The fact that an inscription was placed there ant one thing.
‘…Is this a trap room?’
It seed that out of the three doors, they had once again chosen the wrong path.
No, in the first place, did a right path even exist among those doors?
From the mont they first took the wrong path into a trap room, the way to the exit might not have existed at all.
“……”
What kind of sacrifice would it demand of them this ti?
Though reluctant, Namgung Il continued to read the inscription.
“Young Master! We can’t stay here!”
“……”
“Hurry and go up!”
Tang Wol-yeong shouted urgently, leading Namgung Il towards the stairs.
An unidentifiable sound could still be faintly heard.
Only after reading the entire inscription did Namgung Il understand why Tang Wol-yeong was so urgent.
‘This sound… is it poison smoke?’
The sound was coming from underground.
Looking down slightly, he saw that a layer of green smoke already covered the entire floor, and as if it were multiplying, the smoke was gradually rising.
Grip—.
As Namgung Il grasped the nature of this trap room, he trembled with rage.
‘This ti, they’re forcing a sacrifice in this way?’
As before, the inscription kindly described how to escape this place.
As expected, the exit leading to the next room was the door visible above. But, of course, that door was not currently open.
“……”
To open the door, all three devices located underground had to be activated.
In other words, soone had to go down into that place filled with poison smoke.
This was the sacrifice this trap room demanded.
“Damn it!”
As Namgung Il fully realized the reality of the trap room, a curse escaped his lips without him realizing it.
If he had to compare, the trap room they had just passed through was on a cuter level.
Because that place, at least, gave them a choice.
It was a place where, if no one wanted to make a sacrifice, staying put and doing nothing could also be an option.
‘This place… is different.’
As ti passed, the poison smoke from the underground would gradually rise.
With the entrance completely blocked, this space would eventually be filled with poison smoke.
At that point, without needing to force anyone's sacrifice, everyone here would die.
“……”
This was no longer a choice, but a command.
If you don't want everyone to die, send soone down sohow...
He had never thought the creator of this labyrinth was sane, but after realizing the reality of this trap room, he knew they were a being more wicked than he could have imagined.
Swoosh—.
As Namgung Il couldn't contain his anger and spat out curses, Tang Wol-yeong belatedly checked the inscription.
Only then did she understand the reason for his anger.
Tang Wol-yeong, too, could grasp the full malice contained in that inscription.
‘At this rate… the Young Master is in danger.’
Tang Wol-yeong turned her head again and looked at Namgung Il.
Her gaze then moved to Gwangcheon, who was being carried on his back.
After looking back and forth between their faces, Tang Wol-yeong opened her mouth as if she had made a decision.
“Young Master, I’ll go down and open the door.”
“You can’t.”
Namgung Il replied firmly and imdiately.
As written on the inscription, going down there was no different from a suicide mission.
But to send Tang Wol-yeong down there… Gwangcheon’s sacrifice was already enough.
“In the previous room, you said this, Young Master.”
“……?”
“That you would take on that role because you had the highest chance of survival.”
He had certainly said that.
Namgung Il couldn't understand why Tang Wol-yeong was bringing that up at this particular mont, but he soon seed to realize the reason.
“I’ll be fine even in that poison smoke.”
“……”
“You haven’t already forgotten what kind of martial arts I use, have you?”
Of course, he hadn't forgotten.
It was true that martial artists who used poison arts had so immunity to poison, just as she said… But that didn't an they were unconditionally immune.
Depending on the level of achievent in their poison arts, there would be a clear limit to the toxicity they could endure.
If she had reached the state of the Myriad Poisons Invincible Body, he wouldn't have to worry, but Tang Wol-yeong's poison arts were by no ans at that level.
“…If the toxicity of that poison smoke surpasses the level of your poison arts, you’ll be in danger too.”
“Young Master, are you worried about ?”
“Of course!”
“……”
At Namgung Il’s answer, Tang Wol-yeong smiled faintly.
As long as the identity of that poison smoke was unknown, Tang Wol-yeong naturally knew that she was not unconditionally safe.
So, to be honest, a certain amount of fear existed, but Namgung Il’s one phrase just now made the feeling of joy grow even larger.
“…Thank you, Young Master.”
“……?”
“I’m fine.”
Tang Wol-yeong said and raised one hand.
At that mont, a green energy ford in Tang Wol-yeong’s right hand.
Tang Wol-yeong proudly showed that hand to Namgung Il.
“Just as you said, Young Master, I will no longer be ashad of my poison arts.”
“……”
“At this mont, I am very happy that my poison arts can be of help to everyone.”
As Tang Wol-yeong said that, Namgung Il could no longer say anything.
Because the smile on Tang Wol-yeong’s face right now looked happier than anyone else’s.
In the end, after much thought, Namgung Il had no choice but to reply like this.
“Tang Wol-yeong, your poison art is a martial art that saves people.”
“……”
“Gwangcheon and I can prove that fact.”
At that mont, Tang Wol-yeong felt a surge of emotion.
You can save people even with poison.
By hearing those words, Tang Wol-yeong felt she had taken one step closer to her goal of carrying on her grandfather’s will.
‘Grandfather… I’ll definitely do it.’
Life-Saving Myriad Poisons Hand.
Tang Wol-yeong once again engraved that na in her heart.
Thud— Thud—.
One step, and then another. Tang Wol-yeong carefully descended the stairs.
The further down she went, the closer the poison smoke beca, and she had descended the stairs to the point where the smoke was now right under her feet.
