Chapter 17
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Mutated Mice and Poison Attack
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Let's get out of here first!
Jeong Hoon grabbed Bleo and fled outside the building.
Boom! Boom!
Bleo fell into a panic amid the continuous explosions.
My, my research!
First, let's put out those flames.
Please do.
Whatever Bleo had mixed into the antidote had triggered a chemical reaction, causing it to explode.
The aftermath shattered the cylinders containing the poison he was experimenting with, and the lab rats inside mutated into monsters.
So it was real.
When Min Jin-ho had rambled about it, Jeong Hoon had dismissed it as nonsense, but it happened exactly as he described.
Defeat all Lv.32 Mutated Lab Rats.
Mutated lab rats.
Was it because they ate Krasha's Inner Core? Their levels were quite high.
Jeong Hoon left Bleo outside and entered the building alone.
The poison gas was thick, as all the cylinders filled with poison had shattered.
I won't use holy power.
When facing Krasha, he hadn't used holy power at all to maintain Immune to Poison.
He had only used healing for stamina recovery.
The same applied now.
There was no need to operate holy power in this perfect situation for leveling up Immune to Poison.
You have been poisoned.
Immune to Poison resists strongly.
The rate of HP loss slows.
Even with Immune to Poison as a passive, he was still poisoned.
Immune to Poison level rises.
Indomitable Body level rises.
Good.
Immune to Poison had reached level 6.
Indomitable Body leveled up alongside it.
It meant the poison was dealing significant damage to his body.
He decided to focus on leveling up like this.
Squeak.
A mutated lab rat appeared, having caught his scent.
The rat, once smaller than an adult's palm, had grown over a meter long.
Its face was grotesquely distorted from the poison infection.
Even uglier than Krasha.
Jeong Hoon's brow furrowed slightly, despite remaining unfazed against Krasha.
Myeongwang Fist Technique.
Dealing with them was the priority.
Jeong Hoon stepped forward and thrust his fist at the mutated lab rat.
Though mutated and higher level, it was freshly transformed and incomplete.
The rapid gigantification left its bones improperly hardened.
From experience, the weak point of such monsters was smashing their heads.
Squeeee!
The mutated lab rat flew back from Jeong Hoon's punch.
His Myeongwang Fist Technique then unleashed fiercely, taking down twenty visible rats.
The green mana stones from these rats, right?
As a Poisoner, Min Jin-ho had discovered the key lay in these green mana stones.
Since he mentioned it himself, it was certain.
Jeong Hoon sliced open the rats' innards with a dagger and collected the small green fragments near their hearts.
Squeak!
Deeper in, more rats lay in wait.
There sure are a lot.
Jeong Hoon clicked his tongue and began hunting the rats.
Alchemist Bleo paced anxiously outside the building, biting his nails.
Why? Why did it fail? My calculations were perfect.
He couldn't pinpoint where it went wrong.
When it turned light green, he was certain the antidote was complete.
But it destabilized and went berserk.
Ah fuck, I get it now.
Bleo finally realized his mistake.
He shouldn't have extracted only the drug from the Inner Core; he should have used the whole thing.
Krasha's poison would have neutralized the remaining toxicity completely.
Damn it.
He was furious.
His hair loss had started in childhood.
At just 17, his head was completely bald.
Not partially, but entirely.
He endured endless mockery from peers.
Huh? Did you shave your head on purpose?
It shines so bright.
And that wasn't all.
Oh my god.
Sorry even so, bald is a bit.
Even the women he crushed on rejected him for being bald.
That's when he started hating people intensely.
As an adult, Bleo spent ten years researching not just his specialty, poison, but also a cure for this damned hair loss.
He never imagined making such a ridiculous mistake at the end.
Fuuuuck!
If he hadn't erred! If he'd double-checked!
If he hadn't lost his reason in excitement over Krasha's Inner Core!
The hair loss antidote would have been completed safely.
Why are you yelling like that?
Just then, Jeong Hoon emerged from the building.
His hands were full of green-tinted mana stones.
What's that?
From the rats.
Can I take a look?
Sure. That's why I brought them.
Thank you.
Please.
Bleo appraised the stones with desperate eyes.
Soon, his eyes lit up with joy.
Mixed with Krasha's separated poison during the explosion, they had stabilized somewhat.
He could make the antidote quickly with these.
Looks like you have a way?
Yes!
Everything went as planned afterward.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Bleo openly sobbed.
Thank you so much! This is my thanks!
He went to the basement and retrieved an old book.
What's this?
A skillbook I completed while staying in the capital. Please take it.
So this is the skillbook for learning Poison Attack.
I'll gladly accept it.
You have completed the hidden quest.
You acquire Poison Attack.
As Jeong Hoon took the skillbook, it glowed once and vanished.
Done!
He had now obtained every opportunity available from Origin Village's alchemist.
Poison Attack
-Type: Passive
-Level: 1
-Grade: Normal
-Low chance on hit: Inflicts 5 additional poison damage to target. (No level penalty)
-Low chance on being hit: Inflicts 1 poison damage to target. (No level penalty)
Damage reduces sharply with level gaps, but Poison Attack has no level penalty.
