The Final Desperation

Genji bid his farewells after the last day and returned to EverRealm. From there, he found himself amidst ankle-high blue grass swaying in the wind. The transition from winter to spring was swift, ushering in a new world upon him. For as far as his eyes could see, grass stretched out, enveloping him in a sea of blue.

 

---

Primordial Echoes

Background:

Channeling the powers of the past, the inhabitants of this world created a power system seemingly devoid of bottlenecks. With this system, they progressed at astounding rates, becoming apex warriors in a matter of years. But for this convenience, they shackled themselves to their predecessors' limits.

The closer they get to their peaks, the slower they progress. And eventually, they will hit their threshold and stop improving. Unless they can innovate their powers, they will halt there, becoming merely insignificant specks in history. Yet to do so required talents and luck beyond most people, something only achievable with the right opportunity.

Instead, the common folk trudged a different path, using quantity to replace quality. By harnessing the potential of multiple avatars, they broke their limits once more and achieved a new level of power. Hence, the art of lineage tracing became mainstream. But with this choice, they subjected themselves to harsher bottlenecks, making every advancement exponentially harder than before.

As such, people began valuing the "purity" of a bloodline. The less tainted the blood was, the more power could be derived, translating to higher potential. With this shift in mentality, one's talent was no longer dependent on innate abilities, but rather on finding the strongest lineage.

Mission Details:

Legend speaks of a lost era that produced the mightiest beings the planet has ever seen, a golden era per se. Though no one has successfully accessed this power, it is believed that this era, dubbed the Primordial Age, holds the key to their next evolution. While many are skeptical of this myth, believers tell stories of a fabled treasure from this period. The origins of this fervent belief are unknown, but none doubts the treasure's existence. For now, this statement will remain a mystery.

Requirements: Verify the truth of the given details. Research this lost era and prove/disprove the treasure's existence.

Duration: 45 days

Note: EverRealm fully acknowledges this might be an impossible task. Your progress will be stored in the database and passed on to the next explorer. You will not be penalized for lacking results, but bonuses will be rewarded depending on your contributions.

Note 2: This is an exploration mission, and multiple realms will participate. Additionally, other parties might send certain representatives to complete. There can only be one winner, so rewards are plentiful.

Note 3: This is a transition world under the Beasts' control. Many Beast Kings reside here. Try not to provoke them if you don't want trouble. You have been warned.

World Restrictions:

1. The effectiveness of technology is weakened by 80%
2. Damage of magic-related abilities is reduced by 50%

 

---

 

The introduction had a lot to unpack, but it boiled down to one task: investigation. He is to investigate the history of the world and provide relevant information for those after him; a pioneer of sorts.

"Bring me to this treasure," Genji said to his compass.

The pointer spun around like a propeller for the next few seconds before it stopped with no results.

[The request is impossible to fulfill.]

"It was worth a try." Genji shrugged at this expected failure and summoned Bruce. "Let's go. We have a lot to do."

They picked a random direction and slowly strolled through the grassland. Both man and horse walked side-by-side, observing the surroundings as an energetic Astros hopped between them. After some time, Astros, positioned atop Bruce's head, directed their attention towards the distance with an excited squeak.

Looking over, Genji saw a sizable buffalo-like creature contently grazing on the grass below. Thick, curved horns wrapped around its ears, granting it an aggressive look. Pairing this with its bulging muscles, it was evident the creature was not to be trifled with.

But despite this appearance, Genji only regarded it as prey. "Great, we have our lunch."

Then before Astros could react, a streak of cutting intent shot out, splitting the buffalo in half. Bruce skillfully cooperated with him, draining the blood and propping up the halves. They were halfway through their preparations when Astros suddenly cried out in distress.

Hearing this agitated cry, Genji and Bruce immediately dropped what they were doing and alertly scanned the area for the cause, only to find Astros casting a bitter gaze at them. They had somehow upset Astros, but they don't know why.

"What's wrong?" Genji asked, prompting Astros to screech in frustration.

After some back and forth, they realized Astros hadn't led them to the buffalo for food but to communicate with it. However, Genji killed the creature before any interaction could occur, rendering Astros' intentions futile.

"My bad, I'll consider that next time," Genji apologized with a sheepish look. "For now, let's eat. We shouldn't waste it."

Astros released a helpless sigh and joined them, unable to resist the idea of food. Once they finished their meal, Genji handed Astros a stick, prompting a confused look from the ferret.

"Stand it up. We'll go whichever way it falls," he instructed, deciding to test Astros's luck.

"Yiii?" Although still confused, Astros complied, and the stick pointed west.

"West, huh? Let's see how effective +7 luck is then," Genji said, scooping up Astros and hopping on Bruce. Then they went full speed ahead, dismissing their prior leisure.

Along the way, they encountered a few other beasts, including a bison, prairie dogs, a hawk, and a pack of coyotes, all of which they ignored after Astros failed to communicate with them. Due to being different species, communication was rather difficult, leaving Astros downcast with the failure.

"It's fine. You'll get better at this. For now, just take it one step at a time," Genji comforted him. "On the bright side, you've made plenty of friends."

