The Final Desperation

When Genji had reached a safe distance, he placed a call to the fortress.

"This is Enigma. I need someone to pick me up."

"Enigma? Are you alone? What happened to the expedition?"

"I'll provide my report later. For now, just pick me up. The vehicle has been destroyed."

"Understood. We'll send someone out."

Genji ended the call and sat down to recover. As for how they would find him, it relied on the device. He refused to believe a race so advanced in technology couldn't track a single signal.

Sure enough, after a few hours, a hovercar appeared in his sight. The vehicle stopped beside him and allowed him to board.

"Where's everyone else?"

"Most likely dead. Let's go."

The driver flinched at his words but quickly steadied himself. Death wasn't rare here, so people had grown accustomed to it. The driver was simply surprised by how callous Genji sounded when he said it.

Upon Genji's return, he immediately located the commander.

"Here. This should add some credibility to my story," Genji tossed Ale's badge to him before taking a seat.

The commander examined the tattered badge and nodded. The badge had worn down over time, making it very difficult to falsify. Since Genji possessed the badge, it meant that Ale had entrusted it to him. As for why, it didn't take a genius to figure it out.

"What did you discover?"

"Something about a Meclan ruin and a hyper core. The archaeologist I was with mentioned a technological breakthrough if everything could be excavated."

Upon hearing this, the commander's breathing quickened. Since an archaeologist had said it, it must be true. In the Celestial faction, archaeologists were held in high esteem. They risked their lives to explore these ruins and advance the race's technology.

As a result, they possessed one of the deepest understandings of technology, second only to the scientists who developed it. Without knowing this fact, it would have been impossible for him to fabricate such a lie. This further added to the credibility of his story.

"So, what happened? Why did Ale entrust you with reporting this?"

"Sentinels. Two of them. I was the fastest, so he had the group stay behind to delay."

"I understand now. You've done well."

[You have completed the mission: Explore the Ruins. 50,000 contribution points have been awarded.]

"I'll be on my way then," Genji said. With the report filed, it was no longer his concern.

After Genji left the room, the commander fell into deep thought. After considering the implications of everything, he chose to report the situation as it was. The scope of this exploration was beyond his authority after what had been reported. He couldn't afford to take responsibility for this, so further actions would need to be considered by the council.

 

---

 

As Genji walked down the long hallway, he noticed a hooded figure approaching him. Genji thought nothing of it, considering he himself had a hood over his head. They held no grudge against each other, so they continued closing in. As they passed by each other, Genji caught a glimpse of a strand of crimson hair beneath the hood.

Genji recognized the color of the hair. It was hard to forget, given how rare it was. In fact, he knew only one person with hair of this color. This realization caused Genji to pause in his steps.

"How was my poison?" Genji taunted, causing the figure behind him to halt as well.

"How did it feel to have your goal stolen from you?" The figure taunted back.

"Can't be worse than your wounds."

"Is that so? You should watch your back, Enigma."

"I could say the same to you, Sinclair." With these words, Genji continued walking.

Brief as the encounter was, Genji was extremely alarmed. Wasn't the Celestial faction associated with EverRealm? So what was a LuminalRealm member doing in their base? How had Sinclair managed to infiltrate this place? From what Genji could tell, Sinclair held a high position in the fortress, possibly even higher than his.

How could he have achieved this within an enemy faction? One must understand that Genji had accomplished much in the past few days, yet he still couldn't freely wander the fortress. No matter how he considered it, something seemed off about Sinclair.

If possible, Genji would have preferred to eliminate Sinclair immediately. However, that was impossible given the current situation. Considering the tense state within the fortress, it would be very difficult to kill Sinclair and get away with it.

Security measures are everywhere, and Genji wasn't about to destroy his world progress for the sake of dealing with an enemy. If he lost the support of the Celestials, he would be on his own, possibly hunted down as a traitor.

Not to mention how ineffective an attack would be. Both Sinclair and Genji were roughly equal in power when accounting for their equipment, making it exceedingly challenging to swiftly end a fight.

