"Ugh... My head..." - I groggily groaned as a killer headache hit me like a sledgehammer.

With my eyes still closed, I tried to recall my situation.

"I-I remember drinking the mistress's potion. I then fell unconscious. After that, I felt pain. So much pain. It was as if I was being eaten alive by something..."

I then started to recall more details.

"Oh, right. When I was about to be completely consumed, I got angry and ate half of the thing that was eating me, and then forced the other half to become a part of me..."

"What a strange nightmare..." - I muttered as I opened my blurry eyes.

What greeted my eyes was a painted ceiling with an unlit magic crystal attached to it. I recognized this ceiling.

"This is the mistress's room, and I am on her bed... Did she bring me here when I wasn't conscious?"

Thinking to this point, I tried to get up from the bed. However, I soon found out that my body felt heavy, and I struggled to get up.

"Hah? Why do I feel so heavy?" - I muttered and then kept struggling to get up.

After around a minute, I finally managed to raise my torso with the feeble support of my hands.

"I feel so... weak..." - I said as I scanned the room.

After a quick scan, I realized I was the only one in the room. Looking at the window seal, I realized that it was already morning.

"I slept for so long? I probably missed the morning training and breakfast."

Gurgle* - My stomach agreed.

"Hah... I better get up and ask Thrakkare for some leftovers." - I tried to get out of the bed.

Slip* Thump*

When I got out of bed on my two legs, however, my entire body slipped and I fell to the ground.

"W-Whats wrong with me... Why am I so weak?" - I asked myself.

"Ah, that's right, it must be a side effect of the potion! Maybe I will get better in time." - I tried to convince myself as I unsteadily stood up.

I also noticed that I was completely naked, so I checked the surroundings for clothing. Luckily for me, I found clothes prepared on the bed's edge.

After struggling to put them on, I shakily started walking towards the door, when suddenly, it opened.

Standing at the door was an old fox-kin I learned to know for the past few days.

"Mog, I see you are awake!" - Erno gave a kind smile and walked to me.

"Sir Erno! I...Wah! Thump*" - On instinct, I gave him a slight bow in greeting. However, just this simple movement caused me to fall to the hard floor. My hands hurt much more than they usually do when blocking a fall.

"Mog?! Are you okay, child?!" - Erno was startled and rushed to support me.

"Sir Erno, I... I don't know. I feel so weak, so very weak. Is this a side effect of the potion?"

I was at a loss. Never had I felt so weak before. It was different than weakness that came from hunger, dehydration, cold, heat, or a fever. It was more fundamental. It was like losing most of the muscles you honed and trained your whole life in a single day.

"Wait... My muscles?"

I tried to clench my arm's muscle, but it only shook from exertion. It even felt a little painful. I looked over and saw that my previously well-defined muscles were missing, replaced by useless flesh.

"Sir Erno, do you know what is happening to me? Why are my muscles like this?!"

"Ah... Child, I don't know how to tell you this..." - Erno said with a sigh.

A had a bad premonition, "What is it?"

"Let's... Let's get you something to eat, first. I will tell you after breakfast."

Even though my foreboding grew worse, I hesitantly followed Erno to the dining area. When we went down the stair, I had to use him as support, or I would fall.

As we went down, I bumped into Faevyre going up the stairs.

When she looked at me, she noticeably grimaced. However, she still talked to me.

"Hey, kid... I heard about what happened to you... Don't worry, you will get better in no time! I am sure of it! So hang in there!" - She said and walked away quickly.

"... Sir Erno? What is going on?" - I asked Erno, who was supporting me.

"Er... We told the servants that the mistress used you as a test subject for an experimental potion, and you are now suffering from side effects."

"Well, that is the truth." - I thought in self-derision.

"By the way, where is the mistress?" - I asked.

"She went to the mage's guild to help prepare potions for the upcoming Goblintide extermination."

"Hah? They can make her do that?" - I asked in surprise.

"Yes, they can. All mages of a city must contribute their services in times of crisis and when needed. Even if they don't fight, they must help in other ways. The mistress is a powerful alchemist, so she makes potions. Naturally, she receives compensation, although far less than normal."

"Hah... Then what about you? You're a fifth-circle mage, right?"

"Me? I need to stay in the city. I am part of the city garrison. I take shifts to maintain the city's defensive runes and the such."

