The Taste of Deception

"Mr. Lucas, if there’s nothing else, we’ll leave now. If you need our delivery service, just let us know."

The staff spoke respectfully.

The words were polite, practiced—but beneath them lingered a quiet urgency. No one wanted to remain in the presence of a man who looked like he might explode at any moment.

Lucas stood there, shoulders tight, fingers tapping once against the armrest of the chair before stilling.

"Go, and don’t let anyone in without my permission."

Lucas pointed impatiently at the door.

His tone left no room for misunderstanding.

The staff exchanged brief glances, then bowed slightly.

"Of course, Mr. Lucas. Please rest assured."

They withdrew quickly and carefully left the VIP lounge, closing the door behind them.

The soft click of the door echoed in the quiet room.

Silence followed.

Heavy.

Sealed.

The kind of silence that presses against your ears.

Lucas didn’t move immediately.

He stood still for a moment, listening—making sure no footsteps lingered outside, no hidden presence remained. His senses stretched outward, sharp and alert like a predator in unfamiliar territory.

Only when he was satisfied...

Did he finally lower his gaze.

After the staff left, Lucas took a look at the lion Gem statue.

It sat in his hands, cold and smooth, its pale surface gleaming faintly under the soft light.

Beautiful.

Deceptively simple.

But to him—it was something else entirely.

A key.

A weapon.

A throne.

His fingers traced along the underside, slow and deliberate.

Sure enough, there was a mechanism with a nine-square lock underneath!

A faint sneer curved across his lips.

"As expected..." he murmured under his breath.

"Fortune never betrays me."

He crouched slightly, bringing the statue closer, fingers already moving with practiced precision.

He sneered and quickly unlocked it.

Click.

Click.

Click.

The sequence unfolded effortlessly—like muscle memory from a forgotten life.

The lock opened.

Inside was a pitch-black pill.

It rested quietly in the hidden compartment, small, unassuming.

Yet it seemed to pulse with something unseen.

Seeing the pill, Lucas’s mood became excited.

His eyes lit up.

Not softly.

But sharply—like flames catching dry wood.

The Nine way cleansing exilir!

This miraculous elixir, its formula lost for years!

A legend.

A myth.

A treasure countless people had searched for—and failed.

Even with his medical skills, he couldn’t recreate the formula.

Now, finally obtaining one, he was truly thrilled.

His fingers trembled ever so slightly as he picked it up.

Consume it!

The thought struck like lightning.

He could then break through to the Gold Realm!

The air itself seemed to grow heavier as his breathing deepened.

At that time, Julian would be dead for sure!

And the position of Obsidian King would be his!

The future unfolded in his mind like a blazing path—

Power.

Dominance.

Victory.

He brought the pill to his nose and sniffed it.

There was a medicinal fragrance.

Rich.

Layered.

Ancient.

And a slight stench?

His brow twitched slightly—but only for a moment.

As a master of Ancient medicine, he didn’t find it strange.

Ancient medicine has thousands of ingredients, with all kinds of smells!

Some herbs smelled sweet.

Some bitter.

Some rotten.

Some—

Worse.

"To have both fragrance and stench, such pill-making skills are incredible, akin to ice and fire together! Truly admirable, worthy of the Nine way cleansing exilir."

He spoke softly, almost reverently.

There was genuine admiration in his voice.

The craftsmanship alone... was worthy of respect.

"Clean and feed the animals, brothers."

Smiling, he muttered to himself.

It was an old habit—something from his darker days.

Then—

Without hesitation—

He put the Nine way cleansing exilir into his mouth.

The pill touched his tongue.

Cold.

Dense.

He bit down.

He put the Nine way cleansing exilir into his mouth.

Chewing it slowly with a face of enjoyment.

For a moment—

Everything felt right.

Hmm, a bit bitter.

The bitterness spread quickly, coating his tongue.

He didn’t mind.

He understood the saying "good medicine tastes bitter."

His expression remained calm.

Satisfied, even.

After chewing a few more times, the bitterness began to change.

Something... shifted.

Subtle at first.

Then—

Violent.

A strong stench filled his mouth, as if he had released a silent fart with his mouth.

His jaw froze mid-chew.

His eyes widened slightly.

Something was wrong.

Terribly wrong.

"Is this... shit?"

Lucas suddenly recognized the familiar smell, his expression changing slightly.

Not confusion.

Recognition.

Instant.

Years ago, during a mission, he hid in a cesspool to avoid detection, submerged for three minutes.

The memory came back sharp and vivid—the suffocating heat, the foul water, the taste—

At that time, he accidentally swallowed a mouthful.

No mistake, it was this familiar smell.

His stomach twisted.

"Could the Nine way cleansing exilir contain shit? What kind of shit is this?"

After swallowing the chewed pill, Lucas pondered.

Even now—his mind clung to logic.

To reason.

In Ancient medicine, there’s a precious ingredient called night sand, which is actually bat droppings.

Besides that, other animal droppings are used too.

Even human feces is a medicine, known as golden juice.

His thoughts raced.

Maybe... this is part of the formula...

Maybe this is necessary...

Just as Lucas was about to deduce the Nine way cleansing exilir formula from this—

A sharp pain erupted in his stomach.

It hit without warning.

Brutal.

Explosive.

His body jerked slightly.

His breath hitched.

The scene of increased energy and breakthrough he imagined didn’t happen.

No rising power.

No enlightenment.

No transformation.

Only—

Pain.

As a skilled doctor, he knew exactly what was wrong with his body.

The moment the sensation spread—

His heart dropped.

Poisoned?

"Damn, the shit... the pill is poisoned."

Lucas’s face changed drastically, and he immediately opened his mouth to vomit.

He bent forward—

Violently.

He expelled all the pill residue he had swallowed.

The sound echoed in the room.

Raw.

Ugly.

Uncontrolled.

His mouth now felt like a cesspool.

The taste clung to his throat.

To his teeth.

To his breath.

An indescribable stench assaulted him from the vomit.

It filled the room.

Thick.

Suffocating.

Worse, the toxin was spreading inside him.

His vision blurred slightly.

His limbs felt heavier.

His pulse became uneven.

He quickly took an antidote pill he had prepared, his fingers fumbling for a moment before forcing it into his mouth.

He swallowed.

Hard.

Slowly—

The burning sensation eased.

Just a little.

Feeling slightly better.

But not safe.

Not stable.

Not in control.

"Fuck, I’ve been played."

The words came out hoarse.

Low.

Filled with something darker than anger.

At this moment, he realized.

His eyes turned bloodshot.

Not just from the toxin.

From rage.

From humiliation.

From the crushing weight of realization.

Julian.

It was him.

It had always been him.

Every step.

Every move.

Every moment—

He had been led here.

Lucas’s breathing turned ragged.

His hands clenched so tightly his knuckles cracked.

Then—

Without another word—

He kicked the door open.

And rushed out of the VIP room.