The Final Desperation

After 7156 and River Stream knocked on the door, they found that the door didn't open immediately.

"Do you think he's elsewhere?" River Stream asked after a few seconds.

"No," 7156 replied. His reasoning was that if Genji was somewhere else, he would have sent them a message. Since he didn't, that means he's in his room, doing something before allowing their entry. As for what, 7156 doesn't care.

A minute later, the door opened, and Genji greeted them.

"Good to see you two. Come on in," Genji moved aside and allowed them to enter.

When 7156 saw the newly upgraded room, his eyebrows twitched.

"So what are you two doing here? I can understand why 7156 is here, but you should still have a bunch of consumables. It hasn't been three months yet," Genji asked River Stream.

"I'm here to accompany 7156. He just came back from a world, and I have nothing better to do."

At this moment, Cake came into the room with a tray of drinks. When she heard that they would be getting guests, she felt bad about greeting them without a snack, so she went to whip something up. After setting the snacks, she sat down next to Genji.

"Aren't you too indulgent?"

7156 recognized the lady serving the drinks. Isn't she the guide at the strengthening hall? 7156 could still remember when she introduced the place to him. When did his friend get the money to renovate his room and hire this lady as a maid? Isn't this expenditure too wasteful?

"No. I'm keeping her around for the same reason you are keeping River Stream around. Just like how River Stream acts like your spare wallet, she helps me with my training."

7156 nodded. That makes sense. If someone can help him get stronger, he doesn't mind paying a decent sum to help them.

While 7156 understood Genji's meaning, River Stream was focused on a different point.

'A spare wallet? Did he just imply that the only thing I'm good at is spending money?'

"Payment," 7156 stated his reason for being here and initiated a trade. A total of 400,000 coins was put in.

"I see that you had a big haul this world."

"I was lucky."

"Good for you. Do you need another set?"

"Yes."

"I'll have it ready in two days."

"Thank you," 7156 chugged his drink and walked out of the room.

"What was that all about?" Cake asked after they left.

"My business and investment paying off."

"Business? Investment?"

"I nearly forgot. I never told you what I do, did I?"

"No."

"Then let me show you."

Genji took his drink and led Cake to a secluded room on the side. Twisting the doorknob, Genji gave her temporary permission to enter this room. When Cake walked through, she found herself in a lab that was lighting up.

A bunch of different tools lay scattered around the lab on different stations. In the middle of everything, a large vending machine rested quietly. Unlike the simple designs of the other stations, this machine had a sleek black coating that glistened with bright lights.

Genji walked over and inputted some instructions before stepping back to watch the machine do its thing. The sound of gears turning resounded in the room. Seconds later a click was heard as the glass covering lifted to reveal multiple items.

"What are those for?"

Cake asked, seeing Genji scoop them up and walk toward a station.

"These are materials."

Genji tossed two into the grinder and watched them turn to powder. Genji then carefully transferred them into a tube before continuing his processing. By the end of everything, Genji had 8 vials of strong healing potions.

"Here," Genji lightly tossed it over to Cake, who fumbled with the vial before getting a firm grip on it. Yet when she saw the stats of the item she is holding, she almost dropped it.

"A rare consumable?!?"

Cake couldn't believe her eyes. How can someone make a rare consumable so easily? Aren't rare items the drops of mini-bosses?

"It might be rare for you, but it's only uncommon to me."

"Still, why did you throw it? What happens if I dropped it? Wouldn't you have lost a lot of money?"

"Then that's your loss," Genji was nonchalant about the item. It didn't cost him that much to manufacture and it's on the weaker side for him now that he's reached the second step.

"Wait, this is for me?"

"Yes. Consider it a life-saving tool for your next world. I don't want you dying on me anytime."

"But-"

"No buts. I invested a decent amount in you, so don't you dare die before you pay me back."

Although Genji's words sound cold-hearted, Cake felt warm inside. This was the first time she felt cared for since entering the realm. No one had helped her like this without expecting some kind of reward in return. He was the first one, discounting her normal parents.

"I won't."

As for paying him back later, she doesn't mind. At least she will survive until then.

 

---

 

Genji was sitting at a stall when a lady in gray robes picked up the Stardrop Necklace.

"How much for this?"

"Bargain with Flexible Knowledge Books," Genji pointed to a sign he put up at the front of the stall.

Compared to getting coins, Genji would rather exchange his items for knowledge books directly. Why spend time looking for them when he can get the buyer to do it for him?

"2 experienced-level books."

"Not enough."

"What's the price you have in mind then?"

"2 expert ones," Genji multiplied the offer by five times.

"That's too much. Rare items aren't worth that much."

