The Final Desperation

"Are you still mad about it?" Genji asked, sitting beside Bruce at the campfire.

Bruce turned his head away, refusing to look at him. It had taken Bruce a lot of effort to secure that snack, and Genji gave it away without even consulting him. How could he not be upset about it?

"Look, I know it was precious to you, but I can't risk fighting a beast king right now. I need to save my liberations for later."

Bruce huffed out a hot stream of air, unconvinced by Genji's reasoning. If he couldn't fight, why didn't he run? He was faster than the stupid lion, so he could have easily gotten away. Why did he have to bargain with it?

"Running wasn't an option. If we did that, we would have become permanent enemies with the Beasts. They'll hunt us down without giving us a break."

Bruce snorted and gave Genji a disdainful look. Wasn't it only the Beasts? Couldn't they kill all that tried and avoid those that were too strong? Weren't they used to difficult situations anyway? Why did it feel like his master became more cowardly after one world?

"I know what you're thinking, but this is the second time I've entered this place. Last time, I made some BIG enemies, including the entire Parasite faction and an absurdly powerful Zerg empress. If we include the Beasts, half the Battlefield will be after us. No amount of goodwill with the Celestials and Sentinels can fix that. Hell, they might even throw us under the bus."

This caused Bruce to take a second look at Genji, convinced Genji was crazier than he gave him credit for. Despite knowing that, Genji still dared to offend the Beasts? Why did he have to give Bruce a false sense of confidence? 

"That aside, if you're still upset, go hunt something. I bet you've never had raptor chops before," Genji said, pointing to the crowd of velociraptors in the distance.

But when Bruce heard these words, he had a massive panic attack instead of being comforted. This was all because Genji suggested hunting a beast. If it were any other time, Bruce would have accepted the suggestion in a heartbeat, but it had a different meaning after the encounter with the lion king.

Didn't Genji promise to not attack the beasts anymore? Why was he telling Bruce to break that promise? Didn't he hold his promises in the highest regard? That was the problem Bruce was wrestling with. Amidst this internal struggle, Bruce thought back to when Genji first explained his obsession with promises, intensifying his panic to a new level.

'Oh no! Did Master finally snap under all this pressure? Nooooo! I'm sorry. I won't pursue the snack issue anymore. Please don't go insane, Master! Maaaassstterrrr, noooooo!'

"Stop being so dramatic," Genji said, sensing the wildly fluctuating emotions in the nightbane, "I'm not breaking my promise."

'Noooooo, his morals are collapsing! He's going to say I'm the one making a move so it doesn't affect the promise. How can he circumvent the spirit of his promises like that? He's too far gone now. Master, it was nice knowing you. You were such an awesome person, charging into difficult battles without hesitation.'

*Bak*

"What are you thinking now?" Genji smacked the back of Bruce's head, his lips twitching from the range of emotions he sensed. "And why are you looking at me with tears and pity? Are you sure you're in the right state of mind and not still bogged down from losing your snack?"

*Sniffle* 'Master, I let that go already.'

"Then why are you like this?"

'Master, you broke your promise.'

"What the hell are you talking about? I promised I wouldn't ambush them, not that I won't attack them. As far as I know, you hunting for food isn't included."

This caused Bruce to stop and carefully recall the encounter. Now that Genji mentioned it, there was a faint recollection of that exact wording. Bruce just hadn't paid attention since it was mid-battle when Genji said it.

Realizing this, Bruce's jaws dropped, and he flashed a thumbs-up with a tentacle. 'Master, you're so slippery. I can't believe you snuck in that loophole when you were fighting.'

"It's not a loophole if both parties know about it. The lion knew I won't stop killing beasts so it settled for minimizing their losses. At least that way, they don't have to worry about my sneak attacks during crucial battles."

With that misunderstanding cleared up, Bruce's worries faded into drool and hunger for the distant velociraptors. Unable to resist the allure anymore, Bruce bolted toward them, his tentacles writhing like giant earthworms. A few minutes later, Bruce returned in a cheerful mood and presented Genji with his prey.

Genji waved his dagger, covering the carcasses with a flash of light that left multiple interconnecting cuts. Then both of them got to work, peeling back the skin to reveal the juicy flesh beneath. Genji followed the muscle curves and broke the bodies into chunks before handing them to Bruce for roasting.