This delay would give enough time for soldiers to intervene and break up the confrontation. In such a scenario, the attacker's standing within the faction would be compromised.

Genji acknowledged this, which was why he taunted Sinclair, hoping he would make the first move. Unfortunately, Sinclair remained composed enough to perceive this and countered with his own taunt.

 

---

 

The next day, Genji was summoned by the commander once again. Upon entering, he encountered a group of seven figures clad in mechanical armor. A sizeable core was embedded in their chests, with energy lines pulsating fiercely. Genji didn't recognize them, but he felt an intense pressure emanating from their casual movements.

They seemed dangerous. Extremely dangerous. His instincts told him that these individuals could match the Sentinels he had previously faced or even the parasitized brontosaurus - both opponents he had stood no chance against.

[High Celestial, Fin]

Health: 14,200/14,200

Energy: 780/780

Con: 42 (36 +6)

Str: 41 (35 + 6)

Dex: 27 (21 + 6)

Int: 39

Spc: 21

Skills:

Mini-boss: +10,000 hp

Energy Armor (Passive): +6 in dex, con, and str (Values already applied)

Energy Core (Passive): The power of all skills increased by 40%

No further skills can be read.

 

Genji's instincts were spot on. Each member of the team had similar stats, effectively creating a squad of mini-bosses. When combined with their energy armor, their stats rivaled those of a weaker boss.

Yet as powerful as they are, Genji wasn't intimated. As much as he's restricted by the rules of the faction, he's also protected by it. It wouldn't make sense for this group to attack him no matter how important they are.

"So, what mission do you have for me?" He asked casually as he took a seat across from the commander. 

"Enigma, allow me to introduce you. This is Captain Fin and his squad. They've been transferred here by higher-ups to secure the ruins."

Genji had suspected as much. With how dire things were, it wouldn't make sense for them to send such a powerful group unless the faction attached significant importance to the ruin he scouted. That means there's only one reason for his summons.

"My next mission is to lead them to the ruin?"

"As perceptive as always. Yes. Given that you're the sole survivor, we must trouble you again."

[You have been presented with the mission: Secure the Ruins.]

Details: Lead the group to reclaim the ruins.

Reward: 75,000

 

Another high-reward mission and Genji had no reason to decline either.

"Then, what are we waiting for?"

"The ship is refueling."

For once, Genji received good news. With this ship, he wouldn't have to deal with the cramped hovercar, further demonstrating the Celestial's desire for this ruin.

An hour later, Genji guided the ship toward the Meclan ruin. Upon landing, he noticed multiple dismembered bodies strewn about. Craters marred the landscape, and blood and ash splatters decorated them. These were the remnants of the catastrophic battle that had unfolded during Genji's escape.

As he surveyed the area, he spotted a body without arms. Yet, despite its mutilation, a wide smile graced its face, aware that his mission had been fulfilled. This was Ale's body. Genji approached and closed the decaying eyes, signaling the end of this heroic Celestial.

"I've fulfilled your request. Rest now."

The others gave a moment of silence in honor of their fallen comrade before following Genji to the ruins. As they reached the entrance, Genji noticed the boulders from before had been cleared away. An uneasy feeling churned in his stomach as he hurried to the trapdoor.

Swiftly opening it, he descended the stairs. Drag marks were evident in the hallway walls, but he wanted to check for himself. As he ran through to check the rooms, his suspicions were further confirmed. The ruin had been looted. The machines he had seen the day before had vanished, leaving only vacant rooms in their wake.

"What's wrong?" Fin inquired, noticing Genji's troubled expression.

"It's all gone. The Sentinels must have searched the area when they discovered the hyper core."

"So, our trip was in vain?"

Genji quickly brainstormed ways to salvage the situation. A reward of 75,000 contribution points was far too tempting to relinquish easily.

'Think, Genji, think. Can the fox badge be used to track them? What condition should I set?'

