The Final Desperation

To prepare for the upcoming battle, Genji took a trip outside the nest. He went alone this time, leaving Bruce behind to handle any unexpected situations. Igani was delighted about this decision since she could finally receive her agreed-upon meals.

When he distanced himself from the nest, he took out his compass and designated his target. "Track the closest parasitized beast."

At his request, the pointer spun around for a few seconds before coming to a stop, 20 degrees to his left. With his direction fixed, Genji unleashed his fastest speed, flashstepping into the distance.

This was an inefficient use of stamina, but Genji cared more about the saved time. In his current situation, he couldn't afford to delay, as it would only give his enemies more time to prepare.

Genji had no intentions of allowing that since he wanted to seize the initiative. Instead of defending passively and burying his head like an ostrich, hoping the storm would pass, he preferred to have one conclusive battle to decide his fate. At least this way, he didn't have to experience the impasse of indecision.

Because sometimes, it wasn't the decision that was most unsettling, but the suspense before it. That feeling of the unknown would only grow with time, undermining one's determination and leading to muddleheadedness. Genji didn't want to fall into such a state so he chose to fight, even if it would claim his life. 

Half an hour later, the compass turned again, leading Genji to a group of lumbering dinosaurs. Genji unleashed his strongest attacks without delay, rapidly decimating the group. In the end, only two of the smallest beasts remained, writhing on the ground with their limbs missing.

Genji approached these two with a chain, tying them together before dragging them onto a makeshift wagon. From there, he spent the next few hours transporting the specimens back to the nest.

"Give me an empty room," he requested as he returned.

"What are you trying to do?" Igani curiously asked, unable to take her eyes off the dried blood smeared on the wooden plank. By now, the dinosaurs had lost all signs of life, having bled out on the trip to become a final residence for the parasites within. 

"Understand my enemies. Call Bruce to join me," he replied before dragging the bodies underground and into a newly hollowed room.

A few minutes later, Bruce entered the room with a roasted leg dangling from his mouth, a remnant of his meal. He looked up and spotted a bloody Genji hovering over two chunks of meat, dismembering them with indifferent precision.

Startled by this unexpected brutality, Bruce's jaws dropped, releasing his food. Luckily, he quickly reacted and caught the roast before it hit the ground. 'Master, what are you doing? We're not filming a horror movie. Why are you being so psychotic?'

"You're here," Genji said, swinging his dagger to remove the excess blood. "Come over and help me out."

Bruce put the roast back into his mouth and cleaned the blood off of Genji on his approach. 'What's this for?' Bruce gestured as he looked down on the wiggling pile of parasites.

"Research. I need you to hold them down and keep them alive as I run some experiments. It shouldn't be too hard, right?"

Bruce shook his head but shot Genji a puzzled look. What exactly were they trying to research and why? Seeing Genji had no intention of answering, Bruce controlled the blood inside the worms and restrained their motions. Due to the sheer difference in their strengths, Bruce had no trouble manipulating them.

In the meantime, Genji sheathed his daggers and took out his scientific equipment, consisting of flasks, Petri dishes, tweezers, and some liquid solutions.

"Let's get started then. We have a lot of tests to run," Genji said, releasing his tautly pulled disposable gloves, filling the air with a crisp snapping sound. 

Suddenly, Bruce felt a sudden faint shudder from the worms, which he dismissed as his imagination. After all, how could the worms feel fear when they're such simple-minded creatures? And could they even understand them?

Hours later, Genji walked out of the room, peeling off his sweat-drenched gloves before tossing them aside. Behind him, Bruce followed with a blank look, feeling a sense of pity for their victims. In these long hours, Bruce had seen a new side of Genji, one that put any mad scientist to shame.

Igani also had a traumatized look on her face, having watched the beginning of the experiment. However, it eventually became too much for her, and she retracted her mental powers after the first hour.

"I'm done, Igani. The room's all yours," Genji said, taking his results outside to continue his preparations.

Hearing this, Igani peeked into the lab and winced at the corpses, if you could even call it that. Everything had been minced into tiny pieces, each doused in a different chemical before being piled in the corner. Now, only a mound of tissue fibers remained with a toxic blend trickling out beneath. 

'Poor worms. I don't know what you did to deserve that, but I hope you rest in peace. Peace? Pieces? Errrr, that doesn't sound like a good prayer.' Seized by this awkwardness, Igani decided to bury the room with dirt and stone, unwilling to think about the issue any further.

The following morning, Genji made his final preparations by carefully inserting a tiny capsule into the back of his mouth. He didn't know how useful it would be, but he was doing everything he could to improve his chances.

After ensuring that he wouldn't accidentally break the capsule and release its contents at an inopportune time, he set off with a sea of Zergs. Using his compass, Genji led this endless army straight for Parasite territory.

The other factions noticed their movements but did nothing to stop them. There was still an unknown scheme in the background, so they didn't want to jump out and attract unwanted attention.

For all they knew, that might be all that was needed to break the already fragile balance. Plus, why would they stop Genji when he was testing the waters for them? It never hurts to be careful on the battlefield.

As such, Genji's journey was unimpeded, allowing him to reach Parasite borders by nightfall. Instead of stopping to rest like normal, he urged the army to speed up, hoping to finish the fight before daybreak.

The rustling of insect shells rubbing against each other echoed into the night, chirping louder than any summer cricket. Genji took in all this chaotic symphony and regulated his mind, slowly approaching his peak state. His chest rose and fell at even frequencies, creating a therapeutic effect on his tense muscles.

When he opened his eyes again, he spotted an opposing army of parasitized units. Zergs, Beasts, Celestials, you name it, they have it. Between them, there were also otherworldly species that filled the gaps in their small numbers, boosting an equally expansive sea of troops. Realm members also dotted the backlines, ready to support their faction in battle.

