Using the venom of the Russell's Viper has various advantages.
First of all, these creatures' venom is incredibly potent.
The LD50, or lethal dose for 50% of the population, when injected intravenously, is only 0.16 milligrams.
This means that the lethal dose for a human would range from 40 to 70 milligrams.
For adult snakes, it is known that their venom weighs around 250 milligrams when dry. Given that venom is approximately 90% water, when it is in liquid form, the volume is around 2,500 milligrams.
If we calculate the average lethal dose of 55 milligrams, the amount of venom in just one Russell’s Viper is enough to kill about 45 people.
This is why, in my previous life, the Indian cobra, the spiny bush viper, the Russell’s viper, and the umbrella snake were all considered the four deadliest snakes of India.
Russell’s Viper alone accounted for 40% of the snakebite deaths in Southeast Asia, making it one of the most vicious snakes.
This means that with a very small amount of venom, the Blood Cult could be made to tremble.
If smeared on a blade or used in a piercing strike, not only would internal energy be blocked, but even if the person managed to flee, their survival would be uncertain.
"It looks like I’ll need to catch more of them in Yunnan," I said.
Grandfather smiled, forgetting the days he had scolded me like a rat in a trap, as he looked at the gel-like substance made from the snake's venom.
This was some excellent venom, after all.
One strike from this venom would bring a refreshing sense of clarity to us, while inflicting heavy, suffocating pain on the enemy. It was truly a great venom to use.
"Yes, it would be best to send warriors to catch more. These creatures don't prefer forests; they like wide open fields and residential areas. We’ll need to search those areas."
"Ah, I see. Wide grasslands near villages? Got it."
"Also, we won't need to capture too many. They can quickly increase their numbers."
"Really?"
Another advantage was that these creatures did not live in forests but preferred wide open fields, making them easier to capture.
Their main food sources are rats and lizards, so they thrive near villages where such prey can be found.
Though they cause great harm to people, their tendency to live near human settlements makes them easy to collect.
But that’s not all.
One of the key features of these creatures is that they are viviparous.
Unlike other snakes that lay eggs, Russell’s Vipers give birth to live young, which is one of their greatest advantages.
They can birth 20 to 40 offspring in a single litter. In an era where hatching eggs in incubators or using temperature-controlled methods is difficult, having live birth makes them easy to increase in number.
They give birth inside the mother, and once born, it’s just a matter of raising them.
As long as they are born, we can easily raise them using our factory, which continuously produces Pinkies.
So, they’re perfect for us at the Tang Clan, a great source of venomous creatures.
However, they are highly aggressive, so care must be taken when breeding them.
"Yes, they give birth to live young, making it easy to increase their numbers."
"Really? They give birth? Excellent. Good. Then, we’ll send the warriors who went to Yunnan along with the Poison Master back there to capture as many as possible."
"Understood."
After several days of frustration due to Bini's disappearance, Grandfather was finally in a much better mood.
***
For several days, Hwa-eun, who had been scolded by Grandfather, gathered all the children in the pavilion while So-ryong went to talk with Grandfather and visit the Poison Vault.
It seemed that today she had to give the children a bit of guidance.
Although it might seem like nagging, she had come to realize that simply showering Bini with love wasn't always the best approach, especially seeing what had happened with him.
After several days of thinking, she wondered if, had she been a little less indulgent when Bini was being spoiled, maybe she could have prevented him from running away.
If she had scolded him firmly when he was sulking and told him not to act like that with his father, this situation might not have happened.
So, she called Yo-hwa to the contact room and, after waking up Cho, who had been sleeping more than usual since becoming the Divine O-Gong, she pulled him outside. Of course, Yendu, the Divine Insect who had been lying next to Cho, came along as well.
Yendu only moved every few days when eating Hwa-ri’s offspring, so he usually stayed coiled next to So-ryong’s room.
Before So-ryong left for the Poison Vault, Hyeong, Seol, and Bini had already gathered, so only Bini, who had run away, was missing.
"Everyone is here," Hwa-eun said as she looked at the gathered children.
She looked at them one by one: the beautiful large blue O-Gong, Cho, who had recently joined the family; the cool Yendu; the cute Seol and Bini; and the still-small, yellow-and-blue-spotted Hyeong. Finally, Yo-hwa, who resembled Hwa-eun.
As she moved her gaze from one child to the next, she noticed their curious expressions, their heads tilted in confusion, especially Seol and Bini, who blinked up at her. Hwa-eun almost rushed over to hug them, nearly forgetting that she needed to give them some advice.
Their sparkling, curious eyes were too adorable, and she nearly forgot that she had to scold them.
'Ugh... I must stay strong,' she thought.
She managed to suppress her feelings, taking a deep breath, and reminded herself of the reason for her resolve.
Hwa-eun had reflected deeply on what Grandfather had said when he scolded her.
"How can parents be so complacent?"
Those words had made her realize something. Though she had been calling herself a mother, there was still a part of her that subconsciously thought, "They’re not really my children."
Her own parents loved her deeply, but they had scolded her when necessary. Indulging in her children without correction was not being a good mother.
