'So bored,' River Stream thought, staring at the ceiling from his bed. It was the day after he'd returned from a stressful world, and he had no motivation to do anything. All he wanted was to lie in bed, pass the day, and sleep. It was the same sluggishness that one would get from burnout.
But no matter how he tried, his energetic body didn't feel tired. Hence, he resorted to browsing the universal web on his communication device. The device wasn't difficult to obtain since he had asked his parents for it.
The hard part was knowing such an object existed in the first place. If 7156 hadn't broken through two months ago and informed him of it, River would have taken much longer to obtain one. After all, he still hadn't crossed the threshold for the 3rd step. For some reason, his parents weren't too keen on giving him these luxuries ahead of time.
River browsed the video-sharing site for the next few hours, wasting time like a lazy sloth. All of a sudden, the algorithm recommended a video with no thumbnail. This was unusual since the platform had a program to generate a thumbnail on request.
It wasn't difficult either. Just describe the details, and the program will do everything for you. They could even use voice commands and talk to the artificial intelligence for a better result.
Instead, the video used a picture taken from the first few seconds. This rough product gave off a different charm and intrigued River enough to click on it. As the video loaded, River's eyes went down to the description, and his body lurched upward with surprise.
'Trending #23? With that thumbnail?'
This gave River some confidence about the video's quality and fueled his anticipation. Without wasting another moment, he made himself comfortable and started the video. A ferret appeared on the screen and looked at the camera with a tilted head. Glimmers of curiosity and cheerfulness could be seen in the creature's eyes as if greeting the audience.
This lasted a few seconds before Astros got closer and tapped the next button. The viewpoint swapped to the side to better show his actions before returning to having Astros at the center. This lasted a few more seconds before Astros repeated the action. Several minutes passed in this manner until Astros clicked on a movie.
The scene of a spaceship twirling through large canyons appeared around Astros, filling the room with colorful flashes and beautifully engineered sounds. Astros raved to the scene and cheered in success.
This little dance captured the hearts of the viewers and made them forget the passing of time. All their attention was focused on the ferret's jovial nature and its uplifting body language. There was just something about the way Astros behaved that melted the troubles of their everyday lives.
And before anyone realized it, Cake had entered the room and ended the recording. River Stream stared at the black screen for a few more seconds before he snapped out of his daze.
"That was so adorable," he muttered with a smile.
River exited full-screen mode and opened the comments, intending to thank the creator for the experience. But before he could type out his thoughts, he realized someone had already beaten him to it. In descending order, these were the top comments he saw:
RandomRadish: I've never felt so fuzzy before. I feel like all my stress has been washed away.
Icey: Ahhhhh, cuteness overload. I can't!
RagingDino627: Time to run it back for another round.
TsundereDemon222: I'm not smiling, you're smiling.
Anglerfish: The video must have cast a spell on me. Yes, that must be the case. There's no way six hours could pass so quickly...
All of these comments had thousands of likes and countless replies. This was surprising for a video that had only been out for a few hours, especially by an anonymous user with no prior following. Nonetheless, River gave his support and refreshed the page. This caused his eyebrows to lurch upward as he realized the trending rank had jumped to #16.
'What the? So quickly?' River rubbed his eyes and double-checked this number, only to see it increase by another rank. It was official - the video had gone viral.
'But why does that ferret seem familiar? Where have I seen it before? Nah, can't be. I must be imagining things.'
River Stream fooled around for another hour when he realized 7156 had also returned from his mission. River sent a meet-up request and headed to their usual spot, a cozy bar run by a friend. When River arrived, 7156 was in the middle of selling his loot. River waited for him to finish before greeting his taciturn friend.
They enjoyed the atmosphere for a little while longer before heading to Genji's place to restock their supplies. Since they were both running low, they decided to go together and save the drug dealer some hassle.
Genji noticed that 7156's previously volatile aura had stabilized as he opened the door. This wasn't too surprising since it had been seven months since they last met. That was plenty of time for 7156 to resolve his issues.
