After a day and a half of traveling, Genji arrived at the giant beanstalk on the 17th day. Dozens of realm members had already set up camp, waiting for the event to start. They were a few hundred meters away from the beanstalk, wanting to avoid the strange house nearby.
Genji saw a few husks hanging on a rod through the murky windows. The skin oozed yellow pus, occasionally releasing newly hatched flies that buzzed around the interior. These careless people had believed Jack's lies and unknowingly entered the trapped house. Now, they were like zombies, rotten and ghoulish.
Jack and his strange mother had disappeared at some point, leaving the scene to fester. Genji guessed someone had already dealt with them, as they didn't seem like the type to abandon their territory.
Genji paid no mind to this and set up his tent in a remote corner, blending in with the other members. Once settled, he texted Cainance, asking when he would arrive.
Cainance: I'll need two more days. I'm still finishing my final hunts.
Enigma: That's later than expected, but it should be fine. I assume you know where the giant leader is?
Cainance: Yeah. I've planned everything out.
Enigma: Then I'll handle the people here.
Genji ended the conversation and let Astros out to play. It should be relatively calm for the next couple of days, so they might as well enjoy the scenery. Bruce accompanied Astros, and they scavenged for ingredients to cook with. Meanwhile, Genji entered a light meditation to develop more potential techniques.
This continued until late afternoon the following day. More people trickled in during this time as teams decided to take the risk. By a rough estimate, about 100 people had gathered. Once they settled in, Genji put on a blurry disguise, changed his status page, and pulled out a loudspeaker. It was time to give everyone an explanation lest they grow restless over Cainance's delay.
"Hello everyone. Welcome. Thank you for coming. I have a few things to announce before you turn in for the night. Before any of you ask, I am part of the team that released this information. Cainance has encountered some roadblocks and will be slightly delayed, but he should be here within two days. You can leave if this inconveniences you, but I doubt most of you would care. Anyway, here’s some information on the giants. You can review it at your leisure." Genji placed a booklet on a nearby table and walked away.
The curious onlookers stared for a few moments before all pandemonium broke loose. Until now, they knew almost nothing about the people behind this event, so this revelation was a big moment for them. Yet they might as well have learned nothing, as Genji was still weaving his lies.
The next day, teams passed around the booklet and prepared for several scenarios. Cainance arrived as the sun was halfway beneath the horizon, with his magical bag full of monster parts.
Although the bag could only sustain the destruction of 50 items, this was by no means its limit. Its second effect was to destroy everything stored within to release a massive surge of mana. Due to this technicality, Cainance had stuffed the bag with hundreds of magical remains over the past few days.
Cainance introduced himself and found a resting spot under everyone's gazes. The people saw his stats and grew warier. With Cainance's strength, it would be a disaster if this operation were a trap. However, the realm members remained undeterred by this possibility. Everyone here had at least some confidence in their strength and plenty of bravery to spare; otherwise, they wouldn't have joined in the first place.
The final night passed, and the last day soon arrived. Cainance stretched his body, fastened his weapon to his back, and began scaling the beanstalk. Everyone followed him at varying speeds, accommodating their less physically capable members and staying in tight formation. Genji stayed among the back group, maintaining a relatively unassuming position.
After half an hour of intense climbing, they finally reached the top. Many people were out of breath and hunched over, gasping for air. Cainance gave them some time to recover and discussed his plans. "We're going to lure the target away from his residence and besiege him. I'll be the main fighter, and you all support me from afar. Don't worry too much about attacking. Focus on staying alive."
"That's good and all, but what happens if multiple giants come along? We aren't strong enough to fight them all?" someone asked.
"That won't happen. The giants typically live in groups of one or two, with no groups bigger than that. This giant is the leader not because the others listen to his orders, but because he's the strongest. He won't have any supporters. We just can't fight him in his home because it will hinder our attacks."
Everyone nodded in understanding, and Cainance led them toward the destination. After several hours of traveling, they noticed a small dot on the horizon. Genji pulled out a pair of binoculars, and a stone hut entered his view. The walls possessed a dull yellowish hue from years of prolonged sun exposure, while the roof was in tatters, threatening to break off and scatter in the wind.
This was a building with a long history, though it was unknown if the giant leader built it himself or if he chanced upon this ancient relic and made it his home. Regardless, this only justified Cainance's point on the material's durability.
Cainance asked them to set up an ambush here while he went in to lure the giant. The magic users gathered to prepare a powerful attack, while the melee fighters stood at the front, ready to guard against stray attacks. They signaled to Cainance when they were done, and the aspiring giant hunter set off.
A few minutes after Cainance entered the castle, an angry roar shook the ground, and air tremors made their clothes flutter like flags in the wind. Heavy thuds sounded as a figure the size of a skyscraper hurtled toward them.
This giant was significantly taller than the one Genji had initially seen and emanated a suffocatingly oppressive aura. The pressure was so intense that not even the considerable distance between them could weaken the impact.
Everyone tensed up and prepared for action. A split second later, the giant entered the range of their trap, and a massive runic circle appeared beneath its feet. Energy drained from all the mages and empowered a nuclear explosion. At the same time, lights of different colors descended on the group, providing various buffs to everyone.
