"Fine, I'll give you some money," Genji said, exasperated by the puppy eyes Bruce gave him.
It was weird to think about, but Bruce adapted quickly to the marketplace. Of course, this only happened after Bruce spotted a street vendor selling roast meat.
When he saw this novelty, Bruce bolted at it and stared at the vendor, hoping the person would spare him a piece. The vendor was confused by this and stared back, trying to grasp how a horse entered EverRealm and what it wanted.
After attracting plenty of weird looks, Genji finally relented and paid for the meal. Bruce voraciously devoured the meal before enthusiastically dragging Genji to the other stalls, hoping to taste everything.
Once they reached another stall, Bruce would give him the same look, begging him like a child spotting his favorite toy. After a while, Genji got tired of this and applied for a secondary card, making both of their lives easier.
"Here's 5000 coins. Try not to eat too much, okay?"
In response, Bruce raised his hoof, pledging he would be careful. With that settled, Genji headed for the strengthening hall, prepared to upgrade his stats.
[Enigma]
Health: 3,840/3,840 (Con x 120, increase of 720)
Energy: 680/680 (Int x 20, decrease of 340 since last settlement)
Con: 24 -> 30 + 2 from equipment = 32
Str: 24 -> 30 + 2 from equipment = 32
Dex: 25 -> 31 + 2 from equipment = 33
Int: 26 -> 34
Spc: 32 -> 42 + 1 from equipment = 43
Genji wasn't surprised when he saw the decrease in his energy pool. Due to the overexertions during the last battle, he had to utilize all his extra stats to stabilize his shadow core. Now, only a meager amount of energy remained, leaving him with just a 55% boost.
Although he had lost an entire world's worth of accumulations, Genji had no regrets. If that was what it took to survive, he would gladly make the trade-off. Moreover, it wasn't a complete loss, as his combat skills had experienced significant growth through all the life-or-death battles he had endured.
Once he stabilized his huge spike, he headed for the training area. As he got there, his realm card heated up and drew his attention.
[Sufficient Trials detected. Do you wish to open a higher-level training area?]
[Note: This will require 8 Trials worth of accomplishments. Once confirmed, you won't be able to use them for other facilities.]
"Do it."
At his agreement, the realm card became hotter and tingled against his skin. The temperature rose and the black card softened under his grasp taking on a reddish-orange hue. Then the bottom right corner warped, melting and flowing to form a new pattern. Once the pattern was completed, the card rapidly cooled, returning to its initial form.
"How magical. I didn't even feel any pain during that smelting process."
Genji observed his card for some time and realized the pattern matched the marking of the training hall on the map.
Genji put aside this thought and pulled up his trials, curious about the change. Upon opening his profile, Genji saw eight badges marked with the same training hall insignia and two unmarked ones.
In order of acquisition, they are:
Corruption World
* Pain: Survived an unimaginable pain
Cursed Sea
* Integrity: Stayed true to your promise despite the difficulties
* Valor: Fought bravely in the face of death
Original World
* Mind: All obsessions have been cleared, giving you a better mindset
Spatial Battlefield
* Determination: Rewarded when you refused to give up after becoming a traitor in the Spatial Battlefield. Represents your ability to persist in the face of difficulties.
* Fearlessness: Rewarded when you cleared the Hallway of Terror in the ancient Maclan ruins. Nothing seems to scare you anymore.
* Audacity: Rewarded when you betrayed Silver Empress(Substitute) to steal the void egg. Although you knew it was a bad idea, you did it anyways
EverNight
* Insanity: Rewarded when you did something completely insane, overturning what's possible and killing two princes.
* Despair: Rewarded when you finished your mission when most people would have accepted despair.
* Tenacity: Rewarded when you did everything to survive, even at the cost of permanently mutating your body.
It was an impressive profile, highlighting how much Genji had experienced since joining EverRealm. The only world without any trial completions was the Psychic world, where Sinclair interfered and snatched the mission item from under his nose.
Genji closed the page and entered the newly unlocked facilities. Following the instructions on the card, he walked past the mid-level training area and arrived at a locked room. A scanner was attached to the side, indicating what Genji needed to do. After a quick tap, the light beeped green, and the door unlocked, revealing the room in all its glory.
Or at least, that's what Genji had hoped for, but the room looked exactly like all the other training rooms prior. Genji would have mistaken this for a normal room if it wasn't for the grand display prior to it.
Looking beyond the surface appearances, Genji knew this room was valuable when he made a test swing. The next moment, 26 reflections formed around him and repeated the motion.
Seeing this quantity, Genji quickly braced himself, both mentally and physically, for the aftermath that would soon ravage him. As the reflections dissipated, a large amount of information flooded Genji's brain, causing him a mild headache. Luckily, he was used to this after reading all those knowledge books and quickly adapted.
'Another 3 times increase,' Genji observed, noticing a pattern here.
It was another substantial increase compared to the mid-level training area, but there was an equally significant price for it. Keep in mind that every reflection that multiplied his movement also consumed a corresponding amount of stamina.
Basically, these rooms compressed multiple practice sessions into a mere moment, with his body sustaining the burden of all instances. With his physique, basic movements weren't a problem, but if he attempted anything stamina-intensive, he would be instantly exhausted.
