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 [Chapter 178]

[A Cup of Poison (3)]

There are occasionally such players.

Players who live fighting monsters sometimes have their minds worn down at any moment.

Players who live in thrills forget the preciousness of daily life and come to think it's boring.

So they wander looking for thrills, and end up losing normal ways of thinking one by one.

After experiencing near-death crises many times, the unchanging monotonous daily life feels tedious.

They want to feel thrill, vitality.

The mindset that settles in at some point makes them seek thrills close to death, and enjoy a life of killing something.

Thus, they deviate from the norm and become slayers.

If you don't properly grasp the self called "I", you end up falling into being a slayer.

I would have become like that too if I didn't have Yujung or Baekryeon.

It's an unhealthy game.

Eunha thought after hearing the DM Clan Lord's explanation of the game.

Nevertheless, Eunha had experienced similar types of games before.

When I worked on the highway, players there would play games like this.

In his previous life, Eunha had moved around various places before creating the Fog Flower Party.

At that time, he had taken on the job of guarding highways.

The job of waiting at a standby station and subjugating monsters when they came up on the road.

It was an extremely boring job.

Eunha had to spend time meaninglessly waiting for monsters to come up at an empty standby station.

At that time, players who had arrived first proposed a game to Eunha.

I got scolded badly by Yujung later.

It was a memory that made him smile bitterly.

Eunha had accepted their proposal and somehow won driven by anger.

As a result, Eunha became addicted and had to receive treatment from Lee Yujung.

It was only natural that he got scolded by her.

"Dust snail poison..."

""""..."

Eunha murmured softly looking at the glass placed in front of him.

At that time, he had forcibly promised her he wouldn't play such games again.

But it seemed he had to play the game to crush the spirits of the clan lords here.

Yujung, I'll only do it once.

He decided to respond to the game while making a promise to himself that he couldn't keep.

☆

"─Then since I proposed the game, I'll drink the poison first. Since this is the Pandora Clan Lord's first time, you can go last..."

"Let's just start with me."

""""...!!""""

"DM Clan Lord, you drink last."

"...It's better not to act recklessly. I'm doing this to be considerate of the Pandora Clan Lord."

"I appreciate the consideration, but I don't need consideration. I'll drink first, so the other clan lords just drink moderately. If you feel like you're going to die, stop anytime."

""""..."

The DM Clan Lord advised.

Eunha didn't listen.

Then he picked up the glass with poison.

People's gazes focused on him.

"It's not an appetizing color."

""""..."

Alcohol cloudy with gray.

Eunha swirled the glass.

While doing so, he observed the gazes of clan members waiting around.

They all had worried faces.

Why are you saying you'll do it when you could just say no? What if something really goes wrong?

Yeowoobi, Cha Eunwoo, Lee Iriya.

Hearing news of the game, all the supporters had been called to this place.

Noh Euna was among them too.

Eunha smiled bitterly after reading her gaze.

I'm sorry, but don't worry.

Eunha sent an apologetic gaze.

Noh Euna seemed to want to jump in and break up the game right away, but she seemed to know she didn't have that power.

She probably also thought she might damage Eunha's dignity as Pandora Clan Lord if she made a mistake.

So she just stood there clenching her fists tightly.

It was then.

"Pandora Clan Lord. What are you doing? You're not scared, are you?"

When Eunha swirled the glass for a while, the DM Clan Lord sneered.

Some clan lords around him snorted softly.

Eunha shrugged.

"I don't participate in matches I'll lose."

Wasn't that what Han Seohyun would say when having a match?

Soon Eunha found Han Seohyun among the clan members and smiled.

Han Seohyun, who had been sending worried gazes, seemed relieved hearing Eunha's words and smiled.

Immediately Eunha swallowed the alcohol.

"...It tastes bad."

""""..."

9th tier monster dust snail.

Eunha commented as he put down the glass on the table with a thud after gulping down the alcohol.

It tasted as bad as Meokminji's cooking.

The texture felt strange, with the alcohol feeling sticky too.

Even now, it felt like the alcohol was sticking to his throat and not going down.

"Do you drink poison for the taste?"

The DM Clan Lord was dumbfounded.

