The Final Desperation

When the team adjusted to their new surroundings, they realized they had reached their destination. This confirmed their suspicions about teleportation changes since the map indicated they still had three more zones left to cross.

They placed Lynn and Kathleen down with Edwin to watch over them while the remaining team entered the village to investigate. Genji immediately sensed something was amiss when he crossed the front gate. It was way too quiet for a supposed village, as if everyone had suddenly disappeared.

The farm animals that one would typically expect in a rural settlement were also gone, with only the byproducts and manure to show for their presence. They would have mistaken this for another illusion if it weren't for the royal insignias scattered around the townhouses. But, the design was impossible to fake, so this could only be the village.

The team also sensed this oddity and entered a guarded formation. They slowly shuffled through the village for any signs of danger, but all they found were more empty houses and discarded half-eaten meals. Whatever had caused this phenomenon had already left, discarding the place like an empty carcass.

"This doesn't make sense. How can a whole village suddenly vanish without any warning? Did they willingly desert this place or what?" the lumberjack mumbled, kicking a fence post as they passed. The fragile wood broke under his exertion, and the lead tied around it fell to the ground.

"I doubt it," said the hoodie guy. "The gate was locked from the inside, and there are no signs of anyone leaving. It's more likely they disappeared while going about their day. Maybe they weren't even aware they were affected."

"There's nothing to work with. How are we supposed to find anything here?" said the lumberjack.

"I don't know, but let's head back. We've done enough now, and it's time to pass the problem back to the queen," Genji said.

"Even if we might have to come back?" the warrior asked.

"Yes. At least next time, we will have reinforcements to help us. I don't know about you, but I don't want to risk meeting whatever caused this mess right now. Not with our current team."

The others agreed with Genji's choice, and they backtracked to their initial position. Lynn and Kathleen had mostly recovered when they returned. Genji informed them of his decision, and they approached the boundary. Yet right as they entered, the contorting space around them began congealing.

Genji, immediately sensing something wrong, shouted for everyone to scatter. The team didn't need his reminder as they'd already leaped back, but not everyone was lucky enough to avoid danger. As they soared through the air, a cluster of green, scaly tentacles stretched out of the void and grabbed Lynn's arm.

Everyone's eyes widened in alarm as they braced for catastrophe. The man in the hoodie was the only one who acted, slashing out a black crescent that severed Lynn's arm just as the tentacles pulled her inward. Then, the teleportation activated and scattered the group. This all happened within one or two seconds, rendering the fates of their teammates unknown.

Genji found himself in a dense forest when the distortions cleared, characterized by a high tower in the distance. He was alone in this zone since he'd distanced himself from everyone else when they jumped back. He took a moment to regain his bearings before scrutinizing his surroundings.

Genji took out the wayfinder's compass and noticed the pointer had deviated drastically. Wherever he was teleported to, it was further off path than he initially expected. Whereas before, the compass strictly pointed behind him, now it veered to the right by about 30°. Genji knew this because he'd marked the initial direction on the compass body.

Genji realigned himself with the pointer and began walking forward. This coincidentally happened to be in the same direction as the tower. On his approach, a small head peeked out a window at the top of the tower.

"Are you a prince by any chance, rare traveler?" the girl asked.

Genji looked up and noticed the golden strands of hair that draped behind her shoulders like a luxurious fountain. It was so glossy that even the light bounced off it and took on a new hue.

"No matter. Do you care to join me? It's so lonely up here without any visitors," the girl continued, unfazed by the silence. "I'll let down my hair. Please, climb up."

Following that, she slung her head around, and a waterfall of gold gracefully descended upon Genji. Seeing this, Genji's eyes immediately grew sharp as he recognized that gorgeous length. He took out the wanted notice and compared the drawing to the lush strands before him. It was an exact match.

'How lucky of me to encounter the exact target I'm looking for.'

Yet, this placed Genji in a dilemma. Based on his current location, it was highly likely that the tower was a trap. After all, the surrounding zones had been precarious, yet he was supposed to believe this one was any different? Please, even a toddler could see through this guise.

The problem, however, was that he needed to confront this trap to kill Rapunzel. Otherwise, he would have to give up this chain mission from the queen.

"Are you coming up? If not, I'll pull my hair back. It's honestly quite tiring to support all of it," Rapunzel's voice sounded again, forcing a countdown on his thoughts.

"Hold on. I'm removing the excess weight. Don't want to accidentally pull out your hair," Genji smoothly responded.

"How thoughtful of you. I'm liking you more and more," Rapunzel giggled.

'I wish I could say the same. Except I'm afraid you will eat me once I enter the tower,' Genji thought, noting there were no other entrances. The tower was a very impractical construct, with not even a door. It was only in this world that such a nonsensical design could exist. 'So how do I kill her?'

