NOVPUB
Chapter 116
Gulp, gulp, gulp.
The sticky liquid crawled down Suho’s throat. The taste was foul and pungent, but it was somewhat bearable. It’s not my first time dealing with this kind of poison, anyway.
As he consumed every drop of the venom, the passive effects he received—Que’s “Plague Blessing” and Kandiaru’s “Blissful Longevity”—activated within his body.
Ding.
[Harmful substances have been detected.]
[“Buff: Detoxification” has initiated treatment.]
[3, 2, 1... Detoxification has completed.]
[“Side Effect: Damaged Muscles” is removed.]
First, the venom’s fatal side effects were neutralized through purification.
Ding.
[Effect “Kasaka’s Iron Scales”: Physical damage reduced by 20%.]
With only the positive buff effects remaining, Suho’s defense was significantly increased. Suho’s Pain Tolerance skill had recently increased his defense by 100 percent, so with the venom, he now achieved a total increase of 120 percent. With this, he had become an absolutely formidable tank, not to be outclassed anywhere.
However, what Suho was most pleased about was the possibility of using Kasaka’s venom itself in his attacks.
[Debuff: Kasaka’s Venom]
The poison weakened the muscle strength of the affected targets by 35 points, essentially diminishing their overall power and speed. This debuff was far more potent than the “Paralysis” effect, which merely slowed movements.
This will definitely be helpful, Suho thought. He immediately summoned Que.
“Yes, Master.”
“From now on, imbue all your attacks with Kasaka’s venom.”
“Understood.”
Whoosh!
At that command, the tip of Que’s spear was imbued with the venom.
It would be most effective to shoot Que as an arrow, like I did today, and apply the venom to opponents at the start of the battle. Of course, Que could be used without the venom to take care of weaker targets.
It was unexpected, but I gained a great ability. Suho nodded, his expression one of content.
***
While Suho was verifying his rewards, the aftermath of the Euljiro incident was being smoothly settled.
After the last magic beasts were annihilated, the swamp began to shrink and eventually disappeared. As soon as the security of the area was ensured, reporters flocked to Euljiro in droves to relay the outcome of the urgent situation to the public.
Of course, it was up to the Association hunters to handle this chaotic situation.
“Oh Seokhun, from Hunter Daily! Who shot the black arrow that suddenly flew from the sky? What skill did they use?”
“Those two arrows virtually took down the boss monster on their own, and resolved the entire incident! What’s your comment?”
“W-wait a moment. Please, one question at a time...” Jaehyuk looked distraught as he was suddenly surrounded by reporters’ microphones.
I don’t have time for this. While he should be chasing after Thomas Andre, who had suddenly vanished, he felt like he was leading a press conference.
That didn’t mean he could just ignore the situation and leave, though. He was part of the group of Association hunters closest to Euljiro, and it was their duty to handle the aftermath of the incident. Fortunately, the situation was quickly suppressed and there were few casualties. The most pressing task now was to fairly divvy up the corpses of the magic beasts.
“I killed this one!” a hunter shouted.
“Nonsense! Look, these are wounds from my skill!”
This is where the real headache begins. Jaehyuk’s head was already throbbing as he watched hunters squabble over the corpses of the magic beasts, each claiming them as their own. Curiously, none of them dared to touch the beasts killed by the two black arrows that had flown in midway through the battle. 𝓷ℴ𝓿𝓹𝓾𝓫.𝓬ℴ𝓶
The first arrow came in like lightning and killed the boss monster, and the second was like a siege cannon that almost drained the swamp. While the second arrow is nothing to sneeze at, the real mystery is the first... Having seen countless archer hunters during his career, Jaehyuk recognized the first arrow’s significance. The other hunters must have felt the same, which was why none of them dared to step in to claim ownership.
It seemed to change course so it could accurately snipe the boss monster, as if it had eyes. Jaehyuk wouldn’t have been so confused if it were a guided missile. If that were the case, it would follow a visible path until it came down on its target.
But it twisted and turned from its arc, then came down on the boss monster. Which archer hunter possesses such a skill? I’ve never seen such a thing.
However, his questions were resolved more quickly than expected. South Korea’s top archer suddenly made his appearance. The group of reporters gasped.
“It’s Lim Taegyu!”
“The Guild Master of the Fiend Guild!”
“Ah, so it was him who shot the arrow!”
“Of course, only an archer of Taegyu’s skill could do it!”
“Wh-what?! Wait, what’s going on?!” Taegyu was taken aback by the reporters suddenly swarming toward him.
“Guild Master Lim! Guild Master Lim!”
“You were the one who shot the arrow just now, weren’t you, Mr. Lim?!”
“Mr. Lim! A word, please! I heard you compensated the families affected by Lee Minsung...”
“Wait! Please, one question at a time!” Even Taegyu, an S-rank hunter, was flustered in such a situation.
With a gloomy face, he whipped his head around, looking for Suho. He caught sight of the young hunter leisurely watching his plight from a distant, unnoticed corner. Damn that kid!
