Chapter 15 : Blade of Bone-Eating Poison

After Sister Luna left, Li Wen logged out briefly to deal with some physical needs.

When she returned, she finally began examining the materials she’d bought from Old Sam.

Most of the items were basic natural materials—organics from plants and animals, or common ores.

The majority of them lacked any magical properties, with only a few exceptions like dried mandrake, red myrtle leaves, and the venom glands of a horned toad, all of which were standard components in magical rituals.

Still, they were more than enough for what Li Wen needed.

Basic and lower-tier rituals prioritized versatility, and most materials could be substituted freely within certain limits.

Looking over the spread of ingredients, Li Wen decided her first task would be to enchant her weapon.

Enchanting rituals existed across many magical traditions.

In ancient times, humans would smear pigments or draw totems onto shields and swords, hoping to gain protection or power to defeat their foes.

In essence, they were already practicing this art.

One such ritual, called Blade of Bone-Eating Poison, was perfect for her current situation.

It enabled a bladed weapon to be imbued with a powerful poison.

The main ingredients were the horned toad’s venom glands mixed with myrtle sap to form a composite toxin.

The advantage of enchantment over simply applying poison was significant—enchanted toxins were far more potent, acted faster, and didn’t degrade during use.

When the enchantment expired, the weapon remained unharmed.

Even better, this particular ritual was simple to perform.

The only tricky part was the preparation of the composite toxin.

Fortunately, Old Sam had provided a semi-processed version.

All Li Wen needed to do was finish the blend.

[Blade of Bone-Eating Poison (Disaster Path)]

Knowledge – Ritual – Temporary Enchantment

Requires: 2 Mana, 1 ounce of composite toxin, 1 bladed weapon

A spell once used by the Wild Hunters of the Northern Wastes.

They invoked the King of the Hunt, asking Him to bless their blades with deadly venom—poison said to corrode even bone.

Grants [+1 Sharpness] [+1 Corrosion] [+1 Toxicity].

Weapon is treated as an Extraordinary-grade item of the same level.

Duration: 30 days.

Step 1: Prepare a smooth, flat surface of sufficient size.

Use beast blood to draw a cross-shaped ritual sigil called [Hunter’s Salute].

Step 2:

Place the sacrificial prey at the top of the cross to honor the Hunt.

Place the weapon in the center.

Place the composite toxin at the bottom.

On the left side, draw the sigil of the King of the Hunt.

On the right side, place beast teeth, fur, or skulls to enhance the connection (optional).

Step 3: Call upon the King of the Hunt.

Without hesitation, Li Wen mixed the two ingredients into a crude but usable toxin, then knelt down and began drawing the ritual sigil directly on the floor.

She originally planned to use her own blood for the drawing.

However, the moment she sliced her finger with her dagger, the wound started healing almost immediately.

What…?

Li Wen glanced at her status bar.

The [Bathed in Light] effect still had over a dozen hours remaining.

She hadn’t realized that the “wounds slowly heal” description would be this effective.

Left with no better option, she sped up her drawing.

Each time her wound healed, she cut herself again, repeating the process until the full [Hunter’s Salute] sigil was finally complete.

She placed the dagger in the center, the vial of toxin at the bottom, tufts of fur on the right, and at the top—where the sacrifice was required—she set down a shriveled one-eyed mouse corpse, another of Old Sam’s offerings.

Lastly, on the left side, she drew the emblem of the King of the Hunt—a crown shaped like a wolf’s head.

With all preparations finished, Li Wen closed her eyes, clasped her hands in prayer, and began chanting the King’s name along with hunting blessings from the people of the North.

She didn’t know how many repetitions it took, but suddenly her whole body was struck by a chill.

In her ears, the howl of wind and snow began to echo.

It was as if she had been transported to the frozen wilds of the Northern Wastes—a land shrouded in endless night, abandoned and lifeless, where only death and frost endured.

Footsteps echoed all around her.

They were not human, nor of any creature known to the world.

They were ethereal like spirits of snow, but burned with the intensity of fire as they stepped through the storm.

Li Wen could feel them approaching.

She could even smell the scent of blood and death clinging to their forms.

They were the hounds of the Hunt—beasts sent to roam the mortal world on eternal winter nights when the King Himself could not.

Now, they were observing Li Wen.

Judging whether this human could be prey.

But once they sensed the lingering glow of holy light upon her, disgust and disdain overtook them, and they departed swiftly.

As they vanished, so too did the snow and cold.

Li Wen opened her eyes and trembled violently.

A glance at her status bar showed her health had dropped to 67%.

A new status effect had also appeared—Frostbite—which reduced her speed by 20% and drained 1% HP per minute, lasting between five and ten minutes.

Such was the power of rituals under the Disaster Path.

Even a successful casting could come with heavy, unpredictable consequences—something no one could avoid.

But with that risk came immense reward.

[Blade of Bone-Eating Poison (30 Days)]

Weapon – Dagger – Extraordinary (Blue)

A finely crafted blade imbued with a terrifying venom that corrodes even bone.

A mere graze is enough to bring death.

Enchants: Sharpness Lv1, Corrosion Lv1, Toxicity Lv1.

With this weapon, even a mage from the Solar Academy wouldn’t be beyond Li Wen’s reach.

But even so, that alone wouldn’t guarantee victory.

The poison took time to act.

Against a mage who had already stepped onto the path of power, Li Wen might not last long enough for it to take effect.

She needed something more—something that could tip the scales completely.

Her eyes turned to the status bar.

[Bathed in Light]—a temporary state she had received upon becoming a Supplicant.

It slowly healed her wounds over time, and its effect was obvious: despite the frostbite, her health had already recovered to 68%.

She’d nearly depleted the magical materials from Old Sam.

But as a seasoned player, Li Wen knew: status effects left behind by rituals—especially those infused with power—could themselves be used as ingredients in future rituals.

Sacrificing a minor healing buff in exchange for a ritual that might save her life when it truly mattered?

Li Wen had already made her decision.