The Final Desperation

As Genji set down the diary, he couldn't help but notice some discrepancies about the situation. First, the evidence suggested that the author was killed while writing the last page. If that was the case, then who put the diary back in its original place? Was it one of the other townspeople, or possibly… the killer?

Second, how did the miller know how to read and write? For people of that era, those skills were typically limited to a select few. Plus, this was the only piece of written documentation Genji could find. All the other establishments relied on crude scribbles to record their activities. It was rudimentary at best.

How, then, did the miller obtain such knowledge? It certainly wasn't from school—everyone was homeschooled back then.

Genji could think of two possible explanations.

The first was that the author was a scholar of his time and had retired in this remote town, opting to live out the rest of his life in mundane ways. However, this felt unlikely due to various factors.

Reading between the lines, Genji sensed a deep hypocrisy in the man. For example, he was okay with shaming Heather for cheating on her husband, but didn't mention his relationship with Jenni, and how she practically slept with even more people for votes during the "beauty contest."

That was not to mention the other mistreatment the seemingly innocent Heather had to endure.

No matter how you look at it, this does not appear to be the conduct of a worldly scholar. Quite the opposite, as there was not a single insightful comment in these pages.

That left only the second explanation: the whole diary was fabricated. While Genji didn't doubt the validity of these events, he couldn't ignore the strong bias in the writing. It was almost like someone was trying to clear Heather's name for anyone who would stumble upon the diary.

In any case, Genji would take these records with a grain of salt. It would be stupid to base his decisions on a single source of information.

At that moment, Jonas sent him a message, saying he had found something interesting. Genji followed the directions and arrived at an unassuming house. However, his goal wasn't on the main floor, but in the basement.

Genji followed Jonas's tracks and descended into a large underground bunker. A ritual circle was inscribed into the ground, composed of cryptic symbols and a compass rose pointing in the four cardinal directions.

At the tip of each point stood an altar housing a pale blue flame. Two of the fires were extinguished. Jonas was beside one of them. As Genji approached, he noticed a loosely rendered drawing at the base of the altar.

The drawing was rather minimalistic, but it contained just enough features for the viewer to understand what was being depicted. This one appeared to be a crude doll smoking a long pipe.

Genji observed this drawing for a few moments before feeling a sense of familiarity. Wasn't this a portrayal of Xyrela's abilities?

On that note, he recalled the strange skill Xyrela once possessed.

- Life Binding Vow (1/4, Conditional Oath Agreement): ???

At the time, he didn't understand what it was supposed to be, but with this added context, he inferred it was connected to this altar.

Jonas's explanation only added more credibility to that idea. "It's a four-way seal. If even one layer remains, the other three will eventually regenerate and replace the broken parts. I just don't know what it's linked to and if we should break the seal at all."

"Hold on. Let me ask my consultant," Genji said as he pulled out his device.

This was Celine's response:

Celine: Definitely! Whatever is sealed away contains a large amount of world energy and is intricately linked to the witches' destiny. If you can destroy it, the witches will lose the world's favor and gradually fizzle out. In other words, this is the lifeline of their power system!

Genji conveyed the information, and Jonas scratched his head in confusion.

"That's cool and all, but how are we going to find the seals? We don't even know where to start."

"They're tied to the lives of High Witches," Genji stated, "We just have to kill them."

Jonas curiously looked over. "Eh? How do you know that, big brother?"

"Because I'm the one who extinguished this altar," Genji said, casually dropping a truth bomb.

Jonas stared dumbfoundedly at him for a few moments before suddenly slapping his thigh. "As expected of you, big brother. You're so-"

"Shut it. I'd rather not hear any compliments from you."

Jonas bashfully chuckled to himself and just assumed Genji was shy when it came to praise.

They approached the other altars and examined their corresponding illustrations, hoping to get an introductory understanding of their upcoming opponents. The other smothered altar depicted an elegant dancer twirling over a ritual circle. This inscription wasn't that useful, so they didn't spend much time on it.

The next image depicted a skeleton standing atop a mound of corpses. Its arms were stretched outward, as if making offerings to an unknown deity. Genji hypothesized that her abilities were related to these corpses and some kind of sacrifice.

Finally, there was an indulgent cannibal feasting on her own kind. Unfortunately, not much could be deduced from this picture, except for the theme of gluttony.

Meanwhile, a female mage shrouded in starlight flew into the region on a magically powered hoverboard. As she passed by, various elemental forces flocked to her like doves to an unseen sanctuary. These forces mingled with her mana, replenishing it in gentle waves. Her star-shaped earrings fluttered softly behind her, bringing about a light, pleasant tug.

As she neared the town, she raised the front of her board and slowly descended. At the same time, Genji and Jonas emerged from the bunker. The two sides locked eyes and stopped dead in their tracks.