Subsequently, Genji fed Astros a piece of fruit, which they had gotten as a gesture of goodwill from the hawk.

After a few hours of traveling, as dusk was upon them, Genji spotted a dilapidated camp in the distance. Many torn fabrics lay strewn around the area like a hurricane had passed through the settlement. However, this biome was not prone to such natural disasters, indicating the cause was artificial.

Among these piles of scraps were ripped tents and broken sticks, trampled by heavy footprints and slashed by sharpness. Botches of dried blood stained these fabrics, giving them a dark taint and a copper-like smell.

Genji shot Bruce an inquiring look, but the nightbane shook his head, unable to determine the freshness of the flaky blood. It had been at least days since this destruction took place and he couldn't glean any more clues.

Looking past the outskirts of the encampment, Genji found some more notable items. The first was a smothered campfire contained within a ring of stone. Black ash rustled on his approach, exposing a metallic glint beneath.

Brushing aside the soot, Genji found a burnt necklace with a strange humanoid carving. The creature had large forearms that pulsated with strength, sharp jagged teeth drooling with saliva, and a single elliptical eye in the middle of the face. A striped fur cloth was tied around its waist, giving the creature a huntsman aura.

Genji flipped the ornament around and traced his fingers along the flat surface where some indents were engraved.

In Goloth we believe, for he is the mighty

The rough translation appeared in his mind, offering a glimpse into the former owner's life. It was evident that the man cherished this ornament, as it remained relatively undamaged, save for its charred surface. Genji speculated that this necklace had inadvertently fallen into the fire during the battle, possibly when the owner was slain.

Aside from the necklace, Genji found a stone carving with a single eye and uneven triangular teeth. This strange decoration was located at the center of the camp and resembled the head of the creature on the pendant. Behind the teeth, Genji found a small depression where many crushed bone fragments sat, a testament to the tribesmen before.

Based on these clues, Genji deduced that the tribe worshipped the engraved creature, and this was their offering spot, where they would present prized items to their symbolic totem. It was certainly an unusual practice, but he refrained from judging. For now, he would keep exploring and gain a preliminary understanding of this world.

By the time they finished sifting through the camp, night had already fallen. Reigniting the smothered campfire, Genji gave Bruce some supplies for dinner and entered a light meditation. Half an hour later, Bruce finished cooking and they enjoyed a hearty meal. Then, Astros curled around Genji's neck, transitioning into a scarf to sleep through the night.

At some point during the night, Genji felt a subtle vibration through the grass and the approach of a considerable presence. Opening his eyes and turning to the source, Genji locked gazes with a large, black bear.

The bear paused its stride, but its eyes subconsciously wandered to the food remains near the campfire. Seeing this, Genji understood what had attracted the bear and tossed some over.

However, his eyes held a dangerous glint, warning the bear from any further actions. His meaning was clear: take the food and leave or become his next meal. Recognizing Genji's threat, the bear wisely chose the first option and retreated into the darkness.

Following this, the patter of feet on grass was heard as distant critters scrambled to leave the vicinity. They had seen enough of Genji's strength and had no intentions of provoking this dangerous newcomer.

For the remainder of the night, Genji remained undisturbed, meditating among the hooting of owls and roars of nocturnal predators as they persisted in their routine activities.

After a while, the chorus of sounds calmed, and Genji felt a hint of warmth on his skin. Opening his eyes, Genji admired the rising sun and bathed in its light, welcoming the new day.

He got up and shook off the grass trimmings clinging to his attire before continuing his course. With each step, the soft crunch of grass and morning dew filled his ears, bringing him a sense of closeness to nature.

After walking up to Bruce, they hunted for food and continued west, eventually finding more remains of civilization. Most of these findings were abandoned campfires, where people rested for the night, but there were occasional scenes of destruction.

Many claw marks and taloned footprints could be found near these scenes, indicating that the previous settlers had succumbed to wild beasts. This was an expected outcome since powerful beasts were plentiful in this world.

Although few dared to confront Genji, the beasts from the previous night were by no means weak. The bear alone had enough constitution points, putting it within the upper ranks of normal beasts.

They traveled for another day before encountering a car-sized bison barreling towards them. To be precise, it wasn't targeting them; rather, they were in its way. Open wounds decorated its body, spilling droplets of blood with each step as the creature fled for survival.

A small group of hunters trailed from a distance, pacing themselves just enough to keep up. Wooden spears with glossy flint heads waved with their motion, reflecting the intense sunlight above.

They wore loose clothes woven from grass, a leather pouch containing their everyday supplies, and a cotton bandana that secured their shoulder-length locks in place. It was a minimalist attire, consisting only of the bare essentials for a hunter journeying outside his tribe.

Many were shirtless, exposing their well-developed muscles and sun-tanned skin. From a glance, Genji knew they were well-trained warriors capable of enduring hardship.

"Murrrr-feerrr," the escaping bison grunted at Genji, expressing its rugged emotions at the sudden obstacle.

