Chapter 83: Enhanced Potion
"I... I quit on my own. I gradually reduced the dosage of magic drugs until I could quit," Ivan said, his gaze avoiding Roland's as he spoke softly.
"Dora, your father needs to rest. Let the maid take you to the garden to play. There's a swing there, and I'll take good care of him," Roland said with a smile, addressing Dora.
"Swing!" Dora's eyes lit up, and she kissed Ivan's cheek before saying, "Father, listen to Roland's words, okay?"
Once Dora left, leaving only the two of them in the room, Roland looked at Ivan and said, "You're lying. If quitting magic drugs was that simple, it wouldn't be called the Devil's Invitation."
Ivan lowered his head and remained silent, unconsciously gripping the bedsheet with his hands.
"Don't worry, I don't mean any harm. You know, I'm a physician, and I've seen many patients tormented to death by magic drugs. You must understand the pain better than I do," Roland earnestly looked at Ivan. "If there is a way to quit using magic drugs, it would be a blessing for all magic drug addicts."
Ivan looked up at Roland, his expression is sincere and his gaze pure.
He subconsciously glanced at his package but quickly averted his gaze.
No, he had promised Dr. Charlotte that he would never mention him to anyone.
"I see. Lord Roland, I can't help you. I truly quit on my own," Ivan said, trying to remain calm.
Roland had saved him, but Dr. Charlotte had also given him a new lease on life.
He couldn't betray Dr. Charlotte and put him in danger. He couldn't do such a thing.
"Alright, I apologize for being presumptuous. Rest well, and I'll make sure someone takes care of Dora," Roland nodded slightly and turned to leave.
"Go and investigate Ivan in the 8th Lane of Tova Street. He should have a tailor shop. Find out which clinic he recently visited," Roland ordered the guard beside him as they left the courtyard. "Also, investigate the small clinics, especially those skilled in using potions. Investigate them thoroughly."
The guard nodded and carried out the orders.
Alone in the garden, Roland walked with a slight frown on his face.
Ivan's reluctance to reveal the information was most likely due to the instructions of the person who helped him recover.
When he carefully considered the interests involved, it was not difficult to understand.
If a method to quit using magic drugs were to appear, it would shock the entire world.
However, it would also severely harm the interests of some people. In the Abyss, the Jadeson family would never allow such a thing to happen.
It was a fundamental issue that would shake the very core.
Luckily, Charlotte had good agility and managed to dodge the splattered liquid.
"Damn, that's terrifying!" Charlotte quickly marked an "X" on the prescription.
If this were done on humans, they would likely develop psychological scars.
After testing, the dose of the giant red earthworm that was reduced also achieved the effect of eliminating addiction, and the side effects of the medication were noticeably milder than the initial version. The mice only dry-heaved a few times before returning to normal.
Charlotte labeled this version of the potion as "pending."
After cleaning the repulsive cages, only six remained. Two mice were used to test each potion, while the last group was given plain water.
Drinking water couldn't resolve the issue; those two mice still experienced addiction symptoms.
Next, let's test resistance to magic drugs.
Charlotte retrieved the bottle of magic drugs unused from the previous night. As soon as he opened the cork, the two mice amid addiction immediately went berserk, banging against the cage, and rushing toward him. Their eyes turned crimson as if they were on the verge of bursting out at any moment.
Craving, a frenzied craving.
This was how addiction manifested.
Charlotte administered a drop of the magic drug to each of the two mice, and soon they entered an excited state again, spinning in place and doing push-ups.
Conversely, the mice in the four cages above, upon catching the scent of the magic drugs, shrank into the corners of their cages, showing considerable resistance to the drugs.
Charlotte took one mouse out and brought a drop of the magic drug close to its mouth.
The mouse began to display strong resistance, and just as the magic drug was about to enter its mouth, it unexpectedly vomited!
"So, this is how the Aversion Agent got its name?" Charlotte placed the vomited mouse back into the cage and took another one for testing.
As expected, the other four mice that received the potion exhibited strong resistance and demonstrated an aversion to the magic drugs.
Furthermore, the mice that received the initial version of the potion, perhaps due to their previous severe reactions, fell into a coma when faced with the magic drugs again, on the brink of death.
Charlotte quickly administered some stamina potion to the two mice, reviving them.
As for the two mice in the optimized version, their condition was slightly better, but their resistance to the magic drugs remained intact.
"Not bad, let's wait for another cycle of addiction and see if the effects are long-lasting and if there will be relapses." Charlotte closed his notebook.