Chapter 122: Uninvited Guest (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 122: Uninvited Guest (3)
[Requesting immediate backup! We can't possibly handle this monster on our own...!]
[Raid Leader Li Keqiang is fighting back, but he—he's no match for it!]
[Supply unit here. We're being ambushed from the flank. The enemy's numbers are small, but... they're strong!]
[At this rate... we'll be wiped out in no time! Send reinforcements immediately...!]
Everything unfolded simultaneously.
Hundreds of status messages, accompanied by video feeds, flashed dizzyingly before Xuehua's eyes.
"W-what on earth is going on...?"
Xuehua gasped, unable to suppress the tremble in her voice.
She couldn't help it.
The scene unfolding before her was a mirror reflecting the total destruction of their plans.
A vampire had suddenly appeared from the sky, completely reshaping the forest's terrain.
It was where the 2nd Raid Leader, Li Keqiang, was stationed.
Sensing the anomaly, the 1st Raid Leader, Tianqiao, was rushing toward them, but Xuehua had an ominous premonition.
This mission was already ruined beyond repair.
Grit.
The sound of her grinding her teeth echoed inside the tent.
Since things have come to this...
Yes. Since things have come to this, I have no choice but to achieve results that rival capturing the elf prisoners.
Xuehua glared at Jinhyuk with eyes gleaming with murderous intent.
I must kill him.
This man, right here.
If I kill the enemy blocking the path of the Zhonghua Guild, Lord Namgung Cheon will overlook this failure.
Her hesitation was brief.
[Xuehua uses Lv9 'Poison Fog'!]
Whoosh!
Instantly, a gray smoke filled the tent.
She had unleashed a poison designed to paralyze the target's limbs through their respiratory system.
However.
Hummmmm!
The smoke, which had been spreading relentlessly, stopped right in front of Jinhyuk.
More precisely, in front of a translucent wall erected around him.
"A... barrier?"
"I knew you used poison arts. Of course I'd prepare at least this much."
He had already gathered information on his opponent using 'Gluttony's Eye'.
He had easily anticipated how she would react when cornered.
All that was left...
"You two, please handle the rest of them outside. Just hold out for about five minutes, and I'll take care of things here."
Jinhyuk spoke to the elves.
"Understood."
"We can manage that much."
Nodding, Silvia and the ranger stepped out of the tent.
Since the A-rankers had left with the deputy, there shouldn't be any major danger.
Turning his head back, Jinhyuk looked straight at Xuehua.
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Name: Xuehua
Gender: Female
Age: 25
Level: 28
Strength: 16 | Agility: 26 | Stamina: 25 | Mana: 33 | Inner Qi: 57
Stat Points Available: 0
Coins Held: 51,558
Class: Poison Master
Unique Ability: 'Thousand Poisons'
Skills: Lv9 'Poison Fog', Lv8 'Intermediate Hidden Weapon Technique', Lv8 'Poison Qi Infusion', Lv7 'Detoxification', Lv7 'Extreme Poison Extraction', Lv6 'Protective Aura', Lv5 'Poison Membrane'
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[Copy Condition: Fighting poison with poison (以毒制毒). If you successfully neutralize the poison used by Xuehua using a combination of stronger poisons, you can copy one of her skills. However, if you neutralize the strongest poison in Xuehua's possession, you can copy her unique ability.]
Fighting poison with poison, huh...
Musing over the copy condition, Jinhyuk let out a smirk.
Though the description seemed simple, it was actually an absurd condition.
It meant he had to establish superiority in poison against an opponent who specialized in it.
Nine times out of ten, people wouldn't even dream of trying.
But.
That was only true for ordinary people who knew nothing about the Tower.
For me, it's possible.
While he wasn't a master of poisons himself, he had encountered numerous poison experts while climbing to the top of the Tower.
True masters who wielded astonishing poison arts on a completely different level than Xuehua.
Therefore, a copy condition of this caliber wasn't even considered difficult.
Since I'm doing this, I might as well copy her unique ability.
Her skills weren't bad, but obtaining the unique ability 'Thousand Poisons' was by far the best option.
To do that, he first needed to provoke her a bit.
"By the way, I heard you were highly skilled in poison arts, but I guess that was all talk. Seeing how a low-grade barrier is more than enough to block it."
"Are you... implying my skills are subpar?"
At Jinhyuk's words, the atmosphere around Xuehua grew even more chilling.
Good.
She took the bait.
"Oh, not necessarily. I just think I expected too much. I was just thinking that at this level, I could probably take on the entire Zhonghua Guild by myself."
"How dare you... spout such arrogant nonsense again. Fine. Since it's come to this, let's play for real."
Xuehua dispersed the Poison Fog.
At the same time, a toxic aura, incomparably more virulent than before, began to rise.
[Xuehua activates her unique ability, 'Thousand Poisons'!]
[Heaven-Pole Celestial-Flame Poison blooms!]
A deadly poison that destroys internal organs throughout the body via the mana circuits rather than the respiratory system.
Thousands of thread-like, viscous strands shot toward Jinhyuk all at once.
It was fast.
Moreover, this was a type of attack that couldn't be blocked by a barrier.
...As expected, she's using this.
Just as he anticipated, Xuehua had unleashed the most lethal and effective poison in her arsenal.
It was a deadly poison so potent that even a 10-meter-class giant monster wouldn't last half a day if just 1 milligram of it was absorbed through the skin.
Naturally, a human wouldn't even last a minute.
However.
As long as I know the type of poison beforehand, I can neutralize it easily. Especially if it's linked to the flow of mana.
Jinhyuk willingly took the opponent's attack head-on.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
The web-like threads swept across Jinhyuk's entire body.
