The meeting continued at length, every member giving their two coppers about possible problems and then brainstorming as a group to counteract such issues. It was....a tense atmosphere but in the end everyone Rana included left with determined expressions.

"That was painful." Frost slumped in his chair, holding his head with his hands as a migraine pounded away without mercy.

"I’m glad your back Master." Whispered Yuna.

"Because you don’t have to suffer from this anymore."

"Yes....." She didn’t even hesitate with her answer which made Frost’s entire face twitch.

’Haaaaa she was much cuter before.’

Feeling drained from the meeting and wanting to relax Frost promptly left the Lord’s Manor to visit the Sleeping Fenrir, there he watched Nanna practise her culinary arts and enjoyed a wonderful meal before teleporting to the private space.

He sat on the sofa, pulled up the Dungeon menu and did a bunch of Dungeon core stuff i.e. he watched adventurers face off against his monsters, fall in traps, discover treasure chests and attempt to tame his frost wolves, soothing stuff that melted away his stress.

Maya and Daki left the master bedroom shortly after he started doing this but all he got from them was a curse and a middle finger as they waddled into the bathroom. Another round of sex was obviously not in the cards, shame he could easily go again, and again, and even again if need be. He looked forward to the day Khione joined them, perhaps then he’d be able to empty all his reserves.

Ring ring....ring, ring

Unexpectedly the Dungeon’s communication system started ringing, only a few Dungeon cores and Dark had this number.

"Hmm who’s calli...oh Wilsander." It was his younger brother Wilsander, a Dungeon core with the form of a humanoid serpent.

"Hey brother, how’s it going?"

"Good, great in fact what about you?" He was quite fond of this younger brother, one of the few upper numbers he often chatted with.

"Same old, same old. Still haven’t gone on that trip yet but my I’ve been seeing a large increase in adventurers ever since I introduced my rainbow vipers into the monster pool." The rainbow vipers were a unique species designed by Wilsander through the Dungeon’s creation system just like the Ronsos and Niflheim gnomes however, instead of going down the sentient, humanoid route Wilsander chose to design something bestial, a monster with low intelligence but a strong body or in this case strong venom.

Not so dissimilar from your average E, D or even C-rank venomous viper the rainbow vipers shared a similar form, the difference lay in their venom sacks and scales. Wilsander’s hobby and unique method to grow his strength was experimenting with and ingesting all sorts poisons and through this method he was able to alter and improve his personal venom. The rainbow vipers he designed wielded two of these alterations, the first being injected through their fangs when they bite prey and the second secreted across their scales like a protective mucous making them dangerous to even touch.

The moment he introduced these rainbow vipers into his Dungeon he saw a sharp increase in adventurer deaths and a buzz of interest spread throughout the delving community yet despite this danger people aggressively hunted them all in the name of research and profit. Given his penchant for poison based fauna and even flora Wilsander’s Dungeon ended up attracting swaths of those with.... similar passions thus the release of a newly undiscovered venom inevitably drew great interest.

"Well that’s good news; it proves that your time and effort in designing them wasn’t wasted." Not every unique species designed by the Dungeon cores worked out well, some were even complete and utter failures.

"But.... like I bring up every time we talk you should really get out of your Dungeon once and a while. Nova’s a wonderful place full of adventure and beauty, you shouldn’t limit yourself to the confines of your own territory especially given your passions brother." Wilsander wanted to experience all the poisons the world had to offer but was too afraid to leave the safety of his Dungeon.

"I know, I know." A pained look appeared on Wilsander’s face. "Haaaaa I’m really trying brother but the moment I leave the Dungeon’s influence and feel myself being cut off from its support I get overwhelmed by a feeling of dread, my heart starts beating a mile a minute and the world around me becomes both silent and blaring." Just remembering that sensation caused Wilsander’s scales to shiver and his tail to coil.

His fear was obvious and Frost couldn’t help but feel concerned, this was his younger brother, a gentle soul who had but one interest.

"If it’s too painful alone then what about with a friend?"

"So I have to make a friend now too?" He only felt comfort with his siblings, adventurers and those residing beyond his Dungeon were untrustworthy and dangerous, out to destroy his core and plunder his home.

"Haaaaaa why don’t you try interacting with one of those poison researchers camping outside or even within your Dungeon. If it makes you feel safer take some monsters with you, I’m sure you’ll discover something in common with them." They were both passionate about poison, surely they could have an in depth conversation.

