Chapter 15
Masterpiece.
Through the ‘Eye of Consciousness’ connected to her avatar, the Poison Demon watched Ruth and became certain.
‘Special and powerful blood from a mysterious creature is excellent material for creating rare deadly poisons. So if I use that guy’s blood… it will definitely become a masterpiece.’
Special beings possess special blood.
From that perspective, the existence known as Ruth that the Poison Demon saw was extraordinarily rare.
He casually used mysterious spells that even she — known as the worst mage on the continent — had never seen before.
On top of that, he seemed to possess eyes that could see the future, like some prophet.
If possible, she wanted to preserve him carefully, stuff him, and keep him by her side forever. He was that desirable.
“Aaah, really! If only my main body wasn’t in this condition, I would have somehow brought him here myself…”
In the pitch-black darkness that seemed covered in ink, the Poison Demon let out a genuine sigh of regret.
A faint light leaked through a glass window, dimly revealing her grotesque appearance.
Her face was covered in bulging, multicolored veins, with bundles of tentacles connected like electrodes.
Large and small ‘eyeballs’ were attached all over the tentacles like suction cups.
Crunch—!!
Whoooong……!!
Those eyeballs were reflecting Ruth as he fought against the avatar, like mirrors.
‘It’s a shame to kill him so easily, but it’s better to crush him while I still can.’
The tentacles extending from the avatar’s body bound Ruth tightly.
It was the moment his life and death fell completely into the Poison Demon’s hands.
‘He still looks young, yet his mind is as deep as someone who has gone through all kinds of hardships. If he grows like this, someday he will surely become…’
The strongest hunting dog.
A hunting dog that would sink its fangs into the nape of the ‘Demon Emperor’ — the great being she respected more than anyone.
With an icy smile on her face, the Poison Demon moved to tear Ruth apart by controlling the avatar.
However.
Swish. Swish.
Suddenly, Ruth began drawing Rune characters on the avatar’s tentacle with his blood-soaked finger.
‘Rune magic? A desperate struggle. How disappointing.’
The Poison Demon instantly understood his intention and let out a sigh.
To activate Rune magic, one had to recite a rather long chant.
Did he really think she would just sit back and suck her finger while he muttered the chant?
She had thought he was a man with a deep mind, but this was an incredibly naïve judgment.
‘To show such an unsightly struggle at the end. Just writhe like that and die.’
Having quickly lost interest, the Poison Demon moved the avatar’s tentacles.
Or rather, she tried to.
The moment the Rune characters engraved on the tentacle emitted a brilliant light,
Kwarung!!
A lightning bolt that pierced through the crater’s ceiling struck down and roasted the avatar like it had been grilled whole.
“What…?!”
Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!!
It was then that the tentacles connected to the Poison Demon’s face began bursting one after another.
The ‘medium’ that linked the avatar to her consciousness had been destroyed.
The result of an attack spell that easily surpassed even the avatar’s regeneration ability.
And the Poison Demon had to bear the full aftermath of that result.
“Kyahaaak……?!”
The moment the tentacles directly connected to her mind were destroyed, a pain like her brain was burning assaulted her.
It was completely different from when Ruth had wildly fired his shotgun and destroyed the avatar earlier.
Back then, only flesh had exploded; it hadn’t dealt any real damage to the avatar’s regeneration ability.
Therefore, the Poison Demon, who was linked to the avatar, had remained fine.
But this time was different.
<Thunder Calling>
Before this heavenly lightning magic, which competed for the highest rank in pure destructive power, regeneration was meaningless.
“Kuhak! Kk, kkuuugh……!!”
As the tentacles connected to her face like pipes were destroyed, the Poison Demon staggered while letting out groans.
Sticky blood flowed endlessly from her burst blood vessels in her nose, eyes, and cheeks.
“Aaaaaaaaagh!!”
Because of the nightmare-like headache, the Poison Demon clutched her head and screamed for a long time.
-You should’ve known better than to mess with someone else’s house. This is the punishment you get for doing evil deeds, you vicious bitch.
From beyond the few remaining eyeballs on the nearly destroyed tentacles, Ruth’s voice rang out.
He looked down at the crawling remnants of the avatar with an extremely arrogant sneer.
The Poison Demon’s veins bulged at her temples as she flew into a rage.
“You… you……!!”
-Well, compared to the sorrow the Lava tribe felt, the pain you’re feeling right now is probably nothing.
Crunch!!
Ruth grabbed the wriggling remnants of the avatar.
He stared directly into the eyeball on the tentacle and spoke, as if he knew exactly how the Poison Demon was watching him.
-Looking at the regeneration speed, it seems you put quite a lot of effort into making this avatar. Since I destroyed it without leaving a single cell, you must feel like your brain is being shredded right about now.
“I’ll… I’ll kill you……!!”
-Don’t worry, I’ll come find you myself soon enough.
Power gradually filled Ruth’s hand as he gripped the remnants.
-Until then, stay quiet like a dead rat in that dirty, stinking sewer of yours.
“You son of a bitch!! I’ll kill you! I will definitely kill you with my own hands……!!”
Crunch!!
