"It's huge..."
Kang Jeong-hyeon exclaimed, his small mouth agape. A vast, beautiful emerald lake spread out before their eyes. It was so large that if one didn't turn their head from side to side to see its end, they might have mistaken it for a river or an ocean.
"Oh my... It's so romantic..."
Bi-soo clasped her hands, her eyes sparkling.
"Are we here on a picnic?"
Although my words were gruff, I too was quite impressed. I never expected such a beautifully colored lake to welcome us at the end of a dark, gloomy underground staircase. It felt less like we were in a Poison Dungeon and more like we had come to a world-famous tourist spot.
The expressions of my companions, weary from the tension, had brightened considerably.
"Hmm. But isn't it a bit hot? I feel like I'm sweating."
Iron Arm, who had been silently gazing at the lake, wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. A thick sheen of sweat came away on his hand. Maria also tilted her head, rubbing the tips of her slender fingers.
"The temperature isn't that high... but it seems humid. I wonder if it's because of the lake."
"Ah, I see."
Iron Arm nodded, continuously wiping away his sweat. 'No, this is definitely strange.' Although Iron Arm was a large man, he wasn't the type to sweat buckets like this.
I narrowed my eyes, looking over my companions, the lake, and our surroundings. 'What is it?' My companions' complexions didn't look very good.
Maria was fine, but the color in Bi-soo's and Kang Jeong-hyeon's faces was gradually turning dark and murky. Iron Arm's eyes were even starting to become bloodshot.
Why?
Just because we came to this place? The symptoms they were showing were not characteristic of a 'lakeside resort', but rather a 'toxic zone'. This place where we stood, the Poison Dungeon... something like it.
"... Damn it."
"What's wrong with you?"
Ignoring Bi-soo's question, I reached out with both hands toward her and Kang Jeong-hyeon. And immediately poured my healing energy into them.
Shwaaa...
"Huh?"
"Stay still."
The color in their faces noticeably improved. Just as I thought. A powerful toxic substance was floating in the air here.
A poison far more potent and deadly than the air in a typical Poison Dungeon. The three 'Irregulars', excluding the healer type, had taken an antidote before entering the dungeon. Since it was the highest-grade antidote available on the black market, its effect was outstanding, and none of us had paid any mind to the poison in the air.
But the air here seemed even more toxic than a normal Poison Dungeon. The substance was so subtle and meticulous that even I hadn't felt anything out of place. To think it was so hard to detect that even the poisoned individuals themselves didn't realize anything was wrong.
I don't know what kind of creature spread it, but it must be a cunning little rat.
Sss...
A faint sound, barely audible, tickled my ears. To the extent that I wouldn't have noticed if my Poison-type level hadn't risen. I turned my head toward the sound.
There, the emerald lake still surrounded us.
'Huh?'
A haze was rising. From the surface of the vast lake. When I moved closer to check, I saw a gentle steam rising, like from a hot spring.
A colorless, odorless smoke. But when I focused my senses on the tip of my nose, I could detect a faint, fishy smell. 'This is it!!!'
KABOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
At the same time, a massive impact sound echoed throughout the chamber.
"Kyaa!"
It was a sound loud enough to make Bi-soo scream in surprise. Iron Arm quickly turned his head and then pointed a finger.
"Over there...!!"
The entrance to the staircase we came down. It had completely collapsed. Looking at the tightly packed pile of rubble, it seemed it would take a significant amount of time to break through and climb back up.
"Seeing how it cut off our escape route, it seems to be an intelligent creature," Maria said with a cautious expression.
Having entered countless dungeons, she would know the tendencies of Monsters well. Her tense expression spoke volumes about our current situation. An intelligent Monster that stealthily spreads poison through the lake's vapor and blocks the escape route.
It could be called a tricky type in many ways.
"First, take all the antidotes you have."
I told the three of them urgently, then used Poison Step to leap up the outer wall. Looking down from mid-air, I couldn't see the bottom of the lake. For the bottom to be invisible despite such clear water, it must be incredibly deep.