"Last time I tried that they attempted to hunt me." A big reason why Wilsander tended to avoid people.

"Ok bad example but you can’t base everyone off of just one interaction." Frost didn’t want his brother to be afraid of people just because of a few bad eggs.

"....I’ll think about it." Wilsander’s mental state had worsened since he separated from his Guardian. He didn’t function all that well alone thus Frost and a few other Dungeon cores he was close to occasionally looked in on him and helped him out here and there.

"That’s all I ask." As long as he was still willing to try there would always be hope.

"...Since you picked up this time I’m guessing you’re back from your foray into the Glacial mountains?" The real reason for his call.

"Yes."

"Did you?"

"Yes I bought you a souvenir Wilsander"

"Yeahhhh you’re the best big brother." Exaggerated praise and over fawning ensued.

"Stop that, you’re giving me chills." If it was Daki, Maya, Khione or one of the kids acting like this towards him then he’d feel blessed but his full grown brother, it felt false and predatory.

"Hehehehe" Wilsander simply laughed, his brother was embarrassed.

"Here it’s a type of plant grown in Niflheim. I could only get the weak generic stuff given my strength but even so you should be careful." Frost pulled out a sealed stem and leaf from his storage ring, one of the many gifts he either purchased or was purchased for him back in Niflheim.

"It’s beautiful." Wilsander went into fanboy mode the instant Frost waved the purple blue plant in front of the screen, his mind already running calculations and his mouth salivating at the possible taste, something only a poison eater like himself could understand.

"I’m glad you like it." Frost opened up the trading system their father set up and placed the plant inside the provided specialty space. "Have you managed to complete my request yet?" He asked while finalising the transfer.

"Ran the last few tests last week, everything should be in order, you want it?"

"If you’re confident in the final product definitely."

"Alright a proper trade this time." Frost rarely asked for much in return for the poisonous materials so hearing that a proper trade would take place Wilsander felt a modicum of pride.

A moment later Wilsander had in his hands the mysterious purple blue plant while Frost had three vials filled with different concoctions and a brief document outlining their effects and imbibing instructions.

"You’ll want to start with the light green one as a base before moving onto the blue and then the dark purple but make sure to spread them out, take them too close together and your body will be overwhelmed by the poison."

What Frost requested from his younger brother was a method to grant him poison resistance, minor poison resistance that would give his body a bit more fight against the more deadlier varieties while allowing him to outright ignore most of the common ones i.e. the bite from an F-rank spider. Such practices weren’t uncommon especially amongst the affluent and upper class. Since youth those destined to lead their houses would often ingest small amounts of poison so as to build up a tolerance. Wilsander basically replicated that system but added on his own improvements and embellishments to better suit Frost’s physique and resilience.

"I can see that in your note, 8 hours for three vials so after a full day I should gain the minor poison resistance skill?"

"Yes, it’s quick and thorough but...."

"But?"

"It’s going to hurt...a lot." Normally one would need to slowly acclimatise themselves to poisons over a lengthy period but since this method promised quick gains it obviously came with a few caveats, pain, intense pain and discomfort being the most prominent.

"Urgh." Frost suddenly had flashbacks to the time he was afflicted with Wyvern venom, the exact trauma that led him to make such a request in the first place.

"It’ll work though right; I won’t be suffering for nothing?" As long as there was something to gain at the end then even pain could be considered a worthwhile venture.

"Definitely... 95 no 90% sure....yeah 90%" Wilsander’s eyes drifted to the side, clearly somewhat unsure of his numbers.

"That’s not a 100."

"Nothing ever is Frost, a leap of faith, trust in the skills of your adorable younger brother." Wilsander stuck out his tongue in a cute manner, but Frost wasn’t swayed.

"Leap of faith? That’s quite a stretch for something that’s supposedly 90% certain."

"Semantics brother, at least it won’t kill you."

"As long as I follow the instructions." Turning over Wilsander’s handwritten notes Frost laid his eyes on all the possible side effects and dangers that accompanied these innocuous liquids.

".....If I die because of this I promise to have father bring me back as a ghost just so I can haunt your ass."

"I willing to take that risk." He may act innocent and playful, but when it came to researching poison Wilsander always put in the effort.