Chapter 26: The goal of the trial

Chapter 26: The goal of the trial

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 couldnt even see your sword!

From the Royal Knights to the mercenaries and even Princess Leas 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 werent 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 Giants Strength, all he could rely on was his strength, and if he had taken a proper hit from the enemys attacks, he wouldnt have been able to endure.Upstodatee from n(0)/ve/lbIn/.(co/m

Princess Lea reached out her hand to the seated Ethan.

I express my gratitude. You saved everyones lives.

-Lea Martinez completely trusts you.

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

Its not over yet, is it?

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

Youre 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.

Id like to request the ingredients that the priests and mages were trying to use.

What are you planning to do?

Im going to make antidotes.

The Royal Knights were surprised by Ethans 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.

Its remarkable.

Making an antidote meant creating an antidote potion, but Ethan didnt 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 dont 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.

Its 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.

In general, meat from monsters that possessed poison couldnt 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 didnt 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 didnt 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 Murines reaction, Ethan casually replied.

Its 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 couldnt ignore them.

One more.

There was little meat left now. If he didnt obtain what he sought, he would have to get more meat and repeat the process. He wouldnt 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.

Youre truly amazing. How did you manage to eat all of that, Sir Ethan? Its not a secret to becoming stronger, is it?

Thats 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, Ethans body was under a powerful curse.

With a curse that wont be lifted until death, it provided the opportunity to continuously activate the Gourmet trait.

This is actually one of the intended uses. If youre under a long-lasting curse, its 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 Ive enhanced various aspects of my health to maintain stability, at its core, its 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 Ethans 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.

Its a bit disappointing that Extinction is a rare condition, so the Gourmet trait isnt fully applicable.

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

This way, I can make some use of the curse. Its not like Im 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 didnt eat any more rotten meat and discarded it completely.

With this, the preparations are complete.