The constant alerts echoed in Lynne's ears. In less than two hours, Lynne, following the potion book, concocted over a dozen terrifying and peculiar potions. To improve the taste slightly, Lynne dug out a bottle of aged wine that his master had treasured for years. Everything was set.
Lynne dragged out a rocking chair, placed it in the backyard, and reclined comfortably on it. A sip of the viral potion, followed by a sip of the old wine, his expression relaxed (*￣︶￣), swaying gently with a contented demeanor.
[Ding! You've been poisoned! Your life is rapidly decreasing, expected to perish in 20 minutes.]
Gulp—
[Ding! You consumed a healing potion, granting a temporary boost to your life force.]
[Ding! The virus is violently ravaging your organs. You're expected to succumb to various complications within 15 minutes!]
Gulp—
[Ding! You consumed two potions, granting a brief revitalization to your life force.]
In merely a matter of minutes, Lynne, smirking, stretched out his arms, feeling the myriad of indescribable symptoms ravaging his body.
There were over a dozen different types of pain alone, not to mention the itching, burning, melting, freezing, and fever. It felt like countless ants crawling within him as if someone was relentlessly pumping air into his chest.
"Heh, heh, heh—If it were any normal person, they'd have died ten times over by now!"
Lynne sneered, grinding his teeth. It was now a battle of sheer willpower.
Lynne started the stopwatch. He set it for twenty minutes. If there's no reaction in twenty minutes, then another twenty minutes it would be!
...
Soon, the first twenty minutes were almost over. Apart from the numerous complications coursing through him, Lynne hadn't felt any other irregularities within his body.
With gritted teeth (〝▼皿▼), Lynne chugged down bottle after bottle of antidotes and recovery potions.
Thud—
He slammed the table, grabbing more potent toxins nearby.
"Another!"
...
Time swiftly slipped away, approaching the end of the second twenty minutes.
Lynne's left hand twitched sporadically, but he hardly noticed, as not only was his left hand shaking, but his entire body was trembling too. His complexion oscillated between shades of red, orange, green, blue, and purple.
"More... more!"
With trembling hands, Lynne weakly consumed yet another antidote.
...
The third set of twenty minutes.
Lynne, in a paralytic (((;꒪ꈊ꒪;))) state, lay rigid on the rocking chair. The terrifying simultaneous outbreak of symptoms all over his body was almost comparable to the infamous tortures. His left hand, twitching, exuded a strange yellowish liquid.
But in his (((;꒪ꈊ꒪;))) state, Lynne was entirely oblivious to the abnormality of his left hand. There wasn't a part of him that seemed normal anymore. He was nearing his breaking point.
"More... more... still..."
Unable to articulate, he still bravely reached for another bottle, preparing to pour it down his throat.
...
Finally, nearing the end of the fourth twenty minutes, a distinct, slightly shaky system prompt echoed in Lynne's ears.
[Ding...??? Fear of you +...+10... ]
His left hand had long been twitching, with foam bubbling from the palm. But Lynne, in his (((;꒪ꈊ꒪;))) state, was unaware.
"More... more... I can still... go..."
Lynne, in his (((;꒪ꈊ꒪;))) state, tried to reach for the pesticide bottle placed a bit farther away. The system alerts in his ears became increasingly frantic.
[Ding! ??? Fear of you +10]
[Ding! ??? Fear of you +11]
[Ding! ??? Fear of you +12]
In an almost uncontrollable manner, his left hand violently grabbed the armrest of the rocking chair, wrapping around it tightly. The center of his palm suddenly split open.
Blargh—
Endless foam poured from the mouth on that hand o(x﹏x)o. Clearly, it was at its limit. Overdose! He had overdosed!
But Lynne, in his (((;꒪ꈊ꒪;))) state, had fully short-circuited. He stubbornly crawled forward, dragging the chair with him, reaching out for that pesticide bottle.
"I... I can still..."
System: "!!!"
Left hand: "Waaaaah! (ΩДΩ)!!!"
[Ding! ??? Fear of you +15]
[Ding! ??? Fear of you +20]
Just as Lynne was about to grab the pesticide, his frantic left hand OДQ frantically pulled in the opposite direction, spewing copious amounts of white foam, leaving a long, slimy trail on the ground.
