*Cough cough*
Genji stepped out of the deserted area where he had hidden before his previous world. At this moment, his face had many colorful substances plastered all over it. These were the residues of the materials he had been working with before his time in the realm ended.
Since he had been so caught up in his creations, he was transported out without having time to clean up. He peeled off the thick gloves soaked in his sweat and placed them back in storage.
"I never realized poison-making could be so fun, but I should probably get a purification system in the room. Those are dangerous substances I work with, and having to pay for healing costs might just go down as the dumbest joke among champions."
Genji took out a bottle of water and rinsed his face. Then he walked back into town to book a flight to a certain city near a certain league. Although he didn't plan on enacting his revenge right now, it didn't hurt to prepare. Since he had signed an agreement with River Stream, it didn't make sense to enter a life-and-death battle and potentially renege on his promise.
Although Genji was ruthless, he tried to keep his word when it came to agreements. That was his code, forged during his time as an assassin. But that was only for this session. After the next world, everything would become fair game, and that would be the time for revenge. In addition, he would have conducted his talent molding by then, so he should be able to fight against people with firearms.
He couldn't wait to see how fast his talent could make him after dexterity molding. It should be fast enough to kill them before they could fire, right? And even if it wasn't enough, Genji planned on getting a gun as well. That's where his first stop was. After he got off the plane, he walked into a shady shop with a mask covering his face.
Right now, he was still in the dark, so he wanted to keep it that way. It would make his revenge a lot harder if he revealed that he was still alive. Especially in a city that was outside of their main base.
"Give me two Desert Eagles and plenty of ammo," he asked Ted, the owner of the place. Ted was an intimidating middle-aged man with a beer belly and a scar running across his left eye. One mean fellow, to say the least.
"You seem new. You know da rules round here?"
Genji opened his duffle bag filled with cash that he had prepared for this occasion.
"A regular patron introduced me."
Ted glanced at the bag and walked behind the counter. A few minutes later, he returned with a metal suitcase resembling his old one. A loud clang resounded as he put the heavy baggage on the counter.
"13 grand. No questions asked."
Genji threw the duffle bag over and gestured for Ted to check the amount. When Ted counted enough, Genji grabbed the suitcase and started walking out.
"Hey! You gave too much," Ted called after him.
"It's your tip," Genji replied without looking back.
"Whatever you say, weird guy. But why does he seem familiar?" Ted asked himself as he scratched his balding head.
"Oh well. Not my problem."
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Genji walked in the opposite direction of the League's base and found a dead tree to bury his case for the month. Then, he wandered around the city in search of something to unwind with. Eventually, he settled on wood carving, as it served both as a training regimen and a source of relaxation. He brought a good amount of firewood and had it transported to the park.
Sitting down on a bench, he began whittling. He infused some of his energy into his daggers to see how fast he could sculpt. It took some practice, but he soon got the hang of it. Then he tried to do it faster, and even faster. He experimented with various techniques, exploring the circulation paths of his energy and optimizing the intricacies little by little.
Soon, his pile of wood had dwindled in size, leaving a mound of wood chunks by his feet. He put the sculpture down on the ground and swept the scraps together.
"These are so cool!" exclaimed a childish voice from his side.
"A dollar each," Genji replied without stopping his movements.
"They're for sale?"
"They are now."
"So where do I leave the money?"
"Place it underneath this," Genji said, kicking over a piece of wood. Then he heard the shuffling of paper and wood.
"So how are you moving so fast?" The kid lingered to chat with Genji while watching the amazing display of finesse and skill.
"Practice. Lots of it."
"Can you teach me?"
Hearing this unexpected question, Genji paused his movements and looked up. By his side was a young girl, around 7 years old. Her face still had traces of baby fat, making her appear younger than her actual age. Her black hair hung in a ponytail over her shoulder, and a pair of vibrant eyes looked back at Genji with admiration.
"Why do you want to learn?" Genji asked, deciding to indulge her fantasy.
"Because you look so cool doing that."
"Is looking cool the only reason you want to learn?"
"Yes. Who wouldn't want to look like that?" She gave a candid answer, making Genji chuckle.
"I don't mind, but wouldn't your parents be worried about you playing with knives?"
"It's fine. I'll be careful."
"Whatever you say. Meet me here tomorrow then," Genji said, packing his remaining pieces and cleaning up his mess. Then he pushed the wagon away from the park.
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Genji returned to the wood shop and greeted the owner.
"You're back."
"Yes. I came to buy some more wood. Can you load the wagon for tomorrow and give me a few carving knives?"
The person gave him a weird look but agreed nevertheless.
"Also, can you deal with these wood shavings?" Genji asked, opening his scraps bag.
"Carving?" The owner guessed after seeing the knife cuts on the scraps.
"Yes. Take a look."
Genji showed him the progress he had made that day.
"Those are pretty decent. Care to sell them?" He asked, picking one up and examining it with an appreciative eye.
