Chapter 116: Invincible Potion? Sorry, My Poison Lasts for 20 Seconds!
"You dare... treat me as a tool to grind experience?!"
Xiao Ya was completely triggered, her piercing scream penetrating the bone wall with a flustered, crackling pitch.
Her grayish pupils trembled violently. Looking at the densely packed Corrosive Snake Guard below, an unprecedented sense of absurdity and fear tightly gripped her heart.
Having summoned so many... Su Chen's face remained expressionless and his heart rate steady.
Not to mention exhausting his mana, he wasn't even out of breath!
She finally understood that Su Chen's previous remark, "Senior, you really are a good person," wasn't mocking at all, but a heartfelt exclamation!
He really treated the abyss portal behind her as a fucking infinite monster-spawning cage!
"You lunatic... You just wait for me!"
Xiao Ya fiercely crushed a black teleportation crystal, and violent spatial fluctuations immediately surged around her body.
"Consider yourself lucky today! Once I report this to the church, the next time the abyss descends, I'll have your soul ripped out and made into a heavenly lantern!"
Leaving behind a vicious threat, her figure began to retreat toward the abyss portal behind her.
Running away when she couldn't win was the first survival Law she learned in the Doomsday Cult.
Watching Xiao Ya prepare to run, Su Chen didn't even lift an eyelid.
"You act cool and then leave? How could there be such a good thing?"
He snorted coldly, raised his staff, and waved it at Xiao Yaon the bone wall.
"Snap!"
A thick bolt of lightning struck straight down onto her.
"-6218!"
A damage number floated up.
Xiao Ya's already quite abundant health bar suddenly dropped by a chunk.
"Hit!"
"Holy shit! God Su's basic attack damage is this high?"
"What a pity! It's just a basic attack, the damage isn't enough, it didn't kill her at all!"
"She's running away! Once you let a tiger back into the mountains, she'll definitely be a huge disaster in the future!"
"..."
The freshmen were filled with anxiety.
If they didn't kill Xiao Ya... who knows how disgustingly she'd act in the future!
Lin Shiqing also furrowed her brow, gripping the staff in her hand tightly, but the distance was too far, and her skills simply couldn't reach.
However.
Just at the moment when everyone thought Xiao Ya was about to successfully escape.
Xiao Ya, standing on the bone wall, suddenly turned as pale as paper.
[Notice: You have been infected with the [Poison] status, current stacks: 1]
[Notice: Affected by an unknown mechanism, the [Poison] stacks on you have been forcibly maxed out: 19,289 stacks!]
[Warning: The [Poison] status will deal (8066 * 19,289) true damage to you every second, lasting for 20 seconds, ignoring all armor and magic resistance!]
In a flash of lightning and flint.
Xiao Ya clearly saw the pitch-red skull icon in the status bar.
"Holy shit——!"
She directly cursed without any shred of image.
What the hell is this?!
Over one hundred million damage per second?!
This brat's class is just too shameless, right?
Without the slightest hesitation, she backhanded two potions out of her backpack and chugged them down her head.
Hum!
A sacred golden shield instantly enveloped her.
[Notice: You used [Absolute Sanctuary Potion (Epic Grade)], gaining a 3-second invincibility state, immunizing against all damage and control effects.]
[Notice: You used [Advanced Dispelling Potion (Epic Grade)], all negative statuses have been dispelled.]
...
"Invincible Potion?!"
Seeing this scene, the Berserker Captain's eyes almost popped out, "An Epic-grade life-saving item! How despicable! Exactly how many good things does this woman carry on her?!"
"It's hopeless..."
Another sophomore sighed despairingly, "Three seconds of invincibility is enough for her to retreat into the abyss portal. If she gets away this wave, we'll have to sleep with one eye open from now on."
Inside the golden shield, Xiao Ya gasped heavily, cold sweat already soaking through her robe.
With half her foot already stepped into the abyss portal, she looked at the still calm Su Chen below, and a morbid madness surfaced on her face once again.
"Hahahaha! You can't kill me!"
Xiao Ya laughed wildly, "Su Chen, I remember you, the great Lord will watch over you..."
Her laughter abruptly stopped.
Because she suddenly discovered a scalp-tingling fact.
After swallowing the Epic-grade dispelling potion, the skull icon representing [Poison] in her status bar unexpectedly didn't disappear!
It was like a maggot in the tarsal bone, nailing itself firmly onto her panel.
Immovable.
"How is that possible... Why can't it be dispelled?! This is an Epic-grade purification!"
Xiao Ya completely panicked, frantically continuing to chug potions.
But.
