With a quiet thud, the last remnants of firewood collapsed, leaving only the embers of the once-roaring fire. Hours had passed since Zeke began his task, and the warm environment of the guest room was slowly cooling.
Zeke was still seated in the exact same spot, not having moved an inch during this entire time. However, his complexion was looking even worse than before. Previously, the poison's blueish color had been limited to his hands and arms. Now, however, his entire skin had taken on the same unhealthy pallor.
He looked like a man close to freezing to death, and his constant shivering and the light blue color of his lips only strengthened that impression. Yet, upon looking at his eyes, that impression of weakness was immediately shattered. Despite his condition, there was no despair in them—only quiet determination and absolute resolve.
Teeth clenched, he endured the freezing sensation that had taken hold of his entire body. Though the dosage was tightly controlled by Akasha, the sensation was still anything but pleasant. Unlike any usual type of cold, this was coming from inside of him, meaning that the usual resistances to such a threat were utterly useless.
His blood flowed at a glacial pace, almost frozen solid, scraping through his veins like a massive worm crawling through his body. Yet, this was an agony of his own making. Anyone else infected by the poison would have died from organ failure long before reaching this point. Only through perfect control over the dosage could one prolong their suffering to this degree.
Yet, Zeke didn't complain.
He would have to stay in this region for a while, and any advantage against the Frostcale Tribe could mean the difference between life and death. Zeke was the type to endure present suffering to avoid future regret.
[Notice]
The progress has reached 92%.
Zeke silently acknowledged the report. He didn't dare to relax just yet, well aware of the fact that this last stretch was likely going to be the most difficult to endure. Instead, he tried to ignore the pain and let his mind wander.
He recalled his youth in Feldstadt, specifically one person he used to know: the old widower who had lived across the street from them. They had called him Old Michael, a retired soldier with a body full of muscles and scars.
Every year, once the snow started to fall and the lakes began to freeze, Old Michael would start a strange routine: He would bathe in the freezing water, enduring as long as he could. Everyone in the village called him crazy. They said he would kill himself one day, that his old body couldn't handle the strain. But Old Michael never listened. Year after year, he took his ice baths.
One day, Zeke asked him why he continued doing this despite his age. He still remembered how Old Michael smiled at him and said, "They have it all wrong. The only reason I've lived this long is because I keep challenging myself. It's not continuing that will kill me, but stopping."
At the time, Zeke didn't fully understand those words, but in the years that followed, many of the old died while Old Michael remained as healthy as an ox. He never even caught a cold the entire time Zeke knew him. Up until Zeke left for the academy, the old man stayed in peak physical condition.
Was it willpower that had allowed the old man to live for so long? Or was it that the cold water had actually tempered his body?
Zeke didn't know, but as he quietly endured the agonizing pain of the cold, he felt a kind of kinship with the old man. How hard must it have been to endure the freezing lake at such an old age, with a body full of scars and old injuries? Yet, he had done it every year, with no word of complaint, without anybody forcing him.
A small smile tugged at Zeke's lips. If Old Michael could do it, then why couldn't he?
[Notice]
The tempering has finished.
Before Zeke could react, he felt the effects of those words: It began with a faint tingling, but soon, the sensation turned into a blazing heat, as if a fire had been lit inside his veins. Of course, that wasn't actually the case. Just as lukewarm water feels hot on frozen hands, the return to normal felt like an inferno to Zeke.
Zeke gritted his teeth as sweat poured down his face. This was even more painful than the procedure itself!
However, as uncomfortable as the sensation was, it didn't last for more than a few moments. The pain was soon replaced by a pleasant warmth that spread throughout his body. Finally, he was able to let out the breath he had been holding, relaxing his tense body.
[Notice]
Results for the first round of tempering: Resistance against Frostscale Poison has been increased by 22%.
Zeke raised a brow. "That's far more than expected."
[Answer]
Host is correct: Typically, a procedure like this wouldn't produce such results. This deviation is likely due to Host's high affinity for Blood Magic and the previous tempering with Draconic Essence.
Zeke nodded; that made sense to him. After all, poison was usually distributed through the bloodstream. Yet, he hadn't expected the Draconic Essence to influence the result as well. He realized he didn't know how dragons reacted to poison, but he doubted that such apex predators could be easily brought low by it. It was likely their bodies were highly resistant. Whatever the case, he wouldn't complain about receiving a better outcome.
With a faint smile, Zeke finally rose from the armchair. After hours of shivering, his muscles felt sore, but the discomfort was already fading as he stretched. One of the greatest advantages of his Blood affinities was his incredibly potent self-healing capability. As long as his limbs remained attached, there was very little he couldn't recover from. Compared to that, sore muscles were trivial, and it would likely take him only a few minutes to recover from the strain.
