Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Excising the Poison Sacs
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Rustle.
A problem had arisen.
And it was a massive one at that.
Sss...
If I couldn't resolve this issue that Silpi had helped me uncover right away, who knew how it might block my path forward.
I couldn't let that happen. Absolutely not.
Sss...
The problem she'd helped me discover lay in the venom I possessed.
One might call it mere poison.
Priests would blast it away with purification magic, mages would block its spread with mana, or adventurers would flush it out with potions—plenty of scenes like that had played out.
But those methods only worked on ordinary poison.
Truly terrifying venom couldn't be cured by any of that.
Take an example right now.
The infamous trio of venomous beasts from Jijiyong.
Hydra. Nidhogg. Jormungandr.
Hydra and Jormungandr's venom could shatter divinity, threatening even the gods themselves.
Nidhogg was the owner of a poison that had broken the very concept of nature's protection, driving the World Tree—mother of elves and sanctuary of spirits—to the brink of death.
Venom like that was beyond dangerous.
And, hard as it might be to believe, judging by the growth trajectory of my own venom, I'd soon stand shoulder-to-shoulder with that deadly trio.
So isn't that great?
Sadly, no. Not at all.
This venom was blocking the path to the spirit beast evolution I was aiming for. How could that be anything but bad?
'Ah, but at this point in time, they probably don't exist yet.'
Hydra, Nidhogg, and Jormungandr were all said to have appeared after the ancient era.
If I failed to resolve this and let my venom mature unchecked, I might end up as their elder senior. Kehkeh.
'Hoo...'
Was it because what lay ahead terrified me so much?
To think I'd end up spouting such nonsense, which I never usually did.
"Shaa!"
Right. Time to get ready.
For the goal I dreamed of.
Removing the obstacle blocking my way.
By my own hand.
Gulp.
I casually turned my head to check the distance from Cheong and Silpi.
The cave was already out of sight—we'd come far enough.
This distance should be plenty.
Even so, doing it nearby felt off.
I didn't want them hearing my screams, or worse, seeing any pathetic display in the process.
"Shaaah."
Mind made up.
Alright, then... time to get serious.
Step one to removing my venom!
To eliminate it, I first needed to locate the sacs containing it.
Commonly known as poison glands.
'One in each cheek. And... one inside the body.'
I had a total of three poison sacs.
Tricky just looking at it, right?
And the process wouldn't be easy, either.
'First, the one inside the body.'
I chose the internal poison sac as the first to remove.
Reasons abounded, but mainly because this task demanded the utmost focus.
The cheek ones didn't require much concentration, but they would hurt like hell, so I worried the pain might shatter my focus later. Better to handle this one first.
Wriggle.
Slowly. Meticulously. I had to control my body with surgical precision.
No hands or feet meant twisting my form to nudge the internal sac into position, beginning the extraction in earnest.
Wriggle. Wriggle.
'Urk.'
The deep-seated sac, which had supplied my venom, panicked at the sudden disturbance and released its toxins.
Naturally, the venom spreading inside me meant I'd absorb it all.
But no need to panic.
My body could handle this much.
Just endure and proceed.
Wriggle. Wriggle.
'Might as well finish it in one go!'
Stopping here would let the sac slip back into place.
Then I'd have to start over, and by then my focus would wane, raising the risk of mistakes.
'One shot. That's the plan.'
Wriggle. Wriggle. Wriggle.
"Kyaaaah."
Ah, so this is what forcing vomit feels like.
Especially the sour, insidious sensation of that venomous substance creeping up past my throat.
...Tears were welling in my eyes, too.
Urk. Kaaack.
Accompanied by a sensation I never wanted to feel again, the poison sac finally emerged halfway up my throat.
Now, open wide and... hurl!
Plop.
"Kyaaah."
'Uweeeck.'
With tears blurring my unfocused vision, I confirmed the sac I'd just expelled.
Good lord, how could something expelled from my own body look so horrifying?
Sss...
Needed distance.
I instinctively pulled away from the freshly vomited thing.
What the—how was it already corroding the ground like that after barely touching it?
