"Damn it!"
Marquis Rox cursed himself for freezing in the face of the Sea Serpent.
"Urgh…"
Seeing his three sons drenched in green poison, he clenched his fists until they bled.
"You monster!"
"Kiaaak!"
He reached for his sword to kill the taunting Serpent, but it hissed mockingly and dove back into the sea.
What a cunning beast.
"Ugh."
The Marquis felt his poisoned left arm burning, the heat spreading to his shoulder and body.
"Wizards! Can you detoxify it?"
"Sea Serpents have unique poisons. This one's new to us—we can't neutralize it!"
"Damn it! Why is a Sea Serpent in these waters?"
On land, unpoisoned, he could've killed it easily, but that thought was useless now.
Boom!
The ship rocked violently, nearly capsizing.
"Damn that demonic creature…"
The Sea Serpent was attacking from below. Its strategy—poisoning first, then striking the ship—sent chills down his spine.
"Damn it!"
He cursed the heavens for letting this happen on the day he brought his sons.
"No choice…"
With no other option, he decided to use aura to confine the poison to his left arm and cut it off.
Clang!
The sound of his beloved sword being drawn felt as tragic as the situation.
"Haa…"
As he raised the blade to his shoulder, a dark figure appeared.
"Yuren?"
Yuren, whom he thought would be in agony from the poison, stood unfazed.
"Are you okay—"
Without a word, Yuren touched the Marquis's left arm.
Hum.
Light glowed from Yuren's hand, and the burning pain vanished completely.
"I'll save everyone. Please handle defense and vigilance, Marquis."
Watching Yuren walk away, the Marquis felt a reassuring strength in his presence, as if he could resolve everything.
When the Sea Serpent's poison hit, my Ten Thousand Poison Immunity Technique reached its fifth star instantly, unlocking new poisons and abilities.
I'd always consumed poisons directly to grow my abilities. To me, being doused in poison was like being handed an elixir.
"Urgh."
"Peru, come here."
One advantage of the Sacheondang family trait is that newly unlocked abilities can be used instinctively, as if I'd always known how.
"Show me your arm."
I used my newly acquired Poison Absorption Ability on Peru, who was clutching his arm in pain.
[Poison Absorption Ability absorbs Sea Serpent – Soul Poison from the target.]
[Poison Absorption Ability aids Ten Thousand Poison Immunity Technique's operation.]
[Poison Absorption Ability proficiency increased.]
[Ten Thousand Poison Immunity Technique proficiency increased.]
[True Bone Dissolver proficiency increased.]
The poison tormenting Peru transferred to me instantly. But that wasn't all.
"No way…"
I didn't even need to circulate my technique. The poison, upon entering me, flowed through my meridians as if guided, absorbing into my dantian.
Poison Absorption Ability was an absurdly overpowered skill, converting absorbed poison directly into inner energy.
"Insane!"
However, if Peru's poison was 100 units, I could only absorb 1 or 2. It was a matter of proficiency.
"The pain's gone! You detoxified me, Young Master!"
"Who else would it be?"
I could detoxify everyone on the ship at once, but why waste such an opportunity?
All this poison was mine.
Boom!
"Aagh!"
"Urk!"
"Ugh!"
The Sea Serpent attacked the ship again, likely trying to heighten fear and accelerate the poison's effects.
What a sneaky snake.
"Guess I'll start with him."
I approached the person in the deepest despair on the ship.
"Yuren?"
The Marquis, about to sever his arm, looked at me with regret, anger, and despair. Silently, I took his hand and absorbed the poison.
"I'll save everyone. Please handle defense and vigilance, Marquis."
Leaving the stunned Marquis behind, I moved to the ship's center.
I prioritized those with critical roles. First was the wizard slumped by the mast.
"You're protecting the ship with magic, right?"
"Yes, but the pain's making it hard to maintain. It'll break soon."
"Then you're first."
"This poison can't be—huh?"
I absorbed the poison tormenting the wizard. He froze, stunned, as the pain vanished.
"What? Young Master, are you a wizard? I don't sense mana…"
"Enough, protect the ship."
"Yes, sir."
The dazed wizard returned to the mast, focusing again.
"Next, the crew."
I detoxified the helmsman, navigator, and other sailors slumped on the deck.
Peru had spread the word about my ability, so people started approaching me.
"Colin, huh?"
Colin, hesitating awkwardly, was the first to come.
"Uh, well…"
Embarrassed to ask for help, he rubbed his neck, staring at the floor.
"Don't dawdle. Come here."
I smirked, grabbed his arm, and pulled him forward.
"Your neck, show me."
"Yes."
His blackened neck returned to normal as I absorbed the poison.
"T-Thank you, Brother…"
"First sincere thanks I've heard from you."
"N-No, I mean…"
Colin stepped aside, his eyes complex with emotions, the old hostility gone.
"Brother, I'm sorry."
"What for? Where's it at?"