He stared blankly at Eunha with an incredulous gaze.

He just kept staring at Eunha, not caring that the next clan lord was drinking.

He was waiting for the dust snail poison to take effect.

But─.

"─Cough...!! Cough, cough, ahem...!!"

""""..."

While Eunha was calmly watching others drink alcohol.

The people who drank after Eunha suddenly coughed violently.

The DM Clan Lord and others who were watching Noh Eunha endure the poison doubted their eyes.

While clan lords who couldn't endure the poison covered their mouths and coughed.

Noh Eunha just had a peaceful face as if he didn't know he was enduring poison.

It's thanks to Virulent Venom's principle.

9th tier poison wouldn't have any effect on me.

Eunha nonchalantly received the gazes of people looking at him.

The clan members seemed surprised too.

Bruno and Han Changjin seemed to have expected this, perhaps because they knew Eunha's secret.

Soon Eunha turned his head.

"DM Clan Lord."

"Yes?"

"What are you doing not drinking? It's your turn now."

"Ah... I'm sorry."

The game continued.

There weren't many people who couldn't endure after eating the 9th tier poison.

And soon the turn came to the DM Clan Lord who had been dazed.

He snapped to his senses when called by Eunha.

"Ugh!"

He swallowed the alcohol.

He closed his mouth as if trying to endure the dust snail poison rising.

His face reddened for a moment, but he regained composure as time passed.

He opened his mouth.

"Is anyone dropping out?"

He said looking around the audience.

Not a single person said they were dropping out.

He continued the game.

"This poison is made by grinding the mana stone of the 8th tier swamp slime and the essence that comes out of it probabilistically."

""""..."

"It's a poison that causes hallucinations as soon as you drink it. But the hallucinations are quite strong. Although the clan lords gathered here are all capable, there's still a risk of falling into 8th tier hallucinations so..."

"If there are people who cause a disturbance after falling into hallucinations, our clan members will subdue them."

"...I see, understood."

Eunha cut off his words.

Then he gave a glance to the clan members saying please take care of it.

Kim Minji and Mok Minho sighed.

Meanwhile, the DM Clan Lord passed the poison to the side and had it mixed into the alcohol.

All the glasses were prepared.

Eunha drank first this time too.

"The alcohol is very clear... But the aftertaste is quite strong. It's bitter."

""""..."

A poison that takes effect immediately upon drinking.

Eunha gave his evaluation immediately after drinking.

The clan lords were just dumbfounded.

As Eunha showed no reaction, the glasses started going around clockwise.

And─.

"─Hiiieek!! W-what is this!? Ahh! Ahhh! G-ghost!"

""""..."

It was a Jung-gu clan lord.

He suddenly stood up from his seat and started raving.

Then he pointed at the clan lords and spouted strange words.

Thud

Yoo Namhun rushed in immediately.

He firmly grabbed the neck of the man who had fallen into hallucinations.

Then he made him hit his head and forcibly knocked him out.

"Have a comfortable time."

""""..."

With a bow.

Yoo Namhun carried the unconscious man on his back and took him to the supporters.

The clan lords were stunned and.

That's how the third game began.

"This poison is made by cutting off the lower body of the 7th tier goblin queen."

""""..."

At the DM Clan Lord's explanation.

People frowned.

For good reason, the goblin queen's upper body looked like a goblin, while the lower body took the form of an ant.

But because her buttocks were so huge, the goblin queen couldn't balance her body.

So she would lie down in her nest and be confined under the name of nursing by goblins.

The goblin queen would just eat food brought by goblins and excrete secretions with her lower body.

The secretions would either transform into goblins or probabilistically produce 6th tier goblin-type monsters.

The goblin queen's method of reproduction was terribly dirty.

"Do we really have to use that poison? Can't we use a different poison?"

That's why they frowned knowing that.

The Hansung Clan Lord even openly protested, unable to bear it.

To this, the DM Clan Lord said─.

"─It's an extremely hard to obtain poison. If you knew how much this costs, you'd probably faint? We can't use cheap 7th tier monster poison. And poison can become medicine depending on how it's used. I hear this is very good for men when drunk."

He sounds just like a merchant.

