The Final Desperation

Shortly after the duel ended, Julian registered the results and left without any hard feelings. Although the loss was a little silly, he wasn't particularly upset about it.

In his opinion, Genji deserved the win, especially considering his stats. Compared to the fighters who typically completed this challenge, Genji was weaker by a few leagues.

For reference, most of them had 3 stats on the cusp of 50 points, whereas Genji only had 1: his Special. All his other stats were at the low boss level, a far stretch from the bare minimum required to resist the balancers.

It was a miracle that he even lasted so long, made only possible by his legacy liberation and cutting intent, both of which exceeded the 2nd step in capabilities.

Because of this, Julian had a hint of admiration for Genji. The realms were always fair in their reward distributions so he could imagine what difficulties Genji had encountered to achieve this level of strength. That was not to mention that Genji still had room to grow. This was far from his strongest state within the second step.

"Thankfully he's laid-back, or I'm not sure I could have lasted the whole time."

Bruce nodded in agreement and helped Genji with his wounds. As they walked back into the damaged nest, Igani sent some bio-crystals for Genji. Due to his Zerg traits, Genji gained some affinity for the energy and could use it to bolster his life force, albeit at low efficiency.

Genji thanked her and isolated himself, leaving Igani to her devices. Now that she gained the motivation for modifying units, she couldn't wait to shut herself in and work on it nonstop.

Genji didn't stop her since they needed all the time they could get. There were only 13 days left before the end of the cycle, so they needed to move fast if they wanted to fight Silver Empress.

To help her with this task, Genji asked Bruce to take care of her meals and other trivialities so she wouldn't be distracted. It was a boring task, but Bruce did it without complaint. Since his friend was focusing on recovery, Bruce would take it upon himself to complete it in his stead.

In this manner, several more days went by smoothly. Igani's progress continued steadily as she gradually integrated the Parasites' characteristics. The changes were minor right now, but she had established the foundation for future developments.

On this day, the reapers returned for another skirmish, having recovered from their injuries. However, the second battle was much smoother compared to the previous one. Using the newly created Stealth Dagger, Genji hid among the army and ambushed his enemies.

While the technique had some flaws due to the absence of his legacy liberation, it was enough to repel Benya and Morris. In his concealed state, the reapers could not sense his presence. Even if Genji was right next to them, they would be none the wiser. That part was perfect.

The flaw was that his presence would leak when he attacked, giving his targets a brief warning before the strike landed. In turn, they would readjust their body and minimize the damage. This was unavoidable since it required strong energy intensity to cover these fluctuations.

In his liberation state, this wouldn't be an issue, but his normal form was still inadequate. Luckily, this was only a stat issue, so it wouldn't be long before he could utilize the technique's full potential. Until then, he would continue polishing it and decrease its requirements.

But despite these flaws, Genji still gave the reapers lots of trouble. All it takes is a single lapse in attention and they would be injured badly. It was hard to exert all their strength like this, especially against Igani's new army. Although the troops were in the early stages of development, they were stronger than before, requiring that much more to kill.

AOE attacks also wouldn't work since Genji was fast enough to escape the area and hide among more troops. As a result, the reapers became very passive in this situation, unable to change the course of the battle.

After Genji ambushed them a few more times, they acknowledged the outcome and retreated. Unless they could gather a few more teammates, it was uncertain if they would attack again. Hence, the battle with the reapers ended on a high note, and Genji resumed his normal operations.

"What the hell happened in the past week? It's like he became a completely different person," Yagasa complained as they stopped to rest.

"I don't know, but I suspect it has to do with the balancers. I heard one of them visited the place during this time."

*Sigh* "How did everything become such a convoluted mess? It's hard to believe that this was the same meat grinder as when we first descended. Where did all the slaughter go?"

"The times have changed. I think we should end this tempering trial soon and return," Benya suggested.