Suho simply nodded at Taegyu with a mischievous and warm smile, as if to say, “I’m sure you know what to do, right?”
Seriously? Taegyu groused to himself. He doesn’t want to reveal himself, is that it? What’s with all the mystery? Kids these days, really!
Of course, there was a part of him that understood. After all, media attention wouldn’t increase Suho’s worth, only lead to bigger nuisances. A hunter’s real value was something they elevated themselves, regardless of others’ recognition. The structure was simple—the more magic beasts you hunted, the more money you made. Unless, that is, you were seeking employment in a major guild, or perhaps developing your brand image to start your own...
Wait, hold on. Taegyu paused. He suddenly realized what message Suho was trying to send with that expression.
Is he doing this for my benefit...? Taegyu declaring his involvement in this incident could restore the fallen image of the Fiend Guild, even if only slightly. In the face of the criticism directed toward them, this was a chance for the Field Guild’s guild master to broadcast his enduring strength through mass media. But why would Suho go to such lengths for me?
In that instant, a voice reached the puzzled guild master’s ears. “With this, my debt is paid.”
Taegyu shuddered as if struck by lightning. Frantically, he looked around, but the owner of the eerily familiar voice was nowhere to be seen.
Could it be...? I know that voice! It was his unfortunate friend, Lee Minsung—the man who had brought the Fiend Guild to its current state!
“Where are you?!” Taegyu’s sudden, seemingly unprompted outburst left the surrounding reporters baffled. But they were the last thing on his mind. “Where are you! Speak up!”
What he didn’t realize was that his old friend no longer existed in this world. Only Que, the hunter now reborn as a shadow soldier, remained.
Amid the shadows of the clusters of reporters, Que gazed silently at the face of his old friend. He spoke again, but his words weren’t an apology or an expression of regret. After all, Que had no intention of seeking forgiveness. Now, he was simply fulfilling a duty.
“The Fiend Guild has a hidden ledger, a slush fund accumulated by the late Lee Minsung. That money is the property of the Fiend Guild, and can’t be touched by anyone other than the guild master. I will tell you the location and password of the account...”
Taegyu’s eyes widened as he was informed of this hidden truth. He listened closely as Que quietly recited the secret account’s password, repeating it several times until he could memorize it.
***
“Thank you, Master.”
“Is it all over?”
“Yes. I have no regrets now.”
As Beru watched Que bow respectfully to Suho, he growled, “Truly ungrateful. To think that you bestowed such vast wealth upon a friend before offering it to our Young Monarch.”
“I did intend to at first, but legally speaking, it’s impossible. That account can be accessed only by the Fiend Guild’s guild master or vice guild master.”
Que looked at Suho with a slightly sheepish expression as he made the excuse. After all, if it were not handled this way, the money would have vanished into thin air following Lee Minsung’s death. Even with the money, the Fiend Guild might not return to its former glory, but it could extinguish the immediate fires.
“I think I’ve done enough,” Que finally declared. Now, he felt he could comfortably let go of the name Lee Minsung.
“Well done.” Suho nodded at Que’s relieved expression, and he and Beru returned to Suho’s shadow with a swoosh.
At that moment, the young hunter saw Thomas Andre at a distance, trudging toward him. Like Taegyu, Thomas seemed to have been caught up with bothersome reporters and had finally freed himself.
“So, are you all prepared now?” the old man barked when he reached Suho.
The young hunter immediately nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Pleased with the crisp response, a corner of Thomas’s mouth quirked up. “We leave tomorrow morning.” With just that, he turned and headed back to Laura.
A resolute light shone in Suho’s eyes as he watched the man’s retreating back. Tomorrow. Finally, he would search for his missing mother. Now, to the Glacier Dungeon.
“Hey, Suho.” Shaking off the reporters, Taegyu approached him as well. “Just one question... Are you the only one going into the Glacier Dungeon, or are your friends joining too?”
“My friends?”
“Yeah. Your guild members.”
Suho looked puzzled for a moment before pondering the question. Esil would undoubtedly follow him, but he was uncertain whether he should mention Dogyoon. The other hunter had been living in his shadow recently while training under Ammut. When Suho entered the Glacier Dungeon, it would pull him in as well.
“Hmm. I guess they will be,” Suho answered.
“Hmph. Is that so? Well, I suppose it’ll be fine, since Thomas Andre is also joining,” Taegyu muttered to himself before scratching his head and nodding. “Well, take care. If your hunters are in danger, make sure to protect them.”
“Of course. That goes without saying...”
Huh? Suho’s eyes widened as he got a sudden flash of strange déjà vu. For a moment, he thought he saw a familiar face overlapping Taegyu’s.
Wait... Could it be...? “Hey, by any chance...”
Just as Suho was about to ask something, Taegyu interrupted him. “Ah, and since I’ve just come into some unexpected money... I was planning to offload a bow I had for some cash, but I’ll let you borrow it. You can use it in the Glacier Dungeon and return it later.”
“A bow?”
