How to Raise Your Skeletons

Chapter 103: The Poison Mist (2)

“Screeeeeeech!”

The poison roared. Though it had neither a mouth nor vocal cords, it sounded like a roar in my ears.

“Ugh!”

Poison engulfed everything around me. The lethal toxins, capable of turning an ordinary person to ash in an instant, surged around me.

—Rumble! Crash!

The ground collapsed, and the sky seemed to break down.

—Flap! Flutter!

The noise of frantic wings and a grating buzz surrounded me. I closed my eyes and clamped my hands over my ears.

Argh.

I couldn’t think straight.

[‘Bonehead 5’ used the skill ‘Air Shield’ (Lv. Max).]

[‘Bonehead 5’ used the skill ‘Air Shield’ (Lv. Max).]

[‘Bonehead 5’ used the skill ‘Air Shield’ (Lv. Max).]

I summoned Boney 5 instinctively to cast layered Air Shields, but…

—Shhht!

It dissolved into liquid the moment it was summoned.

[‘Bonehead 5’ has been unsummoned.]

What the hell…?

Seriously, how is it even possible for an A-rank summon to dissolve this easily?

I clicked my tongue.

—Crack! Snap!

Boney 5’s layered shields shattered almost immediately. Of course, the idea of resisting a disaster-level poison with Boney 5’s shield was flawed to begin with.

My entire field of vision was engulfed in green. I couldn’t tell if my body was sinking into the ground or soaring into the sky. I was adrift, as though swept up in a tornado, powerless against its overwhelming force.

“Get a hold of yourself, you fool!” The old man’s scolding cut through the chaos. “You knew this would happen when you jumped into that damned lump of poison! If you were prepared, act like you were prepared!”

“As if I don’t know that… I know, but…!”

“Tsk, if you still have the mind to answer me, focus on the poison seeping into you! Do it now!”

—Gulp, gulp!

Veins bulged under my skin.

[Bonus for poison.]

[‘Noblesse’ is classified as a Grade 1 poison.]

[You have gained an additional 500 trial points.]

[Bonus for poison.]

[‘Saint’s Poison’ is classified as a Grade 1 poison.]

[You have gained an additional 500 trial points.]

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[Bonus for poison.]

[‘Dark Light’ is classified as a Grade 1 poison.]

[You have gained an additional 500 trial points.]

[Bonus for poison.]

[‘Poison Gland of the Poisonous Horned Snake’ is classified as a Grade 1 poison.]

[You have gained an additional 500 trial points.]

[Bonus for poison.]

[‘Crane Soul Herb’ is classified as a Grade 1 poison.]

[You have gained an additional 500 trial points.]

My field of vision was filled with endless notifications about poison bonuses. Nearly all of them were Grade 1 lethal poisons I’d never encountered before.

I squinted at the messages briefly before closing my eyes again. Honestly, I didn’t have the energy to keep them open.

“Screeeeeeech!”

The poison mist attacked me relentlessly as though I were its mortal enemy. It pummeled me mercilessly.

“Fuck!”

I tensed every muscle in my body. I couldn’t just sit there and take the hits. I needed to circulate my ki quickly and expel the poison.

But…

There was too much—far too much. The poison surged in faster than I could expel it. Was it even meaningful to try circulating my ki and purging the poison in this situation?

“Don’t give up, you fool!” the old man shouted. “Normally you’d run from this, but there’s no choice now. Poison Arts is part of the Art of All Techniques, too. Listen! Poison Arts aren’t just about neutralizing or expelling poison!”

“Hrgh…!”

Even as the old man spoke, the poison forced its way into my body. It felt like being submerged in a swimming pool, water filling my mouth against my will. I was floundering in a pool of poison.

“Don’t try to control all the poison in your body directly! The wisest method to control poison is to use poison against it!”

“Ugh… Use poison to control poison?”

“One of the poisons you’ve taken, Noblesse, was called Gentleman’s Powder in my world.”

“Gentleman’s Powder…”

“It’s a type of poison that gently prevents energy from being used, like a gentleman.”

Huh? If it prevented energy usage—how is that “gentle”? Did he misunderstand the meaning of “gentle”?

“Another poison you’ve taken, Saint’s Poison, was called Saint’s Decay in our world. Unlike Gentleman’s Powder, which blocks energy usage, Saint’s Decay disperses energy entirely. But do you know what’s funny?”

“Hrgh… hrgh…!”

I could hardly breathe now. It felt like my nerves were firing randomly. My body trembled uncontrollably, spasming violently.

“When combined, those two poisons prevent energy from dispersing and even enhance your energy, turning them into an elixir. So don’t try to expel them. Let them collide and focus on expelling something else instead.”

“Grrgh…”

Move, damn it. Move!

Even as I struggled to control the poison, I focused on the old man’s advice. I instinctively identified the poisons he mentioned and let them collide.

“Another poison you’ve absorbed, the Crane Soul Herb, is an acidic plant-based poison,” the old man continued sharing his knowledge. “But the strong energy of Crane Red Bloom, an animal-based poison, is alkaline. If you let them mix, they’ll neutralize each other naturally.”

