The Final Desperation

Hours after the Celestials retreated, the Beasts attacked. It was a short break, but it gave Igani enough time to clean up the battlefield and replenish her troops. 

However, these troops proved mostly useless against the Beasts. Unlike the Celestials, the Beasts attacked with a small group of elites and swam through the insect tide like fish in water. 

Their vigorous bodies knocked back all incoming units and skillfully defended their blind spots. If needed, a nearby ally would help out, giving them enough time to regain their footing. Together, the Beasts formed a cohesive unit that stood against all attacks.

Among this group, Genji spotted a human wielding a glistening katana. With each swing, he emitted a red aura that easily slew distant elites. Occasionally, he would dig the blade into a mini-boss, hacking it apart effortlessly. From the display, it was evident that his weapon had a high level of sharpness, capable of disregarding most defenses.

Between Genji and him, it was unknown whose weapon was sharper, but it couldn't be denied that a katana had a longer reach, making it a more suitable weapon for frontal combat. 

Using this advantage, the man mowed through the Zergs at an even pace, effortlessly leading the charge as one of the frontrunners. 

Intrigued by this oddity among the attackers, Genji spared some energy for a brief scan.

[Special stat drastically outranges the opponents. Obtaining relevant information.]

[Note: Due to the target being a member of the realms, skills and abilities will be omitted.]

[Xue Fe]

Talent: A Bloody Fate - Intelligence Molding

Health: 4,371/4,600

Blood Aura: 780/940

Con: 46

Str: 45

Dex: 45

Int: 47

Spc: 14

 

"Blood aura and a katana? Are you the Blood Swordsman?" Genji muttered to himself, recalling the cryptic descriptions he overheard a few weeks back.

Although he phrased it as a question, his tone was confident, which drew Bruce's attention and made him wonder about the difference between blood aura and his own abilities

Curious about this contrast, Bruce directed the majority of his attacks at Xue Fe, only to be slashed apart by his katana.

The stream of blood scattered in the collision, forced apart by the infused aura. After that, Bruce lost control of all the affected blood, demonstrating the restriction the aura had on his abilities. 

"Focus your efforts somewhere else. His abilities seem to have some corroding effects on vitality, so your attacks won't be effective against him," Genji said, noticing the exchange. "In fact, I don't think they're effective against any of them since they have such strong bodies. Try hindering them instead."

Bruce acknowledged Genji's analysis and controlled the blood to grab their feet, slightly hampering their movements.

While this was happening, Genji picked up the abandoned plasma rifles and bombarded the group. Most of them proved to be useless since the Beasts swiped them out of the air with the help of their extraordinary senses.

Genji also kicked some to Bruce, who joined in the barrage. Multiple blood tentacles picked up the rifles, aimed in the Beasts' general direction, and fired with faulty precision. Bruce couldn't be blamed for the poor accuracy since this was his first time using firearms, but it added to the chaos.

Pairing the random streaks of plasma and insect barricades, they left a few shallow wounds on their opponents. Still, this did little to deter the beasts but rather incentivized them to strengthen their defenses. 

To make matters worse, a deafening roar resounded in the distance, announcing the arrival of another group. This roar, in particular, was filled with mighty pride, common among only one class of beasts.

Hearing this kingly declaration, Genji's expression took on a new level of solemnness. This was not an opponent Genji wanted to face right now. But his desires meant little against reality as the owner of the roar soon appeared in their sights.

Landing from the skies, a Godzilla-like beast king shook the ground like a magnitude 6 earthquake. Genji was familiar with this beast king since he had once fought against it when he first entered the central battlefield. At the time, he had lost miserably in a clash of strength and ended up wounded, which only dampened the current situation. 

If that was the outcome in his normal condition, then one could imagine the result now that he was debilitated by injuries. Nonetheless, Genji remained unwavering and rushed at the beast king, knowing he was the only one who could stop it. Otherwise, the beast king would run rampant and destroy Igani's nest within seconds. 

Genji wasn't ready to give up all progress so he pushed forward, seeking to delay long enough for Igani to escape. As he ran, he pulled out a few bottles filled with bright fluids and mixed them, releasing a yellowish gas into the area. Genji had anticipated more battles so he had brewed some consumables in the hours prior.

Upon inhaling the gas, his cells quivered with anticipation, ready to fully unleash their vigor. The Zergs also got stronger, allowing them to surge forward like a relentless tsunami. The beasts, on the other hand, felt something was amiss and did their best to avoid the gas.

Xue Fe, who was cutting down units like melons, also put on an advanced gas mask, filtering all incoming substances at the cost of limiting his vision. Due to these changes, the speed of advancement significantly slowed down, giving Genji enough time to confront the beast king.

As Genji leaped into the air, his daggers glimmered with cutting intent and unleashed a crescent wave at the beast king's chest. In response, the colossal beast swiped its sharp claws, smashing the attack.

Flickers of light dissipated around the claw, dropping with a few shards of reflective scales. A few drops of blood also seeped out, but the surrounding skin quickly sealed shut. 