Due to his enthusiasm for good food, Bruce had acquired a decent understanding of roasting meats. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was enough to satisfy his cravings.

Genji took out some spices and liberally coated the rotating meats, dyeing the glistening fat with a new shade of flavor. A mouth-watering aroma emanated from the roast, enticing Bruce to snack on a small piece.

However, this quickly turned into a large piece as the temptation of food overwhelmed him. Before they knew it, half of the roasts had disappeared into their stomachs, becoming a filling meal.

"That smells good. Mind if I join?" A sudden voice came from behind them, sending both of them into full alert. Without hesitation, Genji manifested [Curse Bearer] for three quick bursts while Bruce bombarded the source with blood bullets.

Then, they both bolted into the distance, Genji flashstepping while Bruce trailed him in blood form. Despite this, the intruder made no attempts to chase, opting to stay by the campfire.

When the bombardment faded, Genji spotted a pale-skinned man taking a bite out of one of their roasts. Beside him, a large, black scythe was stabbed into the ground, standing upright with the blade over his head.

Pairing these traits with the wisps of black energy that flickered between their attacks, it wasn't hard to identify the intruder. Genji had encountered a being with similar traits before, one who belonged to the second strongest faction of the battlefield: the Reapers.

[Conducting comparison. Your special stat is higher than your target's. A small increase in judgment priority.]

[Error: High-level blessing detected. A small decrease in judgment priority.]

[Final Evaluation: You will obtain 86% of the target's status profile]

 

[Reaper Benya]

Health: 37,800/37,800

Spirit Energy: 1,330/1,330

Death Gauge: 3,876/1,330 (max: 6,650)

Con: 48

Str: 48

Dex: 47

Int: 44

Spc: 31

Skills:

- Boss (Passive): +20,000 HP

- Reaper's Constitution (Passive): +3,000 HP, gain access to Spirit Energy

- Reaper's Blessing (Passive): +10,000 HP, +350 max energy

- Deathly Accumulation (Passive): +100 max energy, gain access to Death Gauge. This gauge will slowly fill as living beings die around you. The more that die, the faster your gauge will fill up. The storage value is the same as your max energy, but you can hold up to (5 x max energy) points of Deathly Energy. Excess points will slowly deplete over time.

- Scythe Mastery (Grandmaster)

- Deathly Attraction (Active): Spend 100 Spirit Energy to attract all nearby Deathly Energy into your body.

- Deathly Strengthening (Passive): For every 100 points in Death Gauge, gain a 7% damage buff to all attacks. Current boost: 266%

- Deathly Defense (Active/Passive): When attacked, you can consume Deathly Energy to construct a defense. 1 point of energy can offset 20 points of damage. For every 150 points in Death Gauge, gain a 4% physical defense. Current boost: 72%

- Deathly Healing (Active): Consume Deathly Energy to rapidly heal your wounds. 50 HP per point of Deathly Energy.

- Slash of Death (Active): Consume Deathly Energy and Spirit Energy at a 4:1 ratio to unleash an energy slash that travels for 30 meters.

- Mark of Death (Active): Consume 50 points of Deathly Energy to leave a tracking mark on someone. Cannot be cast on the same target within 5 hours.

- Deathly Displacement (Active): Consume 50 points of Deathly Energy to teleport to any position within 15 meters.

- Dance of Death (Active): Consume 500 Deathly Energy and 90 Spirit Energy to summon 3 elusive figures. You can swap positions with them at will by consuming 50 Deathly Energy and 10 Spirit Energy. Lasts 10 minutes or until all figures are destroyed.

- [Reaper Ultimate] Final Beheading (Active): Condense all your energy onto the blade of your scythe. When your scythe injures a target, conduct a beheading judgment. If it succeeds, the target dies instantly! Otherwise, deal (30 x spent energy) as damage.

Note: Other advanced skills and ultimate cannot be read.

 

It was an insane profile, explaining why the Reapers could rival the Beast Kings in power despite being one step lower. Everything was in their powerful skills. First and foremost was the existence of Deathly Energy, functioning as a second resource for skills. When combined with Spirit Energy, it was as if the Reapers had twice the energy capacity as others.