Genji: 'Starlit Mage?'

Stella: 'Jinx?'

The two parties recognized each other. Genji had encountered Stella in the previous world and had even briefly cooperated with her. However, the same couldn't be said for Stella, since Genji was disguised back then. (Chapter 214)

As for Stella recognizing Jonas, it was due to his notorious reputation on the forums, where he was infamously dubbed the worst teammate possible. They had never met in person, but most people had memorized his appearance to avoid associating with him, lest they die without a grave.

Stella's gaze turned to Genji, inwardly playing with the idea that this stranger was either completely ignorant or had a way to counter The Jinx's jinxes. Out of respect for his competence, she leaned toward the second guess.

In fact, Stella was quite close to the truth. A certain ferret's luck did offset a significant portion of Jonas's abilities. Otherwise, the unlucky streak wouldn't have ended with just a few natural disasters.

"You're also here for the big mission?" Genji asked, intentionally dropping a few hints. Their upcoming foes weren't exactly pushovers, so having an extra fighter on board wouldn't be a bad idea. If he could lure Stella into joining them with some empty promises, why shouldn't he give it a try?

Stella quickly swallowed her initial response and changed it to, "Naturally. How could I miss it?"—all while wondering, 'What mission? There's a mission here?'

Of course, she wouldn't voice these thoughts, as it would only put her at a disadvantage in the negotiation. Genji knew this and used it to his advantage.

"Then why don't you join us?" Genji proposed, rapidly reeling in the bait. "If you know as much as we do, then you should understand how hard it is to monopolize this event."

Stella pretended to consider the offer before hesitantly agreeing. "In that case, can you tell me how far you've gotten?"

'Success!'

"No problem. Follow us. We'll give you the debriefing." Genji led Stella back underground and explained their findings.

As they passed the second extinguished altar, Genji noticed a glint of recognition in Stella's eyes. It was the same look he had when he first saw Xyrela's depiction. If his guess was correct, Stella should have taken out the ritual dancer before coming here. All the better.

Suddenly, the altar corresponding to the skeleton went dark. Someone had just killed another High Witch, leaving only the cannibal. The air grew tense. Now, there was not enough prey to go around.

But before the cooperation could break down, Celine pulled Genji into a group call with 7156. Stella and Jonas stood off to the side, curious to see how Genji would resolve the problem.

Genji paid them no mind and accepted the call. Celine, in her usual location, appeared on screen. In contrast, 7156's screen showed a devilish inferno flickering across a devastated battlefield. He had clearly just fought a grueling battle against a powerful foe.

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

"Oh good, you're still in Salem," Celine said, recognizing the familiar background behind Genji. "I've got some new information. As you can probably tell, 7156 just took down a High Witch. That being said, we might have to rethink our plans.

I just performed a divination and saw signs of a looming catastrophe. Whatever is sealed down there, it's not something to be trifled with. You will die if you tackle it alone. I don't know if you two want to team up for this, but your chances are not high.

Up to you, though. Just know that if you choose to abandon this mission line, you need to ensure the last witch lives. Otherwise, we will be in deep trouble."

"No need," Genji said, panning his camera to Stella and Jonas. "I've got two capable collaborators here. Adding 7156 shouldn't be a problem."

Jonas happily waved at 7156 while Stella remained unresponsive. At least the issue with the loot had been resolved.

"So, you in?"

7156 softly nodded, and Genji shot Celine a you-know-what-to-do look. The prophet shrugged and pinned the location of the final target in the chat.

7156 compared the coordinates to his current position, made some estimates, then stated, "Two days."

"Sounds good. See you then," Genji acknowledged before exiting the call. Then he turned to address Jonas and Celine. "Welp, you heard her. Kill the last witch and return here for a final boss fight. If you have any issues, please voice them now."

They both indicated they were fine with the arrangement and began their journey. A day and a half later, they spotted a medium-sized village by a riverside. This community wasn't as large as Xyrela's mountain gathering or as small as the normal towns - it was just in between. If Genji had to guess, they had about 90 people.

This was due to the cannibal's routine of eating her subordinates. No, they weren't subordinates, but rather convenient meals. The only reason they could maintain their population was because the cannibal didn't hide her research notes, but openly shared them. It was like a form of bait.

The newcomers were aware of her reputation but were willing to take the risk in pursuit of more power. They just have to learn enough and get out before they get devoured. Yet very few managed to do so, as the temptation of greed often clouded their judgment.

At least, this was the case for everyone but a certain undercover spy. That's right—Fiona was here as well. Genji spotted her wandering about with her head down, trying to avoid any unwanted attention.

"Eh? Is that big sis Fiona I see over there?" Jonas quipped, also noticing her. "What a coincidence!"

"Alright, don't bother her. Let her do her thing," Genji said. "We don't need to interfere."

