The Final Desperation

After a day of traveling, Genji arrived at a village situated on the side of a rocky mountain. Interestingly enough, Xyrela was not there. Along the way, he had extracted some skin cells from the puppet and used them to perform a separate tracking on her.

Yet when he reached the base, he noticed the second compass needle was angled away from the village. Sometime between now and last week, Xyrela had gone out to procure more materials for her witchery.

Recognizing this was a great opportunity to wipe out this community of witches, Genji began scouting the surroundings. This village had a different approach from the other towns Genji had entered. Instead of putting on a disguise and blending in with the everyday people, this community openly allowed its witches to carry out their activities. They weren't even trying to hide it.

Maybe it was the remote location or the confidence brought by Xyrela, but these witches had an unbelievable level of brazenness. Most notably, the village lacked the usual components of a functioning society - there were no men, children, or elderly around.

No shops, watch towers, or any form of defensive structures either, just a large botanical garden, some cultivated farmland, and a central gathering place for meals.

Genji counted around a hundred witches wandering about, though based on the number of houses, he guessed the actual population could easily be double or even triple that.

This was an unprecedented size, far surpassing anything he had encountered before. Due to their numbers, he couldn't just waltz in and start a fight, expecting to win. No, he would need to employ some tactics to whittle them down or weaken their powers. The only question now was how.

Because while they appeared vulnerable, Genji was certain they would detect him the moment he took out a single person. Such is the frustration of attacking a magical civilization. After all, life-bound items that shatter upon their owner's death do exist.

Even if he could take out a group of them at once, it still wouldn't change the overall outcome of him being surrounded. Yet as he struggled to come up with a plan, he noticed a familiar figure on the outskirts of the settlement, collecting firewood for a giant cauldron that bubbled with starch. Bits of meat and vegetables floated in the porridge, giving it some depth of flavor.

Genji blinked at the figure for a few moments before his lips curled into a mean-spirited smirk. This was not who he expected to see, but her actions had just given him a great idea.

"Darn it, I'm never going to finish at this rate," Fiona grumbled as she dragged her exhausted body back to the cauldron.

This was Fiona, the realm member who had brought Genji's curse inheritance back in the day. She had also been unlucky enough to antagonize Genji in the Barren Wasteland, which resulted in her paying a huge ransom for her life.

By all means, that should have been their last interaction, but this all changed when Fiona reached the end of her inheritance. To maintain her upgrade momentum, she sourced a world selection item and requested a compatible follow-up to her current power system.

Combining this with her being a social butterfly with hundreds of friends and Genji not messaging her for over a year, we get a situation where she suddenly discovered that Genji was in the same world. In a fit of panic, she impulsively removed him from her friends list, hoping he hadn't noticed.

Due to how she entered the world, her mission was also different from the others. Instead of hunting down the witches, she was tasked with blending into their society and learning their arts—a sort of espionage mission.

To make her life easier, EverRealm dropped her off in the frontier and provided directions to the village. The group readily accepted her, though her low status relegated her to nothing more than minimal chores, like cooking and cleaning. That was how she had been spending her days, making little progress on her goals.

To make matters worse, she had been in tense negotiations with an acquaintance, but to no avail. The other side just refused to give her a sincere offer and kept low-balling the price.

On that thought, she received another message from him.

Jonas: Big sis, you still there? How about 2,000 realm coins for your [Scroll of Causality]?

Fiona let out a big sigh and responded.

Fiona: No. I told you, it needs to be at least 3,000 coins, AND you help me get Xyrela's notes. AND, not OR!

Jonas: Geez, sis. What's got you so worked up? You should take some deep breaths. It's not good for your heart.

"Arrrrrgghhhh." Fiona chucked a piece of wood at the ground and stomped on it repetitively, as if it were Jonas himself. "And you have the nerve to ask. The audacity!" Fiona vented for several seconds before gathering herself.

Fiona: Final offer.

Fiona: 2,000 coins, and you help me.

