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“Kweeek!”

The last Cockatris fell.

“We have won!”

Princess Lea raised her sword and everyone cheered. Then, she approached Ethan first.

Ethan, breathing heavily, sat down on the ground.

“Ethan Whiskers!”

“It was an amazing feat!”

“What in the world are you!? I couldn’t even see your sword!”

From the Royal Knights to the mercenaries and even Princess Lea’s personal guards, everyone praised Ethan.

While it might have been possible to handle the monsters somehow, it was his decisive judgment without hesitation that prevented them from suffering immeasurable losses.

It was as if Ethan had rescued them from a great crisis.

“Thank you! You saved our lives!”

“If it weren’t for you, we would have definitely died right there.”

“Ethan smiled while still seated.

He was quite exhausted, but he could feel a sense of fulfillment throughout his body.

‘If I had made a single mistake, the quest could have ended right there.’

Cockatrice was an incredibly powerful monster.

Although he gained Giant’s Strength, all he could rely on was his strength, and if he had taken a proper hit from the enemy’s attacks, he wouldn’t have been able to endure.

Princess Lea reached out her hand to the seated Ethan.

“I express my gratitude. You saved everyone’s lives.”

-Lea Martinez completely trusts you.

Upon reading the message, Ethan smiled inwardly and responded calmly.

“It’s not over yet, is it?”

Even though he was already exhausted, Princess Lea admired his concern for others.

“You’re a true knight, looking out for others even in such circumstances.”

“We should save as many people as possible. Let me assist others quickly.”

Ethan replied consistently, as befitting the embodiment of a hero.

Princess Lea nodded with a proud expression and left the place.

Everyone was in the midst of receiving treatment.

However, many priests were still petrified, leaving a significant number of people in need of assistance.

Especially, detoxification was urgent.

Ethan himself was also affected by the poison.

“Phew.”

Ethan immediately opened the Donguibogam.

-You opened the Magic Book, Donguibogam

-The poison of the Cockatrice King is recorded in the Donguibogam.

-The poison of the Black Scorpion is recorded in the Donguibogam.

-The poison of the Manticore is recorded in the Donguibogam.

-Donguibogam analyzes the poisons.

-Now it is possible to create antidotes for the recorded poisons!

Ethan had recorded the poisons of the Cockatrice King, the Black Scorpion, and even the Manticore in the Donguibogam.

By recording the poisons in the Donguibogam, he could create antidotes to counteract them.

‘[New World] subscribers may not know it yet, but Heo Jun is an amazing god.’

“I’d like to request the ingredients that the priests and mages were trying to use.”

“What are you planning to do?”

“I’m going to make antidotes.”

The Royal Knights were surprised by Ethan’s words. To think that he was not only a skilled swordsman capable of hunting down Cockatrices and Manticores on his own, but also capable of creating antidotes.

“You can even make antidotes!?”

“Not only are you incredibly skilled in swordsmanship, but you can also make antidotes?”

“It seems like you can do anything!”

Everyone exclaimed in admiration and awe toward Ethan.

Meanwhile, relatively unharmed individuals brought the materials.

“It’s remarkable.”

Making an antidote meant creating an antidote potion, but Ethan didn’t follow the conventional methods.

It was only natural since what Ethan was creating was not an antidote potion, but an antidote decoction.

Swish, swish, swish.

While Ethan was preparing the antidote decoction, the people quickly restored order to the chaotic scene.

The injured were gathered and those affected by the poison were kept together in one place.

The bodies of the defeated monsters were piled up in one location, their remains separated to prepare for any potential additional poisoning.

Meanwhile, Ethan devoted himself to crafting the antidote decoction.

‘If I don’t make it properly, I might die too.’

In the midst of that intense situation, Ethan rushed to create it without hesitation.

It was an action he took because he was capable of creating the antidote decoction himself.

“It’s done.”

-[Intermediate Detoxification Decoction] has been created!

-Grade assessment in progress…

-[Intermediate Detoxification Decoction] B+ grade.

The completed detoxification decoction had the ability to neutralize all the poisons recorded in the Donguibogam.

Ethan immediately consumed the decoction.

“Ugh.”

It was so bitter that he wanted to spit it out, but the effect was undeniable.

The toxins that had filled his body began to be rapidly detoxified.

‘The effect is definitely worth the bitterness.’

