The Final Desperation

"So, were you interested in this event?" Genji asked as they walked out of the meeting.

"Maybe. You?"

"I was pretty confident in my survival abilities, so yes. Why just 'maybe'?"

"Restricted equipment," 7156 explained, his response as concise as ever.

"Understandable. Maybe you could be in the back line with all the weapons."

"Ummm."

After that, they separated to attend to make their own preparations.

Hours later, Genji received a call to meet up at the CEC building. The special agent arrived, and they were issued their weapons. Genji entered the building with 7156 and spotted a person with silver hair and a stoic face.

"Another serious type," Genji remarked.

He found a private corner and took a seat.

"I see everyone has arrived," the sergeant began.

"As you can see, these are the weapons we will be using. These are artillery pieces that have been infused with the same anti-corruption material, so they packed quite a punch in the upcoming fight. I wanted everyone to get used to them during the remaining time."

He gestured to the boxes of explosives, rocket launchers, machine guns, and other deadly weapons. Genji glanced at them and tinkered with a few before walking over to 7156.

"Do you know how to use these?"

7156 shook his head.

"Then let me give you the rundown."

Genji began explaining the usage of some of the more user-friendly weapons. He offered his opinions on how to handle them effectively and what to do in challenging situations. As Genji spoke, 7156 couldn't help but wonder how he knew so much. This didn't seem like the kind of knowledge an ordinary person would possess.

Even in the real world, acquiring these kinds of weapons would be difficult without military connections. However, Genji didn't give off the impression of a military person. 7156 pushed aside these thoughts and focused on the information being provided.

"You seem quite knowledgeable about this," the silver-haired agent approached.

"Who are you?" Genji inquired.

"Rank 7 agent, Taki. I've heard a lot about you, Enigma."

"Oh? What do the rumors say?"

"You were the fastest person to reach rank 6 – 12 days. What a record."

"I wish I could say the same about you, but I have no idea who you are."

"That's fine. I hope we could work together to slay this titan."

"Likewise."

Suddenly, Genji drew his sword and swiftly attacked Taki. Before anyone could react, Taki pulled out a black scythe and blocked the strike. This exchange caught everyone's attention, prompting them to quickly surround the two.

"You're decent," Genji commented, sheathing his sword. Now that he confirmed Taki's capabilities, he knew he could trust him to cover his side.

"Same to you," Taki replied calmly, lowering his scythe.

"What's going on?" The sergeant inquired.

"Nothing much. We were just getting to know each other," Taki answered on Genji's behalf.

The sergeant cast a skeptical glance at them. Despite harboring doubts about Taki's explanation, he chose not to pursue the issue any further. There was no point in provoking these two agents when the concerned parties themselves didn't seem to take offense.

 

---

 

*Thud thud*

The behemoth plodded heavily along the desolate highway, which had been closed earlier that day. Despite the daunting task of concealing the presence of a colossal monster that left a trail of devastation, the government managed well.

*Thud thud*

With each clunky step, the ground quivered slightly, though the mindless creature paid no heed. In its trajectory, a loud helicopter's whirring sounded above. A machine gun emerged from the side, unleashing a barrage of fire upon the creature, all of which the behemoth disregarded.

"Switch to an RPG. Its fur is too tough!" Someone shouted. The agent obliged and soon, a substantial explosion enveloped the corruptor's head.

*ROOOOOOAAAARRRRRR*

The creature roared in pain as the explosion's echo faded. The behemoth turned to the helicopter and attempted to swipe at it, yet the pilot elevated out of its reach just in time. Another rocket followed, further infuriating the creature.

"Excellent. Now let's lure it to the designated location."

With the successful execution of their plan, the agents aboard the helicopter breathed sighs of relief. Their role was to maintain the creature's focus until they reached the ambush point, leaving the daunting task of engaging the monster to the more formidable agents. Standing in the presence of the creature's immense power, they couldn't help but respect the brave souls prepared to confront it.

