《Ex Shadow Villain: My Role Now is My Wife's Furnace》 Chapter 1 - The Defeat of the Shadow ¡°According to all of you, what punishment is fitting for the biggest criminal in this Netherworld?¡± In the middle of the demon castle ruins, the leader of the neatly organized line of demons asked his minions. When the demon horde heard the words ¡°the biggest criminal in the Netherworld,¡± the intent to kill someone emanated from their bodies. In response to their leader¡¯s question, the demons shouted, ¡°Kill!¡± in unison, pounding their hearts to make the ground shake. Their target was a demon named Zero, who standing right in front of the neatly lined-up demon ranks. Although Zero still wore a butler¡¯s outfit, indicating his job as a private butler to the demon queen, his actual condition was that of a slave. His butler uniform was torn everywhere, leaving stab wounds, cuts, and bruises exposed to the air. His knees had already fallen to the ground, and his hands behind his back were tightly bound with magic handcuffs. Not only his hands but his entire body was shackled with magical chains, preventing him from rebelling or resisting at all. Although Zero was curious about the magic chains that bound him successfully, his thoughts leaned more toward something else. Somehow, the scene he was experiencing reminded him of the story of the French queen executed by the guillotine. The reason he knew about Earth¡¯s history stories was that he wasn¡¯t just an ordinary demon. Despite his current demon body with horns and a tail, his soul was actually that of a normal human from Earth. ¡®It¡¯s been two years since I¡¯ve been in this world using the name Zero without realizing it.¡¯ His mind raced, recalling the early days when he had just arrived in this world. The land he was in was called Netherworld, a place inhabited only by demons. In the beginning, he had to suffer significantly upon entering this world. Life-and-death battles had become his daily routine. Luckily, not long after, he met Lilu... who became the demon queen. As Zero was busy reminiscing about the past, the demon leader who had provoked his minions stepped forward. The demonic aura of the demon leader was much thicker than the others. His demonic physical features, such as wings, a tail, and horns on his head, were also much more prominent than other demons. Moreover, there was a black halo hovering above his head, making anyone think that he was a truly majestic creature. ¡®Crowley!¡¯ Zero muttered the name of the demon leader in his heart. Unlike Zero, who was just a butler, Crowley was one of the Seven Demon Wings. Zero was annoyed, but a calm expression with a smile still lingered on his face. ¡°I wonder how you can still smile in a situation like this. Do you still have the strength to fight? I¡¯m sure not.¡± ¡°But this is quite surprising. I thought you could survive all this time just because you got protection from Demon Queen Lilu, but it turns out you have enough ability yourself.¡± From the perspective of other demons, Zero was just a low-ranking demon sticking by the demon queen Lilu¡¯s side. They thought there was no point in the demon queen appointing Zero as a personal butler because she already had the Seven Demon Wings. However, they were wrong if they thought Zero had no connection to Lilu¡¯s success in the territorial unification war in the Netherworld, leading to Lilu getting the title of demon queen. In reality, Zero was the one intentionally manipulating Lilu from behind the scenes. That¡¯s why Zero asked to become Lilu¡¯s private butler to stay close to her. In short, he was the shadow villain. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. All of this came true because Zero knew some information about this world. This world¡ªNetherworld is very similar to the game he used to play on Earth. However, because he didn¡¯t have enough power at the beginning, he had to rely on Lilu. Of course, in the process, Zero managed to gather enough strength that he thought was sufficient to survive in the Netherworld. But who would have thought he could still end up in such a pitiful state? ¡°Before I execute you on the spot, I want to ask, do you know what crime you have committed?¡± ¡°....¡± ¡°Alright. I will state your crime clearly. You are a traitor to all the demons in the Netherworld. You wanted to kill Demon Queen Lilu so that we would lose our leader, right?!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Crowley¡¯s accusation made Zero burst into laughter. There were no wrinkles on Zero¡¯s forehead, and there was no hint of anger in his eyes. He just looked up to meet Crowley¡¯s eyes with a mysterious smile. On the other hand, feeling that Zero¡¯s laughter disturbed the hearing of the demons, the demons behind Crowley immediately hit Zero¡¯s face and body. Twacht!! ¡°Kuhh!¡± However, even though blood started flowing from Zero¡¯s head, streaming down his entire face, he just sighed a little without adding an exaggerated reaction or even showing a sad or desperate expression. The mass beating from the demons ended when Crowley told them to stop and step back a few paces as if wanting to create some private space with Zero. ¡°Ptooyy!¡± Zero spat blood from his mouth before saying, ¡°Regardless of your accusations, I have never betrayed you, let alone betray Lilu¡ªit¡¯s impossible... Well, because the demons never used their brains from the beginning, I think it¡¯s very reasonable for them to immediately consider me a traitor if you say so!¡± ¡°Then, can you explain why you stabbed Demon Queen Lilu¡¯s heart?¡± ¡°....¡± This time, Zero couldn¡¯t deny Crowley¡¯s words. Before he fought Crowley and his minions until destroying the demon castle, he had already done something that made him unable to refute Crowley¡¯s accusation. Indeed, he had stabbed Lilu¡¯s heart. However, Zero¡¯s mind at that time seemed to be controlled by someone else. All he knew was that when he opened his eyes and his consciousness returned, his hand was holding a sword that pierced Lilu¡¯s heart. Lilu should have been angry and immediately killed Zero, but Lilu instead quickly left the demon castle with a face full of anger. Only after Lilu¡¯s departure did Crowley and his minions start attacking Zero. ¡°...No one else should have seen me stab Lilu¡¯s heart. Did you manipulate my mind?¡± Crowley smiled cunningly and leaned his mouth close to Zero¡¯s ear, whispering, ¡°What if I did?¡± With a casual expression and unfazed by Crowley¡¯s admission, Zero hypothesized that all the Seven Demon Wings, together with Crowley, were the ones planning this whole thing. Their motivation? The War of Harem. The strange rumor spontaneously appeared and spread throughout the Netherworld. Moreover, Zero was the only personal butler to the demon queen, so of course, he knew more information about what the War of Harem-themed rumor meant. In short, the War of Harem happened because the Seven Demon Wings were competing for the position of Lilu¡¯s husband. Since the territorial unification war across the Netherworld led by Lilu had ended in sweet success, all demons began to wonder who would become Lilu¡¯s partner. While Lilu successfully led the territorial unification war, earning her the title of demon queen, she still needed a partner if she wanted to continue her bloodline. In such a situation, each of the Seven Demon Wings felt they were the most deserving of being Lilu¡¯s partner because they were the demon queen¡¯s right-hand and the strongest demons in all of Netherworld. Therefore, each of them began gathering more demon warriors or even secretly killing the subordinates of their respective rivals to reduce the combat strength of their opponents. At least, that¡¯s what was visible on the surface, causing many demon communities to assume they were engaged in the War of Harem. However, what actually happened was different. Rumors remained rumors. Indeed, with the assumption that one of the Seven Demon Wings was chosen as Lilu¡¯s husband, one of them would automatically receive the title of Demon Lord. However, the absolute power would still remain in Lilu¡¯s hands because Lilu¡¯s individual strength far surpassed theirs. Somehow, such realizations appeared in Zero¡¯s mind. With such assumptions, Zero guessed that the death of the demon queen was a necessity for them. ¡°What will you do after all this? Will you start an open war with the other Demon Wings? Or will you divide the already united Netherworld territories among yourselves?¡± ¡°Hahaha! You don¡¯t need to know about all that.¡± Without much debate, Crowley raised the spear he held. He was ready to cleave Zero¡¯s head in two. Or perhaps dismember Zero¡¯s body into several parts? ¡®In the end, I still end up dead even after surviving for two years in this rotten world, huh?¡¯ Funny, right? Despite hurrying to make Lilu the demon queen so that he could live peacefully. But it turns out reality didn¡¯t go as smoothly as expected. Could he survive for two years only because he knew some information from a world similar to the game he used to play? In the game he played when a character successfully united the Netherworld, the game would end. So, after helping Lilu unite the Netherworld, he no longer had the advantage of information. Could it be that he wasn¡¯t prepared enough for sudden events like betrayal from the Seven Demon Wings? No, he was more than prepared. But somehow, his mind was still manipulated, and his power was even locked with the magic chains. ¡®Is this all the work of the Seven Demon Wings? No. I think if it was just them, it would be impossible!