The Final Desperation

[Special stat surpasses the target's by a large margin. High ranking detected. Obtaining 100% of the target's information.]

[Cinderella, Princess of Burning Ash]

Health: 38,600/38,600

Mana: 3,487/3,500

Con: 36

Str: 32

Dex: 32

Int: 70

Spc: 7

Skills:

 - Boss (Passive): +35,000 health

 - Elemental Body (Passive): You take 80% less damage from physical attacks

 - Flaming Embers (Passive): Fire damage is amplified by 200%. You are immune to flame attacks from people with lower Intelligence than you. For flames supported by higher stats, you receive 90% less damage.

 - Magma Aura (Passive): You emit a scorching heat that burns everything near you. 

 - Deformed Mentality (Passive): Mental attacks are 50% less effective against you.

 - Scorching Affinity (Passive): You can use all fire element spells for 50% less resource consumption.

 - Burning Strike (Active): Gather energy in your claws and swipe down a target. The more energy, the hotter your attack.

 - Field of Ash (Active): Summon swathes of burning ash to scorch the surroundings.

 - Rising Tide of Magma (Active): Summon a giant magma wave to drown your target.

 - A Fiery Core (Passive/Active): The hotter the environment, the faster your mana recovers. If you run out of mana, you can tap into this source for more mana and a huge increase in fire damage. Consumed energy will permanently decrease your maximum health.

 - [Ultimate] One Final Meteor (Active): Transform into a ball of magma and launch yourself at a target. Upon collision, explode and deal massive elemental damage.

 - [Ultimate] Absolute Domain of Cinders (Active): Burn everything within 500 meters, regardless of defense or counters. This effect has low priority. 

 

[Screeching Hollow, the Insane]

Health: 34,000/34,000

Mana: 340/340

Con: 56

Str: 60

Dex: 52

Int: 34

Spc: 2

Skills:

 - Mini-boss (Passive): +20,000 health

 - Undead Insanity (Passive): Immune to mental attacks and other emotional influences.

 - Relentless Pursuit (Passive): When focused on a goal, you will go to extreme lengths to achieve it, regardless of the cost. Stats are boosted by 50% when in this state.

 - Hyper-Fixation (Passive): You will treat all living creatures as a target to kill. (This triggers Relentless Pursuit.)

Note: No other skills can be read.

 

"I'll take care of the skeleton. You deal with the smoking hot girl," Genji said.

The others grimaced at his nicknames. They were in such a dangerous situation, yet he was still in the mood for jokes? Could he take this seriously?

Genji ignored their strange looks and threw a nearby chair at the hollow before dashing for the stairs. The hollow, provoked by his actions, chased after him with a vengeance, brandishing her large kitchen knife. Genji easily dodged these attacks and found a remote area to fight.

Berserk and Untraceable Movement activated, allowing him to fight on par with the hollow's strength. After a few clashes, Genji kicked the shin and unleashed a massive crescent. The walls shattered under his strike, but the hollow parried the attack after crashing through a few rooms.

A piercing roar sounded from the trail of destruction before the hollow charged out with immense momentum. Wielding the enlarged knife like a sword, the hollow slashed at Genji like a crazed maniac. Genji jumped over a sweeping strike and kicked the head, sending his opponent flying again.

Genji pulled his dagger back and charged up Lightning Inspiration during this window. Without waiting for the technique to reach full power, Genji burst forward and collided against the tip of a descending knife. A massive shockwave tore down the remaining walls and caused the ceiling to collapse on them.

Genji slashed out a curtain of flames to obliterate this newly formed obstacle and stayed in hot pursuit. After a flurry of exchanges, Genji received another opening and slashed at the neck. His dagger dug into hard bones, cutting halfway through when the hollow grabbed his arm and flung him aside.

Genji flipped upright and landed perpendicular to a pillar. His knees bent down and dispersed the momentum acting on him before bursting toward his previous position. The surface behind him shattered, revealing the outside garden.

Genji twisted around another slash and stabbed his dagger into the hollow's forehead. Then leveraging this point, Genji dragged the hollow to the ground and slammed her head into the floorboards.

Genji kicked aside the knife and slashed down again, collapsing the second floor. The hollow jumped onto her feet and lunged at the descending Genji, her claws coated in an ominous energy. Genji sidestepped these swipes and kicked upward, launching the hollow into the ceiling. Her whole head was buried in the wood while her body dangled from the top.

The hag freed herself and crawled toward him like an upside-down spider. Genji responded by leaping up and delivering a spinning kick, followed by a black cross.

Bruce dug into the ceiling at this moment, and they began battling in the air. After a few exchanges, Genji swung aside and ran down the walls. The hollow chased after him relentlessly, in an almost inhuman way. Her limbs no longer bent at the expected joints, but rather flailed about like a broken chain. Her hungry eyes stared hauntingly at him, treating him like prey.

With each passing moment, the hollow became less human and more ghoulish, further exacerbating her obsession. Genji landed on the ground and lashed out at the pouncing hollow. A heavy strain weighed down on his arms, threatening to crush him. Genji dug his feet into the ground and pushed her back.

