The Final Desperation

As Genji followed his compass, he encountered more and more beast kings. This was expected since he was venturing deeper into the wilderness and toward the center of the world. All signs of civilization had faded by this point, leaving only the natural terrain and those who claimed the land as their own.

Luckily, most of the inhabitants were neutral and allowed Genji to pass by undisturbed. They had no reason to stop him since he wasn't disturbing them. It was like a non-interference agreement between the strong. Some beast kings weren't even aware of his passing, as they were enjoying a midday nap.

However, his luck ran out when he encountered an Allosaurus. Unlike others, this T-rex cousin blocked his path instead of watching from a distance. Genji tried to go around, but the creature persistently jumped back in his way with its powerful hind legs. After a few attempts, Genji realized it wouldn't let them pass easily and prepared for a confrontation.

To his surprise, the dinosaur stopped at a non-threatening distance and gestured at its mouth. Then it roared at Genji before pointing at its stomach and awaited Genji's response.

"Uhhh, any idea what it wants?" Genji asked Bruce.

The nightbane was as clueless as Genji, but he could somewhat communicate with the Allosaurus. After some back and forth, Bruce's eyes grew strange as he conveyed his guess to Genji: 'I think it wants something to eat from us.'

Genji's eyes mirrored Bruce's look, but he decided to indulge the dinosaur since its gestures seemed to convey that message. It was just unexpected to see such an act from a beast king when it could easily hunt something. It wasn't like prey was hard to find around here. There was literally a fleeing bison on the horizon!

Genji didn't overthink it and tossed over some leftovers, dismissing the behavior as the beast king's eccentricity. Upon catching the offering, the Allosaurus took a small nibble before its eyes creased up in contentment and stepped out of the way. It had gotten whatever it was after and had no more reasons to obstruct Genji.

Genji encountered many changes as he continued deeper. The natural resources in the environment became more abundant and rich, allowing more species to prosper. Verdant trees grew pleasant fruits and cast their shade upon the world, enabling symbiotic vines to grow steadily.

The soil became darker and more nutrient-rich, supported by healthy worms and vegetable gardens. Many varieties of starchy roots filled the ground, providing ample food for all herbivores. This thriving ecosystem supported many apex predators, making beast kings much more common.

The population density had reached a point where Genji would encounter one every half hour as he moved through different territories. What he didn't expect, though, was an increase in beast kings demanding a food toll as he passed by. It turned out the Allosaurus wasn't the weird one but rather merely following an established norm among certain beast kings.

"Who the frick taught them to tax people like that? This is getting ridiculous," Genji exclaimed after the seventh time. "If I ever find out who did this, I'm going to have a serious talk with them."

By the eleventh time, Genji fully accepted this strange reality and prepared lots of food with Bruce, which came in handy when they came upon a border guarded by multiple beast kings. This was an unexpected scene since beast kings were typically solitary creatures. It was hard enough for an area to feed a single king, let alone a community.

However, this change indicated another increase in floral density, marking the center of the world where resources were most concentrated. Only here could beast kings live without worry and thrive together. Genji gave each king a small offering, and they allowed him through. As he walked, he spotted many vibrant life forms, each flourishing in its own way. It was so lively that one could smell the vitality in the air.

Many beast kings shot peculiar looks his way, obviously surprised to see a human, but soon resumed their normal activities. In this place, there was an unspoken rule against causing a disturbance. Since the sentries allowed him in, it meant he knew these rules and would follow them. Otherwise, they wouldn't mind tearing him to pieces.

'Just what kind of place did the little guy enter? It's only been 15 minutes and I've already seen at least ten beast kings,' Genji wondered.

Bruce was on edge the whole time and frequently glanced around with anxiety. It was hard to relax when a single mistake could result in them being besieged by multiple walking disasters. They were literally in the beasts' den, and nothing could change that.

"Relax, if it comes down to it, I'm confident I can get us out alive," Genji reassured him. This drew some unfriendly stares, as it sounded like Genji was there to cause trouble.

Inspired by Genji's courage, Bruce disregarded the surrounding threats and gave Genji a look filled with admiration and reverence. 'As expected of you, master. So daring. Ok, I'll be like that as well.'