From her sentence, Genji was able to confirm this buyer is in the second step like him. If she was higher, this equipment would appear to be uncommon and epic if she was lower. That's the benefit of knowing obsoletion conversions.

"No, they're not, but you have a need for this."

Genji was betting on this person's desire for this item. After all, it has a very specific property so only two types of people will approach him. The person either needs this item badly or knows the true value of it. Either way, Genji can upcharge them. If they are deterred by this price without trying to bargain, then it only means they are trying their luck.

The lady fell silent for a few moments before making a request.

"I'll message a friend. Can you hold onto the item?"

"Sure."

Genji inwardly celebrated when he heard that. Seems like he read the situation correctly.

A few minutes later, 7156 walked into view. At first, Genji didn't pay much attention to it, but then he walked next to the lady.

"Fancy meeting you here," Genji greeted him, knowing full well he was the friend the lady called.

"Hmmm," 7156 returned the greeting with a nod.

"Hold on, you two know each other?" The lady asked.

"We've been through a few worlds together," Genji admitted.

"Medicine supplier,"

7156 described their relationship perfectly.

"Oh? If you supply him, then you must have some good stuff. Care to show me?"

"7156 can fill you in later. For now, let's talk about this necklace. 2 expert-level knowledge books. I won't be giving you a discount. Accessories are hard to get, let alone a matching attribute."

"Hmm," 7156 nodded and initiated a trade. That's how he does things. Since Genji was firm in his stance, trying to bargain would simply waste everyone's time. Plus he owned Celine some favors so this will be his way of paying her back.

"Pleasure doing business with you. I'll have your package ready in an hour. Enough time for you to fill your friend in."

Genji closed the stall and waved them off as he walked back to his room.

An hour later, Genji welcomed 7156 and Celine into his room. When Celine saw the place, she had the same reaction as 7156. For some reason, Genji guessed that he will be getting his reaction often in the future.

"Now follow me. The goods are in the lab."

Genji led them to a smaller room that was attached to the lab. This was his storage room where he leaves his finished products for the duration of his stay. It's not much, but enough to last a few people one world progress.

Everything was stored nicely on the wooden shelves. Sets of vials were held in place as the labels were pasted underneath. In a way, this has become Genji's makeshift store for potions.

"Take your pick while I settle 7156's order."

Genji waved at 7156 to follow him as he walked to the back.

"Here you go. Everything is sorted the same way as before."

Genji handed 7156 a crate of consumables. Then Genji let him organize his storage space as he walked back out to tend to Celine.

"Do you only have uncommon and below?"

"Can't do anything about it. I only recently reached the benchmark, so I didn't have time to improve my stock. At least they are handy in combat."

"That's a given. 7156 wouldn't have used this stuff otherwise."

"That aside, I don't think it will make a difference. You don't give me the feeling of a melee fighter, so these consumables shouldn't have that much appeal for you."

"Jeez. Are all champions as sharp as you? Both you and 7156 instantly saw through that fact."

"Don't blame us. We close-range fighters have stronger instincts compared to people who fight from a distance. It's very easy to distinguish your fighting style from your aura."

"Aura?"

"Yes. We tend to get grisly with our opponents, so we have this bloody feel around us. Long-range fighters like mages and snipers attack from a distance, so their aura isn't tainted by that. I personally haven't met a mage, but I have fought my fair share of ability users of other power systems. Unless they fight close up, they don't give the same feeling of brutality that I give off."

"I have learned," Celine admitted as her pool of strange knowledge increased.

"Have you made your choice?"

"Yes. These consumables might be uncommon, but they will do. It's not like rare products are that easy to find."

"Happy doing business."

 

---

 

A whole month has passed. Because of the medium-level training area, the training felt more like 8 months rather than 1. Using this month, Genji managed to develop multiple new techniques in preparation for the upcoming world. He had also filled up his storage of potions after converting all the coins he had from the prior world. So much that he can't fill his storage with them anymore.

The main reason is that these consumables don't cost much to produce. Relatively speaking, only [Titan Feller] and his unnamed infectious poison cost a big sum. After that, everything costs a few thousand to a few tens of thousands.

On this day, 7156 entered his room to restock. He's been through a lot of combat recently and his supplies are running low.

"Give me 3 crates," he asked as he entered Genji's makeshift shop.

"So much?"

"Spatial Battlefield."

"This is your free month?"

"Yes."

Genji wasn't surprised by this fact. 7156 is a strong champion, and he's growing stronger. The only reason Genji managed to reach this point before him was that he killed too much in the two worlds they were together, reducing 7156's possible world income. That and 7156 was restricted in the Corruption world by his equipment being sealed.