It had no effect whatsoever.
The [Poison] skull in her status bar remained motionless.
And the golden invincibility light on her body had already begun to flicker and dim.
3... 2... 1...
Crack.
The crisp sound of the invincible shield shattering seemed exceptionally piercing at the edge of the dead silent portal.
Xiao Ya stiffly lowered her head.
"-155585074!"
A terrifying number so long that people couldn't even count its digits burst out from above her head.
Over one hundred and fifty million true damage!
"You won't die a good..."
Xiao Ya's curse didn't even have time to be fully uttered.
Splat.
A puddle of green pus emitting a pungent and foul stench slowly flowed down the bone wall, finally dripping into the ashes of the ruins.
Losing the caster's maintenance, the abyss portal flickered violently a few times, and then closed with a roar.
The entire Secret Realm fell into a death-like silence.
The wind stopped.
Only those Corrosive Snake Guards that had not yet dissipated were still restlessly twisting their bodies.
Gulp.
The Berserker Captain swallowed hard, his legs went soft, and he directly knelt on the ground.
The surrounding freshmen were even more expressionless, their teeth chattering, and some even started dry heaving directly.
"De... Dead?"
"As soon as the three-second invincibility ended, she was directly one-shot? Not even ashes left?"
"That basic attack of his earlier... what the hell kind of thing did he hang on it?!"
"Too terrifying... This fucking thing is simply an unreasonable first-encounter kill!"
"..."
Everyone's gaze toward Su Chen already carried a trace of shivering dread.
If they didn't know Su Chen's mechanism and faced off against him, suddenly getting hit by a basic attack—
They'd probably be killed in seconds without even having time to react.
Su Chen ignored the terrified gazes of the people around him.
Carrying his staff, he walked unhurriedly to the bottom of the bone wall.
He poked around in the pus with his staff twice.
Soon, he found two items.
A black iron plate engraved with a bizarre pupil.
A student card stained with blood.
Su Chen took both things into his hands.
[Doomsday Cult Black Iron Token]: Special item, seems to hide a certain spatial coordinate.
"Doomsday Cult? Never heard of it, I'll ask others."
Su Chen casually threw the token into his backpack.
This world... apart from the Demon Race and the abyss, there are countless cults.
This Doomsday Cult obviously has some connection to the abyss.
Then, his gaze fell upon that student card.
It clearly displayed a string of numbers: [Current Credits: 124,500 points]
"Whoa!"
Su Chen was slightly surprised.
Quite a lot indeed.
120,000 credits were enough for an ordinary student to squander for a while.
He casually threw it into his backpack, looked at the dungeon portal, and said to Lin Shiqing, "The farce is finally over, let's go, we're heading out."
Chapter 117 Furious Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian, Lin Shiqing's Information
A white light flashed.
Hundreds of figures successively tumbled out from the back mountain of Sky Dome Academy.
This batch of freshmen who had just emerged from the dungeon were all pale-faced, their bodies covered in ash and blood stains.
As soon as some of them landed, they uncontrollably collapsed to the ground on their knees.
On the outer periphery of the square, the academy's higher-ups and instructors who had been waiting for a long time immediately swarmed forward.
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian frowned deeply as he looked at this group of students who looked like they had just escaped from a refugee camp.
"What is going on?"
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian asked in a deep voice, "Why are you in such a sorry state? What are the casualties?"
The sophomore Hunter Squad's Berserker Captain took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the trembling in his legs, and hurried over to Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian.
"Reporting to Principal Lin, something… happened in the dungeon."
The captain's voice was hoarse, "It's Xiao Ya, she… she is actually a member of the Doomsday Cult! She summoned many chimeric beasts in the dungeon and forcefully opened an abyss portal, summoning a dark-gold-tier Abyss Tyrant."
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of several surrounding instructors changed instantly.
"Doomsday Cult?"
Following closely behind, Head of the Summoning Department Zhao Hongtao abruptly raised his volume, "That's impossible! Xiao Ya's file is spotless, she is usually excelling in both character and studies, and her annual mental pollution tests are always excellent. How could she possibly be bewitched by the abyss?!"
"This is a fact, Department Head Zhao."
The captain gritted his teeth and continued, "The chimeric beasts she summoned had extremely high attributes and kept splitting continuously! If Junior Su Chen hadn't arrived in time, not a single one of us, including all the freshmen inside, would have made it out today."
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian's gaze instantly locked onto Su Chen standing at the back of the crowd, and then glanced at Lin Shiqing standing beside him.
"Where is Xiao Ya?"
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian asked.
"Dead."
