Hewn from Mountains

With the fortuitous aid of his mettlesome abilities in metallurgy, he narrowly escapes the beasts jaws. He had encased his skin in a layer of metal magic, making it nearly impenetrable. Yet even this minor victory is short-lived, for when he later calls upon his skills in invisibility to evade the relentless snake, he is thwarted by the creature's thermal senses.

Undaunted, Jae-sung continues his deadly duel, fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with his nimble puppet, Shigi. Though they slice and pierce the beast with razor-sharp blades and sturdy wires, they find their efforts in vain. The viper's scales were tough, one would think they were hewn from the very mountains themselves.

The viper continued its onslaught, its movements growing more frenzied with each passing moment. Jae-sung is barely able to dodge and weave.

But even in the face of such peril, Jae-sung is not without cunning. Seizing an opening in the midst of the fray, he willingly lets the viper sink its fangs into him. Yet this seeming madness conceals a genius plan: with strength like an ox, he forces the creature's jaws wide and grants his ever-faithful puppet entrance into the snake's writhing innards.

Thus begins the final, gruesome act of the battle, as Shigi furiously rends and shreds, tearing the viper's innards into pieces. In the end, their foes defeated and the thrill of victory upon them, Jae-sung and Shigi stand triumphant - a monument to their strength and cleverness.

Jae-sung's stood over the corpse of the giant viper. The serpent lay still, its massive frame twisted and broken, its eyes dull and lifeless. But Jae-sung saw only the riches that lay before him. And then, with careful precision, he extracted vials of venom from the serpent's sac.

They glowed in the darkness, like a distilled essence of death. This venom, he knew, would be of great use to the alchemists and sorcerers who plied their trade in the shadows. For them, it was a potent ingredient, a rare and valuable substance that could bring both power and peril.

He held the metal vials up, examining them closely. They were small and unassuming, yet they held within them a terrible potency. He could feel the weight of their potential in his hands, a sense of danger and wonder that both thrilled and frightened him.

Jae-sung, driven by an insatiable curiosity, dared to take an infinitesimal amount of venom, so minuscule that it could scarcely be seen by the naked eye. The venom was both hypnotic and deadly, and Jae-sung felt it coursing through his veins like liquid fire. At first, he felt nothing, but then, suddenly, it hit him like a thunderbolt. The venom worked its way through every inch of his body, with an agonizing intensity, causing him to writhe and twist in the throes of an indescribable pain.

But as the poison seeped deeper into his body, he began to notice a transformation within himself. His senses sharpened and his awareness expanded, as though he was seeing the world through a new lens. His stats had improved along with a notification:

"New passive skill unlocked, Toxin resistance."

Jae-sung remembered what he had learned in his classes, describing of how the venom could be used in such a manner. He was delighted to know that the teachings held true.

And so, Jae-sung emerged from the burrows, the darkness of the subterranean tunnels replaced by the warmth of the sun. The city of Seoul was a blur of sights, a jumbled cacophony of voices and lights.

As the sun began its descent beneath the horizon, Jae-sung made his way through the labyrinthine alleys and dimly-lit passageways of the sprawling city. His eyes darted nervously from side to side, scanning the shadows for any sign of danger, while his hand gripped tightly the small vials of precious liquid clutched within his pocket.

With each step, the din of the bustling metropolis grew fainter, replaced by the low hum of whispered conversations and the shuffling of feet. At last, he arrived at his destination: a small, nondescript storefront tucked away in the heart of the seedy underbelly of the city.

As he pushed open the creaking door, he was met with a cloud of acrid smoke and the sound of raucous laughter. The room was dimly-lit, illuminated only by a flickering lantern that cast eerie shadows on the walls. A group of unsavory characters lounged about, their eyes gleaming with avarice and suspicion.

Jae-sung approached the seedy peddler, he produced the small vial from his pocket. The man's eyes narrowed as he inspected the precious liquid, his grizzled face contorting into a sly grin.

"Ahh, snake venom," he hissed, his fingers curling greedily around the vial. "A rare and valuable commodity indeed."

After the transaction was completed Jae-sung's phone buzzed, as he saw Seo-yun's message: "Drinks tonight?"