Suddenly, red skewers shot out from Genji's side, turning the hollow into a porcupine. These spikes then grew barbs on the side, viciously ripping the skin and scratching the bones.

The hollow shattered everything with brute force, but another powerful attack greeted her. Under Genji's fully charged Lightning Inspiration, the hollow flew across the mansion and burst through the wall on the other side. Genji leaped through this hole and slashed down the recovering hollow.

Bony claws rose to block his strike, but the extensive impacts finally took their toll and shattered the arms. Bloody whips shot out through these cracks, pierced the eyes, and gave the neck a hard twist. Genji regathered his strength, conjured a stream of flames, and sliced through the neck.

The whispers of flames died down, and the decapitated head landed on the ground. Genji picked up the loot and dashed toward the other side of the building, where he felt an immense heat radiating from.

When he arrived at the scene, he saw Edwin sliding backward, various parts of his armor singed black. His aura wavered from tanking the immense heat, and his sweat immediately evaporated upon release, steaming him from the inside. At the current rate, Edwin wouldn't last much longer in this battle.

In the distance, Genji saw Kathleen pelting Cinderella with mana-coated arrows, but the elemental's physical resistance made it difficult to deal any significant damage. The prince had retreated behind a tree, but there appeared to be another invisible barrier surrounding the estate, locking them inside.

A few guards took turns confronting Cinderella in melee, but the intense heat crippled their endurance. Several of the squad had taken off their gear in hopes of cooling down faster and being more agile.

Genji charged forward and slashed down with a large streak of cutting intent, bisecting Cinderella and attracting her attention. Her body reformed without trouble, and bolts of fire rained down on him. Genji weaved between the bullets and countered everything with his own flames.

"Find some water," he shouted at the idle guards as he stabbed Cinderella's chest. Genji poured his energy through the dagger, conjuring a miniature vortex inside her. The flaming onslaught paused under this disruption, and Cinderella roared in pain. However, this was only the calm before the storm, as Genji felt the surrounding temperatures spike in intensity.

He immediately flashed away, narrowly dodging a blizzard of molten ash. Cinderella waved her arms in the air and conjured a large sphere of flames above her head. Genji slashed a few times at the ash, but the particles were too thick for him to penetrate. Kathleen also tried with an arrow, but it melted halfway through the field. They had no way to disrupt the attack.

After a few moments, Cinderella flung the sphere at them and began charging her next attack. As Genji dashed away from the impact zone, a scalding heat erupted behind him, turning the area into flames. Fortunately, the guards returned at this time and helped put out the fire with water from a nearby well.

The guards behind them also carried a makeshift hose, weaved from their meager spells, and doused Cinderella's ashen domain, causing the fleck to collapse. Genji ran in and filled the area with cutting intent, destroying all incoming projectiles. But before he could get far, a wall of magma rose around him, threatening to encase him like a cocoon.

Genji summoned [Curse Bearer] to clear the way before dashing through with Quantum Barrier. When he emerged, blood swirled around him and attacked Cinderella to disrupt her spell-casting. Genji slid on [Kraken's Grasp] for the mental attack before immediately putting it away. He wasn't lacking in stats right now, but a reliable method to close the distance.

Under this combination, Genji safely arrived beside Cinderella and enveloped her in cutting intent. As she recovered, a vortex of volatile energy gathered around his dagger. Three silhouettes also darted out as a precautionary measure.

Genji was going to end this battle without giving Cinderella time to use her ultimates. It was difficult enough to get close, and the situation would only worsen with time.

Sensing the threat he posed, Cinderella tapped into her vital energy and empowered her Absolute Domain of Cinders. The two beings activated their finishers, and the world around Genji slowed. His instincts warned him of the rapidly approaching crisis and desperately shrieked at him to escape.

'But I can't escape. I don't have time.'

So the only way to survive is to cut down his opponent before she unleashes her wrath.

'I need to go faster. Faster!'

As if recognizing his urgency, his body began accelerating within this slow world. From being in sync with the surroundings to moving at normal speeds, until finally, he became a blur. A flash of darkness covered the scene, and the world returned to normal, save for the molten Cinderella, who was missing her head. The complete Shadow Devour has claimed its first prey!

[You have slain: Cinderella, Princess of Burning Ash.]

[Your maximum energy has increased by 75 points.]

[You have obtained: 562 realm coins.]

[You have obtained: Essence of Fire]

 

[Essence of Fire]

Rating: Epic (Quasi-Legendary)

Type: Crafting Item / Magic source

Effects: 

1. Use this to craft a piece of equipment and give it powerful fire traits
2. Use this as an energy source to greatly empower your fire attribute spells.

Description: The core of a molten monster who was killed before she could utilize her vital energy. Due to how swift the kill was, the energy within this core is abundant in nature and high in quality. 

 

Genji exhaled hard as the heat dissipated around him. He was mere moments from being torched and barely survived despite his lack of injuries. His body was sore from the consecutive battles, and his stamina was nearly empty.

Genji collected the fire core from the ground and dispersed the silhouettes around him. Then he approached the hose and drenched himself in some comforting coolness. The others joined him and reveled in their victory.