The captain swallowed a mouthful of saliva, "She was… instantly killed by Junior Su Chen. No corpse was left behind; she melted into pus."
The air stagnated for a moment.
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian did not press further on how Su Chen had instantly killed a cultist who had opened an abyss portal.
After all,
this kid had done too many abnormal things.
"The people from the medical department are here."
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian turned around, looking at the freshmen who were still trembling, "Take them for a comprehensive mental pollution removal and physical examination."
He paused, his tone softening slightly, "Such a huge loophole in the school's security is our dereliction of duty. As compensation, the conditions for your batch of people when choosing mentors this year will be much more lenient."
"Now, dismissed."
Hearing the word "lenient", a glimmer of spirit finally returned to the eyes of the pale-faced freshmen.
In Sky Dome Academy, choosing a good mentor could often determine a student's life destiny.
This compensation was quite practical.
The freshmen were taken away by medical personnel.
The Hunter Squad also followed to write detailed reports.
"Su Chen, stay behind," Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian called out.
After the surroundings cleared out, Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian's previously calm face instantly sank, turning ashen and livid.
"Zhao Hongtao."
"Here."
Cold sweat had already seeped onto the Head of the Summoning Department's forehead.
"Xiao Ya was a key cultivation target of our school. For her to lurk under the academy's nose for so long, her mentor cannot shirk responsibility."
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian's voice was as cold as dropping ice shards, "Notify the law enforcement team to immediately temporarily arrest Xiao Ya's mentor and seal her laboratory and all communication records. I don't care if she excels in character and studies or is some kind of Genius, cultists invading the interior of Sky Dome Academyand causing student deaths must be thoroughly investigated to the end!"
"Yes!"
Zhao Hongtao wiped away his sweat and hurriedly turned to leave.
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian turned his head and looked at Su Chen.
"You did very well and didn't let Lin Shiqing get hurt. I will look at the Hunter Squad's report for specific details. The school has always been clear on rewards and punishments, and the credit rewards will be directly deposited into your account."
"Just good luck."
Su Chen's expression was very calm.
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian didn't say anything more and waved his hand to signal that he could leave.
…
Half an hour later.
Sky Dome Academy, Third Cafeteria.
At a table by the window,
Su Chen was attentively tackling the rice bowl in front of him topped with Berserk Wild Boar meat.
"Can't you eat slower? No one is competing with you."
Lin Shiqing sat opposite him, holding a cup of refreshing juice in her hand. Watching Su Chen's wolfing-down appearance, she couldn't help rolling her eyes.
"Fighting monsters is also physical work."
Su Chen swallowed a mouthful of meat, picked up a tissue to wipe his mouth, "It's very tiring."
The corners of Lin Shiqing's mouth twitched.
Tiring?
In her mind, the overwhelming dark green Snake Guard in the Secret Realm resurfaced, along with those true damages reaching into the hundreds of millions.
"Alright, let's talk business."
Lin Shiqing put down her cup, her expression turning serious.
"The mentor selection stage is coming up soon. Do you have any confidence in your heart?"
"I'll choose when the time comes."
Su Chen replied casually.
To be honest, what mentors Sky Dome Academy had… he had no idea whatsoever.
Anyway, with his grades, he should be able to pick randomly; he'd just choose a stronger one when the time came.
"Hey, can you be a bit more serious? Do you think this is high school class assignment?"
Lin Shiqing glared at him unhappily, "The mentors here have quotas for the resources, Secret Realm passes, and high-tier skill books in their hands."
She leaned in a little closer and lowered her voice:
"Moreover, the more powerful the mentor is, the more peculiar their personality. They won't take you directly just because of what class you awakened; many mentors set up extremely harsh tests."
"Tests?"
Su Chen raised an eyebrow.
"Correct."
Lin Shiqing snorted, "Don't think you can walk sideways just because your damage is high. Some mentors' tests are specifically aimed at your weaknesses. Go back and get a good rest, adjusting your state to the best."
"Thanks, Young Miss. I'll keep it in mind."
Watching Lin Shiqing's earnest and admonishing appearance, Su Chen couldn't help smiling.
If he said that he had a contract given by Principal He Kaishan that allowed him to choose any mentor, would he get beaten up?
"Ahem."
Lin Shiqing coughed and magically produced several business cards, saying, "As for me, I happen to know a few mentors from the Mage Academy."
"…"
Su Chen glanced at the business cards on the table.
Chu Tianxing, Dean of the Mage Academy, Level 160 Archmage, specializing in spatial-type spells.