Genji swung his arm down and ordered the start of the war. The troops at the front charged forward, creating a stampede effect that slammed into the enemy ranks. A scene of carnage broke out across the field, sending dismembered bodies everywhere.

As this was happening, Genji slid off the saddle and turned to the unit housing Igani's consciousness. "I'll leave this area to you two. Try to delay them for as long as possible."

The bug nodded in understanding while Bruce gave a soft whimper, knowing this might be his last farewell. However, Bruce quickly adjusted himself, having gotten somewhat used to Genji's life-threatening scenarios.

At least this time, he could help Genji instead of having to hopelessly watch from the side.

Genji waved his goodbyes and blended into the darkness, making his way past the clashing armies. After traveling for some time, Genji was blocked by a legion of beast-inhibiting parasites. Their large glowy eyes reflected the dim moonlight, eerily looking in Genji's direction.

Genji revealed himself, knowing that his position had already been compromised. Just like how his compass pointed at the legion center, the Parasite King could sense his approximate location through his inheritance marking. It was an open battle, no matter how they hid.

At this moment, the legion parted ways, opening a path inward. At the end of the path, a tall figure in full-body red-black armor sat upon a throne of bones. His elbow rested on the eroded skeletal framework, supporting his angled head.

Tints of darkness accentuated the hooks in his armor, giving the figure an uncanny atmosphere. Genji also noticed multiple spiky protrusions around his compact body, indicating his monstrous nature.

Although the parasites donned a humanoid shape, the aura they gave off was anything but human. Beside the seated figure, another armored being in purple stood, indifferent to Genji's presence.

"Since you've come to die, I'll fulfill your wish," Aposynthesi said, commanding the parasites to surround Genji.

"Yes, it's time to end this bad karma once and for all," Genji responded, taking out two flasks: one with a liquid the color of chalk-like ivory, and the other filled with a thin, light gray fluid. He popped off both corks and poured the second bottle into the first, mixing it vigorously before smashing it into the ground.

A whitish mist blanketed the area and drilled into the surrounding dinosaur's clogged pores. The drug took effect almost immediately, filling the area with loud bestial roars. Their large bodies also stumbled around, losing their footing as their muscles contracted weirdly.

Then they collapsed, losing all control of their bodies. No matter how the parasites tried to stimulate their host's nervous system, the bodies refused to respond. Rather, the parasites started feeling sluggish from the effort and the temptation of sleep became all the more enticing with each passing moment.

Eventually, they succumbed to this droopiness and entered the land of dreams. Genji expected this outcome because he developed this substance to target the parasites nesting inside. No matter how strong the host was, it meant nothing if the pilot fell asleep.

However, this drug only induced sleep and posed no harm. If he wanted to kill them, he would need to do it himself. This was the best Genji could do given his short time and limited specimens, but it was enough to let him fight his foes undisturbed.

Genji thumped his chest multiple times, instructing his energy to rampage before provocatively pointing his daggers at the seated figure.

"It's only us now. Let's decide our fates with one final battle."

 

---

 

200 years ago, the planet of Proelefsi was a normal planet in its microbial stages of development. Single-celled organisms were everywhere, and the planet was covered in a deep blue ocean. Landmass was nonexistent, and the ocean remained undivided.

There was no separation of the seas, and the planet flourished with development. Aquatic creatures of all kinds evolved during this time, spawning countless variations. Some creatures were small, undetectable to the human eye, while others were ahead of their time, reaching the size of a baby's fist.

Some had whiskers that waved around them like antennas of insects, sensing the vibrations in their environment. A handful had faint protrusions and indents, foreshadowing the unique features they would later evolve.

It was a beautiful era where life blossomed more than dandelions after a spring rain. There was no doubt that if the planet were given enough time, it would birth a marvelous civilization full of youthfulness and purity, one that would reflect its mother planet.

Many wonders would appear, regardless of form or species, and attract the admiration of the stars above. And eventually, it would step into the higher worlds, becoming a scenic retort for all transcendentalists and known as the "Jewel of the Starry Seas."

All of this sounded idyllic, but it was a shame that this was never meant to be. On that fateful day, a meteor fell into the planet's atmosphere at immense speeds, igniting to fill the air with more fumes than a volcanic eruption.

Luckily, most of the surface was ocean, greatly diminishing the impact damage. If it had been any normal planet, then this meteor would have easily destroyed the atmosphere, turning the life-filled planet into a dead one.

However, this was only the start of the disaster, since an unknown energy leaked from the meteor. This energy mixed with the ocean currents and spread across the world at breakneck speeds, becoming a source of mutation.

Countless creatures absorbed this energy without notice, slowly becoming more aggressive and irritable. It wasn't apparent at first, but it eventually showed its effects when certain social creatures suddenly lashed out against their companions over the most insignificant of reasons.

That was the start of a bloody era, full of death and unjustified violence. Creatures tore each other apart for no reason, losing themselves in their madness and instincts.

The remaining creatures tried their best to resist these outliers, but newly converted creatures would always join their ranks. There were many instances where they lost their reason and attacked their allies, creating distrust for any teamwork.

Eventually, it became so bad that all resemblances of order disappeared from the ocean, becoming a battlefield solely for survival. For two whole years, the once beautiful deep blue ocean took on a pinkish hue, testifying to the massacres that happened in this period.

But no matter how the creatures resisted, they ultimately succumbed to the meteor's influence, becoming mad like the others. Ironically, this was also the stablest period in this era. When everyone's insane, no one's insane.

As such, all life accepted the norm of violence and built a new order on the ruins of the old. During this time, creatures did everything to evolve stronger traits, killing and devouring everything in their path.

They didn't care that this model was unsustainable since they could only survive with strength. If they were to let up once, they would be surpassed the following day, becoming the nourishment for another being.

