The Final Desperation

Genji found himself in the middle of nowhere after running out of energy. Unwilling to repeat his last mistake, he located a small cave to hide in before allowing himself to relax. His back leaned against the wall, making it unlikely for someone to sneak up on him.

He took a deep breath, exhaling loudly through his nostrils. Pain raced through his tattered body as Solid Core ended. He had pushed himself beyond his limits to escape this encounter.

"I survived," he muttered once he confirmed Morris was nowhere near him.

"I survived," he repeated, trying to convince himself that this wasn't a dream.

This amazement soon faded, replaced by a rush of excitement as he reflected on his accomplishment. He had managed to escape from someone who could kill him in an instant. To Morris, Genji was nothing more than a fast ant. Yet he had survived such a hopeless situation against all odds.

That might have been one of the most thrilling moments of his life. Oh, the feeling of conquering all odds—it was addicting. This was something that brought immense satisfaction to his life: the surge of adrenaline that followed as he pushed himself to the limits and surpassed them. Each time he achieved this, he became stronger.

Every limit he surpassed, every trial he overcame, and every adversary he vanquished molded him and defined his existence. It felt incredible to grow and even more remarkable to live.

"Let's patch myself up first," Genji thought, retrieving multiple potions.

Yet, before he could drink the contents, his body froze. A strong sense of malice emanated from his [Kraken's Grasp], flooding his system with foreign energy. Genji recognized this energy—it was the cursed energy derived from resentment.

In his weakened state, the killing curse had been activated. The timing couldn't have been worse. Physically exhausted and devoid of energy, Genji was vulnerable, a perfect opportunity for his curse to strike.

Normally, Genji would be unfazed by the curse, as his shadow energy was highly aggressive against any invasions. It had proven its effectiveness before by eliminating beneficial curses.

However, now that Genji was drained, there was nothing to deter the curse. Sinister energy coursed through him, aiming for his heart. Genji was unwilling to die like this, but there was nothing he could do. It was a curse designed to strike during its owner's weakest moment.

Yet, as the curse reached his heart, a powerful force of attraction emanated from the same arm. The energy paused, then was sucked back to his left arm. Sensing this intervention, Genji realized that it wasn't [Kraken's Grasp] that had halted the curse, but something else - something below it.

A black mark appeared on the back of his hand, revealing his savior's identity, [Curse Bearer]. The black flintlock made of cursed energy materialized in his hand, absorbing the external curse. Genji could sense its power growing, although the increase was slight. Its main benefit was that it suppressed the Kraken's curse, saving Genji's life in this dire situation.

"Curse Bearer. A fitting name. To bear the curse of its user and grow in power."

Genji let out a sigh of relief as his crisis was resolved. This unexpected property prompted him to remember his other legendary items. Upon reflection, this wasn't the first time a piece of equipment had a hidden effect. Take [Jaguar], for example, capable of storing poisons through its Assimilation effect.

Assimilation (passive): This sword can devour other negative status effects to grow.

Once absorbed, Genji could release the poison at will when striking his enemies. Then there was [Muramasa], the blade he had destroyed in his first world.

Back then, he had reached the 20-point benchmark in strength due to its Cursed effect.

Cursed (Active): +2 str until canceled and a random cursed status effect.

Under normal circumstances, he shouldn't have been able to unleash such power, but the steep price he had paid had allowed him to attain it. In other words, a hidden effect. While the equipment never explicitly stated it, the effect was there.

Thus, it was no surprise that [Curse Bearer] had a minor effect unmentioned on the stat page. In this instance, this undisclosed effect saved Genji. This revelation prompted him to reevaluate his approach to items. While he wouldn't actively seek out hidden effects, he would remain open-minded to them. Sometimes, an item's value lay in its application rather than its rating.

Genji materialized [Curse Bearer] and consumed his potions. After a few hours, Genji had fully recovered.

"Now, how do I get back?"

If he still had his communication device, Genji could call the fortress for a ride. However, he found himself stranded in an unfamiliar location, surrounded by potential dangers—an unfortunate predicament. Consulting the map and comparing his surroundings yielded no results; his current location was simply too distant.

"I suppose it's up to luck."

Genji chose a random direction and commenced his journey for the remainder of the day. The next morning brought a stroke of luck as a ship flew over him. Genji recognized its significance—only Celestials utilized such vessels. Swiftly producing a rocket, he ignited it to signal the occupants of the ship.

After launching a few more rockets, Genji successfully captured their attention. The ship descended nearby. Its door opened, and several soldiers disembarked, plasma rifles aimed at him.

"Who are you?" one of the soldiers demanded. Genji sensed their readiness to fire at any sudden movement, but he remained unfazed. He wasn't an enemy and didn't plan on becoming one.

"Calm down. I'm a friend. Things happened and my team crashed. Can you lend me your communication device? I can prove my identity as long as you let me call someone."

Although the soldiers gave him a distrustful look, they threw him a device. If he was who he said he was, then it shouldn't be a problem. Otherwise, they could shoot at any time.

Genji caught the device and dialed the fortress.

"This is Enigma, calling from a borrowed device. Can you contact this group to verify my identity?"

