After forcing the troops to march forward, they soon arrived in a monotone city devoid of color. The buildings were rectangular blocks with pencil smudges for shadows. The streets were roughly outlined and crooked in some areas.
The strolling pedestrians were blob-like figures with no distinguishing features or colors, save for their heights and body shapes. Even the passing cars felt like poor-quality animations with their crudely drawn wheels and deformed frames. If they didn't know better, they would have thought they had entered a world made from a child's doodle book.
Yet amidst this greyscale, they found a girl with color. She was huddled against a corner, shivering from the cold in her thin rags for clothes. Her feet were bare, having lost her shoes in a prior skirmish. She rubbed her arms together and curled into her knees, attempting to conserve any hint of warmth.
A bitter smile hung on her face, peeking through her frayed hair and rosy red cheeks. Beside her was a woven basket full of match bundles held together by thin rubber bands.
"D-does a-anyone want to b-buy s-some matches?" A soft whisper sounded, but no one paid attention to her disguised plea. The pedestrians didn't even acknowledge her, almost as if she was not worth their time.
A blob of snow flew toward her, but she reached for the basket instead of moving out of the way. She cradled the basket like her life depended on it and turned her body away from the incoming pile, protecting the matches with her body. Her exposed skin chilled light blue, but she brushed off the snow and carefully set the basket down.
"Matches anyone?" She repeated. "They're only five pence."
The soldiers felt a pang in their hearts at this sight and had the urge to buy some matches, despite having no use for them. This desire was so strong that they didn't even consider the dangers posed by the girl.
Edwin tried to stop their approach, but there was only so much he could do against a tide of people. He shot Genji a pleading look, asking him to step forward again, but Genji shook his head.
Using force might work once or twice, but the troops' resistance would only increase with each successive attempt. If this persisted, it would only be a matter of time before they revolted and implicated everyone. Compared to that, it was more effective to sacrifice a few lives to test for any traps. That way, the soldiers would realize the consequences of falling for these traps and become more vigilant.
The troops reached the girl and picked up the basket. "We'll take it all," they declared.
A wide smile full of gratitude and relief appeared on the girl's face as she quoted her price. "That'll be 50 pence."
"Yes, no problem," they said, subconsciously reaching for their pouches. Yet an awkward expression appeared when they realized the currency mentioned was an unknown type native to this zone.
"Is something the matter?" The girl asked, noticing their faces.
"About that... Is it okay if we trade you something else for them? We don't seem to have enough money," they said, scratching their heads.
*Sniffle sniffle* The girl teared up at their statement and pitifully asked, "So you were just messing with me?"
"No, hold on. We can bargain. Is there anything else we can give you?"
The girl looked up upon hearing their offer. "Can I ask for anything?"
"Of course. As long as we have it, we won't hesitate," they reassured her.
"In that case... GIVE ME YOUR LIVES!" The girl suddenly screamed, pouncing at them. Her teeth sank into the neck of the front-most person and tore hard. A painful yelp escaped the victim's mouth as he bled out, coloring the ground red. The girl grinned maliciously at them and licked her lips. "You said anything, right? Then let's exchange one life per pence. 50 TOTAL! EHEHEHEHE HA HA HA HA HA."
The soldiers were startled by this sudden change, but before they could do anything else, the matches in their hands ignited with ghostly blue flames. An eerie smoke cloud covered them, chilling their bones and sapping their strength.
Their life force slipped away with each passing moment, and their eyelids grew droopy. They heard a soothing voice call out in their haze, beckoning them to give in and enter the realm of permanent sleep.
Suddenly, a saber coated in black flames cut through the fog and vanquished the ghostly aura.
"Sorry, but your price is too high. Either change it or we're not buying," Genji said, his boots clacking unpleasantly against the ground.
"Change? How can I change it when you've already used it?" The girl snarled at him.
"Isn't it just some matches? We've got plenty. How many do you want? 10? 30? 100? We have enough to compensate you," Genji answered with a slight smile. He knew the matches he offered were different from what she sold, but it didn't matter.
He would succeed as long as he messed up the original deal, as that was the basis for this zone's principles. Without it, the girl would merely be a simple monster they could easily kill.
"Well? Have you thought about it? We can give you 200 matches, and we both go our separate ways. It's a good deal. You'll make a profit."
"No, I like my matches," she bluntly rejected.
"Ah, I see. You must want something more practical. How about a jacket and some food? I see that you're pretty cold and hungry. I'm sure this would be more helpful than some good-for-nothing lives. Tell you what, I'll give you a bargain. Just this one time, I'll sell it for 55 pence."
"Why would I be doing this if I had that kind of money?"
"Then why do you expect us to have it? Are you trying to scam us?" Everyone's eyes twitched at Genji's last comment. It was obvious, but did he have to lay it out like that?
"You were the ones who wanted to buy it first. Now pay up or don't even think about leaving."