What was surprising, however, was that Genji still sensed multiple energy signatures from him, as if all the energies were coexisting inside him. Genji didn't know how 7156 managed this impressive feat, but he didn't stare for too long.
"Good to see that you won't be dying anytime soon," Genji said with a light smile. "You're one of my biggest customers, and I would lose a good chunk of income if you did."
7156 hummed in response and Genji led them to the lab. Once they made themselves comfortable, Genji slid his catalog over and gave them time to browse the book. "I've updated my stuff. Feel free to ask any questions."
As 7156 flipped through the book, River Stream awkwardly scratched his head and pulled Genji aside.
"Do you have some more poisons?" he asked, somewhat distressed.
"Oh? You used the previous one? How was it? Doesn't it feel good to beat an insurmountable enemy like that?"
River coughed lightly and said, "Let's not talk about that. I almost died from it." In fact, this was the main contributor to his stress and why he was so demotivated to get up today. Not everyone could be like Genji and shrug off nerve-wracking events like drinking water.
"But you survived. And let's be honest, you were already cornered if you decided to use the poison," Genji pointed out.
"I know, but it doesn't change how I feel about the experience. Can we just get to the point already?"
"Sure, what do you want? Something stronger? Wider in area? Or a compound poison that requires two mixtures to activate?"
River did a double-take when he heard the last part. He didn't know such a poison existed, but he didn't dwell on the issue. "Do you have something more manageable? Something that won't kill me as well?"
"I do, but it won't be as effective. Are you sure you want it?"
River massaged his head and accepted the risky reality Genji offered him. "Can I at least get something to delay the effects so I don't immediately die from it? You do have something like that, right?"
"Of course," Genji answered with a playful smirk. "I just don't know if you have the guts to drink it."
"You don't have any antidotes, so what choice do I have? It's not like I'll be drinking more poison to quench my thirst." Genji's smile only widened at this comment, and River's distress spiked in response. "Hold on! You wouldn't be giving me more poison, right? Right? RIGHT?"
"Sorry to break it to you, but that's exactly what's going to happen."
River sighed in defeat and said, "What did I expect? You're Enigma, after all. Why did I think I could get a normal solution from you?"
"So you buying this?"
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"Yes." River didn't know he was capable of such a resigned tone, but there's a first for everything.
After receiving the payment, Genji passed over the product and informed him of its nuances. Genji offered some training sessions on the product, which River readily agreed to. Then they headed back into the lab where they settled the healing consumables.
Once that was finished, 7156 also marked some poisons he wanted before leaving with River Stream. As the door closed, Genji began processing their orders and stocking up on other necessities.
Items like high-caloric foods, inter-realm contracts, and other convenience items were purchased in bulk from the void shop. Among these was a life-saving item that teleported the user 10,000 kilometers away from the current location.
After finishing all of this, Genji headed out for an appointment with a certain Spirit Necromancer. Abalone had agreed to tell Genji about the Spirit of Resentment once he reached the third step, and it was time to cash in on that promise.
Following the directions given by the bizarre necromancer, Genji arrived at a remote cafe that reeked of death. Genji was especially sensitive to this aura since Nature's Harmony heightened his senses to life. As he sat down, Abalone walked over with two cups of coffee and sat across from him.
"Your instincts have gotten sharper," Abalone commented when he sensed Genji's discomfort. "I hope you don't mind my room. I am quite fond of this setting, but I can't go out in public that often."
"No, it looks great," Genji replied, taking a sip from the offered cup. The coffee was very bitter, with a hint of rottenness. This taste hadn't been intentionally added but rather formed in the short period it was in contact with Abalone's aura. "This is pretty good," he commented while ignoring the blatant aftertaste. "Where did you get the beans?"
Abalone's eyes lit up, and he began explaining the coffee's background with great enthusiasm. Genji found this description overwhelming and somewhat boring, but he played along and entertained the man. From what he could tell, Abalone was an emotionally unstable character, and it would be stupid to provoke him.
The man went on for a whole hour before he realized he got sidetracked and apologized.
"It's fine. I enjoyed the talk," Genji lied without a change. "I would love to hear more after this."
