Chapter 582: Coward

In a week, Liam’s kill count reached a total of four level three scorpions. With his superhuman senses, finding them was hardly a problem, and his sacrificial plays always got rid of their tails, vastly decreasing the danger they posed.

Still, the hunts were never really the goal. Liam was using them to get better with the greatsword, but their true purpose had everything to do with the clear flask in his hands.

Liam lifted the container to the light shining from the underground hall’s ceiling. The liquid inside was spotless, an utterly pure concentrate resulting from the four tails.

’Finally,’ Liam nodded to himself. ’Having no experts handle the refinement sure makes things harder.’

Refining ingredients was an alchemist’s job, but raw organs didn’t fall in that category. Experts in magical beasts usually handled those materials, turning them into the shape in which they hit the market.

Still, Liam was alone now, so he had to handle that phase by himself, and most of it was pure trial and error. He had to waste three tails to nail the process on the fourth, and the experiments weren’t over.

The refinement had taught Liam a lot about the ingredient, but not everything. He would probably have to waste most of his hard-earned concentrate to amass the knowledge required to move to actual concoctions, but the process had secondary benefits.

Learning more about poisons would be extremely beneficial to Liam. The more insights he gained in that field, the better and crazier products he could concoct, which were the foundation of a true master.

Liam’s venom was the best substance he could hope for. Through training, experience, and the right ingredients, he could also weaponize it in many different ways.

Yet, the effects would be limited. Liam’s venom was deadly. Killing was its whole purpose, which was why it met greater opposition.

Instead, paralyzing and other kinds of poisons could flare instantly. Cultivators might take as little as a fraction of a second to recover from their effects, but Liam could do much in that window, even achieving victory directly.

It was literally what happened against the scorpions, at least initially. It was simply easier to remove some functions than to vanquish life itself.

Besides, Liam needed variety in terms of poisons to be ready for every situation, especially since he could make them work together.

’I should stockpile on scorpions’ concentrate for now,’ Liam decided. ’Once I have enough and I’ve weaponized it properly, I can move to the next magical beast.’

In a different situation, Liam would have focused solely on hunting before secluding himself. Yet, he had too much to do, to the point where his training was only something he was stuffing on the side.

The training itself was also limited since anything at the level of the alchemical spell risked ruining the corpses too much. Still, there were improvements, especially to Liam’s dantian.

The sacrificial plays had sharply increased the number of fully developed branches. Liam had a total of eight now, which wasn’t much compared to the one thousand he had to reach, but it remained his fastest growth to date.

’It will be even faster once I turn the scorpions’ venom into an alchemical product,’ Liam calculated. ’Considering the tolerance I’m building by getting stabbed on purpose, the drawbacks should also be minimal. I wonder if it’s time for a swamp yet.’

Liam stood up at that point, glancing at the almost-grey cauldron before storing it. Refining poisonous rank 3 ingredients was accelerating its transformation, and there was nothing he could do to slow it down.

’If it breaks, it breaks,’ Liam sighed internally. ’Maybe I should collect the minerals now that the nutrients issue is almost solved.’

"I know you are awake," Liam eventually said. "I’m going out again."

A pair of eyes immediately landed on Liam, checking him all over. He was full of freshly healed cuts since he had tested his greatsword against the last scorpion’s tail, but the source of that gaze seemed to find those rugged details endearing.

A soft moan, accompanied by rustling, echoed as Rachel half-turned on the bed placed at the hall’s edge, supporting her head in her palm.

"Big Brother, you haven’t stopped all week," Rachel exclaimed, her drowsy voice sounding extremely sensual. "Why don’t you rest for a bit? You can join little Sister."

Rachel moved her blanket to pat the empty spot beside her, exposing herself in the process. She had worn her mostly transparent robe and underwear that matched her complexion again, basically making her appear naked.

Nevertheless, Liam barely looked in the bed’s direction. The scene was indeed heavenly. Rachel looked literally naked and already in bed, but Liam only had poison in mind.

"You can stay here in the meantime," Liam cut the offer short and was about to open the underground hall when Rachel said words that could switch the gears in his brain.

"Is fighting magical beasts more appealing than lying with little Sister?" Rachel pouted. "Isn’t Big Brother too much of a cowar-?"

Rachel couldn’t finish her line since a familiar iron grip closed around her jaw. Liam had teleported onto the bed, sealing Rachel’s mouth shut, his feral eyes full of killing intent.

"Never," Liam threatened, having to control himself to stop hisses from joining his voice. "Never call me that."

The ancient hiss resounding in Liam’s mind added value to the threat in his presence. It was a miracle that his black Qi wasn’t leaking on its own, but the terror in Rachel’s eyes suggested that she had gotten the message.

Liam snorted, releasing Rachel and jumping off the bed, hating himself for snapping like that. His burn mark itched for the first time in ages, and he was about to scratch it when a certain scent reached his mouth.

’What did I even do now?’ Liam thought, his mind drawing a blank, slowly turning to inspect the shocking scene.

Rachel had sat up, her hand around her jaw, feeling the spot where Liam had held her. Her half-dazed eyes were on him, reeking of the desire he had smelled.

Still, Rachel soon recovered. The desire in her eyes didn’t subside, but she let go of her face and slowly left the bed, stopping in front of Liam.

"We are alone now," Rachel exclaimed. "Isn’t it time we talked?"