> "Among the five stats, the Special stat stands out from the others. It's not like strength and constitution where the higher value wins; or like dexterity, which depends on how well someone can control their movements; or intelligence, which relies on energy manipulation commonly found in developed inheritances. Rather, 'Special' differs for each person, and its powers depend on how it's used.
>
> That's why this stat has the highest variance in power among all stats. While the strongest fighters might not have developed this stat, the weakest fighters definitely did. It is a hard stat to utilize, but once someone does, the abilities developed by it are the most unpredictable. One could never fully comprehend the endless variances of a 'Special' main."
The following morning, an uproar swept through the pharaoh's palace. Many of the advisors were found dead by the servants, all brutally murdered. Among them was Rahi, the advisor that Genji had checked out the previous night.
Blood splattered the walls of their room, and their intestines were removed and used to hang them. It was a gruesome sight that unnerved many servants and advisors alike. And carved within the blood was a message.
Do you think this is enough to buy my loyalty? How stupid can you be? At least show some sincerity if you don't want to be next.
Upon reading this message, everyone thought of a specific figure. After all, only one person had been offered a reward and rejected it.
"That person is no hero; he is a devil! How could he do this? If he wasn't happy with the reward, he could have proposed his own price. Why resort to this?" a grieving servant asked, hovering over his friend's body.
"I know. Advisor Fin was such a kind person. Why did he have to die? He did nothing wrong."
"We can't let this continue. Let's all implore the pharaoh to take action. Just because someone is valued by him doesn't mean he can kill like this. All life is precious."
"Yes, we need to seek justice, even if it costs me my head. I will do everything to stop that monster. We can't let someone like that roam the world unpunished."
Voices of agreement sounded among the mourning servants and advisors. They marched toward the pharaoh's room, seemingly oblivious to how outrageous their actions were. They were caught up in the fervor, leveraging their grief for courage.
"What's going on? Why are you all gathered outside my room?" the pharaoh asked groggily as the maid opened the door.
"Lord Pharaoh, we beg you. Please administer justice for us!" the advisor at the front bellowed loudly and kneeled before him. Following this example, all the others knelt as well, creating a claustrophobic scene in the room.
"Explain yourselves."
Over the next couple of minutes, the group described the gruesome scene they had discovered. They outlined all their grievances with the situation, but the pharaoh remained unconvinced.
'Why would he do this? He should have no reason. If he had a problem with it, he could have just brought it up. Plus, why would he make it so obvious? It's as if someone is-'
Before he could continue this train of thought, the advisor spoke again.
"Pharaoh, please take action. If word spreads that someone got away with killing the pharaoh's men, respect for you will be lost. That could be the start of anarchy where no one respects you. Even if you don't want to take action, you need to show everyone that you're not a pushover. Only then can you ensure your rule."
The pharaoh hesitated slightly but eventually gave in to the suggestion. He was a pharaoh who wanted a carefree life without any troubles. If going through with this meant he could ensure that then he would gladly do it. The other option was simply too miserable to contemplate for someone so accustomed to luxury.
Plus, since his advisor said so, then it must be true. The advisor had no reason to lie to him, as that would only end in his own demise. Why waste time thinking about it when someone has already done the analysis for him?
All he cared about was what he needed to do, not why. He had many advisors for this, so it would be foolish not to use them.
"What do you want me to do?" the pharaoh asked the advisor.
"Thank you, pharaoh. The Sphinx will praise your decision...You are the wisest ruler to ever live...We, your subjects, are grateful to have-"
"Cut the flattery and get to the point," the pharaoh interrupted after a few minutes of exaggerated praises.
"But it is all true. I swear, if I was lying, then let my body suffer the worst punishments after I die."
Hearing this, the pharaoh's mouth couldn't help but crease up, pleased with how eloquent this advisor was. He had to admit, it felt good to be praised, but it was time to hear the solution.
"Lord, my plan is simple. Let our guards hunt him down. But we must capture him alive. That way, we can hold a public execution to showcase your authority."
"Do we have the force for that? He's the one who killed the demon, so wouldn't it be very difficult to defeat him?"
"Lord, did you forget? We recently got acquainted with a witch of black magic. I'm sure if we offer her some treasures, we can get her help. With her abilities, it should be no problem to subdue that devil."
