Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Chapter 42

The question stayed in her mind for a moment, but she didn’t ask him. She was too exhausted to start another conversation, especially when she still couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened.

"Lysander," she said quietly.

He turned his head toward her.

"I’m tired. I just want to sleep."

Lysander studied her face for a moment and seemed to understand what she wasn’t saying. He knew she was still hurt by what had happened to her home, even though she had tried to hide it behind anger and threats. Instead of questioning her, he simply led her inside and took her upstairs to his room.

When Ingrid stepped inside, the first thing she noticed was his scent. It filled the room in a subtle but unmistakable way, making the space feel distinctly like him. The room itself was surprisingly neat and organized, with everything placed carefully where it belonged and nothing left lying around carelessly. It was even cleaner than the original Ingrid’s hut had been, which was saying something considering that the original Ingrid had been a complete clean freak.

Lysander remained near the doorway for a moment before asking quietly, "Do you want something to eat?" Lysander stared at her like she was a puppy drenched in the rain.

What was he thinking about? Why stare at her like that? Ingrid wondered, watching him as well. She really had no idea why he was looking at her like that. But she had other things to worry about.

Ingrid shook her head. "No. I just want to be left alone for a while."

He looked at her for another moment, as though he wanted to say something, but eventually nodded. "Alright."

He left without asking any more questions and quietly closed the door behind him.

Ingrid waited until his footsteps disappeared down the hallway before slowly standing from the bed. She walked toward the door and opened it carefully, peeking outside to make sure Lysander had actually gone. After listening for a few seconds and seeing no sign of him, she closed the door again and turned around.

’Lorna.’

The transparent system interface immediately appeared in front of her. ’ I’m right here.’

’I’m back home now, I want the pill.’ Ingrid said excitedly, she was practically bouncing on her feet with a stupid smile etched on her face.

Lorna’s voice remained neutral as she responded. ’ Of course I can give you the pill host, but like I said earlier, there are several things which I would like to warn you about. The Weight Loss Pill will begin working immediately, but the visible results will develop gradually over a period of ten days.’

Ingrid frowned slightly. ’Ten days? Isn’t that too long?’ They had to leave before what that man talked about would happen. If it’s going to be ten days, then that means it’s going to go on while they’re on the road too.

’ Yes. During those ten days, the pill will break down excess fat, remove accumulated toxins and waste from your body, improve your metabolism, regulate your internal functions, and gradually reshape your body according to the pill’s effects.’

Ingrid looked down at herself before asking, ’And what else?’

’ The toxins removed from your body will need to leave through sweat, urine, and other bodily waste. Your body odor may become unpleasant during the detoxification process, so you will need to bathe several times a day and maintain proper hygiene. You may also experience increased sweating, changes in appetite, stomach discomfort, and temporary weakness as your body adjusts.’

Ingrid grimaced at the thought of smelling terrible for ten days, but she quickly nodded. ’Fine. I’ll survive that.’

Lorna continued without changing her expression. ’ Host, you will also need to exercise every day. The pill is not a replacement for physical activity. During the ten-day period, you must walk, run, stretch, and complete regular exercises to encourage the body’s transformation.’

Ingrid nodded again. ’It doesn’t matter, after all, I used to be a gym rat, I’ll do it."

’ You should also maintain a balanced diet and avoid overeating. Taking the pill and continuing to eat excessively without exercising will reduce the effectiveness of the transformation.’

’I said I’ll do everything so stop nagging and hand over the pill already!’ Ingrid was already getting very impatient.

Lorna remained silent for a moment before she hummed. The system’s interface changed.

{ WEIGHT LOSS PILL X1- REDEEMED. CONGRATULATIONS HOST.}

{COUNTDOWN TO WEIGHT LOSS- 240 HOURS. UPON COMPLETION, HOST WILL RECEIVE ALL OF THE ORIGINAL INGRID’S MEMORIES. }

’I haven’t gotten all her memories yet?’

’ No. Your body had to assimilate perfectly before the system transferred her memories to you. If it was done immediately, you would have gone mad from too much intake. That’s why you know too little of this world. Once you get the memories, you’ll be able to understand it all.’

’Alright then. Give me the pill.’

Almost immediately, a small pill appeared in the center of Ingrid’s palm. She stared at it briefly, then swallowed it without hesitation.

{ WEIGHT LOSS PILL SUCCESSFULLY CONSUMED.}

Ingrid waited for something to happen, but for the first few moments, she felt completely normal. She looked at the system with mild confusion and was about to ask whether that was all when Lorna’s expression became more serious.

’ I’ll warn you now, host, you should be prepared. The initial purification process will begin shortly. For the first few hours, the body may experience extreme pain as the pill forces the body to undergo rapid internal changes. Host must endure the discomfort.’

Ingrid’s expression tightened. ’How bad? On a scale of 1-10.’

’ Knowing the host’s threshold for pain, I’d say around 9.’

She stared at the system for several seconds before sighing. ’Fine. I’ll endure it.’

A few minutes passed, and Ingrid still felt normal. The only thing she noticed was that her throat had suddenly become extremely dry, so she decided to get some water. When she opened the door, she found Lysander downstairs, and he immediately looked toward her when he heard her footsteps.

"Are you alright?"

"I just need some water."

Lysander didn’t question her. He went into the kitchen and returned a moment later with a cup of water, which he carefully placed in her hands. Ingrid thanked him quietly before lifting the cup and taking a drink.

The moment the water passed her throat, an intense pain suddenly tore through her chest. Ingrid gasped and instinctively grabbed at her chest as the cup nearly slipped from her hand. The pain became stronger within seconds, spreading from her chest through her shoulders and down into the rest of her body. It felt as though something was forcing its way through every muscle and bone at once, and her legs suddenly became too weak to support her.

’ The purification is starting. Host, it’ll take around 4 hours for the pain to reside. Goodluck.’ Somehow, from Lorna’s mechanical voice, Ingrid could hear concern and that eased her a little, but the pain flared up again.

"Ingrid?"

She tried to answer Lysander, but no words came out. The pain became so overwhelming that she lost her balance, and Lysander immediately caught her before she could hit the floor. He lowered her carefully, his expression changing completely as he realized something was seriously wrong.

"Ingrid, look at me."

She could barely hear him through the pain. Her entire body felt as though it were burning from the inside, and she struggled to keep her eyes open. When she finally managed to look up, the first thing she saw was Lysander’s face, and his purple eyes were filled with unmistakable worry.

Ingrid forced herself to lift one hand and reached for him. Her fingers found his hand, and she held onto it weakly while trying to reassure him.

"I’m... I’m fine. I’ll be awake in a few hours, it’s just a little tribulation from the gods. Don’t be... scared." she whispered. It was the last thing she managed to say before the pain overwhelmed her completely. Her eyes slowly closed, her grip loosened around Lysander’s hand, and everything disappeared into darkness.