Chapter 111
Chapter 111
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: The Ten Thousand Poisons Immunity Elixir
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"......Yes?"
Manager Kim wondered for a moment what Hae-jin was saying.
The skill called Heavenly Poison Immunity had an evolution condition.
Some kind of condition where enduring various poisons would evolve it into Ten Thousand Poisons Immunity.
But Hae-jin said something else.
That he just needed to take one elixir.
Then what was the point of the evolution condition for the Heavenly Poison Immunity skill?
Seeing Manager Kim's puzzled expression, Hae-jin smirked.
"To achieve Ten Thousand Poisons Immunity, you do need to get poisoned by the Human-Faced Spider. That's how you get the Heavenly Poison Immunity skill and fulfill the evolution conditions to become Ten Thousand Poisons Immunity. But there's no need for that."
"No need?"
"Yes."
"Why not?"
The Heavenly Poison Immunity skill, won through a life-or-death gamble against the Human-Faced Spider.
It could evolve into Ten Thousand Poisons Immunity, yet Hae-jin said there was no need to get it that way.
Manager Kim couldn't fathom why he was saying this.
Hae-jin answered his question.
"Because you can get the 'Ten Thousand Poisons Immunity Elixir' from the Sichuan Tang Clan."
"The Ten Thousand Poisons Immunity Elixir?"
"Yes."
"Isn't that temporary like the Heavenly Poison Immunity Pill?"
The Heavenly Poison Immunity Pill had a temporary effect that lasted only until the Trials' Arena.
But from what Hae-jin was saying, the Ten Thousand Poisons Immunity Elixir seemed permanent.
Hae-jin nodded at Manager Kim's question.
"That's right. That's why it's called an 'elixir.' It's permanent."
Because it's an elixir, it's permanent, said Hae-jin.
From that, Manager Kim grasped the difference between what Hae-jin had mentioned.
"Ah, so it's just the difference between a pill and an elixir."
"Yeah, roughly. Get the Ten Thousand Poisons Immunity Elixir from the Sichuan Tang Clan, and you'll never have to worry about poison again."
"The Sichuan Tang Clan?"
"There's a group called the Sichuan Tang Clan that's experts at handling poisons. You'll learn about them soon enough."
"I see."
"Yes."
After hearing about the Heavenly Poison Immunity skill he'd obtained in the previous Trials' Arena from Hae-jin, Manager Kim had no more questions.
Of course, he could ask more if he wanted.
He could inquire further about the 'Ten Thousand Poisons Immunity Elixir' or the 'Sichuan Tang Clan' that Hae-jin mentioned.
But Manager Kim thought differently.
'Well, he'll tell me everything if I need to know.'
Truth be told, he already knew some of it.
From Manager Kim's perspective, he'd only asked out of curiosity after gaining the Heavenly Poison Immunity skill by defying what Hae-jin had said, enduring the Human-Faced Spider's poison, and finishing the battle.
And through this incident, Manager Kim's conviction in Hae-jin grew even stronger.
'Just do as the Leader says.'
Everything would be perfect if he followed Hae-jin's instructions.
So now, there was only one thing Hae-jin needed to do for them.
That was.
"Then, will you explain the next Trials' Arena as well?"
An explanation of the next Trials' Arena.
It was the most important part for the Players.
After all, the Players' ultimate goal was 'survival.'
Hae-jin responded to Manager Kim's question.
"Hmm, let's gather around mid-month and go over it then. We have to share the info with the other Vanguard Platoon members anyway, not just us."
"Understood."
Afterward, the party members who had cleared the Trials' Arena gathered at Hae-jin's house, ate the meal prepared by Raffaello, and then parted ways.
Then December 15th arrived.
Right in the middle of December, as Hae-jin had said.
This time too, Hae-jin assembled the Vanguard Platoon.
However, seeing the assembled Vanguard Platoon, Hae-jin fell silent.
Villain appearances had been virtually nonexistent for the past fortnight.
Even so, three more platoon members had been added.
'Now we're down to less than twenty left.'
In the previous Trials' Arena, quite a few who had received Hae-jin's advice hadn't survived.
'Well, without the Heavenly Poison Immunity Pill, my advice couldn't have much effect.'
The Vanguard Platoon had been getting info from Hae-jin starting from the eleventh Trials' Arena.
But from their perspective, it was a gamble.
Right from the eleventh Trials' Arena, they had to form parties of ten or fewer to clear the 'Desert Nest' dungeon to achieve the hidden trial.
If Hae-jin had taken responsibility for it, that would be one thing.
But since the people he needed to team up with for the final trial were more important, Hae-jin could only provide info to the Vanguard Platoon members.
Of course, he had considered it.
He had thought about setting his own party members as leaders for the 'Desert Nest' dungeon and clearing it with the Vanguard Platoon members.
'Even if I saved them that way, those meant to die would just suffer more painfully in the twelfth Trials' Arena.'
That was why Hae-jin hadn't gone out of his way to look after the Vanguard Platoon members in the eleventh Trials' Arena, even distributing his party members.
Even if he or the other party members helped the Vanguard Platoon achieve the hidden trial and survive, it meant nothing if they were weak on their own.
They'd only suffer more horribly, dying from the Heavenly Poison Immunity Pill they'd earned from the hidden trial.
