Chapter 41: Can I sweat poison?

Chapter 41: Can I sweat poison?

Experience has reached a breaking point. [Young Spark Inferno Dragon, Hestia Atsuko] has risen from [Level 24] to [Level 25]

Attributes have increased due to level up

Acquired 600 skill points

Acquisition requirement fulfilled. [Woodworking Lv. 1] acquired

Multiple proficiency requirements fulfilled. [Singing Lv. 6] [Terra Magic Lv. 2] [Concentration Lv. 2] [Enhanced Auditory Sense Lv. 3] gained

Magic gained: [Bedrock Blades]

.

Hello, oh neighbors

I was wondering if you would like to come and watch me sing

My songs are yours, if you want

Singing to no one but myself makes me feel alone on this stage

.

Hello, can you hear my voice?

Im standing on a stage in the middle of this forest

I call to you all, Belzac forest citizens

You would always swarm before me when I began singing my songs

.

So why arent you here nowfor my concert?

I beg you to return to me

.

Today is another slow one, huh? Well, thats show biz

.

I wont let this discourage me!

The show must go on even without you This chapter's initial release occurred on the n0vell--Bjjn site.

But I wish that youll all here, to support me when I sing

Seeing you scream and cry, makes me feel Im given my all, ohhhhh

.

I wont let this stop my voice!

An Idol never stops until shes done

Although, I want to stop but I cant do it now

The night will only stop, when Im truly done

With my show

.

Ok, Hestia. I think we should stop for today. There are barely any monsters in the vicinity anymore, finishing my song, my companion, Saori, gave a suggestion after killing the last monster close to my concert stage.

Her hands were dripping blood as she walked over to me with the monster on hand.

She wasnt using [Telepathy], now that her throat was strong enough to articulate words. Some voice training tips that I got from my singing instructor was helpful for the starting process. Now she just has to continue speaking and it will be fine in no time.

[This is incredible,] I said sarcastically while shaking my head. [This strategy has been working so well, until yesterday. Am I doing something wrong?]

[No, it is not your fault,] I stored the corpse that Saori threw at me after she said that.

[Are the results that unsatisfactory?] sitting on my shoulder, Tasianna commented on our disappointment. [The number of monsters that were attracted was frightening.]

I simply said, we are used to more" and then began helping Saori clean up the area from bodies.

Two days have gone by since that little incident at the lake, that I will never go back to again.

Our strategy of attracting monsters with my singing and having Saori kill them has been losing its efficiency since yesterday. A crowd still came but not only the quality but also the quantity of monsters dropped. It was even worse today.

We thought that we could've replicated the power leveling that Saori did to help Tasianna leech the experience. Her level and stats were far too weak compared to ours and we needed her to catch up.

Tasianna, despite her age, has barely ever had a fight before. Her current combat prowess was similar to mine and Saoris when we were just reborn into this world. A bunch of city kids that never talked with their fists before.

Thats why we needed her to gain levels. Her transition from maid to a battle maid had to be quick, and the fastest way was through a power leveling strategy.

The experience sharing function from being in a party helped cover for Tasiannas low firepower, as Saori or I could just kill stuff for her. She would gain levels, stats, and skill points.

Once she had enough, we will then help her choose her skills. That is when we will shift from Saori killing monsters to Tasianna killing monsters.

As a fairy, her magical potential was apparent, and it helped that she was able to use water elemental spells. With Tasianna, our party had full coverage of all elemental magic.

Fairy Magic

The racial skill for fairies that supports their life as members of the Faefolk. A combination of multiple skills that increases the offensive and defensive abilities of a being made from mana. The skills combined are: [Power of Mana] [Arcane Corruption Immunity]

[Maybe we have been using these concerts too often now,] Saori pointed out a very valid point.

I nodded in confirmation, [Yeah, that might be the case. The smarter monsters might have noticed that the belligerent ones were slowly disappearing.]

Our presence is likely having the same effects as when the garms were still alive. Weve been hunting monsters at an alarming rate and also mostly in the same area.

As I and Saori traveled to the eastern canyon part of the Belzac forest, weve been hunting and killing most monsters on the way. It got even more efficient when we started doing those monster concerts. Monsters were flocking in like crazy and Saori killed most of them.

If I were one of them, I would personally avoid the eastern part of the forest and migrate away. The north, west, and south parts would be safer without a giant dragon and garm walking around.

Parallel Minds, I leave the testing to you guys. Dont fail me!

Got it original mind! Dont drink too much at once.

Jeez, Saori will be so angry. I cant believe Im agreeing to this

Ah, come on #2! What she doesnt know wont make her angry.

With all my parallel minds consent, I picked up [Poison that is moderate at best] and drank it. Immediately on contact, my tongue could taste the bitter taste of the poison, causing my body to reflexively reject the foreign substance. My throat wouldnt allow it to enter and was closed shut despite my own acceptance.

The intense taste formed a grimace on my face, with small twitching movements. My eyes were glued to the sky as I prayed that this experience would end soon but quickly realized that I had to go through a table full of toxins. My stomach rumbled heavily and reminded me that what will come out today and tomorrow will not be pleasant.

With gradual big gulps, the poison eventually passed through my throat and into my stomach. Like a reflex, my body retched once my mouth was freed from the noxious stink.