At this moment, Genji's second attack stuck out like the wind, subtle and tempestuous. A thin line of red opened on the chest, threatening to burst open when the beast tightened the surrounding muscles. 

Using this preparation, the colossal beast twisted its body like a compressed spring before releasing all its force with one fierce swipe. To further add to the deadliness, a coating of blue energy also increased its sharpness, guaranteeing to turn Genji into a bloody pancake if it connected.

In the face of this crisis, Genji maintained his calm and activated Like A Feather. By decreasing his total weight, the force of his jump gave him some extra height and brought half his body above the claw.

Genji coiled his legs up and leaned forward, turning his face parallel to the ground. Then he kicked out, transitioning into a spread eagle to narrowly avoid the disaster. The vacuum wind crashed against his face, taking a thin layer of skin with it before sending his body upward.

Genji spread his cloak and repositioned the gale to assist him, allowing him to glide like a kite. The following second, the claw reached its end swing and halted briefly.

Capitalizing on this pause, Genji spun rapidly, drawing in his cloak and diving down head-first. Once he built up enough speed, he conjured an energy chain that whipped the beast king's wrist, coiling around it like a cunning snake. 

Genji did a full revolution around the arm before letting go and landing with a slight crouch. Without delay, he flashstepped before he could be thrown off and appeared on the beast king's shoulder. 

Wicks of shadow flames manifested around compressed cutting intent, giving the king a faint sense of danger. The giant head turned to give a stink eye and opened its mouth, unleashing an atomic breath.

Genji was forced to divert his strike, cleaving the hastily gathered beam in half. Then the volatile energy exploded, covering the head in thick smoke. Suddenly, a brush of air dispelled the smoke, revealing Genji, who slashed down with his other hand.

Sensing the threat, the king jumped up and twisted its body, redirecting the attack from the neck to the shoulder blades. A large cut tore through the area, erupting with a geyser of blood that revealed thick white bones marred with a shallow cut. Even after all that, Genji was hard-pressed to find any real damage. That was how tough the Beast Kings' bodies were.

Suddenly, a large claw tore through the gushing blood and slammed down at Genji. A violent rumble shook the shoulder, with claw tips tearing the nearby muscles, but the king disregarded all this since Genji was right where it wanted him: behind its spiky back. 

These large protrusions vibrated energetically and glowed with dangerous energy, rustling like a song of death. A sinking feeling filled Genji's stomach, compelling him to spread his cloak. Before he could do anything else, the spikes shot out with tremendous force, resembling a volcanic eruption. 

Genji twisted with all his might, precariously evading the barrage. Taking a dangerous gamble, he kicked off a passing spike and launched himself away. But before he could get far, a powerful tail abruptly struck Genji's side, launching him like a baseball. 

The cracking of bones and barriers reverberated in his ear, filling his body with pain. At this moment, Genji felt worse than if a train had crashed into him. It would have been almost paralyzing if it weren't for the drug that he released prior, which stimulated his nerves and numbed the damage.

Still, this did little to reduce Genji's tumble among the Zergs, crushing many along his path as he cushioned his landing. When he came to a stop, a large mouthful of blood spurted from his mouth with chunks of minced organs in between. 

As Genji pushed himself up, he chugged a potion and gestured to the frozen troops to ignore him. 

*Cough cough* 'Did it get faster after shooting those spikes? Jesus Christ, how much do they weigh?' He asked, noticing the discrepancy between the previous and current speeds. 

Genji raised his head and met the tyrant's gaze, wondering how he could delay any longer. Given the outcome of the skirmish, Genji would be lucky to even escape, let alone worry about the nest. 

Realizing this, Genji let out a hard sigh and called out to Igani. "You still there?"

Seconds later, Igani's childish voice sounded in his mind. "Yeah. Should I continue digging the tunnel?"

"No, don't bother anymore. Our defenses won't hold them off long enough. Right now, I need you to talk to the giant lizard."

"B-b-b-but," she stammered, dread creeping into her voice.

"But what?"

"But t-that's a beast king!" She cried out, physically shrinking back in her tunnels.

"So? It's not like beast kings can't be communicated with. Are you talking to him?" Genji nonchalantly asked.

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not if you want to live."

Hearing this, Igani let out a defeated sigh and gathered her mental powers. "What do you want me to say?"

"Tell him not to push us too far or I'll make him regret it."

Igani froze at the response before panic returned to her voice. "^+-@4$ja*&!? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!?! Won't that only trigger them further?"

"Just relay the message," Genji calmly replied, taking out more potions and a gel sphere.

Igani was flustered by his tone, but she could only brace herself since Genji stopped responding to her protests. Still, she modified the message since she didn't dare utter such provoking words.

"Umm." *Gulp* "Mister beast king. Can we talk this out? My friend doesn't want to fight anymore."

The beast king snorted in response and continued stomping forward, ignoring the chirpy voice that suddenly manifested in its head. 'Stupid Zerg queens and their speeches. They always talk too much when they're about to die.'

"What do we do now? He doesn't seem that receptive to our statement," Igani asked Genji.

"That's because you didn't pass on my message. Stop changing my words and relay it verbatim."

