Chapter 38 – The Path Through Poison
Milo squinted at the worn, yellowed map in his hands as he trudged beside Tyler through the marshy terrain. Though they had been traveling for quite a while, their destination still felt far away. The ancient map depicted a sprawling region of swamps and dense woods. Milo could identify the familiar layout of Muckwood—the Spirit Tree and cetery were clearly marked—but there was no sign of palisade walls.
“I guess the map was made before the town built their defences,” Milo mused aloud.
“Judging by how old the paper looks, I wouldn’t be surprised,” Tyler replied, not looking away from the path ahead.
The map also showed sothing far more intriguing: a temple-like structure to the north, nestled deep within thick forest markings. That was their destination—whatever lay within the Ebon Hollows.
Suddenly, Milo shouted in panic. “Tyler! The map! It just faded! The whole thing’s gone!”
“Chill out, Milo,” Tyler said calmly, pulling out a small bottle. “I already knew that would happen.”
“What? And you didn’t say anything?! How are we supposed to keep moving if we can’t see where we’re going?”
“Relax. Watch this.”
Tyler uncorked the bottle and carefully poured the venom onto the paper. It hissed slightly, the acidic sll rising into the air. Within seconds, the map’s lines and ink resurfaced.
“It disappears after about thirty minutes,” Tyler said. “But that also ans we need to move faster. We’ve only got twenty bottles of venom, and this is the eighth one.”
“Eight? Already?”
“Yeah. Did you think I was just wandering around blindly? There are traps out here—quicksand pits, spike floors, even those weird vine snares. This map marks most of them. I’m not sure what happens if we run out of venom and get lost, but I’d rather not find out.”
Milo scratched his head. “Can’t we just, like, kill so snake hybrids and get more venom?”
“It’s possible, but we don’t have ti to go monster hunting. We’ll stick to the trail.”
As they continued, the terrain changed. The soggy swamp floor gave way to the roots of looming, ancient trees. The forest ahead was dark and tangled, bathed in murky green hues. Shadows danced in places the light couldn’t reach, and the oppressive silence of the woods gave the illusion that even the trees were watching them.
Thick vines twisted like serpents across the path. Occasionally, strange rustling noises echoed from the foliage, though no creatures were in sight. The air grew damp and heavy, and every breath felt like drawing in wet moss.
They encountered traps—just like the map warned. Milo fell into a patch of quicksand that nearly swallowed him whole before Tyler used [Forcepush] to knock him out of it.
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“Next ti,” Milo gasped, covered in mud, “maybe pull out instead of launching like a ragdoll.”
Tyler snorted. “You’re alive, aren’t you?”
Eventually, they reached a wide trench cutting through the forest. Three rope bridges stretched across.
Milo raised the map. “Wait, this shows only one bridge. There are three here.”
“Two of them must be traps,” Tyler said. “One’s real. The others will drop us into that trench.”
Milo peered over the edge. The gorge was at least 300 ters deep, ending in what looked like jagged stone and shattered wood. A thin mist drifted up from the bottom.
“So… which one?”
“We guess. I pick the left.”
“What?! Are you insane?! If that collapses, you’re dead!”
“Relax. I was kidding. I’ve got a plan.”
Tyler activated [Gigantify], and his body grew rapidly, towering twenty tis over. The earth trembled under his feet. Milo stumbled back in awe as Tyler extended an open hand.
“Climb on.”
“What are you—wait, no, don’t tell —”
“Who said anything about walking?”
He recoiled his arm and tossed Milo through the air with imnse force. “GIANT’S THROW!”
Milo scread. “TYLEEEEER! YOU JEEEERK!”
The wind howled around him as he soared through the air, limbs flailing like a tossed rag doll. Below him, the jagged trench seed to open its maw, ready to swallow him. The trees rushed by in a blur. Milo’s heart pounded.
“I’m going to die! I’m going to—”
Just before impact, he activated [Absolute Defence]. A glowing barrier ford around him as he crash-landed, bounced, and rolled like a cannonball, smacking into a tree trunk. His turtle-shell hybrid body spun like a frisbee before flopping flat on the forest floor.
“Ughhhh…” Milo groaned. “You better run when I get up… That hurt!”
From the other side of the trench, Tyler laughed heartily. “That was perfect. You flew like a majestic boulder.”
“How will you get here, genius? Gonna toss yourself now?!”
“Nah,” Tyler smirked. He activated [Sprint] and dashed onto the bridge.
Each step made the wooden planks scream in protest. The ropes trembled and groaned. With every footfall, the bridge swayed violently. Midway through, a loud snap echoed through the forest.
“Tyler!” Milo scread.
The ropes at the front tore free. The bridge tilted. Tyler’s eyes widened. He pushed forward, heart hamring, the wind howling in his ears. Debris and splinters flew around him as the structure began to unravel.
Just as the last support gave way, Tyler leapt with all his strength and crashed face-first onto solid ground.
He lay there, groaning. Then rolled over and grinned at the collapsing wreck behind him.
“Huh. Guess that one was a trap.”
“You’re impossible.”
“But effective.”
They continued deeper into the forest, using the final bottle of venom to refresh the map. The woods darkened further. Fog rolled in, thick and greenish, with a pungent, bitter scent. It clung to their skin, seeping into their lungs.
Tyler coughed. “What is this stuff?”
Soon, he saw the status window flicker.
[Status: Affected by [Poison Mist] — Target loses 20 HP every second. Duration: 00:02:27]
Tyler activated [Undying Tenacity]. The status cleared—for a mont. Seconds later:
[Duration: 00:00:20]
[Duration: 00:00:40]
[-20 HP] [-20 HP]
The poison was being reapplied constantly by the fog. His skill worked, but only temporarily.
He looked at Milo, who was pale and struggling.
“Hey. Wait here.”
Milo coughed violently. “No… I’m not leaving you alone.”
“You’re already poisoned. You’re just being a burden right now. I’ll scout ahead. Don’t follow .”
“No—cough—no, I won’t—”
“You’re so damn difficult.”
Tyler backtracked until he found a small clearing where the fog was thinner. He dropped a foldable chair from his inventory.
[Do you want [Companion] Milo to wait here?] [Yes] | [No]
“Now shut up and wait here.”
“No, Tyler! It could be dangerous!”
“Are you trying to stop because it’s dangerous? You really don’t know then. I’ll be back.”
Tyler turned, poured the last bottle of venom on the map, and ran into the green haze. The forest swallowed him in seconds, the toxic mist swirling around his silhouette as he vanished into the Ebon Hollows.
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