Otherworld Constellation Gallery Chapter 19

Otherworld Constellation Gallery

Chapter 19

“A plague? The ability to freely control all poisons and diseases?”

“Wait, all poisons and diseases? Isn’t that too overpowered?”

“…Overpowered?”

“I mean, isn’t it excessively good?”

“Is that so? But since I’m on your side, isn’t it even better if it’s excessively good?”

Of course, it’s good. It’s great, but…

Maybe it’s because I’m petty, but it irks me.
And the fact that it involves controlling poisons just feels unsettling.

Like I might get poisoned out of nowhere.

“It’s good. I was just saying it’s too good.”

I forced myself to hide my true feelings.

Then, Tulip, excited, began explaining the skill in more detail.

“Right?! It can detect and analyze all toxic substances, Absorb poisons and convert them into your own to store, Use the stored poisons to launch ‘poison attacks’, And also…!”

“I get it.”

I lightly placed my hand on Tulip’s head.

“That’s enough for me to understand. Since you can handle poisons, that means you can detoxify too, right?”

“No? I think that’s just because of medical skills?”

“…Oh?”

Tulip’s eyes sparkled as she nodded.

“Then can you make vaccines? Like, say, a flu shot?”

“A flu shot?”

“Yeah. With poisons, is detoxification only possible after being poisoned? Can’t you prevent it in advance?”

She thought for a moment, then quickly answered.

“To cut to the chase, it is possible!”

“Really?”

As soon as I brightened up, Tulip added,

“But preventing all poisons in advance is impossible!”

“Why?!”

“Poisons have different mechanisms—no, different principles of action, but that’s not the problem for me.”

“Then why?”

“If you pre-inject antitoxins for every poison, the side effects would be too severe.

Detoxifying as needed is the best way!”

She shrugged and continued explaining.

“Usually, vaccines work by injecting a weak poison to create antibodies. If you did that for every poison, imagine what would happen.”

“In the end, it’d just become a strong poison.”

“Exactly! You’re so smart!”

Tulip looked thrilled.

“Also, the Archer’s poison isn’t something that multiplies like a cold virus—it’s a chemical that acts the moment it enters the body.”

“Uh… you can stop explaining now.”

“So there’s no time for antibodies to trigger an immune response. It just destroys the tissue right away.”

“Now you’re not even listening to me…”

I should never ask ‘why’ again.

Sighing lightly, I continued.

“So the conclusion is that it’s impossible, right?”

“Nope? Normally, yes, but I can do it!”

“Hey… are you messing with me now?”

“Especially for specific poisons like the

Archer’s, I can pre-inject antitoxins.”

“Not listening, not listening.”

[Title: She Shouldn’t Have Bloomed]
Her excited chattering all day makes her seem like an elementary student rather than a high schooler…

ㄴ I didn’t sign up for a medical drama, but I got stuck with one.

ㄴWake me up when their treatments over, I’m going to sleep.

ㄴConstellations are weak if they need sleep too.

ㄴConstellations always doze off during class anyway.

ㄴBut seriously, she bloomed way too fast.

ㄴ If I can’t contract with First Hunter, I should just contract with someone who’s his companion.

ㄴYou idiot, who’s gonna let you?

While I was watching the gallery, the kid summoned some medical supplies and started tinkering with something. In that moment of doubt—just like last time—another syringe greeted me.

“You trust me, right?”

“No.”

“You have to trust me, what else can you do?”

“If it’s poison, just make it painless.”

“Hey! Stop joking like that!”

“I’m serious…”

Then, just as she was about to inject me, she suddenly froze.

“……Huh? That’s weird?”

She touched my arm and tilted her head in confusion.

“Why are you acting so sketchy?”

“The needle won’t go in.”

“Oh, maybe it’s because I raised my stamina?”

“No. My intuition says it should work.”

“Is that your medical opinion?”

“Yes! It’s like starch paste!”

