Surviving Restructuring

The White Serpent’s body was still as pale as snow. However, the trial interference penalty had fused with his Rebel trait, granting him the new title: Order Opposer.

[You can see the core of things.]

In that instant, he spotted a single, dark mass through the Serpent’s gleaming white belly. It was a lump of deep, bluish-black stone.

That’s an item.

Even a fool could tell, so he went toward it, eager to examine it up close. However, that was when the room exploded in noise.

“What kind of penalty is that?! Are they insane?!”

“This is ridiculous! Our Hyungnim did nothing to deserve a punishment! He should be getting rewards!”

“Maybe it’s our fault! We were copying him, shooting our hair like idiots...!”

His teammates were the ones yelling on his behalf.

When had they all gotten in here?

Every word they hurled was laced with outrage.

“You filthy sickfucks!”

Yikes. They are really mad. I’m fine now, though.

Swear-Master was swearing so hard for him that he couldn’t even get a word in.

“You son of a bitch—”

Eun-Ho cut in before his ears rotted from all the creative profanity. “That’s enough.”

Yul was here too, after all.

“I’m fine.”

“Huh?”

Every head whipped toward him in shock.

“Eun-Ho! Can you see me?!”

“Hyuuungnim!”

“H-how are you talking?! The announcement said that you would have status effects for an hour!”

[Multiple observers are stunned by your speech!]

[An anonymous observer slams their desk, saying they knew this would happen!]

Of course they were shocked because the system had just announced his penalty, and now he was perfectly fine. Though, he couldn’t tell them about his trait Rebel or his new title.

“... Maybe because of my strong willpower?” Eun-Ho said vaguely.

He thought that this would be a good way to make them assume he just didn’t want to explain things further. Who would’ve thought that they’d actually buy it?

The Swear-Master slapped his knee. “Holy shit! He really is built different...”

[The Crow from the Bureau of Management clenches their fist, proud of their friend!]

[The Newbie from the Bureau of Corporate Relations marvels at your mental fortitude!]

[Multiple observers are deeply moved by your willpower that surpasses the system itself!]

Are they really believing this? Eun-Ho thought, blinking in disbelief.

“Eun-Ho, I knew you could overcome anything!”

“Absolutely, Hyungnim!”

Ji-Eun, Jae-Hyuk, and the others all nodded along.

Even the friend of the yellow-haired guy nodded seriously. “Jin-Sol! See? Willpower really is everything!”

Hmm... Something feels off.

He had a suspicion, so he said, “Can I ask everyone to step outside for a bit? I’d like some time alone.”

“Oh, sure!”

“Yeah, take some time for yourself! We’ll wait outside!”

“Let’s go, Jin-Sol!”

They all filed out like a receding tide, still wearing worried expressions. There were no questions nor protests, as if his words were orders from above.

Ah, I get it. So this is the title effect.

[Your words gain power.]

***

The arena fell silent, and the sunlight glared off the Serpent’s white scales, stabbing his eyes.

It’s pretty quiet here, Eun-Ho thought.

The trial was over and the hovering Eye that followed him around had vanished long ago. With everyone gone, he finally savored that rare feeling of being completely alone. Well, alone with a house-sized Serpent to dissect to be exact.

Crunch!

He plunged his blade in upside down. Its hide was dense and elastic, while its inner flesh was soft and yielding. Eun-Ho then carved, ripped, and split it apart.

Splurt!

A gush of red flesh spilled free and at last, the deep blue lump emerged. Like an enormous frog egg, the solid stone was encased in gelatinous slime. Eun-Ho caught it just as it was about to slide to the floor, sticky fluid dripping from his fingers.

[Congratulations!]

[You have acquired the White Serpent’s Ten Thousand People’s Bloodstone!]

Ten Thousand People’s Bloodstone?

Eun-Ho was expecting something like the White Serpent’s Core or White Serpent’s Essence. Puzzled, he rolled the palm-sized stone in his hands until a translucent window appeared.

[White Serpent’s Ten Thousand People’s Bloodstone]

- A bloodstone formed from the condensed blood of ten thousand victims devoured by the White Serpent.

- Can be used as an item or absorbed into the body.

It was a stone made from the blood of the dead. Even by itself, the deep-blue gem glimmered faintly as a final remnant left behind by the countless souls digested in the serpent’s gut.

If I’d been weaker than this monster, I’d have shared their fate.

He’d have been paralyzed by venom, swallowed whole, and slowly dissolved alive just like the yellow-haired guy almost was. A shiver ran down his spine. The thought snapped him back to focus, and he finished reading the description.

- When used as an active item, it instantly removes all injuries and status effects, fully restoring the body. It can be used five times before shattering.

- When absorbed into the body, it automatically restores 10% of total HP when life is at the brink of death. It has unlimited uses, but requires recharging between activations.

This is...!

This was the secret, the reason why the White Serpent could survive his attacks and even the yellow-haired kid’s. It could even rival Jae-Hyuk’s Ultra Regeneration.

Eun-Ho couldn’t help but grin at the absurdly powerful reward he had stumbled into. Still, the system gave him a choice. He could use it as a consumable item for full effect, or absorb it as a weaker, rechargeable skill.

In my current situation, I’ll take this one.

He decided in a heartbeat.

[Do you wish to absorb the White Serpent’s Ten Thousand People’s Bloodstone?]

“Yes.”

Absorbing it would reduce the immediate effect, but it meant he could use it freely, without hesitation.

Five charges isn’t bad, but I’d probably waste it, trying to save it for the perfect moment.

Even ten wouldn’t be enough if he hesitated. If he thought, ”Better save it for later,” he would end up dead before “later” ever came. Life-and-death battles were decided now, not saved like a bank deposit.