Despite this drawback, Genji would use this over the mid-level room any day. After all, he was getting a 27x multiplier in all his training, essentially compressing months into a short period.
Using this opportunity, Genji decided to practice his newly created trump card, wanting to familiarize himself with the process. But, when he attempted this, he encountered an immediate setback. Specifically, he could barely form the vortex despite all his efforts. In the cases of success, these vortexes had minimal power, rendering them practically useless.
"What's going on? Why is it so weak?"
As Genji persisted, he eventually discovered the reason. Compared to his state in EverNight, the world of permanent darkness, his energy had become tamer and weaker. More accurately, it had returned to its normal state of calmness and sharpness.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
At the time, he hadn't noticed, but there was something special about that world that boosted his capabilities to new heights. Without it, Genji's Shadow Devour, which relied on frantic energy, had lost its edge and become mediocre.
"Doesn't matter. If I can't use it without frantic energy, then I'll just simulate it. I refuse to believe that I can't create something similar with a 27x training multiplier."
Then he threw himself into a training frenzy, unwilling to give up on this powerful trump card no matter how long it took. If one world wasn't enough, then two, three, or four. Plus, this training wasn't a complete waste of time. With each attempt, his understanding of this violent energy trait deepened, and he inched closer to success.
----------------------------------------
"Why are your wounds even worse than before?" Cake asked as she massaged him.
"I want to regain a lost sensation," Genji replied, indifferent to the pain that followed each movement.
"Take it easy, okay? I have chills just from feeling your muscles."
"No. I need to do this if I want to survive."
*Sigh* "I really don't understand you champions."
"You really shouldn't. I would be more worried if you did," Genji said, sliding his clothes back on and heading downstairs to greet the guest.
[Zepher requests to enter.]
"Why are you here?" Genji asked as he opened the door. "Shouldn't you be in another world since you came back before the month ended?"
"I'm waiting for the Spatial Battlefield, so I have the month off. That being said, why did you come back so late? I've been trying to contact you for a while now, and you only responded now."
"Stuff happened, but let's not talk about that. So what brings you here?"
"To visit and ask about those consumables you gave me. Are they manufactured or rare items? If they are man-made, can you introduce me? With the upcoming battlefield, I could use the healing. Don't worry; price is not a concern," Zepher rambled, unaware of the strange look on Cake's face.
"What is it? Do I have something on my face? And aren't you the woman that he saved?" Zepher asked, recognizing Cake as the person he almost killed. How could he not, when Genji fought an Emperor to repay the favor?
"So you two got together? No wonder he did so much to save you. Tell me, how did you charm him so quickly?"
Genji remained indifferent to his teasing, but Cake blushed in embarrassment. This was the first time she met someone so straightforward after all. Who goes around saying stuff like that? Why did she sound like a damsel in distress...
Then Cake's drained of blood as she recalled the incident that Zepher was talking about. Shit! No wonder he looked familiar! Isn't he that pirate who wanted to kill her and plunder her soul a few worlds back?
"Y-your t-that d-devil," she said, trembling at the frightening memory.
"Yes. Fear me," Zepher replied menacingly. His lips curled upward and revealed his yellow teeth, sending shivers down Cake's spine.
*Bop* Then Genji broke this atmosphere with a smack to Zepher's head, knocking it downward. "Knock it off. She's my assistant."
"Haha. Sorry. I can't help it. It's been a while since I could fool around like that." Zepher replied with a goofy grin.
"Anyways, come on in." Genji moved aside, allowing Zepher to glimpse his room.
*Whistle* "You really know how to enjoy life."
"Why shouldn't I? With how things are going, you never know when you will die."
"Makes sense. So where are you leading me?"
"My lab," Genji replied, swinging open the heavy metal doors.
"Your lab? Why do you have a lab in your room?"
"I don't think I ever told you, did I?"
"Tell me what?"
"Hey, Cake. Why don't you fill him in while I get the stuff?" Genji said, walking into a side room.
Seeing this, Zepher turned to Cake and awaited her explanation. Cake, however, was too caught up in her nightmares to notice and continued her daze.
"Sooooooo... Are you going to tell me?" He asked, causing Cake to jump in fright and rapidly divert her eyes.
How could she not be afraid when such a terrifying person was before her? Plus, even after so long, she was uncertain about matching Zepher from back then, let alone when he entered EverRealm.
"Am I really that scary? I thought I was the normal one."
"S-says the person from a ghost ship," Cake replied after comforting herself. 'It's ok. You're safe here. He can't hurt you.'
"Ghost ship? I guess that's a fitting name. So what did he want you to tell me?"
"I don't know," she answered bluntly.
"Huh?"
"But from the context clues, it might be related to how he doesn't buy consumables."
"Doesn't buy consumables? What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means I made everything I use," Genji replied, returning and plopping a crate on the table. Zepher was dumbfounded when he fully registered the implications but quickly accepted it and flashed Genji a thumbs-up.
"So that's what you mean by investing in healing. I am in awe of your foresight."
"How else do you think I fought so many battles?"