"How do you know I changed it?" She delayed, hoping Genji would reconsider. 

"He wouldn't be this calm if he heard it."

Igani was tongue-tied by his simple reasoning, and her distress worsened when she realized Genji's intentions. 'Why do you want to provoke him? How will that help?'

Left with no choice, Igani could only try again, this time prompting an enraged roar that deafened the area. Following that, an atomic breath swept through the area, leaving patches of cauterized ground in its wake. 

The other beasts looked back at the king, wondering what could have angered it so much, but the king showed no signs of stopping and fired a volatile sphere at the nest. 

Genji appeared below the attack and stuck out with a flaming crescent, draining nearly all his energy to split it in half. The broken halves flickered for a millisecond before the contained energy detonated into a mushroom cloud, sending Genji toward the ground at breakneck speeds.

Crashing below, Genji tumbled violently over the units before finally coming to a stop. The mini-boss that caught him slowly lowered him onto the ground with trembling arms, cracked from the impact. Genji spat out more blood and drank another potion before taking out the half-filled sphere again. 

"That was worse than I expected," he said, wiping the blood from his lips.

"What now?" Igani asked, agitated from the near-death experience. 

"You talk about this sphere."

"What do I say?"

"It can wipe out everyone here and drag him to the grave," Genji uttered an outrageous statement, which Igani ignored and numbly conveyed without any more consideration. She had already lost all hope so she might as well obediently act as the translator and pray Genji knew what he was doing. 

After a few seconds, the beast king turned to Genji and snorted with contempt, not convinced in the slightest.

'If he had such a trump card, why would he wait until now to use it? Clearly bluffing. Do you think this father was born yesterday? Find someone else to deceive.'

Genji expected this response and said his next piece. "Tell him this isn't the first time I killed a beast king and I don't mind adding another one to the list."

The beast was about to dismiss Genji's claim as another bluff when Genji raised his shoulder pads into the air and activated Berserk. Seeing this, the beast king's eyes widened in shock, recognizing the familiar presence emanating from the equipment. 

'Isn't that West's remains? Why does he have it?!?'

It might have been 8 months since the T-Rex's death, but it was hard to mistake a beast king's distinct presence, especially when this king once considered West as a rival. 

"I don't know what nickname you gave me, but the OmegaRealm members all call me Insane Poisoner after that battle. That should add some credibility to my words, right? If you don't believe me, then I don't mind dragging you down with me. Let's see which of us dies first."

Genji's eyes glimmered with crazed sentiments, daring the king to test his words. His hand hovered over the sphere, holding the last bottle to the mixture. Once this compound goes in, all hell will break loose.

"I'll also mention that this is an upgraded version of the poison I used back then. This won't take hours to kick in, only a few minutes. And if you have the faint delusion of running before you die from it, then good luck. As long as you soak in it, you'll end up miserable, even if you survive. For reference, the yellow gas is a weakened version of it."

Registering these words, the beast king stopped in its tracks and carefully considered their implications. As far as it could tell, Genji didn't seem to be lying about his identity since the shoulder pads served as evidence.

It ruled out the possibility of the equipment being from someone else because it didn't sense the aura of any other beings. That left only the poison in question. Should it believe Genji's assertion or call his bluff?

It was hard to confirm since logic said that a poison of such a level shouldn't exist in the 2nd step. But this is Insane Poison they are talking about. Who knows what tricks he can employ, especially as someone who obtained such a unique moniker? 

The beast king inhaled the fluttering gas and analyzed the effects, searching for a clue. Seconds later, the king felt its heart beat with vigor, pumping blood as if supercharged with adrenaline. Then, the king's fierce body resisted influence and returned to normal, bringing with it a sense of fatigue. 

'It grants strength by overdrawing life force?!?'

Realizing this, the king unleashed a roar of retreat, halting the charging squad in the distance. Although confused by the order, the beasts obeyed the king's command, sensing the seriousness in its tone. If the beast king called for withdrawal, then it must have a good reason for it. They'll trust in his judgment and figure out the truth later. 

Despite being 90% confident that Genji was lying, the beast king couldn't afford to risk that 10%. The losses would be devastating if he misjudged, possibly ending as the only survivor. 

If Genji was telling the truth, then the improved poison would drain years off their lifespan for every second they remained in battle, a severe loss that would cripple all fighters. It was simply not worth the gamble, especially when many of the beasts in the squad had the potential to become Beast Kings.

There was also no point in bearing all the risks alone when the other factions would share it. At least they need to if they want to prevent another dominant Empress from rising. They'd done their part so it was time to pass the torch. Let them worry about the poison.

"A good choice," Genji said as Igani commanded her troops to part ways, letting the beasts go unbothered. "And tell Lanak I said hi."

Igani didn't know who Lanak was, but the beast king scowled when it heard the name. Still, the king did nothing and remained in its position, overwatching the Beasts' evacuation. After they left their sights, the king growled at Genji one last time before leaping away, concluding another precarious battle that Genji had overcome. 

"Thank god he believed me," Genji muttered, collapsing from exhaustion and injuries. "Or we would all be dead right now."