Chapter 39
Senoir's hand, holding his cigarette, paused, and he looked serious.
Even though this explanation didn't sound reliable, it contained some twisted logic and feasibility. However, the probability of such blind luck seemed incredibly low.
"Are you sure?"
"It's just for research for now. Who would risk their own life without cause?"
Finally, Senoir was persuaded by Abel's words. "I know where to find several deadly toxins. Fine, I'll help you get them tomorrow. Some extreme toxins are harder to find, at least they are rare in the North Sea. We can only try our luck through the family's network."
Abel was overjoyed. He had made the right decision asking Senoir for help!
"That's enough, finding even one is a success, as it's just for research initially, we can take our time for the rest," said Abel.
Senoir nodded, "No problem then, wait for my news."
"Thanks, consider me owing you a favor."
"There's no need for that. I'm just doing this because I find you agreeable," Senoir dismissed Abel's gratitude with a wave of his hand, and left the scene in a relaxed manner. Abel made a mental note that he would repay this favor when the opportunity arose.
Senoir proved true to his word. The very next night, he returned, weary from his journey, bringing with him the deadly toxins Abel desired.
"This tube is the venom of a king cobra, extremely ferocious. And this is the toxin from a blue-ringed octopus, a very potent neurotoxin."
"Because you needed them urgently, I could only find these two relatively common toxins for now," Senoir explained as Abel accepted the precious vials of venom, not uttering any words of gratitude, for actions speak louder than words.
"These two will do for now. You've been a great help," Abel responded.
Senoir watched Abel's excited face and after hesitating a bit, he finally said, "I got the toxins for you, but don't do anything reckless. There's still time, you might really find a Devil Fruit that can cure your disease."
"Your comforting skills are not great, but I get your point. I won't do anything unless I'm certain of its outcome," Abel responded. Senoir touched his nose and said, "I'll be going then," before leaving rather quickly, making Abel chuckle.
Once alone, Abel's smile vanished, replaced by a serious and solemn expression. He had always thought that the evolution of the 'Ghost's Heart' was a distant dream, and even if he had the right toxins, he wouldn't gamble with his life.
But now, things were different.
The orange attribute, 'Soul of a Warrior,' gave him the confidence to attempt this risky venture. As long as he was careful and prepared, the chances of success were high. Even if he failed, he could still recover.
Moreover, with the venom of the Pufferfish that he had bought earlier from the system shop, he now had three deadly toxins.
To be safe, he didn't recklessly inject all three toxins into his heart simultaneously. Instead, he chose the venom of the King Cobra which seemed relatively easier to assimilate.
He took out a pre-prepared syringe, drew a portion of venom, clenched his teeth, and injected it straight into his heart.
It was a suicidal act!
Yet, the moment the King Cobra's venom entered his heart, the 'Ghost's Heart' trait reacted, as if stimulated, launching an aggressive counter.
"Ugh," Abel grunted, clutching his chest and collapsing onto the bed in agony.
His heart began to swell, to necrotize, its functionality rapidly deteriorating. Soon, he found it hard to breathe due to the lack of oxygen. Within just a few seconds, his 'Soul of a Warrior' trait was triggered into 'Critical Condition.'
The threefold increase in his combat power was useless at this moment, as his enemy was the deadly toxin within his body.
But then, his gourmet cells suddenly began to react...
As the King Cobra venom circulated within Abel's body, his gourmet cells were undeniably provoked and attacked. In response, they immediately attempted to evolve to a level immune to this toxin. This process was not quick, but it successfully delayed the venom's destructive effect.
Next, his purple attribute, 'Rapid Digestion,' was triggered. It attempted to digest the toxins present within his digestive system.
Abel had not expected such a chain reaction from the first toxin. His body was saving itself!
Originally, Abel planned to trigger the 'Near-Death' state by entering the 'Critical Condition' and complete three sit-ups as quickly as possible for revival. But surprisingly, he was able to withstand the ordeal.
Several grueling minutes later, 'Ghost's Heart' finally consumed and integrated the King Cobra's venom. All toxins spreading with the blood rapidly receded back into the heart, as if nothing had happened.
But things were indeed different.
Not only did the 'Ghost's Heart' complete a third of its evolution, but Abel's body, under the accelerated work of the gourmet cells, also generated antibodies to resist toxins. This was an unexpected bonus!
Due to the complete assimilation of the toxins, his heart returned to normal, freeing Abel from the 'Critical Condition.' He decided to take a break and wait for the 24-hour cooldown period of his attributes before continuing to merge the next toxin.
It was fortunate he had been cautious. Otherwise, he might have had a serious issue.
24 hours later, the fusion of the Blue-ringed Octopus toxin was smoother. Although he suffered quite a bit, his previous experience made it more thrilling than dangerous. He didn't even trigger the 'Critical Condition.'
However, when he was ready to inject the last toxin, the Pufferfish venom, into his heart, he almost met a disaster.
The fierceness of the Pufferfish venom exceeded Abel's expectation. In the end, it was thanks to the 'Soul of a Warrior' attribute's one-time death immunity that he finally managed to consume and assimilate it.
Thankfully, he had saved the Pufferfish venom for last. His body had developed a certain amount of toxin resistance while adapting to the previous two toxins, preventing a likely failure of the final fusion.
Once successful, Abel finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling utterly drained after enduring such torment.