Soon, they reached an open field lined with turrets and weaponry. Jeeps and helicopters were strategically positioned across the area. As the corruptor came into view, the vehicles sprang into action, unleashing a barrage of fire upon the creature. Genji stood within one of the jeeps, unleashing a steady stream of bullets at the creature's eyes.

The beast bellowed in agony and raised both arms to slam the ground. The earth cracked, ensnaring the tires of a few jeeps. Lifting a massive boulder, the creature hurled it at them. Observing this peril, agents scrambled out of the jeep. The boulder collided and the creature pounded the ground, causing more vehicles and individuals to become ensnared.

Then, the behemoth clasped its claws together. As if obeying its command, the ground began to retract, reverting to its initial levelness. A spray of blood mist erupted from the ground as unfortunate souls met a grisly fate, crushed beneath the earth.

"Keep firing!"

Genji switched to an RPG and blasted one of the creature's legs. For the ensuing minutes, Genji relentlessly pelted the titan with explosives, though he could tell the creature was barely harmed by it. This was not a good sign. Especially when they lost half their agents. Then, the sky darkened, causing Genji to look up in time to spot the boulder coming down on them.

"Get out!"

He issued the warning and skillfully freed himself. Unfortunately, no one else reacted in time, resulting in crushed flesh and blood leaking out from beneath the rock.

"It seems I have no choice," Genji said, preparing to enter the battle himself.

Swift Movement

Genji vanished from his location, and a shallow gash appeared on the creature's leg. The beast recoiled, sensing the sting, and peered downward to see Genji poised for another attack. It kicked out, but Genji vanished before the strike could pulverize him.

*ROOOAAARRR*

Another cut, minimal in damage but enough to draw its attention. Annoyed by his peskiness, the creature brought down its arm to crush Genji with its rock manipulation, but Genji escaped its range.

Throwing aside his artillery equipment, Genji dashed at the grounded arm.

"What's he doing?"

Someone took notice of Genji, who initiated a fight against the titan.

"NO WAY! IS HE SUICIDAL?!?!?!" They exclaimed as another punch came down on the ground, causing another terrain distortion.

Leveraging his momentum, Genji launched himself into the air to dodge this attack.

Lightweight

Slowing his descent, Genji managed to glide above the ascending arm. Landing deftly, Genji commenced a rapid ascent along the unstable arm until he reached the shoulders. Then he dug his feet into the fur and stabilized himself near the neck.

Dagger Arts: Impact Strike

Adjusting his grip to a reverse, Genji thrust the sword downward into the collarbone. [Muramasa] drove toward the hilt but halted abruptly, replaced by a potent shockwave that destabilized the creature. Though the force numbed his hands, Genji clung steadfastly.

Dagger Arts: Impact Strike

Genji repeated the strike to the side, throwing the creature off balance and sending it tumbling. Genji swiftly drew out his sword and jumped, unfurling his cloak behind him to slow his fall. Once his feet touched the ground, he broke out in a brief sprint to dispel his remaining momentum so he didn't cripple himself.

Observing his safe landing, several individuals jumped out from their jeeps and rushed toward him. Genji looked to see the sergeant and Taki approaching.

"What the hell was that?!?!"

"Why on earth did you do that?"

Both questions came out simultaneously, their shock evident. Genji sheathed his sword and brought out some healing balms for his hands.

"Had to do something or it was only a matter of time until we were annihilated."

"That's not the point. How do you have mutant-level strength?"

The sergeant's voice verged on a shout.

"Don't worry about it. Concentrate on the corruptor at hand."

With a sigh, the sergeant resumed his duties, overseeing the operation.

Turning to Taki, Genji inquired, "Why are you still here?"

Taki regarded him for a moment.

"Wouldn't it be more effective for a combatant to engage the creature while the others provide supporting fire?"

"Better or not, it'll minimize casualties."

"Can you continue?"

"Yes, but I will need to recover before I can do that again."

