Chapter 94
Chapter 94
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: Dignity of Poison
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I slowly closed my eyes.
Trial Points increased by 300.
Having reaped the sweet reward,
now it was time to pay the fitting price.
“Groan.”
My tongue began to swell, and my esophagus started to sting.
A bubbling sound rose from my throat.
It burned like downing high-proof liquor.
“Heh heh, don’t be so scared. From the looks of it, this isn’t all that severe a deadly poison…… Back in my day, I’d drink acidic venom strong enough to melt metal scraps with a smile.”
A hand from the old man touched my back.
Even as a ghost, it felt remarkably warm.
“Now, recite the incantation I taught you.”
Energy began stirring vigorously in my lower abdomen.
“The heart method only shows its true power when you can fully master your mind. Trust in the pure energy of the Taecheong. Believe in it and drive out the poison rampaging wildly inside you.”
Driving out poison.
This was my first time.
I hadn’t been poisoned even once since meeting the old man.
‘But.’
The energy within me was solid.
*Why worry? You’re scared over something this trivial?*
With bold momentum, I charged toward the poison.
“Oh ho.”
A smile deepened on the old man’s lips.
“You must’ve been diligently practicing all this time. For a greenhorn, it moves more smoothly and easily than expected.”
“Except when sleeping…… or eating…… or training, I’ve done it nonstop.”
I answered in a boiling voice.
“Is that so? Well, it shows. Not quite up to my progress back then…… but I can see the fruits of your effort. You’re almost at a point where you don’t need my help……”
“No, elder.”
“……”
“Please help me. I want to hasten the time, even if just by a day.”
I clenched my fist amid the pain.
‘Trial Points……’
Whatever they were, the more I gathered, the better—it was obvious.
I wanted to collect them as quickly as possible.
‘Seize opportunities when they come.’
It just so happened that eating poison gave a bonus.
And accordingly, an opportunity where I had the means to expel it.
Moreover.
[Poison bonus activated.]
[‘Death Devil’ is a Rank-2 deadly poison.]
[Trial Points acquired: 300.]
I recalled the message from earlier.
‘Rank-2 deadly poison.’
The fact that deadly poisons had ranks
meant there were higher ones above it, right?
‘How much for a higher-rank deadly poison?’
My heart pounded.
Sure enough.
I must be a masochist.
Even as it felt like I was dying, the thought of even a little more gain filled me with joy and excitement.
That’s why.
I needed the old man’s know-how to achieve a body immune to ten thousand poisons.
“Tsk tsk, your impatience hasn’t changed a bit since back then. Fine, keep moving it. Let’s see.”
He grumbled and clicked his tongue.
But there was clear pride in his voice.
Had my earnest desire to make the Myriad Arts supreme reached him?
“Remember this. My movements. I’ll show you the heavens above the heavens.”
I felt the old man’s touch on my back.
Through it, he stimulated my energy, guiding its path.
“Don’t fight the invading poison head-on.”
My confidently surging energy hesitated for a moment.
Then, it began following the old man’s control.
A natural rapport, like flowing water.
Goosebumps rose on my skin.
‘This is my energy?’
It felt like my child ignoring me to heed another parent.
Well, not quite another parent—more like a grandfather?
Anyway, the energy yielded to the old man’s touch.
“Poison, in essence, is like a burglar breaking into your home. One who stabs your body with a knife and mercilessly wrecks your house.”
By now, my energy had reached my esophagus and split into fine streams.
One, two, three……
The divided energies gently enveloped the poisons.
“If you beat the burglar senseless, detonate bombs, and make a mess to subdue him—what happens? Forget catching the burglar; your house collapses first, doesn’t it?”
Ah.
I instantly grasped the old man’s meaning.
Don’t confront the poison directly.
Embrace it instead of clashing.
“Absorb what you can handle, and expel the rest. A tiny amount is plenty to build resistance anyway.”
Pssshhh……
Blue liquid bubbled up from my skin all at once, then oxidized into the air.
And with that.
The pain I’d felt until now began fading away.
My stinging throat softened.
My swollen tongue subsided.
‘Death Devil’—total defeat.
“This is pretty good.”
I slowly opened my eyes.
Nice.
Easier than I thought?
So, this is how it’s done?
Yeah, I can do that too.
Body Immune to Ten Thousand Poisons.
One step at a time like this, and soon I’d reach the old man’s level?
The thought made my chest swell for some reason.
* * *
Darkness yielded as the sun slowly rose.
From the crack of dawn, I began serious preparations for exploration.
Before Olena, James, and Kapu woke.
The skeletons were already off gathering far away.
They made up the bulk of my forces.
‘But if it gets urgent, I can just resummon them.’
No matter where in the world they were, using the skill brought them back to me.
So, I wasn’t too worried.
“Yawn.”
