Research on Antidotes
Helping Dang Harin with her research was no trouble at all for Baek Yuseong.
“Just rest comfortably. I’ll only need you to detoxify when I tell you.”
“Just like before, huh?”
“Yeah.”
Dang Harin’s poison had been consumed by one of the Tang Clan’s female warriors. Within moments she was drenched in cold sweat, writhing in agony.
“How is it? Can you endure it?”
“Ugh… Yes, miss…”
She groaned, her body twisting as Dang Harin frantically checked every point of her pulse and meridians.
Meanwhile Baek Yuseong sat quietly on a chair and waited.
‘After the medical pavilion duties are finished, I’ll give her a proper fee. But she still gets that “salary as a thief” vibe.’
That said, Yuseong was far from useless.
“Yuseong, now!”
[Detoxify]
She had been waiting for the exact moment when it would matter most.
Just like during the poison research, the Detoxify skill flared the instant the warrior’s face began to turn pitch black with death approaching.
The warrior’s complexion returned to normal in an instant.
“No matter how many times I see it… even parts that should have been permanently damaged are now perfectly restored…”
This wasn’t a mild poison. With a potent venom, even ingesting the antidote wouldn’t fully heal every injury.
It only neutralized the toxin and prevented further damage; the harmed tissues would recover naturally or leave minor permanent scars.
But here, it was different.
‘This is a skill.’
The Real Martial World environment, identical to Real Mode of a virtual fantasy.
Status windows, inventory, every game system were invisible.
Yet Yuseong alone was aware that this world was a game—thanks to the absolute power of skills.
Unlike Dang Harin, who understood how even Grandmaster experts were hindered by the poison, Yuseong had simply activated the skill at the critical second.
“Good. That’s it. The research is complete.”
Dang Harin’s confident declaration made Yuseong ask,
“It matches the symptoms of the Heavenly Poison.”
“Exactly. This… was created by someone with extraordinary knowledge of poisons. It’s ingenious and devastating. If the Heavenly Poison hadn’t been a Grandmaster, he wouldn’t have lasted so long, and I wouldn’t have been able to reproduce it.”
Dang Harin spoke with unshakable confidence in poisons. Before Yuseong appeared, she had never felt inferior in detoxification research either.
She was someone worth admiring.
“Is it the Demon Lord?”
Dang Harin shook her head.
“I don’t know. But if the one who used this poison was really a Demon Cult member… he must be formidable. Thinking of other aliases of the Demon Lord…”
The Heavenly Poison was one of the Three Great Physicians mentioned by Physician Yang.
Among them, the Demon Lord’s other name was Poison Demon.
Renowned for mastering lethal poison arts through human experiments.
“Still, since we reproduced the poison, the antidote shouldn’t take long. You told me before at Cheongsung Pavilion that there was little left.”
“Er… maybe?”
Dang Harin answered vaguely and began recalling candidate herbs for the antidote.
Various herbs that could counteract the poison flashed through her mind.
If she could identify the effective ones and determine the exact ratio, the antidote would be almost finished.
‘It might take up to a month… worst case.’
Not that she could delay it.
Dang Harin secretly decided she would also have to take on detoxification work for the Murim Alliance that could benefit others.
‘Then I’ll have to meet the Chief Strategist again?’
On the day she received approval from Jegal Yeong-yeong to work with Yuseong on research, Dang Harin felt an inexplicable unease.
When praising Yuseong, Jegal Yeong-yeong had looked a little proud—odd.
‘No way? The Chief Strategist said he brought Yuseong to the Murim Alliance… so she might be proud.’
After Yuseong joined the Murim Alliance, he had solved several major matters.
Every time he achieved something, the Chief Strategist’s prestige would rise…
‘That could be it.’
Satisfied, she changed the subject.
“Anyway. What about tomorrow evening? If you have nothing planned, how about dinner with me? Physician Cha can come too.”
Tomorrow wasn’t a training day with Namgung Yurin. She knew her schedule even if their relationship had cooled.
That was why she hadn’t thought he’d refuse.
“Sorry, I have an exam tomorrow evening.”
A refusal delivered for a reason she couldn’t quite understand.
“An exam? What kind?”
“Formations.”
“…?”
Dang Harin couldn’t hide her confusion.