Ethan forced a smile and continued to create more decoctions.

-The proficiency in decoction brewing has greatly increased!

-Decoction Brewing (A) [25%]

Unintentionally, Ethan’s proficiency in decoction brewing experienced a significant boost.

Satisfied with the unexpected benefit, Ethan called upon the Royal Knights.

“Give them this.”

“Understood.”

Despite it being a potion they had never seen before, the Royal Knights unquestioningly accepted the decoction and administered it to the poisoned individuals.

“Ughh.”

Those who had been suffering in agony were swiftly detoxified upon consuming the decoction.

“To see immediate effects like this…”

“How on earth did you make this?”

The priests and mages were greatly astonished by Ethan’s decoction.

Normally, a detoxification potion did not take effect immediately upon consumption.

Unless it was an exceptionally advanced potion, detoxification usually took a considerable amount of time.

“Could it be that you have created an advanced detoxification potion with those ingredients?”

“I added a little trick.”

Ethan’s humility elicited another round of admiration from the mages.

Mages were esteemed individuals, possessing a noble power that only the chosen few could wield through magic.

Yet, even with such power, to remain so humble was remarkable.

Thanks to Ethan’s creation and distribution of the decoctions, everyone recovered without any additional casualties from the poisoning.

“I owe you my life.”

“I will definitely repay this favor.”

Since he couldn’t take the items with him anyway, Ethan asked with a hopeful heart:

“If there’s a potion that can restore my health, I’d appreciate it. I have suffered from too much poison.”

“Is something like this acceptable?”

Ding!

-Received Advanced Healing Potion!

He received potions similar to the ones he had received before.

Having them was not a bad thing, but it wasn’t what Ethan had hoped for.

“Thank you.”

Still, Ethan smiled and expressed his gratitude.

Meanwhile, a priest approached Ethan.

“I may not have much, but if you wish, I can teach you something like this.”

Ethan clenched his fist.

This was exactly what he had been hoping for.

-Priest Louranche wishes to pass on magic to you!

-You can learn the [Blessing of Nature] magic from Louranche.

“If you are willing to teach, I will gratefully learn.”

-You have learned the Blessing of Nature!

Skill added: Blessing of Nature (A)

“This is nature magic?”

Nature magic was a type of ancient magic. It was believed to have originated from the elves and had become lost over time, accessible only through special routes.

“Thank you.”

With the ability to learn such magic, Ethan could create decoctions without limit.

Afterward, he continued to receive potions from various people.

While it would have been nice to learn more magic, having acquired the Blessing of Nature alone was a significant gain for Ethan.

“If the recovery is complete, we will advance again! The day is growing dark, so let’s push forward a little more and make camp!”

* * *

That night.

Ethan’s camp.

There was now less than half a day’s journey remaining.

If they departed early in the morning, they would soon arrive at Reichardt.

Once they reached there, they would have to fight the Fire Dragon King.

Of course, Ethan was not too worried, as he knew the outcome of this story.

In the end, the reclamation force would drive out the Fire Dragon King and reclaim Reichardt.

However, Princess Lea and many others would perish.

‘But driving out the Fire Dragon King and reclaiming Reichardt is not the ultimate goal.’

The quest clearly stated that he must resolve the regret of the one buried in the tomb.

And the one buried in the tomb was Princess Lea Martinez.

‘What could the regret be? It doesn’t seem like reclaiming Reichardt is the regret, and I remember something about a family. Is it related to that family? Or is the act of being dead itself the regret?’

He needed to find out the details before reaching Reichardt.

He had to appease this regret in order to clear the trial.

“Hmm, perhaps not being able to ultimately kill the Fire Dragon King could be the regret.”

He needed to uncover Princess Lea’s story and, in addition, not just drive out the Fire Dragon King but kill it.

Those were the two clear objectives he had to pursue.

‘But it seems impossible to kill the Fire Dragon King in my current state…’

Ethan pondered for a moment.

“Ah, that’s right!”

A good idea suddenly came to mind.

Ethan immediately took out the meat of the Cockatrice and Manticore from his subspace pouch.

In general, meat from monsters that possessed poison couldn’t be consumed. The poison permeated the meat, making it inedible.

The poison made the taste of the meat unbearable. Even if it was cooked well and the poison was supposedly removed, it often resulted in cases of poisoning. It was like a food debuff of sorts.

