Chapter 649: No. 104 Black Serpent Fang (3)
Aroundthetimethebrainwashingoperationwasabouthalfwaycomplete,thewaiterappearedcarryingalargetrayinbothhands.
“Yourduckstewanddumplingsareready.”
henhestartedsettingbowlafterbowldownonthetable.
ruetothenameSpicyDuckStew,thebowlswerefilledwithaviolentlyredliquidatafuriousboil.
hemomenttheysawit,tensionfilledthegroup’sfaces.
“......”
“......”
heyhadheardpeoplesayitwasspicy,butapparentlynoneofthemhadexpectedittobethisbad.
venoyeonwoo,whohadactuallybeenhereoncebefore,hadagrimlookonhisface,probablybecausethememoryfrombackthenwascomingfloodingback.
hetimeShinByeongcheolhadpuffedhimselfupandinsisteditwasnotspicyatall,whichhadledeveryonetocompetitivelypolishoffanentirebowleach.
onestly,ithadbeenprettyrough.
Still,maybethistimetheycouldenjoyitinmoderation.
WhileSeoYe-insatofftoonesidetearingofflittlepiecesofdumplingandeatingthem,therestcautiouslypickeduptheirspoonsandbeganchallengingtheSpicyDuckStew.
Dangyu-rinarrowedtheireyesandletoutanimpressedcomment.
“t’sreallyspicy.”
oyeonwooandanSomieachaddedawordtoo.
“Mm.”
“t’sspicy,it’sspicy!”
venso,theyseemedtogethookedonthesharpheat,becausetheykeptmovingtheirspoons.
Wheneveritgottoointense,theywouldpickupadumplingandeatthattoo.
Butcomparedtowhatwasabouttohappennext,allofthiswaschild’splay.
hewaiterwentbackintothekitchen,thencamebackout.
histime,hewascarryingsomethingominous.
twasdefinitelyabowl,yes,butitlookedlesslikesomethingfromaninnandmorelikesomethingmeanttobeusedinaforgesomewhere.
otonlywasitboilingloudly,theheatandspicyaromapouringoffitwereoverwhelming.
“madethisoneextraspicyforyou.”
twastheduckstewmadeespeciallyforongYeonhwa,theonemeantto“testthelimitsofhumanendurance.”
twasamasterpiececontainingtheprideandself-respectofthecook,amanwhohadhandledspicyfoodhisentirelife.
WhenthewaitersetthatthingdowninfrontofongYeonhwa,everyoneshiftedalittlefartheraway.
SeoYe-in,whohadalreadybeensittinginacorner,retreatedevenfarther.
“......”
“......”
Whiletheotherswatchedwithamixofinterest,curiosity,andconcern,ongYeonhwapickeduptheirspoonwithperfectnaturalease.
hentheyscoopedupthatthing,putitintotheirmouth,andraisedtheireyes.
“t’salittlespicy.”
Atthat,thegroupquicklyexchangedlooks.
veryonewasobviouslythinkingthesamething.
Still,judgingbyhowcheerfullytheykeptmovingtheirspoon,theywereclearlyatalevelwheretheywereenjoyingit.
“......”
SeoYe-inandhologramFast-ucklesswatchedthesight.
hentheirgazesshiftedatthesametimetowardmyduckstew.
“......”
“What,doesitlookedible?”
“......Relatively.”
Well,comparedtowhatongYeonhwawaseating,thisonewasbasicallyplainwater.
hatdidnotmeancouldcallitnotspicy,though.
casuallyasked,
“nlyeatingdumplingsisalittleboring,isn’tit?”
“Boring.”
“hisplaceisfamousforduckstew.Canyoureallyleavewithouttryingit?”
“fyoumissit,youlose.”
“Wantabite?”
SeoYe-inandFast-ucklessclenchedtheirfistsatthesametime.
“......Challenge.”
fcourse,hadexpectedthisfromthebeginningandhadalreadysetafewpiecesofduckasideonasmallplateinadvance.
hespicybrothwasnotthekindofheatanyoneshouldbechallenging.
“......”
Whenhandedoverthesmallplate,SeoYe-instareddownatit.
hensheslowlystartedleaningherbodyback,apparentlysensingdangerfromjustthefaintspicyaromarisingoffit.
Butthen,Fast-uckless,whohadbeenwatching,casuallytossedoutacomment.
tdidnotsoundlikeshewassincerelytryingtostopher.fanything,itsoundedlikesubtleprodding.
owdidknow?
Becausewouldhavesaidtheexactsamething.
AndSeoYe-in’sreactiondidnotdeviatefromexpectationsbyevenaninch.
