The Final Desperation

The battle between the Zergs was simple but brutal. Neither side held much regard for their troops and threw them at each other without end, turning this into a numbers game.

Bodies piled higher than the distant hills, and rivers of blood flooded the area, congregating faster than Bruce could refine. Aerial units also rained down from the skies, further adding to the cluster below.

The fungal carpet worked overtime to decompose all these corpses, providing Igani with ample bio-energy to sustain the battle. The enemy units attempted to destroy this component, but the army held the line, forming a rock-solid defense.

Genji took advantage of this safe zone and rampaged, clearing patches of units with each swing. When he needed to rest, he would retreat here and allow Bruce to replace him.

Together, they turned the numerically disadvantaged situation into a stalemate, much to the misfits' dismay. Still, they had no choice but to persist, knowing it would be their deaths otherwise. The best they could do was pray that Genji would eventually succumb to exhaustion and allow them to break through.

But Genji knew this and strictly regulated his condition, ensuring that his stamina never fell below 50%. Once he recovered enough, he would rush out again to target the strongest units.

After a few cycles, Genji built up enough energy to lightly repair his shadow core. The deep cracks within his heart gradually mended under his efforts, returning his enfeebled form to its former powers.

With this recovery, it became easier to resist the foreign energy in his body. The two forces clashed fiercely around his recovered chest, eventually ending with the remnants' defeat. With this, he expelled all harmful components and returned to his peak strength.

Following this, his core underwent new changes as it reached the maximum size his heart could comfortably contain. To continue upgrading it, he would need to compress the structure instead of expanding it. That is to say, the strength of his core now depended on its density rather than size.

At this point, it had been days since the battle started. The stench of blood was so heavy that it formed a light mist around the area, clogging their lungs with each breath.

Genji pushed down the discomfort plaguing his senses and resumed his massacre, covering for Bruce's evolution. Due to the bloody environment, the nightbane had finally absorbed enough vitality to pass the threshold. As such, Bruce is currently sleeping in the nest and undergoing unknown changes.

For 16 whole hours, Genji suppressed the army, killing anything that would overwhelm their defense. It was pushing his limits, but he persisted like a machine and ignored his fatigue.

At the end of this time, a bloody light burst out from the nest and blanketed everyone like a setting sun. It lasted for a few seconds before receding. Then Bruce galloped out, pumping his muscles with newfound vigor. He had never felt so alive, and the sense of strength was almost addicting.

'No wonder master is so obsessed with training. It feels so good to get stronger.'

Eager to test his power, Bruce controlled as much blood as possible and condensed it into sharp blades. The volume was multiple times his previous level, but this was due to the scarce vitality within. After a few rounds of purification, this actual increase settled at around 30%.

Then he shot out these projectiles, piercing multiple units before they lost their momentum. Bruce nodded with satisfaction at these results and kept testing his abilities.

From better control to stronger attacks, Bruce experienced an all-around increase in his abilities. By Genji's estimation, Bruce should be strong enough to fight a mini-boss alone. For comparison, this was around the strength of a vampire prince back in EverNight.

"Seems like you've got this covered. I'll go rest then."

Bruce waved a tentacle, indicating that they could leave everything to him. Genji smiled and walked back to the nest, leaving the meat grinder of a battle to continue its course.

However, this course was short-lived as their opponents soon lost the morale to carry on. Not only did this battle supply Igani with excess bio-energy, but it also fueled the blood mage's growth. This was disheartening because they didn't understand how much Bruce had previously accumulated. For all they knew, he could have gotten stronger from this battle.

Bruce was already giving them enough trouble, so what would happen if he evolved a few more times? By then, wouldn't their entire army become useless? Since that was the case, they might as well retreat and preserve their troops. At least that way, they would have a better chance at survival.

Yet, what truly ended the war wasn't their retreat but the emergence of two reapers who ruthlessly slaughtered their backlines. With a few waves of their scythes, a whole side of their army disappeared, transforming into deathly energy to fill their death gauges.