As such, they wantonly plundered the planet's resources, sending it into a decline. By now, the pristine jewel was no more, having been marred by the very children it birthed.

Nonetheless, there was one area that maintained its calm, unaffected by the turmoil around it. When the meteor first landed, the impact killed most life in the area. Those who survived the catastrophe were displaced by the torrential currents it caused, forming a zone devoid of life.

The escaping energy also killed anything that approached this zone, being too potent for their fragile bodies. It wasn't until the water diluted it multiple times that the strongest creatures could withstand it.

Due to the high concentration of energy, these creatures were the first to fall, becoming rampant disasters to all nearby life. The beings who could survive in this area were already among the strongest on the planet, so this energy brought them to a new level.

After some time, the strongest creatures awakened the instinct for dominance and set out to claim their own territories, leaving the weaker ones to struggle for limited resources.

However, this later proved to be a mistake since the creatures realized they grew faster when they were closer to the void zone. At the time, they didn't know this was due to the higher concentration of energy, but it couldn't hide the phenomenon.

Over the next twenty years, these starved predators gradually dispersed into the wider seas, becoming hegemons of their area. Those who once oppressed them now became their servants, groveling for their lives.

With this new dynamic, conflicts also formed between rivals. Battles between resources and prey reached a new level, eventually devolving into a battle between fellow overlords. Many of them were once peaceful neighbors, a relationship that fell apart over the years due to their desire for power.

Among these battles, many losers and few winners emerged. Those who won their battles expanded their territories, obtaining enough resources to take another step forward.

The losers were typically devoured, fueling their opponent's evolution. It was a bloody process, but not all predators met this fate. Among this group, there was one predator lucky enough to survive the battle and flee the scene.

His opponent also gave chase, unwilling to spare his foe. After so many years of battle, all the creatures knew that they needed to eliminate their foes or risk retaliation.

With how fast the world was evolving, it was only a matter of time before their enemies returned for revenge. By then, they would be taking a huge gamble on whether they would win the fight. Since that was so risky, they might as well remove all potential threats while they still can.

The loser of this battle knew this and fled for his life, traveling further than he ever had. He went through the territories of other overlords, disregarding how provocative it was.

He dived into the darkest seas and swam into the densest corals, pushing every trait to its limits. But no matter what he tried, he couldn't lose his pursuer. This sent him into despair, but he refused to give up. In a way, the creatures in this era were very similar to a certain nightmare we all know.

After several days of pursuit, the creature was on the verge of death when he sensed a foreign energy. Desperate to survive, he rampantly absorbed it without any consideration, mutating faster than the blink of an eye. This transformation gave him enough power to counterattack and kill his hunter.

However, the creature quickly followed in his enemy's footsteps as his body broke down from the overbearing energy. Even after so many years of evolution, the inhabitants of this world still couldn't bear the meteor's tyrannical energy.

In the creature's mindless escape, he had unknowingly returned to the void zone that once gave him so much power.

Nonetheless, it didn't stop the world from trying. After realizing the creature had gained immense power by approaching the meteor, they abandoned their territories and pilgrimage there, hoping to gain more power.

This led to a congregation of powerful beings around the area, unwittingly starting another bloodbath. After so many years of conflict, there were bound to be grudges among the group.

Despite this, the area quickly settled down after a few days, leaving only curiosity about the mysterious area. The creatures explored for some time before realizing the path to power was right before them. All they needed to do was traverse it and adapt to the energy.

As such, each creature did its best to further enter the void zone. Those who got further evolved faster, leaving their peers behind. They weren't even on the same level after a few days.

This difference was so big that the creatures started judging strength based on the distance traversed rather than body size. It didn't matter how small they were - as long as they went deeper than the others, the energy would make up the difference. This was now a matter of compatibility and strength instead of evolution progress.

This distance-pushing craze lasted another twenty years before the strongest creatures reached the center of the void zone. From there, it became a deadlock since they couldn't push any further.

If they tried, their bodies would instantly break down from the huge spike in energy intensity. For comparison, if their current area had a difficulty of 8, then the core zone was at 112!

It was not a difference they could make up given their circumstances. Regardless, these apex predators refused to give up and hovered around the border between the two zones. They gradually increased their strength and bided their time, waiting for the breakthrough point.

For ten whole years, nothing changed about the situation. The creatures grew stronger, but they hadn't moved an inch. It was a deadlock with no end. This caused some to become restless and test their luck.

To no one's surprise, they joined the generations before them in death, solidifying the reputation of the forbidden zone. Anyone who dared enter would only meet the same fate. That was taken for granted, but what they didn't know was that there were, in fact, signs of life inside the zone.

One of the perished creatures had been pregnant and released a small egg on death. Miraculously, this egg survived the onslaught of energy and perfectly adapted to it, an unbelievable feat for its fragile state.

The egg feasted on the energy and incubated for several years, laying dormant before finally hatching. When the shell broke, a black creature with red stripes emerged. The creature was unlike anything the planet had seen before, emitting a dark and dangerous aura that threatened to erode the water around it.

It also possessed a self-awareness abnormal to newborns, having been blessed with terrifying potential after being nurtured by the unknown energy since its premature birth.

Its shifty eyes darted around, observing the surroundings and searching for the origin of the delicious energy. When it realized the source was nowhere in sight, it settled for a higher concentration area and devoured the leaking energy.

After satisfying its hunger, it searched for a home. Its only requirement was that it would have more energy than its current location. This request was easily fulfilled after a few minutes of travel, prompting the creature to do better. So it kept searching.

And searching. It wasn't content even after traversing 8 zones because it knew this wasn't the limit. It had been so easy to find these areas, so it should be possible to find a better one.

Like this, the creature followed the energy concentration back to the meteor and made it his home. It took a while to carve a hole, but it managed with its rapidly strengthening physique.

