Chapter 40
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Two Butterflies
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Two Butterflies
"Damn it!"
Marquis Lox cursed himself for being too stunned to do anything at the sight of the Sea Serpent.
"Kugh..."
Seeing all three of his sons covered in the green liquid, the Marquis clenched his fists so hard they could have bled.
"You bastard!"
"Kiaaak!"
The Marquis tried to draw his sword to kill the serpent, which was sticking its tongue out as if to taunt him, but the creature let out a mocking cry and dove back into the sea.
It was a cunning beast, enough to make one's stomach churn.
"Kugh."
The Marquis felt his poisoned left arm grow hot. The heat was spreading from his arm, past his shoulder, and into his body.
"Magician! Can you detoxify it?"
"Each Sea Serpent's venom is different, and this is a type I've never seen before. It's not a poison we can counteract!"
"Damn it! Why is there a Sea Serpent on a coast like this!"
He thought that if they were on land, if he hadn't been poisoned, he could have easily killed such a snake, but that was a meaningless thought now.
KABOOM!
With a tremendous vibration, the ship shook as if it would capsize.
"Kugh! You demonic beast..."
The Sea Serpent that had dived into the sea was now attacking the ship. The Marquis felt a chill run down his spine at its clevernessstriking first with poison, then attacking the ship from below.
"Damn it!"
The Marquis resented the heavens for letting such a god-awful thing happen on the very day he had brought his sons.
"There's no other way..."
He had mulled it over, but there was only one answer. The Marquis decided to use his aura to push the poison spreading through his body into his left arm, and then cut the arm off.
Chang!
The Marquis thought the sound of his beloved sword being drawn sounded as pitiful as his current situation.
"Haa..."
The moment the Marquis was about to place the sword on his left shoulder, a dark shadow appeared.
"Yuren?"
Yuren, whom he thought would be in the most agony from being completely drenched in poison, was looking at him with an unfazed expression.
"Are you alrigh"
Without a word, Yuren placed a hand on the Marquis's left arm.
Woong.
As a light emanated from Yuren's hand, the pain in his left arm, which had felt like it was on fire just moments ago, completely vanished.
"I will save the people. Marquis, please stand guard and defend us."
As Yuren turned and walked away, the Marquis felt a sense of reliability from his back, as if he would resolve this entire situation.
The moment I was hit by the Sea Serpent's poison, the Myriad Poisons Magnetic Divine Qi instantly reached the 5th star, unlocking a new poison and a new ability.
Until now, I had grown my abilities by literally chewing and swallowing poisons. For something to spray poison on me was no different from it tossing me an elixir and saying, Here, eat this.
"Kughh."
"Peru, come here."
One of the advantages of the Sichuan Tang Clan's traits was the ability to use a newly unlocked skill immediately, as if I had known it all along.
"Give me your arm."
I used the newly unlocked Poison Absorption Force on Peru, who was clutching his arm in agony beside me.
Poison Absorption Force is absorbing the poison (Sea Serpent - Sahon) from the target.
Poison Absorption Force is assisting the circulation of the Myriad Poisons Magnetic Divine Qi.
The proficiency of Poison Absorption Force has increased.
The attainment level of the Myriad Poisons Magnetic Divine Qi has increased.
The proficiency of True Bone-Dissolving Scatter has increased.
The Sea Serpent's poison that had been tormenting Peru was instantly transferred to me. But it didn't just bring the poison over.
"Is this for real..."
I didn't even need to circulate the Myriad Poisons Magnetic Divine Qi. As soon as the poison entered me, it coursed through my meridians in the exact sequence of the Qi's circulation before being automatically absorbed into my dantian.
Poison Absorption Force was a ridiculously overpowered ability that directly converted absorbed poison into my internal energy.
"This is insane!"
However, if the poison in Peru was a 100, I could only take about 1 or 2. It seemed to be a matter of proficiency.
"The pain is gone! Grand Prince, did you detoxify me!"
"Who else would have done it?"
I could detoxify everyone on the ship at once. But why would I do something so wasteful?
All the poison here belongs to me.
KABOOM!