Upon hearing this, the operator immediately recognized Genji as a realm member. Only they would require verification since Celestials possessed unique ways of distinguishing each other.

"Give me a couple of minutes. The device you're using is from a different fortress, so we need to establish communication with them."

"That's fine. I just need to return and report to the commander."

When the person heard the mention of the commander, he increased the priority of the caller. He must be important if the commander assigned him a mission. Two minutes later, the group across from them received a call.

"This is Commander Murken speaking. The individual in your vicinity is from Fortress 42. Could I ask you to transport him back?"

The soldiers readily agreed upon recognizing the commander's name. They knew he had been assigned a critical mission but had lost contact with the group. Since their disappearance occurred in their area, these soldiers were dispatched to investigate.

Having located their target, their mission was essentially accomplished. They lowered their weapons and invited Genji aboard.

By day's end, Genji was once again sitting across from the commander.

"I must admit, they have an efficient system," he remarked.

The commander inquired, "So, what transpired? The last we checked, no one has moved."

"Nothing good. We were wiped out. I survived by pure luck."

Genji's revelation left the commander astonished. Wiped out? How could such an elite team from the front lines fall? What catastrophe could have led to this outcome?

"A reaper ambushed us," Genji saw the commander's confusion and provided an explanation, causing the commander's eyes to widen. He then recounted the entire tale from start to finish.

"I see. A truly unfortunate sequence of events."

"Yes. Although I'm unsure of Connor's location, you should be able to find the machinery if you track him down."

"That's the dilemma. His position hasn't changed for several hours now," the commander sighed wearily. The weight of overseeing a region where important figures had perished was heavy. At least he wouldn't shoulder complete responsibility.

"Damm. He really did lock onto Connor. I thought he was bluffing."

"That's the thing with reapers. They are like the embodiment of death. Once marked by them, you can't avoid a confrontation. Anyways, rest for now. I need to see the higher-up's response before doing anything."

Genji nodded and departed. His role was fulfilled, and he had no intention of meddling in such a complicated matter. He'd gone on two trips related to this ruin, and in both cases, he had encountered beings that could easily kill him. Dealing with this amount of stress in three days was too much for anyone.

"What's your assessment?" the commander asked aloud, despite being alone in the room. Moments later, a blurred silhouette manifested behind him. As the distortion faded, a hooded figure materialized.

"His story is questionable. I'm sure he's hiding something, but we need to get those items," the figure replied.

"If you say so. You're the agent HQ dispatched to oversee this mission."

"Make sure to keep a close eye on him. We can still use him, but watch out for suspicious points."

With these words, the hooded figure approached the door. As he passed by the commander, the seated man glimpsed a strand of red hair beneath the hood.

 

---

 

While Genji was on his way back, he encountered Hamilton, the sniper who shared the tower shift with him.

"Enigma, I haven't seen you around these past few days," Hamilton greeted him warmly.

"Missions and all that crap. I just got back."

"That sounds depressing. How about you join me for lunch? You shared some of your food, so why don't I introduce you to ours?"

"Why not."

Hamilton guided him to the cafeteria and helped him fill up his tray. Then they sat down to enjoy the meal. Genji had to admit, the food was quite distinctive, unlike anything he had tasted before. It was a unique experience, to say the least.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Genji asked after finishing his meal.

It was uncharacteristic of Hamilton to approach him like this, so Genji assumed there must be another reason. Since Hamilton seemed unsure how to broach the topic, Genji decided to bring it up himself. Hamilton's continuous glances were starting to get weird, especially during the meal.

"I know it might be audacious of me to ask, but could you teach me more about the rapid-fire style?"

It took Genji a moment to realize Hamilton was referring to the technique he had taught Hamilton during their tower watch. He had never considered that Hamilton might actually be interested in pursuing this style. To Genji, the rapid-fire style was simply one of the techniques he had developed on the fly.

He hadn't thought of it as a technique he would use extensively, but Hamilton appeared to hold it in high regard. Just as Genji was about to respond, he found himself bombarded with notifications.

{World Announcement: Champion Shepherd of LuminalRealm has killed a Balancer. This action has greatly angered the Eternal Void.}

{The Eternal Void has declared that all Balancers are to kill Shepherd on sight.}

[LuminalRealm has declared that the previous order is unfair. The Eternal Void has no jurisdiction to order the death of Champion Shepherd.]

{Recalling evidence: Shepherd has killed a Balancer. The video is attached. This has broken the rules of this competition. Champion Shepherd did not conform to the Eternal Void's rules, so the Eternal Void has jurisdiction.}

[Champion Shepherd has offered a Contract of Agreement. This contract has been signed by both parties to enter a life-or-death battle. No fault can be found with the Champion.]

{It has been detected that the contract was signed erroneously and without the consent of the Balancer. This Contract is invalid as proof.}

[The contract has a high priority. As the Balancer was aware of the contents, the Wrongful and Dubious Contract Act does not apply.]

{A Balancer has fallen wrongfully. A punishment must be enacted.}

[Shepherd has offered: Fruit of Avadara.]