Lu Changfeng, Advanced mentor of the Mage Academy, Level 150 Archmage, specializing in wind-type spells.
Gu Shanhe, Advanced mentor of the Mage Academy, Level 150 Archmage, specializing in various defensive and life-saving spells.
…
There were plenty of business cards, as many as a dozen or so.
Good grief.
Did she round up all the high-tier mentors of the Mage Academy?
"You didn't greet everyone, did you?"
Su Chen looked at her suspiciously, remembering the day of the Awakening class change when Lin Shiqing acted like Lord of the Rings, trying to forcefully shove equipment onto him.
"Aiya, never mind that. In short, you have to choose one from here, understand?"
Lin Shiqing blushed and gave a soft reprimand.
"…"
Su Chen shook his head speechlessly.
This girl… oh well.
Su Chen didn't say anything more, instead staring thoughtfully at the business cards on the table.
Who should he choose?
Also,
why wasn't that poison crone recommended by Principal He Kaishan there?
Chapter 118 Mentor Selection, Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian's Reminder!
Early the next morning.
Su Chen and Lin Shiqing simultaneously received word that Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian was summoning them, and the two headed over together.
Vice Principal's office.
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian sat behind a large mahogany desk and pushed a glowing magic scroll onto the desktop.
The scroll slowly unfurled, densely listing hundreds of names upon it.
Each name was followed by a dazzling series of titles and Levels.
"This is the complete list of mentors at Sky Dome Academy."
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian looked at Lin Shiqing, who was standing before the desk.
His originally stern and cold face instantly softened, and he said in a gentle voice: "Shiqing, Second Uncle has already organized the list for you. Take a look; the Advancedmentors from Mage Academy and the support academy are all on it, and several vice principals have also put their names down. Just tell Second Uncle who you want to choose."
Lin Shiqing leaned close to the scroll and carefully examined it.
When Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian turned his head and his gaze fell upon Su Chen, who was standing to the side, the gentleness on his face vanished without a trace in an instant.
It was replaced by the dignity of a vice principal.
"As for you, Su Chen."
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian's face sank, and his tone was stern: "Regarding yesterday's matter, although you made a contribution, it also exposed your bad habit of acting rashly and without regard for consequences! Sky Dome Academyis not a wild leveling zone for you to fight alone. Choosing a mentor is a two-way selection process. You had better put away that bit of arrogance of yours and honestly pick someone who can teach you true skills..."
Su Chen: "..."
Hold on.
Isn't your attitude changing a bit too fast?
"Second Uncle!"
Lin Shiqing abruptly raised her head, glaring at Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian, and said: "Why are you being so fierce to him? If it weren't for him yesterday, all of us would have died in the dungeon!"
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian was stunned by the retort.
Looking at his niece's puffing, angry appearance, and then glancing at the innocent-looking Su Chen beside her, the corners of his mouth couldn't help twitching twice.
As the dignified vice principal of Sky Dome Academy and a top powerhouse of the Great Hua Empire, facing this girl, he simply couldn't muster an ounce of temper.
"Ahem... Aren't I just reminding him?"
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian rubbed his nose with a sheepish expression and said: "Fine, fine, fine, I won't say anymore. You two look at the list yourselves."
Su Chen ignored Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian's changing expression and cast his gaze toward the scroll on the desk.
The list was very long.
Those ranked at the very front were, without exception, sixth-transition or even seventh-transition bigshots with Levels as high as 150 and above.
For example, Mage Academy Dean Chu Tianxing, Summoning Department Head Zhao Hongtao, and others.
However.
Su Chen quickly discovered a problem.
On this list, behind the names of at least a large majority of Advanced mentors, it was marked in bright red font: [Not accepting new students this term].
"Why are there so many not accepting students?"
Su Chen pointed at the red characters and asked.
"Nonsense."
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian glared at him: "These mentors are the backbone of the academy. They are usually busy with high-level scientific research or executing state confidential missions. The student quotas they carry are already full; how could they have the energy to mentor newcomers?"
"Is that so."
Su Chen nodded, his gaze continuing to sweep rapidly across the scroll.
"Second Uncle, I've chosen."
At this moment, Lin Shiqing pointed to a name on the scroll and said: "I want to choose mentor Yunlan from the support academy."
"Yunlan? Not bad!"
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian took a look and nodded with satisfaction: "She is a Level 165 Holy Archpriest with a gentle personality and extremely patient teaching methods. Half of the currently active high-tier priests in the academy were brought up by her."
"Study well under her, and your future will be boundless."
"Second Uncle has already greeted her in advance about this. Your performance yesterday was so good, just take my warrant and report directly."