Pairing this with their previous sullenness, the queens all withdrew their troops and abandoned their quest. The only thoughts on their minds now were self-preservation and avoiding retaliation.

"What a heavy aura of death," Yagasa commented as they stepped into the vicinity.

"Yes. It's impressive how brazen they are," Benya responded.

Over these few days, they had scoured the planet for their inheritance thief but had no results. They consulted the other reapers and confirmed none of them were behind the Parasite's fall. This confirmed their suspicions, and they redoubled their efforts, seeking to cut down this loose end before they escaped from the battlefield.

This fruitless search continued for a few days when they accidentally overheard the gossip of a squad of Celestial soldiers. After some interrogation, they obtained the corresponding information and found their way here.

Upon arrival, they launched their strongest area attacks at the army, capitalizing on the excess energy in the environment. Half of the army instantly died under their massive energy slashes, splitting apart at the waist.

When Genji sensed this massive fluctuation, he rushed out of the cave, his face turning grim at the scene. "Reapers? What do they want?"

Despite his confusion, Genji could sense their malice and knew they were hell-bent on attacking. Without wasting a moment, he pulled out the potion-filled sphere that deterred the beasts and poured the last bottle in.

Over the past few days, Genji had been slowly repurposing this mixture in his rest periods, ensuring none of his materials went to waste. Although some parts were wasted, the conversion was relatively seamless.

After all, that bluff had some truth since it was supported by his poison-brewing knowledge. The only flaw was that he had no confidence in the exact effects of that mixture. For all he knew, it could have drained all their life force without pause or ended up as a massive dud. But now that he had tinkered with the poison's exact composition, he knew its properties and was confident in using it.

After sealing up the sphere and shaking it vigorously, Genji hurled it at the distant reapers. As it soared over their heads, a plasma shot burst the membrane and sprinkled a curious dark greenish-yellow over their heads.

Sensing this oddity, Benay and Yagasa teleported away, not risking contact. Large drops of the liquid sizzled in the air, evaporating rapidly as it rained down. Then a vapor spread across the area, rippling outward and seeping into the insects' bodies.

Their muscles twitched erratically and their shells cracked in random locations. The flesh beneath pushed apart these sections and revealed distorted flesh that mutated outward to fill the gap.

Painful groans and growls sounded in their ears as their auras increased in intensity, reaching the next rank in power. Cannon fodder became elites; elites became mini-bosses; and mini-bosses, actual bosses. It was a huge jump in strength, but it came at a high cost.

After absorbing this mixture, none of the units would live past 30 minutes since this power spike was achieved by burning their life essence. Still, this was a negligible cost since the units wouldn't last a second against the reapers anyway.

"Send the nest into overdrive!" Genji hollered at Igani as he retreated deep underground. "Do everything to delay them. Our survival depends on it!"

Hearing the urgency in his voice, Igani rushed to carry out his orders, not hesitating to waste copious amounts of bio-energy to pursue less efficient spawning systems.

Bruce also returned under Genji's insistence, knowing full well he didn't stand a chance against the teleporting reapers. With their abilities, no one could stop them if they wanted to target a long-range supporter.

The only way to survive would be to remain inconspicuous and not attract their attention in the first place. But, that was with a single reaper, not a duo capable of teamwork. One could only imagine the devastation that two reapers could unleash. 

Genji had no intention of engaging them head-on since the threatening feeling they gave off rivaled the parasite king's ultimate state. It would be purely suicidal to even try.

"And fill tunnels," he added as Bruce morphed back into sheath form. "We're going into full preservation mode."

Genji strapped the sheath to the side of his hip and dashed into a random escape tunnel, going separate ways from Igani. As the Zergs jammed the fleshy passages, a sharp crescent crashed into the side of the nest. In the short time Genji had retreated, the reapers had relentlessly teleported after him, bypassing all the blockades between them.