The black smoke dissipated, and the giant emerged unscathed. A thick cyan energy wrapped around his skin, providing solid defense against all incoming damage. It roared in annoyance and pulled out a curved metallic cudgel. The weapon had taken on this shape over the years due to the giant's immense strength when swinging.
The sense of oppression grew so thick that many people struggled to breathe. Cainance knew the main fight had begun and tore apart his bag of holding. A similarly powerful burst of mana emanated from him, counteracting the constricting sensation.
Cainance burst forward with a fiery slash at the heel, seeking to cripple the giant's mobility. Meanwhile, the group scattered and surrounded the giant from afar.
The giant swung down, but Cainance leaped aside and charged through the shockwave. The Mythril sword came down and bounced right off the energy coating. Cainance dug his feet into the ground and spun around for another slash, leaving a small scar along the calloused skin.
Ranged attacks then landed on the torso, gradually whittling away at the protective film. Genji manifested [Curse Bearer] for a few shots before asking Bruce to follow through with the barrage. Genji waved his arm as swirls of blood and crystallized spikes tickled the giant, imitating the role of a mage.
The ground quaked again as the giant missed another swing. Cainance struck the same spot and finally drew a sliver of blood. He dug the blade into this cut and widened the wound. The giant understood it couldn't allow this to continue and began stomping whenever it lost sight of Cainance.
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This change gave Cainance plenty of trouble until he jumped on the arm and dashed for the head. The giant fumbled to throw him off, but Cainance nimbly darted around his attempts. Upon reaching the shoulder, Cainance leaped upward with his sword poised for the right eye.
The giant hurriedly closed his eyes, and the impact snapped his head back. At this moment, the melee fighters reached the giant's leg and began hacking away. A few bold people even jumped on the body and scaled higher to pester it like Cainance. From afar, the scene resembled countless ants biting at an elephant; the only difference was the giant's lack of wounds.
The mana in the air fluctuated violently, and a shockwave shook off everyone except Cainance, who landed another hit on the head. The giant stabilized itself with a step back and smashed down at the others. Since it couldn't hit Cainance, it would settle for the pesky flies instead.
Cainance leaped down and struck the wrist, shifting the strike from its intended trajectory and saving an unlucky target. The shockwaves induced mouthfuls of blood as they rattled the fighters' organs. A healing light then washed over them, restoring any lost health they had incurred.
The siege resumed, and the giant's energy armor grew thinner. When its energy bar reached the halfway point, the armor dwindled, and its cudgel grew more oppressive. The giant was done being on the defensive; it was now time to crush these supporters, even if it meant wasting a lot of power.
The cudgel slammed down again, and several ripples rocked the attackers' bodies. Cainance tried to mitigate this damage, but everyone, including the ranged attackers, suffered heavily. There were a few unlucky people with low constitutions who dropped dead on the spot.
The healing continued, but the overall effectiveness had noticeably decreased. There was not enough power to heal everyone, so the healers prioritized their own team instead of dispersing it across everyone.
Due to this, some less optimistic teams backed off and considered possibly ditching this raid, weakening the damage output by one-third. Cainance said nothing and stayed focused on the giant. He had expected this outcome, so he wasn't bothered by it. There was only so much people were willing to do with no observable benefits. It was already good enough that they had reached this point.
The giant noted this change and began directing more attacks at the supporters, enduring several strong attacks along the way. Cainance severed the giant's right leg tendon during this scuffle as the teams messily scattered. The firepower dropped to a minuscule level, and the giant refocused on Cainance.
They withdrew their oppressive auras and concentrated their momentum. Now that the cannon fodder was gone, it was time to start the true battle between them.
Cainance leaped upward and unleashed a devastating slash. The giant smashed this with his cudgel while raising his other arm for a downward slam. Cainance conjured a gust of wind to reposition himself and continued his offensive. His blade dug into the forearm as he rose, leaving a diagonal cut that exposed the bone.
Cainance stomped down on the elbow and launched himself toward the other side. A blazing sword scored the chest, instantly charring the surrounding flesh.
The giant quickly slapped at the wound, scattering bits of ash, but Cainance had already escaped the area. He landed on the shoulder and stabbed at the neck. The giant hurriedly redirected his energy there, condensing a light armor plate over the area.
The sword bounced off, and Cainance stepped off behind the giant. His sword pierced the scapula, and he used his weight to widen the wound. Water manifested around the edge, preventing the sword from getting caught in the bones.
A painful roar sounded from above, and the giant tensed his muscles to stop the bleeding. Suddenly, the blood solidified and grew barbed spikes, converting the first aid into more injuries. At the same time, the offensive from the teams resumed, blanketing the giant in colorful fireworks.
The giant hatefully glared at them and clenched his chest, grinding his fingertips harshly against his ribs. An ominous premonition formed in Genji's stomach, prompting him to flee at his highest speed. The others also recognized the situation and began backing away, but only those who had left earlier made any significant distance.