Yet, this was not the limit for the Reapers, as their Death Gauge could contain up to 5 times their normal energy capacity, albeit with some limitations. However, this drawback proved negligible on the battlefield, where death was a common occurrence, allowing the Reapers to easily overcharge their gauge.

Following that, there were the buffing skills that offered tremendous boosts to their offense and defense, depending on the level of their Death Gauge. Additionally, there were defense and healing skills, making it nearly impossible to instantly kill them. It was a flawless build with no discernible weaknesses.

Moreover, there was the Slash of Death, an attack similar to Genji's cutting intent, though at a higher cost and lower range. Nonetheless, this didn't diminish its impressiveness, given that weapon intent was not something normally accessible in the 2nd step.

Then, there were the supportive skills, Mark of Death and Deathly Displacement. Genji had experienced the former during his confrontation with Morris, another Reaper from whom he barely escaped. At the time, Genji had not even realized he was marked, almost leading to his demise if not for Morris's playful nature.

On the contrary, Deathly Displacement required no explanation. It was the essential teleporting skill that all long-ranged fighters dreamt of, capable of saving their lives in a critical moment. 

The only difference was that this skill didn't have a long cooldown, allowing the Reapers to easily traverse the battlefield. Genji would know since Morris spammed it in their final battle, giving him plenty of difficulties.

Penultimately, there was Dance of Death, a skill shared by Genji. However, unlike Genji's version, the Reaper's skill was more optimized since it was meant to be used with Deathly Energy.

To offset this cost, Genji's skill used a percentage of his maximum energy rather than a fixed amount. This meant the Reapers could use it more frequently, treating it as a powerful tool rather than a life-saving trump card.

Lastly, there was the ultimate skill, a terrifying attack beyond anything Genji had witnessed before. The closest comparison was Shadow Devour, capable of similarly ending a battle in a single strike. However, akin to Dance of Death, the Reaper's version was superior, honed by generations prior.

Setting aside the scary instant death judgment, its damage potential was equally terrifying. If this reaper were to use Final Beheading with full Spirit Energy and a regular Death Gauge, it would deal 79,800 damage—enough to kill a beast king!

However, that was with a normal gauge, not an overcharged one, which could reach 239,400 points! Furthermore, this number would continue to rise with the Reapers' intelligence stat.

Naturally, this was purely hypothetical, disregarding damage resistance granted by total stats and other variables. The actual damage output would always be lower since the body would never allow the invading energy to run rampant.

But what stood out even more to Genji was the note at the end: 'Other advanced skills and Ultimates cannot be read.' It implied that the Reapers possessed other powerful skills that he knew nothing about. What a terrifying realization. 

This was not an enemy Genji wanted to fight, at least not alone. Unlike the beasts, who possess humongous bodies and lower agility, the Reapers could easily keep up with Genji's movements. If Genji fought this Reaper, the price would be higher than if he fought a beast king. That was the problem with matchups.

This left only one choice: to run. But to ensure a successful escape, he had to prevent the Reaper from immediately pursuing him. Considering all his options, Genji quickly settled on Kraken Summoning. It had worked before, so Genji knew he could rely on it, especially with higher stats to support it.

As he was about to activate the skill, the Reaper said something that eased Genji's tension.

"Can we not? I'm not in the mood right now," Benya yawned, helping himself to another serving. "I just want some food after wandering the battlefield for so long."

Genji determined that Benya was telling the truth and lowered his weapon. Since he could avoid the battle, he had no reason to start one.

"You can have the meal then. I'm leaving."

"Hold on," Benya called out as Genji turned around, "Why the hurry? Join me."

"Sorry, but I don't feel comfortable approaching you," Genji admitted bluntly before flashstepping away.

"What a shame. It's not often I find another loner on the battlefield." 

When Genji was at a safe distance, he summoned Bruce, who let out an annoyed whine, complaining about the recent encounters.

'Why does everyone keep stealing my food? Can't I eat in peace?'

"Can you blame them? The only things they eat are either bland food or raw meat. There's nothing else. That's why your snacks are like delicacies to them."

Bruce rolled his eyes, exasperated by the situation. 'Why me? Can't they rob someone else?'

"That's the problem. No one else brings this stuff; they all opt for food pills since it's more space-efficient. I would have done the same if I didn't have a gluttonous horse by my side."