They carved out a separate entrance away from the outgoing stream of bugs and dived inward, breaking through the ground to reach the tunnels below. Upon landing, they swerved their heads like relentless bloodhounds, searching for traces of their hunt.

Moments later, they caught a whiff of the deathly energy Genji was marked with and followed its course. As they ran, they encountered a downpour of units, which they phased through without pause. As they emerged on the other side, green blood sprang into the air, revealing large gnashes around the necks. One strike, one kill.

The duo carved through the tunnels like a hot knife through butter and eventually found a tunnel full of mangled Zergs, half alive, yet still groaning. A copious stream of black highlighted Benya's scythe as he swung out, releasing a devastating arc of energy.

Then everything in the trajectory turned into blood, draining away as the atomic bonds of solids broke apart into liquid. Yagasa charged up a similar attack and teleported forward, turning the second half of the tunnel into the same result.

After teleporting again, they stepped onto rocky ground, where a glimmer of light shone in the distance. Loud roars echoed from this opening, connecting it with the outside battlefield.

Suddenly, a stream of berserk Zergs rushed into the tunnel, obstructing their way forward. Yet the reapers remained indifferent and converted their spirit energy, fueling their attacks with extra eeriness.

*Whooosh*

*GARRRR AKK*

The whistling of wind followed the cracking of shells as the reapers abruptly appeared on the other side of the tunnel. They waved their scythes and swept the area with a fierce wind, agitating the imperceptible cuts on the units around them.

Muscles and bones separated from the nudge, turning into another gruesome geyser as they all collapsed. An empty area appeared around them, revealing Genji who had barely parried the attack. They glanced at Genji, confirming the target before disappearing from their position.

*Clang*

The clash of weapons sounded as Genji blocked a decapitating strike. The skin around his neck broke open, spilling a thin red line before the intense force sent him stumbling backward.

Another wave of danger tingled against his senses, compelling him to jump aside and twist his body. A cold flash of steel brushed by his side, scraping the flesh off his ribs.

Genji waved his dagger at the extended handle, using the collision to redirect his body. But as he shifted away, another attack teleported in front of him, guaranteeing he would impale himself if he continued.

Realizing this, his pupils dilated into round pearls, providing countless pieces of information as his mind searched for a way to survive this situation.

'I can't stop myself in time. I need to force it.'

At this thought, a quantum shield formed around him, buying him a few milliseconds before shattering like glass. Using this time, his energy coursed into his armguard, manifesting a magic circle beneath his chest.

A salty smell assaulted his senses as multiple tentacles erupted from the ground, entangling Genji and yanking him down with unforeseen eagerness. This was the closest the cursed spirit got to killing Genji, so it used all its strength, seeking to drag him into the portal. As long as Genji entered its domain, it would be simple to avenge this grudge.

It was a dangerous maneuver, but it pulled him outside the scythe's trajectory. A deep purplish blood spewed out from the severed tentacle, filling the air with an uncanny coldness. But Genji had no time to pay attention to this as he struggled to sever the energy flow of the armguard.

Although this was not how the skill was intended to be used, he needed to try since he would soon be dragged under. The cursed spirit resisted with all its might, forcibly draining Genji's energy to empower itself.

'I'm not going to make it,' Genji thought, rapidly approaching the ground.

But right as he was about to enter the portal, four bloody spears pierced into the ground, beckoning a surprised hiss from below. As the grip around him loosened, Genji instinctively activated Berserk, granting him enough strength to violently tear the appendages away.

Then two claws extended from his back, landing on the edges of the magic circle and pushing Genji away. Capitalizing on this save, Genji swiftly cut the energy connection, preserving the last of it and soliciting an unwilling roar from the Kracken.

But before Genji could relax, he sensed another attack swiping at him. This time, it was coated with enormous energy, intending to finish him. Genji gritted his teeth and ignited his shadow flames, burning the remainder of his energy to minimize the damage.

