“This is the “important” matter that you want to talk about, I assume?”

Maria pointed at a weird gigantic human-like Owl who wore a black cape and a pair of glasses.

“Yes, but only a part of it.”

The Advisor grabbed something that looks like candy on the table nearby and gave it to Maria.

“Here, Eat this.”

“Hey, that is...” The giant Owl tried to stop Advisor but was immediately crushed down into the mountain of books by some invisible force.

Maria sniffed the candy-like object and put it into her mouth. It immediately melted and the sweet sensation overwhelmed her sense of taste.

“So sweet!” Maria exclaimed.

“It is a prototype special candy that we just finish created." The Advisor pulled out a bottle filled with the same kind of candy and showed it to Maria "Want more?”

Maria stopped eating candy and focus her attention on the Advisor.

“Option one is by overloading yourself with a special method I just created.”

“Is it safe?” Maria asked

“Well… It hasn't been tested yet...” The Advisor's eyes were glimmering with excitment.

Maria shuddered

“What are the other options?”

“Well, I can toss you into “purifying flame” and then work my way from there. You have experienced the pain once, so the process will be smooth."

Maria shook her head vigorously.

“Don’t you have any method that does not involve pain?”

The Advisor shook her head in response.

“The reason why you can’t control your power is very complicated. If you can’t handle severe pain, I suggest you to forget using this power for the time being and rebuild your own through other means. Feeding Aspect of Violence is one of them. You could also rely on me but only to a certain extend. If I am absent from this place for too long, others will wake up and you will get more tasks in order to keep the body in your control.”

The Advisor pulled the Owl man out of the pile of books he was buried under and pushed him in front of Maria.

“Anyway, I would like you to meet our new friend from last week. He will be your new helper from now on. As for me, I will be busy for a while so don’t disturb me unless it is something important. Have fun.”

Just as the Advisor finished her word, she quickly disappeared into the deeper part of this place, leaving Maria with Tir who had been staring at her while she ate her candies. Finally, Tir spoke.

“Ehem… Don’t you feel anything weird when you gulp down those candies?”

“yes, it has a lot of flavors. Some are sweet, some are a bit sour.”

The Owl patiently asked again.

“No, I mean besides those flavors. Do you feel anything weird?”

Maria shrugged her shoulder and pop another candy into her mouth.

“No, hmm, maybe I feel a bit light headed?”

Tir wrote it down on the book he held in his hand "Anything else?"

Tir eagerness crept Maria out. Seeing her reaction, Tir said.

“Look, What you are chugging down your throat right now are not candies. They are very potent drugs that are used to help oneself get used to a job. I called them the “Profession pill”. However, due to the large drawback, only one pill is supposed to be consumed at a time or there will be serious consequences. Well, as you already know, you have eaten like 5 of them."

Tir chuckled.

“I kind of see why she leaves you like that but as a benefactor, I would like to know your current condition. If things go south from here, I can react quickly and save you.” Tir explained his action while observing Maria attentively.

After hearing Tir's explanation, Maria froze in her spot. After briefly process the information, she spat out the current "candy" that she was chewing and check her body. There seemed to be no side effects yet. Tir laughed at Maria's reaction.

"Well, it seems like you can handle it just fine. However, just to be safe, I will hold on to this until you have completely absorbed the effect of the drug." Tir took the bottle of candy away from Maria.

Maria sit down and take a breath.

“So, I take it that she told you about me?” Maria asked facing Tir.

“Yes, that is correct” Tir answered while reading a book.

Maria lied down on her stomach and look at the ceiling "So, about the drug... what exactly does it do?" Maria asked.

"Well, it is a complicated drug. I called it a "profession pill" due to how it works but you won't know exactly what it offers until it takes effect." Tir gave Maria a casual explaination.

"So, kind of like a gamble." Maria exhaled.

"Not really a gamble if you always end up with positive. I would say it is more about being too random." Tir added in some adjustment to Maria's statement.

Maria asked Tir many more questions and Tir answered each one fluently. Suddenly, Tir stood up and look at the group of clocks from afar then sit down and continued.

"She said I have to remind you that it almost time for you to return to the body. It is something about "Aspect of Violence" feeding time. Is it some kind of pet?" Tir wondered.

Maria stood up and look at the clock "Oh... I almost forgot. No, not a pet. I thought you met it already. Did she not tell you about it?"

Tir shook his head "No, not at all. But if she didn't tell me about it, then it probably a family matter. I have no interest in such thing."

Maria felt like Tir misunderstood her but didn't want to bother explaining. Before Maria leave, she asked one crucial question she forgot to ask before “Do you happen to know any way to make people with no magic ability able to use magic?”

Tir thought about it for a while then he walked to another mountain of book and pick up one inside the pile. He showed a page of it to Maria.

“This is the “Imitator pill”. If you use it, it will let you copy three magic spells by observing it. If you can gather the ingredients for it, I will help you make it.”

"Only three?" Maria was a bit disappointed.

Tir laughed "Three by the count of spell you can make it your permanently. I think it is pretty powerful. Of course, I have other options but the materials are quite literally impossible to obtain."

Maria took the book and read the list of ingredients.

Tir continued “You can buy most of the ingredients on the market. There are only three main things that are rare and require some work to find: Teeth of the infernal mimic chest, crystal from the Nagnirahs cave, and Fairy dust of the elite Fairy’s wings. Anything else you need help with?”

Maria shook her head and leave with the list “No, that’s all for now. Thank you.”

“Good luck, kid. Be careful out there. My disappearance might give you a bit of trouble.”

Tir waved his hand goodbye as Maria teleport back to her own body. This time, Maria no longer felt the immense pain and her head got clearer than before. She opened her eyes and sat up. The room was dark, but Maria was able to see and navigate within the deep darkness like normal. Her actions were so light that there was no sound to wake up Elaina who's sleeping on a chair nearby. A familiar voice rang within Maria's head, halted her action temporary.

“Are you ok now? Don’t need to talk, just nod if it is a yes.”

Maria nodded her head and silently move to a nearby window. It was still very dark outside. Even with the standing lamps illuminated the sidewalk, it still very much impossible to see anything definite within the veil of darkness.

“Well, that’s good. You made me worried when I woke up and heard that you have been sleeping for three days. I would like to hear the full story of it, but it will be hard to converse with each other from now on. It seems that it has something to do with you and now someone is tailing you.”

Maria nodded again as her eyes can now see the full backyard as if it was daylight. After a while, Maria left the window and returned to her bed the same way she did before. She smiled while patting the pendant on her neck and went back to sleep. The pendant glowed dimly in response and blackout like it was before.