Chapter XLIII - Cure (part 1)

The team returned to the kingdom during the evening. 

I am already waiting for them at the diner. I had a feeling that they would come back at night by predicting from experience, and it looks like I was right.

Somewhere around 8 or 9 PM, a few hours after the third bell, the team arrived at the diner. All looked exhausted and dirty. The other customers don't seem to mind them. Well maybe they do, but they have gotten used to the whole adventurer thing in a restaurant.

Adventurers tend to get dirty so they can eat, so these people understood that it was dirt from hard work.

Though looked dirty, Barett had already put away his heavy armour, which left him with only the dirty shirt underneath. Everyone else seemed to have also removed their original dirty clothes, but they are still dirty. Hod excused them to the back where they could change into the clean extra clothes they brought during missions.

After changing, they came to the front desk and ordered food before sitting at my table. I'm just looking at them with a dumbfounded face while they silently sit down.

"I'm guessing the mission didn't go too well...?"

I opened the conversation with a question. Hod shook his head and looked at me.

"That's the thing... The mission has gone far too well."

He said with such a saddened tone, and everyone nods heavily as well. Meanwhile, I only became confused. If the mission went so well, then why are they sad?

"I think the issue here is that because the mission was too easy, we all actually made it in a single day."

Valey gave her opinion while wiping her face with a cloth, and I began to understand why.

"If only the mission was difficult, we could have skipped it till tomorrow."

"And now it's taking a toll on us."

Cony and Barett added to Valey's comment, and I nodded firmly after understanding.

Ah. So, they simply forced themselves. Got it.

"Well... The most important thing is that we completed the mission."

Hod summarized, and I nodded at the team leader. He then proceeded to take out all the materials they gathered from his space ring and pushed it towards me. I counted the amount correctly, and they all passed.

"Thank you, guys. The items are complete and in good condition. Now, I can do the tests."

I said while studying their qualities, and everyone quickly realized what these items are for.

"Tests?"

Cony seemed to mind that word, but I just grinned and put a finger on my lips.

"You'll know soon enough."

I said cryptically, and they only turned confused. Before long, their food arrived. 

Hod helped his mother do the dishes after eating, while the others shared their mission with me. Seems like Valey did quite well on this mission because the others complimented her shooting skills quite immensely. Well, she is the best female archer in the adventurers list, so it made sense if her teammates are proud of her.

After chatting for an hour, we all split up and went home. The others are probably going to sleep, but not me.

I waited the whole day for this. I will start immediately.

The night passes by with a lot of experimentation. The very next day, I opened my eyes to see the bright sunlight as if yelling at me that I overslept.

Oh. Damn. What time is it?

"What...?"

That bell wasn't the first bell. That was... the second bell.

I lifted my body up and I could feel my whole body, especially my head, hurt like crazy. Holy heck, how long did I sleep?

There are literal books and glass bottles on the floor and bed. Some shattered, some still had this black liquid inside. The books had fallen over from my bed and slapped open on the ground, while the broken glass bottles were scattered in pieces.

I can see that I fell asleep on the floor. Great. However, I also realized something else.

I did not fall asleep last night.

I fainted. I nearly died.

Last night, I was working with the cure. The materials that Hod and the others had brought me... were all in good condition. I was very happy about that.

And with those materials, I created three types of consumables based on my research. 

One that heals your whole body continuously over time, a 'Healing' potion.

One that helps you gather more magic energy more effectively than a magic energy drink, a 'Super Magic Energy Drink'.

And one that destroys your entire magic soul and has a small chance of killing you. Basically poison that corrodes your magic soul with a liquid curse... yeah, those exist.

My plan was to drink the potion that continuously heals my entire body including my magic soul, and also drink the one that can destroy the magic soul and kill you. If my soul can withstand that much pain and pressure, it will most likely make the soul even stronger, possibly healing it. And to do that, I will need an enormous amount of magic energy inserted into me. That's where the third drink comes in.