If the creature was settled at the very bottom of the lake, just releasing poison, it would be extremely difficult to deal with. Because I had never experienced combat underwater. I could hold my breath, but I wasn't confident about a potential battle.
'What a troublesome bastard.' Just as I was thinking that, Maria called out to me urgently.
"Hae-seon!"
"???"
Wondering what was wrong, I looked down. Damn it all. Iron Arm had collapsed on the ground.
Fwip.
I descended the wall and approached my companions. Maria was healing him and he was improving, but his condition was still not good.
"Guhk..."
"What happened?"
"It seems... the concentration of poison in the air is rising. To the point that the antidote we prepared beforehand is useless."
Maria replied with a grim face. The faces of Bi-soo and Kang Jeong-hyeon beside her were turning dark and murky again. The escape route was blocked, and the toxicity in the isolated space was growing stronger.
Since it was an enclosed underground space, the vaporized poison remained entirely in the atmosphere. Weren't we literally 'rats trapped in a jar of poison'? I bit my lip and poured healing energy into the two of them again.
Heal them when they're poisoned, and when their condition worsens, heal them again. At this rate, it was no different from 'pouring water into a bottomless pot'. I needed a plan.
"I have a way... Perhaps..."
While receiving my healing, Kang Jeong-hyeon placed his left hand on his opposite shoulder. He was about to unwind the bandages on his right arm.
Rustle...
"What are you trying to do now..."
Shwaaaaaaaaaa.
A large tree sprouted from Kang Jeong-hyeon's shoulder. A tree larger than his own torso sprouting out. It was a marvelous sight every time I saw it.
Large, purple leaves bloomed all over it, and soon, the leaves began to tremble. Then, astonishingly, the flow of the air changed.
"My father said most of the plants he grew were from seeds obtained in special dungeons... I heard there's one that feeds on poison in the air as a nutrient."
Oho.
So this is that plant.
"They say even dog poop has its uses... It seems there are plants in the world that absorb poison to grow."
I couldn't help but smile bitterly at Iron Arm's words. Because it was something Kiril and Dr. Jin repeated until they were blue in the face.
"Because fundamentally, extremes connect."
Even in reality, an ingredient that is medicine to one person can act as a deadly poison to another. So, it wasn't strange for a plant from another world to use anything as a nutrient. The leaves, feeding on the poison, emitted an increasingly vibrant color.
They even seemed to be getting bigger.
"This will buy us some time for now. But..."
"The plants will get full eventually."
Kang Jeong-hyeon nodded gravely at my words. If the poison in the air was finite, I could manage the situation just by taking care of Kang Jeong-hyeon. However, the poison from the lake was being released in greater quantities as time went on.
By the time that lake ran dry, not even a drop of blood would remain of the three of them. 'I need a plan.' If the toxicity of the vaporized lake water was this bad, what would happen if the water touched skin directly?
It would be worse than hydrochloric acid, not better. But to catch the boss Monster, I had to deliver a physical shock all the way to the bottom. Swimming was out of the question, so calling 'that thing' was the right move, but...
Seuk.
I turned my head and looked at my companions. And then, I gave them a devilish smile.
"Everyone, you're all used to pain, right?"
"?????"
Maria practically invites injury as a daily meal, and Kang Jeong-hyeon goes without saying. Iron Arm was born a Tanker, and Bi-soo has a memory of her mouth being torn open while she was fully conscious. So, even if it hurts a bit, just bear with it for a moment.
"You're asking a really scary question."
Was it her woman's intuition? Bi-soo asked, her face slightly frightened.
"If we just stand around, we'll all die. From now on, focus all buffs on Kang Jeong-hyeon. Grow the plant's power to stack its leaves in layers, and Iron Arm, please block any lake water heading for Maria."
"Lake water... you say?"
Isn't the lake calm right now? As Iron Arm looked at me with that expression, I gathered all the Ether in my body.
Shwaaaaaaaaak.
"?!"
The Black Ether swirling around my entire body levitated into the air and gathered in one spot. Soon, with a terrifying roar, 'that thing' was summoned. -Kiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak.
"Oh my god!"