"I Hah* see Hah*..." - I answered while starting to pant.

Although I was merely walking, it felt like I was running with how heavy and tired my body felt.

Soon, after a very tiring (and very slow) walk, we successfully reached the dining area. There was nobody present in the dining area, and most of the food on the table was already cleaned up, save for some cold dishes that were deliberately left where I usually sit.

"Sit down and eat, Mog. You must be famished." - Erno said while pulling the chair back.

"Thank you, sir Erno." - I shakily sat down on the chair, and he then pushed me to the table so I could eat with comfort.

I then started to eat my cold breakfast. However, even eating felt laborious, as tearing apart the bread and chewing it felt hard to do. I had to soak it in the dip for a long time, turning it soggy, before I could eat it with relative comfort.

As I ate, I asked, "Sir Erno, can you please tell me what is going on with me?"

"Ah, erm... I think you should finish eating first. I will tell you in the study." - Erno dodged the subject and averted his gaze from me.

However, this made me even more worried, causing me to slowly lose my appetite. However, under Erno's urging, I still finished my breakfast.

He then took me to the study. Only after he locked the door and activated the runes of the room did he start to speak.

"Listen, Mog. Last night, the potion did something to you. The mistress adamantly believes it is successful, and it is just a side-effect, but it is still a fact that something did happen to you." - Erno tried to explain.

"I know that already, but what exactly happened?!" - I glared at him and asked.

"Er... Well... We did an advanced analysis on you when you were asleep... I will show the results." - He said as he took out a folded piece of parchment and showed it to me.

When I saw the results on it, I was beyond mortified.

"W-Wah... I-I have G- Strength?! Vitality and agility are G?! Even my Aura is G-?! W-What is going on! I am weaker than a young child!" - I exclaimed in shock.

G- in strength is equivalent to the strength of a young kid below the age of 5. A drastic reduction in vitality and agility by more than a whole rank was also very disturbing. As for Aura, for it to drop to G- is equivalent to me losing my aura attunement, something that I should have inherently. Also, my status says that I am normal, which means that nothing is wrong with me. These were ill omens.

"Now calm down, Mog. Although this looks very bad, the mistress insists that it should only be temporary, and you will be able to retrain it back." - Although he said that, his words sounded forced.

This caused me to start tearing up as I felt the world collapse around me.

"Sniffle* Y-Your lying! I-I lost my talent! I-I-I'm ruined! I'm a cripple! Boohoohoohoo* Waaahaaa*!" - I screamed and cried like a little kid.

Losing my talent was the same as being a cripple. As for the mistress's words about it being temporary, I could see that Erno didn't believe it himself. In other words, it's over. I am a cripple. All dreams of adventure and grandeur were dashed. Just like that.

No wonder Faevyre didn't want to chat with me. I wouldn't want to chat with me either if I knew that I just lost my talent!

As I was crying, Erno hesitated for a bit before saying, "Child, don't lose heart. Maybe it really is only temporary. Perhaps you have gained something from the potion. After all, it was blessed by Ximjun, god of medicine and alchemy, himself. Perhaps you will feel it in the next few days? Who knows? In the meantime, try and rehabilitate your body and rest. Maybe join me and read a few books?"

Hearing his words did calm me down a bit.

I wiped my tears and snot and said, "I- Hic* t-thank you. Sniffle*."

"Ah, your now a mess. Let me clean you up. Clean." - Erno said as he waved his hand. I shined a bit as the tears and snot on my turned to white smoke, disappearing into the air. However, new tears and snot soon replaced them, albeit, at a slower pace than before.

"Erno, I-I want to Hic* go to my room and rest..." - I said, still downcast. 

"Ah... Of course. Let me take you there after you calm down a bit. Don't want the servants to gossip your a crybaby, do you?"

"Thanks..."

It took me around ten minutes to finally calm down. Erno then took me to my room to rest.

Before he left, Erno told me, "Livia will come to pick you up when it is lunchtime. Do come to my lesson after lunch."

After he left, I lay on my bed and stared blankly at the ceiling.

After staring at it for around half an hour, I sighed and muttered, "I wish I could see my status like the time when Menvi Kiadunrac did. If I could, I would at least know if I still have talents..."

After I said that, suddenly, I received information directly into my mind, making my eyes go wide.