They kept their mouths shut at the DM Clan Lord's words.

"The smell is strong."

"Originally strong things are good for the body."

"I'd rather eat royal jelly."

Eunha said looking at the alcohol.

As the poison spread in the alcohol, an ammonia-like smell spread everywhere.

The color was yellow too.

Eunha raised his head to observe the other clan lords' expressions.

Then his eyes met Jeong Hayang's.

Why, what, why.

Jeong Hayang's gaze was unusual.

Eunha decided to just drink the alcohol while avoiding her sparkling gaze.

Oh well, whatever.

He closed his eyes and swallowed the alcohol.

"By the way, you didn't say what effects this poison has?"

It tasted better than expected.

But it was a taste that was enough with one time.

Eunha drank the alcohol and asked the DM Clan Lord.

The DM Clan Lord looked blank.

"It's a poison that causes fever and chills as soon as you drink it, and induces dry heaving. The effects appear for three days, and if you're unlucky, you might even vomit up internal organs."

""""..."

"In the worst case, you have to spend all day locked up in the bathroom. Well, dry heaving doesn't just come from above."

"DM Clan Lord. Why are you only saying this now?"

The DM Clan Lord looked disappointed as no changes appeared in Eunha.

The Hansung Clan Lord was startled and pressed him.

"I'll withdraw at this point."

""""We'll withdraw too.""""

They couldn't make a disgraceful scene for nothing.

<Mercenary King> declared his withdrawal.

When he declared withdrawal, the clan lords who had been watching also declared withdrawal.

"Ugh... Collecting poison, what a strange hobby you have."

"Try getting into it once. It's really fun to collect."

The Hansung Clan Lord remained in his seat.

He sat cross-legged and started shrinking his body little by little.

Other clan lords did the same.

The only clan lords who could remain calm were Eunha and the DM Clan Lord.

That's how the fourth game started.

"This poison is from the 6th tier..."

"Bathroooom!!"

""""...!!""""

The fourth poison was from the 6th tier monster limestone lizard.

It was a poison that paralyzed limbs.

At that time, some clan lords who could no longer endure the goblin queen's poison stood up from their seats.

The area fell into chaos.

Clan members flustered and quickly moved them to the bathroom.

"I'm sorry but... Can you move me to the bathroom too...?"

It was utter chaos.

Clan lords who drank the limestone lizard's poison and became stiff asked clan members embarrassedly.

Before they knew it, the seats were empty.

"Aren't you going too far in someone else's clan?"

"Bill them later and get compensation for damages. But it seems the goblin queen's poison is really effective. I hope it has effects in other areas too..."

"Enough, let's just do the game quickly."

The Hansung Clan Lord clicked his tongue and.

The DM Clan Lord laughed pleasantly.

Eunha quickly cut off the conversation.

Now only they were left in their seats.

"The Pandora Clan Lord is quite good. You're not showing any signs even now..."

The DM Clan Lord looked disappointed.

From what he heard, it usually ends at 6th tier monster poison.

In fact, the DM and Hansung Clan Lords were paralyzed and couldn't move their bodies readily.

Nevertheless, Eunha was moving his limbs normally.

"This is poison from the fangs of the 5th tier sewer nutria. Well, you all probably know, but to explain..."

5th tier sewer nutria.

If you're affected by its poison, your five senses become sensitively developed.

As a result, even just brushing your fingertips feels like being stabbed with a needle.

As time passes, even air brushing against you, smelling something, or breathing in develops into pain, it seems.

"Oh, this tastes good."

""""..."

Despite such a poison.

Eunha gulped down the poison without showing any signs of fear.

And what he said was outrageous.

"Is there no more of this? It's a taste that makes me want to drink another glass."

""""..."

Behind them, Noh Euna was hitting her own chest.

Eunha avoided her gaze while snatching the DM Clan Lord's poison.

Then he gulped it down.

""""...!!""""

Poison refined to be colorless and odorless.

Eunha felt the poison falling down his esophagus into his stomach.

Thump thump

His body reacts.

Even faster than that, Virulent Venom's principle activated.

Destroy the sewer nutria's poison.

And the principle grows.