Just then, the creature regained its footing.

*ROOOAAARRRR*

A fresh layer of fury tinged its roar, signaling an imminent escalation in the battle.

"Shall I take over while you recuperate?"

Genji looked at Taki in surprise. Never did he expect this agent would offer to step up to this perilous task.

"Do you think you can do it?"

"Shouldn't be a problem."

Taki unsheathed his scythe and charged at the behemoth. Intrigued by his confidence, Genji used insight to look at Taki's stats.

[Taki]

Health: 5650/5650

Energy: 100/100

Con: 13

Str: 13

Dex: 14

Int: 10

Spc: 3

Skills:

 - Boss Physique: +5000 health

 - Scythe Mastery (Proficient)

 - Beheading: Attack in an elusive way and deal 150% damage. If the attack kills, reset the cooldown.

 - Black Strike: Channel energy into a weapon to make it sharper

 

Looking at those stats, Genji was greatly surprised. To think this guy was a boss-level fighter as well. However, something about his profile stood out to Genji. Taki didn't possess the regeneration and transformation skills that were common among mutants, indicating that he was human.

This detail struck Genji as odd. How could a regular human achieve such high levels of stats? No matter how intense the training, reaching these levels shouldn't have been physically feasible.

Given the current world setting, it didn't add up. At that point, Genji had been speculating since he lacked extensive experience in exploring other worlds. Nonetheless, he had been certain that this world seemed to be a parallel version of his own, both in technology and limits.

Considering the similarities in parameters, it hadn't seemed plausible for someone of such immense strength to appear naturally. In fact, it had seemed almost impossible.

Adding to this, there had been the Black Strike skill, which closely resembled Genji's method of utilizing energy. However, as Taki had engaged in combat, Genji had discerned a distinction between their approaches. While Genji had manipulated his energy in various ways, Taki had appeared to be confined in how he employed his energy. It had been as though the energy had been foreign to him.

"What a strange person."

Then Genji had chosen to get an understanding of the creature they had been fighting.

[Rocknore Behemoth]

Health: 6132/10,000

Energy: 150/150

Con: 20

Str: 20

Dex: 13

Int: 15

Spc: 0

Skills:

 - Boss Physique: +5000 HP

 - Behemoth: +3000 HP

 - Earth Manipulation: Able to roughly control the earth

 - No further skills could be read.

 

[You are trying to cast insight on an intermediate-level creature. Insight will not provide all the details for creatures of this rank.]

"What the?"

At that point, Genji had learned something new. It had appeared that insight had only worked up to a certain level. After that, it seemed that EverRealm would stop holding their hands and guiding them. He put this out of his mind, but there are still two questions in his head.

"Why was this boss so strong when there had only been a one-point difference between it and the Troll of Grief?"

[Upon reaching 20 points in a stat, there had been a huge boost in power. This had been considered a benchmark.]

"Then why had the boss had 10,000 health? If they had done the math, shouldn't it have been 9,000?"

The realm didn't answer this question, causing Genji to sigh.

"I guess I can't rely on EverRealm to answer every question. At least I get answers to most of my questions."

Genji drew his sword and jumped back into battle. He weaved above the constantly shifting ground and arrived at the leg. Infusing a significant portion of his energy, Genji made a deep cut on the ankle. The creature stumbled slightly, and Taki seized this opportunity to throw it off balance once more. A few seconds later, he landed on the ground beside Genji.

"I will leave this to you now."

Genji nodded and readied himself to keep this titan down. With Genji's interference, it took multiple minutes before the creature regained its footing.

*RRRROOOOAAAAARRRRRRRR*

It moved its head around and emitted a deafening scream. Then, its two claws started emitting arcs of electricity. Genji had a bad feeling about whatever the creature was about to do, but he had no way to prevent it. The only thing he could do was activate swift movement and run until his instincts stopped blaring warning signs.