Fiona: Take it or leave it.

The other side when silent for a minute before answering,

Jonas: Thanks, sis. You're so considerate.

Fiona: !!!

Fiona: #@%&$@!

Fiona: Fuck you, Jonas! It's just a business deal! If you don't like my price, just say so! Why do you have to cuss me like that?!?!?!

Jonas: What do you mean, sis? I really think you're a nice person.

Fiona: STOOOPPPP! Don't you dare say another word!

Jonas: Wow, sis. You have such amazing vocabulary. I admire you.

With trembling hands, Fiona hurriedly blocked Jonas before he could get another reply through. Sweat broke out across her back as her heart nearly leaped out of her throat. Her stomach turned with distress as anxiety threatened to overwhelm her. She was on the verge of a panic attack.

To explain her strong reaction, we first have to discuss who Jonas is.

Jonas Von Neumann, better known as "The Jinx," "Crow's Mouth," "Murphy Incarnate," and "Little Brother Who Dooms His Colaborators," is a 16-year-old youngster with a notorious track record. As his nicknames imply, he is often associated with many accidents. More specifically, anyone he compliments will suffer from a series of unfortunate events.

From what she gathered, the severity of these incidents scales proportionally with the number of praises received. There are no exceptions. The capable ones might barely survive 5 or 6 praises, but there have been cases where a few unlucky victims died from just 1.

If Fiona had known just how trigger-happy Jonas was, she would never have sought him out. But now that it had already happened, she had to deal with the consequences of her actions.

'It's okay. It's just 3 compliments. Right down the middle. I should be okay as long as I'm careful,' she comforted herself. She nervously looked around like a startled deer before sighing in relief. 'That's good. No movement means I have some time to prepare. At least the crisis won't take place here—'

But right as that thought formed, a playful voice sounded directly behind her. "Oh? What do we have here? Is that a wild Fiona I see?"

Fiona froze, just in time to feel the tip of a blade press against her throat. A feeling of familiarity washed over her. She'd been in this situation before—but where exactly?

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

As she pondered that question, it all came rushing back to her: the trauma, the fear, and even this exact sense of helplessness—all the negative emotions associated with that voice came back like a storm, hitting harder than a train. Fiona slowly raised her hands and stiffly turned her head, wearing a forced smile that looked worse than if she had cried.

"W-w-what are you d-doing here, sir E-Enigma?" she stuttered. "I-it's b-been a while since we l-last talked."

"It has indeed," Genji replied with a gentle smile. "So, what have you been up to lately?" The edge of the dagger dug into her skin, drawing a thin line of blood. Genji tilted the blade slightly upward, forcing Fiona to lift her chin.

"J-just blending in w-with the witches."

"I see. Are you doing a good job?"

"I-It's manageable."

"Then they must trust you, no?" Genji's smile widened into an eerie grin.

Fiona shuddered. "I-I prepare the food."

"Yes, they do trust you," Genji continued with a small nod. "So why don't you do me a little favor and let me... spice things up? You help me with this, and I'll let you go. Sounds like a good deal, no?"

Fiona's smile somehow grew uglier as she forced herself to agree.

"That's good. I'm glad we can reach a civil understanding," Genji said slowly, his voice dragging on for an extra few seconds. "But you know, I can't exactly do that when this knife here. Why don't you save me the trouble and take this pill?"

Genji flipped his hand, and a capsule split evenly between red and blue appeared in his palm. "Don't worry. It's nothing dangerous. Attttt aaaallllll. I pppprrrroooommmiiiisseee."

"..."
Fiona's eyes were full of distrust. There was just something about Genji's tone that felt unreliable. Besides, this was clearly another hostage situation. Why wouldn't the pill be harmful? But with a blade still pressed to her throat, she didn't have much of a choice. With a resigned look, she opened her mouth and let Genji toss it in.

Once she swallowed it and opened her mouth as proof, Genji lowered his dagger and patted her shoulder in a friendly manner. "Yeah, that's the spirit! Eat all the suspicious pills I produce."