"..."
"Thank you, Second Uncle!"
Lin Shiqing happily accepted the warrant, then turned to look at Su Chen: "Little Su, haven't you chosen yet?"
"Almost, almost."
Su Chen's gaze swept across a remote corner at the very bottom of the list, and finally, it stopped on an inconspicuous name.
[Poison Granny (Special Mentor) —— Not accepting new students this term]
Found it.
The mentor recommended by Old He.
"I choose this one."
Su Chen said, pointing at that name.
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian followed Su Chen's finger, his brows instantly knitting into a tight knot.
"Poison Granny?"
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian shook his head repeatedly: "No, change to another one."
"Why not? Isn't her name on the list?" Su Chen retorted.
"Just because her name is on the list doesn't mean she takes people!"
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian's tone became serious: "Poison Granny is in a special situation. Her temper is extremely eccentric, and... she hasn't taken in any students for decades."
"Choosing her is purely a waste of time. She won't even deign to see you once."
"Change to another one. You brat's talent is truly a monstrous talent's; Dean Chu Tianxing's quota is full, but he should make an exception to take you."
"..."
Su Chen did not reply.
He calmly pulled a contract stamped with a special seal out of his backpack and slapped it onto the desk with a slap.
"Then is this useful?"
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian gave a suspicious look, and when he saw the contents of the contract clearly, his eyeballs bulged abruptly, and his previously composed expression instantly shattered.
[Sky Dome Academy Mentor Directional Selection Book]
"You... where did you get this thing?!"
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian's mouth twitched frantically.
Throughout the entire Great Hua Empire, there were definitely no more than three Directional Selection Books currently drifting outside!
"An elder gave it to me."
Su Chen said indifferently: "So, can I go see Poison Grannynow?"
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian took several deep breaths before barely suppressing the shock in his heart.
"Since you have this thing, why didn't you take it out sooner!"
He glared at Su Chen unhappily: "Since you have the Directional Selection Book, I truly cannot stop you by the rules."
"However... don't blame me for not reminding you. With Poison Granny's temper, even if you go over with the credential, she might not take you. If you get kicked out, the directional credential will also be voided."
"Doesn't matter, I'll just go try my luck."
Su Chen put away the parchment and replied casually.
Watching Su Chen's impervious attitude, Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian sighed.
His expression suddenly turned solemn.
"Put the matter of choosing a mentor aside for now. Regarding yesterday's matter with Xiao Ya, I need to fill you in on the background."
He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the academy square outside.
"You only know she is a defector of the Doomsday Cult, but do you understand the Doomsday Cult?"
"A bunch of lunatics who worship evil gods?"
Su Chen recalled Xiao Ya's defensive and frantic appearance from yesterday and gave his evaluation.
"Pretty much, but even more dangerous than that."
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian turned around: "The Demon Race are humanity's mortal enemies, and the abyss exists to devour all tangible things. As for those people in the Doomsday Cult... they are pure madmen."
"They believe that the digitization of Blue Star and the descent of the abyss are gifts from the gods. Instead of killing monsters to level up, they obtain the evil god's blessings by holding sacrificial rituals and spreading panic."
Su Chen raised an eyebrow and asked a question he had always been curious about:
"Then that god they worship... does it truly exist, or is it something they imagined?"
This question made Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian silent for a moment.
"Half true, half false."
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian slowly said: "Among high-tier class-changers throughout human history, no one has ever truly seen the physical body of the so-called 'evil god'. Even on the System panel, there has never been a clear judgment regarding 'gods'."
"However..."
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian's voice lowered: "They truly can gain solid power through those bizarre prayers and sacrificial rituals!"
"For example, the chimera summoned by Xiao Yayesterday, as well as the ability to forcibly open an abyss portal, are things a junior student could never possibly come into contact with."
"..."
He stared into Su Chen's eyes, his tone unprecedentedly solemn.
"Yesterday, you not only ruined their good deeds, but you also insta-killed the defector they heavily cultivated."
"Su Chen, you are currently too prominent. The sole hidden class, unprecedented leveling speed, and that bizarre damage... Right now, it's not just the academy's upper echelon staring at you..."
"The Demon Race, the abyss, and those madmen of the Doomsday Cult probably have all hung your name on their assassination lists."
"Inside Sky Dome Academy, you are very safe. But once you step out of the school gates, be extremely careful."
"..."
"Thank you for the reminder, Vice Principal Lin. I will be careful."
Su Chen nodded.
"Alright, enough said."
