Mae-Bi stared at the three black pills resting in the ornate box.
Each one shimmered faintly under the lantern light — as if eager to be chosen.
He could hear the wind outside the podoga.
He could hear his heart pounding louder than that.
Pick one. Just pick one.
He reached for the pill on the left, raised it to his lips, and paused.
One... two... three.
He swallowed it.
No hesitation.
No fear on the surface — only a forced grin as he tilted his chin toward the Thousand Venoms Empress.
She blinked. Then—
Burst into laughter.
"Pfft—! Hahahaha! That one? That one's a failure! Completely ineffective!" she howled, clutching her side like it was the best joke she'd heard in years.
Mae-Bi blinked. "Wait... what?"
He touched his stomach. His pulse. Nothing. No pain. No burn. No sudden death.
I survived?
That thought barely settled before she pointed at another.
"Alright, alright. Try the one on the right now."
Mae-Bi froze.
There are only two pills left.
Which meant... statistically, this one was not a failure.
He looked down at the pill. Then at her. Then at the hungry, drooling plants surrounding the podoga.
"...Of course," he muttered.
He popped the second pill in and swallowed.
And immediately regretted it.
Like swallowing acid wrapped in knives.
A second passed.
Then pain.
A white-hot lance of agony shot through his gut, ripping through his core like molten steel. Mae-Bi collapsed to the floor, vomiting blood, hands gripping his stomach like he was holding his organs in place.
"GAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" he screamed, voice hoarse with pain.
The Empress clapped cheerfully, her eyes shining. "Oooh, that's the one! I call it Kiss of the Fifth Widow! Isn't it poetic?"
Mae-Bi didn't answer. He was too busy dying.
Inside, the centipede curse reacted violently — twisting in his heart, trying to tear its way out as the poison surged through his system.
His vision blurred. His blood screamed.
Then—
[System Alert: Lethal Poison Detected]
[Recommendation: Immediate response required]
[Option A: Neutralize Poison]
[Option B: Circulate Poison — Forge Poison Immunity]
[Warning: High pain threshold required]
Mae-Bi didn't even hesitate.
"Option B — do it!"
[Acknowledged. Beginning internal conversion. Bear with it, idiot.]
His body went into shock as the system rerouted the poison, forcing it through his meridians and blood vessels — scorching every nerve in the process.
He fell back, limbs shaking, sweat pouring, but breathing.
And then—
He sat up.
Legs crossed. Posture firm.
He entered meditation.
Circulating.
Enduring.
Transforming.
The Empress tilted her head, intrigued.
She leaned forward on her throne of woven vines, the last pill still in its case beside her. She hadn't planned on him surviving even one dose. She had intended to turn him into compost for her carnivorous plants.
But now?
Now she smiled.
"Oh... you're full of surprises, little snake."
And for the first time in years, she waited.
Not for a corpse.
But for a boy who might just become immune... to everything.
Mae-Bi's body trembled, drenched in sweat. It felt like knives were stabbing every inch of him from the inside — his veins on fire, his bones aching like they were splitting apart.
With a final roar, he expelled the poison — a thick, foul-smelling liquid splashing onto the floor around him.
He gasped for air. Chest rising and falling.
He wasn't dead.
But he wasn't whole, either.
Across the blood-soaked stone, Empress Cheondok Hwang stared at him, one brow slightly raised.
"...I can't believe you survived that," she muttered. "Tch. Must've been another failure."
Mae-Bi coughed and managed a weak nod.
He didn't understand her. Why test him like this? Why play with life and death like a child pulling legs off insects?
[System: Host's poison resistance increased to 30%. Partial immunity developed.]
[Further exposure may lead to full resistance.]
So I didn't fail completely, Mae-Bi thought, closing his eyes.
He slumped back onto the cool floor, his breath shallow. He wasn't afraid of dying anymore. But he desperately wanted to stop hurting. The pain had gone bone-deep. He stared up at the carved ceiling — a massive serpent spiraling through clouds, mouth open, fangs exposed.
I could lay here forever.
No orders.
No killing.
No cult.
Just silence.
But then — a shadow fell over him.
Soft fingers brushed his face. Cold. Delicate.
He opened his eyes.
The Empress was above him — kneeling, not laying, her gaze strangely calm. Her long black hair spilled over one shoulder. She didn't speak at first. Just stared into his face, as if measuring something.
"Thousand Empress...?" Mae-Bi rasped, confused.
"Shh." She silenced him with a finger to his lips.
Then, slowly — she leaned in.
He saw something shimmer between her lips. The last pill.
His heart stopped.
No.
She brought her mouth to his.
He tried to turn his head, but he was too weak. His body didn't respond.
Her lips pressed against his — soft, cold, final.
And the pill passed between them.
He swallowed out of reflex.
She pulled back, smiling. Her black lipstick smudged, but her eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
"How was it?" she whispered, almost affectionately.
Mae-Bi's eyes widened.
She just kissed me... to poison me again.
No warning.
No explanation.
Just another game.
How wicked.
How terrifying.
How... demonic.
And somewhere in the far corner of the garden, the carnivorous plants twitched in excitement.
They could smell blood coming.