"Hold on there. Only a few idiots agreed to give you anything you wanted. How can you apply their words to everyone else? Isn't that the definition of a scam? Also, you were the one who used the matches. Don't try to shift the blame onto us. If we're looking at it this way, shouldn't you compensate us for emotional damage?" Genji's smile widened, and the girl felt her control of the situation slipping.
With those words, Genji had transformed the nature of this purchase into a scam. Now, the zone principles struggled to parse through the details and enforce a certain outcome. In a way, zone principles are like programs with preset instructions. It is simple to exploit them if one can figure out the rules.
The girl squinted at Genji before relenting. "In that case, I'll lower the price to 25 lives."
"Sorry, but that's still too high. Five people, that's my limit. Accept it, or we can continue arguing."
"Ten. That's my limit."
They maintained their stare for a few more moments before Genji accepted. "Then take the idiots at the front."
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
With that, ghostly fumes condensed around the selected victims and suffocated their lungs. Their silhouettes struggled to breathe and cling to life, but their demise soon enveloped them. The fog dispersed, revealing ten withered bodies, decrepit and aged like mummies.
All their life had been drained and processed into two more match bundles. The girl stored these in her basket, snorted at Genji, and disappeared into the background.
"Alright, let's go," Genji said. But after a few steps, he noticed no one was following him. Turning around, he saw a dissatisfied group among the survivors glaring at him.
"Why did you accept her deal?" One person demanded. "Couldn't you have insisted on your number?" This person was friends with the seventh victim, so his anger was understandable.
"That's not my problem. You fell for the trap, and I minimized the damage. Don't blame me for your problems. I'm here to investigate the disappearing villagers, not babysit you. Get your act together. This is the last time I'm cleaning up after you. If there's another case, I'm leaving you all to die, you fucking MORONS!" Genji berated them.
The main team said nothing since they agreed with Genji. Other than Edwin, who wanted to be the perfect leader, all the others were fed up with the troops' stupidity. They'd barely survived the last expedition and now had to lead a bunch of people who couldn't even resist a basic charm. How could they not be upset?
It was no surprise that the castle regarded them so poorly. With their performance, these troops were no different than cannon fodder for the main team.
----------------------------------------
The next area consisted of an elevated hill beside a Victorian-style cathedral. Church bells echoed from inside, bouncing off the structure's ridges and creating a delayed symphony. Large tinted windows allowed colorful light into the building, creating a mesmerizing design.
As they looked down at this grand structure, Genji noticed a man at the foot of the hill also observing the building. Genji recognized him, or more specifically, the Mythril sword hanging by his side. This was the person who had killed Alice and allowed Genji to leave Wonderland.
Sensing their gaze, the man scaled the hill and assessed them. A similar recognition flashed through his eyes when he saw Genji, but he was otherwise indifferent. Genji was only a passerby in his life and not worth paying attention to.
"You shouldn't be here," the man told them. "It's too dangerous after a zone shift."
"We're investigating a missing village," Edwin answered. "The traces led us here."
"Then you should give up. They're most likely dead. These parts are more dangerous than you think."
"We know, but we have to explore these dangers," Edwin said resolutely.
"Suit yourself. Just don't bite off more than you can chew."
"We'll figure it out when that happens," Genji said. "The better question should be: what are you doing here alone?"
"Me? I'm trying to clear this area. Now scram if you have no other business here."
"I wish we could, but we still need to look for clues. How about we help you out while we wait?" Genji offered.
"No thanks. You're not strong enough and will only get in the way."
"I agree if this is a combat-based zone, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Otherwise, you would have already brute-forced your way through it."
The man gave Genji a second look and applauded his analysis. "Okay, you might be smarter than you look. Fine. If you're confident in your brain, then follow me down. I'll tell you the details." The man slid down the hill and waited for any other volunteers.
"Do you know him?" Kathleen asked after a few moments.
"I ran into him on the way back. He's quite strong. Anyway, I'm going to join him. I should be back in a few hours," Genji answered before heading down.
"We're also going," said Lynn on behalf of the hoodie guy.
The remaining members exchanged glances and shrugged. 'Oh well, it's their decision. Since they wanted to get involved, they could do that. We're not interested.'
When the three of them reached the bottom, the man waited a few more moments before starting. "I've tried to clear this zone a few times already, but I've failed each time. The opponent's very difficult."
"Then how are you still alive?" Lynn curiously asked.
"Oh, that? The opponent isn't strong enough to kill me afterward," the man replied, prompting strange looks from the realm members.
"You can straight up ignore the strengthening brought by the principles!? If you're that strong, why are you stuck on this? Can't you just kill the target and call it a day?"
"Because I'm after a certain reward that can only be obtained by winning legitimately," said the man.
"Makes sense. So what exactly are we competing in?"