"Yeah, we've comprehended enough about death. It's time we stop suppressing our strength and breakthrough," Yagasa agreed. With their decision made, they began their final preparations and contacted their elders, calling an end to the reign of this generation's reapers.

 

---

 

On the 32nd day, Genji led an army to test the new troops and collect more resources to fuel the process. After so many consecutive days of modifications, Igani was starting to run low on bio-energy. To ensure this process continued smoothly, Genji targeted the misfit queens that once besieged them, knowing they were a stable supply of energy.

The other factions were on edge about this change, but they no longer got involved. The balancers had given their word so they would rather not waste manpower on these battles. At worst, they would wait another week before the situation resolved itself.

Therefore, the internal conflict among the species raged on, creating unrest within the territory. Many queens entered unlikely alliances to survive this period, but it did little to change the situation.

After a few successful hunts, the other empresses joined in this conflict, threatened by the emergence of another possible overlord. They wanted to accumulate as much energy as possible since it was unknown how accessible it would be in the future.

It was better to over-prepare for a rainy day than be underprepared and end up dead. Plus, it took resources away from the others, ensuring the stability of their dominance.

Then Silver Empress also joined the situation, worsening it by another degree. Her unstoppable legion swept through territory without resistance and plundered everything in its paths.

Unwilling to be outdone, everyone increased their efforts, turning life into a living hell for the weaker queens. Eventually, it became so bad that the only survivors either went into hiding, became subservient to another empress, or joined the collective alliance. There were no other options since those who chose them had long died.

In the end, only seven factions remained among the Zergs. Excluding Igani and Silver Empress, five other empresses remained in power. Granted, this didn't include any dormant forces in hiding or body doubles cultivated by the true rulers, but it was a good benchmark for possible opponents.

After this reshuffling of forces, Igani ran out of convenient sources of energy and encountered a bottleneck in her growth. Genji considered the issue for some time and settled on the Mayfly Empress as their next target.

This was because she specialized in aerial units, which would cause devastating losses if she ambushed them. So, Genji wanted to remove this threat before it became a possibility and ruin his plans.

He didn't mind if this empress was a substitute since he only cared about clearing the army and looting her bio-crystals. If he could achieve this, then it didn't matter if Mayfly survived this attack since it would take a while to rebuild her strongest forces. By then, the final battle would be over and her presence would no longer be problematic.

Subsequently, he marched his forces straight for her nest. Upon realizing she was being targeted, Mayfly sent an aerial squad to pester them, which Genji and Bruce easily disposed of.

Soon, they were upon the nest and began their battle. Towers of flesh and bones rained deadly projectiles onto their ranks, all while nimble units dive-bombed them. On the first volley, they were unprepared for their boldness, but the second time, they forced a decent number to stay behind.

In turn, the units drowned under the tide of insects and forced Mayfly to engage them in melee. Otherwise, the army would overrun the nest and its defenses, ending the battle before it began.

As the bloodbath occurred, Genji went ahead and snuck into the nest, intending to carry out his usual beheading operations. To his surprise, the compass turned when he went down the expected route, indicating Mayfly was elsewhere. Following the pointer, Genji found the energy room, where Mayfly was packing up her crystals.

She had no intentions of engaging with Genji, especially given his fierce reputation for assassinating queens. Although she was stronger than the normal queen, she couldn't match the Parasite King or the other opponents Genji had faced.

As such, she wanted to escape and go into hiding, avoiding the tumultuous times. However, Genji wouldn't allow this and rushed forward to engage her.

After a short skirmish, Mayfly used a self-harming technique to overdraw her mental powers and knock Genji back. Then she flung herself into the distance, letting her army delay Genji as she made her getaway.

Genji let her go since he didn't want to agitate her or fight an unnecessarily difficult battle. Instead, he retreated and allowed the Zergs to fight. Once the area was cleared, Genji poured some of Mayfly's blood onto his compass and began the chase. Now that Mayfly was weakened, it was much easier to finish her.

