Just Two Centimeters Short

It had truly reached its limits! Having consumed some bizarre things the previous night, intending to digest them properly, it suddenly found itself force-fed with these uncanny pesticides! If it were just a little, it would have been bearable, a minor discomfort that would soon pass.

However, Lynne had been dosed to the brink of death! If he had truly died, that would have been it. Yet, this scoundrel persistently teetered him on the edge, oscillating between life and death! Such torment! Utter cruelty!

The left hand clutched the pillar tightly, (〃＞皿＜), regardless of how much the body behind strained to move forward. It clung on, refusing to let go.

Meanwhile, the drugged Lynne (((;꒪ꈊ꒪;))) sluggishly crawled ahead. That indomitable will, even in his stupefied state, still adhered staunchly to his original intent.

"Release... let go... pesticides... pesticides..." Lynne murmured, white froth dripping from his lips.

"No release! No pesticides!" The left hand yelled out.

For a moment, the two were locked in an intense stalemate. At this moment, releasing his grip meant doom. Thus, after a grueling standoff that lasted for what felt like an eternity, Lynne's eyes finally swirled in delirium, his trembling hand reaching out for the bottle of pesticide. Yet, just as his fingers were mere centimeters away, he slumped onto the ground.

(ヾﾉ꒪ཫ꒪)——

From his mouth, copious amounts of froth bubbled out, accompanied by a wisp of blue smoke that wafted above his head.

Merely two centimeters short.

Finally, Lynne, overwhelmed by the toxins, succumbed and began to convulse.

...

"Ugh!"

The left hand, too, could no longer maintain its grip and slid down the pillar, leaving a long trail of white froth behind.

Yet, it did not fall! It persisted! Struggling with all its might, it dragged the frothing, twitching, and smoking body of Lynne behind. Extending its fingers, the hand, while foaming, tremulously crawled towards the alchemy room.

With every motion, a stagger. A vast trail of froth marked its tortuous path. The hand's desperate yearning for life and tenacity was profoundly evident at this moment.

"Antidote... antidote...OДQ... antidote... sob..."

Eventually, the trembling left hand, while supporting the smoking form of Lynne, reached the alchemy room. With great difficulty, it climbed onto the shelf and managed to pry open a bottle of recovery potion.

Gulp... gulp...

After mustering all its remaining strength to drink every potion it could find,

The left hand, like Lynne, flipped and spat white foam, and finally lost consciousness.

...

An indeterminate amount of time passed.

[Ding! Your poison resistance +1]

[Ding! Your poison resistance +1]

[Ding! You've achieved the milestone: Poison Flask. You gain 300 Experience.]

[Ding! You've achieved the milestone: The Undying to Poison. You gain 300 Experience.]

[Poison Flask: A unique achievement. Earned by enduring over 500 instances of poisoning in a short time without perishing. Permanent attributes received: All attributes +1, Poison Resistance +10.]

[The Undying to Poison: A unique achievement. Earned by surviving over 200 different potent toxins in a short time. Permanent attributes received: All attributes +2, Constitution +5, Poison Resistance +5.]

Bombarded with numerous system notifications, Lynne finally stirred, groggily opening his eyes.

Rubbing his throbbing temples, Lynne grimaced in pain as he tried to rise. Every inch of his body felt disjointed, a strange unease permeating through him.

"Did I successfully force out the mutation?" he mumbled, attempting to stand but ending up collapsing to the ground. He felt incredibly weak as if he had just undergone multiple exhausting physical exertions.

Shaking his head, Lynne strained to recall the events leading up to his blackout. His thoughts were hazy, his mind heavy. Yet, he vaguely remembered, just before losing consciousness, a peculiar movement in his body, as if a part of him had a mind of its own.

"What was that?" Lynne pondered, rubbing his eyes in concentration.

At this moment, his left hand resting on his lap twitched momentarily. The hand then turned, palm facing upwards, and the mouth-like slit in its center gasped for breath, murmuring, "Saved... finally saved..."

In an instant, Lynne's body tensed. His gaze froze upon his gasping left hand. Before his eyes, a panel materialized:

[???]

[Race: Abnormal Mutation]

[Alignment: Lawful Evil]

[Level: None]

[Combat Ability: Intense Consumption Desire (currently weakened)]

[Description: A unique mutation birthed through a series of fortunate events. Fused with parts of Blood-Flesh Puppet Type 3 tissues, Heart of the Faceless, fragments of Evil Spirit Aggregates, etc. It coexists with its host, possessing formidable strength, but with an intense aversion to pesticides...]

The left hand, despite lacking eyes, sensed Lynne's focused attention. An inexplicable sensation of locking eyes with someone filled the air.

"..."

"..."

For a moment, the surroundings plunged into an eerie silence.

[Lynne's Sanity -10]

[Left Hand's Sanity -9]

The very next instant, Lynne's left hand snapped open its gaping maw, revealing sharp, menacing teeth. Like a wild beast, it lunged viciously towards Lynne's head.

"I'll eat you, (〝▼皿▼)!"

Lynne's reflexes kicked in almost simultaneously. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed the wrist of his left hand with his right, pushing it away forcefully.

"I remember now! The mutation's in my left hand! No wonder I couldn't get to the medicine every time I tried (｀皿′)?!"

With a sudden jolt, Lynne was pushed to the ground by the overpowering force. The mouth on his left hand grew wider and more ferocious, its sharp teeth gnashing at the air.

At this critical juncture, Lynne's determination surged. Rolling away, (▼皿▼#) he fiercely gripped his left wrist, struggling desperately.

This won't work! The mutant hand's strength was overwhelming! At this rate, he would surely have his head bitten off! He needed a plan! That's it! A recent ability he had acquired flashed across his mind.

[Function: Flesh Catastrophe!]

Buzzing—

Focusing his consciousness on the rebellious hand, Lynne gritted his teeth and activated the skill. In an instant, blood surged in his arm, flesh pulsating wildly. Yet, he felt a strong resistance emanating from the left hand, countering his control. Clearly, it was the will of the mutant!

"How dare you have such a foul ability, trying to control me? I'll eat you, (〝▼皿▼)! Ah, damn it!!"

Gnashing—

The teeth snapped together even more frantically. Although Lynne couldn't completely control the left hand, he managed to halt its assault. The pressure on his right hand considerably lessened.

"Damn you! You can even talk?! We'll see who gets the best of whom today, damn it!"

Lynne's fury knew no bounds.