward these unexpected deaths, bewildered by the sudden turn of events. Where did the attacks come from? How did someone infiltrate them without detection? Hadn't they secured the entire area, tracing all potential snipers?

These thoughts raced through their minds before a sudden realization struck. They had secured all known snipers, meaning the attacker was not part of the tracked targets.

"Ambusher!" they shouted, attempting to warn others, but Genji swooped in before they could react.

In one swing, the Parasites lost a significant segment of their army, all collapsing into piles of minced meat. Next, Genji charged forward, brandishing his saber with a thick coating of cutting intent. With each swing he made, an arc of light shot out, cutting down any nearby enemies. 

"Shit! It's the Bloodless Killer. RUN!"

Bloodless Killer - that was the nickname the battlefield had given Genji, describing how not even a drop of blood remained after his massacres. It was a fitting name, but it didn't capture all of Genji's specialties.

Nonetheless, the factions had to address him somehow, instead of calling him 'It's you,' 'That guy,' or 'Crazy Bastard.'

Upon hearing these words, Genji quickened his pace, aiming for as many kills as possible. His saber danced back and forth, cutting down all nearby foes.

The Zergs and Sentiels watched this with schadenfreude and surrounded the Parasites, cutting off their path of retreat. Another fierce battle ensued, this time for survival against the killer chasing them.

The cultists desperately spammed their abilities, and the Parasites began self-destructing, doing everything they could to force open a path.

Aware that pushing them too far wouldn't be smart, both the Sentinels and Zergs stepped back, creating an opening for the Parasites. However, they didn't make their escape easy, bombarding the group with artillery fire and acids as they passed through.

By the time the Parasites broke out of the encirclement, they had suffered heavy losses, most of which were due to the other two factions' interference. That was the result of numbers, where each person sought to deal as much damage as possible.

Genji halted outside these channels and slowly backed up, a tacit understanding shared by all three parties. Now that they had subdued a common foe, there was no reason to escalate the battle. It would be more effective to conserve their forces for the next engagement.

Genji shared this sentiment and commenced his cleanup operation, allowing the factions to retreat with peace of mind. 

"Another successful harvest," he remarked as Bruce manifested beside him, savoring the aftertaste with a flick of his tongue.

 

---

 

Within one of the Celestial's frontline fortresses, a holographic machine lit up in the Supreme Commander's office, projecting the live feed of a fortress general. Beside him, an assistant stood with a tablet full of recent reports, one received moments prior and rush-transferred with maximum urgency.

"Sir, the Bloodless Killer was detected near our fortresses," they briefly reported with a salute. "What are your orders?"

"Is he attacking?"

"No sir. He appears to be setting up camp."

"Then don't do anything. Be on standby and watch him closely," the commander replied.

"Understood," the general said and shot his assistant a look. The assistant understood the gaze and left to convey the orders, leaving the general alone with the commander.

"Is there anything else?" The commander asked.

"Sir, I don't understand why you're letting him be. You normally have us repel anyone who gets too close."

"Emberson, what do you think of our overall situation?"

"Not good, sir. All the other factions are eyeing us," the general answered after some thought.

"That's right. So, do you think it's smart to make another enemy in our situation?"

"I see now. You want to consolidate our defenses while the other factions are losing more troops."

"Correct. From now on, there's no need to report to me about the Bloodless Killer. Just watch him carefully and treat him as a benign reaper. Don't provoke him, but be prepared to defend if he breaks the status quo."

"Yes sir!" The general saluted one more time before cutting the call. 

Out of the remaining factions, the Sentinels also adopted a similar attitude toward Genji. This was because Genji rarely attacked them, often prioritizing other targets. The only exception was if the battle was between the Sentinels and the Celestials. It was an easy choice since only one party would net him contribution points.

However, if any other factions were present, Genji would immediately prioritize them. As a result, the Sentinels often cooperated with Genji, bombarding the opponents from a distance as he sowed disorder in their formation.

