Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Most people knew Basilisk Blood as a deadly poison, but depending on how it was used, it could also serve as a potent medicinal ingredient.

However, the process of making it was extremely difficult, and in the first place, not many people even knew this fact. So, it had never gained much attention as a medicine.

Even if one managed to complete it, there remained one massive obstacle: the pain.

The moment the elixir was consumed, one would experience pain several dozen times more excruciating than burning pain—one of the worst sensations a human could endure—and that agony would be unrelenting.

But if one could withstand that torment, the elixir’s effects were powerful enough to completely alter the nature of the body.

It was practically a rebirth.

This was one of the recipes I had learned from Basilis, the Poison King, one of my former teachers from my previous life.

‘Thanks to this, I was able to get a body that could serve as the vanguard in the Hero’s party. A pain I never want to experience again, though...’

I would probably suffer even worse pain than back then.

At the time, my body had already been trained and conditioned to a degree, so I had been able to drink the entire elixir in one go. But doing the same now would destroy my body.

So I would have to drink it drop by drop, and each time, I would have to endure that same hellish pain.

Unlike back then, when I only had one bottle, I had two this time.

‘There’s no other way. No matter how painful it is, I have to endure it.’

I stayed up all night to begin preparing the elixir.

The most important aspect of this elixir was the mixing ratio between the Basilisk Blood and the Elixir.

If I deviated even slightly from the method my teacher had taught me, the result would lose all its healing effects and turn into nothing but deadly poison, killing me instantly.

“Huu...”

Only after staying up two nights straight did I manage to complete the elixir.

Had it not been for Cecil’s help, I wouldn't have been able to finish it this quickly.

Cecil watched me with a far more anxious expression than my own.

After locking eyes with her for a moment, I took a deep breath and slowly drank the elixir.

Exactly one sip.

Gulp.

“Keugh.”

“...Young Master. Are you all right?”

“Yeah. I can still manage...”

At that moment, an unbearable pain surged down my esophagus.

It felt as if I had swallowed molten lava.

I had the illusion that my esophagus was melting away, but having gone through this once before, I was able to quickly regain my senses.

“Haa... haa...”

Cecil grabbed my hand. As her warmth passed into me, I felt a slight sense of calm return.

‘Hold on. I have to endure this.’

Someone had once asked me this question:

—You seem incredibly skilled at enduring pain. How are you able to handle it so well? Do you have a special method?

I had answered:

—There’s no such thing as a method for enduring pain. You just endure it.

That’s right.

A method for handling pain? There’s no such thing. Even if it feels like I’m going to die from the agony, even if it feels like my insides are being torn apart, even if my vision goes white and my organs feel like they’re melting, I just endure it in silence.

Sweat poured off me like a waterfall. My arms trembled uncontrollably, and every breath blurred my vision further.

I knew from experience that I mustn’t lose consciousness.

I forced myself to ignore the pain.

“Young Master. You must stay with me.”

“...”

“Young Master!”

Her grip tightened.

Maybe because she had only one arm—her strength was surprisingly firm.

‘How long has it been? Ten minutes? Thirty? No, at this rate, it must’ve been at least an hour.’

“Cecil... how long has it been...?”

“Ten minutes, Young Master.”

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Even my sense of time had started to break down.

How many more times would I have to go through this?

At the beginning, I had been confident—but ten minutes in, I suddenly wanted to die.

---

Two weeks passed.

During that time, I managed to drink half a bottle of the elixir. It was so painful that I often thought dying might be easier, yet somehow, I endured.

That endurance wasn’t due to my mental strength—it was entirely thanks to Cecil, who took care of me.

Even when I howled like a beast and crawled across the floor, she made sure I could take the elixir again the next day.

At first, even watching me suffer had been unbearable for her. But as time went on, she adapted quickly, and now, no matter what I said, she wouldn’t even blink.

“Young Master. It’s time for your elixir.”

“...R-right.”

At this point, even if I refused, she looked ready to force it down my throat.

No, she actually did.

After drinking the elixir, I was no longer myself. On the second day, I had taken more than the proper amount and suffered agony beyond control, begging Cecil to let me die.

So from then on, I had my body tied to a chair before drinking.

It was entirely my decision. Cecil had refused at first, but I had insisted—ordering her never to untie me no matter what I said afterward.

And just as I expected, as soon as I drank the elixir, a new self inside me awakened and began to tempt her.

Pain truly was terrifying.

Like a monster mimicking a human voice.

—Please, untie me, Cecil!

—It hurts! It hurts too much! I can’t take it anymore! Please, just untie me! Please!

At first, Cecil’s resolve had wavered, but now, whenever I said such things, she would only tie me even tighter.

Gulp.

“I’ve been drinking this every day for two weeks, and I still can’t get used to the pain.”

“...I’m curious. Just what kind of pain is it?”

“Do you want to try some yourself?”

“In fact, while you were asleep, I did try a single drop.”

“How was it?”