Ethan held the meat of the Cockatrice and Manticore in both hands.

“Huu.”

What Ethan was about to do could be described as either a clever trick or a reckless gamble.

It was an unconventional approach, deviating from normal gameplay, reminiscent of the assassination play he had attempted before entering the ruins.

Chew, chew!

Taking a deep breath, Ethan started eating the meat in his hands.

As soon as he consumed the meat, his body reacted.

He was poisoned and afflicted with abnormal status.

However, Ethan didn’t stop. He chewed the meat once more and swallowed it with a decoction, eliminating the poison in his mouth.

But as he ate the meat again, the poison built up once more.

Ethan repeated this process of chewing and swallowing several times.

His face contorted in disgust, and the pain was unbearable as if his stomach was being ripped apart. Nevertheless, Ethan didn’t stop.

There was something to be gained.

“Sir Ethan?”

Murine, who had come to relieve himself, spotted Ethan.

“What are you eating all by yourself? Eugh! What is that?”

Startled by Murine’s reaction, Ethan casually replied.

“It’s a tradition in our village.”

“Tradition?!”

The word “tradition” struck a nerve in Murine, reaching deep into his core.

Traditions were something to be upheld, and he couldn’t ignore them.

‘One more.’

There was little meat left now. If he didn’t obtain what he sought, he would have to get more meat and repeat the process. He wouldn’t stop until he obtained what he desired.

“Euugh.”

With a low groan, Ethan ate the meat one more time.

And just as his consciousness was about to fade away.

Ding!

The awaited notification popped up.

-You have earned the trait [Gourmet].

“Done!”

Murine exclaimed in admiration as he looked at Ethan.

“You’re truly amazing. How did you manage to eat all of that, Sir Ethan? It’s not a secret to becoming stronger, is it?”

“That’s correct.”

Ethan replied with a smile.

It was incredibly painful, but he was able to obtain the desired trait without a doubt.

The trait was [Gourmet].

As an S-grade trait, it was likely a trait that no player in MePan had discovered, even after countless plays.

-[Gourmet] [S-rank]

-Your palate is the most discerning and peculiar in the world. Your body adapts to your gourmet behaviors.

-When affected by abnormal conditions, your strength is enhanced.

-Resistance to various abnormal conditions greatly increases.

-As the severity of abnormal conditions increases, your attack power and defense significantly increase.

The Gourmet trait was a unique trait that involved consuming substances or getting stronger when affected by abnormal conditions.

It had a challenging acquisition process, and its concept revolved around gaining strength through being in abnormal states.

‘Who would eat something like rotten meat?’

Of course, Ethan discovered the trait through firsthand experience, but it remained relatively unknown to most people.

With his current self, he could make good use of it.

‘As far as I know, it definitely applies to curses too.’

Currently, Ethan’s body was under a powerful curse.

With a curse that won’t be lifted until death, it provided the opportunity to continuously activate the Gourmet trait.

‘This is actually one of the intended uses. If you’re under a long-lasting curse, it’s almost certain death.’

Long-lasting curses often possessed tremendous power.

Therefore, managing the curse in a stable manner was more challenging than utilizing the Gourmet trait.

‘You could easily end up dying. Although I’ve enhanced various aspects of my health to maintain stability, at its core, it’s the Extinction curse where different parts of my body are slowly dying.’

However, it was precisely because of this that Ethan could make even better use of the Gourmet trait.

Szzzzz.

Obtaining the Gourmet trait sent a thrilling surge of vitality through Ethan’s body.

-The [Gourmet] trait is activated.

-Condition: Afflicted by an unknown curse.

-Due to the unidentified nature of the curse, the enhancement provided is not as strong as typical curses!

Ethan chuckled softly.

‘It’s a bit disappointing that Extinction is a rare condition, so the Gourmet trait isn’t fully applicable.’

Nevertheless, the constant activation of the Gourmet trait was a favorable outcome.

‘This way, I can make some use of the curse. It’s not like I’m just going to passively accept it.’

“You seem truly delighted. To think that rotten meat holds the key to power, the world truly has its strange, or rather, diverse traditions.”

“Would you like to try it? You can become stronger.”

“Ugh.”

He closed his eyes tightly and took the meat to eat.

Of course, Ethan didn’t eat any more rotten meat and discarded it completely.

‘With this, the preparations are complete.’