Reddish lines were drawn all over his skin.
Soon, the inflamed red lines began to swell like balloons.
"Ha! Got you!"
Xuehua sneered coldly.
Now that the poison had taken effect, it didn't matter how high-flying of a ranker the opponent was.
In reality, even Paladins or Healers who had completed their second class advancement would crawl in despair before this poison.
But then.
"Hmm. Block the mana here... and from this point, release the flow by about 1% at a time..."
The very person who should have been writhing in pain and despair was merely muttering to himself, his face completely nonchalant.
"Please... show some tension! Do you not realize what kind of situation you're in right now?!"
"Huh? My situation?"
Jinhyuk tilted his head.
"Ugh! Fine. You seem to be completely ignorant about this, so let me explain what's about to happen to you. Once hit by the Heaven-Pole Celestial-Flame Poison, your blood vessels will swell, and you will gradually lose sensation starting from the tip of your right leg..."
"My leg? It moves just fine, though."
Jinhyuk lightly shook his right leg.
Wiggle, wiggle.
From his toes to his calf, then up to his thigh and pelvis.
His muscles practically performed a tap dance.
"Huh? Why is this...?"
"Hmm..."
"Is this poison a bit of a joke?"
"W-what are you talking about?! Calling my sect's ultimate technique a joke!"
"If you say so."
Why is she getting so worked up if it's not?
It's not like it actually did anything.
As Jinhyuk smirked dismissively, Xuehua's face contorted even more viciously.
"...I don't know what trick you used, but you won't be able to escape the second symptom."
Even if he had survived the paralysis by sheer luck, there would be no next time.
The second symptom was designed to spread along the mana circuits throughout the entire body.
"Yawn. I don't have high expectations, but I hope you're right this time. This poison definitely has a bit of a kick, but it's not enough to make me sweat. It's like putting in only half the packet of Buldak sauce."
"Let's see how long you can keep up that relaxed attitude."
Xuehua sneered coldly, anticipating the scene that would unfold in a moment.
However.
The result was exactly the same this time as well.
The opponent, who should have been collapsing while vomiting blood from his seven orifices, was smiling with absolute tranquility.
There was only one explanation for this.
No way.
"Are you... asking me to believe... that you neutralized the Heaven-Pole Celestial-Flame Poison?"
A close-combat class user. On top of that, a ranker from Korea, not China, having deep knowledge of poison arts?
If the other raid leaders had been here, they would have burst into laughter the moment they heard such nonsense.
Yet, it meant the opponent had calculated all the acupoints, mana circuits, and the type and amount of poison flowing through them to completely neutralize it.
It was an absurd notion, but seeing him so perfectly fine, there was no other way to explain it.
"I mixed [Blood Demon Qi] with your poison to create an even deadlier toxin. Then, I circulated it appropriately to neutralize the poison."
It sounded grand when put into words.
But to be honest, he still didn't really know what acupoints like the Gyeongmun or Cheonju were, let alone where they were located.
It was just easier for him to memorize and acquire things through his body by trial and error.
In the end, all of this was simply the product of his own hard work, learned firsthand through countless trials and errors.
And at that very moment.
[You have acquired the skill 'Thousand Poisons (AA)'!]
[Thousand Poisons]
Acquisition Difficulty: AA
Description: A unique ability that allows the user to manipulate a thousand types of poisons. It can be utilized in countless fields, ranging from instant-death extreme poisons to slow-acting toxins that gradually worsen symptoms. Additionally, due to the vast knowledge of poisons gained, a certain level of 'Detoxification' is also acquired.
A status window announcing the successful copy appeared before Jinhyuk's eyes.
With this, he had obtained yet another ability.
And a unique ability with infinite utility at that.
Naturally, once you get a new ability, it's only human nature to test it out immediately.
"Since you don't seem to know much about poison, let me teach you a lesson this time."
Watch closely.
How poison is actually supposed to be used.
"...!"
Xuehua tensed up, bracing herself for an attack.
A battle between poison masters was naturally a continuous cycle of poisoning and detoxification.
The one who wielded the superior poison arts would emerge victorious.
Don't panic. Stay calm.
She was a descendant of one of the few remaining poison sects in China.
Had she not been trained as a prodigy since childhood?
She had personally experienced countless poisons with her own body and researched countless rare toxins.
No matter how skilled of a veteran the opponent was, she was confident she would never lose when it came to poisons.
But that vain hope...
"Cough!"
...was shattered in the end.
Dark red blood spilled from Xuehua's mouth.
When did he use the poison?
When did the poisoning begin?
She couldn't even identify what kind of poison he had used...
...at all.
"Just... who are you...?"
With a brief gasp.
Thud!
Xuehua's body collapsed.
* * *
Damn it.
...Damn it!
"How could things possibly go this wrong?!"
Tianqiao, who had been in charge of the center of the elf village, sprinted frantically along the forest path.
At some point, communication had been completely cut off, not just with the other raid leaders, but with all squads.
On top of that, they had lost over 30% of their forces due to the pursuit of a crazy elf wearing a pink dress and wielding a magic wand, along with the rangers.
It was the worst-case scenario.
But if he could somehow meet up with Xuehua and reorganize their forces...
...there would still be a chance to turn this losing battle around.
However.
When he finally managed to reach the main camp.
Tianqiao immediately sensed that something had gone horribly wrong.
The tents were all burning.
And inside the command tent, he saw Xuehua lying collapsed and bleeding.
And of course.
He also saw the veteran waiting next to her, as if anticipating his next prey.
"You've come a long way, but what a shame. This is a dead end."
Jinhyuk slowly stood up.