Bruce's nose tilted upward, and his gait gained a fearless flair, prompting many eye rolls from the observing beasts. 'Why are you being so arrogant? Aren't you just relying on someone else's strength? If you dare, try doing that when you're alone.'

Bruce ignored the "looks of admiration" and continued walking, eventually approaching a rising plume of smoke. At its source was Astros, clumsily roasting a red, fleshy mushroom at a makeshift campfire, if you could even call it that. Five large beast kings gathered around Astros, one of which was a red chameleon who occasionally spat out wisps of fire to replenish the dwindling pile.

Astros sat on top of a bear's head, dangling a stick of mushrooms like a fishing rod. After fumbling to turn the stick a few times, Astros pulled it from the fire, revealing unevenly cooked pieces. Many of the edges were burnt black, while the insides still leaked raw juices.

Nonetheless, the beast kings cheered in celebration and devoured the food as if it were the most scrumptious thing they'd ever tasted. And in a way, it was, considering they'd only eaten raw foods their whole lives.

'What the fuck is happening right now?' Genji wondered, speechless at the scene.

To explain the events leading up to this point, we need to rewind a few days, back to when Astros encountered a colony of giant bees. At the time, the bees were harvesting nectar and transporting it back to their hive. Astros followed out of curiosity and was subsequently discovered. But instead of attacking him, the queen invited Astros inside and offered him some honey.

This new food fascinated Astros, and he was soon face-deep in the golden syrup. Seeing how much Astros was enjoying himself, the queen asked if he wanted to stay a while longer. Astros, like all young children, was enticed by the prospect of sweetness and agreed. During this time, a bear king stopped by to forage for a snack. That was the same bear that Astros is currently sitting on.

The bees were not happy about this intrusion, but there was nothing they could do against the beast king's formidable defenses. After brushing off numerous insignificant stings, the bear reached the hive and tore off a chunk. Coincidentally, this was the same area where Astros was staying, causing him to drop onto the bear.

Astros had a dazed look at the sudden change in surroundings and looked around in confusion, smudges of honey still staining his face. The bear, seeing Astros's adorable appearance, felt apologetic about the disturbance and decided to treat Astros to some better food.

So the bear brought Astros back to its area, inside the world's center, and gave him some Beastbloom Shrooms, a special mushroom domesticated by the beasts to be their food source.

Many carnivores love these mushrooms because they taste just like real meat. In fact, the resemblance is so uncanny that someone can swap the two and no one would notice, not even the most perceptive eater. Additionally, these mushrooms require minimal resources to grow and mature in a fraction of the time it takes for animals to do so.

There were almost no downsides to growing these mushrooms. "Almost" is used because there is one complication: these mushrooms need to be fed with blood. More specifically, they take on the qualities of their environment. Without a constant supply of blood, they won't develop the flavor and nutrition the beast kings desired.

Instead, they'll become dirt-like and unpalatable, deterring all predators. This was their survival mechanism and also why many referred to these mushrooms as Total Mimicry Fungi, a more fitting name than what the beasts called them.

Now, where does the blood come from? The beast kings, of course. Every king in the world's center would grow some of these mushrooms in their territory as a renewable food source.

And if they dislike the taste of their own species, they could always trade with another beast king for variety. With so many options available, none of them have to resort to cannibalism if they don't want to. It's not like there's much difference since they're all beast kings and their products are similarly nutritious.

The bear wasn't such a picky eater and happily gorged on its portion after serving Astros. But while the bear found the mushrooms delicious, Astros could only see a bloody mess. Due to Genji and Bruce's influence, his standards were much higher and required his meals to be cooked, at the very least.

The bear mistook this aversion and assumed Astros was vegetarian. Unwilling to see his guest go hungry, the bear brought Astros to some nearby friends in hopes of procuring food Astros would enjoy. However, the ferret only nibbled at a few fruits, disheartening the bear.

'What kind of host am I if I can't even feed my guests properly?' The bear sulked to himself.