As Genji pondered over this question, he grabbed the hair and slowly hoisted himself up. 'It's not like I can get her to come down. Just the fact that she lures prey up says a lot.'

At this moment, Genji had a sudden realization. 'That's right! Since I can't convince her, why don't I force her out? It's not like I have to enter her domain to fight. The price, though...'

Genji sighed and steeled his resolve. Since this was his only option, he should make the most of it. Once he reached the halfway point, he pulled out a grenade, removed the pin, and waited for the fuse to burn.

If one couldn't already tell, this was not a normal grenade. It alone had cost him 2,000 realm coins, which equated to 2 million before the conversion. The main reason was that it contained some of the most advanced explosive technology to date.

This single, palm-sized grenade had as much power as a miniature nuke! Someone in the marketplace had somehow figured out how to compress the same contraption into this tiny form. However, its destructive potential was weaker than its Earthly counterparts. This wasn't due to the item being faulty, but because the higher world stability limited its effective range.

It's hard for explosions to spread when it requires significantly more force to destroy the surrounding material. Plus, most combatants can easily block the damage or escape its radius before it explodes. It simply isn't that practical in high-speed combat. But, this is only the case for combat, not pure destruction. In these scenarios, a nuke may be far more effective than any other attack.

Once the fuse burned to a nub, Genji chucked it through the open window and leaped away. A flash of light emanated from the opening, followed by a thunderous eruption that rocked the earth and a fierce typhoon that bent the trees. Thick plumes of explosion clouds diffused through the air, coiling inward to form a mushroom cap.

Long cracks snaked down the side, causing the tower to wobble unstably. After a few seconds, a piercing shriek cut through the commotion, revealing burnt edges and crumbling ash. The top of the tower had completely disappeared despite Rapunzel's best efforts to preserve the structure.

Molten bits slid down the side, cooling and forming teardrop patterns. On the edge, a blackened Rapunzel stood, her fried hair giving way to glaring red eyes, large demonic claws, and burly sharp teeth. Her innocent appearance had vanished, replaced by a wrathful monster craving vengeance.

"How dare you! I'll make you pay for this!" she growled at Genji, causing her cauterized wounds to burst and expose broken ribs and decimated muscles. Purple blood oozed through these cracks, highlighting her inhuman nature.

Genji responded by chucking some rocks at her. Rapunzel mistook these for more nuclear grenades and swiped them out of the air with energy-infused claws. It was only when they split apart that Rapunzel realized Genji had tricked her. However, it was already too late.

Using this opening, Genji splashed several poison spheres on her wounds. A harsh sizzle sounded, followed by plumes of gas that emitted an offensive odor. Her injuries worsened, and an angry screech filled the air.

Then they both disappeared from their positions, exchanging a frenzy of attacks. Claws met saber, poison met wounds, and techniques overwhelmed barbarity. Eventually, the poison took its toll, and the head separated from the shoulders.

Genji gave his weapon one last swing to clean off the blood and reached down to pick up the loot.

"That was not worth it," he muttered as he walked toward the border.

 

---

 

The next zone had sparser trees and a well-defined dirt path. It could still be categorized as a forest, but this one was like a back garden compared to the previous wilderness. The trickling of running water sounded in the background, accompanied by singing birds. Warm sunlight shone through the leaves, accenting the path forward.

Genji followed this path until he saw a girl in a red hood carrying a basket under her arm. She hummed to herself, admiring the daisies by the roadside. Sensing Genji's presence, the girl stood up and jogged over to him.

"Good morning, mister! Where are you going so early today?"

Genji glanced at her before ignoring the strange girl. Little Red Riding Hood, undeterred by his silence, continued speaking.

"I'm going to my grandmother's house. She's fallen sick, and Mother told me to bring her food. Her house is over the hills, past the river, and below three acorn trees. You must know where it is!"

Yet, Genji had a different response. 'Why does she keep trying to talk to me? Is this a trap? Will something bad happen if I speak? Should I kill her now so I don't have to deal with this? And why is she revealing so much to a stranger? It's almost like she wants me to find her grandmother.'

As absurd as these guesses seemed, the vague sense of danger Genji felt when he opened his mouth to talk indicated there might be some truth to them. However, the thought of attacking Red Riding Hood spawned an even greater danger. So, he chose the safest option and ignored the conversation bait.

Genji walked past Red Riding Hood, but the girl wouldn't leave him alone. She trailed him like a servant, filling the air with conversation. Genji eventually grew annoyed and ran ahead to lose her. Yet, just as he left her behind, the air distorted, and she appeared a few hundred meters in front of him.

"Oh, hello again, mister. Why did you run off earlier? It seemed pretty urgent. Did something happen?"

Genji ran past her without a second glance, only to experience the same teleportation. The surroundings had barely changed, suggesting he might be running in circles. After five attempts, Genji finally stopped and evaluated Little Red Riding Hood.