A tick mark appeared above Fiona's brows, but she refrained from any outbursts. Genji chuckled to himself as he approached the cauldron. He gave it a light stir and ladled a portion for himself.

"Hmm, needs more salt," he commented as he smacked his lips. "I know just the thing to make up for that."

He brought out his experimental potions and began mixing them in a large jar. A waft of purple vapor curled upward. From Fiona's position, she could have sworn she saw a laughing skull in the fumes. Well, the laughing part wasn't entirely her imagination, as Genji was cackling maniacally over the cauldron.

He held the jug overhead and slowly swirled it, monitoring for the right consistency. Once he reached his desired result, he poured the entire jug into the pot. He repeated this several more times, each concoction just as bright and colorful as the last.

Fiona's heart sank with each addition. She was beginning to piece together his plans, and they did not bode well for her.

The soup's aroma grew more appetizing, but all the more deterring. Genji gave it another taste before pouring in a small vial of gray liquid filled with white blobs.

"Alright, serve it up," he said, proudly dusting off his hands.

Fiona: (crying emoji) Why me? (crying emoji)

"Don't worry. You won't get caught," Genji added, fully aware of her concerns. "The potions won't kick in for another few hours. During this time, I just need you to make sure everyone drinks it. That should give you plenty of time to get away, right?"

Fiona reluctantly nodded. She was already on the pirate ship and could not get off.

"Alright, off you go now. I'll be waiting for your good news," Genji said in a sing-song voice. Then he strode off, his figure rippling a few times before abruptly vanishing.

Fiona stared at this location before letting out a helpless sigh. It was now or never.

She put out the fire and dragged the cauldron into town. Then she rang the meal bell and prepared to serve. A stream of witches gathered around her and received their shares. Like this, 2 hours of work passed.

Fiona wiped the sweat from her face and poured the leftovers into a more portable vessel. Then, with a cart of utensils, she began visiting the more distant houses. Some witches had been too caught up in their research and missed the meal. Part of Fiona's job was to ensure they received their portions, even if they didn't end up eating them.

After another hour of work, she stowed the cart away and quickly left the village. Once far enough away, Genji stepped out from the shadows.

"You got everyone?" He asked.

"To an extent. But some witches might not touch their food for a whole day."

"That's fine. It's just the houses with food on their steps, right?"

Fiona nodded. "About 10 per day."

"That's manageable. Now we wait."

Fiona stepped back and hid behind a rock. Time quietly passed. Soon, the witches in the village grew drowsy and began dropping like flies. The ones who ate later tried to sound the alarm, but they eventually succumbed to the effects.

Genji entered the shadows and began visiting the noncompliant witches. He prepped a similar concoction as before, determined which rooms they were in, and silently entered.

Due to living in a large community, their defenses were quite lax compared to the witches who traveled alone. Genji easily slipped past their methods and forced them to inhale the mixture using a soaked rag. They all put up a struggle, but there was little they could do when Genji grabbed them. They were witches after all, not physical fighters.

Once their eyes rolled back and their bodies went limp, Genji threw them outside and moved on to the next target. When he finished his rounds, he began dragging the bodies toward the village center. Around this time, Fiona also returned and began helping under Genji's "persuasion."

Amid the work, Genji noticed Fiona slipping into one of the larger houses. A few minutes later, she reemerged with a contented smile and resumed working with renewed enthusiasm. Genji pretended not to see this.

As they finished lining up the last bodies like cabbages, Fiona couldn't help but wonder how Genji had managed to knock them unconscious. Weren't damage transfer anchors supposed to nullify all forms of physical harm? How, then, had he gotten poison to work?

She was certain that many of these witches had set up such measures, so it couldn't have been a matter of luck.

You see, the keyword here is "harm." But what if the substance they ingested is actually beneficial?

