NOVEL NEXT Chapter 184
Chapter 184: What?
Si-hyun had a perplexed expression as he stared at the situation.
Il-gwi clearly found joy in Si-hyun’s reaction, grinning widely.
“You’ve been poisoned by the Formless Poison. You know how terrifying it is, right? Hehehe.”
Formless Poison?
What was that?
However, Si-hyun understood one thing for certain.
That old man had definitely sprayed something toxic on him earlier. And he had no fond memories of poison.
He could still vividly recall the agony from being poisoned by the paralysis poison of the Black Cross’s foreign woman.
It was a close call with death back then.
“W-what? Formless Poison?!”
“Oh no….”
From behind, Harin and Seung-hoon gasped in astonishment.
Seeing their reaction, it seemed clear that Formless Poison was no joke.
Damn it.
Si-hyun desperately tried to maintain a calm expression despite the darkening situation.
“Hehe, Formless Poison, huh? This is gonna be a real hit, isn’t it?”
Mangjong chuckled heartily, his wrinkled hands moving animatedly.
It seemed like he was eager to see the legendary Sword Master reduced to a puddle of blood.
Seomjeon was also staring intently at him.
Si-hyun stood frozen like a statue, unsure of what to do.
His heart raced wildly, trembling with anxiety.
Had he not faced countless brushes with death by now, he might have collapsed under the strain.
“Alright then, let’s slowly… huh?”
Il-gwi, who had been muttering joyfully, suddenly wore a puzzled look.
The time for Si-hyun to melt away into a puddle of blood had long passed, leaving him to nod thoughtfully.
“Hehe, I see. So even the Sword Master is still hanging in there, huh?”
Perhaps it was his extraordinary nature, but he seemed to have a much higher resistance to poison than ordinary people.
However, the Formless Poison was extreme and could dissolve even trolls with a high resistance within 30 seconds.
Resistance meant nothing more than postponing the inevitable death — something Il-gwi was well aware of.
“Let’s see how long you can hold on, shall we? Hehe.”
Il-gwi laughed, like it was all a fun show to him.
Just then, Si-hyun’s eyes widened in realization.
Po-ahim had contacted him through the system.
[Po-ahim communicates: You have consumed the Fruit of the World Tree, giving you absolute immunity to all poisons.]
What?
Absolute immunity to all poisons?
He clearly remembered Hyris using the Fruit of the World Tree to save him.
Thus, he had experienced firsthand its incredible effects.
It had completely healed him from a fatal injury that should have been impossible to recover from.
But to find out it had such grander benefits…
The sparkle in Si-hyun’s eyes flickered back to life.
What he did not know was that the World Tree was an absolutely pure being, one that no poison could touch.
That was precisely why, in the past, when Po-ahim had consumed the Tear of the World Tree, he had instantly purged the fierce paralysis poison from the Ice Serpent.
But the Fruit of the World Tree was a treasure beyond comparison to those tears.
There was only one on the continent, blooming once every hundred years to bear just a single fruit.
That fruit was a treasure that could only be acquired once every hundred long years.
Consuming it meant that any fatal injury or incurable disease could be healed, and one would gain a body that no poison could infect.
Si-hyun had not only saved his life but had also lucked into obtaining a dream body that everyone desired.
‘This is…’
Si-hyun’s mind raced.
This was not just a matter of survival; it was another opportunity.
The opponent was firmly convinced that he would die shortly.
The moment that belief shattered, a tremendous shock would undoubtedly ensue.
Having organized his thoughts, Si-hyun took shaky steps toward Il-gwi.
His body trembled as though he were having a seizure.
He intentionally made his face appear pale and distressed.
“…D-damn it….”
He made his voice quaver, as if fully overwhelmed by shock.
Whether Si-hyun’s performance had worked, Il-gwi smirked in delight.
“Hehehe, even you can’t handle the toxicity of the Formless Poison. You look delightfully pathetic.”
Il-gwi was convinced that Si-hyun’s exaggerated act was him struggling to withstand the poison’s effects.
Si-hyun grasped Il-gwi’s thoughts and lowered his head further.
But he was subtly gauging the distance between himself and Il-gwi.
Thanks to Il-gwi approaching to spray poison, they were now rather close.
Estimating the distance, Si-hyun considered that even if Il-gwi believed him to be dying from the extreme poison, he was still the Sword Master.
If he approached with a sword, Il-gwi would have no choice but to guard against him. Therefore, a more decisive act was necessary.
He needed a game-changing performance to ease his opponent’s wariness.
For that, he would have to cast aside the Acureruts.
Si-hyun wore a subtle smile that was nearly invisible.
Then, he staggered a few steps and, as if losing grip, let the Acureruts drop from his hand.
Shaking his hands as though they were a living thing was merely a bonus.
“Ugh… ugh….”