He's overdosing! He's really overdosing! Is this host a maniac?! It had never encountered a host that was so keen on destroying itself. Antidote! Antidote! I couldn't take it anymore OДQ!
Finally, the trembling left hand lunged forward, elongating its wrist just enough to reach the antidote. It desperately unscrewed the cap and began pouring the liquid o(╥﹏╥)o into its mouth. Halfway through, it instinctively turned its gaze towards Lynne on the other side.
Left hand: "Whaaaaa! (ΩДΩ)!!!"
Its fur instantly stood on end. While it was hastily guzzling the antidote on one side, Lynne, on the other side, was relentlessly pouring the pesticide down his throat.
Glug—glug—
And judging by his pace, he was doing it even faster. Damn it! It felt like the entire hand would burst.
[Ding! ??? Fear of you +10]
[Ding! ??? Fear of you +10]
In this crucial moment, time was of the essence.
The left hand grabbed the antidote bottle, tremblingly pouring its contents down its maw. Even if it wasn't particularly susceptible to the effects of the poison, the overwhelming quantity being forced into their shared system was excruciating. Overdose can create problems even if there aren't any to begin with!
At last, after finishing the antidote, the left hand lay exhausted, its tongue hanging out as if it were malfunctioning. It hoped to recuperate for a moment. But suddenly, it sensed movement from the sinister body behind it.
"Eh?"
The hand instinctively turned with trepidation.
To its horror, it saw Lynne (((;꒪ꈊ꒪;))) desperately wriggling on the ground, reaching out towards an unopened bottle of poison from the nearby collection.
Witnessing such an unwavering determination to end oneself could bring tears to anyone's eyes.
Left hand: "Waaaaaaah! (ΩДΩ)!!!"
[Ding! ??? Fear of you +20]
[Ding! ??? Fear of you +20]
In that instant, the left hand desperately clung onto a nearby pillar. With a crackling voice, it screamed: "Stop it! Stop it! STOP IT!!!"
…
It had truly reached its limits! Having consumed some bizarre things the previous night, intending to digest them properly, it suddenly found itself force-fed with these uncanny pesticides! If it were just a little, it would have been bearable, a minor discomfort that would soon pass.
However, Lynne had been dosed to the brink of death! If he had truly died, that would have been it. Yet, this scoundrel persistently teetered him on the edge, oscillating between life and death! Such torment! Utter cruelty!
The left hand clutched the pillar tightly, (〃＞皿＜), regardless of how much the body behind strained to move forward. It clung on, refusing to let go.
Meanwhile, the drugged Lynne (((;꒪ꈊ꒪;))) sluggishly crawled ahead. That indomitable will, even in his stupefied state, still adhered staunchly to his original intent.
"Release... let go... pesticides... pesticides..." Lynne murmured, white froth dripping from his lips.
"No release! No pesticides!" The left hand yelled out.
For a moment, the two were locked in an intense stalemate. At this moment, releasing his grip meant doom. Thus, after a grueling standoff that lasted for what felt like an eternity, Lynne's eyes finally swirled in delirium, his trembling hand reaching out for the bottle of pesticide. Yet, just as his fingers were mere centimeters away, he slumped onto the ground.
(ヾﾉ꒪ཫ꒪)——
From his mouth, copious amounts of froth bubbled out, accompanied by a wisp of blue smoke that wafted above his head.
Merely two centimeters short.
Finally, Lynne, overwhelmed by the toxins, succumbed and began to convulse.
...
"Ugh!"
The left hand, too, could no longer maintain its grip and slid down the pillar, leaving a long trail of white froth behind.
Yet, it did not fall! It persisted! Struggling with all its might, it dragged the frothing, twitching, and smoking body of Lynne behind. Extending its fingers, the hand, while foaming, tremulously crawled towards the alchemy room.
With every motion, a stagger. A vast trail of froth marked its tortuous path. The hand's desperate yearning for life and tenacity was profoundly evident at this moment.
"Antidote... antidote...OДQ... antidote... sob..."
Eventually, the trembling left hand, while supporting the smoking form of Lynne, reached the alchemy room. With great difficulty, it climbed onto the shelf and managed to pry open a bottle of recovery potion.
Gulp... gulp...