Truly an overpowered skill.
However, even after dragging it out by killing all the mutated rats, Immune to Poison stopped at level 8.
Still fine.
Opportunities to reach 10 remained.
Now, just level up and the job change quest, and his business here was done?
Whew, I'm beat.
He had rushed without rest.
As tension eased, fatigue hit all at once.
Jeong Hoon logged out immediately.
All done.
Aren came down to the first floor after cleaning the general store.
JuokKkangTe7 donated 10,000 won.
-No, Uncle Chilchil! Why do the cleaning they told you not to?
Ten thousand! Thank you, JuokKkangTe7.
For real, can't understand why you're doing it
Uncle Chilchil that's why IQ 77
We're embarrassed watching
What're you gonna do with that title.
The chat scrolled, all saying not to proceed with the quest.
But to Aren, hooked by the Martial Artist's sincerity, none of it registered.
Wait and see! I'll show you it all means something!
No what the hell got into this guy?
Something happened for sure he was like this with Unnan too
Regretted after 2 months grinding then?
Classic Uncle Chilchil, does it again after one try! Class is insane!
Idiots.
Aren ignored the chat and headed to the counter for his reward from Ten.
But a mage in a robe embroidered with golden patterns stood there.
Clearly a high-level user.
Player Info
-Nickname: Jin-ho
-Level: 371
-Job: Poisoner (4th Advancement)
Player info showed a level 371 Poisoner.
Leader of the named guild Dokjeon, no less.
Whoa? No way that's Min Jin-ho the Poisoner, right?
Aren muttered blankly.
The chat was already exploding.
Whoa it's Min Jin-ho!
Why's a 5th adv Poisoner here?
First Poisoner ever. Chest feels majestic.
Uncle Chilchil! Go ask him up close! 50,000 won if you do.
Someone offered 50,000 won to talk to Min Jin-ho.
50k 100k more!
100k 200k more!
The money piled up.
In under a minute, talking to Min Jin-ho became a 1.02 million won mission.
Aren approached Min Jin-ho cautiously.
Um excuse me, are you really Min Jin-ho?
And?
Min Jin-ho tilted his head.
Unlike his Poisoner job handling poison, he looked surprisingly kind.
Whoa then why come to Origin Village's general store?
Users swarmed outside the store.
All gathered to gawk at Min Jin-ho.
Oh, just some business.
Min Jin-ho finished his errand and began cleaning the store.
A poison researcher? There's one, but hard to find. Extremely wary of people.
News of Vicious Poison Krasha appearing finally hit the forums.
During his Poisoner 2nd advancement, he got a hint about Krashanever thought it'd be in Origin Village.
Canceled all plans and hunted Krasha 600 times.
Hiss st-stop.
Krasha, one-shot every time, finally spat out its Inner Core.
Now, just find the alchemist who handles Inner Cores for the perfect Poisoner skill.
If wary of people, just earn trust.
Repeatedly do good deeds in Origin Village to ease the alchemist's guard?
In New World, very possible.
M-Min Jin-ho cleaning!
Gasp!
Users freaked out.
Min Jin-ho shows up in Origin Village and starts cleaning out of nowhere?
Must be a village quest.
Huh?
Aren blinked.
No! Fuck? What?
Uncle! Explain!
Another village quest?
No way he'd clean otherwise!
What was going on?
Aren couldn't comprehend.
This thick-headed idiot.
Your cleaning might not be pointless!
Huh? So he read the Martial Artist's earnest gaze correctly?!
Aren puffed up instantly, straightening his back.
See? I was right, right? Anyone wanna argue?
Cocky Uncle Chilchil class insane.
Don't die, ask Min Jin-ho why he's cleaning.
Jeong Hoon, home early for once, crashed early evening.
He slept so long he didn't wake until afternoon the next day.
Body feeling better?
Worried from no contact, Ha-jin visited.
Refreshed after sleeping it off.
Head still heavy, but fatigue much gone.
Should be fine for now.
He pushed hard in Origin Village, so rest was due.
But to move to the next village, he needed quick leveling and job change quest.
First, Genesis's event.
Leveled enough? Did 1st job change obviously.
Jeong Hoon had muted Ha-jin whispers to focus fully on quests.
No distractions.
So Ha-jin had no idea of Jeong Hoon's progress.
Haven't done 1st yet.
Jeong Hoon's words shocked him.
Huh? What? Not even 1st?
Yeah. Village quests kept me busy.
Crazy! So that's why you've been so slammed?
Yeah.
Aigoo what to do with you, you frustrating bastard.
Jeong Hoon's current level was 24.
Still 6 short for 1st job change quest.
Time to level now.
You're doing the event, right? Really gunning for last place?
Jeong Hoon shrugged instead of answering.
Three days until the event.
Genesis event, so tons of sub-50 users; top ranks needed 1st job change.
Fail that essential, and he'd worry about bottom ranks.
1st place ain't easy.
Not for Jeong Hoon.