Chapter 101
Chapter 101
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: Thousand Poisons Immunity
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“Ugh, ughm.”
Even as he let out groans through the gaps between his wounds.
The Judgment Spear was deep in thought about something.
I waited patiently above him.
[‘Bone 7’ uses the skill, ‘Intermediate Healing’ (Lv. 1).]
Silently casting healing on him.
“Ughm.”
The Judgment Spear’s lips twitched.
“Aah…… So that’s how it was? Impressive. The realm of spear arts is truly profound and fascinating.”
He shook his head on his own.
Then nodded to himself again, speaking like that.
‘Is that how the continent’s acknowledged genius thinks?’
To create and gain enlightenment from just a few words relayed by my Sun.
It was a situation utterly incomprehensible to an ordinary nobody like me.
‘As expected.’
No matter how I thought about it, the answer was necromancer.
If you can’t become a genius.
Then just tame one and make them your subordinate.
That’s far easier.
And far stronger.
“…….”
About an hour passed like that?
The spear master, who had been sitting cross-legged, opened his eyes.
He stood up and politely clasped his hands in respect.
“Skeleton King, was it?”
“Yes.”
“I’m truly grateful. Thanks to you, I’ve found the key to breaking through the wall that’s been blocking me. My complicated mind feels refreshed.”
An unexpectedly clean greeting.
The Judgment Spear bowed his head even lower.
“You wouldn’t understand. How grateful a martial artist is for this. I owe you a debt, and if there ever comes a time when I can help you…….”
His voice sank low into the clearing.
“I promise to help with all my strength. This is a promise made in the name of my master, the Spear King.”
The Judgment Spear raised his bowed head and stared at me.
“However, this promise holds only if you don’t violate my standards. You can accept that much, right?”
“Standards……?”
“Yes, even if you’re my benefactor, if you’re a murderer who kills without reason, I’d have no choice but to judge you with these two hands.”
Not bad.
Having his own standards.
Just like I have my principle of [repay as you receive].
The Judgment Spear simply had his absolute standards.
I actually found that cool.
Perhaps.
Once the trials end, he could be a guy likable enough to become friends with.
“Hm.”
I nodded.
“Sounds good. I’m not the type to go around killing without reason anyway.”
“Exactly. Right! Now that you mention it. There’s no way someone like you could be a villain.”
“Suddenly? Weren’t you calling me a suspicious figure earlier?”
As I tilted my head, the man shook his head.
“If you harbored evil intentions, you could’ve easily killed me while I was gaining enlightenment alone, right? Killing me would’ve netted you a huge ‘Trial Point’ reward.”
“Uh…….”
Honestly, that.
I didn’t think it was that huge……
“Indeed. Sorry for the misunderstanding. You’re different from ordinary people. A person without greed. No need to judge you. No need to follow and monitor someone like that.”
“Hahaha……?”
What’s this.
He’s drumming and playing cymbals all by himself?
I scratched the back of my head with an awkward smile.
“I appreciate you thinking that way. Well, since I’ve won the bet, I’ll be on my way…….”
I thought it was time to go.
“Wait.”
The Judgment Spear called me back again.
“What now?”
“How old are you? From what I can guess, you haven’t even passed your mid-twenties yet.”
“Hm…… Spot on. It’s been about three and a half years since I awakened, so I’m 23 now.”
“23……?”
The Judgment Spear’s pupils dilated slightly.
Why?
What about my age?
I asked.
“Why? Do I look too young?”
“No way. At 23…… We’re the same age?”
“…….”
Huh?
I blinked at him.
Then asked again.
“……Pardon?”
My eyes were exactly twice as wide as the Judgment Spear’s.
Wow, this.
Is a shocking fact?
How is a 23-year-old talking like such an old soul?
Honestly, it was more surprising than him being the Spear King’s disciple.
“Huh, this is…… Truly a wondrous connection!”
The Judgment Spear’s eyes sparkled.
“Fate is such a mysterious thing. Some say even brushing past someone’s sleeve is fate. Look at us. Same time, same place. Recommended by the same number of rankers to come here. And now discussing spear arts and helping each other here. Of course! If this isn’t fate, the word shouldn’t even exist.”
“Aah, yes……. So that’s how it is.”
Why is he suddenly like this?
It’s burdensome.
His first impression was clearly a taciturn, cool city guy vibe.
Now he’s suddenly so talkative.
“And we’re the same age too! Beyond fate, it might even be destiny! Aah, this is unavoidable. We have no choice but to become friends.”
“Haha, sure. Becoming friends sounds good. After the trials end, next time…….”
“Come to think of it, you’re a Korean hunter, right? What guild? As you know, I belong to the Assembly of Immortals founded by the Spear King. If you don’t have any grudges…….”
“Ah, I’m with the Demir Workshop.”
Just in case.
It might be a recruitment offer, so I answered quickly.
‘Kim Jin-ah said it.’
She wants to grow the workshop into a massive guild.
No guarantee it’ll happen in a short time.
But since I promised her, I can’t join anywhere else.
Even Gi So-yul left her blood kin’s guild!
“Demir Workshop? First time hearing of it.”
“The rumors haven’t spread to your country yet…… But later, you’ll hear the name so much your ears will blister.”
“Hahaha, is that so? If you say it, then it must be. Alright. Looks like you want to leave this place quickly.”
