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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Poisoning the Cauldron
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The Abandoned One tossed corpse finger mushrooms into the pot that had been simmering nonstop, then waited a moment.
Bubble… Bubble…
After a plume of black smoke rose, he poured the liquid into two bowls.
"You must drink this. My benefactor will need it too."
Following the Abandoned One's suggestion, Kang Seol downed the liquid in his bowl in one gulp.
Slurp…
The effect came immediately.
[You overcome the endemic disease 'Rotten Branch Disease.']
[Stamina permanently increases by 2.]
Kang Seol checked the pleasant message and turned his gaze to the Abandoned One.
Changes came to him as well.
Sss…
The torn scars etched into his skin healed in an instant, his hunched back straightened, and his stooped posture stood tall.
The one thing that hadn't changed was his eyes, shining like stars. They brimmed with sharp intellect.
[The Abandoned One overcomes 'Rotten Branch Disease.']
He let out a breath for a moment, then asked Kang Seol,
"Benefactor, may I know your name?"
"I'm Snowman."
"What does it mean?"
"A snowman."
"A fine, clever name. I am Mael, child of the stars."
"Good name."
"I will never forget Snowman's help for the rest of my life."
[Mael's favorability toward you increases.]
[Mael's favorability toward you increases.]
[Mael respects you.]
"First, let me offer the help you need. Is there anything you desire?"
[Mael attempts to pay the promised reward. He wants to help you. Choose your words carefully.]
1. I plan to crush the Rock Fangs head-on. Can you help?
2. There's no chance head-on. Is there a way to break them from within?
3. [Requires: Sorcerer] Can you teach me sorcery?
4. [Requires: Leadership 1] Any thought to rallying the exiles to topple the Rock Fangs?
Option 1 was worthless now that his party had been wiped out, and 3 and 4 didn't meet the conditions.
That left only option 2.
"I plan to break them from within. Can you help?"
"From within… Understood. Fortunately, I have a method worth trying."
Mael transferred the pot's liquid into several vials, washed the pot once, then began brewing a new liquid.
He calmly added ingredients to the pot as he spoke to Kang Seol.
"As you said, benefactor, today is the perfect time to strike the Rock Fangs."
"The reason…."
"Today is the Rock Fangs' harvest festival. A tribute to the earth dragon Tankrid, whom the Rock Fangs serve."
"What does the harvest festival have to do with it?"
"The harvest festival has one unbreakable rule."
Kang Seol already knew this fact.
The Friendly 5 Brothers adventure split into harvest festival times and non-festival times, with a green flag at the entrance during festivals.
Kang Seol had spotted the green flag during his initial scouting.
That's how he knew the festival was today, and he knew its rules too.
"At midnight, the entire tribe drinks the beast blood boiled in a massive cauldron."
Mael stirred the pot as he spoke.
"What you're aiming for is that cauldron, benefactor."
"…Are you sure?"
Using his own power to destroy the tribe that birthed him.
It was bound to bring immense shock. But Mael answered dryly.
"Have you forgotten my mother's dying words?"
- Even dying, my mother cursed the tribe. All of it… all must vanish. The tribe, the disease, and me….
"...."
"Though vanishing myself will come much later, I intend to honor part of her will."
"Understood."
[Hidden adventure 'Suppressed Revenge' activates.]
Adventure 2-3. 'Suppressed Revenge'
Troll Mael, banished by the tribe even from the womb, never forgot the tribe for a moment—but what lingered in those memories was not faint longing, but burning vengeance.
With his help, you've obtained poison to mix into the sacrificial cauldron during the Rock Fangs' harvest festival.
Before midnight, dilute the poison in the cauldron to weaken the tribe members.
Goal: Pour poison into the harvest festival cauldron before midnight.
Time remaining: 「2:46」
[You obtain ally 'Star Child Mael.']
['Star Child Mael's' rank is Hero.]
[Allies have a chance to appear in all adventures.]