Nevertheless, Genji remained steadfast and signaled to Bruce with a pat. Responding to the cue, Bruce hunkered down to gather his strength. Then, with a powerful surge, he rose onto his hind legs and delivered a forceful kick to the charging bison, causing it to stagger backward.

The impact left a deep imprint on its head, eliciting a pained growl. Splinters of shattered bone also protruded from the wound, followed by a dizzying effect.

At this moment, Genji flicked his wrist, shooting out a wisp of cutting intent that severed the brain's nerve connections, causing the bison to collapse and twitch uncontrollably.

"Not bad. You've gotten better at applying force," Genji praised as he dismounted.

Bruce neighed triumphantly before turning to the approaching hunters.

"You are?" the team leader asked, halting at a safe distance with a wary look. This place was deep in the wilderness, so encountering another person, especially someone with such a conspicuous steed, was unusual. Anyone capable of surviving among the beasts wouldn't be weak and demanded caution. After all, they knew nothing about this stranger or what he might do.

Uninterested in this small talk, Genji picked up the carcass, divided it, and tossed half over. With this, he resolved any misunderstandings of prey snatching and presented his peaceful intentions. Then he sat down and began cleaning the carcass, putting on a harmless show to reassure the spectators; to indicate he was like them and was only hunting for food.

This display worked, and the group joined him in cleaning up their portion. However, they were limited by their crude tools, causing their results to be raggeder than Genji's. After making an incision, one person glided a stone blade beneath the skin as the others tugged to peel off the fur coat. Consequently, the hide contained small patches of fat that clung to the interior, requiring additional processing at a later time.

Then they gathered some dry grass and began cooking their food. As a sign of goodwill, they offered some to Genji, noticing he lacked the tools to start a fire.

"If you don't mind me asking, what's an inscribed warrior like you doing here?" One hunter asked, taking a seat across from him.

Genji was unfamiliar with the term, but that didn't stop him from continuing the conversation. "I'm looking for something."

"Oh?" The hunter perked up with interest. "Can you tell me? Maybe we can help."

"I wish I could, but I don't even know what I'm looking for. The only lead I have is that it's history-related."

"History? Doesn't your tribe have records of what you need?" the man asked, skepticism evident in his eyes, suggesting Genji's words were more unbelievable than he'd expected. There were two possible explanations for this. Either the man had never considered such a concept, or delving into history wasn't a common practice in this world. For now, Genji couldn't determine which.

"The thing I'm looking for can't be found in those records. It's more obscure."

"Would it help if we show you our records?" the man offered, surprising Genji with his generosity. However, this only supported the second possibility, so Genji didn't raise his expectations. If these records were precious, the hunter wouldn't offer them to any random stranger he'd just met. Nonetheless, they would be a good starting point for Genji.

'Why do they not put much emphasis on history? Don't they draw their powers from understanding the past? Am I missing something?' Genji wondered as he accepted the proposal.

"Thank you. When do we leave?"

"We still need to hunt some more, but we can return after that," the hunter responded.

Genji nodded in understanding, and they retired for the night. The following morning, they ate some dried food and began the hunt. Genji witnessed the hunters' tracking proficiency and knowledge of creatures during this time. Following the feces and stalks of chewed grass, they quickly found a herd of gazelle.

Eager to finish this hunt, Genji took action, strolling through the herd and slitting the throats in one smooth motion. His ease stunned the observers, causing them to pause their actions.

But with one throat clear from Genji, they snapped out of their daze and began cleaning up the carcasses. During this process, Genji noticed that they paid careful attention to preserving every part, even the slashed tendons and organs.

When asked about this, the hunters replied, "Since we've claimed a life, we should make the most of it. Wasting such resources is very disrespectful and will cause nature to rebuke us. If we upset nature, we may lose everything."

The philosophy was an appreciative one and completely different from anything Genji had witnessed. It was not as empirical as modern science, but it contained a spiritual aspect that benefited the whole.

Some capitalists might even disdain such behavior, thinking it was foolish to put their faith in something so abstract, but time would eventually reveal the true fools. By then, everything would be too late, and they would follow the trajectory of a certain wasteland. If everyone held such respect in their hearts, they would never have experienced such an abysmal ending.

Putting this into perspective, Genji realized the group had done the same the previous night. Even the slightest scraps of bones were saved in their bags, ready to be repurposed for another use.

'They've moved beyond temporary convenience and embraced environmental longevity. What an interesting culture.'

At this point, Genji was beginning to anticipate the upcoming six weeks. For once, he felt a curiosity about this world's civilization and its developmental trajectory. They had evidently followed a different path from most worlds, and Genji looked forward to what he could learn from them.

Maybe the records would be useful; maybe not, but it would certainly expand his thoughts and potentially give him a sense of transcendence. These experiences would enrich his mind and nourish his psyche, allowing the previously planted seed of willpower to sprout.

Even if all this failed, he would still be rewarded, removing the pressure to overperform. Plus, the idea of spending this time in history sounded like a good change of pace from his usual massacres and tension-filled life.

'I'll just take things as they come. At worst, I'll consider this an extended vacation. I don't need that many stat points anyway. Just 13.'