"Why not? Just give me $50 for everything."
"Why so cheap? These could go for way more if you clean them up."
"You can figure that out then. I'm just doing this as a hobby."
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
The store owner shrugged and paid the amount, happy to get some new wares.
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The next day, Genji showed up at the park again with a loaded wagon. He unpacked his stuff and took a seat. This time, he didn't try to rush it, taking his time and focusing on his energy flow instead. He played around with maintaining his energy within the weapon instead of sharpening its edge.
There was little improvement, but Genji wasn't seeking that. Right now, he was just testing what was feasible and whether he should continue in this development direction. After a while, the girl from yesterday showed up.
"You're here."
"Of course," she said, placing her hands on her hips.
"Have a seat."
"So what are you doing? You seem to be a lot slower today."
"I'm focusing on the intent."
"Intent?"
"Don't worry about it. Anyways, what's your name?"
"Alysha."
"Good to meet you, Alysha. I'm Genji."
Genji reached into his wagon and pulled out a carving knife and a piece of wood.
"Here," he handed them over and allowed Alysha to get familiar with the tool.
"Now cut away at the wood until you're satisfied."
Happy with the freedom, Alysha tried to mimic Genji's motions, but she encountered a problem immediately. The knife couldn't go through the wood, at least not with her strength.
"Genji? I have a problem."
"What is it?"
"I can't cut it," she said, pointing to the wood.
"Hmmmm."
Genji rubbed his chin and considered possible solutions. While he could give her his dagger, it seemed inappropriate to give a girl a weapon of death.
'Maybe I can try something?'
Genji reached into the wagon again and pulled out another knife. This time, he channeled some energy into it and tried to contain it so it wouldn't dissipate.
"Try this one," he said, swapping the knife. Then he sat back to observe the results of his experiment. With one gentle swing, Alysha smoothly glided the knife through the wood. Although there was still some resistance, it was now manageable for Alysha.
[You have used your powers in front of an unrelated party. As they are unaware, no further actions will be taken. Should the party realize, you will be forced to silence them or they will be forcibly recruited into the realm.]
'Same old ruthless EverRealm. So that's how it keeps itself a secret.'
Genji returned to his carving and kept track of the time. He's running an experiment so that's a necessity. Two minutes later, Alysha spoke up.
"Genji? I think the blade got dull."
"Let me sharpen it then."
Genji took the knife and reached into the wagon. As his hand was out of her sight, he opened his storage and retrieved a block of metal previously used to test his poison's corrosive powers. He brought out his other dagger and cut away the corroded part before tossing the weapon into his storage. Then he presented the rectangular metal block and pretended to sharpen the knife.
"Here. It might get dull pretty fast since I made it very sharp."
Genji tried a slightly different circulation technique and handed it over. This time, it lasted 46 seconds before getting dull. He repeated the motion, continuing to count the time.
For the next couple of hours, Genji experimented with different methods of circulating his energy and realized something. It wasn't just the trajectory of the energy that determined how long it lasted; his control played a crucial role.
Although the shape of the carving knife was different from his dagger, he suspected that the variation was due to his control, not from the knife's design.
He also discovered that the optimal place to store the energy was just below the edge. That way, when the blade cuts, a strand of energy would flow out, enhancing sharpness. If the energy resided anywhere else, there would be greater losses as it traveled to the edge.
If it rested on directly the edge, a large amount of energy would be consumed per cut. This method was highly focused on sharpness but had poor endurance.
This energy usage was suitable for quickly cutting through something, but in a prolonged fight, it became a disadvantage. In a sense, the flame cut he had used against Panolis was a variation of this technique. However, in the flame cut, the energy wasn't just on the edge; it was wrapped around the exterior of the blade. The way he channeled it gave the appearance of flames, but it was highly inefficient.
Then there was the method of depositing energy in the middle of the weapon. When this happened, more energy was required to achieve the same level of sharpness, causing the deposit to deplete more quickly. However, this approach reinforced his weapon, making it more durable. Don't ask how he discovered this. It was an accident, Genji swore!
"Genji, why does the knife stay sharper longer compared to earlier?"
"I've simply gotten better at sharpening it."
Genji glanced over at Alysha, ignoring the poorly carved figure in her hands. Now that he had grasped the fundamentals, he intended to refine his control. To do so, he accelerated once more, striving to make each strand of energy last as long as possible.
"You're speeding up!"
Alysha set down her carving tools and focused all her attention on Genji's hands. Everything appeared to be a blur to her, but the way the piece of wood transformed before her eyes left her mesmerized.
"I wonder when I can do something like that."
"Who knows? If you practice enough, you might reach this level one day. Alright, let's call it a day."
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"Ahhhhhhh," Alysha exclaimed in frustration as she stabbed her knife into the wood and then threw it down. "Why? Why can't I get my thing to look good?"
"It's because you have a hard time controlling your cuts."