There, it stayed for the next 25 years, growing and evolving, unbeknownst to everyone. The creatures outside noticed the energy concentration decrease in these years but didn't think much of it. There was plenty of it to go around anyway.

At least that was what they thought until the energy dried up. In their panic, the creatures entered to investigate, following the same path that the hatchling had taken before. In the end, they discovered the meteor and the hatchling living inside. They couldn't believe their eyes when they saw this, but their urgency suppressed the disbelief.

Instead, they attacked the hatchling, believing it was responsible for the sudden loss of energy. They weren't wrong, but the main reason was that their instincts urged them to devour this foe. It told them that if they managed to do this, they would achieve a level of evolution unmatched by others.

This feeling was so strong that it caused them to lose their minds and fall into the same madness that started this era. Unfortunately, these were merely delusions in their minds as the hatchling easily repelled them and unleashed a fierce counterattack. No, "counterattack" is not the correct word. It was more of a one-sided massacre.

Every. Single. Predator. Dead! Just like that, the era lost all its strongest beings. This revelation shocked the world so much that this area became a forbidden zone once again.

All the creatures avoided it like the plague and split the world into five sections, consisting of the hatchling's central area and the four cardinal directions.

That marked the start of the third era in the planet's history. For the next 25 years, the four seas did everything they could to surpass the levels of the previous era. Since they couldn't absorb energy from the meteor anymore, they settled for an extreme method: plundering it from others.

It was the same method as the first era, but there was more collective energy due to the passing of time. It was also the most brutal era since the entire ocean transformed into a deep, dark red. It was so strong that one could taste iron in the air.

The battles were equally intense to maintain this color, resembling the process of nurturing gu. Treating the oceans as the jars, and creatures as the gus, these beings massacred each other until only one remained from each ocean.

This was the limit in concentrating the energy spread across the oceans. After this, it would be difficult to find another strand of energy. The ocean had been cleansed of all pollutants, returning to its untarnished state.

The only problem was that the four disasters had literally consumed the entire ocean to reach this point, turning the seas into a desolate graveyard. 

If they wanted to grow further, they would need to either devour each other or attack the tyrant in the meteor. They chose the latter since they weren't confident in defeating the hatchling even after consuming the other three.

It would be more effective to team up and split the hunt. That way, they could all grow stronger or die trying.

So they gathered and confronted the hatchling, but the result was self-evident. Rather, it was worse than before since the hatchling had only gotten stronger. It didn't even take much effort this time.

But instead of killing them, the hatchling gave them the choice of submission. The four disasters weren't keen on dying, so they bowed their heads, acknowledging the hatching as their king.

Afterward, the plague disaster asked why he spared them. What was the point of being a king when they were the only beings left in the world?

To answer that question, the king brought them to the meteor and channeled his powers. A few seconds later, a mind wave swept over them, filling their heads with intent.

"If you are listening to this, then it means you've reached the threshold to become an envoy candidate. Congratulations on passing the first test. Your next test is to step into the cosmos and temper your strength. If you somehow manage to reach the third step, come find me in the world of Aeternum. I'll tell you the next step in mastering my power. And remember, I am Azoloth, The Horned One."

After the message finished playing, another wave of information flooded their minds, inducing them to thrash around wildly.

Tsunamis formed from their motions, causing a tremendous disturbance in the area and demonstrating their massive bodies. It was fortunate that the area was entirely ocean, or the planet would have one more sunken island.

When they calmed down again, they realized their minds had been engraved with a foreign piece of information. Now, they would never forget since the branding would rekindle their memories. It was a perfect transfer of knowledge, consisting of everything they needed to know about conjuring portals.

Subsequently, they comprehended the implications behind the message and reawakened their desire for power. Now that they understood the vastness of the universe, they refused to be confined by their planet. It was the same sentiment as their king, which answered their prior question.

Excited by the possibility of further growth, they opened a portal and attacked a neighboring world. It was a simple invasion since none of the inhabitants could match them.

Like this, they repeated the massacre that scarred their home planet. Doomsday had started early for this planet.

Through this conquest, they also discovered two crucial points. The first was that their massive bodies were terribly inefficient for crossing through portals. To fit their size, they had to exhaust themselves multiple times before they could enter.

The second point was that the massacre had a negligible effect on their progress. Their energy demand had surpassed what normal planets could provide, especially when divided between the five of them.

To combat these issues, the parasites settled on two solutions. They would evolve their bodies to become smaller, thereby condensing their powers and increasing their mobility. They spent the next decade achieving that, shrinking their behemoth bodies down to the size of a small building.

After that, they decided to split up and develop on their own. That way, they only had themselves to blame if they fell behind. Finally, they agreed to meet again after some time to consolidate their gains and elect a new king.

With the possibility of evolution before them, none of the four disasters were content with their position and wanted to challenge the throne.

The king graciously accepted, and they set off, unleashing their catastrophe upon their starfield. Somewhere along the line, the five of them obtained humanoid forms and subdued civilizations to expand their armies.

For 40 years, they rampaged across the starfield, destroying one world after the other before reuniting again.

However, only four of them returned, with the plague disaster gone missing. It was a somber realization since Panolis had always been punctual. He would never have missed this reunion if he could help it. That left his death as the only explanation.

What a terrifying world they live in, to think someone of their level would die so suddenly.

Due to this unexpected occurrence, the agreed-upon battle never occurred, and the king kept his position. It didn't matter since the group was convinced by his ability.

Still, they set aside their melancholy and headed for the stars, attacking the next starfield over. Like this, the Parasites grew in power, conquering one starfield after the other.

But at the peak of their growth, they were obstructed by the four factions. Due to the factions' vast civilization and powers, they had already colonized most of the galaxy and shifted their conflicts onto the Spatial Battlefield.