{As the offering is an item that the Eternal Void seeks, the punishment will now be reconsidered.}

{The punishment has changed to a pursuit. 20 more days are added to Shepherd's term. Balancers will now hunt down Shepherd for the duration of this time. If Shepherd can survive until then, he will be free.}

[Shepherd has enacted the: Unfair Punishment Act. Due to the unfair treatment, Shepherd can add one minor condition to his punishment.]

[Shepherd has used: Realm's Decree. This item allows Shepherd to add a high priority to one contract.]

[Shepherd has set the condition: Eternal Void must acknowledge the submitted contract.]

{The contract has been acknowledged. Due to the conditions written in the contract, Shepherd can now add one major condition to his punishment.}

(Global Message) Shepherd: "It seems unfair that everyone in my cycle gets to leave before me. Why don't we make the service term equal for everyone?"

{The condition has been acknowledged. The service term for the previous cycle has been extended.}

{The Forced Contract Counter Strike Act has taken effect. Due to Shepherd using dubious methods to force a contract with the victim (Eternal Void), the victim is allowed to modify one condition of the contract.}

{The condition has now been modified. Shepherd can no longer leave the Spatial Battlefield until 30 minutes after being defeated.}

[LuminalRealm has reviewed the condition. Since Shepherd has a way to survive and leave the world, this change is deemed fair.]

[EverRealm, OmegaRealm, SanguineRealm, and ManaRealm have verified this. This punishment will now be in effect.]

{Due to Shepherd's condition acting in conjunction with the new condition, this world will now enter lockdown. No one can leave until Shepherd has been killed or removed from the world.}

 

As these prompts concluded, Genji heard countless outbursts from the members around him.

"What the hell? How the hell did we get dragged into this?"

"Yeah, why do we have to stay here any longer? Just where's our redress for that?"

"What the hell did that guy do?"

"How did he escape punishment like that?"

"And who is Shepherd? Has anyone heard of this guy?"

"No idea. This is the first time I've heard of him."

"What about the Balancer? Aren't they supposed to be invincible here? How did Shepherd kill one?"

"That's what I thought as well. No one should have been able to hurt them, let alone kill them."

"Just what is going on in this cycle?"

These questions resounded in Genji's ears as the confusion of many was voiced. Yet despite numerous members asking these questions, it appeared that no one had any answers. Everything had happened so suddenly that nobody had time to react.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I know I'm asking a lot."

Hamilton's voice snapped Genji out of his daze. At that moment, he realized that Hamilton was still awaiting his response.

"No, it's fine. I was just lost in thought. How about we head to the wall, and I'll show you some tricks?"

Genji opted to leave the noisy cafeteria and personally demonstrate the techniques. It was challenging to explain what he could do, so it was simply easier to show it. Upon hearing this, Hamilton's eyes lit up, and he eagerly agreed. It wasn't often that someone was so accommodating with his requests.

 

---

 

A few more days had passed since the incident, and the morale among the members had become quite bleak. This was supposed to be their final day, yet they were now required to accompany an unknown person during his punishment. How was this fair to them?

Why did they have to remain in this perilous place for such an extended period? The worst part was the uncertainty of how long they would be confined here. If Shepherd decided to prolong the ordeal, they could potentially be stuck here for months or even years. Was there any difference between that and being trapped in this world?

Furthermore, even if Shepherd were to be defeated, how many of them would still be alive by then? This world was considered one of the most dangerous worlds within the 2nd step. An additional day's stay could easily result in their demise, not to mention an indeterminate period. As for attempting to eliminate Shepherd themselves, it seemed nearly impossible.

It was futile to consider finding him, as he would undoubtedly be concealing himself since his life depended on it. Yet, even if they were to overcome this challenge, doubts lingered about their ability to defeat him. Being capable of killing a Balancer indicated that Shepherd was anything but weak, even if he had employed certain tricks to achieve it.

On this day, the commander issued a significant announcement throughout the fortress.

"All soldiers, report for duty. In 12 hours, we will embark on a mission to attack a Zerg nest. I want to emphasize, this is not a drill. Repeat, not a drill. We will be joined by multiple fortresses near the area, equipped with weapons of mass destruction. Our objective is to eradicate this swarm. They have encroached uncomfortably close, and for the sake of our safety, we must exterminate them. Our warehouse has been restocked. Arm yourselves at your convenience."

[You have been assigned the mission: Crusade against Zergs.]

Mission Details: Participate in the attack and eliminate all Zergs.

Reward: A base of 1,000 points, supplemented by your achievements. Contribution points earned by killing enemies will be doubled throughout this event.

Observing the location, Genji couldn't help but inquire, "Isn't this near the area where we were brutally attacked?"

It turned out that Genji's observation was correct, as confirmed by the commander when he summoned Genji again.

"The Zergs stumbled upon these machines and transported them back to their nest. Fortunately, they aren't aware of the significance of these items, but we must retrieve them. Their importance to us cannot be overstated."

"Just give me some weapons, and I'll handle the killing," Genji replied, abruptly ending the conversation.

There's no way Genji will stay out of this. Not when he can farm a significant amount of points.

"I knew I can trust you to lead the charge," the commander said, handing him a golden card.

"What's this?"

"The ticket to those weapons you wanted."