Next were the Zergs, who remained indifferent to Genji's actions. Although Genji occasionally ambushed them, the losses were insignificant compared to their entire population. All the losses were spawned units, something they could easily replace if they had enough bioenergy.

Plus, he wasn't targeting a specific tribe, but rather the entire race. This meant the losses were borne by everyone instead of a single queen, making it much more tolerable. At worst, he was a nuisance since it forced them to hunt more to make up for the losses.

Then there were the Beasts, who had a negative impression of Genji. Due to their high vitality, they were almost always targeted by Genji as food to increase Bruce's strength. 

The only faction that surpassed them was the Parasites, Genji's top target. It didn't matter which factions were around; Genji always attacked them.

There was even one time when he stopped attacking the Beasts just to target the newly arrived Parasites. It's fair to say that change caused one of the most chaotic battles yet, with attacks flying in all directions.

Despite all this, Genji had no idea about the Parasites' attitude toward him. He was certain it was negative, but he couldn't find any example due to their lack of presence.

The Parasites had withdrawn, giving up the precious territory that the others readily conquered. Now, only four factions remained in the central battlefield, further intensifying their conflicts. 

As the cause of all this, Genji didn't feel any pride, but rather a premonition. From what he understood, the territory owned by a faction greatly impacted how many planets they held.

That was the whole premise for this battlefield. If a faction refused to hand over the agreed-upon rewards, the other four would team up on them, threatening them with annihilation.

That was why Genji couldn't believe someone would give up everything so easily. He might be causing them decent losses, but it shouldn't be that exaggerated. The Parasites were planning something, and Genji had a strong feeling that it was related to him. 

For now, Genji set aside those thoughts and focused on hunting, steadily recovering his shadow core. Due to the high density of powerful units, it served as a haven for grinding stats. Genji intended to make the most of it while he could before the Parasites initiated their plans.

Every little bit counted, especially when one of his legacy liberations multiplied his powers based on his energy.

Another few days passed as Genji traversed from battlefield to battlefield, spreading his infamy. By now, nine days had elapsed since he entered the battlefield, leaving him with another 31 to endure.

On this day, Genji encountered a golden lion during his journey. It boasted the lushest of manes, golden and proudly waving in the air. This was another beast king, identified by the hari woven crown on its head.

Unlike the previous beast king, this lion was much smaller and lighter, standing at only 10 meters with a length of 18 meters. However, this smaller frame did little to diminish its majesty and kingly demeanor. This was a prideful king, even among the beasts.

Upon spotting Genji and his traveling companion, the lion unleashed a wrathful roar and charged at him. It had finally found the nuisance that had bothered them for the past week. The lion was fast, but Genji had enough time to draw out [Eye of Horus] for a quick scan.

[Chosen stat: Special]

[Comparing...]

[Detected that your stat vastly outstrips your opponent's. Small increase in judgment priority.]

[Error: Detected that your opponent has a higher step than you. Huge decrease in judgment priority.]

[Judgment finished: You will obtain 40% of your enemy's information.]

 

[Lion King, Lanak]

Health: 51,000/51,000

Bestial Force: 760/760

Con: 50

Str: 49

Dex: 41

Int: 38

Spc: 12

Skills:

 - High Lord (Passive): +30,000 hp

 - Beast Kings's Physique (Passive): +20% to total health

 - King's Roar (Active): Consume 100 Bestial Force to unleash a roar that inspires all beasts and deter the enemy. +20% damage dealt and 10% damage reduction to allies. Deal 150% damage to all enemies in the vicinity. 

 - Lion's Majesty (Passive): +25% extra damage when facing opponents smaller than you

 - Paw Swipe (Active): Deal 200% damage to a single target

 - Force of Gold (Active): Convert all Bestial Force into Golden Power and gain access to gold attribute skills.

No further skills can be read.

 

Setting aside the unknown Force of Gold skill and the other formidable skills, Genji understood why beast kings were so revered on the battlefield. Just their stats alone made them a formidable force. Doing a quick calculation, the skills accounted for 36,000 points of health, leaving 15,000 from stats.