Yet no matter how he thought, there was no way to directly track them. Their power levels outstrip his own far too much and the badge has started to become obsolete. There's only so much a rare item can do considering they are dropped from mini-bosses. Trying to track a boss-level creature with it would be very difficult. 

'Since there's no way to directly track them, what about indirectly?'

Once Genji set his mind on this track, he had a sudden realization. Since he can't track the bosses, what about himself? He meets all the conditions of the equipment and there's little resistance.

"Yes. That might work."

"What might work?"

Instead of replying, Genji pulled out the fox badge and set a clever tracking condition.

"Track the energy constructs I left behind when standing guard yesterday."

Genji held his breath as the badge fell silent. Since there was no response, it meant that it was still working. To explain, Genji tested a new idea during the hours they were exploring. Since energy can be crystallized in a weapon, could he crystallize it by itself to form energy constructs? The answer was affirmative, yet mastering this ability required greater control than he currently possessed. 

Due to the difficulty of the topic, all his energy constructs ended up as useless blobs. The best one was a hook that hung off the edge of a machine. Right now, he's gambling on that hook remaining attached and the badge's ability to track it. It was based on a bunch of assumptions, but Genji would rather bet on that than give up. Not when such a lucrative reward was being dangled in front of him.

 

 

 

 

[Target locked]

Genji smiled when he saw the attempt was successful. He never expected that this is how he would use the ability, but it got the job done. Now the only thing he can do is hope the Sentinels didn't remove it.

"I have a direction if you are willing to try."

"Is it reliable?"

"There's a 50% chance it leads us to the stolen machinery."

"Let's go then."

Since they are already here, they might as well go all the way. The contents of this ruin are too important to give up.

They returned to the ship and took off, with Genji acting as the compass. Since they were able to fly over the obstacles, it didn't take long until they approached a small army of robots. Behind them, multiple transport vehicles hovered. Genji looked down at his badge and found the arrow pointing at one of the vehicles.

"Seems like we caught up," Genji said.

"Yes. We'll take over from here," Fin said, gesturing to the group. Other than the pilot, the rest of the group stood up and gathered near Fin.

As Genji wondered what they wanted to do, Fin opened the door, causing a massive gust of air to rush at them. Genji quickly grabbed onto a bar to stabilize himself.

"Let's go," Fin said before jumping off, followed by the other five. Genji waited a few seconds before walking over to the door. Looking down, he saw six large white parachutes drifting down.

"No reason to stay up here," Genji shrugged and stepped off.

"Hey! You forgot your parachute!" The pilot shouted, but Genji had already jumped.

As Genji fell, he activated Lightweight

and opened his cloak. This caused him to slow down his fall enough that he could land with a small run.

Taking in his surroundings, he noticed a large number of robots pointing weapons at him. Yet before they could fire, a loud shout disrupted their coordination.

"Five Directional Sealing Formation!" Fin's voice came from ahead as a large energy dome covered the front of the area, sealing five members and the two Sentinels inside.

Once the barrier formed, Genji noticed the eyes of these drones dim in lighting. They stopped their motions and froze in position. It was like their power source has been cut off. 

"That's very bold of you to jump after us," the last member of the squad said after he smashed his way over.

"Can't be helped. I wanted to see the action up close."

"Well, you got your wish. How about we take out these robots before the Sentinels adjust their frequency to counteract the barrier?"

"Is that why you stayed outside?"

Genji drew his saber and began slashing away at the robots, which had become chunks of metal.

"That's part of it, but my main job is to ensure no one disrupts the fight."

An energy blade extended from his armguard, cutting apart the other side of the encirclement.

"How about we compete to see who kills more?" Genji suggested, hoping to make the situation more interesting.

These robots are on the common level, and without the Sentinels' main control, they are severely weakened. It was like cutting vegetables for Genji as his saber glided through them.

"You're on, clever guy."

Genji started slashing away from the squad member and toward the transportation vehicles at the back. While destroying these robots can make things easier, their main priority is to secure the machinery.