“……Starch paste?”

She continued explaining while touching my arm.

“There’s this thing, you know? A material that hardens under strong impact but has weak resistance to gentle stimulation. Think of your body like that right now.”

She carefully pressed my arm with her finger. Sure enough, when pressed slowly, my skin yielded as usual.

“See? Normally, if you push the needle in slowly, it should go in smoothly, right?”

“Hey… Tulip.”

“Yeah?”

“From now on, I’m revoking your explanation privileges.”

“…….”

“Anyway, since it’s not working, there’s nothing we can do. I should’ve considered this before raising my stamina.”

After thinking for a while, she clapped her hands as if she’d found the last puzzle piece.

“Then, can you open your mouth for me?”

“……My mouth?”

“Yes!”

She grinned, holding the syringe with a sparkle in her hand. Despite the ominous feeling, I reluctantly opened my mouth. Without warning, she jammed the needle in!

“GAH! You crazy—!”

She acted impulsively, but the needle still didn’t pierce my skin.

“Ah, this is really weird?”

“Now what?”

She still looked puzzled.

“I thought the inside of the mouth would be softer and definitely work. I was aiming for the inferior labial artery.”

“……You don’t have to explain every little detail, you know?”

Tulip ignored me and tried to stab me with the syringe again.

“This is weird. My intuition says it should work no matter what.”

After fiddling with my mouth for a while, her eyes lit up as if she’d realized something.

“Ah! I was so focused on you that I missed the alert! Ah, so that’s why.”

“What is it?”

I asked, feeling a bit annoyed.

“Don’t tell me the vaccine is too overpowered, so the system blocks it or some bullshit like that?”

“No, it’s more like party members can’t attack each other.”

“……Huh?”

My head tilted on its own.

“Wait, this isn’t an attack. It’s part of the treatment, but it’s blocked? Were you trying to attack me?”

“Nooooo! Stop itttt! I guess any action involving stabbing with a needle is considered an attack.”

She wasn’t flustered—just genuinely disappointed. Judging by her reaction, she wasn’t lying.

“Wait, let me see that syringe.”

I took the syringe from Tulip and looked at her.

“Can I try stabbing you with this?”

“Sure! You can stab me anywhere.”

At her confident answer, I grabbed her arm. Just as I was about to inject her—

[You cannot harm a party member.]

The moment I saw that alert, my thoughts froze. Soon after, a grin spread across my face uncontrollably.

“Mister? Why are you smiling like that? It’s creepy…”

She looked at me with uneasy eyes, but I didn’t care.

“……Are you turning into a zombie or something?”

“Why would a zombie smile?”

“They could.”

Even as she asked worriedly, I shuddered with realization.

This was the party function the Constellations had mentioned.

No doubt about it.

***

After listening to Tulip’s explanation on where to inject the vaccine, I administered it myself.

Without wasting any more time, we headed straight for the supermarket.

More archers appeared along the way, but there weren’t as many as before.

At most, three or four.

Under normal circumstances, even that number would have been a serious threat…

“Alright, go ahead. Shoot all you want, you weaklings.”

But not anymore.

I spread my arms wide, flashing a smug grin.

THWACK!

I didn’t even bother dodging the incoming arrows.

A few grazed my skin as they flew past.

But now, I don’t feel a thing.

There was no poison seeping into my body, no heaviness weighing me down like before.

I turned to Tulip and spoke.

“The detox effect is working perfectly.”

She clenched her fists, clearly proud of the fact that she had been helpful.

I turned my gaze back to the archers.

“Is that all? Are you out of arrows already?”

They stood there, bows in hand, looking completely dumbfounded.

Not even running away.

“Come on, Tulip needs to farm some free arrows. Keep shooting! Don’t you have more?”

[Title: Ah, damn, First Hunter’s insane] Flexing hard

ㄴIf I were the Archer, I’d throw my bow at  First Hunter’s face.

