"Hmm…" the owner of the voice stood at the door for a while before coming closer. "You are awake, right?"

I did not really feel like talking to anyone, but when asked like this how could I ignore them? I turned around with a displeased face and saw a young woman standing with a smirk. Her hair was messy, sticking out at some places while her hands were in the pockets of her white coat. Despite her unkempt appearance, her beauty was not hidden away.

"I'm the doctor who's been looking after you. I'm actually a guest in this hospital, but you interested me quite a bit, kid," she said.

"Oh, so you want to check on me..." I mumbled and tried to sit up.

"Nah," the woman, who called herself my doctor, waved her hands and walked over to the chair on the other end of the room. "I saw your reports, I am sure you're fine."

"... What do you mean?"

She crossed her legs one over the other and leaned back on her seat, her eyes fixed on mine. "There's no point in hiding it. Well, don't worry. I won't push you for things." She raised one hand and pointed at me with her fingers, no, she was pointing at my heart.

"Why are there natural limiters on such a small kid?"

Tsk.

This damned woman.

"How did that troll die?" I asked back, narrowing my eyes.

"An awakener killed it and brought you to this hospital. Now, kid. I know you're pressed for money."

I clicked my tongue again. Just what kind of doctor was this?

"You're knees deep in debt because your elder sister couldn't get a full scholarship for her first year in Agriche, right? And then you also moved all the way here to Ternet from your home."

She had done a whole background check on me. This conversation was getting increasingly annoying.

As if sensing my annoyance, the doctor gestured at me with her hands, "Woah, woah, calm down, yeah? I'm paying all the hospital costs that you've built up. It isn't exactly cheap, you know? I bet you're worried about the cash."

"What do you want?"

"Just answer my one question. Why are there natural limiters on a kid like you?"

Limiters were things that kept an awakener's strength in control. Back when the first awakeners had appeared alongside the portals almost two hundred years ago, the tales of awakeners going crazy with their power weren't uncommon. Even after the demon king was defeated a hundred years back, new awakeners carried the chances to go insane with overwhelming strength.

So, to keep this power under control, the concept of limiters was given rise.

Natural measures from brainwashing, emotional triggers, and special skills, all of them were used to keep their strengths in check. And artificial measures like mana blockers and anti-magic metals. From stopping people from going insane on their own powers, these convenient things started being used to put down criminals or stop some from being too strong. Some of the S and above ranked heroes and awakeners even used them to make sure they don't destroy cities while fighting.

But today, when genetics and natural selection on top of the increasing influx of mana on Earth had led to almost every person being born as an awakener, the original use of limiters was almost non-existent. Being born into strength meant you can't suddenly come across it and collapse from your mind.

"So? Are you a criminal or something? Or were you somehow born as a non-awakener? But that wouldn't make sense with your physique and mana capacity."

I took in a deep breath and looked at the doctor with a hateful gaze. What kind of answer was she expecting? Did she think I'll entertain her like some lab experiment?

With a sigh, I answered back. "It's because I'm a criminal. Happy?"

"WHAT!" the woman shot up from her seat with eyes widened in excitement."No way! A kid like you? What did you do?"

"This was not in your conditions."

"C'mon, just say it anyway!"

"Or what?"

"Hmm..." She put her hand on her chin and thought for a few seconds. "Well, nothing really. I won't go back on my words."

With a smirk, she walked over next to me and put her hand on the top of my head. I was about to hit it away when a white glow emitted from her palms and a rejuvenating energy seeped through my body.

"[High Heal]"

A healing type skill. High Heal, a rare skill even in the already rare healing type skills, judging from the strength, it was at least at a B+ Rank.

"There, that should be enough of a 'check-up.' You'll be all well by tomorrow. I'll leave this place tonight as well, I am late for some stuff."

"I didn't ask."

"Haha!" the doctor laughed and took her hand away and placed them back in the pockets of her coat. "Well then, take care."

"Right, just leave already."

"I'll see you soon," she whispered at the end.

What an unbelievably sour interaction. Today was probably just a bad day. That nurse, then this damn system that I still don't know what to do about, and then this doctor. I was feeling tired from all of it. With a sigh, I settled back on the bed and went to sleep.

***

That night, I had a strange dream.

A dream that seemed so far away yet ever so close to my heart.

A young child, probably just entering his teens. He knew of the child. What did the child even have? Nothing. His family had always kept him at a distance.

The mother he looked for was always busy with work. From his little anecdotes to dramas, no matter what he tried to do, he was always ignored.

The sister he wanted to be loved by hated him. He had always tried to be his best for his sister, but it all led to her wishing death on him. No, she had even tried to kill him.

His friends too, no one would stick with him, no matter how much he tried to help others, they would just leave him behind.

The child just wanted to be seen, for anything, anyhow.

That was when he came across his first dungeon outbreak on the streets. It was a terrifying day, the people all ran in fear as monsters escaped the portals and destroyed everything around them. A sea of blood flowed on the streets as people ran for their lives. But it was only that child that stayed in place, his eyes stuck to the monsters. To the awakeners and heroes that came to the scene and saved everyone.

At that time, he couldn't see anything but the strength that the sides displayed. Overwhelming strength, that was the only thing in his eyes.

And so, the child found out.

He knew exactly what he needed, what he was looking for. If no one saw him for what he had, he hoped they would notice him for his strength.

Since then, the child dedicated himself to strength. Every waking moment, he would better himself, magic, martial arts, weapons, technical skills, academics, he devoured anything and everything that could give him strength.

It was an obsession. He wanted power enough to flip everything, all his problems.

He wanted the strength to rule over the world itself.

When time passed by and the child felt he needed a new stimulus to grow stronger, he left his home under the veil of the dark night—

***

—I woke up.

I rubbed my eyes and tried to sit up again. Sleeping after that unpleasant woman's healing skill really took away most of the pain that I was feeling. I leaned back against the bed and rubbed my eyes. The dream truly was a bad one. A nightmare, even.

I slowly stretched my arms and turned to my side to get some water. The vase had been cleaned up and replaced when I was asleep, thankfully I didn't get in any trouble.

The morning sun was peeking in from outside. I had somehow slept the entire night away without waking up even once.

Soon, the same nurse from yesterday came into the room and informed me of my discharge.

"The doctor on your case has already left, but she said you're free to go today!" the nurse said with a smile.

"I see, thank you for looking after me."

"Don't worry about any payments by the way. The foxkin family whose child you saved has already covered all your costs."

Huh?

"Huh?"

"Haha, unfortunately, they had to leave to a different country or they would have visited you," the nurse's smile grew wider. "They asked me to tell you that they will forever be grateful and find you soon. Foxkins are a bit like that, you know? Help them once and they'll keep helping you. They are really the opposites of actual foxes ahaha!"

The nurse went on a strange monologue, but I didn't hear a word.

I had been tricked by that wench of a doctor.

It was frustrating, but there wasn't much I could do now. I swore in my mind to get back at her once and pushed the matter to the back of my head.

The discharge went on smoothly, and in the next hour I was given back my bag, clothes, and other items all cleaned up.

I left the hospital and set off back home. In the end, no one came to visit me or pick me up.

**

Ralph was on his way home when a shadowy figure stared at him from behind the sea of buildings. Radio feedback sounded in the air as the figure brought a transceiver up to its face.

"Lady Ba, your informant was right. Ralph Rubinstein really is here in Ternet."

-Click!

Another buzz sounded as a screeching voice returned from the transceiver.

"Haha... perfect! I'm sending everyone there. The time to get our revenge is finally here!"