The Cycle of Fate

Chapter 14: Five Changes

When Lumian woke up in the gray mist, his first reaction wasn't to check his physical condition but to sit up abruptly and glance at the table by the window.

The three red chestnut flowers and the glass bottle containing the powdered white poplar leaves were quietly placed there, catching the faint light that pierced through the dense fog.

"She really delivered the auxiliary materials..." Lumian sighed with relief, got out of bed, and started stretching his body.

He was delighted to find that the pain in his neck and back had completely disappeared, and the discomfort within him had also vanished.

"As expected, if reality improves, so does the dream. Although the injuries on both sides are not at all proportional..." Lumian quickly walked to the wardrobe with the full-length mirror, removed his upper clothing, and examined himself thoroughly.

The five blood-red fingerprints, the swollen bruises, and the patches of contusions had all vanished.

This made Lumian doubt whether the previous night's hunt for the extraordinary creature had been just a dream.

Fortunately, the deep red item in the cloth bag, the increased amount of money, and the hunting rifle sitting nearby all confirmed the reality of the experience.

With his mind settled, Lumian grabbed the cloth bag containing the deep red item, took a large amount of money, and headed downstairs. He picked up a bottle of red wine, a beer glass, and a can of basil.

Of course, he didn't forget to take the graduated cylinder, small balance, and other teaching instruments that his sister Aurore had bought for him.

Looking at the cluttered desk, he felt a surge of excitement mixed with a bit of nervousness.

Everything was ready, and all that was left was to prepare the potion!

Potions were not beverages; they were even more dangerous than alcohol. A minor mistake could lead to the consumer's death or transformation into a monster.

Lumian took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Then, using the graduated cylinder, he poured 80 milliliters of red wine into the beer glass.

He added 10 grams of basil, 5 grams of white poplar leaf powder, and a red chestnut flower.

There were no abnormalities throughout the process; the red liquid in the beer glass was only slightly more opaque and had a floating flower.

Next, Lumian picked up the cloth bag and watched intently as the deep red item slid into the beer glass.

Without any sound, the deep red seemed to dissolve rapidly, as if the surrounding liquid was being absorbed into it.

Bubbles began to rise, and the blood-red color spread throughout the glass, while the red chestnut flower had mysteriously dissolved.

"So this is the 'Hunter' potion?" Lumian swallowed and lifted the beer glass.

The extraordinary power he had long sought was now within reach.

Without hesitation, Lumian adjusted his breathing, calmed his emotions, tilted his head back, and drank the potion.

**Gulp, gulp, gulp.** The smell of iron seemed to pierce his nose, and he heard some faint hallucinations in his ears.

As soon as he finished drinking the potion and put down the glass, he immediately felt a sharp pain coming from every part of his body.

The pain was so intense that Lumian doubted whether he had swallowed a fire that was now burning his esophagus, stomach, heart, lungs, intestines, and all his blood vessels.