In the depths of his gaping mouth, a thick layer of white substance covered the area named "palate" on the oral wall, obstructing the entire nasal and throat passages.
Time flowed amidst an incessant pressure and trembling, finally marking the passing of a minute.
"Huff! Huff!"
Xia Zuo's stiffened body suddenly convulsed, greedily inhaling the long-lost air.
A message from his mental interface flashed:
"Successfully consumed one-third of the unknown poison (self-made). Additional reward: 15% experience bonus, gaining 2.3 experience points, a 0.023 increase in Will attribute, acquiring 0.023% Earth resistance."
Kurov laid the book on his stomach, fingers interlocked in front of him as he reclined on the soft sofa, inquiring, "How do you feel? Have you detected the specific toxicity?"
Xia Zuo helped himself to another cup of clear water, gulping down most of it, finally easing himself from the suffocating aftermath.
"I've identified it, Professor. This poison induces spasms, involuntarily expelling air from the chest cavity, then constricts the nasal and throat passages, causing a potent choking effect."
Kurov nodded slowly, a curve forming at the corner of his mouth as he toyed with his mustache, speaking with a hint of admiration, "Excellent. Class ends here for tonight. However, there's still plenty of time. You could try drinking the White Palate Poison a few more times, pondering if there's any way to counteract its choking effect or even contemplate what the antidote to this poison's special effects might be."
Xia Zuo furrowed his brow, "Antidote?"
Kurov settled deeper into the soft couch, swiftly commenting before picking up the book again, "I mean the remedy, the emergency drug taken during the event, not the preventive medicinal potion taken beforehand."
At the mention of the antidote, Xia Zuo's initial thought was a universal antidote.
There were approximately over a thousand identified compound toxins.
Any poison made from these toxins could be counteracted by a universal antidote.
But what was the principle behind it?
Xia Zuo recalled but found himself clueless. Perhaps due to insufficient reading, he had never encountered content about antidotes in any of the books he had read.
His blood volume was slowly recovering. The dizziness in his head was fading away gradually, yet the palpitations caused by suffocation lingered.
Xia Zuo massaged his temples lightly, sitting by the desk, pondering with closed eyes.
The White Palate Poison's lethality focused on constricting the nasal and throat passages.
So, why not use a toxin that expands these passages as an antidote to counteract the effects of the poison!
Xia Zuo opened his book on "Toxin Separation."
There were no basic toxins that specifically expanded these passages, but several toxin side effects could produce similar effects.
However, using these toxins to counteract the White Palate Poison would eliminate the choking issue but might introduce new toxic effects.
To neutralize these new effects, other toxins had to be added to the antidote...
Under a complex intertwining, over a dozen toxins had to be combined to nullify the suffocation effect caused by the White Palate Poison without side effects.
Detoxification was far more challenging than concocting poison...
Leaning back in the chair, a spark of inspiration flashed through Xia Zuo's mind.
Rather than pursuing a side-effect-free antidote, it would suffice if its toxicity was lower than that of the White Palate Poison, causing lesser harm to the body! In a data-driven sense, if the first-tier suffocation effect deducted 20 health points per minute, then find a negative effect that deducts fewer points to replace it.
Xia Zuo leaped from the chair, swiftly approaching the poison cabinet, searching for a suitable toxin.
Over an hour later.
On the alchemy table lay a bottle of greenish liquid.
This was the product of mixing three basic toxins with water.
Xia Zuo cast his probing spell, his expression turning peculiar...
[Item Name] ????
[Item Type] Suspected Poison
[Item Grade] Insufficient perception and knowledge reserve; unable to obtain more information.
[Item Quality] Completion: 52%, Poor
[Related Resistance] Unknown.
[Item Description] Formulated by blending three basic toxins with water. Created by Xia Zuo.
[Item Effects]
Upon consumption,
13% chance of triggering an unknown toxic effect,
17% chance of acquiring 1 layer of moderate poisoning, deducting 5 health points per minute, lasting 1 minute.
70% chance of alleviating all suffocation states, with no other effects.
A poison triggering effects by chance was a first for him.
"Professor..." Xia Zuo looked towards his mentor.
Kurov set the book aside, approaching the alchemy table, and sniffed the unknown poison concocted by his student, commenting, "The raw materials are correct, but water shouldn't have been used as a solvent. Nonetheless, for you, it's already an impressive creation."
Placing the White Palate Poison and the unknown poison in front of the student, Kurov gestured with a "please."
Xia Zuo's expression froze, glancing at the panel.
[Health] 34/45 (Healthy)
Drinking both poisons consecutively might result in triggering an unknown toxic effect, leading to a deduction of more than 34 health points...
"Um, Professor, I'd like to try another concoction. Which solvent do you think would be better to use?" Xia Zuo asked.
Kurov straightforwardly approached the shelf, retrieving a bottle of ale, evidently aware of the correct formula.
Half an hour later.
Using ale as the solvent, Xia Zuo concocted a new poison, having a 100% chance of alleviating suffocation states without producing any other effects.
As it turned out, by utilizing the correct solvent, he could directly produce a side-effect-free antidote. It wasn't as Xia Zuo had envisioned, requiring over a dozen basic toxins to neutralize each other's side effects.
This time, he didn't hesitate.
Tilting his head, he drank one-third of the White Palate Poison, immediately following it with the unknown poison after the choking effect took hold.
[Health] 37/45 (Healthy→1 layer of suffocation→Healthy)
"Haha! I did it!" Xia Zuo cheered.
A message from the mental interface chimed in:
"Successfully consumed one-third of the White Palate Poison (self-made). Additional reward: 15% experience bonus, gaining 2.3 experience points, a 0.023 increase in Will attribute, acquiring 0.023% Earth resistance."
"Successfully consumed unknown poison (self-made). Additional reward: 10% experience bonus, gaining 2.2 experience points, a 0.022 increase in Will attribute, acquiring 0.022% Earth resistance.
Drinking poison and then detoxifying not only avoided health deductions but also yielded rewards twice!!
Aha~! Getting rich here~
Xia Zuo excitedly pumped his fists.
Kurov smiled, watching his student's delighted expression. "Class is dismissed. Tidy up everything on the table."
"Professor, what's the antidote for this White Palate Poison?" Xia
Zuo looked at his mentor expectantly.
"What else could it be? It's the White Palate Antidote," Kurov chuckled, heading towards the soft couch.
Xia Zuo scanned the table with a mischievous glint in his eye, rubbing his hands together, "Professor, look, there's still one-third of the White Palate Poison left. Can I try making its antidote again?"
Kurov lay on the sofa, waving his hand lazily, giving a vague response, "Mm-hmm."
Thirty minutes later.
Xia Zuo adeptly administered the White Palate Poison and its antidote, two messages flashing in his mind, garnering two sets of experience, willpower, and Earth resistance.
If only he could keep drinking this, his experience would soar rapidly.
With a smile on his lips, Xia Zuo swiftly tidied the alchemy room, determined to impress Kurov and eventually earn the qualification to freely use the poison alchemy lab in front of him.
At 8:10 PM.
Xia Zuo returned to his dorm, showered, changed into his robe, and sat at his desk reading character profiles until 10:30 PM before retiring to bed.
A busy day with fruitful rewards. The comfort of his soft mattress quickly lured him into the realm of dreams.
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