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chapter 440
“… Master.”
“Hm?”
“I just got out of being possessed by the poisonous spirit, so I still feel dizzy and think I’m seeing things… but I wanted to ask just in case…”
Master, what you’re drinking right now… isn’t that poison?
“Oh, right.”
“Why would you drink that!”
Yeon Mirae snatched the cup containing the poison from me. Then, she contaminated it with her own blood and neutralized it.
“It’s not as rare as Hydra’s venom, but Basilisk venom isn’t exactly easy to come by either, and you just got rid of it.”
“You say it like you would have drunk Hydra’s venom if you could have gotten it.”
“I was thinking about it. But monsters like Hydra rarely appear, and defeating one is even rarer… especially getting a Hydra venom gland at an auction is much rarer.”
At my words, not only Yeon Mirae, but also Sophia, who was sitting nearby working on her laptop, gave me a shocked look.
“You do know that since the appearance of the Black Mist, Hydra venom glands have only appeared in auctions twice, right? And it wasn’t purchased by an individual, but by a research organization, so the price was astronomical.”
“You probably also heard that it was transported in a container reinforced with ten layers of a special poison-resistant alloy, and by the time it arrived, eight of those layers had melted.”
“… Just kidding.”
It wasn’t really a joke, but I said it like that because if I didn’t, they’d lecture me for a long time.
“So… what exactly happened while I was unconscious that made Master drink poison?”
Yeon Mirae had woken up about a week after losing consciousness due to the possession by the poisonous spirit.
It may seem long, but in my previous life, I had lost consciousness for over a year while training alone, so this felt short.
‘Come to think of it, I didn’t do secluded training this time.’
Secluded training is a practice I do to organize the insights I’ve gained so far. I could organize my insights without isolation, but it’s much more efficient to do it somewhere free of distractions.
However, at my current level, I’d need at least several years of seclusion to fully organize all my insights.
‘Who knows what might happen during those years?’
Even if I reach a higher level, what’s the point if humanity collapses in the meantime? That’s why I’m avoiding secluded training in this cycle.
…How did my thoughts even wander this far?
“It’s nothing big. The White Lotus Cult leader who came back then seemed to figure out that my weakness is poison.”
“… If poison is your weakness, you shouldn’t be drinking it even more!”
“Well, I thought if I developed some resistance, it might help me prepare.”
“Developing poison resistance in such a reckless way… Master, reality isn’t a game or a novel, you know?”
That method isn’t completely ineffective…
“If you want to develop poison resistance properly, you shouldn’t do it recklessly like that; you should join a structured program run by a hospital.”
“… Huh? A hospital?”
Why did a hospital suddenly come up?
“Don’t you know? There’s a program run by hospitals where they administer poison and, if it’s dangerous, give an antidote to build poison resistance.”
“… Really?”
I looked at Sophia to confirm if she was serious. She nodded.
“Yes. Among Awakened, some are naturally vulnerable to poison or curses. Especially for spirit masters, they tend to absorb harmful energies too quickly…”
“Ah…”
I had an idea.
[… In Chloe’s body, the energy from inside the pyramid is accumulating very quickly.]
[It’s accumulating at a rate tens or hundreds of times faster than in others.]
Back when we went into the pyramid in Egypt, Chloe’s body absorbed the pyramid’s energy very fast. Other spirit masters seem to be similar.
“The program first started in the UK and is gradually being implemented in other countries. In Korea, it’s been about five years since it began in earnest.”
“… Why didn’t I know that?”
“Maybe because you haven’t had reason to go to a hospital? Master, you don’t even get health checkups.”
That’s true. Awakened don’t usually need hospitals unless seriously injured in dungeons…
“……”
Thinking back, Yeon Mirae probably went to hospitals a lot before meeting me… when she couldn’t create aura because of her constitution. Let’s not remind her of that—it wouldn’t be a pleasant memory.
“They also have programs to build resistance to burns, frostbite, and other hazards, not just poison and curses.”
“Shall I register you?” Sophia asked. I shook my head and replied:
“Just the poison-related program.”
Sophia would manage my schedule anyway, so there was no need to explain further.
The next day.
“Five people… that’s a smaller group today. Before we start, please confirm which program each of you is participating in.”
The program Yeon Mirae introduced ran four times a week, and I was able to participate the day after registering. If too many people apply, you can’t join the program. Also, these resistance programs aren’t one-time—you can repeat them multiple times. Some Awakened even participate once a week.
‘I thought it would be crowded, but luck is on my side.’
Following the nurse’s instructions, I changed into the hospital gown in the changing room. Wearing a patient uniform feels strange after a long time.
“Han Gunwoo? You registered for the poison resistance program, right?”
“Yes.”
“Feeling dizzy or nauseous today?”
Since this program involves poison, they check a lot… Actually, do they check these things at all hospital visits? I wouldn’t know since I rarely go.
“Alright, lie down on the bed.”
I lay down as instructed, and the nurse attached several devices to my body. They would monitor my condition, adjust the poison dosage, and administer antidotes if necessary.
“No need to be nervous. In some cases, poison may be expelled through the mouth, so if you feel anything coming up, you can spit into the nearby basket.”
…It won’t just come out of my mouth. Eyes, nose, sweat, and… you know, other exits too.
‘… Well, it probably doesn’t matter.’
Since in my case, the poison will exit through my mouth, eyes, and nose, there’s no need to mention the rest.
“Uh, Han Gunwoo? Sorry, we need to draw blood, can you cooperate?”
“Ah, sorry.”
The needle for blood collection hit my self-defense ring. However, the nurse acted as if it were routine. There must be others who have difficulty with needles too.
‘Of course, ordinary needles can’t injure an Awakened or a superhuman without weakening their body.’
After drawing blood, the nurse inserted an IV needle and connected it to the poison bag. The poison began entering my body.
‘… I can feel it.’
I suppressed my internal energy to prevent the poison from being expelled. My body began to fight the poison.
‘I don’t know how strong the poison is, but it probably isn’t too potent.’
They wouldn’t give a strong dose to first-timers. My body began breaking down the poison faster than expected.
“You have a natural poison resistance. We can administer stronger poison if you want. How about it?”
Ah, there’s an extra fee for that. The nurse checked my connected equipment and explained. The fee wasn’t too high, so I nodded.
‘Of course, “not too expensive” is by Awakened standards.’
“Administering new poison. It affects peripheral nerves, so you may feel tingling.”
“… Are you giving me something extremely dangerous?”
“At your resistance level, you can handle it. Antidotes are ready if necessary, so don’t worry.”
“……”
I felt my body resisting the new poison.
‘For now, it’s being pushed back.’
The nurse adjusted the dosage. This time, my body’s breakdown speed exceeded the poison infusion rate.
“We’ll start with this level and gradually increase the infusion rate.”
“Yes.”
“Oh, right.”
The nurse left briefly and returned carrying a bottle, now in protective gear instead of the regular uniform.
“Protective suit?”
“The nerve poison could cause a disaster if left exposed.”
Ah, that makes sense. If civilians were exposed…
She opened the bottle, and its contents sprayed out.
“This is a neutralizer for the nerve poison. I sprayed it in the room, so you’re safe for now.”
Ah.
“Even after the poison is administered, you must stay in the room for about 12 hours. Leaving prematurely could spread any remaining nerve poison outside.”
“……”
So, forced hospitalization, huh.
