Chapter 16
Flash!
Awooooooo!
My consciousness, which had been fading because of the poison, returned the moment I heard that familiar howl.
But what appeared before me wasn't the dark, stale cave chamber.
It was the mental world I'd seen before.
I knew immediately where I was because of the creature standing in front of me.
Heukrang...?
Those golden eyes were proof enough.
I'm sure...
The poison had been powerful enough that the words critical condition had immediately come to mind the moment it spread through my body.
So how was I still able to maintain my consciousness, even inside this mental world?
I managed to steady myself.
Then I quickly found the answer.
Once again, Heukrang showed me.
Heukrang sat on the ground like a puppy that had been told, Sit!
His tail swayed eagerly from side to side.
And in front of him...
There was a huge, black, sticky-looking sphere.
Judging from the drool falling from Heukrang's mouth, he desperately wanted to eat it.
At the same time, a powerful hunger rushed into me.
The exact same hunger I'd felt when I first encountered the Demon Spirit Pill.
"What is... that?"
When I asked, Heukrang's innocent expression vanished.
His golden eyes became sharp.
He couldn't speak.
But his intent was crystal clear.
He was telling me that this was the poison that had tried to kill me.
Then did Heukrang gather all the poison energy inside my body and compress it like an elixir?
If that was true...
Then the situation was simple.
Heukrang could filter poison, another kind of foreign energy inside my body, just as he filtered internal energy.
And apparently...
He wanted to eat this too.
The intense hunger coming from him made that very clear.
But is it safe for him to eat it...?
When Heukrang devoured the Demon Spirit Pill's energy, that energy had later flowed back into my body.
If he ate poison...
Wouldn't the poison energy also return to me?
That reasonable suspicion made me hesitate.
But...
When I thought about it again, there wasn't really another choice.
Right now, Heukrang was holding the poison in place, which was probably the only reason I could maintain consciousness.
If he didn't swallow it, the result was obvious.
The worst possible outcome was the same either way.
Whether I absorbed it or not...
The worst result was still poisoning.
So I've got nothing to lose.
Fine.
If I'm dying anyway, then at least you can eat your fill.
When you're hesitating between doing something or not...
Doing it usually leaves fewer regrets.
If I had time to be cautious, I might have thought more.
But right now...
I didn't.
So I made my choice.
I sent Heukrang a clear thought.
Eat as much as you want.
Heukrang immediately stood up.
Awooooooo!
He howled joyfully and opened his jaws wide.
I'd seen it before.
But it still wasn't something I could get used to.
The sticky black energy was sucked into his mouth like wind.
Gulp!
Since I'd experienced this once already...
I also knew what should happen next.
If I approached Heukrang and touched him...
The energy would flow back to me.
Whether it would be poison or something else...
I still didn't know.
If I was lucky, I'd live.
And the worst-case scenario was already happening anyway.
I walked over calmly.
Heukrang was already grooming himself as though satisfied.
I placed my hand on his fur.
Just as expected...
A violent pain exploded through my abdomen.
And once again...
I lost consciousness.
Awooooooo!
His familiar howl was the last thing I heard.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Slash! Slash!
BOOM!
Shhk!
"Die! You bastard! I've hated the way you've been looking at me all day!"
"Hmph! A weakling with only a loud mouth!"
"We need to reduce their numbers! Attack!"
"Over here! Everyone from Seomwol Peak, gather here!"
"AAAAARGH!"
"There are bastards hiding in that cave chamber! Hurry!"
"Damn it! Those damned Dark Demon Corps bastards!"
Night had fallen over the Dark Demon Well after the first trial.
With the Dark Demon Corps warriors gone, the cavern was filled with nothing but clashing steel and the thick smell of blood.
Some attacked weaker trainees they'd already marked earlier.
Others formed groups and began hunting stronger fighters.
There was no single correct answer.
All they had been given...
Was the situation itself.
That was the second trial.
The first trial had been barehanded and individual.
The second removed even those restrictions.
Weapons were now in their hands.
And at their sides were people who could become allies or enemies at any moment.
The entire place turned into a slaughterhouse.
"Attack! We need to reduce them before..."
Shhk!
"Just who the hell are you, making so much noise?"
"W-wait...!"
The cavern looked completely lawless.
But even here, a principle existed.
Those who stood out became targets.
Nothing was easier to hunt than prey that made noise first.
On the other hand...
If you remained unnoticed, fewer flies gathered around you.
And there was one man who understood that principle perfectly.
Whoooosh!
Swish!
He moved quietly through the storm of weapons.
He suppressed his killing intent as much as possible.
He avoided eye contact.
He moved around chaotic battles whenever he could.
And when someone attacked him...
He dealt with them as quickly and cleanly as possible.
Yet despite all that...
He had a clear destination.
That meant his objective was different from everyone else inside the Dark Demon Well.
Most people were trying to reduce the number of competitors and survive.
This man was looking for something specific.
Eventually...
He stopped in front of one cave chamber.
He raised his head and checked the number.
[137]
Quiet.
Enough time has passed for the poison to spread completely.
The man silently approached the door and pressed his ear against it.
Nothing.
As expected.
But he still couldn't know the exact situation inside.
He carefully looked around.
Then pressed himself against the door.
Tap. Tap.
He lightly knocked.
He wasn't expecting anyone to open it.
If the target was still conscious, even barely...
There should at least be some reaction to an unfamiliar sound.
Fortunately...
Nothing came from inside.
Complete silence.
Looks like it worked.
Then entering should be safe.
The target should already be down.
All he needed to do was confirm the death.
Even so...
The man remained cautious.