¡¯ Right before Crowley¡¯s spear hit Zero¡¯s neck, Crowley stopped his slash as if wanting to give hope to Zero. However, the words Crowley uttered next successfully wiped the casual smile from Zero¡¯s face for the first time, and a flame of anger ignited in Zero¡¯s heart. ¡°Oh, by the way, even if you fail to kill Demon Queen Lilu, I will take care of Demon Queen Lilu after you die. So you don¡¯t need to worry. Because your task is already done, it¡¯s better for useless trash like you to disappear. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Clech! Zero bit his lower lip until it bled. In Zero¡¯s mind, he promised to avenge this even if he had to rise from hell¡ªwhether it was against Crowley or other suspects. But, without a chance to unleash his anger, Crowley¡¯s spear once again descended from above. First, both of Zero¡¯s hands, then both of his feet, until finally, the spear successfully severed Zero¡¯s neck cleanly. The spear truly managed to separate Zero¡¯s head from his body. Fresh blood didn¡¯t forget to flow profusely from the severed neck. Finally, his body collapsed, and his head rolled on the dirty ground. [Your body is dead.] [Congratulations, you have completed the hidden mission, ¡®Survive Until the End of the Game.¡¯] [You are entitled to receive a reward.] [Starting the Return process.] [....] Chapter 2 - Returned Because the after-effects of having his neck slashed were still completely imprinted in his memory, he found it hard to believe that he was still alive. Even the pain was still firmly imprinted in his brain. He was sure he had seen his own body, which had no body, fall to the ground, so he was a little confused when all five senses in his body were still active. ''Sense of taste, still active. Sense of sight, still active. Sense of hearing, still active ....'' As he finished analyzing, he became convinced that he was neither in heaven nor hell. In other words, he was still alive. The problem was, he couldn''t move his body. It was as if a huge boulder had fallen on him, and it took a lot of effort to even move his fingers. His body was immobilized, but his mind was still running. While trying to move his body, he thought about where he was. From his sense of touch, he knew that he was lying on a bed. And strangely, the bed he was on seemed to be moving. When he managed to fully open his eyelids, he noticed that there was a white cloth wrapped around his face and body. From outside the cloth, there was a shadow of a person. That person was dragging his bed. The vibrations he felt were the proof. Not long after, the background of the shadow, which was originally bright, became slightly darker after the person dragging the bed into the room. Clunk! The sound of a door closing was heard. From the sound of it, not only did the metal door close, but the person also locked the door tightly. Even more suspiciously, he started whistling and muttering under his breath as if he was happy about something. ¡°Fufu~ Is this my lucky day? Why do I have so many corpses to dissect? Should I ask him for help? Hmm, I''d better take all the money I can get.¡± One by one, the person put on some kind of gloves, as if ready to operate on Zero''s body. However, when that person opened the cloth covering Zero''s face, he stopped whistling. His body stiffened and stood like a statue. Until finally, his eyes widened, a sign that he was shocked. ¡°Arrrgghhh!!!¡± ¡° The person shouted loudly as he saw Zero''s eyes were already in an open state and occasionally blinked. Zero''s facial muscles could even still move. All those signs indicated that the corpse he thought was dead had come back to life. Like a person who saw a ghost, he staggered and fell to the floor unconscious. Ignoring the exaggerated reaction of the person, Zero focused more on the scene that opened up as the white cloth was removed from him. He took in the scene around him with a puzzled look on his face. The grayish light from the lamps on the ceiling and the cold air from the air conditioner made him realize that he was in a modern era. Understandably, there were no electric lights or air conditioners in the Netherworld. ''Is this earth? But, where is this?'' Zero frowned. He tried to get up from the bed he was lying on. He was able to move his hands freely, but when his hands reached across the bed, there was a soft, rubbery feeling wrapped around his hands. He turned his head and realized there was a bed with the same cloth cover beside him. When he opened the cloth, there was a woman''s corpse inside. Only then did he discover the fact that what he was holding were the boobs of the corpse. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ''Is this a morgue?'' He became convinced when he saw the mortuary refrigerators lined up neatly at the edge of the room, some of which were wide open, showing off the corpses lying inside. In the center of the silent morgue, the autopsy table stood tall. He thought that if the person who brought him here hadn''t fainted, he would have been put there to be dissected and his internal organs removed. When he could move his whole body, he got up and stood in front of the door of the morgue refrigerators. Although it was faint, but the reflection of his image could still be seen. He was used to the frosted glass in the Netherworld. So, the slightly distorted image reflection was not a problem. After all, he just wanted to confirm his guess. ¡°It seems that my soul really has returned to my original body.¡± Although he could not see clearly, but there was no mistaking that the half asian and half european face was the appearance of his original body. There were no longer horns on top of his head or a tail on the back of his body. [Your soul has successfully returned.] [The information update on your status window is running.] [Trying to transfer your previous power into your current body.] [Process failed...] [Detecting obstacles in your body as well as some other reasons.] [...Some powers were not successfully transferred.] [...Some skills were successfully restored.] [For the time being, your power will be stored in your soul.] Suddenly, a notification window appeared in front of him. He had never seen a notification of this length before. So, he needed a little time to digest the information he received. Then he remembered that there was a notification that he had received a gift before Crowley beheaded him. Was the gift he received, the return of his soul to Earth? He wondered. But the point was, his power, which he had accumulated over the two years in the Netherworld, was now gone. ¡°Status window!¡± [You can''t open the status window yet.] What a pain in the ass. He tried several times to activate the skills he used to have, from shouting the names of the skills out loud, posing with his arms spread out, and other strange movements. However, he ended up like a madman. Just as he was about to complain, suddenly the sound of clattering footsteps from outside the room could be heard. He remembered that earlier, the person who brought him into this room had locked the door, but with a loud bang, the metal door fell without dignity. Zero was automatically on guard, thinking that it was a gang of people coming. Fortunately, his guess was wrong. When the door fully opened, a woman came into view. From the white robe and stethoscope around her neck, it was clear that she was a doctor. The woman''s face was panicked at first, but she quickly turned her face back as if she saw something she didn''t want to see. Her eyes were wide open when she looked at Zero''s bottom. However, there was no fear like someone who saw a ghost from the woman, instead there was an embarrassed face. ¡°Who are you?¡± The first to break the silence was Zero. However, the female doctor just tilted her face from behind, looking confused. She didn''t seem to understand Zero''s words. Not long after, Zero realized that he had just used the language he used in the Netherworld, not the language from earth. After realizing this, he asked again using English, which was then answered by the female doctor. ¡°F-First of all, use that cloth over there to cover your body.¡± The female doctor ignored Zero''s question and shouted loudly, in an embarrassed tone. Her index finger pointed at the white cloth lying on the floor, telling Zero to pick it up. Zero looked down and saw his own body, then Zero realized that he was not wearing anything on his body. From top to bottom, his body was exposed without any obstruction. The moment he realized he wasn''t wearing anything, because he was too shocked by the return of his soul to his original body, his sense of taste realized how cold the air conditioner in the morgue was, so he had to shiver from the cold. Quickly, he grabbed a cloth to cover his body, especially the thing hanging between his legs. Chapter 3 - Original Identity Long story short, Zero was moved from the morgue to a patient ward room. As he was being transferred, he was instructed to lie down on a bed, but there was no conversation between him and the female doctor who had found him naked before. The awkward atmosphere lingered until Zero was given the patient pajamas, and he initiated a conversation to ease the tension. "So, can you tell me your name?" He asked the doctor in front of him. Zero was already wearing patient-specific attire. "O-Oh. M-My name is Dr. Olivia Thompson. I was the doctor in charge of you at this hospital," she replied while preparing a syringe to infuse Zero, formally introducing herself. Olivia had a striking posture. Her body was tall for a woman, with a slim yet curvaceous figure. Perhaps due to her height, she had to bend to inject Zero''s hand. As she leaned forward, Zero could catch a glimpse of her cleavage peeking from behind her shirt. Despite her timid and childlike manner of speaking, she was diligent and focused when setting up the infusion. "If I may know, how did you find me in the morgue?" "W-what do you mean? I-I only ran after hearing the screams from inside there." In his heart, Zero hoped that what she heard was the voice of the person who brought him to the morgue, not the strange noises he made while trying out various skills. "Mmm¡­ It truly is a miracle. Do you know that you''ve just risen from the dead? I''m the one who confirmed that you were dead, and I''m sure I wasn''t wrong in confirming it." "Haha~" Zero chuckled hollowly. "As additional information, before I confirmed you were dead, you were in a mysterious vegetative state for two years." After finishing the infusion, she spoke while raising her glasses. Behind Olivia''s glasses, a pair of eyes brimming with curiosity could be seen. There was no more stuttering when Olivia talked about medical matters. "Is that so?" As Ernest pondered whether his time in the Netherworld and Earth ran in parallel, he glanced at a digital calendar on a small table beside the bed where he lying down. Monday, February 23, 2026. 