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian waved his hand: "Shiqing, you go report to the support academy. Su Chen, Poison Granny's residence is in the Dry Bone Forest to the northeast of Assassin Academy. Go over and try your luck yourself."
Chapter 119: First Meeting with Poison Granny, Test Quest!
Exiting Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian's office, Su Chen parted ways with Lin Shiqing and headed straight to Assassin Academy.
Northeast of Assassin Academy lay the Withered Bone Forest.
The trees here were all grayish-white, their branches twisted like skeletal claws reaching up to the sky for help.
There was no grass on the ground, only a thick layer of dark purple humus emitting a pungent odor.
Su Chen stepped on the humus and walked all the way to the depths of the Withered Bone Forest.
Ahead appeared a crooked wooden cabin.
The surroundings of the wooden cabin were planted with flowers and plants whose colors were abnormally vibrant, and a half-meter-long colorful centipede was dozing on a man-eating flower.
On the rocking chair in front of the wooden cabin sat a shriveled and petite old woman.
She wore a dusty, coarse linen garment, her face covered in walnut-like wrinkles, and her hair sparse.
She looked just like the most ordinary solitary elderly person on the roadside.
"Young man, are you lost?"
The old woman saw Su Chen, and a hint of kindness flashed through her turbid eyes.
She chuckled and waved her hand, "Come, come sit over here. No one has come to this Withered Bone Forest for many years, and this old woman has almost forgotten how to speak."
Su Chen walked up to the wooden cabin, pulled over a wooden stool with a missing leg, and sat down.
"You must be Poison Granny?"
"A granny is just a granny, adding the word poison sounds so unpleasant."
Poison Granny smiled until her eyes narrowed into slits.
Trembling, she picked up a nicked coarse porcelain teapot from the nearby low table, poured a cup of steaming hot tea, and pushed it in front of Su Chen.
"Come, have a sip of tea. The miasma in this forest is heavy, drink something hot to warm up your body."
The tea was a light amber color and smelled of a faint, elusive exotic fragrance.
Su Chen looked at the cup of tea, then glanced at Poison Granny's face, which couldn't possibly look any kinder.
Just this?
Vice Principal Lin Xiaotian made it sound so mystical, he thought it would be some perverted NPC with three heads and six arms.
Su Chen picked up the teacup and habitually cast Scouting Spell on it.
[Item: Granny's Welcoming Tea]
[Grade:???]
[Effect: A liquid containing extremely potent poison. After consumption, deducts 5,000 Health points per second for 10 seconds.]
...
Su Chen's hand holding the teacup froze in mid-air.
5,000 damage per second?
Lasting 10 seconds?
Is this fucking a cup of tea?!
Even the nuclear wastewater of Sakura Country isn't this toxic, right?
According to the average stats of class advancers at the current stage, a level 25 fully Vitality-allocated warrior would have at most ten thousand HP.
If this cup of tea was drunk, a Shield Warrior wouldn't even last three seconds before melting on the spot.
Su Chen was speechless.
He looked at Poison Granny, and Poison Granny looked back at him, her smile still as amiable as ever.
"Why aren't you drinking?"
Poison Granny urged, "It won't taste good once it gets cold."
This old hag is truly ruthless.
A cup of tea is a test of 50,000 true damage; no wonder no one has been able to take her as a master for decades.
Who can withstand this?
"Fine, I'll drink it."
Su Chen tilted his head back and drank the cup of amber tea in one gulp.
The tea entered his throat.
[Prompt: You have consumed an unknown liquid and entered the Poisoned state!]
"-5,000!"
"-5,000!"
"-5,000!"
"..."
Ten consecutive glaring red damage numbers jumped wildly across Su Chen's retina.
The Dragon language robe on Su Chen lit up with a layer of dark golden shield light, its shield value rapidly plummeting at a rate visible to the naked eye.
Ten seconds passed, and the damage stopped.
Su Chen let out a long breath.
Truly fucking thrilling.
Shortly after, a new System prompt popped up.
[Prompt: Obtained temporary BUFF: Toxicity Affinity.]
[Effect: All DOT (Damage Over Time) dealt by you increases by 20%. Duration: 24 hours.]
Su Chen looked at this prompt, and his eyes instantly lit up.
A cup of tea gives a 20% DOT damage-increasing BUFF?
Lasting 24 hours?!
Fucking hell, this might be useless to others, but to him, it's an epic-level enhancement!
Watching Su Chen finish the tea, a flash of hard-to-detect shrewd light flickered in Poison Granny's turbid eyes.
"Good! Good young man!"