"Use this month to train. If possible, unlock the low-level training area."

"Understood."

7156 obtained a few privilege tokens this world from killing members of a different realm. He was debating on what to spend them on, but with Genji's reminder, he knows where some of it will go. If his friend recommends it, then he must have his reasons. There's no reason to lie to him. Not when he's the main supporter of Genji's consumables.

Because of this, it would be more beneficial for Genji to help him when it comes to giving advice. That way, there will be someone that can buy his products when he develops new ones. Although there's a hole in the market, not many beginners can afford his prices.

As for those that can, they have no reason to do so. Certain commerce groups have built a strong reputation in the market such that their customers have no reason to switch. Not when they are offering high discounts for long-term customers.

Trust is very hard to build for a start-up. Unless there's a good reason, most people will stick to trusted brands.

"I'm going to need another one."

"The black stuff?"

"Yes."

7156 is talking about [Titan Feller], the poison of intense power. Even among second ranks, this was a deadly poison capable of killing the mid-tier bosses. 50,000 damage is nothing to scoff at. Unless they manage to remove the poison, they will be forced to sustain that crippling damage.

"Another loan?"

"No, I have enough."

"Be careful with this. It might be called a poison, but it acts more like an acid."

The corner of 7156's mouth twitched when he heard that.

'Couldn't you have told me that sooner?'

7156's heart throbbed with pain when he thought back to the destroyed piece of equipment.

"Don't blame me. I only found out about this property recently as well."

"..."

"..."

"Goodbye."

 

---

 

*Ding dong dong ding*

The recently turned eight-year-old, Alysha grabbed her backpack as the dismissal bell signaled the end of school.

"Kosa! Over here!"

She hollered and waved to Kosa, her newly hired babysitter. Yes, this is the same Kosa that Genji spared when he was enacting his revenge. At the time, she had decided to turn over a new leaf so she destroyed all traces of her assassin identity. Kosa then traveled to this nearby town where she went job searching.

Unfortunately, her unique personality made it difficult for her to get a job. Not many would trust a person with such a weird mindset that was developed from years as an assassin. This unlucky streak continued until Kosa saved Alysha's parents.

Amazed at the skills she displayed, they offered her a job when they heard her plight. That's how Kosa became Alysha's bodyguard/babysitter. They can feel at ease knowing they have such a skilled fighter to protect their precious daughter when they are busy with work.

"Hey, Alysha. How's school today?" Kosa asked as she took her backpack.

"It was fun. The art teacher allowed us to sculpt with clay today." Alysha started animately gesturing with her hands.

"That sounds fun. What did you sculpt?"

"A small tree."

"Did it turn out well?"

"Yeah, but I wasn't happy with it."

"Why not?"

"Because it felt too easy. If I made a mistake, I can easily fix it. It feels disposable like my mistakes don't matter. There's no motivation for me to improve my skills, unlike wood carving where I have to be careful with every stroke.

If I make a single mistake there, I would have to work around it or start over. My mistakes force me to adapt and improve. It's too bad the teacher didn't allow me to carve wood. I would have preferred that over playing with clay."

Kosa had a headache when she heard this. It's been 6 months since Alysha got into wood carving and her enthusiasm for the art had reached new levels. Alysha would go on and on about it during meal times and would spend every chance she had with her carving knife. The only problem is her parents aren't very happy about their daughter playing around with a carving knife.

When they found out about it, they had a small argument that eventually ended in a compromise. As long as Alysha doesn't majorly cut herself, they will allow her to do this. But if they have to go to the hospital because of this, Alysha would have to stop immediately.

Because of this pressure, Alysha was forced to be more careful with her cuts. More thought was required before she tries to do something. Will this cut slip and hurt her? Is her finger too close to the knife? What about her palm? These questions constantly went through her head as she was carving, drastically slowing her speed.

When her parents noticed this change, they became happier. At this rate, there's no way their daughter would have the patience to continue. Have you seen any 8-year-old with that kind of persistence? Yet contrary to their thoughts, Alysha did persist.

The ironic thing? This restriction turned out to hone her skills, making Alysha only more enthusiastic about this craft.

"Like the tools used in sculpting is fine but they are too light and disposable. Most of them are made of cheap wood and metal, meaning the user won't take care of their tools. If they get damaged the user would simply throw them away and buy a new one.

On the other hand, wood carving requires the craftsman to take care of their carving knife because any damage would hinder their ability. If the blade gets replaced, it would take months to obtain the same proficiency as before."

Alysha continued to argue why wood carving is better than clay sculpting when Kosa focused again.