The Heavenly Poison Immunity Pill was undoubtedly a precious item that prevented death by poison in the previous Trials' Arena, but it wasn't enough to survive the Poison Grove on its own.
After all, the monsters in the Poison Grove were plenty strong even without their poison.
Even if the Vanguard Platoon members achieved the hidden trial in the eleventh Trials' Arena with their help and took the Heavenly Poison Immunity Pill, it would only make them perfect fodder—dying slowly and painfully torn apart by monsters instead of quick death by poison.
Especially in the Poison Grove, full of venomous monsters.
'Those things torment their prey without killing it outright, eating it alive bit by bit.'
They weren't called venomous for nothing.
Of course, in nature, poison often evolved for self-defense.
But the Poison Grove monsters were different.
They wielded poison offensively, not defensively.
Thus, they injected poison and slowly devoured their prey alive.
'No wonder their malice runs so deep.'
Even with the Heavenly Poison Immunity Pill, if they couldn't defeat the Poison Grove monsters in combat, they'd only face that agonizing death.
Anyway.
Hae-jin greeted the surviving and assembled Vanguard Platoon members.
"Everyone, good work surviving this time and making it here."
"No, Leader! If anything, we're grateful to you for letting us survive!"
"Exactly!"
The Vanguard Platoon members responded to Hae-jin's greeting by expressing their own gratitude instead.
Hae-jin smirked at their words and suggested they eat first.
"Come on, let's fill our stomachs and then talk."
""Yes!""
And so Hae-jin and the Vanguard Platoon members began their meal.
Once everyone seemed full, Hae-jin passed out dessert and spoke.
"Then, I'll share the info on the upcoming thirteenth Trials' Arena."
At Hae-jin's words, everyone present perked up their ears.
No Player would let info on the next Trials' Arena go in one ear and out the other.
"First off, this time you'll all be heading to a place called the Southern Wild Beast Palace."
Afterward, Hae-jin explained what the Southern Wild Beast Palace was like.
A group focused on tempering the body for external martial arts, wielding internal energy, and true to their name, handlers of beasts.
To survive there, one had to gain recognition as a palace disciple from the Southern Wild Beast Palace.
In fact, considering that, it made sense to choose the Southern Wild Beast Palace disciple token as the reward for achieving the hidden trial in the previous Trials' Arena.
That is, if one only planned to survive the thirteenth Trials' Arena.
But Hae-jin said.
"If you can't gain recognition as a palace disciple in the Southern Wild Beast Palace and survive the thirteenth Trials' Arena, then survival in future Trials' Arenas is impossible anyway."
That's why Hae-jin had told them not to pick the Southern Wild Beast Palace disciple token as the hidden trial reward.
You could earn the Southern Wild Beast Palace disciple token by proving your strength anyway, and survive the thirteenth Trials' Arena that way.
So instead, Hae-jin had told them to choose the Shadow Sect disciple token.
Because in the Central Plains, which would be the backdrop for upcoming Trials' Arenas, the Shadow Sect disciple token would be the most versatile item.
Anyway, he shared the survival goal for the thirteenth Trials' Arena.
Survive by gaining recognition as a palace disciple from the Southern Wild Beast Palace.
At that, Lee Sang raised his hand.
"Then, will you tell us about the hidden trial now?"
"Of course."
Though Hae-jin and Lee Sang had agreed to speak casually, this was a setting of Leader and platoon member, not brothers.
Thus, Hae-jin used formal speech.
Other Vanguard Platoon members were present too.
Answering Lee Sang's question, Hae-jin explained.
"When you enter the thirteenth Trials' Arena, you'll encounter people from the Southern Wild Beast Palace. There are various ways to gain recognition as a palace disciple. One is helping with requests from the palace disciples. Another is becoming the champion of the Southern Wild Colosseum hosted by the Southern Wild Beast King."
Hae-jin shared how to achieve the hidden trial in the thirteenth Trials' Arena.
Lee Sang double-checked it.
"Becoming the champion of the Southern Wild Colosseum?"
"Probably better for you to discover that yourselves after entering the thirteenth Trials' Arena than for me to explain it in detail."
"Either way, becoming the champion of the Southern Wild Colosseum in the thirteenth Trials' Arena achieves the hidden trial, right?"
"Correct."
"Thank you!"
Lee Sang thanked him on behalf of everyone.
Hae-jin smirked at him.
"What thanks? Didn't I say I'd share info with you all going forward? Alright, seems like we've covered this info session, so shall we wrap up?"
"Yes!"
After Lee Sang answered for the Vanguard Platoon members, Hae-jin distributed items he and Raffaello had prepared for the thirteenth Trials' Arena to the members.
Hoping as many as possible would survive.
Of course, seeing over half die in just two Trials' Arenas still hurt.
But there was no helping it.
'In a way, the Trials' Arena is a world of the weak being devoured and the strong devouring. Or rather, survival of the fittest?'
The weak get eaten, the strong eat.
If anything, survival of the fittest fit better than law of the jungle.
Players adapted to the environment survive.
Anyway, after distributing necessary items to the Vanguard Platoon members, everyone parted ways, but Park Jong-pal, Song Seung-hun, and Jung Soo-jung remained.
After most of the Vanguard Platoon had left, Park Jong-pal approached.
"Leader, I have something to say."
"Hm? What is it?"
Hae-jin wondered why Park Jong-pal had stayed behind to talk to him.
Park Jong-pal spoke.
"It's just......"