“......candoit.”
erycautiously,shemovedherspoon,broughtitovertothesmallplate,pickeduponepieceofduck,andputitintohermouth.
Andbeforeevenafullsecondhadpassed,awholestormofexclamationmarksseemedtopopupoverherhead.
“......!”
“Sonaturallythechallengefailed,right?”
“......!”
“urryupandeatadumpling.Anddrinksomewatertoo.”
“......!!”
*****
herehadbeenalittleincidentwhereSeoYe-ingotseverelypunishedbyasinglebiteofduckratherthantheduckstewitself,butasidefromthat,thetimepassedinrelativepeace.
owthateveryonehadreplenishedtheirstamina,itwastimetobegintherealBlackSerpentFangraid.
osumitup,itwasapinceroperation.
hemainforcewouldbeDangyu-ri,SeoYe-in,andongYeonhwa,whowouldconfronttheBlackSerpentFangordandtheBlackSerpentFangmemberswhiledrawingallattentiontothemselves.
Meanwhile,Kimo,oyeonwoo,andanSomiwouldsecretlyinfiltrateandtargetthelord’shiddenvault.
Aclashwiththehiddenboss,WhiteSerpent,wouldbeabonus.
Soon,thethreemembersoftheinfiltrationsquadchangedintothemartialuniformstheyhadstrippedfromthelow-rankingmartialartists.
Aminorproblemarosehere.
anSomi’soutfitlookedsomewhatlooseonher.
hatwasonlynatural,sinceherbuildwasmuchsmallerthanthetwomen’s.
Asthingsstood,itwouldmakehereasytosuspect,butsheherselfdidnotseemconcernedintheleast.
Sheofferedasimplesolution.
“Wecanjustgetridofeverywitness!”
“hat’sanexcellentmindset.”
Kimonoddedwithsatisfaction.
tseemedtherepeatedbrainwashingwasstartingtoshowresults.
KimospoketoDangyu-ri,wholetoutahollowlaugh.
“henwe’llbeoff.”
“t’llbeoverbeforeyougetback.”
“We’llseeaboutthat.”
“Don’tstartmakingexcuseslater.”
“Youtoo,BigSis.”
hetwosmiledateachother.
heyhadalreadymadeasmallbetduringthestrategymeeting.
Still,therewouldbetimetothinkaboutthat~оvеl𝕚ght~later.
Dangyu-riglancedonceattheinfiltrationsquadmovingaway,thensaidtoSeoYe-inandongYeonhwa,
“et’sgotoo.”
“Yes.”
hentheystartedwalkingtowardBlackSerpentFang.
hepavilionthathadoncefeltfarawayquicklyfilledtheirvision,andthemaingatedrewsteadilyclosertoo.
nfrontofit,twogatekeeperswerepassingthetimeinboredom.Whentheysawthissideapproaching,theyfrowned.
“......Youdon’tlooklikeyoucamewithgoodintentions.Whoareyoubastards?”
heonlyanswertheygotwasamercilessshadowclubandthemmortalKimoKimoPot.
hegatekeeperswereneutralizedinaninstant,andDangyu-rigaveaslightsidelongsignal.
Atthat,ongYeonhwadrewuptheirmanaandbeganchantingaspell.
Ahugeredcirclewasdrawnout,thenfilledwithintricateformulae.
toldthemtousethebiggestonepossible.
hiswasachancetolaunchapreemptivestrikeonBlackSerpentFangwithoutanyinterferenceatall.
Andthebiggerthecommotiontheymade,themoreattentionwouldbedrawntothisside—whichmeanttheinfiltrationsquadwouldhavethatmucheasieratimemoving.
Soon,theflamesrisingfromthemagiccirclegatheredintoasinglepoint,andonephoenixwasborn.
trapidlyswelledinsizeinashortspanoftime,thenspreaditswingsandsoaredintotheairbeforeflyingrightoverthemaingate.
henitbeganturningplaceafterplaceintoaseaofflamesandutterwreckage.
hesuddendisasterthrewBlackSerpentFangintochaos.
Bythetimethephoenixhadexhausteditseffectandnaturallydissipated,agreatmanyofthepavilionswerealreadyengulfedinflames.
nside,therewasfranticmovement,asthoughtheyweretryingtoputoutthefire.
And,wantingtodeterminethecauseandeliminateit,agroupofblack-clothedmencamerushingoutindroves.
Amongthem,anexpertwhoseemedtobearoundsquad-leaderlevelsteppedforwardandaskedongYeonhwa,
“CouldyouperhapsbeadescendantoftheFlameyrant?”
Apowerhouseofthepreviousgenerationwhohadwieldedmartialartsofextremeyang.
ntheircommonsense,hewastheonlypossiblesourceforflamesonthisscale,whichwaswhytheywereaskingaquestionlikethat.