"Hey, Kosa. Are you listening?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Liar. Everyone has the same look in their eyes when I talk about wood carving. You think it's boring, don't you?"

This sentence stumped Kosa. While Alysha was correct, it felt embarrassing to be called out on it.

"Okay, I was wrong. How about I get you some walnut wood to apologize?"

"Really? Pinkie promise?"

Alysha's eyes lit up when Kosa mentioned this wood. There was something about this darker wood that drew her attention. When she first saw something made from this wood, she admired the beautiful combination formed from its grain pattern and color.

"How good would it be if I made something with that," she had wondered to herself.

Yet her parents had never gotten this for her when she asked. Pairing their desire to make their daughter quit and its expensive price, Alysha never had the chance to play around with it.

"Pinkie promise."

Kosa assured the young child as she hooked her digit around Alysha's.

"I can't wait to start with it," Alysha hummed to herself, happy with the unexpected gain.

'Wood carving this. Wood carving that. That's all she thinks about. I swear if I ever meet the person that installed this thought into her, I will give him a piece of my mind! Hell hath no fury like a scorned Kosa bear's.'

As they walked along, they passed a park. Out of habit, Alysha turned her head, reminiscing about the encounter with that big brother that ignited her passion. This time, things were different, causing her to freeze. When Kosa felt her stop, she turned back to ask what happened when she caught sight of the semi-familiar figure in the park.

"That can't be him, right? Oh shit, it is. Please don't notice me. Please don't notice me. Just continue doing your thing. I don't care if you are carving your wood, just don't look up."

As much as Kosa prayed, her wishes were not answered. As if sensing their gazes, the figure stopped his motions and looked up at them, causing Kosa to break out in cold sweat.

"Hey, Alysha. Let's get going. I know how much you want your wood so how about we go home and I will let you pick your favorite?"

Kosa tapped on her shoulder, eager to get away from this place. But her worst fears worsened when Alysha charged at the figure.

"GENJI!"

She jumped into his arms and buried her head into his chest.

'Oh shit. Shit. Shit. I'm so dead. Fuck. I'm going to get fired once Alysha gets hurt. Then I will become a fugitive, pursued by the most deranged killer in the League. Shit. Why is my luck so bad?'

"Alysha, get away from him. He's dangerous-"

Yet before she could get the whole sentence out, she noticed a cold glint flash through Genji's eyes. Shut up. That's what they are telling her. Afraid of the repercussions she quickly clasped her hands over her mouth.

'Just why? Why did you stop wood carving and look up when we are walking by? Wait, wood carving?'

Entranced by this detail, Kosa started calming down and analyzing the details she had previously missed in her panic. Soon an absurd conclusion formed in her head. So absurd that she had a hard time believing it. Yet when all possibilities are eliminated, what remains must be the truth, no matter how unbelievable.

'He's the one that taught Alysha to carve?'

"Kosa, did you say something?" Alysha finally calmed down from her excitement and asked about the muffled sentence she missed.

"No. It's nothing."

Alysha tilted her head cutely and put a finger to her chin.

"Really? But I could have sworn I heard you say-"

"No. It's really nothing. By the way, do you know this person? This is the first time I saw you react like this." Kosa clumsily redirected the topic.

"Oh. I forgot that you never met Genji. Let me introduce you two. Genji, this is Kosa. She's my babysitter. Kosa, this is Genji. He's the one that taught me to wood carve." Alysha didn't pursue the topic once it shifted to her idol.

"It's nice to meet you," Genji nodded to her like old times.

"Same here," Kosa awkwardly took a seat and watched the encounter.

"Genji, where did you go? It's been half a year!"

"I had some business to attend to. Now that I'm free, I decided to come back to visit you."

"I missed you. Come. I want to show you how much I improved."

Alysha took out a carving knife and started deftly whittling away at the wood in her hands. It was the same carving knife that Genji had left her. From the good condition it is in he can tell she treasured this gift.

"There. I'm done."

Alysha proudly showed the product of her hard work over the past year. Genji took it and examined the product.

"Not bad. You've improved a lot these few months."

"I worked hard."

She put her hands on her hips and smiled brightly.

"How about I show you my improvements as well?"

Genji picked up a large piece of wood and started twirling his daggers at hyper speeds, forming a small whistling sound a split second after his movement.

'Is it just me or did his skills improve again?' Kosa asked herself as she watched the display.

Soon, a wooden pendant formed in his hands. Even chain links wrapped around Alysha's smooth neck as Genji put his creation on her. At the middle of this, hung a small wooden jewel, polished to perfection. Alysha's face stared back at her as she looked down to admire the present.

"Thank you, Genji. I love this."