Chapter 648: Two Assassination Tricks Up the Sleeve, All Set!

Let’s not discuss toxicity without dosage... No, let’s not dwell on dosage control issues, but rather focus on the problem of remotely administering the medication into the opponent’s bloodstream.

Garrett and Andrew Lynn, after repeated experiments and summaries, discovered two patterns:

Firstly, the stronger the recipient’s physique, the greater the resistance to magic.

“The resistance of a cow is greater than that of a rabbit; the resistance of a lower-level magical beast is greater than that of an ordinary animal.”

Garrett scribbled down a few notes. He looked up, his gaze filled with concern as he regarded Andrew Lynn:

“So, if your enemy is a high-tier powerhouse…”

“We need to find ways to minimize resistance,” Andrew Lynn replied with a nonchalant smile. Facing the potential formidable enemies of the future, his face showed no hint of worry:

“The second pattern, the greater the distance the medication is from the body, the stronger the magic resistance.”

“Have you tried this before?”

“It has been tried by predecessors. For instance, saltpeter has greater resistance than nitroglycerin, and mercury and arsenic’s resistance is so great that, when cast by an equally skilled caster, the failure rate is as high as 90%.”

So why choose saltpeter? It’s all about balancing success rates and lethality.

Our predecessors didn’t just experiment with other casting materials, but the efforts were either too strenuous or the effects too poor...

Like injecting a drop of water into the opponent’s veins? The resistance is indeed lower, but it’s useless!

Emmmmm...

“So, Big Brother Andrew Lynn, the material for this spell should be something already present in the recipient’s body, right? That would meet the least resistance?”

“Exactly, but—”

Andrew Lynn suddenly fell silent. Just then, Garrett, clinking and clanking, dug through his spatial bag for a while and pulled out a small vial.

“Big Brother Andrew Lynn, try this?”

Andrew Lynn took it with skepticism. He closely observed the fine white powder, which looked almost like table salt;

Pouring out a pinch, he rubbed it between his fingers, feeling almost the same;

He looked to Garrett for confirmation. Garrett nodded with an encouraging smile:

“Lick it and see, it’s safe, no poison.”

Without hesitation, Andrew Lynn licked it. Then, involuntarily, his face contorted:

“So salty!”

Bitterly salty!

To call this stuff table salt, salt itself would weep!

“Potassium chloride?”

Garrett shrugged beside him.

“This impure salt might also contain it, as does blood. Big Brother Andrew Lynn, come on, try it?”

Andrew Lynn took a deep breath, gulped down a bottle of mana potion, and cast the spell again. This time, the magic flowed smoothly, encountering no resistance.

Indeed, substances naturally present in the body meet the least resistance, right?

Magic enveloped the blood mixed with the dissolved potassium chloride, rushing into the rabbit’s body. Instantly, the rabbit let out a painful scream and collapsed.

Garrett was quick to act, handing over a stethoscope. Andrew Lynn swiftly put it on and listened to the rabbit’s chest—

Nothing.

Not a single heartbeat.

He looked at Garrett in shock. Garrett tilted his head, hands spread:

“Right, this stuff really isn’t poisonous. Even if you consumed ten times this amount, it wouldn’t harm you.”

But high concentrations of potassium chloride, when injected intravenously, can cause cardiac arrest. In Garrett’s past life, this was used for executions.

Of course, due to the severe pain caused by high concentrations of potassium chloride, an anesthetic is administered before the injection for humanitarian reasons...

But that’s neither here nor there. After all, when Andrew Lynn casts this spell on someone, it’s a fight to the death:

“Big Brother Andrew Lynn, just remember, injecting this into the body will cause excruciating pain—I’m not sure if this pain could interrupt casting—but once it reaches the heart, it causes immediate cardiac arrest—”

“Is there… any cure? Like, using a detoxification spell or something to draw out the potassium chloride from the body?”

Garrett sighed deeply.

“Drawing it out, the person is doomed for sure. They don’t even need to draw it all out; if the blood potassium level drops to around 1 point something, muscle weakness throughout the body, including the cardiac and respiratory muscles, will lead to a swift death.”

Yes, potassium ions are just that miraculous. Too high or too low, both are fatal. Exceed the limit and die, drop below it, and you’ll die just the same.

Andrew Lynn solemnly stored the vial. With this trump card, in situations of rapid movement, injury, or when facing a higher-level opponent, reducing the chances of successful casting, it’s as good as having an extra

life!

“You…”

“Big Brother Andrew Lynn, I have another method worth trying.” Before he could express his gratitude or say something similar, Garrett’s mind flashed, and he hurriedly interrupted:

“Try using air! If you have nothing on you, injecting air mixed with blood into the enemy’s body might also work!”

Adventuring always comes with times of utter destitution. But if his calculations are correct, then taking a drop of blood from his body, scooping up some air, could also use this spell for a counter-kill!

Andrew Lynn hesitated momentarily, seeing Garrett’s urgent prompting, he decided to follow his advice. Garrett gave suggestions from the side:

“The heart! Aim for the heart! Inject the air directly into the heart! That’s the fastest!”

He commanded while simultaneously casting a spell to measure blood oxygen saturation and an electrocardiogram spell on the rabbit. On the light screen, a full, bright display showed 100% saturation, and the ECG lines were regular; the rabbit appeared perfectly normal.

The spell was cast silently. No flames, no strong acids, nothing external that would immediately draw attention. In other words, using this spell for a long-distance assassination significantly reduces the chances of being noticed.

However, not long after the spell was cast, the blood oxygen saturation plummeted, the rabbit’s breathing became rapid, and it grew agitated. The ECG went haywire, and soon, a straight line appeared—

“The heartbeat stopped?!”

Andrew Lynn exclaimed in astonishment. Garrett softly lamented:

“Yes, an air embolism caused the sudden cardiac arrest. Big Brother Andrew Lynn, be very careful with this magic, if you hit the wrong person, I’m not even sure I can save them!”

“Don’t worry!” Andrew Lynn readily agreed. He looked at Garrett, about to speak, but before he could, Garrett continued:

“Thinking of reporting to Black Crow Swamp? Want to write a paper? That’s all fine!—But Big Brother Andrew Lynn, you need to help me break down this spell, I want to study how to control the dosage!”

“No problem!” Andrew Lynn pounded his slender chest:

“Don’t worry, I won’t leave Nevis before I teach you!”

…So you still plan to go out and adventure?!

Although worried, Garrett knew that everyone has their own path to advance. Just like Garrett himself, if he didn’t strive to practice medicine, he’d probably be stuck as a priest apprentice. As for Andrew Lynn, if he didn’t venture out, it would likely hinder his development…

Thus, Garrett had no choice but to deliberately slow down his learning progress, letting Andrew Lynn practice the spell a bit more. Of course, he himself also encountered a dilemma:

“So how exactly do we determine the blood potassium level?”

Beside him, in front of Andrew Lynn lay a plate of potassium chloride, a pair of tweezers, a row of rabbit cages. They had progressed to the point of pinching a granule, casting a spell, then pinching another granule, casting another spell…

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