Chapter 2The Unruly

Every room had the same setup: one NPC and one player.

The players in 402 and 403 were more compliant. Despite their fear, they obediently took their injections. I was in a great mood, humming a little tune as I kicked open the door to Room 404.

But the scene inside froze the smile on my face.

The NPC from Room 404…

He was a heap of mangled flesh on the floor, his limbs twisted at unnatural angles. He’d been cold for a while.

And the one responsible, the male player from this room, was sitting calmly on the bed. His long, wicked dark eyes watched me, a knowing smirk playing on his lips.

“Time for my injection, little nurse?” a low, magnetic voice drawled, laced with amusement.

A shiver ran down my spine, my vision swimming with black spots.

This was a real pro. Vicious. He’d killed his NPC roommate on the very first day. What if he decided to kill me, too?

The hand holding the syringe trembled. My legs felt like jelly as I inched toward the man on the bed, my eyes catching the name on his patient file.

Kael—Severe Mania. Extremely Dangerous.

“Sleeve up, please,” I managed, trying to sound calm.

Kael arched an eyebrow, studying me for a moment before obediently rolling up the sleeve of his striped uniform. The motion revealed a well-defined forearm, veins coiling just beneath the skin. My knees nearly buckled again. He could probably snap my neck with one hand.

But what choice did I have? I was a nurse in this asylum. If I refused to administer medication, the system would erase me.

Steeling myself, I took out the syringe and placed one hand on his forearm.

It was scorching hot.

Was this a normal human temperature? Had Kael merged with some kind of mutated creature in this instance?

“Something wrong, little nurse?” the man’s teasing voice floated down from above.

I tried to ignore the heat radiating from him, a heat that felt like it could melt me. Swallowing hard, I said, “Nothing.”

I tried to push the needle into his skin.

But his arm was as hard as a rock. The needle bent, unable to pierce his flesh. Had he merged with some kind of golem?

My vision went dark again. “Mr. Kael, could you please relax your arm a bit? It’s too hard, I can’t get it in!”

He raised an eyebrow, his tone deliberately playful. “Hard, you say?”

I nodded frantically. “Yes!”

At that, Kael’s arm relaxed slightly. The needle finally broke the skin, and I completed the injection. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, nearly collapsing in relief.