There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

Popli lowered her head a little shyly, and I saw strands of her beautiful pink hair fluttering in front of me, emitting a sweet fragrance, somewhat like the summer sun.

"Those two children, are they monsters...? I can't believe it..."

"Yu and Mei didn't mean it, but their playing is really dangerous. Gray hasn't dared to play football with them since last year."

"Eh?! Is that so?! Then why are you playing games with them, Popuri?"

"I didn't say I'd help them kick the ball, I just helped them retrieve it!"

"Marcus! Why are you rolling your eyes again! Doctor! Doctor!"

Chapter 42 Hospital

"It's alright, Marcus. You just experienced a temporary lack of blood flow to your brain. You'll be fine after a rest."

In the ward, a young doctor was examining me. After using various instruments to check me, he confirmed that I was in good health.

I took this opportunity to observe the doctor myself.

Dr. Dort, 28 years old, comes from a strange group of volunteers in the city's frontier. He has black hair and black eyes and is clearly different from the locals.

According to his description, he came here to volunteer to improve the local medical standards and to undergo a test of his professional skills and mental fortitude.

But anyone who believes him is an idiot, since the pseudonym Dortmund is not deceptive at all.

Anyway, after this young doctor who called himself "Dorte" examined me very seriously, he prescribed a bottle of strangely colored medicine for me to drink.

Dr. Dort, with his thick eyebrows and large eyes, said earnestly, "This is a medicinal decoction I prepared using herbs that are local specialties. Drinking it will restore your energy and replenish your vitality. Hurry up and drink it."

"Doctor, why does this thing look so green and bubbling?"

"I just configured it, and it works perfectly!"

Dr. Dort gave me a thumbs up with a serious expression.

"Okay." I looked at the bottle of medicine, about the size of a mineral water bottle, and figured it wouldn't taste any worse than the traditional Chinese medicine I had in my previous life.

"Well……"

After taking one bite, I felt my entire mouth and esophagus go numb.

The medicine was neither cold nor hot, neither sweet nor salty, but it had a bitter, grassy taste, like swallowing an anesthetic cotton ball in an instant, causing numbness wherever it touched.

"Doctor...my throat..."

I had barely finished saying those two words when I couldn't say anything more; it felt like my vocal cords had disappeared.

Seeing my terrified expression, Dr. Dort suddenly realized and explained, "Sorry, I forgot to mention! Although these medicinal juices are harmless, they contain some plant alkaloids that can be broken down in a short time. The only side effect is that they can cause paralysis."

“Alas, medical resources in this town are extremely scarce. Many effective medicines are restricted by trade regulations and cannot be exported here. I had no choice but to find these local herbs as substitutes.”

"You know what? The effects of these herbs far exceeded my expectations. No wonder this island was able to develop for so long despite the lack of modern medicine."

"Oh! Sorry, I forgot you can't speak. Would you like some water and rest for a bit?"

I used gestures and facial expressions to finally stop him from continuing his long-winded discussion about the island's sanitation conditions, and then I asked for a glass of water to drink.

"Phew... much better."

After taking a sip of water, I felt the side effects of the medicine disappear, and I felt refreshed from the inside out, so much so that I wanted to go out and run a marathon.

But I saw Dr. Dort stand up with a shocked look on his face and ask me:

"You've recovered? Normal paralysis lasts for fifteen minutes!"

I cleared my throat to test my pronunciation, and sure enough, it was all normal now.

After all, I'm someone with the "legendary trait: Bear Grylls," so what's a little bit of anesthetic effect? ​​I could eat two pounds of plastic and not have any side effects, right?

But I also found it difficult to explain this reason to him.

I poured in the rest of the medicine, and sure enough, there was a new line of small text in my character status bar.

Character Status: Paralyzed 8%

Negative status duration: 209 seconds

I can clear this negative effect in about three minutes, while an ordinary person needs fifteen minutes to be paralyzed. So my immunity is probably that of an ordinary person...

Five times?!

“Marcus, could you stay and do some testing? I have three new medicinal formulas here, and I haven’t had any cases to test their effects. With you here, I definitely won’t have any questions…”

"I refuse!"