[They provide help to the player based on favorability.]
[You achieve feat 'It's Lonely Alone.']
[You obtain title 「Attractive Being」.]
Mael provided his help and departed.
Carrying medicine for the endemic disease patients scattered across the mountains.
He burned all the books piled in his hut, taking only one with blank pages.
"What's that?"
- My dream is archaeology. The world is vast, and secrets endlessly unearthed.
For now, I'll wander and record them.
Unusual thoughts for a troll.
Perhaps why he was a hero-rank ally.
- May the star of intellect you hold punish the savagery.
Kang Seol checked his new title.
[Title: Attractive Being]
Related Feat: It's Lonely Alone (Adventure: The Abandoned One)
Special Ability: Favorability generated from allies increases by 10%.
Not a bad stat in the long term.
Kang Seol stood at the base of Pointy Rock Mountain's tallest peak, looking at the two potion vials Mael had given him.
A red vial and a blue one.
First, the red vial's description read:
[Disguise Potion]
Rank: Unusual
Appropriate Level: None
Weight: 0.1kg
Special Ability: Transforms into a naive troll for one day. Includes perception-interfering sorcery. Disguise breaks if discovered.
- Drink this, and no one will think Snowman is strange. As long as you don't do anything conspicuous.
Next, the blue vial's description:
[Madness Potion]
Rank: Unusual
Appropriate Level: 1-10
Weight: 0.1kg
Special Ability: After a set time, draws out inner ferocity. Resistance possible based on user's mental strength.
- Pour this into the cauldron. No toxic herbs were used—not even a fingernail's worth—so even skilled sorcerers won't detect it easily.
Pop-!
Kang Seol uncorked the red vial and gulped it down.
"Urk…."
With an uncontrollable burp, his body began to change.
Crack…
Crunch…
He gritted his teeth through the brief pain, and in his place stood a fairly large troll instead of Kang Seol.
[You drank the Disguise Potion.]
[You transform into a naive troll for one day.]
[You can use Troll Language 1 for one day.]
[You can use Voodoo 1 for one day.]
Voodoo was useless for now, but Troll Language was essential.
Remembering time was short, Kang Seol hurried up the mountain.
Unsure if the troll form boosted stamina, but he climbed the incline in big strides, soon reaching the border outpost of the village flying the green flag.
Troll sentries stood there.
"Hm…?"
"Hey!"
Thanks to Troll Language, he understood the sentries fully.
Squeeze…
Kang Seol clenched his fist in tension as he approached the sentry.
"You can't leave the outpost before the festival ends! Get back quick!"
"Idiot!"
"Sorry, I'll join right away."
"Hmph!"
Kang Seol passed them with a slight smile. The plan was sailing smoothly from the start.
The village was divided into 6 layers.
Not as neatly as a building, but roughly so.
The divisions were based on factions.
The Rock Fang Tribe consisted of 5 factions that cooperated when important but mostly clashed and feuded.
Kang Seol planned to exploit that in this adventure.
'The cauldron's on the middle layer….'
- The Rock Fangs have been ruled by 5 leaders for generations. But this generation is a bit special.
Kang Seol mulled Mael's words as he climbed.
- Even human kings are cautious choosing one heir, but trolls picked five. How could there be no issues?
In the plaza Kang Seol entered, a massive cauldron pot blazed, with a bone-and-stone altar beside it near the cauldron.
- This generation's issues are especially severe. Incompetents playing leaders—it's no wonder mighty Rock Fangs falter. But….
Kang Seol's eyes went to a massive troll seated on a bone chair far off, surveying the area.
Whether from better feeding or innate difference, he dwarfed the trolls guarding him.
- Be wary of Chieftain Jamad above all. He… was born with the mountain's spirit. The one who single-handedly swept away the previous generation's sorcerers. Please… don't clash with him. He's the wisest and strongest Rock Fang in history.
Kang Seol pushed through the crowded trolls toward the altar.