'It seems she's the focal point in this story. There's no way to get rid of her.'

"Is something on my face? Why are you looking at me like that?" Red Riding Hood asked.

Genji maintained his silence and resigned himself to following the intended progression. They walked past the hills, over the river, and soon arrived at a wooden cottage.

There was a funky smell in the air, almost feral and animalistic. Paw prints were scattered across the ground, with considerable emphasis on the tips where most of the pressure was placed. The door to the cottage was also ajar, left open by the previous visitor. The scene certainly didn't look right, but Red Riding Hood stepped over everything without a change in expression.

Genji wondered what game she was playing but kept to himself, like a spectator. No matter what, he refused to join this charade.

Red Riding Hood pushed open the door and led them inside. "Grandma? Are you there?"

"Yes, my dear. Grandma's in bed," a squeaky voice called from around the corner. It was a strange voice, like how someone would sound if they pinched their nose while speaking. Also, the voice was far too lively for a sick old lady who was supposed to be in bed.

They walked around the corner and spotted a comfy bed where an overly dressed wolf lay beneath a pile of blankets. Red Riding Hood approached the bed and placed her basket on a nearby table. "Grandma, I brought you bread and wine. Mother said it would make you feel better."

"Thank you, my dear. Do you mind coming closer?"

"Of course. But Grandma, what big eyes you have!"

"The better to see you with, my dear."

Red Riding Hood took another forward and said, "Grandma, what big hands you have!"

"The better to hug you with, my dear."

"Yay, I love hugs. I hope you get better soon so you can give me lots of them."

"I will after today."

At this moment, Red Riding Hood was pressed against the bed frame. She hovered over her grandmother, closely examined her face, and finally asked the dreaded question, "Grandma, what big teeth you have!"

At that moment, the wolf leaped out of bed and attacked Red Riding Hood. The clothes tore apart, revealing a gaping maw that dripped with hungry saliva. The wolf tore Red Riding Hood limb from limb before greedily devouring her. Blood splattered, flesh ripped, and bones crunched.

The wolf’s stomach bulged after finishing its gruesome meal. It patted its stomach and finally answered the girl's earlier question, "The better to chew you with."

Then the wolf turned to Genji and grinned fiendishly. However, it didn’t take any further action. They stared at each other for a few moments before Genji finally asked, "How long will maintain this act? You're not fooling anybody."

"Grrr?" The wolf tilted its head, not understanding his words.

"I know you're still alive in there," Genji continued, unimpressed. "If you expect me to cut open the wolf to get you out, you're going to be disappointed. I'm not doing anything. I'm leaving."

At that moment, the wolf froze, and a sharp hand pierced through its stomach. The wolf whimpered in pain, seemingly begging the monstrosity inside to show some mercy. However, the master ignored its pleas, and another arm widened the wound. Then a harsh rip sounded as the front of the wolf burst open.

A bloody woman in a black dress crawled out, her long hair dragging behind her like a wet rope. She appeared to be in her twenties and looked nothing like the innocent girl who had entered. After standing up, she brushed back her hair and wrung out the blood within. Then numerous eyes opened around her face, revealing a horror for anyone with trypophobia.

The wolf shivered in fear, pleading for its life. The woman snorted and stomped on its skull, crushing it instantly.

"Hmph, how useless. For the record, it's 'The better to eat you with,' not 'The better to chew you with.' Also, you were supposed to say that before you jumped out of bed and devoured me whole, not tear me apart. What use do I have for something that can't even follow simple directions?"

She then turned to glare at Genji. "And you! What kind of heartless man lets an innocent girl get eaten like that? You didn’t even blink when I got torn apart."

"You're not as helpless as you looked." Genji's simple response intensified her glares. If looks could kill, Genji would have become minced meat.

Genji summoned his daggers and asked, "Wanna dance? I might not have stood a chance when you were directing the play, but the show's over now. The zone principles can’t affect me anymore, and I don’t mind risking my life."

The tension between them rose like a rocket, but the woman eventually relented. The eyes across her face closed, and her monstrous features receded. "No, you pass. Now get out."

"What's the rush? I still haven't claimed my reward." Genji pointed to the mangled head of the wolf.

The woman glanced at the remains with disdain and kicked it over. Genji smiled, swung down, and carved out all the teeth with a streak of cutting intent. Then blood tentacles gathered them up and poured them into a leather pouch.

Genji nodded in satisfaction and continued on his way. As he reached the door, he stopped and made one final comment. "Oh, by the way, you need to work on your scripts. What kind of girl ignores all these red flags just to get eaten by a wolf in a crappy disguise anyway? It's like your characters have no common sense. No wonder you have to resort to tricking people."

The atmosphere around the woman froze, and her myriad eyes reopened, emitting a murderous pressure. However, Genji had already closed the door behind him, shutting out everything behind it.