Richard felt that there was no point in strengthening his resolve. This did not require resolve—only action without hesitation.
He forced his hand and mouth to move. At the very least, he managed to place the bottle in front of his lips.
Hesitation surfaced again in his mind, but once more, he forced himself.
He pushed the bottom of the bottle, pouring its contents into his mouth.
With that push, a considerable amount of the potion flowed straight down his throat.
His eyes widened as even his throat felt intensely bitter.
He realized that it even flowed into his airway, heading toward his lungs.
Strangely, it did not make him cough.
Still, at least a fair amount entered his mouth.
He stopped when he could no longer endure it and saw that half of the bottle's contents were already gone.
At that moment, he felt a sensation throughout his body—a sensation as if his body could now hold more Aether.