After mustering all its remaining strength to drink every potion it could find,
The left hand, like Lynne, flipped and spat white foam, and finally lost consciousness.
...
An indeterminate amount of time passed.
[Ding! Your poison resistance +1]
[Ding! Your poison resistance +1]
[Ding! You've achieved the milestone: Poison Flask. You gain 300 Experience.]
[Ding! You've achieved the milestone: The Undying to Poison. You gain 300 Experience.]
[Poison Flask: A unique achievement. Earned by enduring over 500 instances of poisoning in a short time without perishing. Permanent attributes received: All attributes +1, Poison Resistance +10.]
[The Undying to Poison: A unique achievement. Earned by surviving over 200 different potent toxins in a short time. Permanent attributes received: All attributes +2, Constitution +5, Poison Resistance +5.]
Bombarded with numerous system notifications, Lynne finally stirred, groggily opening his eyes.
Rubbing his throbbing temples, Lynne grimaced in pain as he tried to rise. Every inch of his body felt disjointed, a strange unease permeating through him.
"Did I successfully force out the mutation?" he mumbled, attempting to stand but ending up collapsing to the ground. He felt incredibly weak as if he had just undergone multiple exhausting physical exertions.
Shaking his head, Lynne strained to recall the events leading up to his blackout. His thoughts were hazy, his mind heavy. Yet, he vaguely remembered, just before losing consciousness, a peculiar movement in his body, as if a part of him had a mind of its own.
"What was that?" Lynne pondered, rubbing his eyes in concentration.
At this moment, his left hand resting on his lap twitched momentarily. The hand then turned, palm facing upwards, and the mouth-like slit in its center gasped for breath, murmuring, "Saved... finally saved..."
In an instant, Lynne's body tensed. His gaze froze upon his gasping left hand. Before his eyes, a panel materialized:
[???]
[Race: Abnormal Mutation]
[Alignment: Lawful Evil]
[Level: None]
[Combat Ability: Intense Consumption Desire (currently weakened)]
[Description: A unique mutation birthed through a series of fortunate events. Fused with parts of Blood-Flesh Puppet Type 3 tissues, Heart of the Faceless, fragments of Evil Spirit Aggregates, etc. It coexists with its host, possessing formidable strength, but with an intense aversion to pesticides...]
The left hand, despite lacking eyes, sensed Lynne's focused attention. An inexplicable sensation of locking eyes with someone filled the air.
"..."
"..."
For a moment, the surroundings plunged into an eerie silence.
[Lynne's Sanity -10]
[Left Hand's Sanity -9]
The very next instant, Lynne's left hand snapped open its gaping maw, revealing sharp, menacing teeth. Like a wild beast, it lunged viciously towards Lynne's head.
"I'll eat you, (〝▼皿▼)!"
Lynne's reflexes kicked in almost simultaneously. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed the wrist of his left hand with his right, pushing it away forcefully.
"I remember now! The mutation's in my left hand! No wonder I couldn't get to the medicine every time I tried (｀皿′)?!"
With a sudden jolt, Lynne was pushed to the ground by the overpowering force. The mouth on his left hand grew wider and more ferocious, its sharp teeth gnashing at the air.
At this critical juncture, Lynne's determination surged. Rolling away, (▼皿▼#) he fiercely gripped his left wrist, struggling desperately.
This won't work! The mutant hand's strength was overwhelming! At this rate, he would surely have his head bitten off! He needed a plan! That's it! A recent ability he had acquired flashed across his mind.
[Function: Flesh Catastrophe!]
Buzzing—
Focusing his consciousness on the rebellious hand, Lynne gritted his teeth and activated the skill. In an instant, blood surged in his arm, flesh pulsating wildly. Yet, he felt a strong resistance emanating from the left hand, countering his control. Clearly, it was the will of the mutant!
"How dare you have such a foul ability, trying to control me? I'll eat you, (〝▼皿▼)! Ah, damn it!!"
Gnashing—
The teeth snapped together even more frantically. Although Lynne couldn't completely control the left hand, he managed to halt its assault. The pressure on his right hand considerably lessened.
"Damn you! You can even talk?! We'll see who gets the best of whom today, damn it!"
Lynne's fury knew no bounds.