When divided by 50 points of constitution, it equated to 300 hp per point. Excluding Beast King's Physique, this meant 250 hp per point, a 2.5x increase from the standard second step.

It was no wonder the previous beast king could dismiss one of Genji's strongest attacks so easily.

With those stats, it would take an incredibly powerful attack to severely injure them. However, an attack of that level was not something a 2nd step could unleash. Of course, this was in their prime state, excluding possible battles of attrition and the accumulation of tiny wounds.

After all, even an elephant can be bitten to death by an army of ants. It's just highly unlikely since the elephant can escape before then.

Lanak launched a series of claw swipes, but Genji's higher dexterity allowed him to easily dodge them. That was the one saving grace in this encounter. 

"Cover Jaguar," Genji said to Bruce as he drew his daggers.

Bruce knew he couldn't bear the aftershocks of the battle and followed his instruction, transforming into a streak of blood that wrapped around the large saber on Genji's back.

Once he confirmed Bruce's safety, Genji leaned forward and unleashed two waves of light, leaving a cross pattern on Lanak's stomach. A throaty growl came from above, prompting Genji to flashstep away. Lanak had a sound wave skill and he wasn't about to risk the hit.

Lanak glared at Genji and crouched down, pouncing at him faster than before. A speed-boosting skill had been activated. Genji pushed his senses to the limits, knowing it was still manageable without using his skills. 

A sharp pivot here, a limbo bend there, and an elusive sway after that. Genji danced between the beast king's front paws like a leaf drifting along the wind. Any time Lanak tried to catch him, he would barely slip out of its grasp, greatly frustrating the lion king.  

Between these dodges, Genji would leave shallow cuts along the body, trying to whittle Lanak down. However, this only further enraged Lanak as he struggled to land a hit.

Genji also noticed the wounds closing between attacks, further testifying to the strength of the 3rd step. It was a stalemate, one that wouldn't end unless he used his trump cards.

At this moment, Genji retreated, choosing to forgo his counterattack. Lanak pursued him relentlessly, but Genji refused to unleash any more attacks.

"Hey, calm down. Let's not fight anymore. We're not getting anywhere like this."

Lanak ignored him, too caught up in his fury to care. 'Slippery human, stand still!' Lanak thought, unleashing another ferocious roar.

"Look, I know you're angry, but can we talk this out? If we continue like this, we'll both end up miserable. No matter who wins this fight, they will be really weak and possibly die to the other factions. It's not worth the risk."

However, this only fueled Lanak's anger further since Genji was implying they were on the same level. How could Lanak not be furious? He was a mighty beast king, yet the human dared to tarnish his majesty like this.

'Just because you can dodge for some time, you suddenly think you're worthy? How dare you!'

"Okay, I get it, but isn't it pointless to continue like this? We both have trump cards we haven't used, but isn't it inefficient to settle our issues like this? How about I promise not to ambush the Beasts again? That should resolve our differences, right?"

Lanak calmed down slightly, but it didn't relent in its attacks. The only difference was that the attacks became slower, signaling a change in the lion's emotions to Genji.

"If you're not happy about my condition, we can negotiate, but at least let me have some distance. Don't you think it's kind of hard to talk like this? If you agree, don't immediately chase after me. I'll be moving back now."

Genji flashstepped again, appearing a few meters away as an act of trust. To his relief, Lanak only gave him a stink eye instead of pursuing.

"That's better. So what do you not like about my proposition?"

Lanak growled to express discontent but didn't elaborate.

"You know, it's kind of hard to communicate with each other. How about I get an interpreter?" Genji patted his sheath, and Bruce manifested beside him.

Observing this scene, Lanak recalled the peculiar horse that had disappeared mid-battle. At that time, Lanak hadn't given much thought to it since his primary focus was on Genji. Now, however, Lanak realized how unusual Bruce was.

Bruce resembled a horse, but Lanak sensed a peculiar presence from him, one that he'd never encountered before. This made Lanak hesitant to consider Bruce as a normal animal. Additionally, what kind of horse could transform into blood like that?