No wonder it was marked as a hazard.
'Yeah. That's what makes it an obstacle.'
And now I had to deal with two more like it.
'Plus, these next ones will hurt way worse.'
Honestly, that was still giving me pause.
The method I planned was brutally crude!
And doing it solo, without help, was downright scary.
'Damn, I've never even had a wisdom tooth pulled.'
The plan: Force all the venom into the fangs connected to the sacs, then yank out the fangs along with the sacs.
(For reference, concentrating the venom in the fangs first was to prevent the sacs from bursting during extraction.)
'Hoo. Live tooth-pulling with no anesthesia.'
This was basically self-torture.
But no stopping now.
Tears in my eyes, I maneuvered my tail to grip... my right fang.
'Hoo. Hup! Here we go. One. Two. Three!'
Crunch.
-Ugh! I'm so worried!
"Myaa..."
Silpi and Cheong remained where El had left them, fretting.
Why not follow him?
Because El had wanted them to stay here.
So they held their ground.
They trusted him. Believed firmly he'd return to them safe and sound.
-Hoo. He must be badly hurt, right?
Even so, worry gnawed at them.
What if something happened?
What if he pulled some weird stunt and came back injured?
Silpi worried especially hard about El, convinced his departure was because of her.
-If only I hadn't told him the truth.
Then he wouldn't have left.
"Myung."
-Cheongie.
Cheong approached the gloomy Silpi and gently swung an arm.
A cautious pat, devoid of force.
The clear gesture of comfort brought a faint smile to Silpi's face.
-Thanks. But save some for when El gets back—double for me.
"Myaa!"
If you say so.
With Cheong's nod easing her mood further, Silpi realized she couldn't just mope.
-Yeah, let's ease his worries before he returns.
What was El's issue?
The venom inside him was preventing his evolution to spirit beast.
So she decided to use her power to find a solution.
-Wind. Carry my words far and wide.
Her question—seeking ways to resolve El's venom problem—rode the breeze afar.
Whoooosh.
-Whoa, responses!
Before El returned.
Those answering her call sent replies.
Silpi sprang up, replaying their words with gratitude.
-Sounds serious. Why not just kill it?
-N-No way!
Kill who?!
She recoiled in horror, replaying another.
-That venom intrigues me. Care to sell me the snake?
-El's my friend! Not for sale!
Next one.
-Whoa! Snake sounds tasty! Where are you? I'll bring special sauce!
-El's not food!
Next.
-How'd you befriend a mere beast? Back in my day, I lived a lonely life...
-Argh! Shut up!
Next.
-Poison issue? Just slice open its belly and yank it out!
-Don't be ridiculous!
No real answers anywhere.
Silpi ground her teeth, recalling her unhelpful kin.
How could none of these responses hold a solution?!
-Ugh. Scary as it is, maybe ask the Spirit King...
Would a mere lower spirit's plea even reach him?
If his mood was good, maybe. If not, he might send high spirits to punish her for bothering him.
...But for her friend, what wouldn't she do?
-Alright! I'll ask!
Thus, Silpi steeled herself and sent her question to their king.
Not broadcast wide like before, but a targeted breeze flew at incomparable speed.
-Got a lot of free time? Chatting me up like this. Lower spirits got it good these days, huh?
-Eek!
For some reason, she got a thoroughly irritated reply from the Spirit King.
Doomed.
That single word filled her mind.
Rustle.
But Silpi quickly shook off the worries.
Why? The source of all this worry—El—had returned!
-El! Where were you, you're finally... What the hell happened to you!!
"Myamyamyaaak!!!"
But perhaps it was too soon for joy.
Her returning friend had blood smeared around his mouth and returned with utterly wrecked eyes.
-Wh-Who did this to you!
"Myung! Myaak! Haaak!!"
Cheong and Silpi burned with rage at El's state.
Receiving their questions, El blankly stared at the sky.
"Shaaah."
'N-Never... again.'
Thud.
With those words, he collapsed and passed out.
-EeeeeEl!
"Myaaaak!"