"I never considered that. I always assumed you were rich or something. So how much is it?"
"3 million," Genji replied, causing Zepher to take a second look.
"So expensive?"
"I thought you said money wasn't an issue."
"It's not, but this is the first time I've seen someone charge so much for consumables."
"You get what you paid for. Are you buying it?"
"Of course, I'm taking it! It has all the stuff you used, right?"
"Plenty."
With that, Zepher paid the price and opened the crate to inspect the goods. When he saw the familiar mutating gel bomb, he nodded in satisfaction and started loading his storage.
"You really make me feel useless, you know? I've been busting my butt off for a month, but you easily surpass the earnings with a single transaction," Cake remarked.
"That's because these are premium items. If they didn't sell for that much, I would have wasted all the resources I invested in this. Hey, Zepher, before you leave, can I ask you something?"
"Sure. What's up?"
"How do I unleash it?" Genji asked cryptically, aware that this information was classified.
"You're at this point already?" Shock appeared in Zepher's eyes, understanding what Genji was asking. After all, there was only one thing to unleash among champions.
"Shit happened, and that's how things turned out."
"I don't even want to know," Zepher said, embracing that ignorance is bliss. "The first step is always communication."
"Explain."
"Exactly how it sounds. How can you unleash its powers if you don't even understand it?" Then Zepher put his hands behind his back and walked off like an enlightened sage.
Genji's eyes twitched at this exaggerated act and decided to mess with him.
Enigma: I wouldn't piss off Cake too much if I were you. She's responsible for my potion shop, so if she refuses to sell to you, then that's on you.
Seeing Genji's sudden message, Zpher stumbled awkwardly, ruining his act and giving Cake a good laugh.
Zepher: Why did you have to ruin that for me? Can't you let me have a little fun?
Enigma: I'm just saying.
With that over, Genji returned to the training area and prepared to communicate with his legacies.
----------------------------------------
Deep breath in, deep breath out. Push away all distractions and suppress all thoughts. Immerse oneself in the emptiness and enter tranquility. Breathe in. Breathe out. Lose oneself in the passage of time. Tune the world out. Hone in on the spirit and enter a meditative state.
Following this process, Genji separated from the outside world and entered the mental space of his legacies. Upon opening his eyes, he found himself in a domain of darkness, reminiscent of the one he experienced during his talent awakening.
The difference, however, was that this one felt empty, devoid of any apex predator lurking lurking for prey. But before he could dwell on it too much, the darkness dissipated, replaced by a field of pure snow.
"I finally succeeded."
Genji got up from his seated position and observed the surroundings. The snowfield was brilliantly illuminated, capturing the beauty of the sun's reflection, and flakes of snow serenely drifted around, gently blanketing his hair.
Genji paid it no mind and strolled in a random direction, fully savoring the scenery and crisp, fresh air. This was a place untouched by humanity, preserving the peace of nature.
Genji was in no rush and reveled in this paradise, taking detours on a whim. Such places were a rare find, so he wanted to enjoy it to the fullest.
As the snow crunched under his foot, a sense of peace washed over him, cleansing all the insanity from the previous world. All the bloodlust and desire to kill dissipated, healing his tense mental state.
After an unknown amount of time, Genji noticed a figure in the corner of his eye. He slowly turned around and came face to face with two young twins around five years old.
Despite their humanlike appearances, Genji knew they were far from it. After all, what kind of human has swirls of dark blue energy cycling around their eyes, entering and exiting at random frequencies?
"Hello there. What can I call you two?" Genji asked, but he received no response.
Instead, the twins observed him curiously, trying to understand the unfamiliar yet somehow familiar presence.
"I know I'm interesting, but do you have to stare like that? The same goes for you," Genji said, turning to address his other spirit.
Behind him, a humanoid shadow with pure white eyes gazed at him from the shadows of birch trees. Sensing that it had been discovered, the shadow shied away behind a tree and peeked out, bashful and cautious.
"Don't be like that. It's our first meeting, and you're already hiding?"
In response, the shadow withdrew even deeper into the cover, avoiding their inquisitive gazes. A helpless smile formed on Genji's face as he decided to leave the shadow undisturbed and return his attention to the twins.
"So, what about you two? How do you pass the time?"
The twins turned to each other, tilted their heads, and then shrugged as if agreeing on something. Then, the world turned to darkness, and Genji found himself back in the training room.
"Some spirits I have," he muttered, noticing a change in the aura of his daggers and cloak.
[Lethal Opportunity]
Rating: High Legendary
Damage: 37
Durability: 410/410
Effects: no changes
Legacy Liberation: Deadly Severance
* +20 Sharpness for 10 seconds. Wounds inflicted during this duration can't be healed within 5 seconds. Cooldown of 1 month.
Note: Since the spirit was formed recently, your liberation is limited in power. Use this sparingly.
Description: A pair of daggers that only got deadlier with a spirit.
[Shroud of Terror]
Rating: High Legendary
Defense: 41
Durability: 255/255
Effects: no changes
Legacy Liberation: Terror Unleashed
* +50% energy intensity for 1 minute. Cooldown of 1 month.
Description: A cloak made to synergize with your shadow energy.