Despite his attempts to train and control the ominous energy now infused in his mana, Ghislain had failed.
The energy was so faint that it went unnoticed unless he focused on it.
"There's no doubt the nature of my mana has changed," he muttered as he made his way to the training grounds.
Even though he had enveloped himself in mana, the Blood Python's venom had penetrated that mana shield and seeped into his body.
No matter how small the dose, it was unrealistic to think that merely chewing a few detox herbs would completely nullify such a powerful poison.
Clearly, some unknown synergy had formed between the Blood Python's venom and his mana.
"So, there's only one way to confirm it."
The method was simple: he would drink the Blood Python's venom directly.
By recreating the same conditions as before, he could observe how his mana would react.
"If I'm right, this could be a new opportunity."
Ghislain swallowed nervously as he held a small vial he had secretly taken from the storage room.
It was the early hours of dawn, when everyone else was asleep.
He had intentionally snuck out to avoid anyone seeing him. If things went wrong, he would be found only by morning.
If he were to collapse now, the Fenris estate and Perdium would fall quickly to their enemies.
It was a dangerous time to gamble with his life, but he also couldn't ignore the situation.
After countless careful deliberations, repeatedly checking his mana, and calculating his chances of success, Ghislain finally made a decision.
"If I control the dose properly, I shouldn't die. If my theory is correct, I'll become stronger faster—definitely a risk worth taking."
Even though he had returned to the past, he felt more pressed for time than before.
Even with knowledge of the future, it was only a vague possibility. He never knew when something unexpected might happen.
He needed to grow stronger, and quickly.
This new opportunity had come to him unexpectedly.
The risk was immense, but Ghislain had no intention of letting this chance slip away.
"When is anything in life ever easy?"
His instincts were screaming at him with unrestrained intensity, telling him that this poison would make him stronger.
"Ah, well, I probably won't die, right?"
Ghislain suppressed his anxiety and opened the vial.
He let a tiny drop of the venom fall onto his tongue, and his face instantly turned pale.
But he didn't hesitate; he poured the entire contents of the vial into his mouth.
"Ugh!"
His face rapidly turned purple, then began to darken as though it were burning.
Ghislain clenched his teeth.
It felt as though a blade was slicing through his stomach. His limbs felt paralyzed, as if he'd lost control over his muscles.
The venom was powerful enough to corrode almost any material—metal, stone, you name it.
Even the specially-treated vial could barely contain it, yet here he was, taking it raw into his body…
If he lacked even a sliver of willpower, physical strength, or mana, he would die.
'I need to stay focused!'
Absorbing it through a mana shield was one thing, but drinking it directly was on another level.
Without his mana, he would've died the moment the venom touched his tongue.
Vrrrooom!
Ghislain's mana surged, battling against the venom now filling his body.
All three of his mana cores spun ferociously, generating more mana, but the venom only spread further, riding the flow of mana through his entire body.
Mana and venom began an intense struggle within Ghislain, as though each sought to consume the other.
"Argh!"
Ghislain's eyes shot open.
The blood vessels in his eyes burst, causing bloody tears to trickle down his face.
Blood began to leak from his mouth, as though his internal organs were failing.
His veins bulged, threatening to burst under the strain.
"This… this is intense."
Even while crying blood, Ghislain smiled.
The pain was overwhelming, yet even greater was his sense of anticipation.
This was it. This was the power he sought. If he could absorb this force, he would become many times stronger.
"Ugh!"
The new energy raged within him, struggling to burst out of his body.
Holding onto his fading consciousness, Ghislain continued his mana cultivation.
The three cores, spurred by Ghislain's determination to control the energy, spun with unrelenting force.
Vrrrooom!
The mana, which had been swirling wildly, gradually began to merge with the venom.
Ghislain sensed, however slightly, that his mana had increased.
All the impurities had burned away, leaving only the purest essence of strength in his body.
"So, my theory was correct."
Just as he suspected, his mana had fused with the venom from the Blood Python, absorbing its energy.
It seemed that this energy had contributed to his increased recovery rate.
Venom could become medicine depending on how it was used.
"Increased mana is great, but…"
If he couldn't calm the raging energy within him, the added mana and recovery meant nothing.
'Just a bit longer! I only need to endure a bit longer!'
The mana, which had been rampaging wildly, slowly began to blend with the venom, altering its nature.
Even in this torturous state, where he could've lost consciousness at any moment, Ghislain held onto hope.
Vrrrooom!
How much time had passed? As he endured the pain, he noticed his complexion slowly returning to normal.
'Did… did I succeed?'
The venomous energy seemed to have completely faded from his mana, and his paralyzed body began to regain mobility.
Ghislain reined in the mana surging out of his body, gradually calming its flow.
If he relaxed, thinking the venom had dissipated, and passed out, the rampaging mana would rip his body apart.
Once all the energy settled, he collapsed on the spot.
'It's done… I succeeded!'
A sense of relief washed over him, leaving him too exhausted to even move a finger.