A few blood tentacles stretched out from Bruce, further confirming Lanak's suspicions. There was no way Bruce could be a beast.

'What eldritch creature is this to take on such a form?' Lanak wondered to himself, ignoring the gestures Bruce was making. It was not like Lanak understood what Bruce was trying to convey anyway.

"Neeeiiiggghhh," Bruce walked over and let out an annoyed whine, complaining about Lanak's lack of attention. His tentacles began waving faster, moving in incomprehensible ways below Lanak's face.

It was a chaotic series of gestures only Genji could understand, but Lanak recognized his intention. 'What the? Is he trying to communicate with me like a human?'

"ROOOAAARRR," Lanak responded, using the bestial way of conveying emotions: through their roars.

"Neeeeiiiigggghhhhh," Bruce screamed back, unwilling to be outdone, thinking this was a shouting competition.

"ROOAARR."

"Neeigh."

"ROOOAAR."

"Neiiiiigh."

They went back and forth for some time before Bruce walked back to Genji.

"What did he say?"

Bruce started weaving his tentacles again, expressing that he had no idea.

'The stupid lion just kept screaming about pride this, pride that. Is there anything else to this guy?'

Genji fell into thought and considered the issue from Lanak's point of view. 'Pride? Self-pride? No, it doesn't seem like it. He's willing to talk, so his pride shouldn't be that strong. Then what? Beast king's pride? Maybe. Will the other beast kings look down on him if he makes it too easy for me?'

To confirm this theory, Genji asked Lanak a simple question, "What about an offering? I'll give you some loot to show off to the other beasts. You can even tell them I begged for mercy, giving you my best item in exchange for my life."

Lanak's eyes peaked with a hint of interest, but he didn't agree immediately, slapping the ground instead. Even without Bruce's interpretation, Genji knew what Lanak wanted to express. 'The loot better be good.'

Genji thought for some time, wondering what item could interest a beast king enough to de-escalate this situation. The obvious eliminations would be his equipment and potions, which were useless to the Beasts.

That only left him with the miscellaneous items in his storage, which were non-essential for his survival. Most of them were junk to the Beasts, but there were a few that might interest Lanak.

"How about this?" Genji asked, pulling out a large carcass twice his size. "It's a rare delicacy processed by a skilled butcher."

Genji flicked his finger, shooting out a wisp of cutting intent that carved out a small piece, which Genji threw toward Lanak. Lanak eyed the incoming piece of meat with wonder, curious about what differentiated it from the other prey Lanak had hunted. Then, Lanak opened his mouth, allowing the piece to land inside before he chewed it slowly, savoring the taste.

As this was happening, Bruce resentfully glared at Genji. 'Master, that's my precious snack! A whole dry-aged bison! Do you know how long I waited for that?!?!?'

Sensing the intense stare, Genji made a gesture they both understood as "I'll make it up to you."

Seeing this, Bruce turned his resentful look to Lanak and desperately prayed. 'Please don't like it. Please don't like it. What does a stupid lion like you know about dry aging anyway?'

But Bruce's denial turned to despair when Lanak released an excited roar, saying he wouldn't accept any other offering.

'MY SNACK!' Bruce inwardly wailed as Genji threw over the carcass. 'I didn't even get to try it.' *sniffle*

"This concludes our negotiation. I don't want any more trouble because of this, okay?"

Lanak gleefully nodded and carried the spoils away, dreaming about how to best enjoy the treat. However, what Genji didn't know was that his actions today inadvertently started the Beast Plundering Era, a strange time when Beast Kings attacked realm members for food.

If the realm members could satisfy their cravings, the Beast Kings would let them go, but otherwise, their endings were self-evident. It got so bad that good food, especially meat, became a necessity, causing demand to peak across all five realms.

And all that began with Lanak, who followed Genji's advice, hosting a gathering to show off his spoils. Of course, Lanak's protectiveness over his food also played a role, sparking an inherent curiosity within the other kings. From there, everything was history after they got their claws on a small piece.