As I prepared, Olena emerged, rubbing her eyes with a small yawn.
“Wow, really…… You stayed up all night alone?”
“No, I got some rest.”
“Where? I don’t remember you coming back to the beets after heading out in the dead of night……”
“By the wooden pillar. How could I sleep comfortably alone while my subordinates stood guard?”
“Wow, as expected……”
Olena looked at me with eyes full of admiration.
“Feels bad that only we got to rest easy. Sorry about that.”
“No worries.”
I smiled brightly.
Then, I glanced at the upper left.
[Trial Points in possession.]
[Trial Points: 630]
Ever since Trial Points appeared,
the messages provided real-time status updates.
I’d deliberately left it pinned at the top.
‘630……’
Truth be told, they had no need to feel sorry.
I’d gained plenty in exchange for skipping sleep.
‘That I racked up points……’
No need to mention it.
Not sure if they could even dispel poison.
And they weren’t fully my people yet.
We hadn’t even synced up over months together.
Just folks who teamed up after exchanging greetings.
I decided to stay cautious.
“Hey, Hoon. Thanks. Man, sleeping on the bare ground after so long—my body’s all stiff.”
As time passed, James crawled out too.
“……”
Kapu, with his pitch-black face, stretched as well.
I grinned at them.
“Sleep well, everyone? Since we made it through the night safe, let’s make this our base for now.”
“Hm? Staying here ongoing?”
James looked puzzled.
“Wouldn’t it be better to move slowly somewhere else? We need info on what other hunters are doing, and who knows if there’s an exit here?”
“James has a point.”
I nodded.
Not wrong.
“But there’s a reason we can’t leave yet.”
“Reason?”
“Yeah, nothing major. The skeletons I sent out this morning need me here to find me.”
I should avoid summoning them as much as possible.
Couldn’t summon the food they’d gathered too.
“Ah, got it……? Fair enough then. Stock up on Trial Points here first before moving?”
James scratched his head, and I laughed.
“Yeah, but we won’t just sit around gorging. We’ll scout the surroundings. Slowly comb through and uncover this dungeon’s secrets.”
“Sounds good.”
“I agree.”
Olena and Kapu nodded.
“Until the food arrives, keep recon going individually. Don’t stray too far, and shout if anything happens.”
And so the routine began.
Time passed, and night fell again.
Taeyangi and Eldrin supplied more food than expected.
The land was so vast—each haul brought different varieties.
Thanks to that, Trial Points shot up exponentially.
“Master.”
In the dead of night, as everyone slept.
Eldrin approached.
“Here’s what we gathered today.”
Clatter!
A colorful array of poisonous mushrooms spilled from his pouch.
Over 40 varieties, easy.
“Whoa, this many?”
“Tomorrow, even more. The area’s huge, and the environments vary subtly—perfect forest for diverse life.”
“Yeah?”
At night, I practiced ingesting and expelling poison.
[Poison bonus activated.]
[‘Crazy Poison’ is a Rank-1 deadly poison.]
[Trial Points acquired: 500.]
……
[Poison bonus activated.]
[‘Dark Angel’ is a Rank-3 deadly poison.]
[Trial Points acquired: 100.]
Poisons came in all kinds.
From regular toxins to Rank-1 deadly ones that hit instantly.
Points seemed calculated like this.
[Regular food - 10 points]
[Regular poison - 50 points]
[Rank-3 deadly poison - 100 points]
[Rank-2 deadly poison - 300 points]
[Rank-1 deadly poison - 500 points]
That’s how.
I piled up points exponentially.
Another day passed.
A day, then another.
We ate, explored nonstop.
At night, I took in poison.
I was a predator.
A true point predator.
About a week later.
“Whew.”
I couldn’t help but marvel at my status window.
[Trial Points in possession.]
[Trial Points: 24,630]
An absurd amount.
Considering the team’s average of 2,560—even after choking down grubs, white ants, maggots, and other vile critters.
‘Jackpot……’
That was the dignity of poison.
‘That said.’
Racking up points was great.
But we still didn’t know this dungeon’s true purpose.
Or how to resolve it.
‘Time to move?’
In the pitch-black night after sunset.
As I prepared to take in the poison Eldrin had diligently fetched today.
“Hold it, kid. Pause for a sec.”
The old man eyed me with a grave expression.
I froze.
Putting down the poison, I met his gaze.
“Shh! Don’t make it obvious. Just listen quietly.”
The old man pressed a finger to his lips.
Act natural, no reaction.
I widened my eyes and stiffened.
Then the old man spoke.
“Someone’s watching you nearby. A master whose skill is beyond what your Taecheong Heart Method could ever detect.”
“……!”
Goosebumps prickled my arms instantly.
No presence at all, and my subordinates were on vigilant guard.
Someone watching?
Who the hell?