"Aargh!"
"Kugh!"
"Ugh!"
The Sea Serpent attacked the ship. It seemed to be trying to make people anxious to accelerate the poison's progression.
What a sneaky bastard, just like a snake.
"I should detoxify that person first."
I approached the person on deck who was in the deepest despair.
"Yuren?"
I could see emotions like regret, anger, and despair in the eyes of the Marquis, who was about to cut off his own arm with his sword. I silently took his hand and absorbed the poison.
"I will save the people. Marquis, please stand guard and defend us."
Leaving behind the Marquis who was staring at me with incredulous eyes, I moved to the center of the ship.
I decided to prioritize and detoxify those who had important roles first. The first was the magician slumped in front of the mast.
"You guys are protecting the ship with your magic, right?"
"Yes. But the pain is making it hard to maintain my focus, so I think it's about to break."
"Then let's start with you."
"This poison isn't something that can be detoxified... huh?"
I absorbed the poison that was tormenting the magician. He seemed to realize the pain was gone mid-sentence and wore a dazed expression.
"Wh-what! Grand Prince. Were you really a magician? I don't feel any mana..."
"Enough of that, just protect the ship."
"Ah, I understand."
The magician, who had been staring at me blankly, returned to the mast and began to focus his mind.
"The crew members should be next."
I first detoxified the helmsman, the navigator, and the other crew members who were collapsed on the floor.
Since Peru had spread the word that I could perform detoxification, people now came to me on their own.
"Is that you, Collin?"
The first to approach, hesitating, was Collin.
"Well, that is..."
Collin seemed awkward and embarrassed to ask for my help, rubbing his neck and staring at the floor.
"What are you hesitating for? It doesn't suit you. Hurry up."
"Ah."
I chuckled, grabbed his arm, and pulled him in front of me.
"Your neck, right? Show me."
"Yes."
As I absorbed the poison from Collin's darkening neck, his skin returned to its original color.
"Th-thank you, brother..."
"I think that's the first time I've heard you say that with sincerity."
"N-no, it's not."
Collin stepped aside and looked at me with eyes full of complex emotions. The previous ill feelings in his gaze were gone.
"Brother. I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what? Where is it?"
The person behind Collin was Raon. He bowed his head as if he had done something wrong.
"Brother! Thank you. Thank you so much!"
After I healed Raon, he bowed his head countless times and went to the Marquis's side.
"Grand Prince..."
"You are..."
Seeing the next person who came forward stirred up more feelings than even Collin had.
Before me stood Rackerd Ollianthe first person in this world to make me fear for my life, the man who displayed an astounding favorability of 91, the one who had smiled at me in the training grounds with a face full of wounds.
"Why are you staring like that? Hurry up and show me the poisoned area."
"Ah, it's here."
As I absorbed the poison from Rackerd's right shoulder, his expression, which had been tight with pain, relaxed.
"Grand Prince. Thank you."
"Right."
Rackerd's eyes held even more complex emotions than Collin's. He seemed utterly confused by my actions.
It wasn't just Collin and Rackerd who were benefiting. I, too, was gaining internal energy by consuming their poison, so it was no different from a mutually beneficial exchange.
"Next."
"I-I'm in your care."
The knights who came after Rackerd didn't like me either, but I absorbed their poison without hesitation.
I had been worried about how to deal with the people Yuren had tormented during his troublemaker days, but I was now certain that today's events would forge new relationships with those who had disliked and hated me until now.
SPLAAAASH!
"Kiaaak!"
"It's appeared!"
"To the left!"
With a loud splash, the Sea Serpent resurfaced.
Chachachang!
Kakyang!
"Kaaaak!"
Unlike before, it was the Sea Serpent that was caught off guard this time. The Marquis and the knights instantly moved in front of it and launched sharp aura blades.
"Krrrrk!"
The Sea Serpent bled profusely as it dove back into the sea. But the Creator's Eye tracked its movements.
"Everyone, this way!"
I called out to the others as I moved to the stern of the ship, following the creature's path. The Marquis and the knights followed me.