“……”
From now on, the mont she took a step, the poison smoke would touch her skin.
There were poison smokes that exerted their toxicity just by touching the skin, so from now on, she had no choice but to be on high alert and tense.
‘…Alright, let’s go.’
Tang Wol-yeong took a deep breath inwardly and then took a step.
In that state, her steps slid down the rest of the stairs in an instant.
Before she knew it, Tang Wol-yeong was completely underground.
“……”
The underground was already completely subrged in poison smoke.
The poison smoke had risen to the point where it covered her entire head, so even securing a line of sight was not simple.
‘…It seems touching the skin is fine.’
So far, she didn't feel any abnormalities.
It was a situation that could be considered fortunate, but it was too early to be complacent.
The real test would begin the mont she took a breath.
It seed impossible to activate all the devices while holding her breath, so Tang Wol-yeong decided to breathe early on.
‘Little by little… I’ll absorb the toxicity of the poison smoke while operating the Life-Saving Myriad Poisons Divine Art.’
She had done training in the past where she deliberately took in poison to enhance the power of her poison arts.
A training to absorb external poison and accept it as her own internal energy.
At first, it was just a simple poison that caused paralysis, and then she gradually increased the potency of the toxicity.
“……”
At that ti, it didn't matter if she made a mistake.
When she trained to absorb poison, her grandfather was always by her side.
Even if a dangerous mont ca, she could easily escape the danger with her grandfather’s help.
However… now she had to handle everything on her own.
Hooo—.
Tang Wol-yeong slowly inhaled.
Accordingly, the poison smoke was gradually sucked into Tang Wol-yeong’s body.
At that mont, a stinging pain arose inside her, as if soone were stabbing her with a spear.
“……!”
In that pain, Tang Wol-yeong coughed and sank to the floor.
She had expected it, but she hadn't thought the toxicity would be this powerful.
An ordinary person would have died within 7.5 minutes just by inhaling it.
‘It’s okay… I can endure it!’
Tears welled up in her eyes, but the light in them had not yet died.
Tang Wol-yeong forcibly endured the pain and continued to operate her internal energy, and as ti passed, she gradually beca accustod to the toxicity.
“……”
The pain she felt inside had now subsided a lot.
Of course, it was by no ans at a level where she could say she was fine, but it seed she could endure it if she gritted her teeth.
Stagger—.
Staggering, Tang Wol-yeong forced herself to get up.
How much ti had already passed?
Even at this mont, Tang Wol-yeong was worried about Namgung Il, who would be upstairs.
‘The devices… I have to activate them.’
She had to finish it sohow before the poison smoke filled the room.
Tang Wol-yeong staggered and began to walk through the poison smoke, and soon she was able to reach the wall.
“……”
Her vision was too narrow because of the poison smoke.
Because of that, Tang Wol-yeong couldn't imdiately approach the side where the device was, and she had no choice but to find the device by moving along the wall like this.
‘…There it is.’
After fumbling along the wall for so ti, a handle appeared.
This handle in front of her was the device to open the door.
Tang Wol-yeong reached out without hesitation and pulled the handle down.
Kung—.
The handle went down with a heavy sound.
But this was not the end.
Three identical devices. In other words, she had to find two more for the door above to open.
“……”
As before, Tang Wol-yeong continued to move forward, fumbling along the wall.
In that way, she found the second device.
Tang Wol-yeong imdiately pulled the handle.
Kung—.
With this, she had activated two.
Now, only one remained.
Tang Wol-yeong was about to walk forward but staggered again.
“Haa— Haa—.”
Tang Wol-yeong’s breathing had beco quite rough.
She was sohow enduring the poison smoke, but that didn't an she was unaffected.
If the poison continued to accumulate in her body, it would reach a level that Tang Wol-yeong could no longer handle.
“……”
Even though Tang Wol-yeong was fully aware of that fact, she got up again and walked forward.
I will absolutely not go up until I have activated all the devices.
Before coming down to the underground, Tang Wol-yeong had already made that resolve.
Trudge— Trudge—.
Did the creator of this labyrinth deliberately place the devices so far apart?
It would have been reasonable for the device to be right next to it, but this ti too, Tang Wol-yeong had to walk for a long ti.
“……”
Her steps now looked much more exhausted than at the beginning.
Accordingly, the sa distance could not help but feel farther.
‘…The last one.’
Just then, the third device began to appear in front of her.
If she just pulled that, the door would open.
Saving people with her poison arts… she would be able to fulfill that role for the first ti.
“Haa— Haa—.”
Tang Wol-yeong breathed heavily and grabbed the handle.
It now looked difficult to even pull this, but Tang Wol-yeong gritted her teeth and pulled the handle down.
Kung—.
The last, third device was activated.
Now, all she had to do was go up, and it would all be over.
To return to Namgung Il, who was waiting for her, Tang Wol-yeong moved her feet with difficulty again.
Rustle—.
It was then.
Suddenly, an ominous sound was heard from the surroundings.
Although she couldn't see clearly in front of her because of the poison smoke, Tang Wol-yeong could sense from the sound alone that sothing had fallen nearby.
‘What fell?’
Tang Wol-yeong stopped in her tracks and glared at the place where the sound had co from.
And a mont later. Tang Wol-yeong discovered an ominous shape writhing in the poison smoke.
Sssss—.
You will never escape this place.
The poisonous snakes sticking out their tongues in the poison smoke, and all sorts of poisonous insects, were saying so to Tang Wol-yeong.
(End of Chapter)
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