"You keep saying that, but what does it even mean!?!"
"Control is about cutting just the right amount. If you go too deep or make it too shallow, you will fail. It's about finding the perfect balance point."
Genji set down his carving knife, which he had switched to for the day, and picked up another wooden block.
"For example, when I am carving this, I need to keep in mind how much I can cut."
"And how am I supposed to do that?"
"You just have to control it."
Alysha grabbed her hair and rubbed her head in frustration.
"You're a terrible teacher, you know?"
Genji thought about her words and agreed. He sucked at teaching. The way he learned everything was by practicing the motions and engraving the movements into his body. When it came to theoretical teaching, he had no idea how to simplify it to make it easy to understand.
"Oh well. It lies in practice. If you feel that this is too hard for you, you don't have to continue."
"Hphm. Is that even a question? Of course, I will. I refuse to believe I can't do it."
Genji shook his head and continued his work. Soon, it became that time of the day again. Genji set down the sculpture and began cleaning up the mess. Alysha came over to help after she handed back the carving knife. Genji accepted it but didn't put it away.
"What's wrong, Genji?"
Genji remained silent for a few seconds before taking out the fake sharpening stone. He injected a decent amount of energy into it and made one last sharpen, trying to make the energy persist as long as possible.
"You don't need to come tomorrow," he started off, causing Alysha to panic.
"Did I do something wrong? Why do you want to kick me away?"
"No."
"I promise I won't complain about your teachings anymore. Just let me try again."
For the past few days, Alysha had started developing a special feeling for the art. Now, to be told she could no longer continue left her with an unsettling discomfort.
"It's nothing wrong with you. I will be leaving town tonight, so I can't accompany you anymore," he replied, handing over the knife, but Aylsha didn't accept.
"So it's not because of me?" She asked to confirm.
"No. Take this parting gift. I noticed that you really liked the practice, so I sharpened it well. Make sure to use it before it gets dull."
Genji took out a block of wood and swiftly carved a cover for the tool. Alysha finally took it and watched as Genji pulled the wagon into the sunset.
"Hey, Genji?"
She called out to him as he got further away. Genji paused and looked back.
"Will we meet again?"
Genji smiled back before responding, "Who knows? Only fate can tell."
With that, Genji disappeared from Alysha's view.
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Genji appeared in his room and began some final organization of his storage space. There was a limited amount of storage, so he had to make the most of every part. Staying organized could allow him to swiftly retrieve the items he needed during combat. It was akin to how swordsmen cleaned their swords in their free time and how sharpshooters reassembled their guns. Just a small habit that comforts the person.
After ensuring everything was where he expected, Genji closed his storage and started equipping his gear. A few minutes later, he received a message from Logan to meet up with the entire group.
Genji stood up and looked for the meeting place. When he arrived, there were a few people in the area. Looking around, he saw 7156 and walked over.
"I see that we will team up again."
"Happy cooperation."
"Yes. I hope to see what you can do. You were rather restricted in the previous world."
"Hmm," 7156 replied in his nasal voice.
A few more minutes passed as more people arrived. There were about 20 people in the area before Logan started speaking.
"Everyone, I'm sure you all understand the details of the mission. Because of its importance, let's go around and do our introductions. That way, we can have a basic idea of everyone's abilities and can work together. I'll go first after everyone joins the party."
On that cue, Genji received a prompt.
[You have been invited by River Stream to join his party. Accept?]
Genji hit 'yes' as a new list became available to him. The list started to fill up as people accepted the invitation. Other than their usernames, Genji couldn't get much other information about his teammates.
"So I'm Logan. 7th world veteran and an artillery expert."
"I'm Gansta, 4th world, and I have swordsmanship at expert proficiency."
"Goulda. This is my 5th world, and I'm an expert shieldmaster."
The people took turns introducing themselves until it was 7156's turn.
"7156. I'm versatile."
It was a very brief introduction that told nothing about him. The others frowned at this since they could tell he wouldn't be a team player.
"Although he's quiet, 7156 is a champion," Logan stepped in at this moment to explain.
Hearing this, the frowns on everyone's faces disappeared. So he's a champion. That would explain his cold response. With his status, he has the right to act like that. But what luck! To think they would have a champion for this world. This will be an easy mission.
"Enigma. You can treat me as a champion."
Everyone's faces became that much brighter. A second champion! Man, this guy's rich to be able to hire two champions. This will be a breeze. Just follow the two champions, and life will be easy. What could possibly go wrong?
The remaining people briefly introduced themselves as there's no point in going into too much detail. No matter how impressive they sounded, can they surpass the halo of a champion?
"So that's the team. Everyone knows the mission. Protect River Stream at all costs. I guarantee that you will be rewarded for your efforts. Now let's meet on the other side."
Logan brought up two fingers to tap his forehead before flicking them in their direction. Then the timer finished counting, causing Genji to blank out.