'Cheer up. I'm sure we can find something he will like. There are so many plants here,' his herbivore friend comforted him. 'I'll even go with you.'

And so, they visited other friends, but the results were similarly fruitless. Astros simply wasn't interested in whatever the beast kings deemed as food. This continued until they met the fire-breathing chameleon, which gave Astros an idea. After gesturing for a while, the beast kings understood his intentions and convinced the chameleon to lend its fire.

The chameleon was confused by the request but obliged since it found the little guy pleasing to the eyes. The first attempt was an utter failure since the flames were too strong and turned the mushroom into pure ash. The second time was a little better, but it still came out like charcoal.

They fine-tuned their technique a few more times before achieving something resembling food. Astros still wouldn't eat it, but the beasts found the smell intriguing enough to try. The flavor wasn't spectacular, but it gave them an idea of what Astros was trying to accomplish. The results gradually improved until Astros decided to take a small nibble, which he immediately spat out and tossed to the crowd.

There was only so much he could do with his poor technique and small body. Despite that, his cooking became a delicacy as word spread, and more kings queued up for reservations. Even the herbivore kings gave it a taste out of curiosity about the hype. They didn't particularly like it, but they didn't hate it either. They were simply indifferent.

"It's not bad, but I think it would taste better if you used plants," they would say, which would immediately provoke the carnivores to rebut, "Get out of here. How dare you suggest such a blasphemous idea! Roasted mushrooms are the best!"

The herbivores were helpless against this since they were in the minority. No matter how valid their opinions were, they couldn't change the minds of the obsessed masses.

Bruce became equally speechless upon learning this fact. Then a tentacle formed and patted Astros, Bruce's eyes full of pity. 'It must have been rough for you. Come, let big brother cook something for you.'

As Astros hopped aside, Bruce's gaze transformed into disdain as he glanced at the kings. 'A bunch of inexperienced bumpkins. I can't believe they consider something so poorly made a delicacy. I feel ashamed to know they worship the same taste of meat as me.'

The beasts sensed his contempt and roared back in defiance but held themselves back for Astros. It was not worth offending the only animal who knew how to roast meat for this arrogant prick.

However, this resistance quickly faded when a mouth-watering aroma filled the air. Their eyes instantly fixated on the spinning golden mass like cats to lasers, barely containing themselves from lunging at it.

Bruce ignored all of this and tossed the perfectly cooked mushroom to Astros, who hungrily devoured it. Audible gulps were heard in this short period, only to be awoken by Genji clearing his throat.

*Ahem ahem* "If only there were more food so everyone could have some..."

This immediately sent the beast kings into action, scampering to the reserves grown by the chameleon. Genji saw flecks of blood spray through the air as claws dug through the soil at hypersonic speeds, harvesting the mushrooms with surprising cooperation.

Then they spilled more blood over the trenches, replenishing the lost amount, before charging back to the fire. They accomplished all of this in a split second before sound could even catch up to them. Moments later, the greenery bent, as if a hurricane had passed through, and their wounds began closing.

The beast kings ignored all of this and reverently offered Bruce the mushrooms, as if he were a holy emissary bringing the words of God to his believers. They were practically begging Bruce to roast some mushrooms for them. Astros's jaws dropped at this sight, unable to believe how far the kings would go for some food.

Bruce gave a proud harrumph before sprouting multiple tentacles from around his body. As each limb latched onto a mushroom, Bruce motioned for the chameleon to increase the heat and portioned the mushrooms into smaller pieces. Then his tentacles swirled around at eye-blurring speeds, cooking everything in record time before flinging them at everyone's mouths.

Content chewing sounds followed as Bruce worked overtime to process everything, becoming the very definition of speed. Before they knew it, Bruce had gone through everything, ending the beasts' brief encounter with heaven.

'That's it?' They wondered, unable to comprehend how the ingredients ran out so rapidly. However, they were forced to confront the truth, as they recalled the gradual shrinkage of the mushroom pile. *Sigh* 'If only we got more.'

At this moment, a group of beast kings charged into the vicinity, their noses pointed in the air, sniffing intently. Then their gazes fell on the fire and lamented their late arrival. 'Dammit! We missed a feast!'

