Chapter 3. The Gift of Fate

Chapter 3: The Gift of Fate

News of the Doctor's return to Rhodes Island spread quickly, yet only a handful of operators were able to learn of it immediately and come rushing over. Greyy was one of them.

Why had he come to Rhodes Island in the first place? It was probably after he learned he had become infected. Forced to leave his hometown alone, he unexpectedly saw Rhodes Island’s recruitment poster at an Infected shelter in Bolívar. Taking a chance, Greyy carefully filled out a résumé and report. After a long and agonizing week, he received an employment contract from the Rhodes Island HR department.

The contract was honest and fair, the terms for operators clearly laid out, and it promised that Greyy could receive treatment for Oripathy while working at Rhodes Island.

At this point in his recollection, Greyy’s usually clouded gaze grew clear. Standing in front of the central hall doors, his hand shook slightly as he gripped his staff. He leaned the staff against the wall and patted his dark work uniform, regretting that he hadn’t changed before coming. Perhaps it was the excitement—he’d just finished his shift in infrastructure, heard about the Doctor’s return in the cafeteria, and rushed over without preparing at all.

Greyy hesitated, wondering if he should come back later. He quietly took two steps back, grabbed his staff, and turned around—only to crash right into another operator.

“Whoa, Greyy, why did you suddenly turn around?”

With her long green hair, Gavial merely stepped back half a pace and quickly reached out to steady Greyy before he could fall.

Flustered, Greyy apologized like a startled rabbit and hurriedly fled with his staff. The operators from the Medical Department always made him instinctively nervous, desperate to escape—even though he knew they meant no harm.

Gavial watched Greyy dash away but didn’t mind. She boldly pushed open the doors to the central hall and saw Amiya sitting at her desk, chin propped on her hands. In the seat that had once belonged to Amiya sat a man with short black hair, utterly absorbed in stroking Red’s tail. Red crouched on the floor, her body stiff, yet miraculously she neither ran nor reacted more dangerously.

Scoundrel!

Gavial fumed silently. This scoundrel had once pretended to be asleep, then suddenly screamed while someone was inspecting the office, startling Myrrh so badly she ran back to the dorms in tears. Later, after Ptilopsis arrived, he spent his days poking her for fun, making the entire Medical Department wary of the Doctor.

It was truly appalling. In the end, he left without a word, making everyone search desperately—but he was nowhere to be found. Gavial ground her teeth, deciding to treat him as if he were already dead. Who would have thought he’d suddenly reappear? It wasn’t some operator’s prank, and now Gavial didn’t know what expression she should wear.

Meanwhile, Zhou Jinru had already noticed Gavial standing dumbfounded at the door. At a loss for words, he withdrew his hand from Red’s tail—he had to admit, it felt amazing. If he had the chance, he’d love to try out the tails of the other three wolves as well…

Like a cruel joke, his crossing over was real—he had come to the world of Arknights. He was actually the Doctor, the one the operators referred to as the runaway, the despicable Doctor. With all his misdeeds, it wouldn’t be too much to be beaten to death several times over—if not for the indulgence (and tolerance) of these adorable operators.

Amiya followed Zhou Jinru’s gaze and greeted warmly, “Gavial, you’re here!”

Gavial never put on airs before Amiya, but her expression soured when she looked at Zhou Jinru. “I saw Greyy at the door. He didn’t come in.”

She changed the subject, fixing her gaze on Zhou Jinru. “Since the Doctor has returned, as per Rhodes Island’s protocol, you need to undergo a medical examination. I’ll draft the report. By now, Dr. Kal’tsit should already know about this.”

“Oh, all right. Thank you.”

A game was just a game, but now that the game had become reality, Zhou Jinru didn’t know how to respond except to go along with everything.

“Huh?” Gavial frowned slightly. When had the despicable Doctor become so agreeable?

She looked at Amiya, whose bright eyes were just as bewildered—her confusion practically written across her face.

Zhou Jinru thought for a moment. After the game’s official launch, Empress Kal’tsit, who knew everything, was never implemented—her presence limited to the written story. Now, seeing her in person, he couldn’t help but feel a little excited. “Where is Dr. Kal’tsit?”

Gavial walked over to the water dispenser, poured two cups, and slid one across the desk to Zhou Jinru. Her tone was casual. “She’s over by the core engine with Chief Engineer Closure. Our energy system is down, but it’s nothing serious—it’ll be fixed soon.”

“Thank you.”

Boom!

Zhou Jinru raised his cup, but at that moment, the entire office trembled violently, just as it had before Chen’s office. He hurriedly steadied his cup.

Gavial sipped her water and sat on the nearby sofa, hands wrapped around the cup. “See? That’s how it is now. After you left, our trade with other factions dropped, and Rhodes Island’s daily consumption is astronomical. Many nonessential ship functions have been shut down to save resources. Luckily, as a pharmaceutical company, we’ve had great success in medical research. Dr. Kal’tsit launched new initiatives, and we pulled through the hardest times. Things are all right now. It’s just that many old friends have left…”

“Gavial, let’s not dwell on the past,” Amiya interrupted. “Now that the Doctor is back, everything will get better.”

Zhou Jinru’s scalp prickled. Every word Gavial uttered felt like a whip across his face, burning hot with shame. He quickly took a sip of water to hide his embarrassment.

Staring at the trembling liquid in his cup, gaze unfocused, he suddenly collapsed onto the desk. He dimly heard Amiya’s anxious voice:

“Doctor! Doctor, what’s wrong? Doctor…”

…

“Hello.”

Zhou Jinru opened his eyes to find himself still standing on the basketball court, dressed in his uniform, teammates sweating beside him.

But everything was frozen in that instant. Droplets hung motionless in the air, the captain suspended in mid-jump. Time had stopped, everything held in place—only he could move.

“Hello.”

Turning, Zhou Jinru saw a flickering, phantom silhouette. Its mouth moved, emitting fragmented words:

“…No time left. This is all I can do.”

The shadow slapped Zhou Jinru’s body with sudden force, and he was hurled backward. Everything before his eyes shattered like glass, splintering into countless pieces, and endless darkness swallowed him whole.

…

Crack! Crack! Crack!

A rustling, static-filled noise. The smell of disinfectant flooded his nose, and he lay on a soft mattress. Zhou Jinru opened his eyes. His first thought: he must be in the infirmary.

His second thought: he would never again touch anything handed to him by the Rhodes Island Medical Department!

What was that?

A line of text appeared in his vision: 46/120 Sanity. Regenerating 1 point every 6 minutes. Simulation effect activated.

Message 1: Survive.

Message 2: Locked.

Message 3: Locked.

Message 4: Locked.

(End of chapter)