11:30 AM. "By the way, do you know how I ended up being treated in this hospital?" "Wait a moment!" Olivia received several sheets of paper from the nurse who came with her. She flipped through the papers in front of her ample bosom for a moment. Besides medical records, there was also some other information about the patients. "Patient''s name: Ernest Ralstone¡ª" Zero widened his eyes slightly as the name Ernest Ralstone was mentioned. It had been a long time since he heard that name. Indeed, Zero''s real name was Ernest Ralstone. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ''It seems I have to discard the name Zero for now.'' Before Ernest could inquire further, Olivia quickly continued. "¡ªYou were brought to this hospital by someone after you were hit by a truck near Lake Beauty Park. Since then, you''ve been in a vegetative state." "Then, where is this?" "You may have suffered some brain damage due to being in a vegetative state for two years. So, I''ll try to tell you some things so you can better understand your current situation." According to Olivia''s explanation, the hospital named Circle of Hope, where he was currently being treated, was a special hospital for people suffering from mysterious illnesses. Especially new diseases that emerged after the world experienced The Great Catastrophe related to mana or Magic. Although Olivia did not explain what The Great Catastrophe was, Ernest still remembered what that term meant. The Great Catastrophe was a term used to describe an event where the Earth was heavily attacked by monsters about 24 years ago. The monsters came from Gates, Dungeons, Fractures, and various other magical phenomena. Humanity on Earth experienced a massive depopulation due to the attacks of the monsters because various human weapons were ineffective against them. The number of deaths due to The Great Catastrophe was estimated to be almost equal to the number of deaths due to World Wars 1 and 2 combined. Fortunately, people with superhuman powers suddenly appeared and exterminated the monsters. The damages caused by the monsters were slowly being repaired. In the end, the Earth became peaceful again. However, a magical energy known as mana remained on Earth. In a positive context, mana could awaken people and give them superpowers. However, in a negative context, mana could cause people to suffer from various diseases. One common disease found was mana Poisoning. Mana Poisoning was an event where the patient''s body could not quickly adapt to mana. The severity of the effects would depend on the person''s affinity to mana and the environment where the patient lived. "We''ve been observing your body for two years. As far as we know, your case might be similar to cases of mana Poisoning, but a very severe version?!" "... Are you asking?" "I-I mean¡­" Olivia stuttered again and started playing with her glasses frame. "So, can I conclude that you''ve been using me as a guinea pig for these two years? Before I finally died." As Ernest pressed Olivia for answers, she seemed increasingly nervous and scared. Nevertheless, Olivia still dared to answer, "Yes." Firmly. Whether he liked it or not, Ernest''s hair stood on end as he imagined what they might have done to his body. Reflexively, he lifted his shirt to check if there was anything abnormal. However, as soon as Ernest lifted his shirt and exposed his stomach, Olivia immediately waved her hand and spoke as if she wanted to change the subject. "L-Let''s do some examinations. You don''t mind, do you? Besides, you don''t need to pay for the treatment we''ve provided for the past two years." "Is that true?" "Yes. I don''t know who the owner of this hospital is, but he has never demanded a penny from patients who meet certain criteria." "Then, am I one of those qualifying patients?" "Yes. That''s why you don''t need to worry about us asking for your kidney or other body parts. Of course, that''s if you agree to follow our further medical procedures." Although Ernest was slightly uncomfortable with Olivia''s words, he no longer objected to Olivia''s words. Upon reflection, it seemed fair. In exchange for researching his body for two years, they had treated him without charging anything. Considering the cost of treating patients who had mysterious illnesses and fell into a vegetative state for two years was not cheap, he should even feel very grateful. However, when Ernest heard Olivia say that they wouldn''t even ask for his kidney or other body parts, he became concerned about the person who brought him to the morgue. That person also wore a white robe, so he must also be a doctor. For now, he could only suspect everyone in this hospital, including Olivia. However, it didn''t mean he suddenly revolted and forcibly broke out of the hospital. He decided to cooperate. After agreeing to Olivia''s request, Ernest was immediately surrounded by many nurses after signing some kind of cooperation agreement. Chapter 4 - Curse of Pain Long story short, Zero was moved from the morgue to a patient ward room. As he was being transferred, he was instructed to lie down on a bed, but there was no conversation between him and the female doctor who had found him naked before. The awkward atmosphere lingered until Zero was given the patient pajamas, and he initiated a conversation to ease the tension. "So, can you tell me your name?" He asked the doctor in front of him. Zero was already wearing patient-specific attire. "O-Oh. M-My name is Dr. Olivia Thompson. I was the doctor in charge of you at this hospital," she replied while preparing a syringe to infuse Zero, formally introducing herself. Olivia had a striking posture. Her body was tall for a woman, with a slim yet curvaceous figure. Perhaps due to her height, she had to bend to inject Zero''s hand. As she leaned forward, Zero could catch a glimpse of her cleavage peeking from behind her shirt. Despite her timid and childlike manner of speaking, she was diligent and focused when setting up the infusion. "If I may know, how did you find me in the morgue?" "W-what do you mean? I-I only ran after hearing the screams from inside there." In his heart, Zero hoped that what she heard was the voice of the person who brought him to the morgue, not the strange noises he made while trying out various skills. "Mmm¡­ It truly is a miracle. Do you know that you''ve just risen from the dead? I''m the one who confirmed that you were dead, and I''m sure I wasn''t wrong in confirming it." "Haha~" Zero chuckled hollowly. "As additional information, before I confirmed you were dead, you were in a mysterious vegetative state for two years." After finishing the infusion, she spoke while raising her glasses. Behind Olivia''s glasses, a pair of eyes brimming with curiosity could be seen. There was no more stuttering when Olivia talked about medical matters. "Is that so?" As Ernest pondered whether his time in the Netherworld and Earth ran in parallel, he glanced at a digital calendar on a small table beside the bed where he lying down. Monday, February 23, 2026. 11:30 AM. "By the way, do you know how I ended up being treated in this hospital?" "Wait a moment!" Olivia received several sheets of paper from the nurse who came with her. She flipped through the papers in front of her ample bosom for a moment. Besides medical records, there was also some other information about the patients. "Patient''s name: Ernest Ralstone¡ª" Zero widened his eyes slightly as the name Ernest Ralstone was mentioned. It had been a long time since he heard that name. Indeed, Zero''s real name was Ernest Ralstone. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ''It seems I have to discard the name Zero for now.'' Before Ernest could inquire further, Olivia quickly continued. "¡ªYou were brought to this hospital by someone after you were hit by a truck near Lake Beauty Park. Since then, you''ve been in a vegetative state." "Then, where is this?" "You may have suffered some brain damage due to being in a vegetative state for two years. So, I''ll try to tell you some things so you can better understand your current situation." According to Olivia''s explanation, the hospital named Circle of Hope, where he was currently being treated, was a special hospital for people suffering from mysterious illnesses. Especially new diseases that emerged after the world experienced The Great Catastrophe related to mana or Magic. Although Olivia did not explain what The Great Catastrophe was, Ernest still remembered what that term meant. The Great Catastrophe was a term used to describe an event where the Earth was heavily attacked by monsters about 24 years ago. The monsters came from Gates, Dungeons, Fractures, and various other magical phenomena. Humanity on Earth experienced a massive depopulation due to the attacks of the monsters because various human weapons were ineffective against them. The number of deaths due to The Great Catastrophe was estimated to be almost equal to the number of deaths due to World Wars 1 and 2 combined. Fortunately, people with superhuman powers suddenly appeared and exterminated the monsters. The damages caused by the monsters were slowly being repaired. In the end, the Earth became peaceful again. However, a magical energy known as mana remained on Earth. In a positive context, mana could awaken people and give them superpowers. However, in a negative context, mana could cause people to suffer from various diseases. One common disease found was mana Poisoning. Mana Poisoning was an event where the patient''s body could not quickly adapt to mana. The severity of the effects would depend on the person''s affinity to mana and the environment where the patient lived. "We''ve been observing your body for two years. As far as we know, your case might be similar to cases of mana Poisoning, but a very severe version?!" "... Are you asking?" "I-I mean¡­" Olivia stuttered again and started playing with her glasses frame. "So, can I conclude that you''ve been using me as a guinea pig for these two years? Before I finally died." As Ernest pressed Olivia for answers, she seemed increasingly nervous and scared. Nevertheless, Olivia still dared to answer, "Yes." Firmly. Whether he liked it or not, Ernest''s hair stood on end as he imagined what they might have done to his body. Reflexively, he lifted his shirt to check if there was anything abnormal. However, as soon as Ernest lifted his shirt and exposed his stomach, Olivia immediately waved her hand and spoke as if she wanted to change the subject. "L-Let''s do some examinations. You don''t mind, do you? Besides, you don''t need to pay for the treatment we''ve provided for the past two years." "Is that true?" "Yes. I don''t know who the owner of this hospital is, but he has never demanded a penny from patients who meet certain criteria." "Then, am I one of those qualifying patients?" "Yes. That''s why you don''t need to worry about us asking for your kidney or other body parts. Of course, that''s if you agree to follow our further medical procedures." Although Ernest was slightly uncomfortable with Olivia''s words, he no longer objected to Olivia''s words. Upon reflection, it seemed fair. In exchange for researching his body for two years, they had treated him without charging anything. Considering the cost of treating patients who had mysterious illnesses and fell into a vegetative state for two years was not cheap, he should even feel very grateful. However, when Ernest heard Olivia say that they wouldn''t even ask for his kidney or other body parts, he became concerned about the person who brought him to the morgue. That person also wore a white robe, so he must also be a doctor. For now, he could only suspect everyone in this hospital, including Olivia. However, it didn''t mean he suddenly revolted and forcibly broke out of the hospital. He decided to cooperate. After agreeing to Olivia''s request, Ernest was immediately surrounded by many nurses after signing some kind of cooperation agreement. Chapter 5 - Divine Harmony ''What if I aim to return to the Netherworld?'' He was unsure if he could return to the Netherworld and exact revenge. Whether it was to Crowley and the other Seven Demon Wings or to the real mastermind behind his death, whom he had no clue about. Aside from revenge, he wanted to go to the Netherworld to see Lilu and to make sure that she was okay or already dead. ''It would be a shame if my main doll died there.'' Not out of pity, love, or anything like that, but because he didn''t want to lose the doll that he had worked so hard to hone. To the point where he was willing to give away various special items and rare skills. From the beginning of his soul returning to his original body, he had always felt a strange feeling that there was a connection between the Netherworld and Earth. It was just that he didn''t know how to go to the Netherworld or even any clues leading to it. Realizing there was no point in thinking about how to go to the Netherworld, his mind was currently more focused on thinking about what he should do on Earth. ''Returning to the host family after two years of running away?'' It was not a wise decision, at least not in his current condition. It would be great if he returned thriving and with a lot of money. However, if Ernest was still poor like this, he was sure he would only be severely humiliated. He envisioned returning to his foster family after being rich and having many important connections. Two years lost, then returning in a state of success, wouldn''t that be an exciting story? Let''s ignore the stupid hallucinations. The other option was, ''Awakened and become a hunter?'' Indeed, becoming a hunter would make him rich, and the possibility of getting information on how to go to the Netherworld was also high, but that was not something he could do because of the curse on his body. As long as he had the curse of pain, he could not awaken and become a Hunter. ''Can I do anything with my current body condition?'' ''Maybe there is some kind of way out to cure the curse on my body? Especially with some knowledge from the Netherworld.'' Without further thought, he immediately tried it. First, he used demonic style mana processing techniques, but there was no reciprocal reaction whatsoever from the mana in the air or from Ernest''s own body. Finally, Ernest remembered something. When Ernest was in the Netherworld, he obtained a magic scroll containing cultivation techniques specifically for humans. He got the magic scroll in a treasure chest belonging to the demon ruler of the Duskrend region, which was the first region Ernest and Lilu conquered. ''Come to think of it, why is there a magic scroll specifically for humans in a land inhabited only by the demon race?'' That question suddenly popped into his head. To make matters even more bizarre, only Ernest, a former human, could decipher the language contained in the magic scroll. More specifically, the technique was written in ancient Chinese. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Immediately after finding the magic scroll containing a special cultivation technique for humans, Ernest felt so excited that he opened the magic scroll wide in the air and showed off the magic scroll to Lilu unconsciously. However, Lilu didn''t care about the magic scroll even when Ernest told her that it contained a great cultivation technique. Lilu, who was relaxing by the window, said that demons had already acquired their own unique skills when they were born. They didn''t need to train to become strong. They just need to fight to improve their abilities. Thus, Lilu''s indifferent face was all Ernest got. Ernest recalled how difficult it had once been for him to control his annoyance. A comparison between demons and humans immediately occurred to Ernest''s mind. Unlike in the Netherworld, humans on Earth had to train hard to become awakened and have powers above normal humans. Even hard work is not enough. One must also have high mana sensitivity and great fortune. Only then will they be able to be awakened. As an outlet for his annoyance, Ernest, who received an indifferent answer from Lilu, decided to memorize the contents of the magic scroll containing special cultivation techniques for humans. Ernest read and engraved every sentence on the magic scroll so that he could remember it until now. The magic scroll was useless to him because, at that time, he was also a demon race. Automatically, he could not practice the contents of the magic scroll. But who would have thought that his futile deeds back then would come in handy now? The story was different now. Since he was currently a human, he was confident that he could master the cultivation technique. Instead of memorizing the contents of the magic scroll due to his resentment towards Lilu, perhaps Ernest had unconsciously hoped to return to being human and practice the cultivation technique in order to be free from the curse that had long shackled him. The name of the cultivation technique in the magic scroll was called Divine Harmony. He closed his eyes, assumed the lotus position, and began to practice every word about the breathing technique of Divine Harmony cultivation. Ernest had heard that among the awakened people, there were those who practiced certain cultivation techniques in order to grow stronger. Since it was common for everyone''s awakened method to be secret, most of the information about people''s cultivation techniques was also not widely known. One thing that Ernest knew was that they would only be able to awaken if they had already created a mana pool within themselves. In other words, from the beginning, they would try to create a mana pool quickly so that they could awaken quickly. However, the Divine Harmony technique was different. The first