The constant alerts echoed in Lynne's ears. In less than two hours, Lynne, following the potion book, concocted over a dozen terrifying and peculiar potions. To improve the taste slightly, Lynne dug out a bottle of aged wine that his master had treasured for years. Everything was set.
Lynne dragged out a rocking chair, placed it in the backyard, and reclined comfortably on it. A sip of the viral potion, followed by a sip of the old wine, his expression relaxed (*￣︶￣), swaying gently with a contented demeanor.
[Ding! You've been poisoned! Your life is rapidly decreasing, expected to perish in 20 minutes.]
Gulp—
[Ding! You consumed a healing potion, granting a temporary boost to your life force.]
[Ding! The virus is violently ravaging your organs. You're expected to succumb to various complications within 15 minutes!]
Gulp—
[Ding! You consumed two potions, granting a brief revitalization to your life force.]
In merely a matter of minutes, Lynne, smirking, stretched out his arms, feeling the myriad of indescribable symptoms ravaging his body.
There were over a dozen different types of pain alone, not to mention the itching, burning, melting, freezing, and fever. It felt like countless ants crawling within him as if someone was relentlessly pumping air into his chest.
"Heh, heh, heh—If it were any normal person, they'd have died ten times over by now!"
Lynne sneered, grinding his teeth. It was now a battle of sheer willpower.
Lynne started the stopwatch. He set it for twenty minutes. If there's no reaction in twenty minutes, then another twenty minutes it would be!
...
Soon, the first twenty minutes were almost over. Apart from the numerous complications coursing through him, Lynne hadn't felt any other irregularities within his body.
With gritted teeth (〝▼皿▼), Lynne chugged down bottle after bottle of antidotes and recovery potions.
Thud—
He slammed the table, grabbing more potent toxins nearby.
"Another!"
...
Time swiftly slipped away, approaching the end of the second twenty minutes.
Lynne's left hand twitched sporadically, but he hardly noticed, as not only was his left hand shaking, but his entire body was trembling too. His complexion oscillated between shades of red, orange, green, blue, and purple.
"More... more!"
With trembling hands, Lynne weakly consumed yet another antidote.
...
The third set of twenty minutes.
Lynne, in a paralytic (((;꒪ꈊ꒪;))) state, lay rigid on the rocking chair. The terrifying simultaneous outbreak of symptoms all over his body was almost comparable to the infamous tortures. His left hand, twitching, exuded a strange yellowish liquid.
But in his (((;꒪ꈊ꒪;))) state, Lynne was entirely oblivious to the abnormality of his left hand. There wasn't a part of him that seemed normal anymore. He was nearing his breaking point.
"More... more... still..."
Unable to articulate, he still bravely reached for another bottle, preparing to pour it down his throat.
...
Finally, nearing the end of the fourth twenty minutes, a distinct, slightly shaky system prompt echoed in Lynne's ears.
[Ding...??? Fear of you +...+10... ]
His left hand had long been twitching, with foam bubbling from the palm. But Lynne, in his (((;꒪ꈊ꒪;))) state, was unaware.
"More... more... I can still... go..."
Lynne, in his (((;꒪ꈊ꒪;))) state, tried to reach for the pesticide bottle placed a bit farther away. The system alerts in his ears became increasingly frantic.
[Ding! ??? Fear of you +10]
[Ding! ??? Fear of you +11]
[Ding! ??? Fear of you +12]
In an almost uncontrollable manner, his left hand violently grabbed the armrest of the rocking chair, wrapping around it tightly. The center of his palm suddenly split open.
Blargh—
Endless foam poured from the mouth on that hand o(x﹏x)o. Clearly, it was at its limit. Overdose! He had overdosed!
But Lynne, in his (((;꒪ꈊ꒪;))) state, had fully short-circuited. He stubbornly crawled forward, dragging the chair with him, reaching out for that pesticide bottle.
"I... I can still..."
System: "!!!"
Left hand: "Waaaaah! (ΩДΩ)!!!"
[Ding! ??? Fear of you +15]
[Ding! ??? Fear of you +20]
Just as Lynne was about to grab the pesticide, his frantic left hand OДQ frantically pulled in the opposite direction, spewing copious amounts of white foam, leaving a long, slimy trail on the ground.