Use what you can, when you can.

After running through all the possibilities, the stone in his palm began to hum.

Wuuum—!

A deep, heavy vibration resonated straight through his bones—the kind that made him feel like he shouldn’t let go. Therefore, he clenched his fist even tighter.

Fwoom!

Then, a blue-black flame ignited in his hand. The fire licked at his fingers, a cold, unearthly flame that seemed ready to devour him whole.

Is it burning the blood and souls trapped within it as fuel?

Even if it was a monstrous relic born from countless deaths, he would still use it. The more terrifying the item, the more desperately he would wield it to survive.

[You are absorbing the White Serpent’s Ten Thousand People’s Bloodstone.]

[Congratulations!]

[The skill Revive(Lv. -) has been unlocked]

[Would you like to check the skill Revive(Lv. -)?]

“Check.”

Revive basically means resurrection, no?

The word alone was enough to make him clench his fist in anticipation.

[Skills]

Revive(Lv. -)

- When your HP is fully depleted, it automatically restores 10% of the total HP.

- Consumes the Bloodstone’s stored energy. Requires sufficient blood absorption to recharge.

- Current charges: 1/1

Eun-Ho now had one free life. While it wasn’t a game-changing reversal, ten percent was enough to cheat death once.

Another life, just for me.

It was an unexpected windfall, and that wasn’t all as he had another prize.

[White Serpent’s Venom Sac]

- A toxin sac extracted from the belly of a deadly snake.

- It contains concentrated poison. Once absorbed, it spreads through the body in under a minute, shutting down metabolism and hardening internal organs.

- Use Limit: 10 times

Now, he had another Venom Sac ready.

Fighting it was worth it after all.

Risk was the price of survival, and rewards only came to those willing to pay it. Eun-Ho carried both the thrill of victory and a grain of bitter reflection as he walked back toward the survivors.

The woman in the leather skirt approached, guiding her timid friend forward. “Um, I just wanted to thank you for saving Jin-Sol earlier. Please, take this.”

She held out a small round tin.

Ah... It’s that medicine from before.

“Ugh! I could’ve survived on my own!” Jin-Sol snapped.

“Shut up. You almost died.”

“Damn it...”

Eun-Ho ignored his sulking and accepted the tin. Seeing Ji-Eun smiling from behind, he assumed this girl had insisted on giving it to him herself. The reason was clear.

“Thank you for saving him!”

Jin-Sol remained silent.

“Say it!”

“... Thank you,” Jin-Sol mumbled, timidly.

She wanted her friend to show gratitude properly. Eun-Ho couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy. How nice would it be to have someone who cared like that?

The tin felt cool to the touch, and when he popped it open, a crisp, minty scent drifted to his nose.

[Basic Healing Ointment]

- A beginner-level salve made by a novice apothecary.

- Heals wounds when applied directly. Severe injuries may require multiple applications.

- Remaining Uses: 7

I’d need to test it to see its exact potency, but this will be handy when Sol-Ah isn’t around.

They only had one Healer, and she couldn’t be glued to him forever.

“Thank you. I’ll put it to good use.”

“Ah, yes! Thank you again!”

Eun-Ho glanced at the countdown. There was less than forty minutes left on his title effect, so he headed back toward the group. They were clustered together on the sidewalk, perched on blocks like a group of students on a field trip.

Yul ran over first, clutching her pant leg. “Mister! Are you okay?”

“I was really worried, Eun-Ho.”

“Me too!”

Ji-Eun, Ye-Ji, and Jae-Hyuk followed, their voices laced with concern.

“Worried? Pfft. You could’ve put a dragon in front of him and he’d still gut it for loot,” the Swear-Master spouted nonsense again, and Ji-Eun and Jae-Hyuk actually nodded along like it was gospel.

Ye-Ji gave him a deadpan look. “What are you even talking about? You were the most worried one.”

“Hey! When did I worry?!” he exploded defensively.

Moments later, Ye-Ji shot back with machine-gun sass that shut him right up. “Do you have amnesia? You were hopping around like the floor was lava, screaming about venom!”

“Ugh! Just quiet already!”

“And the way you were cursing during that penalty... I was embarrassed for you!”

“Hah! Sounds like you’re his fan club president!”

Even the cleaning lady chimed in, making him cough into his fist. While he scratched his head in embarrassment, there came another announcement.

[Attention all survivors of the Yongsan District.]

[The final trial will begin shortly at 11:00 AM sharp. Please be prepared for that.]

“It’s starting!”

“Eleven... That’s now, right?”

“They’re starting right away?!”

It was 10:59 AM, and as soon as the clock flipped to 11:00, the system message announced the start of the trial.

[The final trial, Overcome, begins!]

“Overcome...?”

“Ugh, I bet it’s more of those earthquakes and firestorms and then asking us to overcome those...”

“Don’t jinx it! Words become reality!”

Eun-Ho almost laughed watching the Swear-Master and Ye-Ji bicker.

Bzzzz!

Then, a subtle tremor rippled through the air like something enormous had fallen to the earth. Then, the sound erased, leaving only vibration in its wake.

“Are you two seriously fighting right now?” Ji-Eun asked, her voice tinged with a strange, lilting amusement that didn’t belong to her.

“Eun-Ho? What’s wrong?” Ji-Eun asked again.

“Ji-Eun!”

“Yeah? What is it?”

Her face flushed bright red, teeth jagged like a row of uneven daggers, eyes nothing but burning embers. It was just like a nightmare painted over someone he knew.

“... Why does your face look like that?!”

“...Excuse me?”