"For a moment, I thought we would all die," Edwin said, uncharacteristic of his usual upright demeanor.

Kathleen agreed and relaxed under the cold stream for a few more minutes. It was only when the well ran dry that they gathered their composure and escorted the prince out.

 

[You have completed the story of Cinderella, the Tragic Princess.]

[Cinderella, the Tragic Princess]

Description: After experiencing the harshness of life, Cinderella finally found the love of her life. Yet before she could get together with him, an unexpected twist transformed her into a monster, devoid of her previous self. What a tragic end she faced.

Mission Progress: 3/3

[You have discovered clues of a hidden storyline. A Side Mission has been issued.]

[Side Mission: Explore the Cause of Tragedy]

Description: When you confronted Cinderella, an unknown red light caused her to mutate into a monstrosity.

Requirements: Trace the clues back to their source and uncover the mastermind behind the event.

Reward: 5 stat points (ignores world limits)

Penalty for Failure: none

 

Genji glanced at the side mission and dismissed it. While the rewards were tempting, Genji had no intention of exploring this line. It was way beyond his league.

Just a single clue had given him so many difficulties and brought him to the brink of death. Going any further would simply be suicidal for his power level. Rather, he would prefer to distance himself as much as possible from this issue.

Genji spared the destroyed estate one last glance before leaving with no further thoughts.

 

---

 

A few minutes after the group's departure, the air around the mansion distorted as a fairy with black wings teleported into the vicinity. This fairy gazed cheerfully over the wreckage and floated over to the headless body of the former stepmother. She poked at the skeletal figure like a roadside toy before standing up with a twinge of regret.

*Sigh* "Experiment #644 is also a failure. I wonder what went wrong? I gave them the proper seeds of distortion, but they still triggered ahead of time. Is it so hard to create a subtle distortion?"

She finished prodding the remains and snapped her fingers, unleashing a catastrophic amount of mana that pulverized the sturdy skeleton. Not even the severed head or arms were spared as every trace of the hollow's existence disappeared from existence.

Next, she approached the cinders where Cinderella was killed. The fairy played with the remains like it was sand, drawing silly doodles with her finger. When she finished and pulled back her finger, not even a trace of soot stained her skin.

"And experiment #643, you were also disappointing. I gave you everything you needed, but you still failed to seduce the prince. How am I supposed to destroy this kingdom if I keep supporting useless girls like you? Fortunately, I sowed a proper seed a few years back, and she's about to bloom. I just need to wait a few days, and I can watch this kingdom's ruin."

The fairy smiled like she was discussing her favorite pastime with a friend. "It's a shame the puppet broke as well. I enjoyed watching his charade, all the gore, and how he chases an impossible goal. Maybe I should create a new toy?"

With those words, the fairy conjured a portal and disappeared like nothing had happened.

 

---

 

When the group returned and reported their findings, the queen and her advisors wore grim expressions.

"Are you sure everything you said is true?"

"Yes," Edwin replied, kneeling with one leg. "We all saw a red beam from the shoe. It caused Lady Tremaine and the culprit to become monsters."

"But how is that possible? We didn't sense a single thing capable of that," the court mages said. "Unless..."

"Unless the caster surpasses all of you in magical attainment," the queen finished for them. "And by a long shot at that. We're no longer dealing with a rogue magician, but a calamity-level existence."

The people in the room gulped loudly at the mention of this and subtly wiped the sweat off their palms. If this was indeed the case, they would need to prepare for drastic losses.

Out of everyone in the room, Genji was the only one who remained composed. He didn't know the terrors of such a classification and he wouldn't be around long enough to find out. Why should he care about it?

Edwin explained some other details, and soon it was time for the rewards.

"For your bravery and contributions, I will bestow upon you all a bronze medal of honor and six months' worth of salary. You may collect them at your leisure. For the fighters in the special division, I bestow you a silver medal of honor and a treasure from the royal treasury. You are dismissed."

Everyone bowed their heads and dispersed from the throne room, leaving only the queen and her closest attendants.

"I want you to prepare for the worst case," she commanded them.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Meanwhile, Genji picked another epic weapon from the vault and returned to his room for meditation. After resting his sore body, he visited the mess hall to fill his stomach. Bruce and Astros were especially hungry after everything, so they ate several portions meant for adults.

Once they finished, Genji found a remote spot on the castle roof and sat down. This wasn't for anything in particular since he came here to slack off and play on his device. It was honestly quite calming after an intense battle. Just play some games and watch over the city below.

And this was probably all he could do here. He couldn't exactly call or message someone to chat because all his friends were in a different world. His network wasn't exactly broad in any sense.

'Maybe I should add more people just for this purpose,' he mused.

The sun eventually set and Genji stretched his stiff body before jumping down through an open window.

Later that night, the queen could be seen entering the same basement as before. She brushed aside the cobwebs in the air and came upon the magic mirror with her candle.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall. Tell me who is the fairest of them all," she repeated.

The mirror thought for a few moments before displaying the image of another girl. "She is," the mirror answered.

The queen's face distorted at this answer, and she stomped out of the room. The next morning, Genji found another poster slipped under his door, depicting his next target for assassination.

"Belle," he read aloud.