If the Parasites wanted to expand any further, they would need to fight there instead of invading starfields. They didn't have a choice since they couldn't bear the consequences of breaking the agreement.

However, this raised a different problem since the battlefield wasn't something any civilization could fight in. Many species had tried, but they rarely survived for long. There was a good reason why only four factions were acknowledged by Eternal Void.

Not only did these species lose their strongest warriors, but they also lost their territory, becoming mere vassals to the main four. After countless examples of this, these weaker civilizations lost their ambitions and accepted their powerlessness.

Nonetheless, the Parasites remained undaunted by this fact and dived headfirst into the battlefield. Since they were the most recent addition, they were also the weakest group. They didn't have the troops that the factions did, making it very difficult to defend their territories.

As such, they decided to snatch troops from them. Applying Prosarozo's mutation and Diaftora's assimilation, the group managed to create a parasite that simulated Panolis's infection, which would go on to become the body snatchers that made up their armies.

After several fierce conflicts, the group finally stabilized their situation and gained time to evolve. In turn, they obtained a permanent foothold and became the fifth major faction on the battlefield.

The Reapers and Balancers were excluded because they weren't involved in the territory conflict. The Reapers were only interested in death while Balancers were the referees. To the civilizations in this galaxy, these two groups were outsiders and wouldn't interfere with their livelihoods. Thus, they didn't need to pay attention to them unless they planned on entering the battlefield.

The same couldn't be said for the five major factions because they could become their rulers at any cycle. To maximize their chances of survival, they would need to understand their overseers' preferences and adapt accordingly. Otherwise, they might experience an aggravating death over a trivial detail that could have been easily prevented.

This was especially true for the Parasites, who had achieved a legendary level of growth, going from underdogs to a respectable threat. And now, Genji stood before these beings, baring his weapons and challenging their positions.

 

---

 

"Is that what you think?" the seated king asked with an emotionless voice. "Because to me, you're merely an ant I can easily crush."

With those words, he conjured a curved red staff and pushed himself off the seat.

[Special stat surpasses the target by a decent amount. The power of the target is in a higher step than yours. Obtaining 42% of the target's information.]

[King of Parasites, Epivlavis]

Health: 39,700/39,700

Baleful Energy: 2,500/2,500

Con: 47

Str: 48

Dex: 45

Int: 50

Spc: 41

Skills:

 - High lord (Passive): +30,000 hp

 - Parasitic Evolution (Passive): Consume other creatures to permanently strengthen your stats.

 - Body of Baleful Harm (Passive): +5,000 hp, your energy takes on a baleful trait.

 - Unusual Weapon Mastery (Supreme): Effect cannot be read.

 - Grievous Injuries (Passive): When you injure a foe, their wounds will resist all healing effects below medium priority and worsen with time. If untreated, this wound will be their demise.

- Portal Opening (Active): Consume energy to open a portal between two locations. The bigger the distance and the longer the duration, the higher the energy cost.

 - Blink (Active): Instantly teleport anywhere within a 20-meter radius. 

 - Weapon Conjuring (Active): Form any weapon with your energy.

 - Connate Weapon Formation (Active/Passive): Form a connate weapon from your flesh, blood, and bones. This weapon will live and grow with you, becoming your greatest tool. You can retract and summon it at will. When retracted, it cannot be sensed. If you die, this weapon will follow you. If it breaks, you will also sustain a severe injury.

No other skills can be read

 

[Special stat surpasses the target by a large margin. No interference was detected. Obtaining 100% of the target's information.]

[General of Decay, Aposynthesi]

Health: 27,100/27,100

Decaying Energy: 960/960

Con: 46

Str: 47

Dex: 43

Int: 48

Spc: 36

Skills: 

 - Boss (Passive): +20,000 hp

 - Body of Decay (Passive): +2,500 hp, energy takes on a decaying trait.

 - Parasitic Evolution (Passive): Same as above.

 - Portal Opening (Active): Same as above.

 - Sword Mastery (Grandmaster)

 - Decaying Wounds (Passive): Injuries caused by your attacks will lose all life and decay. If the corroded part isn't cut off, it will continue to drain the nearby life force until the target is dead.

 - Sword of Decay (Active/Passive): Conjure a large sword with your energy. Injuries dealt by the sword will wither at a rapid pace.

 - Life Plundering (Active): Channel your energy to forcibly cause a target to wither away. The more energy used, the more life force is destroyed. Maximum range of 50 meters.

 - Aura of Decomposition (Passive): Hostile targets will experience a constant weakening. Range of 25 meters.

 - Crippling of Strength (Active): Swipe out with your hand and cause a target to temporarily lose all their strength. The duration of this effect depends on their constitution stat.

 - Grasp of Paralysis (Active): Lock one arm in place and forcibly paralyze a target. As long as your arm doesn't move, the target will be under this effect. All forms of resistance from the target will be borne by your arm. 

 - Rotting Embrace (Active): Summon tendrils of decay to entangle a target. Each tendril will weaken the target's resistance to status effects and their defense. Effects can stack.

 - Ultimate: Cursed Grounds (Active): Spread all your energy to form a rotting field around you. When within this field, you will obtain a buff to all energy-related skills and enemies will experience a hindrance. The exact degrees depend on your remaining energy upon casting. Cooldown of 15 days.

 - Ultimate: The Embodiment of Decay is Me (Active): Burn your life and energy to unleash an area of absolute decay. A countdown of 15 seconds will begin. Every second, the area locked on by you will experience varying degrees of decomposition. By the end, all matter will return to dust and disappear. Cooldown of 2 months.

 

Genji had a dark grimace when these stats flashed before his eyes.

'As expected of two of the strongest beings on the battlefield.'

Whereas Aposynthesi had countless abilities centered around decay and debuffs, Genji couldn't even see through Epivlavis. Not only was Epivlavis in the 3rd step, but he also had weapon mastery at the Supreme level.

