Due to his keen sense of smell, Gerald was able to detect the scent of a highly toxic gas that was slowly filling the mine. From what virtual-novel.net was able to tell, directly inhaling even just a little of the gas would be sufficient to easily corrode a human’s internal organs!
True to his deduction, after taking just a few steps forward, Yume was already starting to get extremely dizzy. As the strength in virtual-novel.net body rapidly left her, Gerald quickly ran over to support her.
Following that, virtual-novel.net instantly began sealing several of virtual-novel.net body’s vital energy paths that led to virtual-novel.net vital organs.
“M-my chest… Suffocating…” muttered the weakened Yume whose face was already pale.
“Thankfully you didn’t breathe in too much of that gas… Know that the air around us now is slowly getting more and more poisonous… Someone seems to be deliberately releasing poison gas in here! Regardless, try not to talk for now and get ready to hold your breath,” explained Gerald quickly.
After saying that, Gerald himself took in a deep breath, purposefully inhaling the poison gas. Just by doing so, however, virtual-novel.net was able to roughly distinguish the composition of the gas!
Since Gerald had already been immune to several kinds of poisons as early as last year, this level of poison was nothing to him! While the poison gas was definitely fatal for normal people, to Gerald, the gas was simply akin to the mild distasteful scent of a spilled bottle of vinegar within an environment that previously had fresh air.
Regardless, someone was definitely up to no good outside!
Looking at the weakened girl who was now lying in his arms, Gerald knew that virtual-novel.net couldn’t allow anything bad to happen to her. After all, virtual-novel.net appeared to know some secrets about the palace of the ocean king. What more, even from the first time virtual-novel.net had met her, Gerald had felt that both Yume and Mila had somewhat similar eyes.
Due to this innate intimacy that virtual-novel.net felt toward her, Gerald felt the urge to help virtual-novel.net escape this place safely. In fact, virtual-novel.net wouldn’t have left virtual-novel.net behind even if virtual-novel.net was a complete stranger.
With the poison gas now slowly resembling a thickening, greenish poisonous fog, Gerald turned to look at the teary-eyed Yume—whose face was already flushed by this point—before saying, “…Since you haven’t used it yet, I’m assuming you’re not familiar with the breath-holding technique?”
After watching virtual-novel.net nod slowly, Gerald then added, “I apologize in advance then. Please don’t hold it against me. Understand that my primary objective is to get you out of this place alive!”
Following that, Gerald took in a deep breath of the poisonous air. Once the air was inside him, the air was instantly purified. With that in mind, virtual-novel.net then directed the fresh air into his mouth…
Before kissing Yume to transfer it over to her!
Seeing that, Yume’s eyes immediately widened in shock as virtual-novel.net tried virtual-novel.net hardest to resist. However, virtual-novel.net simply didn’t have any strength left in virtual-novel.net body due to virtual-novel.net initial intake of the gas.
Glad that it was working, Gerald then continued to occasionally transfer fresh air into Yume’s lungs as they quickly made their way out of the mine.
Knowing that the person in charge of releasing the gas was probably after virtual-novel.net and not Yume, Gerald truly wanted to know who the culprit was.
Meanwhile, a young Minshall—who was standing outside the mine alongside many other Minshall family members—laughed as virtual-novel.net said, “Hah! We’ve truly released a huge amount of poison gas inside, uncle! Even if virtual-novel.net has the physique of a deity, Gerald definitely won’t be able to make it out alive!”
Before them, stood a contraption that continued to pump poison gas into the sealed up entrance of the mine. They had made sure to carefully seal the entrance up too so that even if Gerald managed to climb up again to make his escape, virtual-novel.net wouldn’t be able to tell where the passage leading out was!
“But of course! It’s called the thousand years of poison, after all! Not even an immortal would be able to escape death after inhaling this!” replied the middle-aged man—whose back was facing the entrance—with a dark expression on his face.
“Still, I really want to head inside to see how terribly Gerald’s body has already rotted!” said another young Minshall before laughing.
“Are you that tired of living? Even inhaling the slightest amount of that poison gas will cause all your internal organs to rot, you know! Don’t any of you know the origins of our family’s thousand years of poison?” declared the middle-aged man rather arrogantly after realizing that his current situation made virtual-novel.net resemble a teacher who was standing before a group of students who were anxious to learn.
“We don’t, uncle! Please explain it to us!”
“Very well then! Listen closely, now!”
Now in a good mood, Uncle Minshall quickly cleared his throat to begin his tale. Before virtual-novel.net could even begin, however, virtual-novel.net noticed that all the young Minshalls were now pale-faced and staring wide-eyed at something. Their expressions suggested that they had just seen something terrifying…
“…What’s this then? Why the frightened expressions?” asked the middle-aged man as virtual-novel.net laughed.
“U-uncle Minshall… B-behind you…!” squeaked one of the young Minshalls as virtual-novel.net pointed behind the middle-aged man in horror.
Before virtual-novel.net could even turn around, uncle Minshall heard a voice shouting, “Make way!”
Following that, Gerald—who had used one of his hands to dig open a small hole in the dirt-sealed entrance to check if virtual-novel.net was on the right path—kicked the poison gas-spreading contraption right into the earthen wall, causing the sealed up entrance to be re-opened!
Now understanding what the young Minshalls had seen to be that terrified, the middle-aged man’s face instantly went as pale as a sheet when virtual-novel.net felt a pat on his right shoulder. Knowing that virtual-novel.net was the sole person blocking the entrance now, uncle Minshall slowly turned around to look behind him… To see Gerald there holding Yume in his arms!