"It's an eating contest. It sounds simple, but it's more complicated than that. Only one person can challenge him at once, and the game begins when you sit down. Food will appear on the table. You must finish your portion and wait for your opponent. When both sides are done, another round will start. This continues until one side can't eat anymore or exceeds 15 minutes after the other side finishes."
"That doesn't sound too bad," Lynn said. "Why are you struggling with that? Does the opponent have a big stomach?"
"It's much worse. After some testing, I've confirmed the opponent will always be able to eat more than you. Also, this accounts for any trick you might play, like a hidden bag to hold excess food."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"You're messing with us, right?" Genji asked after a few moments.
"I wish," the man bitterly responded. "Why do you think I'm stuck on this?"
"At this point, I have to ask if this is worth the trouble. Just kill him," Lynn groaned.
"Unfortunately, I need to get this item for my plans. It'll be difficult to proceed without it."
"Hmmm, that does sound difficult." Genji rubbed his chin. "So we need to work toward the other win condition?"
"I'm on that step, yes."
"Have you tried beating him up so he can't eat?" Lynn suggested.
"You can't interfere with each other once the competition starts."
"What about rigging the table to break after some time? If his food falls off and he can't eat it, does that count as a win?"
"He's willing to eat off the floor."
"What if you smear the floor with crap? Will he dare eat that?"
The man was speechless at this suggestion. "First of all, gross. Second, how am I going to do that? Oh, let me just randomly bring shit into this dining hall and throw it on the floor. You won't mind, right?"
Lynn lightly chuckled and bashfully scratched her head. At this moment, Genji said, "Off the top of my head, I can think of three ideas we can try."
Everyone looked at him in amazement. They were struggling to find a single plan here, yet he already had three? As expected of the weirdo in the team!
"First, we send a candidate with high digestion but a small stomach. We don't know if the opponent's appetite is based on our stomach size or total capacity, but it wouldn't hurt to try."
"That sounds good, but do we have anyone like that?"
"Yes," Genji answered, patting Astros on the back. "This little guy can probably eat more than you all combined."
"A cat? Isn't that your pet?"
Genji ignored the question and continued, "Secondly, we can mess with the food. It's not as disgusting as your previous ideas, but I can brew some drugs that induce severe vomiting. He can't finish the food if it keeps coming out."
Lynn flashed a thumbs up. "What do we need to get?"
"Anything you find disgusting or with a strong smell. I'll figure things out when I make it. Finally, I need you to stall the opponent as much as possible. You only said that we can't interfere with each other, not anything about the spectators. I doubt this loophole would work, but it's worth trying. At worst, you divert some of the world energy, and the opponent loses his appetite. If this is acceptable, let's meet back here in two hours. Bring whatever you can find."
The group nodded and scattered in search of any plants that met Genji's requirements. Meanwhile, Genji carved out a makeshift cauldron and boiled some water. He threw in a few nearby plants and gently stirred, turning the liquid purple. This continued until the others gradually returned to drop off their findings.
Genji plugged his nose, chose a few suspicious plants, and worsened the concoction. After a while, it was hard to tell if the liquid was a disgusting sludge or a chemical weapon. Lynn gagged harshly after a whiff and nearly choked on her stomach acid. Even the hoodie guy couldn’t maintain his composure, opting to throw the procurements from a distance.
Astros was nowhere in sight, having already abandoned the area in terror. In the end, Genji stuffed the revolting paste into some grass pouches and changed his nose plugs into a gas mask.
"Okay, I'm done," he announced. "Let's get started."
The others vehemently shook their heads, prompting a helpless sigh from Genji. He put down the biohazards and searched for Astros. Yet with each step he took, the team took several steps back, as if Genji were the lord of demon foul odors, capable of contaminating their souls with a single touch. Out of all the horrors they'd witnessed, this was among their top fates worse than death.
"Here!" Lynn shouted, throwing a canteen of water over. "Wash yourself before you do anything."
Genji shrugged and poured several containers over his head. It was only after the 10th bottle that their expressions eased somewhat, and they dared to approach.
'He's more dangerous than I thought,' the man mentally commented. 'I'd better not get on his bad side.'
Genji ignored their weird looks and tracked down Astros. Upon seeing him, the usually cheerful ferret fled in panic, only to be easily caught. Astros frantically shook his head and wailed in distress, doing everything he could to escape Genji's clutches. However, Genji effortlessly stifled the futile struggles and plugged Astros's nose with cotton swabs.
"Alright, calm down. You're not going to die from this," Genji consoled Astros. "Quite the opposite, in fact. You're about to have a feast. Don't you want to get stronger?"
However, these words only amplified Astros's resistance. His front paws desperately grasped for the nearby plants, hoping to catch himself before he fell into hell. But these stalks broke under Genji's formidable steps, and Astros entered purgatory with a despairing gaze. The ferret has lost all hope of salvation...