Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: I Raise Skeletons
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Look at these things. Crunch crunch.
Ptoo!
After chewing up the dead poison scorpion and sucking out only the venom, I spat out the remnants and leaned against a tree.
All around me were the scattered remains of various poisons I'd spat out.
[There is a poison bonus.]
['Fierce Poison Scorpion's Poison Sac' is a Grade 1 fierce poison.]
[You have acquired 500 Trial Points.]
"Nice!"
I couldn't help but shout.
It was because I was deeply experiencing for myself what the old man had said lately—that the stronger the poison, the more exciting it got.
Especially since Grade 1 fierce poison was incredibly rare.
From my experience, it felt like you only found one after discovering about twenty Grade 2 fierce poisons?
"Ugh."
As expected of Grade 1 fierce poison.
My tongue was numb and stinging fiercely.
And it wasn't just my tongue?
It felt like every nerve in my body was screaming for it to stop.
'Sorry, sorry. Hang in there, body.'
Just endure a little longer.
The more painful it is now, the tougher and more resilient you'll become later.
There's that saying, right? The pain that doesn't kill you makes you stronger?
Vmmm!
I activated the Pure Azure Heart Method, gently enveloping the infiltrating poison.
Following the paths the old man had taught me, as I circulated it.
Even two doses of Grade 1 fierce poison were fully manageable.
"Hoo."
How much time had passed?
The poison's energy gathered at my fingertips.
Plop!
Soon, it condensed into a green droplet and fell.
It had been two weeks since entering this place.
Now, I could even control the expulsion point.
'I really ate a ton of the damn stuff.'
Separated from my companions, I'd spent the past week roaming central areas, gathering and ingesting poisons everywhere.
The result?
[Skill: Hundred Poisons Immunity]
[Grade: B]
[Effect 1: Resist one hundred kinds of poisons.]
[Effect 2: Gain complete resistance to poisons below a certain level.]
I'd acquired the Hundred Poisons Immunity skill.
[Your current Trial Points.]
[Trial Points: 51,300]
And I'd accumulated this many 'Trial Points.'
Of course, it was still far from enough to buy everything in the shop.
Me.
I'm still hungry.
"Hey, kid. Take a break while you're at it."
As I leaned against the tree, circulating my energy, the old man scolded me from behind.
I'd told the Elder of All Techniques.
From now on, I'd put training on hold for a while and focus only on building poison resistance.
He'd said he wanted to watch too, so not at night but during the day— that's why I'd called him then.
"Looking at you, it seems like you're not even eating properly, just ingesting poisons. You are sleeping, at least?"
"......Sleep? I get a solid two hours a day. And I'm eating over there too."
"Huh? No way, kid. You don't mean that, do you?"
The old man looked at me in disbelief.
Because in the direction I pointed, there were mushroom scraps visible.
"What kind of meal is that? It's just nibbling on mushrooms. Kid, what if you end up malnourished? To drive out poisons, you need the strength from proper food......"
"No time."
I said quietly.
"To deal with that Poison Fog monster or whatever, I need at least Thousand Poisons Immunity. I'm still only at Hundred Poisons Immunity."
"Ha, will you look at this guy?"
Why?
"You think Thousand Poisons Immunity or Ten Thousand Poisons Immunity are realms you achieve overnight? Latte roamed the mountains for nearly a year trying to reach Thousand Poisons Immunity, you punk!"
"That's because there weren't enough poisons in that world."
Even as I listened to the old man, I kept crunching on the poison mushrooms.
Next to the tree I was leaning on, Eldrin had neatly arranged dozens of kinds of mushrooms he'd gathered.
There were still plenty of poisons left to eat.
Plus, with Eldrin's abilities, the supply of poisons was endless.
"Ah, no way."
I smiled.
"You're not jealous that this disciple of yours met the heaven-sent poison resource, are you?"
"You little punk?"
[There is a poison bonus.]
['White Thorn Jester Mushroom' is a Grade 3 fierce poison.]
[You have acquired 100 Trial Points.]
Tch.
Grade 3 this time.
At this point, Grade 3 barely registered.
Less pain and more like a refreshing massage?
"Yeah, my stomach hurts because of it. Tch, how does this punk stumble into so many lucky encounters everywhere he goes...... If I were you, I could've aimed beyond the pinnacle of All Techniques."
"......Oh, so there's a realm beyond the Elder's next stage?"
"Hmph."
The old man smirked.
"You know what?"
"What?"
"For anything in the world, the moment you think it's the end—that's when it begins."
"Huh."
I recalled my first meeting with the old man of All Techniques.
How he'd toyed with the ranker Gi So-yul like she was a plaything, wielding all sorts of weapons.
And there was a realm beyond that? What could it be?
"I'm just a frog that hasn't even climbed out of the well yet, so I can't see what the world really looks like."
"Kekeke, punk. You're not in the well anymore. At your level, you've at least poked your head out."
"Hiya, that's comforting."
Ptoo.
I spat out the mushroom I'd been chewing again.
The White Thorn Jester Mushroom tasted bitterly acrid.
My stomach was tingling a bit—was it a gastrointestinal poison?