As Genji approached his goal, he encountered a humanoid robot.

"Halt! Who are you?"

Although the speech sounded robotic, the words were very human. Coupled with its different body structure, this robot could only be an android.

"Doesn't matter. I'll be destroying this body. Find me with your real body if you dare."

Genji slashed down, forcing the android to parry before the controller could respond. To his horror, Genji's saber cleaved through his weapon like a hot knife through butter. All of Genji's energy enhancement finally showed their effect as [Jaguar] burst out with unrivaled sharpness.

"What-"

Before the android could finish his sentence, Genji had destroyed his vessel. The next moment, the person woke up in his control pod. Looking around, he saw the rest of his party members still slumbering. He got out of his pod and walked over to a friend's, pushing an orange button in the process.

"Broker, can you hear me?"

A few seconds passed before the person's voice came through the speaker.

"I can, Elk. What happened?"

"My android got destroyed by a guy with a gray saber. Don't engage in close combat. The androids can't withstand his weapon."

"I understand. I'll warn the others."

Hearing his guarantee, Elk smiled happily.

"You want me to find you with my real body? What kind of idiot are you? Why would I do that when I can ask my friends to overwhelm you from a distance?"

Yet this smile soon faded when his friends were awakened from their slumber. Many glass coverings opened back to back as curses flooded the room.

"Fucking shameless. How are we supposed to deal with that?"

"Yeah. How can someone be so broken in the outer battlefield?"

"With those skills, he should have gone to the core battlefield. Why the fuck is he still hanging out here to bully newcomers like us?"

Hearing these words, Elk had a weird feeling.

"What happened, Broker?" Elk asked the friend he had just talked to.

"That guy pulled a sniper on us!" Broker sounded frustrated, but Elk didn't understand why. Isn't it just a sniper? How could a sniper make everyone curse so much?

"What's wrong with a sniper?"

"You don't understand, Elk! That guy was running and no-scoping us. And you want to know the most exaggerated part? His firing rate was like an AK. Like, how did he train to shoot like that anyway?!?"

Hearing this explanation, Elk was still confused. How is that infuriating?

"You don't seem convinced," his friend noticed the look Elk was giving him.

"Of course not. Shouldn't you be happy the guy was wasting ammo like that?"

His friend tossed his hands into the air with a defeated look.

"That's the dumbest part. He didn't miss a single shot! I swear he has Aimbot or something."

That's when Elk realized why everyone was so upset. How are they supposed to fight against something like that?

Elk didn't have an answer, but aren't there too many beeping sounds right now?

"Holy cow, did we get wiped?" Elk exclaimed when he realized all the control pods were open right now.

"We did," someone replied, causing a wave of silence. A whole party was wiped out by one person no-scoping them. No one would believe that even if they showed video proof.

"Let's avoid that guy from now on," someone finally spoke up.

"Yes," everyone nodded in agreement and went to get another android built.

Once Genji confirmed that everything was in place, he walked back to the large barrier, stepping over countless scraps of destroyed robots.

"Looks like I won," his competitor said, sitting on a pile of compressed metal.

"Yeah. I expected as much. That's why I didn't put up any stakes."

Hearing this, the "winner" realized he had been duped. Other than exerting himself more than necessary, he earned nothing. In fact, Genji took this chance to secure the transport vehicles, putting him on the losing end of the deal.

"How clever."

"It was the fastest way," Genji shrugged and sat down next to him.

Then they watched as the group tore apart the Sentinels in the barrier. Genji has to admit, the body structures of these mana golems are very different from humans. Instead of blood and veins, Sentinels have mana and ley lines. Instead of flesh, they have stones. Truly mana golems to the core.

Soon the battle finished, and the large barrier faded, allowing a tired group to walk out.

"Everything went well?" Fin asked Genji.

"Yes. Everything's in the back," Genji flashed a thumbs-up before moving it over his shoulder.

"That's good. Now let's transport them back."