Zeke paced the room, stretching out the kinks of his stiff body. With every step, he felt a bit better, and soon, even the last bit of discomfort faded. He took a relieved breath, returning to his chair. The Fire had completely gone out by now, and Zeke momentarily considered lighting it again. However, he didn't feel all that cold at the moment.
Maybe this was just his perception playing tricks on him. After all, he had just endured hours of freezing. It was very possible that he wasn't able to judge the temperature accurately. To prove his hypothesis, Zeke made for the door to the cave dwelling.
He opened the door just a crack and peered outside. The place was completely deserted. The guest house was already in a remote spot, and it seemed few people were around at this time of day. Reassured, Zeke opened the door wider, letting the cold wind enter the room. To his surprise, even the brisk mountain air didn't faze him.
Zeke stood before the open door, confused. He remembered feeling the air get colder during their ascent. Yet, now that they were even higher, he no longer felt the chill. Was this a feature of the village? No, that was unlikely. Their guide had even implied that this place was the only one with a fireplace.
Then… what was going on?
[Notice]
I have detected anomalies in Hosts body. This might be an unexpected side effect of the tempering process.
Zeke furrowed his brows. He didn't like the sound of that. "Elaborate."
[Answer]
Preliminary hypothesis: Host's body has adapted to better handle the cold. The reason is unclear, but Hosts internal body heat has remained constant despite the external shift in temperature.
Zeke's eyes widened. He had expected bad news when he heard the phrase 'unexpected side effects', but this… wasn't it… good news? However, it was too early to celebrate.
"Akasha, completely analyze my body and compare it to the state before I was afflicted with the poison. I want to know everything that has changed."
Akasha went quiet, but Zeke knew that she was doing what he had ordered.
[Answer]
Comparison successfully completed. Observable effects include increased metabolic rate, improved fat oxidation, a reduction in signs of inflammation, enhanced vascular tone and elasticity, reduced cardiovascular…
"Stop," Zeke cut her off. "Just tell me what I can expect from these changes."
[Answer]
Understood. Modifications to the host's body have resulted in increased poison resistance, greater cold resistance, and a slight boost in vein durability.
Zeke's mouth almost fell open at those words. Not only had his resistance to the Frostscale Poison increased by a significant amount, but there were even more benefits. "How often can we repeat the process?" Zeke asked eagerly.
[Answer]
This process can be repeated an unlimited amount of times. However, the treatment will lose effectiveness with each subsequent application. It is likely that the benefits will not be worth it anymore after three or four additional sessions.
Zeke nodded his head, deep in thought. He was already aware that his body needed a few days of rest before he could temper it again. However, now that he had found a way to strengthen himself, he wouldn't easily let go of this chance.
He walked over to the corner where the group had left their luggage. He rummaged through the mountain of bags until he finally found what he was looking for. Zeke pulled out a hard leather shell and carried it over to the table. This special case contained his notebook and mechanical quill.
With practiced movements, he wrote a few sentences. He quickly explained his current situation and that he was doing fine. Otherwise, his mother and sister would start to worry if they didn't hear from him. After those few words, he finally got to the part he was most excited about: A shopping list.
Tradespire was the trade capital of the world, with all sorts of goods on offer. The different kinds of poison sold had to be in the hundreds, if not thousands. Zeke was almost beginning to drool at the thought of the improvements he could make by tempering his body with them.
He specifically requested poisons related to cold, ice, or frost. After all, both the Frostscale and the Icefang Tribes were associated with that element. Zeke's reasoning was simple: if Frostscale Poison could boost his resistance to cold, other similar poisons might have comparable effects on him.
After Zeke finished his letter, he double-checked its contents before immediately sending it off. A quick use of [Transposition] saw it disappear from his hands. Space Magic was truly convenient in times like these. Not only was he able to contact his family instantly, but he could also retrieve something as small as a vial of poison without any problem.
For a moment, he had been worried about the Mana cost. After all, he was now significantly further from Tradespire than he had ever been. However, as it turned out, distance didn't influence the cost of the spell by much.
The main difference was that finding his beacon had become significantly harder. It was like trying to spot a lighthouse through thick fog. He could still sense its general location, but pinpointing it accurately required an immense amount of focus. Zeke instinctively knew that if he went much further, he wouldn't be able to use the spell anymore.
Just then, Zeke heard footsteps approaching the door. He quickly moved from his seat and positioned himself for an ambush. However, his vigilance eased when he recognized the three figures. They were Ash, Vulcanos, and Gravitas, returning from their mission.