The fingers broke the skin, carved into the flesh, and wrapped around the heart. The giant lightly squeezed his chest, and his skin turned boiling red. With each contraction, his heart beat erratically and forcibly pumped dormant energy throughout his body.
This was the giant clan's forbidden technique, capable of converting their hearts into miniature nuclear reactors. But in return, their growth would be stunted for several decades, potentially for the rest of their lives, depending on the duration of use.
The giant gave his heart three more pumps before withdrawing his bloody fingers, revealing five gaping black holes the size of a small car. An eruption of energy gushed out of these holes and flooded the giant's body, accelerating his recovery and consolidating his defense. Cainance's sword slashes, which previously left shallow cuts, now only tickled the giant.
After breathing out a large plume of steam from his mouth, the giant turned to the distant supporters and suddenly vanished. A powerful rumble and loud splat sounded before a fierce tornado swept through the area. The giant appeared amidst the team's formation and wildly brandished his weapon, squashing everyone in his reach. Within seconds, the giant annihilated an entire team and moved on to the next closest.
The giant's sudden acceleration and rapid direction changes made it difficult for Cainance to intercept him, resulting in skyrocketing casualty rates. Everyone fled for their lives, but the giant refused to let them have an easy time. Cainance decided that the team was not worth saving and gathered his power for an ultimate attack.
The giant sensed the looming threat and paused his pursuit. Energy poured out of his chest and wrapped around him, forming cyan samurai armor. The armor grew darker with each passing moment, eventually condensing all the output into a solid form. The excess energy afterward wrapped the cudgel, transforming it into a large sword.
Then the two darted at each other, unleashing their strongest attacks. Collisions sounded for kilometers on end, and flashes of light beckoned the second coming of dawn.
This commotion was so tumultuous that even Genji could perceive the signs from his position. The ruckus lasted for two more minutes before dying down and returning to peace. Genji briefly considered his options before handing a stick to Astros.
"You know the drill. Let's decide which way we will go."
Astros had a speechless look, as if asking why this was a question in the first place. Shouldn't they continue running? Why were they stopping so close to the battle for this?
"Don't worry. I believe in your luck."
Astros held this stare for a few more moments before sighing in exasperation. He couldn't understand why Genji wanted to rely on something as abstract as luck when he was normally so reliable. Just what had caused his father to develop this strange habit?
As Astros internally monologued, he propped up the stick and absentmindedly stared at the sky. The soft landing of wood on cotton sounded, and Astros looked down at the stick. Then his eyes widened with alarm, and his paws frantically waved over the result, as if asking Genji to reconsider. This was because the stick pointed at their previous route, right where the ongoing battle was.
"Is that so? It seems like we should go back then," Genji mumbled with a thoughtful look, ignoring the flurry of panicked paw waves. In his denial, Astros propped up the stick again, hoping to give Genji a second option. But no matter how many times he tried, the results remained the same.
"Yep, that confirms it. We're going back." Genji picked up the stick, placed Astros on his shoulder, and turned around.
As this was happening, Astros stared at the stick in disbelief, wondering how such an outcome was possible. In the end, he concluded the stick must be rigged. That's the only explanation! It's not him that's the problem; it's the stick. Yes, that must be the case...
Half a minute later, Genji returned to the battle site and examined the chaotic scene. The once fluffy white cloud ground now had countless pits scattered throughout, with several stained by thick blotches of blood. Crushed bones and equipment shards twinkled in the sunlight, granting a glamorous touch to this grisly scene.
In the distance, the giant stood with similarly ghastly wounds across his body. There wasn't even an inch of unblemished skin. The last chunks of armor dissipated around him, revealing flesh more fissured than soil during a drought. The giant was left with only the handle of his weapon, as the rest had broken into a dozen pieces and fallen by his feet.
It was a grievous sight, but the giant's condition was light compared to Cainance, who couldn't even stand. The aspiring giant hunter was on one knee, barely holding himself up with his sword. The other half of his torso had become mush, with not even a single bone intact—everything had turned into pulverized bone dust. His eyelids were also droopy, as if he would fall asleep at any second.
It was evident who had won the exchange. In his last moments, Cainance met Genji's gaze and flashed a mirthful smile. 'I guess this is how things end. In that case...'
Cainance pushed his sword toward Genji, indicating he could take his belongings as long as he killed the giant. Otherwise, the giant would take his body as a trophy, and their agreement would be void. Then Cainance collapsed, and his eyes grew dull.
It was unknown if Genji got the message, but he summoned his dagger anyway. This was the perfect opportunity to kill the giant, and he was not about to pass it up.
Deadly Severance activated, and half of his energy condensed onto the tip. The giant wearily looked up at him just as Genji suddenly vanished. Sensing the crisis, the giant raised his hand to block, but his fatigued body couldn't keep up with Genji's speed. In fact, this wouldn't be possible even if the giant were in his prime since Genji had activated both Like A Feather and Untraceable Movement in conjunction with Flashstep.
Genji appeared on the shoulder and drove his Lightning Inspiration into a crack in the neck, ripping the wound wide open. Then he channeled his remaining energy into a violent vortex and swung down, ending the giant's life.