That stings.
Tammy’s words made me frown.
I might be a little devious-looking, but to be compared to a criminal…
…Well.
I couldn’t entirely blame her.
— Peep…
Sijo peeked nervously at the candy in my hand.
He reminded me of a child torn between a parent’s warning about strangers and the allure of sweets.
Sijo was clever.
He knew that accepting the treat meant complying with my request to share his vision with Tammy.
He tried to look away, but his gaze kept snapping back to the candy.
Guilt pricked at me for exploiting his innocence, but…
‘It has to be done.’
For a swift conclusion to this test, Sijo needed a little…encouragement.
I wasn’t fond of drawn-out assessments either, especially with Heoksal’s final stage looming.
It was better to secure an easy win while I could.
After what felt like an eternity,
— Peep…!
Sijo chirped, flapping his wings in resolve.
He hovered in front of Tammy, bringing their faces close.
Then, he glanced at the candy once more.
In the end, his sweet tooth prevailed.
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
‘Seriously?’
Sijo was Ares’ bird.
What had the instructor been feeding him to make him this obsessed with candy?
…The thought crossed my mind that it might be the black jelly we’d consumed during the Human Realm Invasion exam.
In any case,
“Well, that’s sufficient. His ability is a shared vision. Quite a unique skill!”
“Heh, as if you didn’t already know.”
Tammy muttered, her voice laced with amusement as she experienced Sijo’s vision firsthand.
She must have assumed I couldn’t hear her hushed tone.
My senses, however, were far more acute now.
Thanks to my accelerated growth, they surpassed those of ordinary students by a significant margin.
But there was no need to enlighten Tammy.
I feigned ignorance, smoothly changing the subject.
“Now, it’s Heoksal’s turn.”
“Yes, about that… Judging by the speed he displayed earlier, he’s clearly combat-oriented. I’m curious to see how potent his venom is.”
“How would you like to proceed, Instructor?”
My eyes glinted.
It was all going according to plan.
Finally, a chance to gauge the true extent of Heoksal’s venom.
He had taken down Terias in an instant.
Crete’s venom, capable of devouring mana, was undoubtedly a factor.
But was it enough to bring down Terias with a single bite?
Consuming the Homunculus must have amplified Heoksal’s venom.
I’d been curious to test it, but finding a suitable subject had proven difficult.
‘Wasting on Information Paper was out of the question.’
That would be incredibly wasteful, especially since I couldn’t risk using Gu Poison’s true abilities during the final exam.
I decided to wait for a more opportune moment to uncover the secrets of his venom.
And that moment had arrived with Tammy’s assessment.
An opportunity to evaluate Heoksal’s abilities without expending any resources.
“Follow me. I’ve prepared a test subject.”
Tammy announced, leading me toward the source of Heoksal’s impending evaluation.
With a faint smile, I followed.
Awaiting us was a slime.
Unlike the black slime I’d encountered in Orgon, this one was translucent.
It was a basic slime, considered the weakest of its kind.
But not to be underestimated.
They were capable of spitting corrosive acid, strong enough to injure an average demon.
“We’re using this…?”
“Yes! It’s specially modified. By having your Familiar attack it, we can analyze its strength, abilities, and so on!”
“Impressive.”
My praise was genuine.
Tammy might have a ditzy demeanor, but her competence as an instructor was undeniable.
Such ingenuity was essential for the role.
“So, should I instruct Heoksal to attack the slime?”
“Yes, just give me a moment.”
Tammy set aside the lamp, rolling up her sleeves as she carefully extracted the slime from its container.
Despite its acidic nature, she handled it with bare hands.
Her gloves must have been treated with a protective layer.
‘Doesn’t look very sturdy, though.’
Heoksal’s venom could probably melt through it with ease.
Not that it mattered.
He wouldn’t be attacking Tammy directly.
I shifted my gaze from her to the slime.
— Kyoo.
It stared back at me, emitting a strange, high-pitched sound.
But I wasn’t fooled by its somewhat adorable appearance.
It was still a wild Magical Beast.
If I let my guard down, it would attack.
“Bite it.”
I commanded Heoksal.
In a flash, Heoksal shot forward, sinking his fangs into the slime.
Venom pulsed from his glands, flooding the creature’s translucent form.
— Kyooo…
The slime convulsed, its gelatinous body trembling uncontrollably.
It collapsed, dissolving into a puddle before expelling its core.
Then,
Crack.
The core hardened, transforming into solid stone right before our eyes.
Time seemed to stand still.
The slime showed no signs of regeneration.
“…?”
I stood frozen, struggling to comprehend what I’d just witnessed.
Slimes were supposed to die when their cores were destroyed.
So why did it perish the moment Heoksal injected his venom?
And why did its core turn to stone instead of shattering?
I wasn’t the only one taken aback.
“Huh…?”
Tammy let out a gasp of disbelief.
She seemed just as perplexed as I was.
What kind of transformation did Heoksal undergo after consuming the Homunculus?
“This… This is incredible! It didn’t just die from the venom… its core petrified!”
Her voice trembled with excitement.
A shiver ran down my spine.
Even I had to admit, this power seemed excessive for a mere Familiar.
What if they deemed it too dangerous for a student to handle?
Doubt gnawed at me.
What if they disqualified Gu Poison because of this?
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What an op snake
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