At the mention of the witch, the pharaoh thought back to the previous week when the ominous woman first appeared.
'So that's why Rahi had me gift her a weapon from the royal treasury. How wise he was. It's a shame that he died so unjustly.'
"I'll leave everything to you then. You have full permission to select an item from the treasury. Just tell me when everything is finished."
Then the pharaoh walked out, so distracted by the idea of breakfast that he didn't notice the advisor's eyes glowing purple. But if one looked closely at the advisor's eyes, one would make out the faint outline of a magic circle—the same one that Genji found in Rahi's eyes.
In fact, it was not just this advisor's eyes that had this pattern. Many of the servants also bore this eye engraving, but the one in the advisor's eyes was the most obvious.
'Success. I said I'll make you regret trying to steal my mission. Just watch. AHAHAHHAHAHHAHA- Oh, this maggot still has the will to resist. Not that it matters. He'll eventually succumb to the mind control and become another obedient puppet. Ahahahahahaha.'
----------------------------------------
Genji was walking around town, buying as many topatica roots as possible when he sensed hostile intent heading for him. At first, he didn't think much of it, but then a guard drew his weapon and attacked him. Genji deftly pivoted out of the way and instantly counterattacked, killing the guard without hesitation.
'So the pharaoh didn't take kindly to my actions. Guess we're falling out,' Genji eyed the approaching guards and smirked. 'That's fine. I've gained plenty from this city. He's not the only person I can work with.'
Then he circulated energy into the saber and charged at the encirclement. His body weaved between the counterattacks and carved a path of blood through the crowd.
Screams from the surrounding civilians resounded, but the fighters paid no heed to it. Genji was too busy massacring the guards, while the guards were too terrified to care.
Heads rolled everywhere as Genji butchered his way toward the pharaoh's building. Eventually, this bloodbath became too much for everyone, and only an empty area remained around him.
'I don't know what gave the pharaoh the confidence to do this, but it's time to wrap this up.'
Genji strolled toward the grand building, but a rocky spike shot upward and interrupted him. Jumping backward, Genji's eyes landed on a woman with a black pointy hat. A black orb hovered above her hand, rotating and emitting a black mist that smothered the incoming sunlight.
She waved her hand, and the black mist formed into a rain of needles that pierced at Genji. In response, Solid Core crystalized his entire body, allowing Genji to easily withstand the attacks. Upon impact, the needles dissipated into swirls of energy that tried to drill into his body.
Genji ignored the weak pelting and flashstepped, appearing beside the woman with a heavy swing. Suddenly, a barrier manifested between them and dispelled his attack before shattering and repelling Genji.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Hearing the crackling sound, a chill crawled down her back as she realized how dangerous Genji was. If it wasn't for her passive barrier skill, she would have perished just then.
'Did he use a skill? Yeah, that must be it. There's no other explanation for why he's so fast. Then it should be on cooldown. As long as-'
But before she could finish that thought, Genji appeared next to her again with the same attack. Since the first attack almost worked, why bother changing it?
'Shit! That's an ability, not an equipment effect!'
In desperation, she channeled half of her energy into her pendant, resetting the cooldown of her barrier to repel Genji once more. Then she drew out her remaining energy to bombard Genji, praying that it would buy her enough time to use her life-saving item.
Genji was about to use Quantum Barrier to block this when he felt [Curse Bearer] pulsating with hunger. Trusting this feeling, Genji changed his mind and the black flintlock manifested. The next moment, all the energy went astray, escaping the witch's control and gathering around [Curse Bearer].
Shock ripped through her mind like thunder, but before she could dwell on it, Genji appeared before her and grabbed her by the neck. Then he smashed her head into the stone ground, discombobulating her.
'Let's have a little talk, shall we?' Genji asked with a 'gentle' smile as he pressed his saber against her neck.
Helpless, the woman weakly nodded and surrendered. It was not like she had any other choice. As she lay there, thoughts of what Genji wanted coursed through her mind.
At first, she considered equipment blackmailing, as looting everything from someone was more profitable than a scarlet card. Yet she quickly dismissed this thought. Why would anyone give up so much equipment if it would only get them killed in the next world? And even if they survived, the following world would finish them off. And if they survived that as well, they still wouldn't be any better off.