He's overdosing! He's really overdosing! Is this host a maniac?! It had never encountered a host that was so keen on destroying itself. Antidote! Antidote! I couldn't take it anymore OДQ!
Finally, the trembling left hand lunged forward, elongating its wrist just enough to reach the antidote. It desperately unscrewed the cap and began pouring the liquid o(╥﹏╥)o into its mouth. Halfway through, it instinctively turned its gaze towards Lynne on the other side.
Left hand: "Whaaaaa! (ΩДΩ)!!!"
Its fur instantly stood on end. While it was hastily guzzling the antidote on one side, Lynne, on the other side, was relentlessly pouring the pesticide down his throat.
Glug—glug—
And judging by his pace, he was doing it even faster. Damn it! It felt like the entire hand would burst.
[Ding! ??? Fear of you +10]
[Ding! ??? Fear of you +10]
In this crucial moment, time was of the essence.
The left hand grabbed the antidote bottle, tremblingly pouring its contents down its maw. Even if it wasn't particularly susceptible to the effects of the poison, the overwhelming quantity being forced into their shared system was excruciating. Overdose can create problems even if there aren't any to begin with!
At last, after finishing the antidote, the left hand lay exhausted, its tongue hanging out as if it were malfunctioning. It hoped to recuperate for a moment. But suddenly, it sensed movement from the sinister body behind it.
"Eh?"
The hand instinctively turned with trepidation.
To its horror, it saw Lynne (((;꒪ꈊ꒪;))) desperately wriggling on the ground, reaching out towards an unopened bottle of poison from the nearby collection.
Witnessing such an unwavering determination to end oneself could bring tears to anyone's eyes.
Left hand: "Waaaaaaah! (ΩДΩ)!!!"
[Ding! ??? Fear of you +20]
[Ding! ??? Fear of you +20]
In that instant, the left hand desperately clung onto a nearby pillar. With a crackling voice, it screamed: "Stop it! Stop it! STOP IT!!!"
…
It had truly reached its limits! Having consumed some bizarre things the previous night, intending to digest them properly, it suddenly found itself force-fed with these uncanny pesticides! If it were just a little, it would have been bearable, a minor discomfort that would soon pass.
However, Lynne had been dosed to the brink of death! If he had truly died, that would have been it. Yet, this scoundrel persistently teetered him on the edge, oscillating between life and death! Such torment! Utter cruelty!
The left hand clutched the pillar tightly, (〃＞皿＜), regardless of how much the body behind strained to move forward. It clung on, refusing to let go.
Meanwhile, the drugged Lynne (((;꒪ꈊ꒪;))) sluggishly crawled ahead. That indomitable will, even in his stupefied state, still adhered staunchly to his original intent.
"Release... let go... pesticides... pesticides..." Lynne murmured, white froth dripping from his lips.
"No release! No pesticides!" The left hand yelled out.
For a moment, the two were locked in an intense stalemate. At this moment, releasing his grip meant doom. Thus, after a grueling standoff that lasted for what felt like an eternity, Lynne's eyes finally swirled in delirium, his trembling hand reaching out for the bottle of pesticide. Yet, just as his fingers were mere centimeters away, he slumped onto the ground.
(ヾﾉ꒪ཫ꒪)——
From his mouth, copious amounts of froth bubbled out, accompanied by a wisp of blue smoke that wafted above his head.
Merely two centimeters short.
Finally, Lynne, overwhelmed by the toxins, succumbed and began to convulse.
...
"Ugh!"
The left hand, too, could no longer maintain its grip and slid down the pillar, leaving a long trail of white froth behind.
Yet, it did not fall! It persisted! Struggling with all its might, it dragged the frothing, twitching, and smoking body of Lynne behind. Extending its fingers, the hand, while foaming, tremulously crawled towards the alchemy room.
With every motion, a stagger. A vast trail of froth marked its tortuous path. The hand's desperate yearning for life and tenacity was profoundly evident at this moment.
"Antidote... antidote...OДQ... antidote... sob..."
Eventually, the trembling left hand, while supporting the smoking form of Lynne, reached the alchemy room. With great difficulty, it climbed onto the shelf and managed to pry open a bottle of recovery potion.
Gulp... gulp...