At this moment, Bruce felt a sense of pity for the people on the battlefield. 'They fight so hard, yet they don't even get to eat good meat. Even a dog lives better than them. Very well, for the sake of enlightening these ignorant souls about the justice of meat, I, the mighty Bruce, shall give up my meals. May they learn from their mistakes and aspire for higher standards.'

From above, Genji sensed that Bruce was having strange thoughts again but chose not to ask. He decided to let the nightbane dream, hoping it would divert his attention from his stolen food.

The following day, they encountered an army of Zergs marching in formation. This army stood out to Genji because they boasted a silvery-white color and had multiple strong presences that surpassed normal Zerg limits.

Among them was a large unit that resembled a red T-Rex, stomping around on two large hind legs and waving its tiny claws. It wasn't perfect, but it told Genji who he was facing. After all, only one Zerg Empress had obtained the body of a T-Rex and conducted evolutionary research on it.

"Seems like she caught up with me. I was hoping this wouldn't happen for another few days," Genji muttered, drawing his saber. "I'll leave the smaller units to you. Make sure none of them escape."

Bruce nodded and conjured a whirlpool of blood, channeling as much vitality as possible. As this happened, Genji unleashed a massive streak of cutting intent, blanketing the entire army in intense light. Due to covering such a large area, the lethality of the attack had greatly decreased, but it drew enough blood to kick-start Bruce's bloodstorm.

Genji charged into the crowd, carving a path toward the large T-Rex. Occasionally, streams of blood would flash by, cutting down the approaching Zergs.

Suddenly, a large streak of light fell from the sky, opening a narrow path forward. Before the Zergs could close this channel, Genji flashstepped, appearing before his target with a heavy slash.

A gaping wound opened on the T-Rex's side, causing it to stumble backward. The next moment, the wound festered with black pus, succumbing to [Jaguar's] poison.

The silver saber lit up again and shot out a streak of light, lopping the head right off. As the body fell, Genji executed a rapid spin, unleashing a circular cutting wave, pushing back the flooding Zergs.

Subsequently, a rain of acid fell from above, threatening to dissolve all flesh beneath. A cocoon of wind wrapped around Genji, flinging the incoming fluids aside. Despite this failure, the Zergs didn't relent, diving down in a flock of sharp-beaked units. The red glow of the setting sun accentuated their smooth shells, emitting a boiling heat from their carapace.

Then they started expanding, emitting more heat than ever. Genji instantly realized this was a suicide bomber and activated the Quantum Barrier, narrowly blocking the massive explosion that ensued.

As the smoke cleared and the heat cooled, dead Zergs dropped from the skies. Bruce had started working on the aerial units, understanding that they were the biggest hindrance to Genji's order.

Genji seized this chance to flashstep again, appearing above another powerful unit with an intense coating of light. As he swung down, everything below him stilled to an absolute halt before collapsing into tiny chunks due to the unit's previous inertia.

'I'm glad my stamina is keeping up.'

Genji landed in the bloody opening and repeated the process, attempting to eliminate as many powerful units as possible. Bruce also went on a rampage, doing everything he could to ensure Genji's unhindered movements. Together, they carved through the army, assassinating the strongest units as Bruce cleaned up the perimeter.

Half an hour later, Genji stabbed his saber into the final boss's head, giving it a hard twist before pulling out. Genji swung once more to clean the blade.

However, before the green insect blood could hit the group, it zipped into the distance, merging with the large sphere above Bruce. After a round of purification, the glob of blood entered Bruce's mouth, feeding his ever-growing vitality.

"Come on, let's get out of here. We've bought ourselves some time, but Silver Empress will eventually catch up to us. Before that, we need to find a safe place to hide or hold our ground. The armies will only get bigger from now on, so fighting head-on will become less feasible."

Bruce neighed in agreement, having experienced a limit to how much blood he could effectively control at once. If he tried for more, his attacks would decrease in power, becoming relatively ineffective against the Zergs' hard shells. That was why it took so long, despite the exponential availability of blood.

Genji pulled his tired body onto Bruce's back and rode into the distance, seeking a respite from the relentless hunters on their trail. However, what Genji didn't know was that another enemy, one in grey armor and riding a parasitized pterosaur, was slowly closing in on him.