'Still.'
It was comfortable.
Was I a necromancer down to my bones?
Being alone was so much more comfortable.
Away from the group, I could eat poisons freely like this.
And mutter to myself.
"......If I play my cards right, I might not be the kind of talent Delaila wants."
I muttered as I tossed the next poison into my mouth.
"Hm? Why do you think that?"
"Delaila seems to value teamwork, but honestly, I prefer being alone. Even now—it's incredibly stable and nice."
"Hmm......"
No need to deceive anyone.
No need to watch my words.
Just focusing solely on getting stronger by myself—this moment.
"Kid. You are my one and only disciple of All Techniques."
"......"
"All Techniques flow endlessly yet stand aloof. Even if that Delaila person is grateful, you don't have to become exactly the talent she wants."
"That's true."
"No matter what the next trial is, no matter what obstacles block your path. Just keep doing what you're doing now. That'll get you halfway there."
"Doing what I'm doing now?"
"Yeah, just charging straight ahead like a fool, eyes only on the goal. Your luck has already surpassed the heavenly realm, so won't that solve everything? Tch, lucky punk."
"......"
This old man?
Why does he always say such things?
It was while ingesting poisons and bantering with the old man like that.
"My lord."
Sun, having finished scouting, approached.
If Eldrin's role was gathering poisons, his was reconnaissance.
About three days ago.
I'd ordered Sun to investigate the hunters still remaining near the center.
And he'd returned exactly three days later.
"As commanded, I've identified every single hunter existing near the central area."
"Oh, really?"
As expected of Sun.
He'd successfully scouted without being detected by A-rank or even S-rank hunters on my level or higher?
Something only a ranker could pull off?
'Of course.'
Sun was a special case.
Skilled in dim vision, his main activity time was nighttime.
"There were 24 people in the center, excluding you, my lord."
"24?"
"Yes. One team of ten, one of five, one of four, one of three, and two loners."
"......"
Fewer than I'd thought.
We'd started with 50 people.
Excluding me, the missing 25 were one of two things.
They'd strayed far from the center.
Or they were dead.
"Hmm, already a team of ten?"
Ten people.
Exactly the number for the team we'd need to form at Theme 2.
Did they get some info privilege like me?
"Yes, they were all focused on gathering food."
"That makes sense. After two weeks, no idiot would still not know how to earn Trial Points."
"And one more thing to report."
That was when Sun's eyes grew coldly somber.
"Yeah?"
"There's a team that's been circling near you for three days."
"Ah, those guys."
I nodded.
With the old man—who could even detect rankers—standing right here, how could I not know?
"The team of four, right?"
"......You knew, as expected?"
Sun nodded as if he'd figured as much.
"Kid."
The old man chimed in from behind.
"Those bastards are closing in right now, perfectly timed."
"......Yeah, I can sense them too. Looks like they weren't gentlemen in their past lives."
"Kekeke, what're you gonna do? You were just singing the praises of being alone."
"Dunno. Gotta figure out their intentions first, right?"
I replied, looking at the old man who was grinning with interest.
'But, oh boy.'
The old man's summon time was almost up.
Your one-hour-per-day coin is nearly expired, Elder.
"......"
Perhaps sensing my gaze, the old man's expression rapidly turned gloomy.
"Sigh, jeez."
He let out a deep sigh.
"The heavens are cruel. Right when things are getting fun...... I have to go...... This won't do. Kid."
"Yes?"
"What if you run away and run into them again after a day? That's no big deal for you, right!"
"......Wow, it's that bad?"
Well.
I couldn't exactly say I didn't understand.
How would it feel to be cursed to live only one hour out of every twenty-four?
'But.'
It was already too late to grant the old man's request.
Rustle!
With the sound of footsteps through the underbrush.
From all directions—east, west, south, north.
Four presences appeared.
"Hey."
One of them.
The man standing at the front spoke to me first.
With his burly build and rugged, bumpy skin, he looked incredibly menacing.
Nationality obvious at a glance: Chinese.
"Just one question."
"......"
I didn't detach my back from the tree I was leaning on.
I just stood there silently, staring at the middle-aged man.
[Skill, 'All Techniques' Teaching' (S Grade) duration has ended.]
['Master of All Techniques' summon has been released.]
[The skill can be reused after 24 hours.]
The old man vanished while repeatedly cursing [goddammit].
And just as silence fell.
"......Hey, you fuck. Didn't you hear me? Deaf or what? Someone asks you something, why're you standing there like a mute? Huh?"
A raspy voice boomed harshly across the clearing.
"I heard you fine."
I smirked and replied.
These guys.
Whatever reason they came looking for me.
They were incredibly rude.
If you have something to ask, ask politely—instead, they threatened like they'd kill me if I didn't answer.
"......"
No need to show manners to someone who shows none.
"Oho, look at that attitude?"
The menacing man scowled and jerked his head.
"You've been wandering around eating poison mushrooms, gone nuts already? Bro?"
"Still haven't formed a team and going solo—what gives you the balls to act so stiff-necked?"
The other three approached me with thuggish attitudes too.
Heh.
I chuckled inwardly.
Look at these guys?