He was a fountain of poison knowledge. Could it be that, as someone impervious to all poisons, he had encountered every type of poison imaginable? Poisons I had never heard of, he identified and explained immediately—how to handle them and how to expel them.

“At first, it’ll be tough because you’re not used to it. But after a bit of practice, you’ll instinctively figure out how to move so your body survives. You’ll learn naturally as you go.”

—Crash!

A storm of poison raged inside me. The countless toxins waged war within my body. Some collided and became elixirs; others neutralized each other. The isolated ones were gently expelled through my energy.

There was no time to rest. I focused all my mental energy on observing and controlling my body. Still, thanks to the old man’s advice, I could breathe a little easier.

“Heh,” the old man chuckled, perhaps proud of my progress. “You know, the so-called poison experts research in my world. Do you know how they studied poison?”

“…”

“They captured test subjects and experimented on them one by one. Isn’t that laughable?”

No. That’s not funny. Actually, it’s horrifying.

“But the most accurate way to understand poison is to experience it yourself. Trying to learn poison through experiments alone is laughable arrogance.”

“…”

“Tsk, but I guess you’re not in a situation for a chat. Anyway, remember the knowledge you’re gaining now. It’ll be invaluable when it comes to understanding poison later.”

—Grit!

I clenched my teeth and endured.

Yes. If this were all an experience that would become an asset to me, I would gladly accept it. Come at me, poison mist! Kill me! If you can’t kill me, I’ll only grow stronger! I’ll become a monster that resists and controls all poisons!

Does that upset you? Does it make you angry? Then kill me right now!

Strangely, the more I suffered, the more stubborn I became.

“Hyaaaah!” I let out a loud battle cry, enduring and holding on.

The old man continued sharing his wisdom beside me, saving me with timely advice whenever a critical moment arose.

After much time had passed like this…

“…I trust you’ll hold on. Lad, this is where I leave you.”

With those final words, the old man disappeared. An hour had passed.

Only an hour?

I felt exasperated. It felt like I had endured a whole day.

“Screeeeeeech! Screeeeeeech!”

The poison mist was still ferocious. It seemed to mock me as if to say I couldn’t handle more poison.

“Fuck it, fine!” I cursed with all my might. “Come on, bring it! Bring it all!” I shouted with determination and swallowed more toxins.

The battle against the poison continued.

The sky, already heavy with dark clouds, grew even dimmer.

“Ugh!”

My body trembled from the pain. Even though I had been handling the poison well, the lingering effects couldn’t be ignored. However, I had no time to recover.

[‘Flamecap Mushroom’ is classified as a Grade 1 poison.]

[‘Rainbow Spotted Mushroom’ is classified as a Grade 1 poison.]

[‘Golden Lotus Toxin’ is classified as a Grade 1 poison.]

[‘Kraken Ring Venom’ is classified as a Grade 1 poison.]

[‘Poison Gland of the Diamond Spider’ is classified as a Grade 1 poison.]

…

I had no clue that there were this many poisons in the world. No matter how well I neutralized or controlled them, it felt impossible to handle the unending onslaught. Even as I dissolved one poison, another wave came rushing in.

“Gah!”

I coughed up blood. Pain surged deep within my organs, and my vision started spinning. The agony was indescribable, as if my limbs were melting.

No, I can’t…

My strength faded away. My body, which had been holding on, now fluttered like a powerless paper plane.

But I…

Still, I screamed internally, refusing to let go of consciousness.

I will never give up.

The world spun wildly, and the poison invaded through every pore. Not just my pores—through every hole in my body.

“Hah.”

Is this what it felt like to want to die?

I let out a hollow laugh.

The old man was right. This thing was a ridiculous monster. Avoiding it would have been the wisest choice.

Damn it.

Now there was truly no solution. No matter how hard I tried to think of an answer, there was no way out. Even my energy, used to summon Bonehead 5 for shields, was nearly depleted. The ki I used for the Great Blue Heart Technique was also almost gone.

At this rate…

Death was inevitable.

I didn’t want to use this, but…

In the end, I had no choice but to play my trump card—the weapon that encouraged me to face the poison mist despite the old man’s protests.

Bonehead 7.

[Using skill, ‘Summon Skeleton Knight’ (A-rank).]

[Consuming 10 energy.]

[Summoning ‘Bonehead 7.’]

—Crack!

Knowing it would soon dissolve, the figure materialized in the air.

[You have consumed all of your energy.]

[Tip: Want to replenish your energy? Try resting.]

“Heh.”

My energy was now completely drained. But that didn’t matter because Bonehead 7 still had energy of its own.

Alright, return my body to its former state.

This was the first time I had used this skill since I’d acquired it—the skill that had once restored the arm of the Black Sword Squad’s Kang Yoojung.

[Skill: Recovery]

[Level: Max]

[Description: Returns the body to a previous state.]

[Effect 1: Restores the body to its condition 24 hours prior. Cannot be used on the dead.]

[Effect 2: Cooldown – 30 days.]

[Effect 3: Consumes 50 energy.]

—Crack!

As Bonehead 7’s body dissolved, the recovery process began. My body was restored to its exact state 24 hours prior. This applied not just to my damaged physical condition but also to my depleted energy and ki.

—Vwoooom!

Wrapped in a warm light, I felt my body recover as I waited in silence.