"Really? Are we not going to ask for information?" Jonas curiously asked.

"Oh, I will. Just not now. Wouldn't want her to accidentally expose us."

"Ah, that makes sense." Jonas tapped his palm with his fist. "She's not exactly the calm type. Always so irritable when chatting with me."

Genji and Stella inwardly rolled their eyes. 'Sure... I'm sure it had nothing to do with you.'

A few hours later, 7156 rode into view on a motorcycle. He dismounted at a distance and slowly walked toward them. He greeted Genji with a slight nod before standing off to the side.

"Alright! Now that everyone's here, let's briefly introduce ourselves and our abilities," Genji said with a clap. "I'll go first. I'm Enigma. I make potions and I'm a sniper."

7156 gave him a side glance but didn't expose the misleading statement. "7156. Flexible melee."

Stella: "Starlit mage. My title is self-explanatory."

Jonas: "I'm Jonas, a jack of all trades. I can do a little bit of everything."

Genji: "Then here's our battle plan: I'll apply pressure from a distance, 7156 will be the main fighter, Stella will handle support and crowd control. As for Jonas... you give as many compliments as possible, with emphasis on the boss."

"Yay, compliments. I love compliments!" Jonas cheered with his arms up in the air.

Stella's gaze flickered with a strange emotion. 'That certainly is one way to use him.'

Next, Genji took out an inter-realm contract and drafted a temporary team agreement. The loot distribution will be based on contribution, as determined by {Eternal Void}. Genji paid 3 privilege tokens as the notarization fee, signed his name, and passed it to the next person.

After everyone had read and signed the agreement, he dismissed the group and proceeded to his vantage point. Then he contacted their insider for information to plan their attack.

'Dammit dammit dammit. Dammit, Jonas! I swear if I ever meet your ass again...I will do unspeakable things to you!' Fiona inwardly vented as she slid into an empty home. She had been under a lot of stress since infiltrating this village. Who could blame her?

The master of this place was as eccentric as they come. One moment she could be smiling at you, talking happily, and the next, she'd be gorging on flesh freshly carved from your body. The worst part? It might be over something as trivial as her not liking how you pronounced a certain word. It certainly wasn't the first time Fiona had witnessed such a death.

How could anyone relax in this environment?

'At least this will end soon,' she thought, replying to Genji's message.

Enigma: We'll strike in a few hours. Get yourself to safety while you still can.

Fiona let out a heavy sigh. If it were that easy, she wouldn't be stressing this much. After all, every person who leaves means one less person to share the risk with. And it turns out, the witches here aren't so keen on that, even if it means keeping someone against their will.

'This place really brings out the worst in people.'

Fiona huddled in the corner and made herself unassuming. Yet as much as Fiona wanted to remain undisturbed, someone had spotted her entering this house and had come to bully her.

The door was kicked, and a burly witch came into view, cracking her knuckles. "Why are you hiding, newbie? Can't bear the pressure anymore? Got to save your skin?" She leered over Fiona.

Fiona didn't respond and simply curled up to protect her vitals. She'd learned the hard way that this was the easiest way to pass the situation. A mean beating ensued as Fiona tuned out the woman's vicious taunts.

Eventually, she grew bored of the activity and clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Tsk. Pathetic. Can't even muster the will to fight back. You're a waste of space. Better off becoming food."

The woman spat on her before leaving, making sure to slam the door to assert dominance. Yet in her revelry, she failed to notice the cold look Fiona was giving her as she walked out.

'Soon. Just you wait,' she thought spitefully.

Time quietly passed, and soon, the time of reckoning arrived. Explosions rang out across the village, forcing many out of cover. Yet the moment they emerged, a crystal bullet tore through their heads, killing them instantly.

A flaming devil about 5 meters tall hovered above them, wielding a massive beheading blade. It occasionally flapped its wings, propelling itself downward for a sweeping slash.

Around it, various elemental spells rained down like meteors, intercepting any counterattacks and leveling more buildings. Between all this chaos, a young boy with a short sword ran around the settlement, praising anyone he passed. These recipients quickly suffered some accidents that compromised their defenses, resulting in more untimely deaths.

Fiona emerged at that moment and joined the onslaught, further exacerbating the pandemonium. She gave a few witches some extra attention, making their lives miserable, just as they had done to her. Only this time, the victims didn't live long enough to take revenge.

About 60 of these witches revived through damage transfer anchors, but that only delayed the inevitable. 7156 suddenly descended and stabbed his blade into the ground, unleashing a large ripple across the soil. Faint, but indistinguishable whispers appeared beside the witches' ears, sapping their concentration.

Then the ground ripped open, and a swarm of scorched skeletons crawled out. These skeletons rushed at their targets and brandished their swords. Each cut they dealt inflicted agonizing pain, disrupting the targets' spell casting.