stage of the Divine Harmony cultivation technique is Body Refinement. Your body must be strong to support great power. The first stage is to form a solid body foundation. Without a solid foundation, no matter how great your power output may be, you will easily collapse. Those are the opening words of the Divine Harmony technique. To reach the initial stage, Body Refinement, Ernest first pulled all the mana particles around into his body. Logically, it was impossible because Ernest''s body didn''t have a mana pool yet. However, according to Divine Harmony''s cultivation technique, it was still possible to flow the mana particles that had been drawn into the mana circuit within the body. It cannot be stored, but flowing the mana particles into the entire mana circuit can strengthen the body''s foundation, either the foundation of the physical body or the mana pool that needs to be created later. Keep flowing the mana particles to infinity. If you can do this without having to do meditation, then you will have reached the first stage, Body Refinement. That was the short explanation. The problem was that although everyone had an innate mana circuit from birth, everyone''s mana circuit was different. Because of that, there were no detailed instructions on how Ernest should move mana around the entire mana circuit in his body. If he just moved mana around the entire mana circuit inside him, then it was certain that Ernest would suffer a severe injury. ''Luckily, I''ve memorized the shape and structure of my mana circuit.'' It looks impossible because almost hundreds of thousands of intersections exist in each person''s mana circuit. Still, Ernest managed to memorize the entire mana circuit in his body long ago. It was one of his efforts to eliminate the curse inside him. He smiled, feeling nostalgic as he observed mana circuit. It had been two years since he had done so. Until finally, he streamed the mana particles he had accumulated little by little. [Progress rate: 0.1%.] [Progress rate: 0.2%.] [Progress rate: 0.3%.] As he cultivated, his rate of progress in reaching the first level of the Divine Harmony cultivation technique increased. Chapter 6 - Red Rose One week later. The sun rising from the east roused Ernest from his meditative state. He opened his eyes. Through the translucent window glass, sunlight penetrated into the room he was currently in. In the Netherworld, there was no such thing as blue sky or warm sunlight. Outside the window glass, the view of the modern city was clearly observed since the room was on the top floor. He rose to his feet and flexed the muscles in his body. A week ago, the muscles in his body still felt very stiff, but after a week of flexing, there was no longer any abnormality in the movement of his muscles. When he stood by the window pane, the image of his face was clearer than when he looked in the refrigerator where the corpses were. Only two years had passed, but his face had many changes. The once short hair had become very long and messy. The mustache that he never had before had also grown faintly. ¡°Am I really this old?¡± He wanted to cry when he saw his disgusting appearance, just like children who did not want to grow up. But that did not last long. His mind, which had matured, managed to keep him calm. He was more concerned with the progress of his cultivation during this week. Although he had been meditating for a week, he had not awakened; however, the side effects of the curse on his body, in the form of pain all over his body, had greatly diminished. Regardless of his physical state, he felt that there was a thick wall blocking his path to awakening. [Progress Rate: 50%.] Ernest¡¯s cultivation progress rate to reach the first stage of the Divine Harmony cultivation technique was stagnant at 50%. ¡®Is it because of the curse on my body that I can¡¯t awaken and break through the first level of the Divine Harmony cultivation technique?¡¯ He felt that he needed an external factor in order to further improve his cultivation progress rate. The external factor Ernest thought of was medicine, not modern medicines used for common human ailments, but rather medicines made from mana-containing materials. Since the Great Catastrophe, apart from affecting humans, the mana particles in the air have also affected animals and plants. So, he was sure that there would be some medicines that could help his progress out there. However, in order to purchase those various medicines, which he himself did not know what they were, he needed a lot of information and money. On the other hand, he didn¡¯t even have a penny or any acquaintances he could ask. ¡®Looks like I¡¯ll have to find a job.¡¯ ¡®The question is, will my body be able to do various common jobs out there?¡¯ In order to answer that question, he decided to start exercising and test how strong his body was in strenuous physical activities. A few minutes later. Knock-knock! The door to the room where he was being treated suddenly rang. As if the knock was just a standard operating procedure, the door suddenly opened without waiting for Ernest to answer. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. It turned out to be Olivia, but Olivia did not immediately step in. She stood still without daring to move her body at all. A few seconds later, Olivia¡¯s face turned pink. ¡°I seem to have entered at an inopportune moment.¡± Olivia¡¯s face would not turn pink if she saw Ernest under normal circumstances. It was just that Ernest was topless and doing push-ups on the floor. He had thrown his patient¡¯s shirt on the floor because of the heavy sweat pouring from his pores. One drop after another of sweat began to soak the floor, creating an unsightly scene, especially for a shy woman like Olivia. Olivia spontaneously covered her face with one hand and pretended to cough. Nevertheless, she occasionally glanced at Ernest¡¯s body. Unfortunately, Olivia¡¯s expectation of a man¡¯s muscular body when doing sports was destroyed. Automatically, the pink blush on Olivia¡¯s face slowly faded as she lowered the hand that had been covering her face. Ernest¡¯s body looks very thin. However, when you look closely, there are faintly visible traces of toned muscle mass. Not only that, there were also many scars on Ernest¡¯s white and smooth skin, as if behind Ernest¡¯s thin body, there was a hidden story. When Ernest realized Olivia¡¯s existence, he got up quickly and immediately covered his chest with both hands. He pretended to be embarrassed and realized that his body was nothing to be proud of. Fortunately, the bright smile that Ernest flashed destroyed his lie as if telling everyone that he wasn¡¯t embarrassed at all. ¡°S-stop reacting as if you¡¯re a victim of harassment. W-who told you to misbehave in the hospital.¡± ¡°May I ask if you¡¯re shy or brave? Even though you know I¡¯m topless and sweaty, you still dare to glance?¡± After responding to Olivia¡¯s grumbling, Ernest stopped caring about Olivia¡¯s arrival and stopped pretending to be shy. What he was more concerned about was the result of the experiment he had conducted. ¡®I guess this is the limit of my body¡¯s ability right now.¡¯ His body was already sweating profusely. The signs of his consciousness wanting to run away were already there. Without any order from his brain, his body staggered slightly until his hand unconsciously rested on the bed. The good news was that he did not faint immediately despite the long exercise. ¡°You seem to be in good health, considering you still had time to exercise!?!¡± Olivia, who had switched to professional doctor mode, came and helped Ernest to sit on the bed, took Ernest¡¯s clothes, and told Ernest to put them on. ¡°It¡¯s not good if you push yourself right away....¡± ¡°Why are you here?¡± Before Olivia finished lecturing Ernest about exercise procedures for patients who had just woken up from a vegetative state, Ernest asked first. ¡°...Come to my consulting room immediately. We have to talk.¡± Olivia originally planned to talk inside Ernest¡¯s wardroom, but due to the smell of sweat in the air, Olivia canceled her intention. While covering her nose, Olivia hurriedly went out. Only a confused Ernest was left. ¡®You haven¡¯t told me where your consulting room is.¡¯ *** Although, in the end, Ernest managed to find Olivia¡¯s consultation room, due to the size of the hospital, Ernest was confused about looking for it even after asking several nurses who had passed by. ¡°Please have a seat.¡± While inviting Ernest to sit down, Olivia took off the white robe from her body and hung the robe on the robe hanger. As she sat down on her office chair, Olivia massaged her shoulders from left to right as if she was exhausted. Ernest¡¯s butler soul thrashed as if he wanted to give Olivia a massage immediately. Back in the Netherworld, he often massaged Lilu as a leisure activity¡ªto let the other demons see that Ernest was actually busy. ¡°Should I massage your shoulders?¡± ¡°...Wh-what are you talking about? Are you crazy?¡± ¡°It seems like you have a very heavy burden.¡± Seeing Ernest talking while looking at her boobs, Olivia instantly understood what the burden Ernest mentioned meant. Feeling harassed, she wanted to warn Ernest, but before Olivia could scold Ernest, an uninvited guest stormed into the room. ¡°Oh, do you have a guest?¡± Hearing a familiar voice, Ernest immediately turned his face to the entrance, where the voice had come from. When he saw who was coming, he immediately realized that it was the doctor who had previously taken him to the morgue, the person who was likely looking to sell his internal organs illegally. Chapter 7 - Doctor Junkie The male doctor walked over to Olivia as if Ernest¡¯s existence meant nothing. ¡°What did you come here for?