Scarlet Scale Toxin, Caught at a Night Meeting

A Sea Beast as large as a calf was tossed onto the deck by Wang Ya. His gray Robe was already soaked through, clinging unpleasantly to his skin.

A handful of Wizard Freshmen, fortunate enough to have already completed much of their hunting quota, stood nearby wringing out their clothes. They glanced at Wang Ya, noticed the Sea Beast on the ground, and looked away.

Other Wizard Freshmen gradually returned as well, stepping onto the deck with a considerable number of Sea Beasts of varying sizes in hand. This was not difficult for Wizard Freshmen.

Wang Ya threw the Sea Beast into the storage compartment of the Automated Restaurant. The Wizard Technology scanning device installed on the ceiling immediately recorded his appearance and the Sea Beast's measured weight.

He was already used to it. Still, the sensation of being watched by the scanner was somewhat uncomfortable.

The Wizard World was not as backward as he had imagined. On the contrary, it had always been progressing. Technological capability also had its own branch within the Wizard System: Mechanical Wizards.

They were a group at the forefront of Wizard Technology, researching materials, machinery, energy, and more. Among them were Mechanical Wizards pursuing different Wizard paths, such as Mechanical Ascension and Consciousness Carrier.

Wizard Ships were also constructed using Wizard Technology methods.

In terms of practical applications, Wizard Technology was exceptionally advanced.

The Umbral Codex recorded quite a few Wizard Technology Revolutions from the Wizard World.

Overall, as a relatively new Wizard System, Mechanical Wizards had enormous potential, but they had yet to reach the heights of several other Wizard Systems.

Inside his room, Wang Ya took the Scarlet Scale Bigfin, still brimming with vitality, from his robe pocket.

He had to be careful when grabbing its tail. Its tiny mouth, filled with shark-like pointed teeth, would not let go once it bit down, injecting even Wizards with a headache-inducing Supernatural Toxin.

At the very back of the room was a small Experiment Table Wang Ya had modified from his desk. It held Dissection blades, measuring instruments, crucibles, culture dishes, and similar items.

Dissecting a fish was as simple to him as eating or drinking.

He understood fish anatomy, bones, scale patterns, and even the approximate locations of fish bones with complete clarity.

The hand holding the Dissection knife was steady, without the slightest tremor.

The first cut took the Scarlet Scale Bigfin's life. Then came the removal of its head. By the time Wang Ya had completely extracted the venom sac containing the Supernatural Toxin, only about a minute had passed.

The venom sac was only the size of an eyeball and Emerald Green in color.

According to the Eye of Truth's analysis, this toxin could paralyze a Low-level Wizard's bodily functions, disrupt particle energy conduction, and, to a certain extent, render spellcasting ineffective.

Prompt: One dose of Scarlet Scale Toxin requires extraction from ten venom sacs.

The effect naturally depended on controlling the dosage.

If a Low-level Wizard had high constitution values, even swallowing a venom sac raw would not cause much trouble. At most, it would give them diarrhea.

Only after extracting the Supernatural Toxin from ten venom sacs, then cultivating and preparing it, would it have a high probability of affecting a Low-level Wizard.

Discovering the Scarlet Scale Toxin was an unexpected gain. Wang Ya felt he could use it as a trump card, one that might produce unexpected results at certain times.

As for the remaining nine fish, Harak, now a Supernatural Lifeform, could fly far faster than the Wizard Ship sailed. His ability to withstand water pressure allowed him to easily catch more Scarlet Scale Bigfins beneath the sea.

Night!

The Endless Sea resembled a mass of thick, undissolved ink. Only the rising and falling crash of the waves could be heard.

The wind on the deck was fierce. A bucket sat by Wang Ya's feet, and his black Robe made him seem as though he had melted into the shadows and darkness.

With the Consciousness Imprint serving as a marker, Harak did not need to worry about being unable to find the Wizard Ship in the dark.

The faint glow emanating from the ship's hull was slightly dim, yet it was as conspicuous as a lighthouse in the darkness. It often attracted clusters of Sea Beasts as well.

Normally, this was when the Automated Restaurant released Pheromones to lure in Sea Beasts, capture them, and turn them into Sea Beast meat for the next day's meals.

It was around eleven at night. Wang Ya had assumed he would not encounter anyone at this hour, but the sound of approaching footsteps made him frown slightly.

Along with them came an agitated conversation.

Were they arguing?

Flaming red hair, a lovely figure, and a long dress fluttering gently in the sea breeze—she was like a blazing rose swaying in the wind.

Beside her stood a somewhat dark and hunched figure, draped in a black robe with a hood covering his head. They seemed like people from two entirely different worlds.

Standing in the darkness, Wang Ya raised an eyebrow. It was actually these two.

Arthur and Anna.

Neither of them noticed Wang Ya's presence. Their emotions were so turbulent that their Spiritual Power, which possessed Perception Ability, had long ceased to function. There was only the agitation in their voices and the sound of their quarrel.

"No, Anna, I don't believe you think that way. You love me, don't you?"

Arthur stared longingly at the red-haired figure, his tone utterly humble, even carrying a trace of tears.

Under the warm light, her fiery red hair seemed about to burst into flames. Her pale cheeks were tinged with red, but her beautiful eyes were cold.

"No, Arthur, you're overthinking it. We're only friends. How can we even speak of love?"

Those words were like a sharp blade, viciously piercing Arthur's heart.

"Then why did you accept everything I gave you, all my kindness? You love me, don't you? Only people in love accept each other's goodwill."

Arthur spoke unwillingly, his hopeful gaze fixed on Anna's face.

But that lovely, beautiful face did not show the expression Arthur wanted to see. Instead, her brows furrowed, and she said impatiently, "At first, I only saw you as a friend, and it is still the same now. I believed it was simply mutual goodwill between friends. There was never any talk of feelings."

Pain! It hurt so much!!

Arthur's mouth fell open. The intense pain made his heart convulse, and a drowning man's suffocating sensation overwhelmed him as his fists clenched instinctively.

How could this be!

So this was how it was!!

"I don't believe it. I don't believe it! I love you! I really love you! I've given so much for you!"

Arthur's emotions spiraled further out of control. His eyes reddened, his teeth clenched, and his expression twisted in agonized struggle. His disfigured face and torn scalp made him appear especially horrifying and grotesque.

Anna's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively took one or two steps back. Arthur's pupils constricted as he said sorrowfully, "Do you think I would hurt you? I love you. How could I hurt you?"

Wang Ya watched this tortuous, sorrowful love story unfold without the slightest ripple in his mood.

He could not empathize with the joys and sorrows of others. Saying, "Oh, poor Arthur, you're so miserable. Your love has left you," was a boring farce. It was more meaningful to seriously study Wizard Knowledge and successfully use Meditation to inscribe the second Wizard Rune.

"Arthur, enough. We arranged to meet today so we could properly make our relationship clear. Now that everything has been said, friends are friends."

"Your mental state is terribly wrong. Get some proper rest."

Anna did not want to keep looking at Arthur's horrifying appearance. After offering a few words of comfort, she turned to leave.

Suddenly, the sound of Harak's flapping wings as he returned with a Scarlet Scale Bigfin was unmistakably clear.

Arthur and Anna's expressions changed drastically, and they immediately turned to look over.

Wang Ya: "..."