He couldn't hold onto his fading consciousness.
Lying in the middle of the training grounds, Ghislain finally lost consciousness.
***
'How much time has passed?'
Ghislain slowly opened his eyes. Belinda, who had been waiting, cried out as she noticed.
"Young Master! What on earth happened? You look like a corpse! Look at how pale you are!"
Belinda always arrived at the training grounds early to prepare and ensure Ghislain could focus on his training.
It seemed she was the first to find him collapsed.
Ghislain struggled to open his eyes, glancing around.
He was lying in a bed, surrounded by key figures from the estate.
"What's going on? Why are you all here?"
Gillian responded gravely.
"My lord, did you drink the Blood Python's venom? We found the vial in the training grounds."
"Oh, right. Yeah, it was pretty intense. Spicy, even."
Ghislain spoke as if it were nothing.
Everyone in the room gaped, dumbfounded.
The Blood Python's venom was notorious for its strength.
Coming from a creature of the Forest of Demonic Beasts, it was likely even more potent than what was commonly known.
And here he was, speaking as though he had just sampled a beverage, even offering a critique of the taste.
Belinda, shaking with anger, asked through gritted teeth,
"Why did you do this?"
"It was just part of my training."
"What kind of training involves drinking venom? The Perdium family's mana cultivation techniques don't use poison!"
There were indeed techniques that involved training with poison or using venomous magic.
Those who practiced in that manner typically built resistance to venom and used its energy.
But even those practitioners didn't start by recklessly consuming potent poison—they would begin with weaker ones and gradually increase the dose.
They didn't gulp down extreme poisons like Ghislain.
Finally, unable to hold back, Belinda spoke what had been on her mind.
"Are you trying to die, Young Master?"
"What are you talking about?"
"If you don't want to die, why would you drink something like that? Have you lost your mind from all the work recently? Or do you miss Lady Amelia so much that you can't bear to live?"
"Why are you bringing her up? I don't even like her anymore!"
"Then what is it? Did you do this because of that bet? Are you willing to die just to avoid embarrassment?"
"What? Why would I die because of a bet?"
Ghislain looked around in bewilderment.
Everyone seemed to agree with Belinda's words, nodding seriously.
They all thought that, fearing he'd lose the bet, the lord had tried to avoid shame by drinking poison.
Claude, pushing his way forward with a conflicted expression, spoke with difficulty.
"I didn't realize you were taking it this seriously. I'll declare it a draw. I'll cancel the bet if you just lighten my workload a bit. You're my savior, after all; I'd feel guilty driving you to death. Ugh."
"What kind of nonsense…"
Ghislain muttered in disbelief.
But everyone else nodded with misty eyes, agreeing.
Even Alpoi, with a morose expression, mumbled,
"If the lord dies, I'd be in trouble too. Let's just call it off, yeah?"
Completely baffled, Ghislain let out a hearty laugh, waving his hand.
"What's with this nonsense? The results are just around the corner. Why would I throw in the towel?"
Belinda pounded her chest in frustration.
"Just swallow your pride and accept! Why are you being so stubborn? This is so frustrating!"
With a sigh, Ghislain felt a growing irritation, as though he'd swallowed a hot coal. He was the one frustrated here.
"Enough! Go back to your duties! The bet continues as planned!"
Claude, glancing at the others, said defensively,
"I did my part. The lord is the one refusing."
Alpoi also nodded beside him.
"I said my piece too. Not my fault."
Judging by their expressions, it seemed they had taken turns trying to convince him to cancel the bet.
Understandable, considering the lord had drunk venom, likely fearing he might lash out at them for this later.
Chuckling wryly, Ghislain waved them away.
"Alright, I'm up. So, back to work! Haven't you ever heard that time is money?"
"Young Master, please reconsider. Are you sure you're thinking clearly? The venom's aftereffects must be clouding your judgment, right?"
Belinda coaxed, assuming his refusal to call off the bet was due to lingering effects from the venom.
"My lord, the head maid is right. You should rest a bit more. You don't look well at all."
Gillian tried to dissuade him, but Ghislain got up and resumed his duties.
Even time spent lying down felt wasted. He needed to move and make the most of every moment.
"Ugh, my body's in terrible shape. That venom was incredibly strong."
He looked so gaunt he resembled a skeleton.
As if his life force had been drained by something.
Despite his creaking movements, Ghislain toured the estate to check on progress.
The residents, seeing their lord's changed appearance, were alarmed.
"What… what's wrong with the lord's face?"
"Maybe he's been working too much?"
"Is he dying? What if our lord suddenly dies?"
The people were deeply concerned.
If Ghislain were to die, the next lord would certainly be far less generous.
But despite their concerns, Ghislain struggled to keep himself upright, smiling all the while.
"I feel it. This immense power inside of me is overflowing… Cough! Cough! Ugh… and so is the blood."
"Young Master, please rest! You're so tired you're spouting nonsense! Why don't you ever listen?"
Of course, Belinda followed behind him, scolding him nonstop.
[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]