Genji was outmatched in every way, but it was too late to back down now. Strength coursed through his veins as Berserk activated, increasing his physical stats to match his opponents. Then, he suddenly appeared in front of Epivlavis and launched two swift strikes.

The red staff intercepted both attacks with a fierce twist before shifting outward to strike Genji's chest. Genji dug his feet into the ground and used it as leverage to bring his daggers down.

At this moment, both combatants simultaneously unleashed their follow-ups. Genji exhaled and manifested Cocoon, catching Epivlavis within the border while the parasite's staff morphed around his daggers to slice his wrists.

Both of them sensed the incoming danger and backed off, leaving small nicks on the targeted area. From this exchange, Genji was assured that his attacks could still fatally injure his foes, unlike his skirmishes against the beast kings.

Suddenly, a sword of decay swept at Genji, disrupting his retreat. Aposynthesi had reacted and made his move.

Genji shifted his body and moved his dagger into the sword's path, utilizing the collision to assist his movement. As he glided over the ground, Epivlavis teleported beside him for another strike. This time, his staff had transformed into a spear and threatened to skewer Genji.

Genji manifested Cocoon again and used the resulting cutting intent to parry the stab. A harsh sound resembling grinding metal resounded in the air as the spear bounced off the barrier, giving Genji enough time to readjust his stance.

However, the distant Aposynthesi had different plans as he tucked his left arm into his body. At this motion, Genji felt as if a giant arm had grabbed him, causing his body to stiffen.

Grasp of Paralysis.

Genji instantly matched his current condition to the skill and knew he needed to resist. But Epivlavis wasn't going to make it easy for him. Using this brief window, he charged up his energy and morphed the tip of his spear into a blade. A red aura lingered around the tip, boosting its deadliness to new levels.

As Epivlavis swung at Genji, the shaft of the weapon curved from the force. There was no doubt that if this strike landed, the fight would be over, even if Genji survived.

Realizing this crisis, Genji activated Quantum Shield and rampantly circulated his energy. Milliseconds after impact, the barrier shattered into tiny shards, which hovered for an instant before shooting into the distance. Fortunately, this brought Genji enough time to dispel the paralysis and respond with his own attack.

Shadow flames briefly collided with the baleful aura, canceling each other out before Genji succumbed to the tremendous force that hurled him backward. In his previous position, following the trajectory of Epivlavis's attack, a large gouge formed in the ground.

As he soared through the air, Genji's arm creaked with pain. The time provided wasn't enough to build up much force, so he had to bear the full brunt of the attack. Luckily, he had utilized Like A Feather before contact, giving him enough distance to recoup.

But before he could get far, he sensed the space around him distorted, and his surroundings suddenly shifted. His mind raced to keep up with the change, observing all the details to pinpoint his new location.

As his eyes darted about, the corners of his eyes spotted a deep gouge in the ground. It was a familiar gouge, one that had been in his vision mere moments ago.

'They opened a portal back to my previous position.'

As if confirming his suspicions, an overwhelming sense of danger rushed at him from behind. Without wasting another moment, Genji activated Dominance Aura to disorient Epivlalis. In the short moment the attack faltered, Genji stomped down on the ground, propelling himself upward and barely arching over the weapon.

As he fell, Genji swung at the outstretched shaft, pushing it away before it could morph into another attack. Then, he slashed with his other hand, unleashing a giant wave of cutting intent point-blank.

At this moment, Epivlalis recovered from the stun and teleported away, reducing the damage to a small graze. Genji landed on the ground and crossed his arms, pulling his daggers to his side before unleashing everything with all his strength. A bright tide of light blanketed the area, forcing both of his opponents to teleport again.

Using this time, Genji hurriedly brought out some mutation potions to splash on his wrist. It had only been a few seconds since Epivlalis injured him, but his arms were already losing strength. If he didn't treat it soon, he would lose his fighting capabilities.

When the potions seeped into his wounds, his flesh pulsated widely but struggled to seal. The energy remnants in his body were resisting the repair, but the weakening rate had slowed down.

'This is worse than I expected. I can't afford too many injuries or the fight will be over.'

Genji chugged another potion and looked up at Epivlalis. Unlike the wounds Genji had sustained, his had already healed under a familiar writhing of flesh. Epivlalis met his gaze and narrowed his glowing red eyes, realizing Genji was stronger than he gave him credit for.

Despite this, Epivlalis maintained his calm demeanor and tossed up his staff. As it spun in the air, it glowed an ominous red before disassembling into numerous needles.

Genji's pupils dilated in realization and rushed to escape the incoming barrage, but Aposynthesi intercepted him once more. Appearing out of thin air, Aposynthesi swiped out his hand, and Genji lost strength in his legs.

A black sword slashed at his arms, affirming their plan to grind him down with small injuries. Genji retaliated with a crescent slash, but Aposynthesi easily avoided it by teleporting behind him.

Untraceable Movement.

Genji swapped to a backhand grip and pivoted his body, seeking to jam the dagger into Aposynthesi's side. At this moment, the tip of Aposynthesi's sword touched the ground and unleashed a massive amount of energy. Streams of darkness darted from the blade and gathered by Genji's feet.

Then, they reached upward, grabbing his legs and stalling him in place. Another sense of weakening crashed into him as Aposynthesi teleported away, having achieved his goal.

With his movement restricted, Genji couldn't be in a worse position to confront the incoming storm of needles. Left with no choice, Genji gritted his teeth and unleashed his largest wave of cutting intent before covering himself with Cocoon.

Solid Core resisted most of the physical damage, but it didn't stop the baleful energy from seeping into his wounds. Shards of skin chipped away under this barrage, revealing the taut muscles beneath. During this process, Genji splashed himself with most of his potions, trying to sustain his wildly fluctuating health bar.