The Crimson Venom Snake. The only creature I could currently summon, and one that was unrivaled in terms of physical force. This one would be able to land an effective blow all the way to the bottom of the lake.
"So that's the one! I knew it wouldn't be an ordinary boss Monster!"
"Th-that one seems like it would be too much for my plant..."
Hmm?
What are these people talking about?
"Hae-seon. We're screwed. How are we supposed to beat something like that?"
Ah.
It seemed my companions had perceived the Crimson Venom Snake as an 'enemy'. Then again, even to me, it did look awfully vicious.
"That thing... I summoned it."
"Huh?"
"What?!"
"Don't get distracted. Focus on your own tasks."
I said, then put my plan into action. After positioning myself in front of the four, I issued a command to the Crimson Venom Snake.
"Head down." -Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!
Anyone watching might misunderstand and think I was disciplining it. The Crimson Venom Snake threw its head back and then plunged it toward the surface of the water.
Paang!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This was a creature that created a bottomless hole even when it just struck the ground. So imagine the aftermath of it striking the lake's surface with such physical force. A tidal wave-like surge erupted around the point where the Crimson Venom Snake struck.
"Holy..."
A groan-like voice escaped Iron Arm. He had more experience in Poison Dungeons than anyone, but faced with a house-sized wave full of poison bearing down on them, he seemed to have lost his will to fight. But there was a reason I had assigned everyone a role.
I shouted sharply at Iron Arm and leaped into the air.
"Protect Maria!"
"Ye-yes!!"
"Cheon Hae-seon! You crazy bastard!"
A voice close to a scream burst from Bi-soo. And for good reason, since I was basically jumping into the embrace of the poison descending from high above. However, when it came to killing ability with poison, I had the upper hand.
In mid-leap, I adjusted the output concentration of Pracel. -Ether release.
Maximum.
Under the circumstances, there was no reason to hold back my power. Having leaped as high as I could, the Black Ether wouldn't harm my companions. For the first time in a while, it was time to unleash all the power I had.
I gathered every last drop of Ether remaining deep within my body into the palm of my hand.
'Poison Flame' Fwooooooooooooooooooooooooooosh.
Black flames spread out to every corner of my vision. And soon, the massive flame and the tidal wave-like surge collided.
Pssssssssssssssssssssssss.
My leaping body slowly came to a halt, then began to descend. The force of the Poison Flame was so immense that my body was being pushed back in the opposite direction. If I slammed into the ground like this, I'd be seeing stars.
But I couldn't stop the Poison Flame for that reason. Because I could clearly see the black flames pushing back the wave. The King of Poisons.
Indeed, Black Ether was stronger than any other poison. The black flames erupting from my palm were punching a clear hole through the wave that seemed capable of swallowing a mountain.
"It wor-!!!!!!!!!!"
THUD!!!
"Kuhk...!!"
I saw stars in the emerald sky that filled my vision. I thought it would hurt, but I didn't think it would be this bad. I felt like all my internal organs were about to come out of my mouth, but now was the time to bring something else out.
"Now!!!"
Triggered by my word, Kang Jeong-hyeon meticulously wrapped the area around the party with leaves. I had eliminated the main torrent, but water, by its nature, couldn't be completely controlled. Fine streams of water rained down around them, and even the leaves that fed on the atmospheric poison turned black and rotted away.
The poisonous liquid that broke through the first line of defense now reached Iron Arm's massive shield-type device. It was about twice the size of a large umbrella, but it was impossible to cover four people. Iron Arm used the device to shield the other three, and used his own body to cover the rest.
Yes.
I thought he would, being such a responsible man.
Szzzzzzzzzzle.
"Guhk!!!"
His skin rotted away rapidly, and Maria healed his body with all her might. Perhaps because his plant was damaged, Kang Jeong-hyeon was on the verge of fainting, and Bi-soo was similarly exhausted. Not one of my four companions was unscathed.
However.
There was a payoff for all that. -Kiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak, With a terrifying roar, the Crimson Venom Snake leaped above the surface, the boss Monster clamped in its jaws. Gotcha, you bastard.