Chapter 82: The Tenth Ancient Poison and the Root of All Trouble for Leon—The Devouring Poison
"The Devouring Poison?"
Leon raised one eyebrow upon reading the name of the tenth ancient poison.
He hadn't anticipated that the name of this poison would be so commanding and dominating, utilizing the term "devouring" in its name.
Did Jared Crimson possess the Chuunibyou1 trait?
Leon chuckled at the thought and redirected his attention to the page on the Devouring Poison.
He could only hope that this poison was the one within his body, because otherwise, he had no idea how else to identify the poison suppressing his holy power and severing his connection with the Zenith Holy Sword.
Leon quickly shifted his gaze to the bottom of the page and began reading the description.
"[The Devouring Poison is the tenth and last ancient poison I created, and it has a liquid form resembling a potion. While comparatively weaker than the other nine ancient poisons, it is exceedingly lethal when used against heroes. Heroes rely on their holy weapons and holy mana to counteract poisons within their bodies.
Therefore, drawing from over a dozen years of research, I developed the Devouring Poison specifically to sever the flow of holy mana and the connection between heroes and their holy weapons. As a result, heroes become no different from ordinary humans and succumb slowly to the devouring effects of the poison.]"
*Bang!*
After reading the extensive description, Leon's eyes widened, and he felt as though a thousand-kilogram stone had struck him on the head.
He remained frozen in place, his expression one of disbelief and astonishment, as if he couldn't quite believe what he had just read.
"It's true... The poison within my body is indeed one of the ten ancient poisons, and it's the tenth ancient poison, the devouring Poison..." Leon murmured, his words trailing off in a daze, his mouth opening and closing slightly as if he were at a loss for words.
A whirlwind of emotions, including happiness, excitement, and myriad others, churned within him, rendering him speechless.
His heart raced, and his hands clenched tightly.
"Hahaha... Finally... Finally... I've found it! Damn it!" Leon exclaimed, leaping to his feet and raising one hand in excitement.
Tears welled up in both corners of his eyes from the overwhelming rush of happiness.
He had never experienced such profound joy, except for when he first recognized Fiona, Charlotte, and Iris as his daughters.
Not even the joy of defeating the Demon army and securing victory for mankind, an achievement that prompted the entire populace of the capital to shout and glorify his name, could compare to one-tenth of this happiness.
"Asshole! I was so happy that I even shed tears. What a disgrace! Where's my dignity as a hero?" Leon laughed, tears still lingering in the corners of his eyes.
No one in the world could fathom the depths of his despair and anguish caused by betrayal and the loss of his powers due to the accursed poison within his body. Discover
Despite his status as a revered hero, he was still a human being with emotions like any other.
Quickly, Leon wiped away his tears and regained his composure.
"Cough! It's fortunate there's no one around to witness this. Crying like this is quite embarrassing, even if it's tears of joy," Leon admitted with a slight cough, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Shortly after, he settled back into his chair, carefully reanalyzing the description of the devouring poison.
"This poison was evidently crafted specifically to target heroes, and its method of severing their holy mana flow and connection to their holy weapons is exceptionally cruel," Leon remarked with a solemn tone, his eyes narrowing in concentration.
If he hadn't been exposed to this devouring poison and remained in his peak state, he might have dismissed it as a fraud, remarking, "How could there be a poison with such terrifying power? It must be a hoax!"
However, as a hero directly affected by the devouring poison, Leon could only change his words to, "Damn Jared Crimson! Curse you for creating such an asshole poison!"
Leon keenly sensed that his holy power and connection with the Zenith Holy Sword were utterly shattered, rendering him as vulnerable as an ordinary person.
If Liliana hadn't saved him, he might have ended up sipping coffee and playing chess with Hades and King Yama in the underworld right now.
"However, I must admit that Jared Crimson is truly extraordinary, as he managed to create a poison capable of neutralizing the absolute defense of heroes, even when backed by the three holy weapons," Leon said, tapping the table with his fingers and cringing slightly at the thought.
Jared Crimson's expertise was truly beyond comprehension.
Taking a deep breath to regain composure, Leon redirected his focus.
Despite uncovering information about the poison within his body, he reminded himself that this poison was one of the ancient poisons.
Of the nine other ancient poisons, only two were mentioned in the book to have antidotes, leaving the remaining poisons without any known antidotes.
Therefore, Leon should not rejoice prematurely, as the absence of an antidote for the devouring poison could render his efforts futile.
With a cautious mindset, Leon lowered his gaze and began reading the additional description located beside the previous one.
"[Devouring Poison, although potent and lethal to heroes, its ingredients are surprisingly common and easily obtainable. However, crafting this poison demands not only high-level alchemical skill but also a crucial core ingredient—my blood essence or that of my direct descendants.]."
Leon's eyes narrowed sharply upon reading this section of the description.
"What? Demon Emperor's blood essence?" He asked, his tone laced with suspicion.
The description suggested that the crucial ingredient needed was the "Demon Emperor's blood essence," implying that Rain, who successfully crafted the poison, possessed it!
"No! How could Rain possibly possess the Demon Emperor's blood essence? Or is it not Rain who possesses it, but Velix who provides it to her?" Leon pondered, his surprise evident.
Blood essence differed from ordinary blood in that it contained a trace of the power of the individual it belonged to.
While a small reduction in blood essence wouldn't significantly weaken the individual, it was still improbable for someone to willingly give it to others unless there was a high level of trust involved.
Hence, Leon questioned whether the essence Rain used to craft the devouring poison belonged to Gerald, the previous Demon Emperor, or perhaps Liliana.
After pondering over his speculations to no avail, Leon shook his head in resignation.
"Perhaps I'll investigate further when my strength is restored," he decided, closing his eyes momentarily before focusing on reading the final description at the bottom of the page.
This description would determine whether he could regain his powers.
After taking a deep breath, he slowly opened his eyes and began reading the first part of the description.
Suddenly, his expression froze for a few moments before a smile slowly spread across his lips.
"[The Devouring Poison, as the tenth ancient poison, has an antidote...]"