Rather, it would only get harder from there since they would struggle with mission completions. No matter how she looked at it, this route would end in her death. Since that was the case, why would she give the culprit more money?
'Wait, could he be after my body?'
That was the only reason that made sense to her. She'd heard rumors about how some members would rape their female captives before killing them. It was a harrowing thought that terrified her, but her life was outside her control.
'Maybe I can bargain with becoming his relief toy? That should guarantee my life, right? But isn't that no different than becoming a prostitute, selling my body to survive? But if I don't do that, wouldn't I get raped anyway and end up dead?'
As this dilemma tore through her mind, [Curse Bearer] finished cleansing all the dark mist.
[Curse Bearer had absorbed curse energy and repaired 1 point of durability.]
Seeing this, Genji understood why the woman's abilities felt so familiar. Wasn't this the curse inheritance he had sold a while back? Even the barrier skill was the same as that curse wielder who had almost killed him back then.
But the reason Genji spared her wasn't this, but because she was also a member of EverRealm. Unlike kills from different realms, ally kills gave no reward. This was EverRealm's way of ensuring order and preventing self-cannibalization. How could the realm develop if everyone was too busy killing each other?
Since there was no reward, he might as well try to get other benefits. At least that way, this battle was worthwhile instead of a big waste.
"I-I'll a-agree to be y-your s-sex slave, b-but you must leave me with my equipment," the woman blurted out, having made up her mind and noticing that Genji was a fellow member of EverRealm.
"..."
"..."
'How did this woman get this absurd thought? Women. Always so unpredictable.'
Seeing him unresponsive, the woman thought the worst and started panicking. She might not fear death, but the alternative was worse than that.
"Wait, I can add some accessory equipment, but not my main items. Otherwise-"
"Shut up, will you?" Genji interrupted and broke the skin with his saber. Feeling the sting, the woman obediently shut her mouth. "Tell me. We don't have any grudges, do we?"
"No."
"So why did you attack me?"
Although Genji asked gently, she couldn't help but have a bad feeling about where this was going. How could he ask so calmly after she tried to kill him?
"T-the pharaoh o-offered me lots of equipment."
"You attacked me because you were paid? How selfish of you," Genji said, overlooking how hypocritical he was being.
"Y-yes."
"Is a life really so worthless to you? I never thought someone like you would exist."
'Says the person who was killing through the city without hesitation.'
"You just thought something bad about me, didn't you? So not only did you attack me for no reason, but you also think I deserve it?"
Genji's smile grew wider and "gentler," terrifying the woman beyond her imagination. Why was he asking so many pointless questions? If he was going to do it, just start already. What's the point of keeping her in suspense like this?
"Did I hit the mark on the head?"
"N-no," she replied, afraid of telling the truth. She didn't know if this psycho was one of those who would go berserk once their facade was ripped off, but she didn't want to test it. The safest answer would be to humor him and pray her death wouldn't be too gruesome.
"That's good. Because if you did, I would have to kill you really, really slowly. I'm sure people would love to have a go at you after I sever your limbs. Just imagine it. A hopeless woman who can't do anything to resist. That should light a certain fire in the hearts of men."
Genji's smile warped unnaturally as he slowly caressed her face. After brushing aside her hair, he traced soft circles around her cheeks, ignoring the shivers that rippled beneath his fingertips.
'This guy's more deranged than those SanguineRealm lunatics!'
"But since you didn't think that, then it should be no problem to let you go. Don't you think so as well?"
"Y-y-yes.."
"Of course you do. If you didn't, I would think you have a fetish for everything I just described. I don't mind helping you out, though. I like helping people with these requests, especially the type where I can slooooowly carve them up. I've never had someone smile happily during these artistic sessions, so it would be interesting to see. Are you sure you're not interested?"
"I'm certain," she replied instantly, afraid any delay would be taken into consideration.
"It's a shame, then."
She could almost hear the disappointment in his voice, which made her more affirmative in her choice. As long as she was given the chance, she would grasp onto it with everything she had.
"Well, I'm a man of my word. I'll let you go, but only after you pay the compensation for everything. That's not too much to ask for, right?"
"No."
"I knew you were reasonable. Now, I just need you to sign this, and I'll pretend none of this happened, okay?"
Tears of joy almost leaked from her eyes when she heard that, but then she was instantly doused with cold reality.