Poison Granny stood up smilingly, reached out to gently pat Su Chen on the shoulder twice, "Your physical foundation is really good; it's been a long time since this old woman has seen such a sturdy young man."
Slap.
Slap.
Just at the moment Poison Granny's palm left Su Chen's shoulder.
[Prompt: You have suffered unknown contact and entered the Poisoned state!]
"-500!"
"-500!"
"-500!"
"..."
The smile on Su Chen's face froze.
Looking at the debuff in his status bar, he was completely numb.
No, you can poison someone just by patting their shoulder?!
Is this old hag a venom spirit that gained sentience?
"Oh my, look at my memory."
Poison Granny seemed completely unaware of Su Chen's madly dropping HP status. She sighed and sat back down on the rocking chair, "Although this tea tastes good, the raw materials for brewing it are almost running out. My legs and feet are inconvenient, and I can't walk far."
Raising her head, she looked at Su Chen: "Young man, since you are here, can you help this old woman with a favor and gather some raw materials for making tea?"
It's here!
Su Chen's spirits perked up.
Lin Shiqing had said that some mentors would issue test quests.
"No problem, Granny, just tell me what you need?" Su Chen asked.
"It's not far either."
Poison Granny pointed toward the deeper direction of the Withered Bone Forest, "Right at the base of the back mountain here, there is a place called the Myriad Poison Cave. Go there and help me find ten stalks of 'Abyss Rot-Heart Grass'. Remember, you must uproot them completely; the poison on the roots is the fiercest."
"Myriad Poison Cave, right? Fine, I'll go right now."
Su Chen accepted the quest and stood up.
"Young man, be careful on the road."
Poison Granny instructed with a chuckle from behind, "The bugs in that Myriad Poison Cave are much more formidable than this cup of tea of mine."
Chapter 120 Entering the Myriad Poison Cave, All Kinds of Poisoning Methods!
Bidding farewell to Poison Granny, Su Chen walked along the hidden, rotting trail in the Dry Bone Forest all the way deep into the back mountain.
After walking for about ten-odd minutes.
The grey-white trees ahead grew sparse, and a huge underground fissure appeared in his line of sight.
The edge of the fissure was overgrown with purple-black moss, and a pungent green miasma was continuously rolling out from the cave entrance.
This was the Myriad Poison Cave.
Su Chen stood at the edge of the fissure and habitually cast Scouting Spell around him.
[Myriad Poison Cave]
[Dungeon Grade: Nightmare Tier]
[Dungeon Level: 25-30]
[Dungeon Players: Up to 1 Person]
[Dungeon Time Limit: None]
...
A Nightmare Tier solo dungeon!
Outside the dungeon, it was desolate and quiet. Apart from the weird-looking poisonous weeds around, there wasn't even a ghost of a shadow.
Su Chen discovered that amidst the rolling green miasma, a wooden sign was erected prominently.
[Assassin Academy Friendly Reminder: This dungeon is extremely dangerous, please return immediately!]
"No wonder no one comes..."
Su Chen tutted.
To be able to make Assassin Academy set up such a sign, quite a few people must have died inside.
Without hesitation, he stepped directly into the rolling green miasma.
[Notice: You have entered the dungeon Myriad Poison Cave!]
[Warning: You have been eroded by environmental toxins!]
"-20"
"-20"
"-20"
"..."
The moment he stepped into the cave, densely packed red damage numbers began to frantically dance across Su Chen's retina.
A fixed 20 points of HP were deducted every second.
Su Chen glanced at his pathetic stamina value.
Without any protection, this 20-point magic damage per second hitting him was little different from true damage, which would cause him to drop dead on the spot in just a few minutes.
Fortunately, he still had a shield providing over 80,000 points from the [Abyssal Dragon Robe], so a consumption of 20 points per second didn't even count as scratching an itch to him.
"When ordinary people come in, they have to constantly chug red potions."
Su Chen muttered in complaint, and using the faint light emitted by his staff, he began to survey the interior of the cave.
The space inside the cave was much larger than expected. Stalactites hung upside down, and the ground was pockmarked, filled with foul-smelling green puddles.
"Hiss hiss—"
A teeth-grating frictional sound came from the dark corner ahead.
Su Chen raised his eyes to look, and a few spiders the size of washbasins, covered all over with purple-black pustules, were rapidly crawling down along the stalactites.
An Scouting Spell was tossed over.
[Corrosive Poison Spider]
[Level: 25]
[Strength: 800]
[Agility: 1500]
[Stamina: 2000]
[Spirit: 500]
[Skills: Venom Splash, Toxic Blood Backlash, PoisonImmunity]
[Venom Splash: Ranged spit of venom, dealing (Spirit * 1.5) Poison attribute magic damage, and attaching 1 layer of [Poisoned] status (deducting Spirit * 0.5 HP per second, lasting for 5 seconds).]