ㄴ So damn annoying.

ㄴI’m not even the Dead Archer, so why am I mad?

ㄴHe picked the best companion ever.

ㄴJust the companion? He loots like a god too.

ㄴWait, is the First Hunter heading to the mart now?

ㄴIsn’t there a girl he sent there earlier?

ㄴHe’s gonna meet another companion. I’m sending a contract first.

While the Constellation Gallery was buzzing, the Archers had no more arrows to shoot and just stared at us in confusion.

“Dumbasses.”

I threw Manyō’s Tomb at them.

The sword left a crimson trail but lost momentum before reaching the farthest Archer and fell to the ground.

“……Still not enough range.”

I paused to think. It seemed like my throwing power wasn’t enough. I opened my stats window to check my strength.

[Strength: 4]

I’d have to raise it eventually anyway.

“Max out strength.”

DING!

[Invest 13,500 gold to raise Strength to level 10?]

“Do it.”

DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING!

[Strength level has increased!]

[Strength level has increased!]
.
.
[Strength level has increased!]

Instantly, something inside me surged like an explosion.

[Strength +6]

[Your Strength has reached level 10, causing a two-stage evolution of your muscle fibers.]

A sensation of my muscles subtly reorganizing swept through my body. Blood rushed through expanded veins like a sports car on the Autobahn.

“……Whoa.”

I clenched and unclenched my fist. Even that simple motion made my muscles tighten noticeably. Just gripping lightly produced a dull sound from my knuckles. If such a small action felt this different…

“This might work.”

I gripped Manyō’s Tomb again and threw it at the distant Archer.

WHOOSH!

The speed was incomparable to before—light yet fast, fast yet heavy. The Archer didn’t even have time to react before the sword pierced his skull and kept going.

THUD! THUD!

It went through another Archer’s head before dissolving into black smoke.

WHOOSH!

Then it returned to my hand.

“……Now this is usable.”

Earlier, when I killed the Dead Mask Archer, the eerie pattern on the blade glowed slightly brighter.

‘Did the light get stronger…?’

Maybe it was my imagination. Manyō’s Tomb seemed to disagree, sending me a faint sensation—as if something was waiting to awaken.

Hum— Hum—

“Why’s this thing whining so much?”

Instantly, Manyō’s Tomb fell silent.

[Title: First Hunter, you bastard!!!!]
Stop bullying them!!!! If you’re gonna do it, contract with me!!!!

ㄴI really wanna contract with the First Hunter… damn..

ㄴHe’s just carried by his companions.

ㄴ Normally, he’d be wasting potions and retiring after getting poisoned…

ㄴBut seriously, they’re screwed if he fights like that.

ㄴ There’s an archer right there, why’s  First Hunter hogging all the kills?

ㄴArcher, do something! Stop him from using Manyō’s Tomb!

ㄴDon’t insult my incarnation.

I swung the sword and threw it again.

It pierced another skull, and the sword returned to my hand as black smoke rose.

Tulip tried to help, but I stopped her.

“It’s too much hassle to collect arrows right now, so stay back.”

“Okay!”

Whether it was because gold was flowing in without her effort or because it was my request, she obeyed readily.

“The loot’s sweet.”

“What does that mean?”

“You know, sweet things taste good. Eating something tasty makes you happy. So ‘sweet’ means I’m happy because the loot’s coming in well. Got it?”

“Ah…….”

I could tell just by her reaction.

She clearly had no idea what I was talking about but pretended to understand.

By the time we reached the mart, I stored Manyō’s Tomb in my inventory.

Tulip looked puzzled.

“Why’d you put the sword away?”

“No need to cause unnecessary tension.”

She stared at me for a moment before dropping a blunt remark.

“Mister…”

“Yeah?”

“You know just putting the sword away doesn’t make you look safe, right?”

“……Put your bow away too.”

“My bow isn’t the problem here.”

“Quiet.”