After mustering all its remaining strength to drink every potion it could find,
The left hand, like Lynne, flipped and spat white foam, and finally lost consciousness.
...
An indeterminate amount of time passed.
[Ding! Your poison resistance +1]
[Ding! Your poison resistance +1]
[Ding! You've achieved the milestone: Poison Flask. You gain 300 Experience.]
[Ding! You've achieved the milestone: The Undying to Poison. You gain 300 Experience.]
[Poison Flask: A unique achievement. Earned by enduring over 500 instances of poisoning in a short time without perishing. Permanent attributes received: All attributes +1, Poison Resistance +10.]
[The Undying to Poison: A unique achievement. Earned by surviving over 200 different potent toxins in a short time. Permanent attributes received: All attributes +2, Constitution +5, Poison Resistance +5.]
Bombarded with numerous system notifications, Lynne finally stirred, groggily opening his eyes.
Rubbing his throbbing temples, Lynne grimaced in pain as he tried to rise. Every inch of his body felt disjointed, a strange unease permeating through him.
"Did I successfully force out the mutation?" he mumbled, attempting to stand but ending up collapsing to the ground. He felt incredibly weak as if he had just undergone multiple exhausting physical exertions.
Shaking his head, Lynne strained to recall the events leading up to his blackout. His thoughts were hazy, his mind heavy. Yet, he vaguely remembered, just before losing consciousness, a peculiar movement in his body, as if a part of him had a mind of its own.
"What was that?" Lynne pondered, rubbing his eyes in concentration.
At this moment, his left hand resting on his lap twitched momentarily. The hand then turned, palm facing upwards, and the mouth-like slit in its center gasped for breath, murmuring, "Saved... finally saved..."
In an instant, Lynne's body tensed. His gaze froze upon his gasping left hand. Before his eyes, a panel materialized:
[???]
[Race: Abnormal Mutation]
[Alignment: Lawful Evil]
[Level: None]
[Combat Ability: Intense Consumption Desire (currently weakened)]
[Description: A unique mutation birthed through a series of fortunate events. Fused with parts of Blood-Flesh Puppet Type 3 tissues, Heart of the Faceless, fragments of Evil Spirit Aggregates, etc. It coexists with its host, possessing formidable strength, but with an intense aversion to pesticides...]
The left hand, despite lacking eyes, sensed Lynne's focused attention. An inexplicable sensation of locking eyes with someone filled the air.
"..."
"..."
For a moment, the surroundings plunged into an eerie silence.
[Lynne's Sanity -10]
[Left Hand's Sanity -9]
The very next instant, Lynne's left hand snapped open its gaping maw, revealing sharp, menacing teeth. Like a wild beast, it lunged viciously towards Lynne's head.
"I'll eat you, (〝▼皿▼)!"
Lynne's reflexes kicked in almost simultaneously. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed the wrist of his left hand with his right, pushing it away forcefully.
"I remember now! The mutation's in my left hand! No wonder I couldn't get to the medicine every time I tried (｀皿′)?!"
With a sudden jolt, Lynne was pushed to the ground by the overpowering force. The mouth on his left hand grew wider and more ferocious, its sharp teeth gnashing at the air.
At this critical juncture, Lynne's determination surged. Rolling away, (▼皿▼#) he fiercely gripped his left wrist, struggling desperately.
This won't work! The mutant hand's strength was overwhelming! At this rate, he would surely have his head bitten off! He needed a plan! That's it! A recent ability he had acquired flashed across his mind.
[Function: Flesh Catastrophe!]
Buzzing—
Focusing his consciousness on the rebellious hand, Lynne gritted his teeth and activated the skill. In an instant, blood surged in his arm, flesh pulsating wildly. Yet, he felt a strong resistance emanating from the left hand, countering his control. Clearly, it was the will of the mutant!
"How dare you have such a foul ability, trying to control me? I'll eat you, (〝▼皿▼)! Ah, damn it!!"
Gnashing—
The teeth snapped together even more frantically. Although Lynne couldn't completely control the left hand, he managed to halt its assault. The pressure on his right hand considerably lessened.
"Damn you! You can even talk?! We'll see who gets the best of whom today, damn it!"
Lynne's fury knew no bounds.