Gurrghhhueck! Haaaaaa a shiver ran through my whole body.

System, name this one Mana Path Poison (Moderate).

Mana Path Poison (Moderate)

A concoction that was made by mixing multiple different toxic fluids together with the skill [Poison Creation]. Instead of applying the abnormal status effect [Poisoned], it instead inflicts [Weakened Mana Paths (Moderate)] depending on the victims poison resistance

My parallel minds managed to detect something happening to the mana inside my body after I swallowed most of the poison. It didnt affect the amount, but it weakened the flow and my mana paths.

Nothing happened in the end, but I deduced that it was a poison that harmed either the mana paths or weakened the mana itself.

My mind quickly filled with ideas that could use this new poison as a weapon, however, I stopped those thoughts as I needed to first find out the recipe to create more of it.

My lips curved into a wry smile as I could imagine the practical applications like throwing it in a bomb.

Well, I guess this will help me endure the rest of this crap.

With a, somewhat, newly formed motivation, I started chugging down numerous amounts of toxic fluids as if it was Ambrosia, the drink of gods.

After I was done experiencing the effects and then naming the toxins, I fell onto the ground and starting breathing heavily from my stomachache.

Ahh, its finally done I mumbled to myself.

I looked over the, now, empty grass plain and heaped a sigh in relief that I was done with that chore.

I sat back up and began thinking of my next task. That is, to find and create the recipes needed to reproduce these toxic fluids. To increase my combat potential, I need to make more of this stuff. It might seem a bit overkill to add this to my arsenal, but who cares? It sounds very not Idol-like, but nobody needs to know this besides my companions.

Still, how should I go about with this? If I just mix random toxins, Ill just make different ones, probably. Hmm, I wish I had written the recipe down.

Hey, we found something in the shop.

Huh? What is it?

Would you like to buy [Toxin Secretion] for 600 SP? Your current SP is 600

Ja.

You have bought [Toxin Secretion Lv. 1]. Your current SP is 0

Toxin Secretion

A skill that enables the user to secret out toxic fluids of a certain kind. Depending on the amount of mana spent, the user may custom develop their own toxins instead of their natural toxin generation

I took out the cup filled with the [Mana Path Poison (Moderate)] and gulped everything in one take. My body shivered like crazy for five seconds but once it subsided, I ordered the System to do something for me.

System, use [Toxin Secretion] and copy the poison that I just drank. Mana cost is irrelevant. Make everything one to one.

Holding my right hands pointing finger over the empty cup of [Mana Path Poison (Moderate)], I activated [Toxin Secretion]. Little by little, blue-colored fluids dripped down my sickle-like claws and slowly filled the cup full.

I used [Identify] and confirmed that it was the exact same poison that I just drank.

He he, thats so disturbing. I cant believe that worked, ha ha! I gleefully laughed.

I stored the cup back into my storage and stood up. I walked over to the spot where Saori and Tasianna were, as I needed to report to them about my new skill and also Saoris new endless supply of toxic fluids.

It might make me seem even creepier but that is a small price to pay for more power! Besides, I can always deactivate the skill. I just have to make sure that I clean my claws properly.

[Hey guys, I just bought a cool new skill. I bet that you cant guess what it is,] I boasted, but nobody even turned their heads.

Huh, why is it getting colder?

I cleaned my hands from all the poison using some shampoo and water from my storage and went over to them, to see whats going on.

[Do you guys think its gotten colder, somehow? What are you looking at?] I asked while approaching them.

[Uhh, Hestia,] Saori finally answered me. [I think whatever you bought, will not be able to beat this.]

Confused with what she said, I hurried over to their side. Closing into them, the air was getting progressively colder and lethargy started to assault my body. The sudden decrease in my bodys temperature made me stumble from the dizziness

Unsteady on my legs, once I made it over to them, I noticed a white mist surrounding Tasianna. It looked similar to the cold air that you would breathe out on a cold night in winter.

It made me feel a bit unsure if I should even move closer or not. I quickly activated [Body Temperature Control] to counter the cold.

[So, what skill did you guys buy?] I asked, challenging them to show what was able to beat [Toxin Secretion].

[Miss Tasianna, please show it to her,] Saori said with a frown, still looking at Tasianna.

[Uhm, alright,] With that said, Tasianna began chanting.

It seems like Tasianna bought a magic skill, but what could beat [Toxin Secretion]? Maybe I was overvaluing that skill.

Il south nah kaaln wug mierl sol tha hol, the words that came out of Tasianna was still not understandable for me. I and Saori were making ok-ish progress with learning the language but it wasnt enough to remember everything.

Once Tasianna was done, a clear translucent spike materialized over the magic circle that formed on Tasiannas hands. The air around it started to form a white mist and reaching close to it, my fingers could clearly feel the bone-chilling cold that emanated from it.

[Ice Spike,] with that, the icicle drops into Tasiannas hands and she held it up to me.

[You can use ice spells? How?] my eyes widened, staring at Tasianna with questions.

[For some reason, I was able to buy the hybrid magic skill [Ice Magic] without needing to level up [Wind Magic] and [Water Magic],] she further added. [[Cryokinesis] was also available to me, so I bought that, also.]

[Yeah, you win.]