Previously, they wouldn't have listened to me, but perhaps because I had saved them, they followed without a word.
"Is this the right way?"
"Yes. It will appear shortly."
"Understood. I'll trust you."
The Marquis stood next to me, raising his sword as he glared at the sea.
Agnes.
That again?
Agnes spoke in a blunt tone, then became two butterflies that landed on my hand. With my increased proficiency, I could now use two Blood Flower Butterflies simultaneouslythe Twin Flower Butterflies.
"The serpent will emerge where the butterflies fly. Everyone, attack then."
"Yes!"
"Understood."
No one doubted my words now. Everyone was looking in the same direction as I was.
"It's coming."
Just as the Sea Serpent showed signs of surfacing, I sent the two Blood Flower Butterflies toward the spot where it would emerge.
Flutter.
The blood-drinking butterflies flew gracefully over the sea, ignoring the rough waves.
SPLAAAASH!
"Kiiiak!"
By the time the Sea Serpent rose from the sea and tried to spit the poison it had prepared, the two Blood Flower Butterflies were already attached to its chest.
Click.
Paaak!
Pukak!
A cold, mechanical sound that could make a heart drop was heard, and blood gushed like a waterfall from the Sea Serpent's chest where the butterflies had landed.
"Krarararak!"
Two fist-sized holes had appeared on the Sea Serpent's chest, and the beast writhed and roared in immense pain.
"Now!"
At the Marquis's voice, the knights unleashed their aura with all their might.
KWAAAAA!
Chachachachang!
"Kiak!"
While the knights were finishing off the Sea Serpent, I changed Agnes into something else.
Chwararak.
Thwack!
"Kaak!"
I turned Agnes into a harpoon with a chain, pierced the serpent with it, and pulled with all my strength. Without a word, the knights beside me grabbed the chain and helped me pull.
THUD!
The upper body of the dead and tattered Sea Serpent was hauled onto the deck, though its body was still in the sea.
"It's disgustingly huge."
"Ugh. It's scary even though it's dead."
"Grand Prince, you did wonderfully. The corpse of a Sea Serpent can be used as a very valuable magical ingredient."
"Is that so?"
Unlike the excited magician, my reason for bringing the serpent aboard was simple. To devour it.
Poison Absorption Force is absorbing the poison (Sea Serpent - Sahon) from the target.
Poison Absorption Force is assisting the circulation of the Myriad Poisons Magnetic Divine Qi.
The proficiency of Poison Absorption Force has increased.
The attainment level of the Myriad Poisons Magnetic Divine Qi has increased.
The proficiency of True Bone-Dissolving Scatter has increased.
"Haha!"
Absorbing the poison directly from its source certainly raised my internal energy far more than absorbing it from people.
It was no different from a clump of elixir delivered by courier.
"It's really strange. Sea Serpents aren't monsters found in the south."
"Not only that. I've never heard of a Sea Serpent appearing this close to the mainland. This must be a first."
"First the Sharkrai King, and now a Sea Serpent. So many strange things are happening this year."
They were right. Neither the Sharkrai King nor the Sea Serpent should be here. Something had definitely changed.
"Huh?"
As I listened to the Marquis and the magician, a bead lying next to the Sea Serpent's head caught my eye.
"That's the same one from before..."
It was the same color and shape as the bead from the Sharkrai King. But no one else paid any attention to it.
"Hey. Peru."
"Yes?"
"Don't you see that bead?"
I called over Peru, who was examining the serpent.
"A bead? Where? I don't see anything."
Even though I was pointing right at it, Peru couldn't perceive the bead's existence. Just in case, I asked Arin, but she couldn't see it either.
Is this bead only visible to me? If so...
You have acquired a Fragment of the Shattered World.
Fwaat.
The moment I grabbed the bead, I was summoned to the tattered white room I had seen before.
"As I thought, it's this place again."
Pasak.
Just like before, the bead flew to the wall, erased one of the small holes, and vanished.
You have contributed to the world's restoration.
A reward will be provided based on your aptitude.
Reward selection complete.
The trait 'Sword Human' is granted to you.
"It's giving me a trait this time?"