You're a doctor!

He's not a mad scientist!

What does it mean that I'm conducting live experiments?

"Marcus, think it over again. There's no risk in the experiment..."

"No, no, I'm afraid of needles."

"No need for injections, just drink it."

"I get dizzy in white coats."

"Then I can wear casual clothes."

"I'm dizzy, I need to go back to Planet Vegeta!"

I took the opportunity to slip away, not wanting to be targeted by such a dangerous person, but as soon as I opened the door, Poppy came in, holding a bottle that looked almost identical to the medicine I had just received.

“Marcus, you’ve recovered!” Poppy greeted him happily.

“It’s Poppy. Marcus has recovered after taking the medicine, so you don’t need to worry,” Dr. Dort explained earnestly.

"I'm not worried at all..."

"Yes, you just said..."

"Ahhh, that's enough, Marcus, let's go!"

Poppy quickly interrupted Dr. Dort, pulled me out of the ward, and rushed out of the hospital grounds.

Even after I left the hospital grounds, I could still hear Dr. Dort calling after me.

"Marcus, come back often! We need you here!"

But I don't need to take medicine!

Who would want more people to come to the hospital for medication?

We walked along the street at dusk, the setting sun casting long, slanting shadows of the trees that dappled the ground. A few birds circled overhead, searching for their homes.

"Hey Marcus, does that medicine taste good?"

After leaving the hospital, Poppy remained silent. The two of them walked towards the chicken farm in tacit understanding, but suddenly spoke up.

I was caught completely off guard, I said.

"It's not that it tastes awful, but my stomach felt numb after drinking it, which felt really bad. By the way, what kind of medicine is this?"

"It was chosen for my mother."

Popuri's little skirt fluttered like the ever-changing weather, and her expression gradually became complicated.

“My mother has always relied on medication to manage her illness. Only after finishing these medications can she regain a little energy and go out for a walk.”

"What disease did they find out?" I asked somewhat presumptuously, but my curiosity once again overwhelmed everything else.

"I don't know~" Popuri gave an indifferent smile, but there was a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

"I heard that I had seen many doctors before, and they all said that I didn't have any illness, it was just a psychological problem. But later they speculated that it was a genetic disease. Then the case became complicated and it turned out to be due to a mutated virus or something, and no doctor could make a diagnosis."

"My father heard that there were doctors in big cities who could treat it, so he went there alone to seek medical treatment, and over time he stopped coming back. I really don't know..."

I know what she meant by the second half of her sentence.

She must have wondered if her father used this excuse to abandon his sick wife and children and start a new life in the city.

"But every time, Mom would smile and tell us it was okay, that she would take good care of herself and that Dad would come back when she recovered."

"But he always sends back money and medicine, I've never actually met him..."

"Publi, have you ever thought about the outside world?"

I asked softly.

"The outside world?"

“Hmm.” I looked at the clouds in the sky and said, “I came from the outside world. In fact, every place has its own misfortunes and happiness, and no one can be perfect.”

I pointed at her nose and gently wagged my finger.

"You are not someone else, so you can't feel other people's joys and sorrows. Often, when you empathize a little, it's just because you've touched on similar wounds in your own body."

So don't make wild guesses. Cherish the people around you, cherish the present moment, and cherish fleeting happiness. Otherwise, someday when you regret it, you'll find that the things you missed back then have become untouchable memories.

Poppy walked forward with her head down, without answering me.

"Publi, why are you ignoring me?"

"I think you..."

"What do you think of me?"

"So long-winded!"

Poppy suddenly looked up, made a face at me, and skipped and hopped into the gate of the chicken farm.

"Tch, you think I'm being long-winded? Who was it that was about to cry just now?"

Watching her run into the house, I took advantage of the setting sun and walked step by step toward Mr. Dart's tavern.

Chapter 43 Strange Illness

Dart's bar was always empty, but according to him, it was always bustling with people after dark.

Regarding the high shed he mentioned, I couldn't think of anyone else besides those two drunkards. However, since I didn't stay until the evening, I'll just believe what the boss said for now.

"Boss, are you really not planning to change careers?" I kindly reminded him.