Finally, even the last remaining piece of flesh from the avatar was crushed by Ruth.
Another wave of horrific pain engulfed the Poison Demon.
“Kaahk……!!”
Splatter!
The blood she vomited mercilessly soaked the floor.
Gasping violently, the Poison Demon clutched her face, which had become a bloody mess from the destroyed tentacles.
Through the gaps in her fingers, a terrifying, demonic gleam poured out.
“That damn bastard…! No matter what it takes, I will find him and kill him……!!”
***
[You have defeated an avatar connected to the consciousness of an unbeatable existence.]
[The Authority of Growth reacts to this near-miraculous achievement!]
[Your Rank has increased significantly!]
[Level has increased!]
[Level has…]
Under normal circumstances, these messages would have made him cheer, but right now they were nothing more than noise.
He was already on the verge of collapse, and the constant ‘ding-ding’ mechanical sounds ringing in his head made his brain feel like it was ringing too.
‘Status window or whatever, I need to deal with this thing inside my body first…….’
The deadly parasitic insect that the Poison Demon — that fucking psychopath — had planted in him.
Even at this moment, the insect was crawling through his body and gnawing at his muscles like sawdust.
Thanks to <Iron-Blood Heart>, he was barely maintaining a poker face and enduring it, but this was his limit.
‘After 10 minutes the insect will disappear on its own, but I don’t have that much time.’
Not mentally, and not physically.
Ruth took a slow, deep breath, closed his eyes, and focused on locating the parasitic insect inside his body.
It was still in his side.
Since it wasn’t a vital spot, there was no reason to hesitate.
He grabbed the flesh on his side and
Rip!!
Tore it out.
A centipede-like bug wriggled between the blood pooled in his hand like a fish out of water.
Found you, you son of a bitch.
He immediately threw it to the ground and crushed it under his foot.
“Huuuuk…….”
Tearing out his own living flesh hurt like hell, but…
Compared to the pain of having his muscles eaten away while fully conscious, this was bearable.
Ruth braced his trembling legs, clutched the side where blood was gushing out, and headed toward the Lava Pond.
[Your blood has come into extreme contact with a highly lethal deadly poison!]
[Hidden condition satisfied!]
[You have acquired a new Blood Mage exclusive skill, <Blood Poison Creation>!]
“……”
Even in the middle of all this, system messages kept appearing without pause.
It was true that after defeating the toughest opponent since his possession, the rewards were also on another level.
‘<Blood Poison Creation>. Just from the name, it seems like a skill that infuses poison into blood…….’
He would check the skill details and status later.
Right now, he had to reach the <Lava Pond of Evolution> no matter what.
What use were rewards if he died from blood ki depletion?
It was then.
Parururuk—!!
Before he could even take a few steps, swarms of deadly parasitic insects lurking in the swamp and shadows surged toward him like a tidal wave.
“Haah……”
Killing the Poison Demon’s avatar wasn’t the end.
Ruth immediately summoned the shotgun coated with the <All-Aspect Torch>, but even without pulling the trigger, he instinctively knew.
‘It’ll be hard to pull off a one-sided slaughter like before.’
Since his blood ki was starting to run dry, the power of <Blood Weapon> must have decreased as well.
In this state, breaking through that many deadly parasitic insects to reach the Lava Pond would mean…
He had to be prepared to lose an arm or a leg.
‘Doesn’t matter.’
Click—.
Ruth aimed the shotgun at the deadly parasitic insects rushing toward him like a black cloud.
‘Whether my limbs get torn off or my head gets ripped away, I will survive no matter what.’
And I will keep surviving. In this damn shitty game.
He steeled his resolve and was about to pull the trigger when—
Hwarururuk—!!
A wave of flames suddenly swept in from the side and engulfed the swarm of deadly parasitic insects.
……It wasn’t him who did it.
Stunned, Ruth turned his gaze toward the direction the flames had come from.
There,
“I wonder if I’m too late. Or did I arrive just in time?”
Stood the Chieftain, holding a greatsword of fire high above his head and giving him a triumphant smile.
The Chieftain had come at this exact timing?
It was an unexpected variable.
A variable that had appeared endlessly ever since he was kidnapped into this game.
But……
‘This kind of variable is more than welcome.’
Ruth also looked at the Chieftain and let out a short snort.
“You came at the perfect time.”
***
Among the four major elements that support nature, the attribute that symbolizes strength — Fire.
And the race that received the greatest blessing of fire on the continent — the Lava tribe.
The Chieftain was considered one of the greatest warriors even among the Lava tribe.
Hwaruk—!!
Every time he swung his greatsword, scarlet flames scattered like fireworks painting the night sky.
With each slash, the Lava tribe’s fire twisted through the space and erased the darkness of the crater, sweeping away hordes of deadly parasitic insects.
To Ruth’s eyes, the Chieftain looked like a natural disaster incarnate.
It was hard to believe he had been lying sick in bed just recently.
‘High-speed bus… No, this is practically airplane level.’
Thanks to him, Ruth was able to head toward the <Lava Pond of Evolution> in comfort.
Hwaruk—!!