Too sudden an approach might expose him, so very slowly, cautiously.
'When can I get close….'
No rush.
Over 2 hours left until the festival's finale.
Key was surely slipping the potion into the cauldron.
'Goni' has sponsored 200 Madness!
[Chilling… A dagger flies into my chest… Ouch!]
- It's fine… Hands are faster than eyes… Fail!
- Weird, he was human earlier—where'd that guy go? Is that troll him now?
- Lol
- Yup.
- This guy plays creatively lol
- But how's he gonna shove that potion in the cauldron?
- Watch from here.
For 30 minutes, Kang Seol eyed opportunities near the altar, tense. If no gap, he'd force one—so he grew impatient.
'I have a plan, but… will it work?'
Then, the change he awaited came.
A troll approached the cauldron-guarding sentry.
"Here… over here!"
"What?"
"I have blood I really want added to the cauldron. Freshly obtained…."
"Hmph, we have plenty of blood worthy for the offering."
"But…."
"Scram."
The troll who spoke retreated regretfully. Seeing it, Kang Seol gripped the potion vial tighter without thinking.
'The setup's the same. Now?'
Kang Seol glanced around, then approached the sentry who'd shooed the troll.
"Um…."
"What?"
"I have blood for the harvest festival."
"Didn't you hear? The blood's already full…."
"It's white-horned Argo blood. It'll surely help…."
- Hm? Pretend it's white-horned Argo blood? That's… ah! Good idea. But how….
Kang Seol recalled the setting document.
- Overview: Rock Fang Harvest Festival
「Rock Fang trolls serve not primal gods but earth dragon Tankrid. Thus, the festival honors Tankrid, not primal gods. They believe offering blood from their raids and hunts is the surest way to earn Tankrid's grace.」
'…And white-horned Argo blood is rare even in Pointy Rock Mountain, the most prized for sacrifices.'
So his potion wouldn't be refused.
If all went to plan.
The sentry snatched the blue vial, uncorked it, and sniffed.
"This white-horned Argo blood?"
"Yes, please."
"Hm… I'll mention it."
"Thank you."
Kang Seol stepped back briskly.
The sentry approached one of the 5 leaders overseeing the sacrifice with the blood.
Their talk faintly carried over the clamor.
"Lord Makgata, someone wants to offer white-horned Argo blood."
"Sniff sniff… Genuine. Add it."
"Yes."
- As Snowman said, I made the potion indistinguishable from white-horned Argo blood. They won't notice.
Thinking it Argo blood, the sentry climbed the stairs to the cauldron.
He muttered something.
Probably petty like 'Lord Tankrid, this is really from me.'
Splash…
The potion poured into the cauldron.
With that, Kang Seol's plan's first phase completed.
[Madness Potion mixes into the harvest festival cauldron.]
[Those who drink this blood will be consumed by madness.]
* * *
Time passed, and the festival's finale, the Blood Drinking Rite, began.
The cauldron's full blood was ladled into crude cups and distributed everywhere.
Including to Kang Seol, along with the leaders.
The sacrifice leader for today's festival was Makgata, youngest of the 5 leaders.
"Midnight approaches. All, raise your cups."
Swish-
Slooowly-
Swish-
Every troll raised their cups in massive hands, awaiting the order.
Makgata grinned slyly.
"All is the earth's grace. Flesh, blood, plunder."
"...."
"Drink. Drain every drop of this blood, then drench the earth in more. That is… the path to Tankrid. And that is Rock Fang!"
"Ooo!"
"Tankrid!"
"Lord Tankrid!"
"We are Rock Fang!"
Gulp…
Gulp gulp…
Splash!
One who didn't drink but poured his on the ground.
That was Kang Seol.
Kang Seol scanned the leaders and troll horde once, then quietly slipped away.
Soon, it would be pandemonium.
[Rock Fang tribe members consume the Madness Potion.]
[After a set time, Rock Fang tribe members will be consumed by madness.]