“I haven’t touched it since.”

“You could have more, you know...”

“I’ll pass.”

The sweeter the result, the more bitter the pain.

Now, after two weeks, my body had changed beyond recognition. Nearly all the impurities within me had been expelled, and my newly formed veins and muscles had grown firm.

To maximize the elixir’s effect, I moved my body every night until the pain subsided.

Thanks to that, my upper body had become quite strong, and my lower body had slowly begun to regain sensation.

Of course, for now, I could only twitch slightly—but it was progress.

---

A month passed.

After drinking the elixir and warming up, I went out to the backyard to swing my sword.

‘It feels good to hold a sword again after so long.’

I felt the cool wind brush against me as I swung.

How long had it been since I last felt this sensation?

My legs still didn’t move as I wished, but my upper body had grown far more muscular.

If I pushed just a little harder, I would soon be able to move my lower body. I wouldn’t be able to move like a normal person, but with mana control and enhancement magic, I expected I could at least replicate the movements of a swordsman for a short period.

“Keugh.”

As soon as I tried to exert strength in my lower body, a wave of intense pain swept over me. But that was a good sign.

It meant the nerves were coming back to life.

Twitch.

My toes moved.

I decided to invest a little more time and this time tried to move my entire right foot.

.

.

.

“Huu.”

Twitch.

It took thirty minutes just to move my right foot. Some might laugh at that, but for me, it was nothing short of a miracle.

Before I regained my past life’s memories, I had been driven so far into a corner that I was ready to give up on life altogether.

How long had I dreamed of the day I would walk again?

If I endured just a little longer—without relying on mana—I’d be able to walk on my own.

This time, I cast an enhancement spell. Mana filled both my arms, and I felt my strength increase.

“Focused Enhancement.”

Normally, to use magic, one had to chant incantations, but I was different.

My calculation speed for formulas far outpaced that of others, so I was able to cast the spells I frequently used without chanting.

I never even tried to use high-tier magic, which required complex formulas and massive amounts of mana.

Rather than wasting effort on what I couldn’t do, I believed it was better to further sharpen what I could do well—that was my method of survival.

Thanks to that, I could still use enhancement-type spells with ease.

Ah, yesterday, a messenger from Ron Winterbell came.

He had come to officially deliver the announcement of the ranking match between us. Though clearly, part of his purpose was also to assess my condition.

According to Legion’s report, Ron Winterbell was also pouring his full effort into preparing for the match.

He had never been one to train seriously before, but now he was grinding his teeth and pushing himself.

Apparently, he had even begun gathering all sorts of elixirs from local merchants without hesitation.

【He always used to look down on you, but now he’s scared too. Makes sense. Your real identity is ‘Van Descartes,’ humanity’s archenemy. If he knew that, he’d probably faint on the spot.】

“He knows. He must. That he needs to end this properly. The dying youngest son suddenly started using mana to move his legs and even declared himself the next head of the family. Even if I’m still stuck in a wheelchair, wouldn’t he think I’ve got something up my sleeve? That unease alone would push him to give his all.”

【Right. That guy may be considered a fool, but he’s still Aslan’s blood. Still… do you really think you can win? Even with that elixir or whatever helping you recover, you still can’t walk properly. And that Ron Winterbell bastard—he seems to have reached a decent level as a swordsman.】

“…If I’m going to be the head of the Winterbell family, that much should be a given, don’t you think?”

【Yeah. If a brat like you dies, I might end up trapped in this sword again. So don’t die. If it comes down to it, I’ll step in myself.】

“I’ll make sure it doesn’t come to that.”

I swung my sword once more.

---

“Well done, Young Master. You did it in the end.”

“Thanks, Cecil. I wouldn’t have made it this far without you.”

“Of course. I really did go through a lot.”

“...”

At last, I had finished drinking all of the elixir.

It had been two months of pure hell. But the pain I endured was rewarded with results that were nothing short of incredible.

My body had changed so much, it was hard to believe I was the same person as two months ago.

“You’ve grown quite splendidly, Young Master.”

“Cecil… I think the way you’re looking at me is a little different now.”

“...You’re imagining things.”

Even I felt awkward seeing myself in the mirror.

After a moment to catch my breath, I slowly rose from the wheelchair. A surge of pain spread from my lower body, causing my face to twist on its own.

But I didn’t give up. I braced myself and pushed harder.

“Huu.”

“You shouldn’t overdo it.”

“...Yeah.”

Finally, I stood up—not with mana, but using only the strength of my own two legs.

I still couldn’t walk like an ordinary person, but with steady effort, that too would come in time.

For now, I was simply grateful to be standing of my own will. Cecil’s eyes filled with emotion as she called out to me.

“Young Master.”

“Cecil.”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For everything. Just... thank you for everything.”

Her eyes, brimming with tears, spoke the words I wanted to say.

Only one day remained until the ranking match with Ron Winterbell.

The day of the final showdown was finally approaching.

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