"Really? I've finally met a like-minded person!" Abalone thrust his arms up in celebration. "You don't know how many people I've met that shunned me and refused to listen. It's nice to finally meet someone who respects me!"
"The honor's all mine," Genji answered with a smile.
"Oh yeah, what were we talking about again?" Abalone asked after he regained his composure.
"The Spirit of Resentment," Genji reminded him. "You agreed to tell me how to procure it."
"Ahhh yes, that thing. How do I explain it?" Abalone gazed upward and held his wrinkled chin for a few moments before refocusing on Genji. "Have you ever killed a child of fate?"
"Yes. Several."
"So you know about the injections. That makes this easier. A Spirit of Resentment is similar to that. It only drops from the protagonist of a world - someone with a specific destiny and is supported by the world's will."
Genji nodded to show that he understood.
"When the protagonist completes his journey, the world will change for the better. But this is only true from the world's standpoint. Because to achieve this goal, the world might resort to some nasty means, including sacrificing the protagonist in the end. You can probably imagine the resentment one would feel in that situation. That is to say, what's good for the world might not be best for the protagonist."
"This is the first time I've heard of this," Genji admitted.
"I'm not surprised. It's quite rare in the lower worlds, but it becomes more likely as world ranks increase. You see some nasty stuff as worlds become more sentient. That's why protagonists go from being the world's darlings to disposable pawns in the later stages. They almost always have a tragic ending. Some protagonists even resort to rebelling against fate, overturning their worlds before joining the realms. You'll meet some of these people in the 4th step."
"So how does this relate to the Spirit of Resentment?"
"Well, in rare cases, the world does treat the protagonist as its own child. If you kill these people, you will earn the world's ire. Then you're in for a bad time. Calamities will swarm you like flies and every possible unlucky event can and will happen to you. To put it simply, you're being targeted by the world. The only way to survive is to either leave fast or possess absolute strength that nothing can shake you. You following?"
Genji nodded once more.
"But here's the problem: the Spirit of Resentment will only manifest if this child of fate hates you with all their guts at the time of death. Their resentment would fuse with the world's, creating a stronger curse that tries to smother the killer. That's what you're trying to harvest here. So after hearing all that, are you still up for the task?"
'He's definitely done this before,' Genji thought. 'That's way too much detail for mere research. But he did mention something about not wanting to deal with this crap again.'
"I don't see why not," Genji answered. "I'll manage somehow. It won't hurt to give it a try. Is there anything else I need to know?"
"The minimum power level this child of fate needs to be at is the peak of 3rd step—ideally the 4th step. Also, the stronger the hatred, the better the final quality, but don't bite off more than you can chew. You can easily die from this."
"Out of curiosity, what about the 5th step? Will they also drop one?"
"Don't even think about that. Beings in the 5th step are on another level. If you somehow manage to fulfill all of these stringent conditions, then you wouldn't be creating a Spirit of Resentment, but a Poltergeist of Resentment. Children of Fate in the 5th step are so strong that they can spawn a new lifeform upon death. And the worst part is that the Poltergeists are stronger than the original body. That's two tough fights back to back without rest. You would have to be suicidal to attempt this path," Abalone said with a hint of fear in his voice.
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind." Genji bid Abalone farewell and headed back to his room. During the trip, he searched for Abalone on the forums and obtained some alarming results. According to one thread, this unstable necromancer had once slaughtered an entire 4th step world over a single insult.
"..."
Genji held a moment of silence for this story before sliding the device back into his pocket and continued walking like nothing had happened. Like this, his month ended, and he returned to Earth.
----------------------------------------
"Reminder class, the field trip forms are due Friday," Ms. Sheri, Alysha's homeroom teacher, said as the school bell signaled the end of class. "Don't forget!"
It was Monday, so there were still a few days left. Alysha had already turned hers in, so this wasn't a worry for her. She noticed a certain boy from her class staring at her as she grabbed her bag. Alysha smiled at him, causing him to divert his eyes and flush red.