After a few more hours, they arrived at a newly established nest, where many workers hustled to complete the construction. Sensing this, Mayfly flew out in shock and tried to escape again, but Genji sliced through her wings before she could go far. Then, he tossed her into the crowd, forcing her to fight desperately.

Mental powers swept across the area, throwing units everywhere, but Genji always covered her escape. In the end, she could only unleash an unwilling screech as the swarm inevitability ground her down. To no one's surprise, this Mayfly was a body double, explaining why everything was so seamless.

Genji suspected that the real Mayfly Empress had abandoned this substitute and disengaged from the situation. Otherwise, why would this substitute need to build a nest from scratch when she could forcibly occupy a subordinate queen's? It was not like she couldn't find one since Genji gave her plenty of time.

Nonetheless, it didn't prevent her from dropping a prized mental crystal unique to Empress-level Zergs. The crystal was purple and had hexagonal sides, giving it a mystical air. All the units eyed it with greed and desire, but none of them dared to snatch it. Genji ignored all this and picked up the crystal from the carnage-filled ground before tossing it to Bruce.

"Hold onto that for me. I can't be trusted with it," Genji said, suppressing his desires. Since he was part Zerg, he also felt the temptation. However, Genji knew he couldn't use the crystal as it would pollute his powers. Unless he wanted to permanently change his race, it was best to not mess with it.

Bruce nodded and covered the crystal in a thick layer of blood, masking its aura. With this disappearance, the Zergs broke out of their trance and began cleaning up the battlefield. After they secured their loot, they headed back to meet with Igani.

Upon returning, Igani bolted at them like a kid expecting presents on Christmas.

"Quick! Where is it?" She bounced around them with anticipation and a hint of impatience.

After receiving a nod from Genji, Bruce retracted his hold and tossed the crystal. Without waiting for it to descend, Igani swiftly extended a strand of silk, pulling the crystal into her embrace. Then, she ran back into her cave, her feet scampering at top speed.

Genji had never seen such restlessness from her, not even in the face of candy or roast meat, but that only emphasized the importance of this crystal.

"I need to sleep for some time. I hope you don't mind," Igani's voice suddenly sounded in their minds, having recognized how rude her prior actions were.

"Just don't take too long. I still need your help against Silver Empress."

"Okay!"

 

---

 

Two days later, a light tearing sound echoed within the underground chamber, rousing Genji from his meditation. Opening his eyes, he noticed a small fissure in Igani's web cocoon, which she had spun before entering her slumber.

As the sound intensified and the crack slowly widened, a white leg emerged from within. After struggling for some time, it widened the gap enough to accommodate another leg. Then, with a loud rip, Igani's head emerged into the chamber.

Glancing around to confirm the area's safety, Igani stabbed her legs into the cocoon's side and freed herself from her encasement, wriggling vigorously in the process.

"I did it!" she beamed at Genji before shaking off the dead cells clinging to her.

"Good job," Genji replied, tossing her a jawbreaker.

Compared to before, Igani had undergone some noticeable changes. Firstly, the hair on her legs had become fuzzier and more sensitive, enhancing her perception of subtle vibrations. Additionally, her body had grown larger, her color whiter, and her strength greater. Overall, she had become more balanced and less susceptible to melee combat.

Beyond her physical changes, she had also experienced an upgrade in her mental strength, enabling her to better control her units and fend off any attackers who might threaten her. Though not quite an empress yet, her capabilities qualified her as a quasi-empress, surpassing the strongest queens and falling below the weakest empresses.

"Take two days to adjust. Then we're attacking," Genji said, laying out the plans for the next three days.

"No problem. The same as usual, right?" Igani asked with a relaxed tone, unperturbed by the news. To her, all the battles were the same, so what did she have to worry about?

"Actually, no. You're coming along this time."

Igani gave him a blank stare before screaming the only thought on her mind, "HUHHHHHHHH?"

