Darkness.
Mae-Bi drifted, naked and weightless, deep in a void like the bottom of a silent ocean. No sound. No pain. Just cold, endless black.
And a strange peace.
He stared up at the dim shimmer of light far above.
"…So this is it," he whispered. "No more cult. No more running. Just rest."
He let himself sink lower, deeper. The cold embraced him like a womb.
But then — a flash.
Jin's voice.
Yeon-Mi crying.
Yuri screaming for help.
The Empress laughing.
Mae-Bi's eyes snapped open in that dark void.
"No way in hell."
His fists clenched.
His legs kicked.
He swam — clawing through the black, pushing toward that faint glow above.
"I've died once before — I'm not dying for some sadistic plant-loving lunatic!"
The light got closer.
His lungs screamed.
His muscles tore.
He reached out—
And broke through.
Gasping. Heart pounding. Alive.
He sat up, drenched in sweat and bile, breath ragged.
[System: Welcome back from death, Master.]
"Wha—wait, I died?!"
[System: Yes. Heart rate ceased. The centipede triggered under the toxin's reaction and bit your heart. You were technically dead for 3 minutes.]
"Damn it…"
He looked around—
His eyes locked on her.
The Thousand Venoms Empress was dragging him across the floor by his collar. Toward the writhing mouth of one of her massive carnivorous plants.
Its thorny petals opened. Drooling.
She didn't even glance at him.
"Honestly," she murmured, "you were interesting, but I don't keep broken toys."
Mae-Bi's blood went cold.
Then—
[System: Congratulations. You have achieved Poison Immunity.]
[Even the deadliest toxin in existence cannot kill you.]
[System: Furthermore…]
[The centipede in your heart has been neutralized. Disintegrated by the final poison. You are free.]
Mae-Bi froze.
No centipede. No leash. No ticking clock on every word he said.
The weight he'd been carrying since birth—gone.
Power surged in his chest.
The moment he felt it—he moved.
With a burst of internal energy, he leapt back, flipping upright onto his feet.
The Empress turned, startled.
Her eyes widened. "What?"
Mae-Bi stood there, shirt torn, steam rising off his skin, eyes burning crimson.
"You're alive?" she whispered.
Mae-Bi scratched the back of his head awkwardly. His body still ached, his lips tasted like poison and regret, and he was only barely alive — but alive nonetheless.
"I, Mae-Bi, Fifth Squad Leader of the fifth Division, offer my deepest gratitude to the Second Pillar, the Thousand Venoms Empress, for this… generous opportunity."
Cheondok Hwang's eyes narrowed.
She'd expected screaming. Death. A pile of bones for her plants to chew on.
Instead, her plaything stood — upright, smirking, and very much breathing.
Her gaze flicked to the floor where the poison had pooled. The boy didn't just survive… he'd adapted.
But poison immunity? Impossible. He was just some mid-tier assassin.
She crossed her legs and leaned forward. "Mae-Bi… how did you survive?"
Mae-Bi smiled.
Now that the centipede was gone, he could lie as much as he damn well pleased.
He knelt down dramatically, fists to the ground.
"To be honest, my lady, I've trained for poison immunity before. Nothing near your level, of course," he added quickly. "But… when you gave me that last pill, I panicked. I… I couldn't endure it. I vomited most of it up. I deserve death for wasting your creation."
He slammed his head against the floor with theatrical flair. "Please forgive me!"
Cheondok Hwang tilted her head, unconvinced — but amused.
If he'd still had a centipede in his heart, such a lie would've killed him instantly. Yet here he was.
So either he was telling the truth…
…or he'd just become very dangerous.
"Well then," she said, chuckling. "For a coward, you play your role well. I'll let it slide. This time."
Without warning, a black-wrapped box launched toward him at blinding speed.
Mae-Bi's instincts kicked in — he caught it mid-air, but the sheer force made his palm split with blood.
He gritted his teeth.
Telekinesis through Qi manipulation… only top-level martial masters can do that, he thought.
I'm nowhere near that level yet. But one day…
He bowed low again. "Thank you, Second Pillar. I will deliver the pill to the First Pillar, as ordered."
"Go," she said, yawning lazily as if the entire encounter had been a minor distraction. "Something interesting is brewing in the air."
Mae-Bi turned and left.
Cheondok Hwang watched him walk away from her garden, a faint smile playing at her lips.
Mun-Jae appeared behind her, his eye calm but alert. "You let him go?"
"He was more fun than expected," she said. "Even when I broke him, fed him hell, and toyed with his death, he didn't resist. He didn't beg. He simply played along."
Mun-Jae frowned. "You think he's dangerous?"
"Oh, absolutely. But in the most delightful way." Her fingers traced the lip mark still stained with black lipstick. "He reminds me of someone. For a moment… I thought he was Hyeolgeom Gunju's son."
Mun-Jae froze. "You think—?"
"No," she said, smiling wistfully. "Just my imagination. He's far too clever for that. But I'll be keeping my eye on him."
She turned back toward her throne, the vines behind her twitching with interest.
"Mae-Bi," she whispered. "You're not just fun. You're useful. And I don't throw away useful toys."