Chapter 41: ill Intent

Seojun looked down at the last dish presented before him: a grilled fish with a golden, crispy skin. After all the bizarre and potentially deadly foods he'd tried, this seemed like a miracle.

'Finally! A normal food!' he thought, his stomach already feeling queasy from the earlier dishes.

Malara stepped forward and carefully sliced a piece of the fish, placing it on a leaf plate for Seojun. "This is the catch from the Shadowmoor waters, my lord, A favorite among our people for its flavor."

Seojun took the plate lifting the small piece to his mouth. As soon as he bit into the fish, a burst of familiar, simple flavors washed over his taste buds. His eyes nearly watered from the sheer nostalgia of it. 'It tastes just like mackerel,' he thought, almost overwhelmed with emotion.

He closed his eyes, savoring the moment. For the first time since this strange banquet began, he felt something that reminded him of home. After all the rich, overpowering flavors and bizarre ingredients he'd faced, this plain grilled fish tasted like heaven.

Seojun savored the taste of the fish, letting out a sigh of relief as he chewed. It reminded him of myeongtae—a common, dried pollock from Earth. After all the strange dishes he'd just eaten, this simple flavor felt like a comfort.

He was about to take another bite when he suddenly felt a strange sensation spreading through his body. His muscles started to feel stiff, as if they were turning to stone. Then, a tightness gripped his chest, and his arms and legs felt strangely heavy.

[You have consumed the Frostscale Carp.]

[Effect: Petrifying Essence Activated. Your body is slowly turning to stone.]

Seojun's eyes widened in shock. "What the—?"

Before he could react, another notification popped up:

[Effect: Blood Thickening Agent Activated. Your blood is becoming thicker. Immediate risk of clotting.]

His heart missed a beat. He could feel his blood moving sluggishly, like it was turning into thick mud. His fingers started to go numb, and it was getting harder to breathe. He fought to stay calm, knowing panicking would only make things worse.

'Great,' Seojun thought, feeling his face grow pale. 'Now I'm turning to stone and my blood is turning to sludge. What's next, spontaneous combustion?'

He quickly scanned his body with his senses. His hands and feet were starting to stiffen, and his heart was pounding against a heavy pressure. 'How ironic,' he thought. 'Out of all the weird things I've eaten today, this "fish" is the deadliest.'

Seojun's mind raced. His body had developed resistance to many things after eating all those strange foods earlier, but these were new effects. He then saw another notification:

Ding!

[Notification: Resistance to Petrifying Essence Acquired.]

Ding!

[Notification: Resistance to Blood Thickening Acquired.]

he sit back up trying to keep his voice steady despite the chaos in his body.

Seojun nearly groaned. 'Of course, it's some weird demon fish. Why couldn't it be a normal fish?' He looked around at the demons gathered around the table.

Zholga watched Seojun with a sly smile. 'What an interesting human,' she thought, her mind already racing. 'If I can gain his trust before the others, our clan will become the most powerful. Having the support of someone as strong as him will be invaluable.'

Sorgar, the skeletal Lord of Hollowshades, observed Seojun with a mix of respect and intrigue. 'He survived all those deadly dishes,' shaking his head.

'If I can win his favor, I'll have a powerful ally at my side. The others don't realize how crucial this is. I'll make sure our clan is the one he chooses.'

Vrok, the bull-headed Lord of Ironhoof, grinned with dark satisfaction. 'He might even be stronger than Nerathiel,' he thought, his eyes gleaming. 'If I can secure his support, it will be a tremendous boost for our clan. Aligning with a being of such strength will solidify our dominance. I'll make sure to outshine the others and get him on our side.'

Each of the demon lords harbored their own schemes, driven by the desire to gain Seojun's support and secure their clan's position of power. They all understood the stakes and were determined to outmaneuver each other.

Zholga plotted her next move 'I need to be the first to offer something truly valuable. If I can win his trust now, no other lord will be able to compete. Our clan will rise to unprecedented heights.'

Behind the Bino House, Hound, the former lord of the Bino Clan, lurked in the shadows, his eyes burning with intense rage as he watched Seojun. Seojun, now the new lord of the Bino Clan, was surrounded by the clan lords, and Hound's anger was palpable.

His thoughts seethed with hatred. 'How dare this human take my place as the lord of the Bino Clan? I should be the one in control, not him. This is an insult to everything I've worked for. I willl destroy you and take back what's mine!'

Hound's fury was further fueled by the sight of Malara, smilingly serving seojun. 'Malara, who once rejected me and turned me down, is now serving this human with such eagerness! Pathetic! She was supposed to be mine, and now she's fawning over him!'

His anger grew as he noticed that the other clan lords is getting interested to the human. 'They all think they can use him for their gain, but I won't allow it. I'll do whatever it takes to eliminate him and reclaim my position. And as for Malara, she'll pay for her betrayal.'

Hidden in the shadows, Hound's rage simmered as he plotted his revenge against Seojun then he thought of something and muttered "Let's see how stronger you are Human".

The system detected something unusual during the celebration—a sudden spike of ill intent aimed directly at Seojun. Recognizing this as a potential threat, the system quickly analyzed the source and discovered it was coming from Hound.

'I need to make sure the host rests without interference. This might be the last time he'll get a break,' the system thought.