After burning a swarm of deadly parasitic insects to death, the Chieftain wiped the sweat from his forehead and spoke.
“By the way, I’m holding up surprisingly well even after inhaling all this deadly poison gas and stepping into this contaminated swamp. Do you know why?”
“The antidote I gave you is still working, neutralizing the poison in real time.”
As he spoke, Ruth frowned, noticing something strange.
“But good grief, you jumped into the crater without even knowing that? You, who nearly died from the poison, entered without any certainty?”
“I did have certainty. The certainty that even if I collapsed again, you would heal me.”
“……”
“To be honest, the moment that monster speaking with the Poison Demon’s voice appeared before you, I simply couldn’t stay still.”
Ruth had already expected that the Chieftain would be watching the situation through the crystal orb.
It was a setting that was lightly mentioned even in the game.
“How could I simply watch when my people’s enemy is trying to kill my people’s benefactor?”
“……”
“Everyone who was there felt the same way. We hoped that you — the one who eradicated those loathsome bugs and even recovered my son’s corpse — would not die. As the Chieftain, I simply stepped forward to represent them.”
“Your daughter must have shown great courage as well.”
To let her father walk into such danger without stopping him.
It must have been a difficult decision. Ruth genuinely felt respect for her…
“No, Ismin was the only one who violently opposed it. I barely managed to shake her off after she said she’d beat me senseless whether I returned or not.”
“……”
Was it an illusion, or did the Chieftain’s hand tremble slightly as he swung his greatsword while saying those words?
Regardless of the tremor, the blazing sword strikes he poured out did not weaken in the slightest.
Rather, as if guiding Ruth to the Lava Pond was his life’s mission, he radiated increasingly intense heat.
No — it truly was his mission.
‘Ruth Fried. If not for this man… my son Lebernin would have been left wandering in eternal darkness even after death.’
It was Ruth who had pulled Lebernin from the swamp and even offered a prayer for him.
That alone was more than enough reason for the Chieftain to approve.
To approve of Ruth entering the <Lava Pond of Evolution>.
Kwaaaaa—!!
When the greatsword of fire cleaved through the deadly parasitic insects blanketing the area, a cylindrical rock formation was revealed beyond them.
“Ah…!”
The Chieftain, who had been swinging his sword like a berserker, lit up like a child the moment he spotted the rock.
Because the pond contained within that rock was none other than…
“To think I would live to see my tribe’s holy ground again!”
It was the <Lava Pond of Evolution>, which the Lava tribe had revered as sacred for hundreds of years.
Overwhelmed with emotion, the Chieftain stared at the Lava Pond for a long moment before turning to Ruth.
Then, with a resolute expression, he gave a big, silent nod.
“……”
Ruth likewise expressed his gratitude with his eyes alone, then walked toward the <Lava Pond of Evolution>.
At the same time,
Puhaaaaak—!!
With a thunderous roar as if the mountain itself was collapsing, the swamp in front of them surged upward.
Kieeeeeeek!!
A giant mantis-like deadly parasitic insect let out a bizarre cry and slammed its foreleg down toward Ruth.
Kaang!!
The Chieftain’s greatsword shot out like a ray of light and blocked the mantis’s scythe.
“That vicious Poison Demon bitch…! She even left such a monster in the sacred Lava Pond…!”
It possessed power on a completely different level from the other deadly parasitic insects that had been swept away like fallen leaves.
For the first time, a look of distress appeared on the Chieftain’s face.
He roared as he drew power from the depths of his soul.
“Hurry and enter the Lava Pond! I’ll hold this thing back!”
Focused on the mantis, the Chieftain didn’t notice that even before he shouted,
Tap—!
Ruth had already kicked off the ground and leaped to the top of the rock formation.
In Ruth’s eyes reflected the Lava Pond, shimmering with an auspicious light as if the sun itself had melted within it.
And then…
Splash—!!
Without hesitation, he threw his entire body into the Lava Pond.
“Ah……”
The mysterious pond that overcame the innate limits of its user and led them to a new realm they had never reached before — the <Lava Pond of Evolution>.
The first emotion Ruth felt upon personally experiencing its effects in reality, not through a monitor, was
Liberation.
The feeling of intangible chains that had always existed but gone unnoticed finally being released.
The electrifying ecstasy of his soul reaching a new dimension piercing through the crown of his head.
That sensation soon became reality and appeared before Ruth’s eyes.
[All wounds are fully recovered.]
[All consumed blood ki has been restored.]
[‘Lava Pond of Evolution’ is guiding your soul to a new realm.]
[Your Rank has increased significantly.]
All the fatigue and pain accumulated throughout his body melted away like snow.
Every time the warm currents of the Lava Pond flowed into his soul, an incomparably vast power pulsed in his heart.
It was a miraculous moment, as if he were being reborn.
And within it, Ruth saw.
[‘Lava Pond of Evolution’ has freed you from the fate of craving the blood of your kin.]
[‘Blood Ki’ system has been renewed!]
[From now on, your blood ki…….]
‘……What?’
The system message signified that his expectation — that it would simply raise his abilities and remove the penalty — had been completely off the mark.