¡± ¡°Hehe. As usual, I just wanted to see you. How about it, do you want to go to dinner with me?¡± With the appearance of a languid young man, the male doctor seemed to be trying to seduce Olivia. A horrible laugh occasionally came out of his mouth, and the strange smile on his lips made him look like a real pervert. Ernest focused more on the black color on his lower eyelid. It was not uncommon for a doctor to have panda eyes, but from the way he walked and acted, the thought that the doctor was a drug user could not escape his mind. ¡°H-how many times do I have to tell you that I¡¯m not interested in going out to dinner with you. Can you come out now!¡± It turned out that it wasn¡¯t only Ernest who put his arm around the shoulders and felt disgusted with the male doctor, Olivia also felt the same way while trying to push the male doctor away. From the way Olivia responded to the male doctor¡¯s dinner invitation, he didn¡¯t seem to be Olivia¡¯s superior. Ernest was a little confused as to why he dared to speak like that to Olivia when he was also still in the room. ¡°Is it still because of this patient that you refuse my invitation?¡± The male doctor¡¯s finger pointed at Ernest¡¯s face. In his heart, Ernest screamed, why are you bringing me up? ¡°How long do you want to justify serving a patient who doesn¡¯t know himself like him? Don¡¯t we just need to kick him out of this place because he¡¯s awake?¡± Just seeing the doctor¡¯s shameless face made Ernest frown, let alone hearing the offensive words that were not pleasant to hear. ¡°You¡¯re not the doctor in charge of me, are you? So, could you please not interrupt my consultation session with Dr. Olivia?!¡± Who would have thought that Ernest¡¯s casual remark would trigger the male doctor¡¯s anger? Grasp! ¡°Know your place, you lowlife scum! Ignorant commoners...¡± He suddenly came forward and grabbed Ernest¡¯s shirt collar firmly. ¡°It¡¯s good enough we want to take care of bums like you!¡± While speaking with saliva spurting out, he also brought his rotten face so close to Ernest¡¯s that Ernest wanted to vomit. ¡°Ugh, do you realize how bad your mouth smells?¡± Ernest responded in a playful tone. When hearing the doctor insult him, Ernest¡¯s mind automatically compared his rude behavior to his experience in the Netherworld. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. No demon will judge someone based on their opponent¡¯s background. They tend to see other creatures as ¡®strong and weak¡¯. Then, they eliminate the weak and worship the strong. Only humans, social creatures, will judge others based on someone¡¯s background. Suddenly, the doctor whispered something near Ernest¡¯s ear so Olivia couldn¡¯t hear him. ¡°Since you¡¯ve died once, then it doesn¡¯t matter if you die again, right? That way, I will be able to freely take your internal organs. Just wait.¡± Seeing the doctor quietly whispering threatening words, Ernest could finally conclude that Olivia did not belong to the same group as him. ¡°W-what are you doing, Dr. DuPont?¡± Olivia asked. Although there was still a nervous tone of surprise in her angry words, she seemed serious. Turns out, it wasn¡¯t just banging the table while asking, Olivia also took further action. Almost reflexively, Olivia suddenly grabbed one of the hands of the male doctor, who turned out to be named DuPont, who was still clutching Ernest¡¯s collar. Olivia¡¯s movement lasted only one blink of an eye. ¡°Is this how you treat a patient? How can you call yourself a doctor?¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Dr. DuPont¡¯s face looked confused. He seemed unable to resist Olivia¡¯s outburst of strength and anger. Unable to fight back, Dr. DuPont could only whimper in pain - turning his confused face into a distorted one. Due to the pain from Olivia¡¯s grip, Dr. DuPont was forced to let go of Ernest¡¯s collar and patted Olivia¡¯s hand like a mixed martial arts athlete tapping out. Dr. DuPont¡¯s decision to give in to the pain in his hand made him regret it. Closing her eyes, Olivia slammed DuPont¡¯s body to the floor using judo moves. Bang! ¡°Keu-huk!¡± The impact on Dr. DuPont¡¯s back made him short of breath. Without waiting for him to react, Olivia ordered him to leave the room. Dr. DuPont, who had just woken up while limping, was forced out of the room with a hateful look. Dr. DuPont¡¯s hatred was not only directed at Olivia but also at Ernest. ¡°Just wait! I¡¯ll make sure you both pay a heavy price for daring to offend me!¡± said Dr. DuPont, leaving behind such classic warning words. When the tense atmosphere began to decrease, Ernest put back what he had just taken from Olivia¡¯s desk. It was a ballpoint pen. Actually, although Ernest responded to Dr. DuPont in a playful tone, when Dr. DuPont had grabbed his collar earlier, he had already reached for the ballpoint pen from Olivia¡¯s desk. He was about to stick it into Dr. DuPont¡¯s eye. He did it reflexively, so his mind had not had time to think about the consequences of his actions. The self-defense mechanism he had built up after wandering the Netherworld for so long was still functioning, so he did not hesitate to make extreme decisions when someone threatened his safety. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing that Olivia intervened in time.¡¯ Because of Olivia¡¯s intervention, he did not shed blood. Otherwise, he might have become a criminal by killing Dr. DuPont. A life of wandering while being pursued by the police, or surrendering and living in prison? Whichever option he chose, it promised equal suffering. After all, he wasn¡¯t the protagonist who dared to defy law enforcement with sheer power. There were complex laws that humans on Earth had to abide by. That¡¯s why he realized again that he had to be more careful in his actions, unlike in the Netherworld. ¡°Ar-are you okay?¡± Olivia asked Ernest nervously as if her anger from earlier had never surfaced. Feeling concerned for Ernest alone wasn¡¯t enough; she also apologized. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry for our doctor¡¯s behavior.¡± She bowed deeply to reveal the beautiful valley she had. ¡°It¡¯s okay. But, has the standard for doctors dropped?¡± ¡°No.¡± She raised her head and looked at Ernest firmly. ¡°I also don¡¯t know how someone like him could get in here.¡± ¡°Clearly through connections,¡± Ernest thought. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid he¡¯ll seek revenge?¡± Ernest remembered the DuPont family was prominent in the city of Orlando. Before he fell into a vegetative state, he had often heard the DuPont family name. But he wasn¡¯t sure how they were doing now because, in just two years, the power map of a big city like Orlando could change drastically. Olivia¡¯s eyes widened as if surprised by Ernest¡¯s concern. ¡°No need to worry me, I can defend myself.¡± She said, while waving her hands shyly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you accept his invitation to dinner? I¡¯m sure having a relationship with someone from a family background like hers is tempting.¡± Ignoring Ernest¡¯s question, Olivia walked to the chair behind her desk. She sat down while crossing her long legs, looking at Ernest with a half-annoyed and half-nervous face. It could be seen from the swooping eyebrows and tapping fingers on the table. But it was not for long. Chapter 8 - Elixir A few seconds after Olivia sat opposite Ernest, there was no sign of nervousness or embarrassment from Olivia as if she had entered professional doctor mode. Even the annoying stutter that always came out of her mouth was now gone. "Do you know why you were in a vegetative state for two years?" Ernest was a little confused when he got a question that Ernest himself wanted to get the answer to. That was, he himself did not know why his body could fall into a vegetative state while his soul could go to the Netherworld. One less plausible hypothesis crossed his mind, ''It can''t be because I''ve been hit by a truck, right?!'' Like most of the stories he read, probably. Unfortunately, he still didn''t know the exact answer to his curiosity. "Isn''t it your job to find out?" Ernest answered so bluntly that there was blank eye contact between the two of them for a few seconds. Despite Ernest''s provocation, Olivia seemed patient. "I admit this is a little confusing." "Did the results of last week''s examination yield no results?" "Yes. Surprisingly, we didn''t notice any problems with your body. Even when you were in a vegetative state for these two years, we were never able to actually diagnose your illness. As for suspended animation... There are no clues at all." Olivia closed her sentence with a head shake as if she didn''t know anything. Ernest just nodded in understanding. At first, he was a little hopeful because Olivia had used some kind of machine to detect mana disorders in a person''s body. But it seemed that they didn''t find anything. Seeing Olivia''s confused face, Ernest thought of teasing her a little. "Maybe you just lack knowledge? Or maybe you''re not trying hard enough?" In response to Ernest''s provocation, Olivia showed even more signs of anger. "Don''t get me wrong, we''ve already given you various medications, but there''s no change in your body." "If that''s the case, then I''m really amazed that you guys dare to spend so many resources just to research my body." Ernest wondered again if he really did not have to pay any hospital fees. Maybe there are no other cases similar to Ernest''s, but there are many patients who suffer from common diseases such as mana poisoning. If they are included in the list of patients who meet the criteria to be exempted from any hospital fees, then how much will this hospital spend? Who in the world would dare to provide such a huge favor to others without asking for anything in return? Ernest didn''t believe such a person existed in this world. However, regardless of the intentions of the owner of this hospital, Ernest still feels very grateful. Ernest became curious about the person behind this Circle of Hope hospital. "Thank you." Ernest said thank you sincerely, but just then, an attack came from Olivia. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Ah, please don''t thank me while smiling. I''ll tell you the truth, but you look ugly when you smile... I don''t like your mustache and beard." The deadly stab that came from Olivia''s words managed to pierce Ernest''s heart. Ernest felt that Olivia had just returned the attack of words that Ernest had launched earlier. "I just want to thank you. At the very least, you''ve kept my body physically safe for two years. Can you appreciate my gratitude enough without adding insulting words?!" "If you want to thank me, you can say it to the owner of this hospital. Or to the person who brought you to this hospital." "You said you don''t know who owns this hospital! While you won''t reveal the name of the person who brought me to this hospital." "Yes. That''s right." "..." "..." Olivia brought her hands together to support her chin. She looked into Ernest''s eyes with a mysterious smile. They both stared at each other for a few seconds. Until finally, Olivia let out a sigh of surrender. "Fuu~ this is my first time dealing with a patient like you!" "Nice experience, isn''t it?!" Twitch~ Twitch! "Y-Yes, a rare experience indeed." Olivia''s pink and seductive lips twitched as she held back her annoyance. "...I don''t want to tell the name of the person who brought you here because it''s that person''s decision to keep it a secret. Meanwhile, the owner of this hospital is a mysterious figure, we also, don''t know his identity. All we know is that he was someone we call Red Rose." "Why?" "Because of the rumors. If you''re satisfied, please come out!" After saying that, Olivia approached Ernest, forced him to stand up, then pushed Ernest''s back to get him to leave the room. Not only did she tell Ernest to leave her consulting room, but she also urged him to leave the hospital right away. *** Ernest closed the door behind him after exiting Olivia''s consulting room. Ernest''s face did not look confused, like someone who had just been forcibly evicted. He clearly showed a resolution in his eyes. Her back also felt light, as if a burden had been slightly lifted. The reason was because she had just received valuable information from Olivia. Despite being pushed out by Olivia, she refused and stayed in the room. It was to get some information from her. Seeing the real conflict between Olivia and Doctor DuPont, Ernest concluded that they were not allies. So it wouldn''t hurt to ask Olivia about some things. Especially seeing Olivia''s abnormal strength. However, she was forced to try hard to improve Olivia''s mood first. Luckily, her attempt to apologize while doing a kowtow worked. Instead, Olivia went back into stuttering mode as if she was at fault. Ernest managed to lure Olivia into revealing that although Ernest had been given some medicines, they were actually just common medicines. There was no way a charity hospital could provide rare and precious magical herbs, which were difficult to find. Then, when Ernest reasoned that he was suffering from intense pain all the time due to the curse side effects of the vegetative state and was worried that he might fall into a vegetative state again, he asked about a medicine that might help him. "There is a rare magic item that is said to be able to treat all sorts of diseases related to Mana. The magic item is called Elixir." As an additional explanation, Olivia explained that information about Elixir was not widely known by ordinary people. Even Olivia knew it herself because she had an acquaintance who was also trying to find the item. Ernest did not know who Olivia''s acquaintance was, even if he forced Olivia to introduce him. Nevertheless, Ernest managed to get Olivia to share information about the Elixir if she knew anything. The problem was ... money. Ernest was sure that he wouldn''t be able to afford it even if the Elixir was in front of him. However, now he didn''t think too much about it. It didn''t matter how difficult it was to obtain the item; what mattered was that the hope of obtaining it was clearly visible. Therefore, Ernest''s goal now was to find a job, make money, and find information about Elixir. Chapter 9 - Is She... Dandere? Click-clack-click-clack .... The sound of typing was still loud in Olivia¡¯s consultation room. As if she had finished a difficult task, Olivia leaned back in her chair and took off her glasses. Once again, she checked what she had just done on the laptop in front of her. The document on the screen was titled, [Report Number: 35. Patient Name: Ernest Ralstone.] In addition to Ernest¡¯s name and the suspicious report number, there was also a statement that the document had been successfully sent to someone. After checking the document, Olivia saw that it was time to leave work, so she wanted to leave quickly and go to where she lived. Just as she got up, for the second time, there was suddenly someone who came casually into her consultation room. That person came without knocking; opened the door, and without any orders, sat down on the chair in front of her office desk. He was not dressed like a patient who wanted to consult, nor was he wearing a white robe like a doctor who wanted to see Olivia for a chat. He instead wore a suit like a state official. ¡°Olivia, a doctor specializing in diseases related to mana, right?!¡± ¡°W-what is the purpose of your visit, Mr. Audamaro?¡± Although Olivia felt uncomfortable when she saw Audamaro, an old man with a big belly and thin hair that was almost bald, Olivia still showed basic respect because Audamaro was a hospital director who ran this Circle of Hope Hospital. ¡°It seems like there aren¡¯t many patients for you to take care of. Are doctors like you still needed in this hospital?¡± Audamaro¡¯s words seemed intended to provoke Olivia blatantly. He came with a bit of emotion because earlier, Dr. Dicky, someone from the DuPont family, came to his room while holding his back in pain like an accident victim. After checking, it turned out that his back was broken. While whining, Dicky asked Audamaro to fire Olivia. However, there was an order from the mysterious hospital owner to carry out the main function of the hospital. That¡¯s why the hospital still needed a doctor like Olivia. ¡°I¡¯ll get straight to the point. I hope you can stay in the emergency room for one week.¡± Having said what needed to be said, Audamaro simply left. He walked while trying to button up the suit he was wearing. Instead of looking cool, he looked weird because he had trouble doing it due to his big belly. Everything that happened was like a flash of lightning that came and went quickly, leaving Olivia alone, who still had her eyes and mouth open as if she didn¡¯t understand what had just happened. ¡®Is this because I slammed Dr. DuPont before?¡¯ With an upset face, Olivia resigned herself to accepting her punishment. *** The city of Orlando, United States. Stolen novel; please report. As the automatic glass doors opened, Ernest was welcomed by the air without the smell of blood in it, blowing all over him. The afternoon sun was almost hidden from people¡¯s view when Ernest stepped out of the hospital entrance. The sight of the early evening full of human activity who had just returned from work was a sight he hadn¡¯t seen for two years. There were no more dragons flying in the sky or battles between demons on the streets of the city. The horrible monsters that Ernest often encountered in the Netherworld were also gone. Obviously, he felt at peace, and unconsciously, he spread his arms wide. Now, there were no more magical events happening on Earth, although the Earth had already experienced The Great Catastrophe. So, there were no longer people carrying swords around their waists or armor wrapped around their bodies. Indeed, there were still many dungeons, gates, sky castles, or some other places where there were still many monsters inside. Some areas of the Earth were also home to monsters. Although magical places were scattered all over the world, they were not where the general public lived. In general, since the Earth had regained peace, people¡¯s lives within the major cities of other major countries had returned to normal. Walking on the sidewalk, Ernest looked north towards the Central Business District, the place he was heading to. It turned out that the Circle of Hope hospital where he was being treated was not too far from the Central Business District. As Ernest continued to walk on the sidewalk, he received strange looks from people. ¡°Mommy, why is that person dressed like that?¡± ¡°Shush! He¡¯s just a man in distress, honey. Don¡¯t get too close, ok.