KimohadsaidhehadreceivedasimilarquestionwhenheusednfernoFisttoo.
nthatcase,alltheyhadtodowasrepeatthesameanswerhehadgiven.
ongYeonhwaspokeinahaughtytone.
“havenoanswertogivetrashfromtheevilsects.”
“......”
heatmospheregrewtautwithtension.
ntheirminds,ongYeonhwahadalreadybeenconfirmedasadescendantoftheFlameyrant.
“......Bringthelord.”
neoftheblack-clothedmenshotinwardlikeadart.
hesquad-leader-classexpertglaredatthissidewhilebuildinguphisaura,thensuddenlykickedoffthegroundandcameflyingin.
Atthesametime,theblack-clothedmenrushedfromalldirections,andthebattlebegan.
“......”
Dangyu-youngworeacalmexpressioncompletelyatoddswiththemurderousatmosphere.
Withtheclubrestinglightlyontheirshoulder,theywavedtheirotherhand.
Atonce,theshadowsattheirfeetstretchedlong,andhumanoidshapesbeganrisinguponeafteranother.
yushadowundead,BloodCultedition.
hostDemon—butnowreducedtoyuDemon—shookthebellasUndeado.4.
Atthat,therestoftheundeadseemedtoturnalittledarker.
ncontrast,theblack-clothedmenflinchedandtrembled.
t’ssimilartothesoul-summoningbell.
Asimplebutpowerfuleffectthatstrengthenedallieswhileweakeningenemies.
Mostofitsoriginalabilitieshadvanished,butitstillatleastfeltworthyofitsA-rank.
Perhapsthankstothebuffeffect,Dark-ShadowCommanderandBloodSwordCommandercutthroughtheblack-clothedmenlikewolvesleapingintoaflockofsheep.
abDirectoralsoswelledbotharmstothesizeofhumantorsosandswungthemaroundwildly.
venso,thecommander-classandsquad-leader-classexpertsstillmanagedtobreakthroughthedefensivelineandreachSeoYe-inandongYeonhwa.
Andjustastheywereabouttolandastrike—
Dangyu-rismashedthemwiththeclub.
Securingthesafetyoftherearlinewasthetoppriority,sotheyhadstayednearbyafteronlysendingtheundeadforward.
hankstothat,SeoYe-inandongYeonhwawereabletopourouttheirfirepowertotheirhearts’content.
Wooden-ucklessandFast-ucklesssprayedmanaroundsineverydirection,whileflamessurgedupallovertheplaceeachtimeongYeonhwaswepttheirstaff.
heidentitiesoftheblack-clothedmenwerenotmerelyordinaryBlackSerpentFangmembers,butremnantsoftheDemonicCult.Yetdespitethatfearsomereputation,theirnumbersweredroppingrapidly.
Besttocleanoutasmanyaspossiblerightnow.
hemoretheythinnedthemouthere,theeasierthebossfightwouldbetomanagelater.
hinkingthat,Dangyu-riswungtheclubwithalltheirstrength.
Sometimepassedinthemidstofthehecticfighting.
hen,almostatthesametime,thethreemembersoftheyupartyturnedtheirheadstowardthemaingate.
Becausetheyfeltaheavypresence.
“......”
Sureenough,amiddle-agedmanstoodthere.
isappearanceandatmospherewerereminiscentofagiantsnakecoiledinplace.
ewasthefinalbossofthisdungeon.
BlackSerpentFangord.
heyhadexpectedhimtostartgoingonabouttheFlameyrantwhenhesawongYeonhwa,butsurprisingly,hisgazewasfixedonDangyu-riinstead.
“......hisisdifficulttounderstand.YouappeartobeadaughteroftheDangFamily,yetwhereareyourhiddenweapons,andwhyareyouholdingastaff?Andwhatisthisstrangesorcery?”
“here’snothingmorelaughablethantheDemonicCultcallingsomethingsorcery.”
Dangyu-riansweredwithasnort.
Atthat,theBlackSerpentFangord’sfacehardened,butratherthanfallingfortheprovocation,heseemedtohavereactedtothewordsDemonicCult.
“......Soyoucamehereknowingeverything.henwillhavetosilenceyouall.”
Soonhedrewuphistrueenergyandtookacombatstance.
ewasamasterofclaw-stylemartialarts,fightingbyrakingandtearingwoundsintohisopponents.
Andthetipsofhisfingersandnailswerestainedpitchblack.
Proofthathehadcultivatedanexceptionallyviciouspoisonart.
Seeingthat,thethreeoftheyupartyquietlyexchangedglances.
Butwehave★All-Poisonmmunity★,don’twe?