He looked back to see a faint whitish-gray orb forming between the giant's claws. A mix of lightning and vibration flashed across the surface of the orb as the feeling of unease continued to grow. While the creature charged its attack, its eyes locked onto Genji's gaze. The corners of its mouth curved upward, revealing its sharp triangular teeth.

"Not good!"

The creature crushed the orb with both claws, initiating a giant ripple. From a distance, Genji could see a semi-transparent sphere enveloping all the battle vehicles and people. Then a flash of white covered his vision as an intense shockwave hit him.

Genji brought his arm up to shield his eyes and anchored his feet to withstand the impact. When everything settled, he looked down to see two trails etched in the dirt before him. Genji lowered his arm, revealing a scene of devastation. Everything within that area lay in ruins. The vehicles appeared to have imploded, while the pilots seemed to have vanished. He looked around and realized there were a few rivulets of blood trickling through the cracks.

One didn't need to be a genius to fathom the agents' fate in that zone. Genji turned back, noticing only a handful of survivors.

"SHIT! This doesn't look good," Taki said as he returned.

"Of course not. On the bright side, the creature's weakened after that attack. Let's seize this chance to kill it before it recovers."

"Agreed. This is a disaster. Trying to fight this again would be a nightmare."

"A nightmare, huh?"

Flashstep

Genji materialized on the creature's shoulders and slashed at its neck. Blood sprayed, but he ignored it and brought his sword down once more to deepen the wound.

*Grrrrrr*

The creature swiped its hand at its shoulder. Genji leaped onto its back, dragging his sword along the neck.

Dagger Arts: Impact Strike

His blade punctured the flesh, shattering the vertebrate, and causing the creature to freeze again. As it leaned forward, Genji withdrew his sword, leaped, and glided downward. Although the landing was rougher this time, he managed to regain his footing and rejoin the offensive.

Returning to the creature's back, he stabbed his sword between another spinal joint, further ensuring the creature stayed down. Spinal fluid flowed out, but Genji persisted until his energy depleted, which happened surprisingly fast given the titan's formidable defense.

Genji jumped down and landed next to Taki, who was using his scythe to carve pieces of flesh from the titan's face.

"Quite a display you had," Taki commented.

"It's alright, but let's finish this before we talk."

Genji impaled the remaining red eye that had been glaring at him.

*Grrrrr*

"He doesn't seem too pleased with you."

Genji twisted his sword before swinging it to the side, bisecting it.

"What did you expect?"

He drove his blade into the flesh surrounding the mutilated eyeball, inflicting further damage to the fallen creature.

"That movement is something else."

Genji stopped mangling the eye socket and took a step back.

"It's a trump card."

Genji walked around the head and started slashing at the half-cut neck.

"I can see why."

At this point, the colossal head had enough. Unleashing a loud roar, Genji sensed a terrifying amount of energy gathering.

"What now?" Genji exclaimed, whipping his head around.

His realization came as he noticed a small orb forming between the creature's teeth – the same orb responsible for the prior destruction.

"Oh, shit!"

Flashstep

A thunderous explosion echoed behind him as the world turned blindingly white. His ears also ringed with pain as a nauseating headache assaulted him. It was a disaster.

When his vision returned, Genji pivoted around in time to witness a tragic scene: the slipping of Taki's scythe from his severed hand. There was nothing else in between since his entire torso had been evaporated in that attack. 

Turning his gaze to the behemoth, only the edges of its head remained, as the attack had vaporized everything in between. It was a grim reminder of EverRealm's perilous nature where a momentary lapse in attention could result in instant death.

'If anything, this is a warning on becoming complacent. Let's never make this mistake again,' Genji thought to himself as a sense of relief and fear washed over him.

 

[You have slain the Rocknore Behemoth.]

[You have obtained the skill book for Earthly Strike.]

[Earthly Strike]

Rating: Epic

Requirements: Earth magic or a heavy weapon with mana

Effect: Consume 100 mana to smash the ground and deal 300% damage in a 3-meter radius. Cooldown of 1 minute.