A doctor taking a formation exam?
“You know formations too? I heard you need to study a lot for that.”
“That’s true, but it’s manageable.”
“You do so much… Even morning martial training, right?”
“Yeah, but—”
Yuseong’s sudden silence made Dang Harin ask cautiously,
“Are you still attached to martial arts…?”
“Who’s not interested in martial arts? I learned medicine only because I wanted to fix my dantian.”
“…So that’s why?”
In the martial world, who had no attachment to martial arts?
Yuseong, who possessed all sorts of cheat skills specialized in it, was the perfect choice—once his dantian was restored, he could move freely in the Murim.
Even if he hadn’t fully revealed himself yet, he still had to deal with the unknown boss.
“Yeah, I’m definitely getting my dantian back.”
Yuseong showed clear resolve.
Thanks to Jegal Yeong-yeong’s help, his growth had been smooth. Still, he was already twenty-one. Even with a martial foundation, he felt impatient.
It was common sense here that the younger one was, the faster one learned martial arts.
Dang Harin sensed deep regret in Yuseong’s stubborn will.
‘Who broke his dantian and crushed his spirit?’
If she knew the culprit, she wouldn’t let them off. Continuing her research, she pushed the thought aside.
***
Jegal Yeong-yeong had two reasons for not personally assigning Yuseong as her formation-research assistant.
First, fairness. To the public, at least.
Deputy Strategist Tae Jeong-heon’s special hiring of Namgung Yurin under his authority allowed him to neutralize complaints himself if anyone questioned it.
But if he used his own authority for special hiring?
‘He’d leave unnecessary noise.’
The misunderstanding… No, but that kind of talk was out of the question.
Second, of course he believed in Yuseong’s victory.
‘Using only basic formations and natural elements, no one could beat him.’
Jegal Yeong-yeong felt the same. Even bringing anyone from the Jegal Family wouldn’t work.
Only someone who mastered mathematics—the field that had dramatically advanced the Murim Alliance’s formation techniques and efficiency—could be Yuseong.
Therefore, Jegal Yeong-yeong had only requested Yuseong to apply for the assistant position. She had left everything else to him, simply ensuring no irregularities occurred during the process.
‘I should have a drink.’
With the formation exam approaching, the military department staff had grown free.
She waited comfortably.
***
The formation exam schedule was carried out swiftly.
The Murim Alliance wasn’t involved anyway, so few applicants had been expected. Since Jegal Yeong-yeong had personally hinted to Yuseong, there was no need for a long wait.
Exam Hall.
When Yuseong appeared, the plain strategists were startled.
Ugiwan hadn’t said a word to anyone, but his face remained calm—though one eyebrow twitched.
“Did the Medical Pavilion Head also come to take the exam?”
Tae Jeong-heon was equally shocked.
Why was Yuseong here?
“Yes. I simply became interested in formations from the Jegal Family.”
“What? Even a doctor so busy…”
“This is only one position. Do you know that?”
A question that assumed he would fail.
Knowing Tae Jeong-heon’s nature, Yuseong understood his intent was not to belittle him.
In fields other than medicine, reputation was inevitable, so he didn’t mind.
“Of course. It’s impossible for that one person to be me.”
“Heh…”
Tae Jeong-heon scratched his head awkwardly and said,
“Even if I were to concede, there are many other capable people… I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can help much with this matter.”
Yuseong waved his hand.
“No need. I want to compete fairly. Please don’t worry about me and do your best. That would make me more comfortable.”
“Ah, I see.”
For the life-saving Yuseong, Tae Jeong-heon was ready to give up. Yet hearing him ask for his best effort made his heart ease.
“Yes. By the way, this exam uses natural materials. It seems you studied that method as well, Deputy.”
“I mainly studied artificial-material methods, but natural elements are the foundation of formations. Everyone here probably started with them. And… thanks to the Chief Strategist’s teachings, I’ve gained more confidence lately.”
“Mathematics?”
“Yes, the discipline called mathematics… Honestly, those who don’t know it are at a disadvantage in competition. I apologize, Medical Pavilion Head.”
“…”
Yuseong couldn’t bring himself to say he had taught Jegal Yeong-yeong.
Recently he had occasionally asked for help when he didn’t know something.