That is the loophole Genji capitalized on. Rather than a "poison," his blend is more aptly described as a "nourishing tonic." In fact, the effects are so gentle that they cause no physical discomfort during use. So gentle that the body simply relaxes and drifts into a well-rested nap!

Thus, falling asleep is not a protective measure, but a favorable outcome. Why would a transfer anchor stop that? It's clearly good for the body, right? Right?

Genji drew his saber and channeled Shadow Devour. Then, like a ruthless executioner, he began decapitating his prisoners.

*Thunk thunk thunk*

His saber rose and fell in smooth motion, as if he were competing in a Guinness World Records video. With each kill, his smile grew slightly wider, eventually rivaling that of the legendary Light Yagami. Toward the end, Genji even matched his villainous laughter.

Fiona inadvertently took a step back from this carnage. This scene will be haunting her for months to come, especially considering how similar her power system was to these "cabbages."

As Genji lopped off the last head, his energy prism heated up again. It was undergoing another major refinement. The witches had provided so much curse energy that it directly filled the progress bar.

That was not to mention the excess energy still lingering in the air. After all, curse energy is released in waves, not all at once. Meanwhile, Bruce cleaned the floor thoroughly, restoring it to pristine condition, save for the hundreds of slash marks etched into the ground.

Genji was humming a little tune when he noticed Fiona still staring at him. "Do you need anything else? If not, you can leave now."

"I need the antidote," she stated.

"Antidote? What antidote?" Genji asked innocently.

"The antidote to the poison you made me swallow," she replied, her gaze darkening.

"Ahhh, that antidote," Genji said, tapping his palm with his fist. "But what if I told you that you were never poisoned to begin with?"

Fiona's gaze filled with disdain as she curtly said, "Please don't joke with me. I value my life very much." She clearly didn't believe him, but who could blame her? She'd just witnessed what Genji was capable of and was unwilling to take any chances.

They locked gazes for a few moments before Genji relented. "Fine, I'll give you the antidote." Genji fetched a soda can from his storage and threw it over.

Fiona stared in stunned silence at the can for several moments before inwardly admiring Genji's brilliance. 'That's genius! No one would ever expect the antidote to be in this can. As expected of someone capable of bypassing the transfer anchors!'

She popped open the can and gulped it down. Her admiration grew stronger. 'And it tastes like soda too! What the heck?!?!' But as she marveled at the antidote's clever disguise, an alarming thought suddenly struck her. 'Wait… this isn't another poison, right?'

Then she recalled the crisis foretold by the jinx and broke out in a cold sweat. After all, everything had gone smoothly for her—too smoothly, even. In fact, if she overlooked the unpleasantness of Genji's greeting, she had actually benefited from the encounter. Just look at Xyrela's notebook in her storage!

So, where is the trouble coming from? Certainly not from the witches, since they've been dealt with, which left only... the can in her hands.

Her eyes filled with despair as she threw herself at Genji's feet. "Nooo, please don't kill me! I can still be useful! I'll do anything. Please!" She loudly sobbed.

The corner of Genji's mouth twitched with exasperation. What nonsense had this idiot thought up now? He'd clearly played along with her antidote act, so how had it turned into another life-threatening situation? If he'd known she was this clingy, he never would have fed her a pill assembled from the "Fun Vitamin Capsules" pack.

"Let go. I don't need you to do anything." Genji swung his leg around, trying to shake Fiona off, but she clung on like her life depended on it. Well, in her mind, it did.

"No, I won't let go unless you tell me tell me what to do!"

Genji paused and looked her dead in the eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Fiona immediately answered.

Genji's eerie smile returned. "In that case, infiltrate another large gathering."

Fiona's face flickered with inner turmoil, but she eventually convinced herself to agree. Now this felt even more like a three-compliment disaster than before. If she could successfully pass this ordeal, she might finally be safe in this world.

'But still. What kind of psychopath are you? To exploit me like this and still not let me go,' Fiona inwardly grumbled as she departed. 'And Jonas, don't think I've forgotten about you. Oh, just you wait. I'll get back at you for this.'