Chapter 550 Poison King

The stone barrier finally collapsed, sending chunks of rock tumbling across the floor.

Lento Roman stepped through the dust first, his Nemean Cestus gleaming beneath the dim temple light. His sharp eyes immediately caught sight of the newly opened passage ahead.

"There!" he roared. "They went that way! Don’t let them escape!"

Glenwind charged forward, followed closely by Iki and the others. Sepo slithered behind them, his narrow eyes scanning the chamber with caution.

However, before they could advance very far, something strange happened.

Lento suddenly felt a burning sensation spread through his body.

"...What?"

It started as a slight irritation, but within seconds, the sensation intensified. It felt as though his blood itself had caught fire. His chest tightened, and he stumbled forward, coughing violently.

Blood splattered across the stone floor.

"Boss?!"

Glenwind barely managed to shout before he too began coughing. His massive body staggered, one hand clutching his chest as blood trickled from his mouth.

The others suffered the same fate.

Their throats burned. Their lungs felt as though they were being torn apart from within. Even their internal organs seemed to be bleeding, leaving them struggling to remain upright.

"What the hell is this?!" Iki gasped.

Sepo’s expression changed immediately.

"Poison!"

His slit pupils narrowed as he instinctively held his breath.

"Don’t breathe! Everyone, stop breathing immediately!"

The beastkin reacted as quickly as they could, covering their mouths and holding their breath. Some were already too weak to move properly, while others struggled to suppress the urge to cough.

Lento clenched his jaw, forcing himself to remain conscious.

"Get... out of this room..."

The group began retreating, stumbling toward the entrance. Their movements were sluggish, and every second they remained inside seemed to worsen their condition.

The medical personnel accompanying the expedition hurried forward as soon as they reached the safer passage. They immediately began administering potions, pouring healing liquids into the mouths of those who could still swallow.

But the results were disappointing.

The burning sensation remained.

Even the wounds inside their bodies refused to heal properly.

"This is impossible!" one of the medics exclaimed. "The potion isn’t working!"

"Then use a stronger one!" Lento growled, his voice strained.

"We already have! This isn’t ordinary poison!"

Sepo remained silent, studying the symptoms while carefully controlling his breathing.

The poison had no discernible scent.

There was no unusual taste, either. Nothing that could have warned them before it entered their bodies.

’Invisible. Odorless. Tasteless...’

His expression grew increasingly serious.

’And it’s already affecting the internal organs.’

He had encountered countless poisons throughout his life. Some were capable of paralyzing an entire squad, others could kill within seconds. He had even developed resistance to many of the most dangerous toxins known to beastkin.

Yet this poison was something entirely different.

Sepo suddenly raised his head.

"Everyone, move away from me!"

"Sepo, what are you—"

"Just do it!"

The others reluctantly stepped back.

Sepo inhaled deeply.

Then, using his own body as a vessel, he began drawing the lingering poison toward himself. His unique constitution allowed him to absorb and neutralize toxins, and he intended to remove every trace of the substance from the surrounding air before it could claim any more lives.

Gradually, the burning sensation within the others began to subside.

Their breathing became easier.

The medics immediately resumed treatment, and the remaining members of the expedition managed to recover enough to sit upright.

But Sepo was not so fortunate.

His slender body began trembling violently. His scales lost their usual sheen, and blood trickled from the corners of his mouth. He could feel the poison spreading through his own organs, overwhelming his natural resistance.

"Sepo!" Glenwind shouted.

Sepo tried to respond, but another wave of pain forced him to cough up blood.

’What... is this?’

He had always been known as the Poison King among his peers.

There were few toxins he couldn’t recognize, and even fewer that could threaten his life.

Yet this one...

It was completely beyond his understanding.

’How can this be?’

His eyes widened in disbelief.

’I’m the Poison King... How could I be poisoned by something like this?’

His body trembled as he struggled to maintain consciousness.

’What kind of poison is this?’

For the first time in his life, Sepo found himself confronting a toxin he couldn’t identify, resist, or even begin to understand.

And that realization terrified him far more than the pain.

Lento knelt beside Sepo, his claws digging into the stone floor. The sight of his companion trembling helplessly filled him with a rage he could barely contain.

"Don’t you dare give up!" he roared. "You hear me, Sepo?!"

Sepo’s body convulsed as another wave of pain swept through him. Blood trickled from his mouth, staining his scales. Despite his condition, he managed to turn his eyes toward Lento.

"You’re a master of poison!" Lento continued, gripping his shoulder. "You’ve spent your entire life studying toxins! A poison like this shouldn’t be enough to bring you down!"

His voice grew louder, almost desperate.

"You’re the Poison King! You’ve survived worse than this! So stop acting like you’re already dead and fight!"

Sepo tried to laugh.

Instead, he coughed up another mouthful of blood.

"Captain... you’re still... as loud as ever..."

"Then listen to me!"

Lento’s grip tightened.

"I chose you because you weren’t weak! You were the best poison expert I could find! You think I brought you along just to watch you die here?!"

Sepo closed his eyes briefly.

He already knew.

The poison had spread too quickly through his body. His natural resistance had been overwhelmed, and the damage to his internal organs was far beyond what his abilities could repair.

Even the strongest antidote they possessed would not be enough.

He could feel his life slipping away.

And the others could see it, too.

The medics had stopped reaching for their potions. Their expressions were grim, and their silence said more than any words could.

Sepo opened his eyes again and looked at Lento.

"Captain..."

"Shut up!" Lento snapped. "Don’t say anything! Save your strength!"

Sepo’s lips curled into a faint, exhausted smile.

"I’m... sorry."

"Don’t apologize!"

"I thought... I could handle it..."

His voice grew weaker with every word.

"But... this poison..."

He struggled to draw another breath.

"...is something I’ve never encountered before."

Lento shook his head violently.

"No! You’re not dying here! Do you understand?!"

Sepo’s eyes lingered on his captain’s face.

For a brief moment, the pain seemed to fade from his expression.

"Thank you... for choosing me..."

His hand slowly slipped from Lento’s arm.

"Sepo?"

"...I suppose... this is where I..."

His voice trailed off.

The light in his slit pupils gradually disappeared.

"Sepo?"

Lento stared at him.

"Hey..."

He shook his companion’s shoulder.

"Sepo. Get up!"

His voice cracked.

"Don’t you dare leave me here!"

But Sepo remained motionless.

The Poison King, who had survived countless deadly toxins, had finally succumbed to one he couldn’t understand.

Lento’s expression twisted.

He lowered his head, his shoulders trembling. For several moments, he said nothing. Then a furious roar erupted from his throat, shaking the chamber.

"AAAAAAARGH!"

His voice echoed through the temple.

Tears streamed down his face as he clutched Sepo’s lifeless body, his enormous hands trembling with grief.

"WHO DID THIS?!"

The roar was followed by a violent surge of killing intent.

Lento slowly raised his head. His eyes were bloodshot, and his teeth were clenched so tightly that his jaw trembled.

"I swear..."

His voice was low, filled with hatred.

"I’ll find the bastard who did this."

He rose to his feet, his Nemean Cestus tightening around his fists.

"And when I do..."

His voice broke into another furious growl.

"I’LL TEAR THEM APART WITH MY OWN HANDS!"