¡± There was a mother holding a daughter. The girl asked a question while putting a finger in her mouth. The girl was clearly asking about Ernest because the other finger was pointed at him. Unlike Ernest, who was focused on the cityscape, the people passing by were looking at his appearance. Their gazes were the same. Disgusted. Hence, many of them ran away or just avoided him. Although he was considered a beggar by people who saw his appearance, smiling was the answer Ernest gave to them. Ernest didn¡¯t care about the views of people who looked down on him. As long as it didn¡¯t threaten his life, everything was fine. Moreover, he understood the reason why people behaved this way. Ernest was not wearing neat patient clothes anymore, but wrinkled, dull clothes, and even had mold on some parts of his clothes. It was natural because the clothes he was wearing were his personal clothes from two years ago. When he was about to leave the hospital earlier, he received those clothes from Olivia. ¡°These are the clothes you wore when you were brought here. Your personal belongings are already in this sling bag of yours. You can check the contents later.¡± When Ernest asked why Olivia still kept the clothes that were already worn out, she only replied because it was hospital procedure to keep the patient¡¯s personal belongings. If it was just a sling bag filled with his personal documents, then he would believe it. But to store clothes too? Ernest was sure that there was no procedure for storing patients¡¯ damaged clothes. Actually, Ernest wanted to tell Olivia to just throw away his clothes, however, he then realized that he didn¡¯t have the money to buy new clothes. ¡°Did she predict my condition when I regained consciousness? Or is she afraid that these clothes are important and meaningful to me?¡± Taking the wallet that was inside his sling bag, Ernest opened it in the hope of finding some money left over from the debt to buy food to celebrate his small life that was still continuing. However, apart from finding his identity card, he also found... ¡°Some money?¡± In total, there were about five of 100 bucks. As far as his memory could recall, he only had a few dollars and cents? Because, after all, he had spent all the money from the debt on getting drunk and gambling. ¡®Is this all Olivia¡¯s gift?¡¯ Ernest turned his lips into a U-shape as he thought of Olivia¡¯s nature, which was almost similar to ... dandere? Chapter 10 - The Girl In My Memory Finally, Ernest arrived at the Central Business District while holding his stomach. As he walked and took breaks frequently to eat, he arrived in the Central Business District about three hours later. Perhaps because he had been deprived of Earth''s food for too long, he ended up spending a lot of money just to buy various foods, ranging from street food to some restaurants''s food. Strangely, his stomach managed to accommodate all that food. Unbeknownst to him, the money given by Olivia was running out. Ernest now planned to only use Olivia''s money if he really had no other choice or must. Since it was already nighttime, he intended to find a place to sleep first. Although he couldn''t afford a hotel, he couldn''t possibly sleep on the streets either. Even though it was almost spring, the weather was still frigid outside. Just to walk, Ernest had to hug his own body. Not because he didn''t have a partner¡ªthat was also true, but because of his tattered clothes, which allowed the cold air to freely touch his skin without any barriers. The place he was looking for was a homeless shelter. When he entered a building resembling a neglected gymnasium, a homeless shelter, he received strange looks because he was the youngest person there. The average homeless person was elderly and unable to work. ¡°Use this to reduce the cold air you feel!¡± One of the homeless gave Ernest a few sheets of newspaper. Ernest took the newspapers given by the homeless to use as a blanket. Although Ernest appreciated their kindness, he remained cautious. To prevent anyone from trying to steal his sling bag, Ernest turned the sling bag upside down, letting all its contents fall to the floor, making it clear to all the homeless in the shelter that he didn''t have anything valuable. As the items inside his sling bag¡ªactually not many¡ªhad all fallen, he suddenly found a small piece of paper. The paper contained a note that looked freshly written. It wasn''t hard to guess that this was a note left by Olivia. What he didn''t expect was the content of the note, which turned out to be a warning. [Use the money to stay in a hotel. At least you''ll be safe during the lunar eclipse tomorrow. That''s all.] Ernest read the warning while scratching his head. ¡®A lunar eclipse, huh. Uhh. Isn''t it too late?!¡¯ *** When morning came, Ernest set out to look for a job. He chose the Central Business District because he thought finding a job or information there would be easier. However, reality didn''t match his expectations. ¡°We don''t hire beggar employees like you!¡± ¡°What do you want? Do you want to steal something from our store?! Get out now!¡± ¡°...Ah! We''re not hiring employees anymore. I will speak honestly to you. Please stay away from our business; I''m afraid customers will run away if they see someone like you.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. All the people, when seeing Ernest''s appearance, immediately chased him away without waiting for Ernest to explain his purpose. On the other hand, there were also some bastards people who thought Ernest was a thief. But, among these types of people, what he found most unbearable were those who pretended to be kind but were actually hypocrites. They talked very softly and kindly, but their words were hurtful. He preferred to be kicked out roughly rather than face their hypocrisy. If the people who had dealt with Ernest in the past heard what Ernest was grumbling about in his heart, they would indeed rise from the grave and call Ernest an ungrateful person. Even though he received various insolent treatments, Ernest showed his smile again not too long after without being overly annoyed. When the day was almost over, Ernest stopped looking for a job and entered a narrow alley. He saw a restaurant employee about to dispose of various leftover foods there. He approached and asked for the food. Even though he was looked down upon and pitied, he didn''t care. Why be ashamed if you can eat delicious food for free? A study mentioned that if someone is accustomed to living in a dirty environment, they would adapt to it and not easily get sick. Whether it''s called human adaptability or the hygiene hypothesis, he forgot. While he focused on eating next to the trash like a wild animal, he started to furrow his brows. Not because the food tasted bad but because he saw something outside the alley. He automatically gathered the leftover food he hadn''t eaten, stood up, and ran out of the alley with his mouth full of food. He almost choked, but luckily, there was a water bottle with plenty of water still lying at the top of the trash can. Although there was sauce sticking to his cheeks, he kept running. It was as if he was possessed, ignoring his appearance. When he reached the end of the alley, he crossed the street and stood in front of a giant billboard screen. At first, a large crowd gathered in front of the billboard screen, but as soon as Ernest arrived, everyone instinctively avoided him and covered their noses. Ernest didn''t notice the reactions of the people around him because his gaze from start to finish never left the billboard screen. He even rubbed his eyes several times as if wondering if he was hallucinating or not. Ernest''s surprised reaction was expected because he saw someone he knew inside the billboard screen. Yet he didn''t have a single acquaintance who was a celebrity. So he couldn''t believe what he saw at first. Some things that made him sure that the person on the billboard was someone he knew were her characteristic features: a girl with golden hair, the same age as him, and her facial structure. Even though he hadn''t seen her in two years, so there might have been many changes to her face, Ernest was sure he hadn''t mistaken her. Moreover, her first name was written on the billboard screen. [Stella L. D''Estra. The newcomer actress and singer.] Even with the addition of the family name, the girl''s first name was the same as the girl he knew. As if his head was beginning to fill with memories of her, he began to smile. However, when he saw a male celebrity beside her, Ernest''s face began to look gloomy. The billboard image showed that the two of them were holding hands and slightly bowed their heads, as if giving the impression that they were expressing gratitude, with the background of a grand stage image. A few seconds later, large letters filled the billboard screen and made Stella''s image the background. [Get your tickets ready; a grand concert will begin this summer!] ¡°Time has really passed.¡± He sighed and pushed away all the useless emotions that had surfaced earlier. How pathetic. He realized all those emotions had made him look like a jealous child. Although, it wouldn''t be strange if she had become someone else''s girlfriend or even had a family? ¡°Hahaha.¡± This time, he laughed and raised the corners of his lips as usual. ¡°I''m genuinely happy for you for having a family.¡± Ernest gently touched the billboard screen. He spoke sincerely because he knew Stella was an orphan who lived in an orphanage. So, Ernest was genuinely happy thinking that in the two years he was absent, she had become a famous celebrity and had a family name behind her name. Unfortunately, the moment of his contemplation couldn''t last long. A sudden disturbance occurred.