He didn’t forget to moan pathetically as he fell helplessly.
Il-gwi laughed mockingly as he saw this.
“The Sword Master throwing down his sword? How quaint. Hehehehe!”
Hearing Il-gwi’s laughter, Si-hyun chuckled inwardly.
Just a few more steps remained.
He took a couple of careful steps and then collapsed to his knees as if he were about to be dissolved into a puddle of blood.
Il-gwi, realizing the time for Si-hyun to become a smear of blood was truly near, wore a wide grin on his face.
“…I, I have something to say….”
Si-hyun gasped for breath, finally managing to speak.
“Hehe, what is it?”
Il-gwi, curious about the Sword Master’s last words, asked.
“…K-kneeling is….”
“Kneeling?”
Il-gwi looked on, clearly confused.
And in that moment.
Si-hyun summoned all his strength and shouted with the booming voice of a fearsome guard.
“It’s to gain momentum—!!”
“…Gahk!”
The power of the shout at such close range exceeded all expectation.
Il-gwi’s eardrums burst.
Simultaneously, with a piercing ringing in his brain, a fierce headache hit him as the world spun around.
W-what the hell…?!
Before he could even comprehend the chaos of the situation, Si-hyun moved.
Not just one sword.
As soon as Si-hyun grabbed a new sword from his inventory, he thrust it deep into Il-gwi’s chest until the hilt pressed against him.
Whoosh!
The sensation of flesh being sliced through flowed forth, and the red blood drenched Si-hyun’s hand.
“Did you enjoy it?”
Si-hyun wore a cold smile.
The plan had perfectly succeeded.
Had he engaged in a straightforward fight, he would have certainly died without a doubt.
However, even against a formidable foe, such an unexpected ambush combined with a shout was simply too much to handle.
This was not merely a physical victory, but an intellectual one as well.
“…K-kak. Y-you… the Formless Poison….”
Il-gwi uttered, disbelief written on his face.
“Have you heard of absolute immunity to all poisons?”
“That can’t be… Gahk. K-kulak….”
“It can’t be; it’s reality.”
Si-hyun slowly withdrew the blade he had plunged into Il-gwi.
Then he continued speaking.
“Go peacefully, both of you.”
Whoosh!
Thud!
Il-gwi’s head fell off.
◈ ◈ ◈
“….”
Silence enveloped the area like a lie.
Everyone, with faces filled with shock, stared at Si-hyun.
Even Mangjong seemed taken aback by Si-hyun’s actions.
It was not just shocking that Si-hyun could withstand the lethal Formless Poison with an absolutely immune body.
The more alarming shock was the Sword Master’s actions.
Had the Formless Poison not affected him, he could have easily killed Il-gwi without fuss.
Yet, instead, he played a twisted game of deception and ambushed Il-gwi.
He had intentionally inflicted a greater psychological blow on his opponent before enjoying the act of killing.
Such an unscrupulous deed was unimaginable for a Sword Master known for his integrity.
And that act completely seized the atmosphere.
“Hmm….”
Mangjong groaned.
He couldn’t deny being overwhelmed by the Sword Master’s ferocity.
It was not just about skill; he was an unpredictable anomaly.
“….”
Seomjeon glanced over at another battle that seemed to be unfolding, his expression serious.
However, neither Hurein nor the Leader appeared to stand a chance of quickly finishing their fight and aiding in this battle.
After all, they were facing the legendary Great Sorceress and Sinchang, so it was only reasonable.
Seomjeon coldly assessed the situation.
Frankly, the odds of victory seemed minimal.
He believed a double-bladed battle would not easily collapse against ten great powers of the continent.
Yet, the Sword Master had just lost his life in a blink of an eye.
The true nature of the Sword Master exceeded anything he had previously encountered.
The experiences from another world were merely the tip of the iceberg.
From beginning to end, he had toyed psychologically with his opponents.
What was more shocking was that it wasn’t merely playing but doing so with the most efficient means of attack.
Every move was an unexpected strike.
The double blade had been toyed with in the palm of his hand, unable to resist before losing its life instantly.
With a mind so quick and wicked, facing such a foe was excruciatingly difficult.
And when that opponent also possessed unimaginable prowess…
That was the worst-case scenario.
And that absolute worst-case scenario stood right before him.
Having rapidly organized his thoughts, Seomjeon sent a mental message to Mangjong.
– Great Sage, for now, let’s buy some time, no matter what.
– What?
Mangjong replied through the mental link.
– Do you believe the Great Sage sees a chance of victory now?
– Not high.
The very fact Mangjong uttered such a phrase was more than enough to indicate a negative outlook.
– So does that mean you have a plan?
– I’ll contact her.
– Her? Ah…
Mangjong seemed to have realized who he was referring to.
Seomjeon slightly nodded and prepared to signal Cheonbyeon as they had planned.