This was Nathan, and they hadn't interacted much in school. They had agreed to keep matters about the workshop a secret from their classmates, lest some rumors circulate. Although Nathan would love for those thoughts to become a reality, he knew that would only make Alysha uncomfortable.
Hence, he stayed quiet and surrendered the initiative to her. If she wanted to reveal it, he wouldn't oppose it, but otherwise, he had no reason to do so. Alysha still wanted to enjoy her school life, so this was how the situation developed.
Alysha walked out under Ms. Sheri's lead and met up with Kosa. The kind uncle was also with her today, so Alysha greeted him. Alysha didn't know why, but for some reason, Kosa always had this forced smile when he was around. What a strange relationship they had. Maybe her mother had been correct in giving Kosa some days off.
But why does that smile give off the same feeling as when Genji is around? It can't be that Kosa is uncomfortable with both of them, right? She doesn't seem that socially awkward to Alysha.
'Whatever. It's that time of the month again. I hope he comes back soon.'
Alysha hummed to herself as they walked to the workshop, skipping around like an energetic bunny while the bodyguards stiffly followed her. When they arrived at their destination, Alysha entered and saw the adults bustling around with carefully packaged boxes. These contained their most recent artworks and were designated for an art exhibit.
This event had been in the planning for two months now, and everyone worked hard to prepare for it. There was a lot of hype in the art community regarding this exhibit because it was one of the grander occasions in recent years.
"Hey Teacher Alysha," the male agent greeted Alysha as she walked in. "We're just finishing the final pieces. You can go set up your space, and we'll join you shortly."
"Okay, Jeremiah," she responded with a bright smile.
Teacher Alysha - all the students, young and old, had taken to calling her that over these months. She deserved the title with her skills, but the key factor was that the agents noticed her fondness for the address. As such, they started this trend, and everyone shortly followed.
But the reason they did so was somewhat comedic: they wanted to get on her good side. Because it was easier to please the little ancestor than to withstand the wrath of the demon king behind her. Although the man hadn't shown up for a while, they didn't dare neglect their duties. After all, it was never certain when he would return. It was best if they didn't risk their lives unnecessarily.
Jeremiah sighed in relief as Alysha disappeared around the corner, much to Kosa's amusement.
"You don't have to be so tense," she teased him. "It's not like he will devour you and leave you without a corpse."
"Shut up. I don't want to hear that from you," he rebuked in a light-hearted tone. "You were the same a few months ago."
"But as a senior in this line, I reserve the right to give useless criticisms for fun."
Jeremiah rolled his eyes at her, only to freeze as he spotted Genji beside them.
"Hey there," Genji greeted them. "Can you tell me where I can find Alysha?"
"Over there, second door to your left," Kosa pointed in the general direction, unfazed by Genji's sudden appearance. Kosa had gotten used to Genji's antics, so she maintained her composure.
Genji thanked her and approached the room. After a soft knock, the scampering of feet sounded, and Alysha opened the door. She smiled brightly at him before inviting him inside.
Genji helped her set up her tools and stood back to watch her work. After finishing her piece, she sat down across from him and twiddled her thumbs.
"What's wrong? Something bothering you?" Genji asked as he fed Astros some fruits.
"Ummm," she began with hesitation. "Can you stay longer this time?" Her eyes were mostly resigned, but there was a hint of hope within them. It was the same emotions one would have when asking their parents for a toy that would strain their financial status. "I'm having my first exhibition in two weeks, and I want you to be there."
She looked down at the ground and considered how to appear unaffected after the rejection. To her surprise, Genji agreed without much thought.
"Sure, what time?" Alysha looked up in surprise, just in time to see Genji fiddling with his phone, applying for a vacation. He had no use for this anyway, so he might as well make Alysha happy. He could tell this exhibition meant a lot to her from her tone. "What? Are you so stunned that you can't speak?"
Alysha stared for a few moments before lunging at him for a hug. "GENJI!" she shouted, burying her face into his stomach and causing Astros to leap off in annoyance.
'So dramatic,' Astros thought to himself and finished the last remnants of his snack.