The Thorne of Destiny-Chapter 159: The Plan

Adrian retreated slowly, careful not to arouse any attention from the scorpions. After retreating to a sufficient distance, he entered the Blood Star, where he wanted to plan extensively for how to retrieve the Fire Vein Origin Stone.

His mind spun with multiple ideas before dismissing each one. Despite thinking for hours, he couldn't come up with a plan that could kill the Rank 4 Scarlet Flame Scorpion.

With a deep sigh, he decided to eat first and take a breather. Normally, he would have taken a fasting pill, but since he had the Blood Star, he could take his time and eat to his heart's content.

'Pills....' Thinking about pills, Adrian was reminded of the Rank 5 pills he had gotten from the Hundred-Faced Thief. He had found five of them and had already used one, leaving him with four.

He retrieved them and found two of them to be poison pills. As soon as he saw the poison pills, the faint building of a plan was beginning to form in his head.

If he could somehow manage to make the Rank 4 scorpion eat the pill, he wouldn't even have to fight the damn thing. The potency of a Rank 5 poison pill should be more than enough to kill a Rank 4 beast.

Seeing that he had two, he could even double the dose, making sure that it would die without a doubt. However, there was also the problem of the slothes of scorpions still present in the cavern.

Even if he was able to kill the Rank 4 beast, there were more than two Rank 3 Scarlet Flame Scorpions. That was two too many already, as Adrian remembered just how his fight with those two had gone previously.

Worse still, those he fought previously were only at the early stage of Rank 3. From what he could see, those in there had already surpassed that stage, meaning the fight would be even more difficult.

His gaze drifted back to the pills in his hand. It seemed they were his only hope. However, at least he had a plan forming in his head. He sat down in a cross-legged position to think about it more meticulously.

The next day, Adrian stepped out of the Blood Star. There were no scorpions here, so he could be a bit freer. Using the Blood Star, he was able to determine the time of day. When it was nighttime, he decided to make his move.

Why nighttime? Well, it was simple, really. Nighttime was when scorpions went to hunt. He was hoping that the Rank 4 scorpion might have gone to hunt, giving him time to complete his heist.

However, it was just wishful thinking. As he peered over the ledge, he could still see the scorpion resting near the Fire Vein Origin Stone. However, there was still some good news.

Most of the scorpions had gone out to hunt, leaving the cavern noticeably emptier. However, he could still see two peak-stage Rank 3 Scarlet Flame Scorpions, alongside scores of Rank 2 and Rank 1 scorpions.

This gave him significantly more confidence to carry out his plan. He retrieved a small pill bottle from his storage ring. He uncorked it, and instead of a pill, what was inside was a powdery substance.

This substance was made up primarily of the Rank 5 poison pill. However, several more poison pills of different ranks were added, increasing the quantity of the powdery substance.

He only did this for one reason. To increase the chances of the scorpions being poisoned. While the Rank 5 pill was undoubtedly potent, it was still too small.

To make sure it would at least cover all the beasts present, he added more poison pills to increase the coverage. The result of this was the bottle of poison dust in his hand.

He tipped the contents over the ledge, and the powdery substance poured out, scattered freely by the wind. Adrian took sufficient precaution to make sure that he wouldn't accidentally breathe in this toxic substance.

With the help of the wind, the powdery substance breezed through the cavern, was inhaled by every beast present. Even the Rank 4 beast inhaled it, but due to its superior constitution and the minuscule dose of the poison, it was able to ignore it.

Adrian lay flat against the stone, unmoving, observing the scorpions with hawk-like focus.

At first, nothing changed.

The Rank 1 scorpions continued scuttling across the floor, clicking and hissing softly, aggressive and restless.

Then, slowly…

One staggered.

Another twitched.

A third collapsed outright.

Within a minute, the cavern floor began to shift, movement becoming sluggish. Rank 1 scorpions dropped one after another, their legs curling inward.

Some Rank 2 scorpions wavered but did not fall immediately. A few resisted longer, clicking agitatedly, but eventually they all succumbed as well.

The Rank 3s stiffened but remained standing, though their movements slowed to a sluggish, almost drunken pace. Then, like the Rank 2 scorpions, they also began to collapse onto the ground.

While they were beasts, their senses were still acute. They could tell that something was fundamentally wrong. They began scuttling around the cavern, causing havoc and chaos.

Some of the Rank 3 scorpions also trampled on some of the fallen scorpions, leading to some squelching noises. Eventually, they also succumbed to the poison and keeled over.

Adrian continued watching until the Rank 4 scorpion was the only beast left standing. Even though it was still standing, its movement had become noticeably more sluggish.

Its mandible clicked repeatedly, and it began walking around, searching for the culprit behind the mass exodus of its kin.

As it walked around, it eventually came close to the ledge Adrian was on. However, it couldn't find him. The ledge he was hiding on was a bit too high for it to see, and his senses were also muddled due to the poison.

Now, it was time for Adrian to administer the second Rank 5 pill. And how was he going to do that? You might ask. Well, simple.

Adrian pulled out a slingshot from his storage ring and loaded a pill into it. With a steady aim, he waited patiently for the best possible time to attack.

What were you expecting? That he would be all gungho and rush towards the beast while shoving the pill inside its mouth? No way! He was a smart man, and with all his ingenuity, this was the most appropriate method he was able to come up with.

When he observed the mandibles of the scorpion opening, he let loose, releasing the pill, and sent it flying into the scorpion's mouth.

His body was tense and wracked with sweat. Normally, such a projectile attack would be immediately sensed by the Rank 4 beast. However, with its muddled senses, he was hoping it would be enough for him to sneak the pill into its mouth.

It seems the Heavens were favoring him today, because, just as the mandibles of the Scorpion were about to close, the pill managed to enter its mouth, unbeknownst to the scorpion.

Watching it swallow the pill, a faint smile flashed on Adrian's face before he quickly retreated back over the ledge. Now, all he had to do was wait.

After about an hour of waiting, he peered over the ledge, eager to check on the condition of the Scarlet Flame Scorpion.

The beast had stopped moving, lying still on the ground, completely motionless. Its stinger no longer dripped. Its legs no longer scraped the stone. The massive crimson body had gone eerily still.

Had the poison reached it? He held his breath as minutes crawled by. The Rank 4 beast did not move. Not even once. Its aura had dimmed, and he couldn't sense it at all. A cold thrill raced down Adrian's spine.

"It worked," he whispered under his breath. But he didn't let excitement cloud his judgment. He waited another ten full minutes, watching for the slightest twitch.

Nothing.

At last, he rose silently to his feet.

"It's time."

He descended into the cavern from a sloping passage on the far side, taking care not to step on any scorpion bodies. The poison powder had done its job. Rank 1s littered the ground like fallen leaves. Rank 2s lay unconscious in small clusters.

The heat of the Fire Vein Origin Stone washed over him in waves as he finally stepped on the ground in the cavern. Sweat began to bead on his forehead. The air shimmered with visible distortion from the heat emanating from it.

The Rank 4 Scarlet Flame Scorpion remained still, larger now that Adrian was seeing it up close. Its carapace gleaming like molten ruby, its pincers sharp enough to cleave stone in half.

He was tempted to approach it, but quickly scrubbed that idea from his mind. He decided to focus his attention on his goal of coming here.

He approached the Fire Vein Origin Stone with reverence. Up close, the stone was even more magnificent, almost alive. Waves of molten flame pulsed within its interior, churning slowly like a miniature star trapped in crystal.