To worsen his situation, his wounds also started rotting as Aposynthesi added his energy into the mix. The combination of the two corroding abilities synergized to create a multiplicative effect, exacerbating his condition.

This storm of needles lasted for a couple more seconds before Genji sensed the attack frequency decrease. Without hesitation, he canceled the barrier around him and charged out.

The needles around him floated up from the ground and readjusted their tips at Genji. Then, they shot out, narrowly missing Genji as he flashstepped into the distance.

Epivlalis stopped controlling these projectiles and stepped out, forming a chain and sickle to confront him. Genji's dagger clashed against the taut chain, which twirled around to lock his weapon in place.

The sickle end came at Genji's shoulder, only to be parried by the other dagger. Epivlalis pulled inward, seeking to disarm the tangled dagger. To his surprise, Genji released it without resistance, causing him to stumble slightly. Capitalizing on this opening, Genji leaned in and summoned [Curse Bearer], delivering an upfront shot.

The large explosion blinded Epivlalis, breaking his defenses and loosening the binding on the dagger. Genji appeared beside him and unleashed a forceful strike, knocking Epivlalis back enough to safely retrieve his dagger.

Epivlalis yanked on the chain, sending the flail end at Genji's head. Genji tilted his head aside, letting the weapon pass by his cheek. Then he immediately cartwheeled away, narrowly dodging the curved blade that elongated from the chain.

As Genji got to his feet, Aposynthesi stepped near him with a diagonal slash. Genji twisted his body around it and lunged at the throat. Whisps of cutting intent marred the chest, but Aposynthesi managed to keep the damage to a minimum.

At this moment, Epivlalis also joined the fight with an S-shaped blade. Together, they tag-teamed him and pushed him on the defensive. Epivlalis erratically transformed his weapon, forcing Genji to predict the unusual follow-ups to survive.

Aposynthesi occasionally pestered him with Grasp of Paralysis, making it very difficult to move as Genji expected. Although he broke out of the binding relatively quickly, these untimely disruptions left their marks.

Genji rarely had the opportunity to counterattack since their teamwork perfectly covered each other's openings. If Genji insisted on trading injuries, he would be on the losing side since his target could always teleport away, leaving him to endure the attacks alone.

Due to Epivlalis possessing a faster teleport, he fought Genji the majority of the time, with Aposynthesi supporting him from the side. After a few of these exchanges, Genji seized an opening to deliver a deadly stab.

Wicks of shadow flames sliced away at Epivlalis's carapace, drawing spurts of blood and forcing him to disengage once again. Subsequently, Aposynthesi's sword of decay swept at him, threatening to sever his arm. The attack was perfectly timed such that Genji wouldn't have time to retract it. They had planned this follow-up and purposely relaxed their defenses.

Despite the threat of crippling, Genji remained unfazed and kicked out at the blade. Whisps of cutting intent coated his boots and repelled the incoming energy. A loud clang of metal resounded in their ears as ripples of air radiated from their position.

Genji twisted his upper body and unleashed another strike at the chest, compelling Aposynthesi to parry. Genji leveraged this contact point to pull himself to the side and stab down with a backhand grip.

Aposynthesi reached out and grabbed Genji's wrist, stopping the strike with trembling arms. However, Genji only used this as more leverage to launch a barrage of kicks and stabs, overwhelming Aposynthesi until he was forced to teleport away.

This time, Epivlalis didn't continue the chain of attacks, knowing that Genji had gotten used to their abilities. Any further attempts would only be a waste of energy and potential danger. The two of them exchanged a short glance and nodded at each other, agreeing on a decision: it was time to unleash the big guns.

Aposynthesi went first, discharging all his energy into the ground, causing it to rot away and turn dark purple. His sword also elongated, transforming into a long sword with a narrow blade. Ultimate: Cursed Ground has been unleashed.

As the area of decayed ground expanded, Aposynthesi approached Genji menacingly. His sword was pointed at the ground and scraped off the top layer of earth. With each step he took, the ground gave away, impressing his footprints into the soil.

While this was happening, Epivlalis underwent a drastic change. First, his ever-changing weapon condensed back into staff form before splitting into six equal segments. These small rods hovered around him, rotating slowly as they glowed red. Then, they expanded in volume, distorting into many shapes that eventually settled on claw-like gloves.

Finally, Epivlalis's back burst open, revealing four stumps that extended outward. These stumps slipped into the gloves, fusing as if they were originally one. By the end of this process, Epivlalis had a total of six arms, each equipped with sharp, glistening claws.

Genji also followed in their example and unleashed Absolute Severance. His daggers shone with a deadly gleam, promising death to anyone targeted by them.

'45 seconds. I need to finish this by then.'

After a brief staredown, all three fighters burst into action and disappeared from their positions. Genji's daggers crashed into Aposynthesi's blade, unleashing copious amounts of cutting intent that blew away the approaching decay.

Epivlalis appeared behind Genji and brandished his claws, locking all directions of retreat. Three silhouettes rushed out from Genji's body with one going upward, one sliding under Aposynthesi, and one charging at Epivlalis. Genji swapped with the one above him and gained enough height to dodge the encirclement.

Without giving them time to react, Genji leaned forward and slashed down, blanketing them both in ferocious cutting intent. In response, Epivlalis reached out with his claws, dug them into the stream, and tore it apart like an unstoppable god of war.

But before they could rejoice, another streak of light swept down. This time, Aposynthesi stepped forward with a strike equal in power. Both forces collided in the air and scattered into petals that drifted by.

Suddenly, a dagger pierced through Aposynthesi's back and emerged from his chest. While they were occupied by his attacks, Genji swapped positions again and delivered this mortally wounding strike. He aimed for the torso because it was the closest target. As such, Aposynthesi never had time to react and teleport away.