I thought this might happen after eating Changjin hyung's poison last time...

Virulent Venom's principle not only destroys the poison I eat, but also absorbs some to grow stronger.

Virulent Venom's principle strengthened.

Eunha was satisfied.

"Hah, really..."

"..."

The Hansung Clan Lord clicked his tongue.

The DM Clan Lord was also too shocked to say anything.

Eventually─.

"─I'll stop here."

The Hansung Clan Lord who drank the poison declared his withdrawal.

When clan members tried to support him, he waved them off saying he was fine.

He said he would go back right away and disappeared leading his clan members.

So what remained at the dinner venue was─.

"─Now it's just us left."

""""..."

"What's next? It must be 4th tier, right? I'm looking forward to what taste it will be."

☆

The DM Clan Lord was dumbfounded.

In his younger days, he had been a match for Changhae Clan Lord Gil Seongjun.

 Even so, he and Gil Seongjun back then had difficulty even balancing their bodies before reaching 4th tier poison.

But the Pandora Clan Lord─.

─How can he be so calm?

There was no sign of him using mana, is he really enduring with just mental strength alone?

He's not showing any signs at all.

He wasn't even coughing slightly.

The DM Clan Lord couldn't believe the situation unfolding before his eyes.

Does he perhaps have the <Detoxification > gift?

No, I don't know what the Pandora Clan Lord's gift is, but it's not that.

The DM Clan Lord denied the assumption that suddenly came to mind.

Then he came to the conclusion that the Pandora Clan Lord was really enduring with mental strength.

He's a terrifying guy.

That was the DM Clan Lord's conclusion.

There's really no one more terrifying.

What kind of life must he have lived to be able to show such strong mental fortitude?

The DM Clan Lord now inwardly feared him as he opened his mouth.

"This poison is from the 4th tier Shadow Snake. Its effects are so strong it needs to be diluted, but even so, in unlucky cases it can lead to blindness..."

4th tier monster poison was dangerous.

The DM Clan Lord was inwardly tense while calmly explaining.

I didn't expect it to come this far.

Even when I did this with that bastard Gil Seongjun, it usually ended at the 5th tier level, to think we'd come this far...

Because Noh Eunha's face looked calm.

The difficulty of the game, which should have continued with 5th tier monster poison, ended up increasing.

The DM Clan Lord continued the method of diluting the poison and pouring alcohol.

He deliberately tried to scare him, hoping he would quit the game in advance.

But─.

"─How can you use it if you dilute it like that? At that point, we might as well just mix in 5th tier monsters' poison and drink it."

"...What?"

"DM Clan Lord, is this really your best?"

""""..."

Noh Eunha suddenly provoked.

The DM Clan Lord stared at him blankly, unable to say anything.

This crazy bastard.

We could both die if we're not careful!

There's a limit to provocation.

How can he provoke when playing a game with 4th tier monster poison?

This poison would lead to death if not diluted.

But Noh Eunha snorted.

Then he said:

"Until now, the DM Clan Lord has been serving the poison─."

""""..."

No, I wasn't serving it.

The DM Clan Lord shook his head.

He continued speaking regardless.

"─Now it's my turn to serve. Changjin hyung."

"...Yes, Clan Lord."

Suddenly the atmosphere changed.

The initiative passed to Noh Eunha.

The DM Clan Lord, who was mixing poison into his own glass, blinked.

Regardless, Noh Eunha suddenly called Han Changjin to his seat.

"You must know that we took down the 4th tier Great Toad Chief of Samgakji in this calamity."

"...That's right."

"The poison I'll serve is extracted from that guy. Changjin hyung, drop a little into the alcohol."

"...Yes, Clan Lord."

Noh Eunha gestured.

Han Changjin activated magic.

He dropped black poison like petroleum into Noh Eunha's glass drip by drip.

Strangely, the alcohol and poison didn't mix but separated into layers.

The poison was contained at the bottom.

"This is the Great Toad Chief's poison and its effects are amazing. It's a corrosive poison."

"Corrosive?"

"Yes, it melts when you drink it."

""""..."

Han Changjin dropped poison into the DM Clan Lord's glass too.