[Toxic Blood Backlash (Passive): When suffering melee or ranged physical/magic attacks, forces the attacker to be infected with 1 layer of [Poisoned] status.]
[Poison Immunity (Passive): Immune to all Poisonattribute magic damage.]
...
After reading the panel, Su Chen was completely speechless.
Holy crap, what kind of underworld monster mechanic is this?
You get poisoned when you hit it, and you get poisoned when it hits you. Is this damn thing a hedgehog spirit?
A Level 25 normal monster; its Four Dimensions attributes weren't too high.
But that passive skill [Toxic Blood Backlash] was simply disgusting to the extreme.
Slash it once, and you get poisoned yourself.
Get hit by it, and you still lose health.
In short, you're bound to be poisoned no matter what.
Not to mention that [Poison Immunity] trait.
"Immune to Poison attribute magic damage? Sorry, what I deal is true damage."
Su Chen chuckled.
These poisonous spiders were indeed tricky. Ordinary professionals encountering them would definitely be disgusted to half death.
But for him... there was completely no need for him to step into the fray himself.
"Time to come out and work."
Su Chen raised the burst staff in his hand, and his mana instantly poured out.
[Corrosive Snake Guard]!
Chila—!
Hundreds of Snake Guards instantly appeared.
Just as these Snake Guards formed, they immediately locked onto the corrosive Poison spiders crawling down from above.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
A series of dense venom bullets, like a machine gun, spewed out from the mouths of the Snake Guards, accurately smashing onto the bodies of those corrosive Poison spiders.
"-186702088!"
"-186725235!"
"-186748382!"
"..."
After that cup of tea from Poison Granny, Su Chen's Poisondamage increased by 20%.
Without any suspense, the moment those Level 25 corrosive Poison spiders came into contact with the Snake Guards' venom, their pitiful health bars were instantly cleared out.
Before they even had time to let out a scream, they turned into a puddle of pus emitting white smoke.
[Successfully killed Level 25 Corrosive Poison Spider, EXP + 1750]
[Successfully killed Level 25 Corrosive Poison Spider, EXP + 1750]
[Successfully killed Level 25 Corrosive Poison Spider, EXP + 1750]
...
For Level 25 ordinary monsters, even in a Nightmare Tier dungeon, the experience points given weren't much.
Additionally, aside from the kill notifications, a few Snake Guards instantly entered the poisoned state.
Their stamina inherited from Su Chen caused them to be poisoned to death in just a few seconds.
But Su Chen didn't take it to heart at all.
As for the number of Snake Guards, he could have as many as he wanted; trading one for one with them was completely acceptable.
Su Chen didn't stop and began to steamroll through the Myriad Poison Cave.
As they went deeper, the light inside the cave became dimmer and dimmer, and the surrounding green miasma grew increasingly dense.
A wide underground karst cave appeared ahead.
In the swamp.
There were no longer those washbasin-sized spiders, but instead, hundreds of giant pythons with huge bodies and bodies covered in green scales were coiled in the mud.
[Azure-Scaled Venom Python (Elite Monster)]
[Level: 27]
[Strength: 2500]
[Agility: 2000]
[Stamina: 5000]
[Spirit: 1500]
[Skills: Poison Immunity, Death Constriction, Corrosive Poison Mist]
[Death Constriction: Entangles the target, dealing Strength * 2 physical damage, and adds 1 layer of Poisoned status to the enemy.]
[Corrosive Poison Mist: Spits a large-area Poison mist towards the front fan-shaped area. Targets within the Poison mist take (Spirit * 2) magic damage per second, and are inflicted with [Sluggish] and [Poisoned] status.]
...
Su Chen looked at those hundreds of giant pythons rolling in the swamp, and his eyes lit up.
This skill [Corrosive Poison Mist] was quite interesting; it was a large-area AOE, and it also came with a slow and continuous health drain.
If this skill were given to him, wouldn't he take off on the spot?
Su Chen touched his chin.
It was a pity this game didn't drop skill books from monsters, otherwise he would definitely farm one out no matter what.
"Hiss—"
Sensing the intruder's presence, hundreds of Azure-Scaled Venom Pythons simultaneously raised their huge heads, their cold vertical pupils staring fixedly at Su Chen.
The next second.
They opened their bloody mouths wide, and a dense green Poison mist swept towards Su Chen's location like a tsunami!