“…….”
Oh.
He’s perceptive after all?
Snap!
It was then that the Judgment Spear extended his left hand.
“Let’s shake on it and part ways. Next time, let’s meet under even better circumstances.”
How could I refuse words like that?
Grip!
I reached out and clasped his hand.
“Sounds good. See you next time.”
And like that.
My Chinese connections gained one member.
* * *
My solitary journey continued.
A lonely yet poisonous trek.
I consumed so much poison that the blue sky now looked green.
To the point where I couldn’t tell if the reflux in my throat was stomach acid or poison.
I’d ingested enough to truly understand what “fed up” means, body and soul.
One day passed, two days passed.
Then.
Three days, four days.
Before I knew it, time had flown by.
Probably.
Tomorrow or the day after, that guy called ‘Poison Fog’ should appear in the center, right?
If the info is correct.
“You brat.”
The old man stared at me from midair.
“Even decent Class 2 lethal poisons don’t faze your liver anymore, huh?”
“Yeah, honestly, now even normal poisons feel like three meals a day. Hm, this one’s pretty tasty too.”
“……You madman.”
“Hey, madman? You’re the one who taught me all this.”
“It’s coming soon. The day you reach the Thousand Poisons Impervious Body isn’t far off.”
“…….”
Right.
Even without the system window telling me.
My body could feel it.
Is this how a caterpillar feels before shedding its skin?
Like how working out makes your muscles pump.
Ingesting poison made it poison-pump.
“You’re doing plenty well enough. Even in this otherworld…… Reaching Thousand Poisons Impervious Body in less than a month. Sometimes watching you, I’m amazed more than once or twice.”
“Hm.”
I closed my eyes.
“Still a bit worried, though. Can Thousand Poisons Immunity handle Poison Fog?”
“Poison Fog?”
“Yeah.”
“I won’t know until I see it…… But if it’s a mass of all the poisons in this place, just handle the Class 1 lethal ones included in it.”
Right.
Since Thousand Poisons Immunity tops out at Class 2 lethals.
“But if there are hundreds or thousands of Class 1 lethals…… And they all hit at once? Ugh, even if poison’s rare, that’s no laughing matter.”
“That’s why you gotta move fast. There won’t be as many Class 1 lethals as you think. Gobble up as much as you can quickly to build resistance, no?”
“Okay, let’s move. Hearing that clears my head.”
Following the old man’s advice.
I didn’t rest.
I kept moving until Poison Fog appeared.
Roughly another day later.
[Skill, ‘Hundred Poisons Immunity’ (B-Grade) upgrades one level.]
[Skill, ‘Thousand Poisons Immunity’ (A-Grade) acquired.]
[This skill can grow further.]
I finally achieved Thousand Poisons Immunity.
* * *
Delaila’s hologram room, center.
“Hm.”
A red-eyed man with a sword at his waist.
The magic swordsman Luca rubbed his chin with a finger, letting out a groan.
“Delaila.”
“What is it?”
“Ju Dong-hoon. That guy.”
Luca had been watching him closely ever since he discovered the Thunderclap Floa.
The one who achieved the highest ‘Trial Point’ score in history.
How could he not be curious about someone who might become a future ranker, right before his eyes?
“He definitely bought both info rights from Floa…… Why hasn’t he left the center? Normally, you’d want to stay as far from the center as possible, right? Unless…….”
“Yes.”
Delaila nodded.
Her expression was unexpectedly grim.
“He seems intent on facing Poison Fog directly. Foolishly…….”
“Poison Fog……!”
So that’s it?
Luca murmured.
“In the past, a kid named Jang Dae-woong did the same.”
“Jang Dae-woong…… That Korean berserker?”
Luca hadn’t been a judge back then, so he didn’t know the details.
“Well, he didn’t face it directly, and ended up half-forced to flee later.”
“Huh, so that happened.”
Luca shook his head.
To earn a title with ‘mad’ in it, you really need unconventional thinking circuits, huh?
“Delaila.”
Luca swallowed and called her.
“Yes?”
“By any chance…… Has there ever been a participant who subdued or destroyed Poison Fog?”
“No, there hasn’t.”
Delaila shook her head firmly.
“Poison Fog isn’t made to be caught. It’s just a condensed mass of poison waste from other worlds. You shouldn’t even engage with it.”
“Then…… Ju Dong-hoon……?”
“Reckless actions only bring death.”
“You think Ju Dong-hoon will die, Delaila?”
“If he tries to handle Poison Fog alone.”
“Huh.”
Luca let out a regretful sigh.
Delaila.
If she says so, then it is so.
She’s the sage even acknowledged by Ranking 4th, Oxford’s Sage Sophia Silverstone.
But.
Something made him expectant.
Watching Ju Dong-hoon’s actions so far.
There was something that stirred an inexplicable emotion deep inside him.
“But, just suppose.”
So he asked again.
“What if Ju Dong-hoon actually takes down Poison Fog?”
“…….”
Even she didn’t know the rewards of the dungeon she created.
She only knew they came according to difficulty.
According to contribution to clearing that difficulty.
In a probabilistically fitting way.
“Wouldn’t there be an enormous reward? Taking down a monster even you call impossible?”
“……I don’t know, but.”
Even on Delaila’s grim face.
A hint of curiosity mixed in.
“It would certainly be worth looking forward to.”