Seeing this, Genji had a stroke of inspiration and walked toward Bruce. "Thanks for the meal," he said, manifesting a dagger. "Let me give you the payment now." Then he sliced his palm and squeezed, releasing a thin trickle that brightened Bruce's eyes.

Blood gathered at Bruce's mouth and compressed inward, becoming a bright orb that he drank. Bruce licked his muzzle and nodded in appreciation at Genji before turning to the beasts who lay blissfully on the ground.

The beast kings understood the message and followed suit, giving Bruce another helping of blood. They didn't mind since they were already exchanging blood for food. What difference did it make if they gave a little more for even better food? Plus, with that taste, it felt more like a bargain than anything.

The crowd's eyes lit up as well, as this indicated they would also have a chance to taste that heavenly smell. Otherwise, Bruce wouldn't be accepting payments and imitating businesses. Then everyone swarmed Bruce, each vying to have him visit their territory next.

As the clamor of roars sounded, Genji stepped out and flashed a thumbs-up at Bruce, encouraging him to have fun, collect a lot of blood, and feed Astros more food. This was a great opportunity to strengthen both of them and shouldn't be missed.

Bruce understood the message and waved back, promising he would make the most of this chance, and that Genji could go do his own thing without worry. Then they separated, each going their own way in search of possible windfalls.

Genji pulled out his compass and placed a vitality stone on it, intending to push his health to 20,000. Ever since the Wolf King revealed that vitality stones could be manually created, Genji speculated that the habitats of beast kings would have similar resources.

Although these kings might not actively gather the world's unique energy, their mere presence should draw a significant amount over time, especially in this area where many kings congregate. Genji planned to bargain for this energy, and potentially earn enough for income.

To his surprise, this task was much easier than expected once he offered some of Bruce's snacks. This made sense after further thought since the average health of a beast king was around 45,000, far surpassing the effective limit of vitality stones. Pairing that with how enticing the snacks were, the beast kings had all the reason to agree.

They were essentially trading away their junk for each other's treasures, resulting in a win-win situation where both parties were happy. In fact, the hardest part of this exchange was actually finding the beast kings, since so many of them were gathered around Bruce.

Genji often walked into empty dens and had to go elsewhere. He didn't want to resort to theft or forced exchanges, as that would leave a bad impression for future dealings. The beasts were such agreeable partners that it was not worth risking their ire for some extra income.

On this day, Genji sensed a large-scale spatial disturbance as a massive portal opened in the distance. After the magical structure stabilized, a stream of beast kings emerged. Many of them bore still-healing scars from battles they'd previously fought and radiated intense killing intent.

These were the kings who had just returned from war. While not all of them were from the Spatial Battlefield, it didn't change the intensity of their battles. They had fought long and hard, and this was their break.

These beast kings had a few paths for their futures. They could either stay in this world and live carefree in the surrounding areas, return to their original worlds to take care of their clans, choose a combination of the two like the wolf king had done, or head off to higher worlds in pursuit of greater strength.

The last option was viable because the king level was not the limit of their strength. After all, beyond the kings were the emperors, which corresponds to the 4th step of the realms. Those were true powerhouses among the faction. For now, details on Beast Emperors will be omitted.

Among this group was a familiar golden lion, who burst out in excitement when he heard about the wonder chef in the area. Without waiting to hear the rest of it, he rushed forward in search of delicious food. However, when he arrived at the feast, Bruce refused to serve this lion specifically. He was still holding a grudge after having his snack stolen two months prior.

Astros watched with interest, wondering what could have made his brother reject a customer like this. After some back and forth and an apology, Bruce eventually forgave the lion and agreed to cook for him at an increased price. However, Lanak soon encountered another problem as he didn't have any mushrooms to provide.

After all, he had just returned from the battlefield and hadn't grown any. Plus, none of the other kings wanted to share since they were still awaiting their turn. Thus, Lanak was forced to hunt and prepare food the old-fashioned way, all so he could taste the new flavors.

'But it's all worth it. The weird horse knows what he's doing, and I can't get enough of his food.'