It's... an extremely risky method. Any of these drinks can result badly if taken the wrong way. Drinking an excessive amount of the 'Healing' potion can cause tumors to grow on me. Drinking too little can kill me, because the third drink will try and destroy my magic soul. 

And the dosage of the magic poison drink HAS to be carefully calculated. If taken too little, it will have no effect, hence the experiment will be a waste. If taken too much, then it's obvious. I'll die.

After getting all their dosages properly, I drank all three at once. In an instant, my body was immediately dropped into deep stress. I fell unconscious because my body and mind couldn't handle the pain.

And now, I'm on the floor. I can see that a little bit of my left arm actually got cut by a piece of the broken glass. I can feel ten times more pain than I thought.

So... did it work? Did my experiment... that nearly killed me... worked?

I lifted my hand, and I felt quite nervous. I didn't cast magic right away because I wasn't sure if this will result well or not.

If this didn't work... then what am I going to do? There's still a lot of ingredients left, but that doesn't mean I can just make another drug easily. I will have to do research again...

Screw it. Let's just see the result first and figure it out later.

I commanded my magic energy to flow into my right hand, and I tried casting a small healing light.

However... right when I thought I had already casted it...

Where's my healing light? Hello?

I focused my right hand to create a single healing light. But no matter how hard I closed my eyes, there was just no ball of light appearing.

My brain immediately thought... the worse.

I tried creating a fireball. Nothing.

I tried the healing magic again, but just a simple beginner's tier this time. Still nothing.

I tried making another form of fire magic again. Nothing.

"Fuck!!"

Panicking, I stood up and grabbed my space ring from on top of the table. I put it on and summoned a sword.

The orcish sword quickly summoned into the palms of my hands. The perfect feeling of me holding a sword quickly made me relieved, but just a little bit.

I tried enchanting the sword with magic, but nothing. Nothing is happening. The sword isn't glowing or anything. I tried commanding my magic to insert flame magic into the sword, but nothing was happening. 

Nothing.

My magic... isn't working.

My whole body is shaking to the new reality that I found myself in. I began to question everything, and I decided to do one final test.

I quickly summoned the magic testing tool. And without a single second wasted, I put my hand on the tool. The big crystal quickly shined and the smaller crystal showed me the result.

7665/7665.

My magic energy... is back? It's full!

Then, why can't I use magic!? What the hell is going on!?

This is weird. I have a full stock of magic energy, unlike before when I only have like 7 or 12. And yet, why can't I use magic?

I quickly sat down on my bed and tried to think this through. My magic energy is full, but I can't use magic. Does this mean the cure works, but with a little side effect?

I don't have anyone to ask about this, so I will just have to go with the theory that I shouldn't be using magic for a certain time after taking the cure.

But, how do I know that some time in the future my magic will activate again?

If it's like this, then I can't come to a healing act... 

Which is... tomorrow.

"Oh god, what is going on..."

I put my back on the bed and closed my face with my right hand. I moved my finger so that my eyes could see the ceiling.

I summoned a bandage from my magic ring and closed the wound on my left arm that was caused by the shattered glass bottles. Right there and then, I realized something I didn't notice before.

I can still use my magic ring. The storage ring that requires magic to be used. However... I can't use any major magic at all.

"What does this mean...? What should I do...?"

Waiting for it to suddenly 'activate' is not going to help if it won't activate at all. Unless I do something, I may not be able to use magic ever again.

Apparently, I have made the situation somewhat worse. Well done, me.

The sun is on the top, and the second bell has passed, so it should be past 1 PM. I looked out the window as my mind tried to guess as to what I should do.

If my magic won't activate... then perhaps it needs something to go active? A key...? An activation key? Do I have to jumpstart it like an engine?

Jumpstart... Engine. Damn.

I have an idea. I may or may not like this, but I have to take the risk. It might as well kill me if it didn't work.

I stood up and took a deep breath before preparing up.

Perhaps... I just needed a very powerful moment to revive it. 

.

.

.