In this instant, Aposynthesi sensed cutting intent coursing through the dagger and seeking to expand. If he doesn't deal with this immediately, he will be skewered from the inside out. Realizing this, a ruthless gleam flashed across his eyes as he stabbed his sword through his abdomen and straight for Genji's heart.

This brutal move forced Genji to swap positions again, allowing Aposynthesi to barely survive the surprise attack. However, this came at a previous cost, with most of his mangled by cutting intent.

Genji appeared beside Epivlalis, but the king was prepared for his attack. Claws met daggers, but the numerical advantage forced Genji back. Nonetheless, cracks formed in the claws that blocked Genji's attack, unable to ensure sharpness.

Epivlalis's eyes glowed brighter, and his body surged with energy, coating all his claws in a baleful aura. His arms swelled with Herculean strength as he disappeared from his position, teleporting behind Genji.

Untraceable Movement activated again, giving Genji enough speed to marginally weave between the torrent of swipes. Small cuts rapidly accumulated on Genji's body, spawning droplets of blood that were immediately obliterated by Epivlalis's barrage.

Suddenly, tendrils of decay reached out again, halting Genji's movements and forcing him to confront the attacks head-on. Despite his grievous wounds that refused to heal, Aposynthesi had chosen an opportune time to disrupt. Sensing the looming death, Genji burst out with all his potential and concentrated all his strength in one swing.

Dagger Arts: Focus Strike!

The impact of the collision was earth-shaking, unleashing more than enough force to tear the tendrils apart. Genji was flung backward with a broken arm, but Epivlalis didn't fare any better.

A heavy claw with uneven cuts roughly fell to the ground, as if torn apart with brute force. The claw below the severed arm also sustained heavy damage, with evident cracks forming around the deep gnash. Epivlalis's flesh wriggled to heal this wound, but Genji's liberation obstructed it. In a way, this effect achieved a similar result as Epivlalis's energy.

When Genji landed, he dug his feet into the ground, enduring the full impact of the strike. He needed to remain on his feet since his opponents could attack him at any moment. To his surprise, neither of them tried anything, which only added to his uneasiness.

'Something's not right. Why are they giving up such an opening? They've been relentless since the fight started.'

When the dust cleared and Genji stabilized himself, a sense of foreboding swelled in him. His opponents were planning something, and he needed to stop them. But before he could do anything else, Aposynthesi appeared in front of him, overloading his instincts with danger.

"I'm too injured to survive this battle, so let me carry out one final act of loyalty, my king. With my life as the price, I'll embody the essence of decay. Fall with me, worthy one, so that we may no longer hold him back from greater power. The Embodiment of Decay is ME!"

As Aposynthesi roared the name of his final ultimate, a white circle appeared behind him. Suddenly, a streak of purple manifested at the 12 o'clock position and rotated counterclockwise. At this moment, Genji sensed his life force rapidly fading away, in line with the disappearing matter around him.

With each passing moment, the decaying force got stronger, and the shade of purple got deeper. By his estimate, the circle would turn completely black by the time it finished the rotation.

But that wasn't Genji's main worry since he realized the countdown was shorter than the stated description, much much shorter. Additionally, the progress wheel was only getting faster, further decreasing Genji's remaining time.

Facing this unprecedented crisis, Genji's mind started racing again, grasping for any chance of survival. His perception of time started slowing down as his brain went into overdrive. However, the result was futile as nothing in his repertoire could disrupt this ability. Realizing this, his brain fell into acceptance, and Genji's life flashed before his eyes.

From a young toddler in an orphanage to a teenage assassin, to entering EverRealm, to all his preparations. All of that appeared in his consciousness like a movie and made him ask, 'Do I have any regrets?'

Like always, he immediately answered with, 'No. I've always done what I wanted, so what is there to regret? My choices? As if. I pride myself on them.'

'But then, why am I so restless in the face of death?'

It was a conflicting question, but his mind directed his consciousness to the preparations he made before this battle. It was there that he obtained his real answer.

'Because I refuse to sit there and wait for death. My brain might have given up on me, but my spirit hasn't given in! You want to play suicide with me? Fine! I'll join you. Let's see which one of us dies first!'

With those thoughts, Genji broke the capsule in his mouth, unleashing the poison hidden within. This wrecked his body and provoked his shadow core into overdrive once more. Rampant and uncontrollable energy pumped out from its structure, further accelerating his body's breakdown.

Nonetheless, Genji's bloodshot eyes remained focused on Apsynthesi as he forced his energy to flow a certain way. Organs were shredded in this carelessness, but it had completed its intended course and ended in the dagger held by his remaining arm. A ferocious vortex formed at record speeds, coming into existence milliseconds after Genji swallowed the poison.

Without further thought, Genji lunged at Aposynthesi and decapitated him, halting the progress wheel on the verge of completion. Genji paid no attention to it and flashstepped with all his energy, further breaking his body apart to appear before Epivlalis.

His dagger lashed out at the throat, but Epivlalis instinctively brought up three arms to bear the strike. Upon collision, he severed the arms and pierced Genji's chest, crushing his heart.

Genji stared blankly at this outcome and raised his weapon in a backhand grip. Then he layered his broken arm over it and struck down with all his strength, stabbing it right through the head. The next instant, the rampaging energy coursed into Epivlalis's body, destroying the last of his life.

In his last moments of consciousness, Epivlalis acknowledged that Genji was a formidable opponent. He might not be the strongest foe Epivlais had killed, but he is the most resolute. To die with such an opponent is an honor. Then they fell backward, separating to reveal a humongous gaping hole in Genji's chest.

But despite his fatal wounds, Genji's tenacious willpower had different plans. As he was falling, it compelled him to bring out one last potion and splash himself. Then he hit the ground, losing the last of his consciousness.