Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Pew!

A deadly poison capsule detonated in his mouth.Follow current novels at novelhall.comans eyes widened in shock.

Gasp!

This couldnt be happening.

It shouldnt be happening.

He desperately looked upward, questioning Raciels face with his eyes.

How? Impossible?

Had Raciel truly anticipated his secret weapon? Did he somehow know all his plans and manage to block his mouth?

Ku! Kuhuh!

His tongue tingled with numbness. It swiftly transformed into excruciating pain, as if being relentlessly hammered.

His tongue grew rigid. The sensation within his mouth vanished. His lips froze, and saliva dribbled uncontrollably. Even his facial muscles twitched without his command.

Damn it! Damn it!

A shiver raced down his spine.

The poison capsule was his specialty. No one understood its potency better than him.

Kusman reluctantly accepted his predicament.

The dreadful poison capsule had erupted in his mouth. If he remained idle, he would lose consciousness in less than three minutes. Within 30 minutes, he would cease to breathe. In other words, he had a mere three minutes to take action and survive.

Fortunately, he carried an antidote for the poison capsule, reserved for emergencies.

Quickly quickly!

His hand quivered as he moved.

He reached into the pocket of his vest, aiming to retrieve his sole lifelinethe antidote.

Yet, at that very moment

Thud!

An unexpected hand intervened, seizing his wrist and hindering his progress.

Huh?

He needed that antidote!

Kusman tried to shake off the restraining hand, but his arm lacked strength. The situation worsened when another hand emerged, delving straight into his vest pocket. And then, as if claiming its rightful possession, it seized the antidote bottle!

What?

Kusmans heart sank.

His gaze fixated on the antidote, now snatched away and drifting farther from him. It ascended, angling diagonally upwards, before coming to a halt in front of someones face.

It was Raciels face.

However, Raciels mouth was agape.

What? What?

While Kusman remained in shock,

Raciel took hold of the antidote bottle with his open mouth, staring directly into Kusmans eyes, almost tauntingly.

Pop!

After uncapping the antidote bottle,

He promptly consumed its contents.

Before Kusman had a chance to intervene, Raciel swallowed it in one gulp!

No!

Kusman screamed, struggling to curse through his stiffened lips.

Thisson of adevil!

His only hope,

The lifeline for his survival,

Had vanished into the depths of that mans stomach.

There was no longer any glimmer of hope.

Kusman writhed in despair. As his face and throat numbed, he collapsed to the ground. Foam, saturated with hopelessness, oozed from his barely moving mouth.

Observing this, Raciel grimaced.

Ugh, its even more bitter than I expected.

The antidote proved to be exceedingly bitter. Even as a former practitioner of Oriental medicine, accustomed to various levels of bitterness, Raciels expression remained sour since the moment he swallowed it. It felt as if his tongue had transformed into the sole of a foot.

Nevertheless, he did not expel the antidote.

To further mock the fading Kusman? Or to instill greater despair in Kusman?

Neither was the case.

There was a reason and purpose behind Raciel deliberately stealing and consuming the antidote.

Ill utilize the Medical Billing skill.

By doing so, he could effectively gain a bonus life. That was the motive behind stealing and ingesting the antidote. Thanks to his knowledge of Kusmans assassination technique, which he knew inside out, it all fell into place.

Kusman has used this technique several times in the novel.

A poisonous capsule concealed in his mouth like a molar, an assassination method where he spits it out and triggers an explosion.

Raciel had known from the beginning.

He was aware that Kusman was feigning being hit and falling by the guards. He made his adversaries feel safe, preparing himself to expel the poison capsule.

And that was when Raciel timed it perfectly and blocked his mouth, causing the poison capsule to explode inside.

And I took the antidote.

[Expected lifespan: 118 days]

.

It had increased.

The expected lifespan had genuinely increased by 4 full days.

This is it!

He had gained a bonus lifespan by treating someone else. Moreover, he had acquired it by afflicting a wrongdoer with an illness and then curing it. There was nothing more desirable than this.

And I have effectively eliminated a potential threat.

Kusman, as depicted in the novel, was an exceptionally tenacious individual. He would cling to those who posed a danger to him until their dying breath.

But if Raciel had let him go today?

Kusman would have remained a bothersome presence for a long time.

Take him away.

The guards dragged the utterly exhausted Kusman away. As Raciel returned to the arena, the punitive operation was also nearing its conclusion. He passed numerous captives along the way.

And at that moment

Excuse me, Your Highness?

Gardin, who had been silently trailing behind Raciel, finally spoke up.

Um, Im really curious about something.

Go ahead, ask.

Yes, Your Highness. Did you plan everything that happened tonight?

Yes, I did.

Why do you ask?

Gardin stumbled over his words, almost letting slip an expression of admiration.

Our prince hes like this.

He had always seen Raciel as someone frail, in need of care and protection due to his constant illness. But tonights events proved him wrong.

How did he know about the basement of the restaurant?

Even Gardin, a regular patron, was unaware of its existence.

So how did the crown prince find out?

He couldnt even begin to guess.

Does being royalty give you access to certain means?

Their access to information must differ in quantity and depth. Gardin found this idea somewhat plausible and couldnt help but feel admiration.

Our prince he has this side too.

At some point, Raciel had begun to display his power. He frequently surprised people, evoking their admiration. And considering the outcome of tonights actions, Gardins admiration grew even stronger.

An underground organization was thriving in the heart of the capital, unbeknownst to the public. It was like a festering wound, disrupting public order and security. But the prince swiftly put an end to it.

Thanks to that, peace and order were restored in the capital. They had managed to create a slightly fairer society.

He had a strategy in mind for that purpose.

Gardins heart swelled with pride as he thought of this. Following behind Raciel, his eyes gleaming with admiration, Gardin couldnt help but feel this way.

However, Raciel felt a sense of awkwardness.

Hmm, Gardin, I think I know what youre thinking.

He had an intuitive feeling.

Gardin was misunderstanding something. He was regarding Raciels intentions for tonight as something sacred and lofty.

But its not like that.

A bitter smile crept onto Raciels face.

He headed toward the gladiators waiting room. The front of the room was in disarray, with around five guards unconscious on the floor. Dozens of other guards crowded the corridor.

Across from them stood Demian.

Behind Demian, the gladiators were visible. In other words, the guards and Demian were locked in a standoff.

Tsk, I told you to wait quietly.

Raciel intentionally raised his voice.

Could his words reach them?

Demian flinched. Soon, his gaze turned in Raciels direction. His eyes twitched and widened in surprise.

A smile naturally spread across Raciels face.

Do you believe me now? That Im the crown prince.

Did Demian nod?

It seemed likely.

Demian, who had been pointing his sword at the guards, lowered it. His fierce demeanor melted away like snow. A smile formed on Raciels face once again.

Public interest? A just society?

Perhaps this was the misconception that Gardin held. Raciel felt a tinge of embarrassment when he thought about it. In reality, he had no such lofty intentions. He had never aspired to a life of selfless dedication.

He couldnt be that great of a person.

He didnt even dare to hope for it.

I pushed for tonights events simply to prolong my own survival.

Demian Cayenne, the protagonist of the novel.

The gladiators stood behind him.

Raciel directed a brisk smile, brimming with vitality, towards themas if greeting his first patient.