'I knew everything sounded too good,' she thought as she read the contract.
1. As compensation for the subject's transgressions against the master, 10 million coins' worth of knowledge books will be delivered within 3 world progresses.
2. Also, a book containing the entirety of the subject's inheritance will be provided as collateral.
3. This book will not be opened or read by anyone unless the subject fails to pay the debt within the time frame or dies during a mission.
4. Should the debt default, then the inheritance book will fully belong to the master, and he has full permission to sell it to recover his losses.
5. After paying the debt, the book will be returned.
6. In return, the master won't take any actions against the subject within this world.
"This..."
"What's wrong? Isn't it a good contract? You should have no problem signing it since we both agreed about the compensation. Or could it be that you were lying to me the whole time?"
In the last sentence, Genji's gaze became unfriendly and his smile faded. Somehow, the woman felt even more threatened by this change and her instincts screamed at her to agree. Whatever he has planned, she does not want to experience it.
"No. I'm just surprised at how lax the conditions were," she lied and hurriedly scribbled her name before the psycho could change his mind.
"That's good. Because the thing I hate most is a liar. If you did lie to me, I would be veeerrrry upset. Even I don't know what I will do then."
Genji chuckled disturbingly and smiled with nostalgia as if recalling a joyful memory. Then the contract dissipated and took effect, allowing the woman to sigh in relief.
"I-I'll take my leave then," she said and slowly pried the dagger from her throat. The moment she was free, she instantly reached inside her robes and crushed her lifesaving tool, teleporting away without considering the fortune she had just lost.
'And the crazy act works again. You just need to play the right kind.' Then he looked down at the contract, finally getting the woman's name. 'Fiona is it? I look forward to those books.'
"The show's over. Shouldn't you reveal yourself now?" Genji called out to the spectator hidden behind the corner.
*Clap clap clap* "You're stronger than I thought. No wonder you could infiltrate the palace last night."
A middle-aged person walked into view, but Genji frowned at his appearance. 'Why does he feel like a normal person? And how did he detect me? No one should be able to do that at this stage.'
[Advisor Ken]
Health: 250/250
Energy: 20/20
Con: 5
Str: 4
Dex: 4
Int: 2
Spc: 37
Skills:
- Remote Control(Active): Project the user's mind and mental powers into a brainwashed puppet from a distance.
In fact, this was a normal person except for the abnormally high special stat and the strange skill description.
"A puppet controller? That's something I've never seen, but do you really think this is enough to stop me? Plus, by showing up before me, you revealed your abilities."
In response, the advisor burst out laughing like he'd heard the funniest joke in the world.
"Of course, I know that, but do you know why it doesn't matter?"
"Why?"
"Because you've already fallen into my trap!"
Then Genji felt a mental impact hit his head, trying to instill a foreign idea into him. An idea of worship and obedience toward a new goddess.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHA, experience my talent magic and become my slave! I'll make good use of your speed abilities after I drain you of all your worth. I'll preserve your mind and have you watch your body fall apart for me! To kill like a mindless robot and-"
But before she could finish, an intense backlash caused the vessel's head to explode. Blood and brain matter splattered everywhere, but none of it got on Genji as he tilted his head out of the way.
"Jeez, after all that talk and that's all you have? I barely resisted and your puppet ends up like this? But I should thank you for showing up because otherwise, I wouldn't have any idea how to find you."
Genji took out his fox badge and said, "Track the source of this mind power."
A few seconds later, a red arrow pointed into the distance.
"Let's take care of you before I deal with the pharaoh," he commented and picked up his pace.
While this was happening, the controller jolted upward from her slumber. Sweat coated her entire body and deep huffs of breaths sounded in the dark room.
"WHAT THE HELL!!??!? Why the fuck is his special stat so high? Isn't he a dexterity build?!?!?" She screamed into the walls, venting her pain and frustrations. After calming down, she threw her tired body onto the bed and let the strength drain from her.
"At least he doesn't know where I am. If I fight him in this condition, I won't stand a chance. Just wait. This isn't over! When I recover and build up an army of aura users, I'll hunt your ass down. You won't be able to escape even if you run to the end of the world!"
"Is that so? Then I better get rid of you now."
The next moment, the walls imploded inward and revealed Genji with his leg raised in a kicking stance.