What had started as a playful relationship with So-ryong had unexpectedly turned serious. She had fallen so deeply into the role of his wife without even realizing it.
But now, she could no longer treat the children as if it were all just a game.
She had worried so much about Bini’s disappearance.
Hwa-eun took another deep breath and, with a firm resolve, addressed the six children before her.
"The reason I called you all here is to give you some advice."
The children tilted their heads again, making her feel even more affectionate, and for a moment, she paused in her words. She bit her lower lip and continued, her tone serious.
"You must never leave the house like Bini did. Do you understand?"
"You saw how Mom and Dad got scolded by Grandfather, right? Especially Dad, who got a huge scolding. If you’re upset, you should talk to us. But running away like that..."
She had never had to scold the children before, so her words just spilled out as she thought of them.
Turning to look, Seol was having his cheek sniffed by Bini, who then quickly pulled away.
It seemed like they were just playing around.
"Focus."
It was difficult to expect children to focus, not being adults themselves. She gave them a slight warning, then tried to continue.
At that, the other venomous creatures turned to look at Seol, and then Bini gently bit Seol’s neck.
Hwa-eun quickly tried to pull Bini off, but what had started as a playful bite turned into a full-blown struggle.
"Bini, stop! Why are you biting your friend?"
What started as a harmless prank escalated into Bini biting Seol’s neck.
Seol, startled, began running wildly, trying to escape.
"Seol! Bini, stop it! I told you not to fight your friends!"
But despite Hwa-eun’s warning, Bini did not stop.
The two ran through the pavilion and into the yard, chasing each other through trees and rocks, refusing to stop.
Seol screamed as he ran, with Bini chasing him with firm steps.
"Someone, help!" Hwa-eun called for help, but the other children just blinked, unsure of what to do.
Realizing she couldn’t handle it herself, Hwa-eun thought that she needed to call So-ryong for help.
Seol was in real danger, and she couldn’t let this go on.
"I’m going to bring Dad. You all stay here," she told the children before rushing off to the Poison Vault.
She felt a sense of helplessness, realizing that she couldn’t even stop her own children from fighting.
***
When I finished extracting venom from the Russell’s vipers and placed it in the venom extraction jar, Hwa-eun suddenly burst in.
"So-ryong! We have a big problem!"
Her voice, filled with urgency, made me feel a sense of déjà vu.
What was going on this time?
"A big problem?" I blinked in surprise, not understanding what was happening, as Hwa-eun grabbed my hand and pulled me toward her.
"Something’s happened! Seol and Bini are fighting! Seol is screaming and running away, and Bini won’t stop chasing him! If this continues, Seol might get seriously hurt!"
"They’re fighting!?"
Seol, the gentle Seol, and Bini, the one who had always taken care of Seol, had no reason to fight.
This was a serious problem.
I quickly followed Hwa-eun, startled by the news, and headed toward the pavilion. I had finished making the venom samples and had already finished talking with Grandfather, so there was no reason to stay back.
"Yes, I had gathered the children in the pavilion and was talking to them when suddenly..."
"And they started fighting?" I asked, confusion still lingering.
"I don’t know. It seemed like they were just playing around, then suddenly Bini bit Seol’s neck..."
"His neck?"
As we ran toward the pavilion, I asked more about what had happened, trying to understand why they started fighting.
Thinking about it, the cause of their fight might be rooted in hierarchy. Seol, having gotten weaker after his tail was cut off and after being sick, might have lost some of his strength, which led to a potential challenge in their relationship.
Even though humans wouldn’t think much about it, animals care deeply about who’s the leader, and this could have been a matter of asserting dominance.
"They were making strange noises while biting Seol’s neck, like ‘Kook! Kook! Kook!’" Hwa-eun said, imitating the sounds with a cute expression.
I suppressed a laugh, nodding to her.
"‘Kook! Kook! Kook!’?" I repeated, surprised.
"Yes, they were making that sound while chasing Seol with Bini biting his neck."
"Chasing Seol while biting his neck..."
I had seen geckos fight before, and they often bite the neck or the face of their opponent, so it seemed like an ordinary fight. But then a thought crossed my mind when we entered the yard.
I had to confirm it. I checked Seol and Bini’s genitals, but they looked so similar that I couldn’t be sure.
Usually, there would be some obvious differences, but they looked almost identical. Still, they were most likely a pair.
‘If Seol is female and Bini is male... then this might be...’ I thought, realizing something important.
We stopped in front of the pavilion, and Hwa-eun quickly asked the children.
"Where are Seol and Bini?"
Yo-hwa pointed to the nearby grass.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I... well, I’m not sure how to explain this..."
Before I could finish, Hwa-eun pulled away from me and ran toward the bush.
"We need to check if Seol is alright. Why did Bini bite Seol like that?"
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Despite my objections, Hwa-eun entered the bushes, and I could hear her scolding Bini.
"Bini, why did you bite Seol and now climb onto his body? Hiiik..."
Hwa-eun seemed startled, and I could hear her hiccuping in shock.
Soon, she backed out of the bush, looking pale, as if she had been poisoned by the venom. She looked at me with a stunned face and muttered, "I... I think we’re about to become grandparents..."