The offensive wave lasted a few more rounds before the opponents all collapsed. Amidst this apocalyptic scene, the soft clacking of boots sounded as the cannibal walked into view. She indifferently glanced at them before taking a bite from a freshly severed leg. Her face was smeared with blood, but she seemed to relish the mess.

"That's not very nice, you know. You're destroying my food," she said as she licked her lips.

The next moment, her head snapped backward as a bullet punched a hole in the ground behind her. The cannibal pulled her head back into position as writhing flesh twisted her wound shut.

She glared in Genji's direction and tossed her meal aside as her body warped into a monstrous being. 7156 burst forward and confronted her with a blade enveloped in devilish hellfire. Meanwhile, Stella cast various field control spells to hinder the cannibal's movements.

Genji delivered several carefully timed shots, drastically chunking away at her vitality. Around them, Jonas shouted a compliment at her before ducking behind cover.

The cannibal didn't pick up on what Jonas was doing until the third compliment, when her ability suddenly failed due to a series of impossible coincidences. However, by then, it was already too late.

The fourth compliment followed shortly after, thwarting even her counterattack. From there, it was only a downward spiral, as the fifth and sixth praise came in.

All the cannibal's abilities began to fail for unexpected reasons, turning her into a sitting duck. Until finally, a bullet that struck dread into everyone's heart, burst through the head and ended the siege.

{Battle has ended. Releasing contribution rankings.}

Enigma (EverRealm): 33%

Jonas Von Neumann (SanguineRealm): 25%

7156 (EverRealm): 21%

Stella (ManaRealm): 18%

Fiona (EverRealm): 3%

{Rewards for this battle have been distributed.}

[Your maximum energy has increased by 75 points.]

[You have obtained 260 realm coins.]

[You have obtained: Proof of Gluttony.]

[Proof of Gluttony]

Rating: Epic

Type: Badge

Requirements: Eat 5x your body weight in 30 minutes.

Effect: The more you overeat, the faster your power grows.

5x: double the growth rate

10x: triple

20x: quadruple

50x: quintuple (5x)

100x: sextuple (6x)

500x: decuple (10x)

Description: A badge that embodies the philosophy of a gluttonous witch during her life. It might not be the healthiest lifestyle, nor the most enjoyable one, but it certainly is a lifestyle.

Note 1: Even if you're full, you must continue eating. This badge demands it.

Note 2: This really is just a badge. It doesn't do much for you since stat points are more effective, but maybe you can find a gluttonous friend for it?

When the team regrouped, 7156 gave Genji another passing glance, wondering if his friend had actually transitioned into a sniper. His damage was that outrageous. He'd landed at most a hundred shots, yet he still managed to snag first place.

Meanwhile, Fiona gnashed her teeth at Jonas. It was clear who she blamed for all her recent misfortune, even if most of it stemmed from her bad decisions. But at least this was, she had some peace of mind for her unfortunate circumstances.

Jonas, sensing the hostility, was about to subconsciously enter full praise mode when Genji dismissively waved her off.

"Alright, get going. You've done your part. We don't need you anymore unless you want to stay as cannon fodder."

At this reminder, Fiona broke out in cold sweat. In her frustration, she had almost drawn more trouble onto herself.

"Are you okay, big sis? You're sweating a lot," Jonas noted with a cheerful smile.

Fiona immediately turned around and stomped away without another word. She never wanted to interact with this Jinx again.

"See what I mean? She's so cranky. I wonder what's gotten her so worked up," Jonas continued without a change in expression.

The corner of 7156's eye twitched slightly. He was not used to Jonas's contradictory behavior.

"Alright, let her be. She's done enough for us," Genji continued. "Let's start the real fight now. Warmup's over."

Jonas nodded energetically, and they double-backed to Salem. They carefully took their positions as 7156 descended into the underground bunker.

The room had grown considerably darker now that the altars were fully extinguished. Yet even in this darkness, 7156 could still make out the magic circle. Small specs of dust flaked off the ground, creating gaps in the outline. The seal was not going to last much longer.

He drew his sword, stepped into the center, and stabbed the ground. Then, with a hard twist, the seal shattered and the outline faded. The air grew silent for a few moments before everything related to Salem turned to dust—the buildings, the roads, the scattered belongings; everything collapsed into fine particles.

The seal on Salem has been broken, subjecting it to a torrential stream of time. This included the basement 7156 was in. The ceiling above scattered away, revealing the bright sky above.

As a dust storm covered him, a suffocating pressure enveloped the town's former location.

And at the center of this pressure was a darkly adorned metal coffin - one that hadn't seen the light of day for a millennium, one that held an ancient calamity, one that would herald the end of everything or a new beginning.

The source of all witches, Igora, the Forsaken Revolutionary, has been awakened.