The DM Clan Lord widened his eyes looking at the poison in his glass.

"Honestly, I was feeling the game was boring until now. But if the next poison is just diluted poison too, it doesn't seem fun."

"Pandora Clan Lord. If we're not careful, we could die..."

"Wasn't the reason the DM Clan Lord proposed this game to me in the first place to stake your life to preserve your position?"

The DM Clan Lord tried to say something.

But he couldn't refute after hearing Noh Eunha's words.

It was true.

"Or maybe this is the best the DM Clan Lord can do."

"...Don't look down on me."

The DM Clan Lord had his pride too.

There was no way he could just quietly endure being provoked like this.

He decided to respond to the provocation.

However─.

"─Drink. I already drank."

"..."

As his turn approached.

The DM Clan Lord just stared down at the glass of poisoned alcohol endlessly.

His hand wouldn't move.

It wasn't that the limestone lizard's poison was taking effect now.

He was afraid.

If I drink this, I'll really die.

Before he knew it, he had dipped his feet into death himself.

Death is rising up to his nose.

Even though he realized that, he couldn't stop anymore.

Like a runaway train with broken brakes, he drank the poison.

Gulp!!

The DM Clan Lord's eyes widened.

A sensation like his tongue was burning.

He quickly swallowed the poison.

Then his esophagus burned.

It feels like his esophagus is melting.

"...!!"

The poison starts spreading.

He writhed in pain that felt like his whole body was melting.

His mind grew dizzier and.

Soon his consciousness faded.

☆

There's no way he used real poison.

It was obvious there would be trouble if someone died at a dinner gathering.

I need to thoroughly correct that guy's habits.

Just to correct DM Clan's habit of enjoying games with poison.

Eunha deliberately encouraged him to drink the poisoned cup.

In reality, it was just soju.

Phantom Eye

The poison he drank was real.

Eunha used that to create the atmosphere and implant the impression in people that poison was in the DM Clan Lord's glass.

People who had been focused on the game until now fell into Eunha's illusion too easily.

And the DM Clan Lord couldn't escape the illusion and thought he really drank extremely deadly poison.

""""DM Clan Lord!!""""

Anyway, the DM Clan Lord collapsed.

Shocked people rushed to treat him.

"Huh? He's not poisoned?"

"It's just black in color, but it's just soju?"

By that time, people were freed from the illusion and could objectively assess the DM Clan Lord's condition.

It's just that he finally couldn't suppress all the poison he had drunk until now.

Their faces became subtle.

Meanwhile, Eunha looked for Changjin.

The timing was good. Since Meokminji was caught secretly making food, we could set it aside in advance.

Changjin hyung pretended to mix in poison using that...

By the way, what was she trying to make with squid ink?

Fortunately, Han Changjin was quick-witted.

After confirming Eunha's hidden magic in Uijeongbu, he grasped the intention and just pretended to mix in poison.

The two looked at each other and nodded.

Then he turned to the clan lords remaining in their seats.

"─Tell the Yongsan-gu and Jung-gu clan lords. If anyone plays such a game again, I won't let it slide next time. If you want to stake your life and match drinks with me, go ahead and do that."

""""...!!""""

"Please let's play healthily. Ah, since I won the game, I'll subcontract as I please, so keep that in mind."

The clan lords clicked their tongues.

When Eunha said to play healthily, they nodded vigorously.

Now no one will commit such a dangerous act again.

Eunha sighed.

He turned his back on the clan lords and decided to go to his clan members.

It seemed Han Changjin had explained the situation and they knew what had happened.

The clan members who had been frightened when the DM Clan Lord collapsed now had relieved expressions.

And─.

"─So Eunha, you really drank Changjin's poison?"

"Euna, Eunha is..."

"Changjin, you stay quiet. I won't let you off either later. Did you think you could get away with feeding poison to my brother?"

"...!!"

Eunha had to face Noh Euna.

Noh Euna approaches smiling.

Eunha had to get hit on the back by her while surrounded by clan members.

Meanwhile, Cha Eunwoo─.

"─If Eunha is unaffected by poison... Couldn't we get antibodies from Eunha too?"

It's worth testing.

They say her eyes sparkled.