"You heard me. Non-negotiable by the way." Then Genji walked out, leaving Igani to wince at her future.

 

---

 

"Hhahahhhakakkak. You haven't changed in the slightest. Still so greedy for more when you should have stopped. But it's exactly this trait that will be your downfall," Silver Empress released a peal of euphoric laughter as her scouts observed a massive army heading for her nest.

Silver Empress was ecstatic because this was Igani's army, meaning she would finally get her chance at revenge. Normally, this would be impossible to achieve since the agreement with the balancers prevented her from leaving her territory.

However, she would never have expected that Genji would willingly enter her domain, giving her adequate justification to fulfill her desires.

In her mind, this was a foolish move since this was the last day of the cycle. All he had to do was wait out the day, and he would safely leave, yet he decided to provoke the strongest army on the battlefield. How is that not foolish?

"An open path to heaven is right before you, yet you insist on barging into the closed doors of hell. What a move. Kakakakakkakkaka," Silver Empress mocked Genji again, unable to contain her delirious celebration. "Since that's the case, then I'll personally send you there."

After finishing those words, she ordered her external army to gather at Igani's nest. That way, they could besiege the nest at an opportune moment, distracting the opposing queen and causing the offensive army to fail. If they were lucky, they might even kill Igani, ending the battle once and for all. Either way, she would cut off Genji's support and win the battle.

With her preparations made, Silver Empress coiled up into a ball and awaited the start of the war.

Hours passed like flowing water until there were only 12 hours left. At this time, Igani's massive army entered Silver Empress's territory and initiated the battle.

Two massive armies crashed into each other and entered a gruesome melee, tearing each other apart with all their efforts. It was intense, but it quickly became evident that Silver Empress had the advantage. After all, her army was fully developed and contained powerful bosses, while Igani hadn't even incorporated her strengths.

Regardless, a poison fog and Bruce's support evened out the results. At this moment, Silver Empress ordered the assault on Igani's nest, hoping to regain her advantage.

To her surprise, the nest fell without resistance, and the expected queen was nowhere in sight. That was when Silver Empress realized that Igani had left the nest and was among the attackers.

"Quite bold of you, but don't you remember this was why Red Empress died?" Silver Empress sneered and redoubled her offense, trading lives without regard. Since they were near her nest, she could do this without major consequences and wear down the other side.

The only drawback was the long incubation period, which made it difficult to replenish her strongest troops. Nonetheless, it couldn't deny the effectiveness of this tactic as Igani's army suffered heavy casualties.

"Your turn, Enigma. Let's see what other moves you have."

But despite her expectations, nothing changed about the situation. The other side continued like normal and held their ground, offering countless units to Silver Empress's fungal rug. It was so stupid that it was like they were stalling for time.

"So that's your plan. You want to assassinate me? Good luck with that. How will you kill me when I'm not even in that nest?" She chortled with derision and retracted her mental powers.

Yet the moment she refocused on her surroundings, she realized that her body had gone numb and lost all strength.

'What the? When did this happen? How did I not notice such-'

But before she could finish that thought, a dagger suddenly manifested by her neck and decapitated her. Then a silhouette came into view, causing her mind to recoil with shock.

"You asked how I will assassinate you? Well, I just have to track down your real body," Genji responded to her previous question.

This wasn't particularly difficult since Genji had his compass to guide him. The hard part was actually anticipating this outcome and arriving here undetected.

After all, who could have predicted that the strongest empress would hide in a decrepit nest, acting as a lowly subordinate queen, when she could be residing in the safety of her nest?

It was a trick that would have fooled most people, but Genji was not like most people. Not only did he have the tools to verify this, but he also had to skills to capitalize on it.

"Your mind games have backfired, Silver Empress. I fell for this once, so what makes you think I would fall for it again?" With these words, Genji unleashed his strongest attack, covering the entire nest and smothering all possibilities of survival.