THE KILLING HOUR

Chapter 19 · A Prisoner Delivered

She wanted to find her teammates right now, but you couldn't message friends in-game, and it was the middle of the night. A woman in a prison going looking for a few men — what rumors would that start?

What chain reaction would follow?

If some inmate got out, then she—

The harsh sound pulled [Mia] out of her daze.

Startled, [Mia] curled up small on the bed like a frightened lab mouse.

[Screenshot taken.]

[Mia is too cute, hahaha.]

[I really want to take this little mouse home and keep her.

[Carry Rat, add me and let's play. If you're scared you can hold my arm.]

[I wouldn't mind holding you and comforting you right now.]

A look of "you can't see me."

Seeing the panicked [Mia], the viewers all started teasing her. The room was empty, and this game didn't have monsters.

Such a safe little room, and a little noise had [Mia] this spooked?

The phone was still ringing. Realizing how tense she'd been, a blushing [Mia] crawled out from the covers and checked around — no enemies, just an antique phone ringing.

"Um, just now I was acting out how most people look when they're startled. Pretty convincing, right?"

[Mia] patted her proud chest and explained, face red. Last match she'd clung to a coattail the whole time and never had to perform — just be cute and keep the mood up. Now she'd been split up,

and this embarrassing scene would surely have her fans laughing without even checking the comments.

"Don't praise my acting yet. Let's hear the phone."

[Mia] changed the subject fast, walked to the desk ten meters away and picked up. Before she could speak, the other end started talking.

"Is this Ellister

Cari?"

"Ellister to Cari?"

[Mia] murmured in confusion, then saw the comment a viewer had just sent and understood. On her white coat, at her chest, was a name tag: [Ellister Cari].

"Speaking. What is it?"

[Mia] answered, forcing herself to sound calm.

"Sorry to disturb your rest.

An inmate is injured. Could you take a look?"

The voice on the line was urgent, clearly anxious.

[Mia] had no idea how to treat anyone. Her role was a doctor, but she was a student. She had no business doing this.

Luckily her stream had viewers in the medical field. With backup, she agreed.

"Bring him in."

[Mia] answered nervously, small hands clutching the hem of her coat, looking utterly adorable.

"Please open the second iron gate and let us in.

The urgent voice came again.

Second gate?

As [Mia] wondered, she spotted two control buttons on the desk — one marked ON, one marked OFF.

She pressed ON, and then the line went dead.

[Mia] sat tensely at the desk, waiting for the injured inmate.

[Mia]'s room was large, roughly a hundred square meters. The front half held medical supplies and instruments; the back half was her living space, with rest, entertainment and personal belongings.

An opaque sliding door divided the two. It was a woman's room, after all — the air carried a faint fresh scent.

"Knock, knock, knock."

After a long minute of waiting, the knock finally came.

"Come in."

[Mia] called out weakly, ducking her neck. It was her first time facing a criminal alone, and even one inmate was enough to make her nervous.

The handle turned but the door didn't open. Only then did [Mia] realize her door was bolted.

She went to unbolt it, her face burning with embarrassment.

"Doctor Cari, this inmate is hurt and spitting blood. Can you see what's wrong?"

Flustered, she ran over.

Two guards carried the blood-soaked inmate in between them. The prison's population was fixed — not one more, not one less — so unless absolutely necessary they didn't want the trouble of taking in a new inmate.

They set him in a chair, and both guards' eyes fixed on the beauty before them. That blonde hair glowed in the bright room, and that dewy young face was the fantasy of every inmate and guard,

not to mention those full, proud curves. It was enough to kill a man.

[Brothers, did you see the look in those guards' eyes?

They want to do this and then that to our lab rat.]

[Brothers in the audience, are you any different from those two?]

[A bunch of game data wants to mess with our lab rat?

If anyone messes with her, it should be me.]

[You're all terrible. But the rat's custom body is just unfair.

Who wouldn't be tempted?]

Comments flew, and though [Mia] disliked the guards' leering, she pretended not to see and started examining the injured inmate.

The inmate was a frail boy, his pitiful little face full of fear and timidity. Two teeth had somehow come out, his delicate face was smeared with blood, and it ran steadily from the gaps.

Hard to believe a child this small was in this prison. What had he been through to end up like this?

And what crime had put him here?