Behind Colin was Laon, bowing as if he'd done something wrong.
"Thank you, Brother! Truly, thank you!"
After detoxifying Laon, he bowed repeatedly and joined the Marquis.
"Young Master…"
"You…"
The next person stirred even more emotions than Colin.
Rekka Olianne, the first to make me fear for my life in this world, with a staggering -91 favorability, stood before me, once smiling through a battered face in the training yard.
"Why the stare? Show me the poisoned spot."
"Here."
I absorbed the poison from Rekka's right shoulder, and his tense expression relaxed.
"Thank you, Young Master."
"Yeah."
Rekka's eyes held a mix of emotions, clearly confused by me.
For both Colin and Rekka, this wasn't just their gain. Absorbing their poison boosted my inner energy—a mutual benefit.
"Next."
"Please."
The knights who came after, who also disliked me, got their poison absorbed without hesitation.
I'd worried about handling those Yuren had wronged in his wastrel days, but today's events gave me confidence that relationships with those who hated me would change.
Splash!
"Kiaaak!"
"It's back!"
"Port side!"
With a loud splash, the Sea Serpent resurfaced.
Clang! Clang!
"Kyaak!"
Unlike before, it was the Serpent caught off guard. The Marquis and knights swiftly moved, unleashing sharp aura strikes.
"Krrrk!"
The Serpent, bleeding heavily, dove back into the sea. But Creator's Eye tracked its movement.
"Everyone, this way!"
I led them to the stern, and the Marquis and knights followed without question—likely because I'd saved them.
"Is this right?" the Marquis asked.
"Yes, it'll surface soon."
"Got it. I trust you."
The Marquis raised his sword, glaring at the sea beside me.
Agnes.
[That thing again?]
Agnes's grumpy voice sounded as it transformed into two butterflies landing on my hand—a dual Blood Flower technique unlocked by increased proficiency.
"Where the butterflies fly, the Serpent will appear. Attack then."
"Yes!"
"Understood."
No one doubted me now. All eyes followed my gaze.
"Here it comes."
As the Serpent prepared to surface, I sent the two Blood Flowers toward its location.
Flutter.
The blood-drinking butterflies glided gracefully over the rough waves.
Splash!
"Kiaaak!"
As the Serpent emerged, ready to spew poison, the butterflies were already on its chest.
Clunk.
Spurt!
A chilling mechanical sound rang out, and blood gushed like a waterfall from the Serpent's chest.
"Krarararak!"
Two fist-sized holes appeared in its chest, and it roared in agony, writhing.
"Now!"
At the Marquis's shout, the knights unleashed full-powered aura strikes.
Boom!
Clang! Clang!
"Kiaak!"
As they targeted its life, I transformed Agnes again.
Clatter.
Thwack!
"Kaaak!"
I turned Agnes into a harpoon with chains, drove it into the Serpent, and pulled with all my strength. Without a word, nearby knights grabbed the chains to help.
Thud!
Though still partly in the sea, the Serpent's tattered upper body was hauled onto the deck.
"Damn, it's huge."
"Ugh, even dead, it's terrifying."
"Young Master, you did amazing. Sea Serpent corpses are valuable magical materials," a wizard said excitedly.
"Really?"
Unlike the excited wizard, my reason for dragging it aboard was simple: to consume it.
[Poison Absorption Ability absorbs Sea Serpent – Soul Poison from the target.]
[Poison Absorption Ability aids Ten Thousand Poison Immunity Technique's operation.]
[Poison Absorption Ability proficiency increased.]
[Ten Thousand Poison Immunity Technique proficiency increased.]
[True Bone Dissolver proficiency increased.]
"Haha!"
Absorbing poison directly from the source boosted my inner energy far more than from people—like an elixir delivered to my doorstep.
"Strange. Sea Serpents aren't southern monsters," a wizard remarked.
"Not just that. I've never heard of one appearing this close to land. This is unprecedented," the Marquis added.
"First the Sharkrai King, now this. This year's full of surprises."
They were right. Neither the Sharkrai King nor the Sea Serpent should be here. Something had changed.
"Huh?"
While listening, I noticed an orb by the Serpent's head.
"It's like the one from the Sharkrai King…"
It was identical in color and shape, but no one else seemed to notice it.
"Hey, Peru."
"Yes?"
"Don't you see that orb?"
I asked Peru, who was examining the Serpent.
"Orb? Where? I don't see it."
Even when I pointed, he couldn't see it. I asked Arin, but she didn't see it either.
Is it only visible to me? If so…
[Acquired Fragment of a Broken World.]
Flash!
Grabbing the orb, I was summoned to the cracked white room again.
"Here we go again."
Crack.
The orb flew to a wall, erasing a small hole as before.
[You have contributed to the world's restoration.]
[Reward provided based on your aptitude.]
[Reward selection complete.]
[You have been granted the trait: Human Seal.]
"A trait this time?"