Chapter 14

Okay, let’s see… Something else I can try out is Synthesize Poison, so I activate it.

The same menu from Poison Condensation pops up, and upon further inspection, the same options I remember are there too.

It looks like there isn’t any sort of change.

Veno tells me that this process isn’t something that he found out by himself.

I didn’t ask further, but does that mean it’s the method of someone hiding somewhere out there in the world?

Or maybe it’s something like a recipe book written by an old witch who’s now in retirement.

Whatever the origins may be, a complete novice like I was able to make a decent potion using the techniques I learned from back in home-ec class in school with this method.

All I had to do was to grind poisonous herbs down to a paste with a mortar and pestle, boil it, reduce it, stir it, and strain it through some cloth.

Well… if you were to handle it with bare hands, you’re likely to develop a rash. But since I had Poison Absorption, I was perfectly fine.

“Alrighty, then, I’ll buy it from you. Lookin’ forward to the next time too… I know you said you’re good with poison, but don’t get cocky, eh? There is stuff out there that no one can handle.”

“That is something I have got see then.”

I’d also want to test out the capabilities of my Poison Absorption too.

It’s important to know your limits and to stay within it, right?

“Seeing you bein’ so composed, no wonder you don’t need no buddies.”

“Was that sarcastic?”

The adventurers in the plaza and the tavern all seem to be looking for more party members, but it’s hard to join an already established group. So that’s why I can’t help but to do these quests all on my own. It’s not by choice!

“You don’t have a Warrior above level 30, do ya? We’re recruiting people to defeat a Tiger Ohm.”

It feels like he’s saying that just to see if I have a party I adventure with.

It’s just that… most people are higher level than me. And the ones who are low-levelled all claim to be a great class.

Moreover, we’re in such a deserted village; there aren’t many people here.

From what I can tell from the three days I’ve been here, all the parties seem to have a fixed lineup already.

I’ve been asking here and there to join a group… but I’m a Poison-Wielder! I can’t say tell people that.

Maybe I should lie about my job. I’d be such a chicken though.

“Poison-Wielder” just doesn’t sound good and plus, I’m being pursued… Because of that, I’ve been going for quests that I can complete alone, such as ones in the heart of the poisonous swamp.

Besides, the swamp feels like an onsen; soaking in it takes away my fatigue.

By the way, I’m level 17 right now.

I feel like I’m levelling up quite quickly.

It seems like the monsters in the swamp aren’t exactly weak either.

It’s a dangerous place for monsters who can’t do a thing to counteract the poison.

And partly because of the miasma, adventurers in this empty village don’t go out that way much. The rare ones that do go, I haven’t met yet.

That’s why there are so many plants to harvest over there with lots of monsters still alive too.

Because of that… there have been rumours saying that I might be some high-level, high-rank mage or something like that.