The Great Catastrophe was a term used to describe an event where the Earth was massively attacked by monsters about 24 years ago.

These monsters came from Gates, Dungeons, Fractures, and various other magical phenomena.

The human population on Earth experienced a massive depopulation due to the monster attacks, as various human weapons proved ineffective against them.

The number of casualties from The Great Catastrophe was estimated to almost match the combined casualties of World War I and II.

Fortunately, individuals with powers akin to superheroes suddenly appeared and eradicated the monsters.

The damages caused by the monsters were slowly being repaired.

In the end, Earth became peaceful again. However, a magical energy commonly referred to as Mana remained on Earth.

In a positive context, Mana could awaken people and grant them superpowers.

However, in a negative context, Mana could cause people to suffer from various diseases. One common ailment was Mana poisoning.

Mana poisoning occurs when a patient's body can't adapt quickly to Mana.

The severity of the effects would depend on the individual's affinity for Mana and the environment in which the patient lived.

"We have been observing your body for these past two years. As far as we know, your case might be similar to Mana Poisoning, but an extremely severe version?!"

"... Are you asking?"

"..." Olivia remained silent.

"So, can I conclude that you've turned me into a guinea pig for these past two years?"

Whether he liked it or not, Ernest's hair stood on end as he imagined what they might have done to his body.

As he complained, an unexpected event occurred.

"How long are you going to serve an ungrateful patient like him? Shouldn't we just kick him out of here since he's already conscious?"

A male doctor who had been observing Ernest from the side spoke up and addressed Olivia. He had the appearance of a lethargic young man. The black circles under his eyes portrayed his troubled state of mind.

He didn't seem like Olivia's superior, so Ernest was slightly confused about why he dared to speak to Olivia in such a manner.

Seeing the annoyed expression on the male doctor's face, Ernest knew that he wasn't pleased with him. Just hearing the offensive words from the doctor was unpleasant enough. Still, Ernest tried to remain patient.

"You're not the doctor responsible for me, right? So, can't you refrain from interrupting my consultation session with Dr. Olivia?!"

Surprisingly, Ernest's casual words triggered the male doctor's anger.

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Grasp!

"Know your place! You commoner! How dare you..." He suddenly advanced and firmly grabbed Ernest's collar. "We've been good enough to treat a vagrant like you here for free for two years!"

So, he's the type of person who judges someone based on their background?

Ernest finally realized that he was indeed on Earth. No demon would judge someone based on their background; only humans, social creatures, would do that.

"What are you doing, Dr. DuPont?" Olivia asked.

Not only did she ask, but she also acted. Almost reflexively, Olivia suddenly gripped one of Dr. DuPont's hands, which was grabbing Ernest's collar in the blink of an eye.

"Is this how you treat a patient? How can you call yourself a doctor?"

"Ugh!!"

Dr. DuPont's face looked puzzled because Olivia could exert more power than he thought, but then Dr. DuPont could only groan in pain—ending his confusion.

Due to the pain from Olivia's grip, Dr. DuPont was forced to release Ernest's collar and pat Olivia's hand as if surrendering.

Dr. DuPont's decision to surrender the pain in his hand only made him regret it. Olivia immediately threw his body to the floor using a judo move.

Bang!

"Oof!"

The impact on Dr. DuPont's back made him gasp for breath.

Without waiting for Dr. DuPont to react, Olivia flared up her anger even more.

"Get out now and contemplate your actions! I will decide whether you will receive the punishment you deserve for your actions today."

Ernest was slightly surprised to hear Olivia's harsh words.

Dr. DuPont, who had just gotten up and staggered, had to leave the room with a hateful look.

Dr. DuPont's hatred was not only directed at Olivia but also at Ernest. "Just wait! I will make sure both of you pay a high price for daring to offend me!" Dr. DuPont left such classic warning words.

"Are you okay?"

As Olivia wanted to make sure Ernest was okay, her attention was drawn to Ernest's hand.

"Hmm. Why is the IV needle in your hand loose again? Did you intentionally remove it?"

"Haha. Maybe it got loose when I was surprised by that doctor's behaviour."

Actually, when Dr. DuPont earlier grabbed his collar, he was about to stab the IV needle that he had removed from his hand into Dr. DuPont's eye.

He did that reflexively, so his mind didn't have time to think about the consequences of his actions.

The habits he developed from wandering in the Netherworld still functioned, so he didn't hesitate to make an extreme decision when someone threatened his safety.

'It's a good thing that Olivia intervened in time.'

Because of Olivia's intervention, he cancelled what he intended to do. Otherwise, he might have become a criminal.

Living as a fugitive while being chased by the police, or surrendering and living in prison? Whatever choice he made would equally make him suffer.

'Well, I'm not a main character who dares to confront law enforcement with raw power.'

There are complex laws that humans must adhere to on Earth. That's why he became aware again that he had to be more careful in his actions, unlike in the Netherworld.

"Sorry for our doctor's behaviour."

"It's okay. But, has the standard for doctors really declined?"

"No. I also don't know how someone like him could get in here."

'Clearly through internal channels,' Ernest thought. "Aren't you afraid he will seek revenge?"

Ernest remembered that the DuPont family was a prominent family in Orlando.

Two years ago, he often heard the name DuPont while in Orlando.

But he wasn't sure about their current situation because, in just two years, the power dynamics of a big city like Orlando could change drastically.

Ernest felt his concern was unnecessary because Olivia waved her hand as if the previous problem was trivial.

“Don't worry. His position in this hospital is lower than mine, and I can defend myself. More importantly, let's do some examinations. Only then can you leave this hospital. You don't mind, do you?"

"Before that, do I really not have to pay for my two years of treatment in this hospital?"

"Correct. I don't know who the owner of this hospital is, but they have never demanded a single penny from patients who meet certain criteria."

"Then, am I one of the patients who meet those criteria?"

"Yes. That's why you don't need to worry that we'll ask for your kidney or any other part of your body. Of course, if you agree to follow our further medical procedures."

Although Ernest felt a little uncomfortable with Olivia's words, he did not entirely mind, even if they examined his entire body. In fact, he would be very grateful.

After agreeing to Olivia's request, Ernest is immediately surrounded by many nurses after signing some kind of cooperation agreement.