His cutting intent also flared up, directing a counterattack at Benya. Whisps of deathly energy intercepted the cutting intent as the harsh pop of dislocated shoulders sounded, filling Genji's senses with pain.

Yet the situation only worsened as three silhouettes darted out from Benya's body and surrounded Genji. Sensing this familiar ability, Genji broke out in a cold sweat, understanding the lethality of the incoming combo.

Genji kicked out at the closest figure, blocking the attack with a rushed kick. However, this impact was too much for the footwear to endure, resulting in the leather crumbling away from his feet.

Leveraging this short pause, his muscles pulled his dislocated shoulders back into place, and he twisted to parry the next attack. Yet this strike hit nothing as Benya had predicted this reaction and swapped with the other silhouette. Then, a scythe came down on his extended arm, severing it and sending it airborne.

Using the last swap, Benya appeared in Genji's newly created blind spot and slashed at his neck. The chilling sensation induced goosebumps on his skin and foretold his demise.

Despite this inevitability, his willpower refused to give up and induced him to lean forward, trying until the last moment even if it was futile.

However, Genji was rewarded for this attempt as Bruce suddenly manifested within this limited space. In his half-fluid form, Bruce bared his sharp teeth at the incoming arm and bit down with all his strength, disrupting the trajectory.

At this moment, Genji followed up with Dominance Aura, stunning Benya long enough for Bruce to slam the ground and send Genji away. A flash of blood also extended upward, reaching for Genji's severed arm.

Knowing Yagasa would soon continue this onslaught and that he had no way to repel him, Genji dropped his dagger and reached into his storage space. As Yagasa appeared beside Genji, a handful of vials approached his face.

Yagasa considered his options and decided to temporarily pause the attack, wary of the unknown mixture. He had seen the damage Genji's potions could do and wasn't willing to risk it.

As Yagasa teleported away, large blood wings extended from Genji's back, flapping awkwardly to redirect him. Sensing Bruce's unfamiliar controls, Genji activated Like A Feather to streamline the process.

When Genji landed, he splashed more potions to deter the reapers and rushed into the Zerg army, desperate to survive. Bruce reattached his arm during this time, holding it in place as his potions took effect.

A mob of units charged past him, covering for his escape. Despite this, Genji knew this wouldn't last as he sensed the reapers rapidly approaching.

"Igani, is it ready yet? I can't last much longer," he shouted, frantically weaving between the swarm.

"One moment," she answered, her tone exhausted from the massive effort she had exerted. "It's hard to control so many units."

"I don't need anything complicated. Just do it," he urged, sensing ripples in the air, a sign of the reapers' teleportation.

The second he uttered those words, the reapers manifested 10 meters away, putting Genji within one teleportation. However, this soon became useless as the ground beneath them detonated to reveal a cluster of Zergs, comprising only mini-bosses.

Ever since Genji gave the order, she had been sending her strongest units here to bathe in Genji's poison, getting stronger as it converted their life force. It was an extravagant usage of bio-energy, but this was the only chance they had.

The rough edges of the ground peeled away as the units surged upward, occupying all the space within their teleportation range. Genji pressed himself against these units and threw more potions at his enemies, drawing the dispersed poison to this area. Then a fierce melee began, with Igani gradually expanding the encirclement with more cannon fodder.

Genji let out a sigh of relief, knowing the situation had stabilized in their favor. With the crisis under control, Bruce eased up and let out a soft whimper of pain. Looking over, Genji saw a nasty wound around his mouth, the price for the bite that saved Genji's life.

Due to the tense circumstances, Bruce had been suppressing this pain and straining himself to keep Genji alive. Yet now that the urgency had passed, only exhaustion remained in the nightbane.

"You've done enough. Leave the rest to me," Genji said, stroking his bristled mane.

"Nnneeeeiiiiiggghhhhh." Bruce released a content sound and drifted to sleep, smiling about the help he provided.