"Doctor?"
Lina's soft, white fingers lightly tapped Luca's chest, snapping him out of his daze.
"Sorry, I got distracted for a moment," Luca apologized, silently cursing himself for being careless enough to zone out in front of a red-clad vengeful spirit.
Now fully alert, he spoke again, his tone more cautious but still confident, "Beautiful lady, your condition isn't something too difficult for me to treat. I do have a solution."
"Really?!" Lina's voice betrayed a clear tone of surprise, mixed with excitement.
This special condition of hers, which bothered her every year, wasn't life-threatening, but it was enough to frustrate her. Hearing that there might be a way to resolve it, she couldn't contain her joy. Her gaze softened toward Luca, growing more friendly.
"Lady," Luca continued, his face showing a conflicted expression as if struggling with his next words, "treating your condition isn't difficult, but as a professional doctor, you understand that no one works for free, right?"
He paused, glancing at her, trying to gauge her reaction.
"Especially someone like me. To fully solve your problem, I would need to share a very valuable prescription with you."
"The knowledge a doctor possesses is their only true asset. I'm sure you understand that, don't you?"
Luca's words grew slightly more dramatic, his eyes shining with the fire of a true professional, as he pushed forward, "You wouldn't want to see me, a dedicated doctor, deprived of the chance to further my research because of poverty or the danger to my life, would you?"
He made it sound as though he was making some noble sacrifice, but internally, he was seizing the opportunity to play on her respect for medicine. With his Insight ability, he was already aware of the subtle advantages he had in this conversation.
Lina, never having met a human so eloquent, was momentarily taken aback. She usually interacted with the dismembered bodies or preserved corpses of patients, not living humans with such conviction.
"Well," she said, clearly impressed, "you're right. Doctors in Third Hospital always charge high fees for treatment. If you can truly cure me, I'll give you something of equal value as payment."
"Ah, just as expected from an excellent nurse! I knew you would understand!" Luca smiled, throwing in a well-timed compliment.
With a look of genuine trust, Luca then shared the solution he'd figured out using Insight, offering it to Lina as though it were a secret formula.
The result was immediate. Lina's attitude, already respectful of doctors, shifted from neutral to friendly.
She hadn't even had the chance to test the effectiveness of Luca's method, yet her trust in him had already been bolstered by his words.
"This is my payment." Lina reached into her nurse's pocket, pulling out a special card with a small clasp, and handed it to Luca.
Luca took the card and examined it. Written across it were the words "Specially Hired Doctor", with a holographic image of his face and name appearing thanks to the hospital's system.
"This is the hidden identity?" Luca mused, thinking of the potential advantages. He'd heard from returning players that hidden identities could unlock special missions or even lead to encounters with unusual, powerful spirits. His mind raced with possibilities.
He wasn't particularly worried about the risks, as Insight could keep him out of trouble if things went south. Confident, he pinned the identity card to his white coat.
As they walked through the eerie halls of the Third Hospital, Luca breathed in deeply, following Lina into the depths of the building.
The smell of disinfectant mixed with other odd scents that made it hard to breathe without covering his nose. The hospital's interior was like a twisted version of the real world.
In the registration area, players lined up with strange, otherworldly beings, all abiding by the hospital's rules. No one dared to cut in line.
Lina, with her chilling demeanor, glanced over the players. When her gaze landed on Luca, it softened, just a fraction.
"As external recruits, you lack sufficient experience to perform advanced duties here. Therefore, you'll be assigned basic tasks. I'll allocate roles now," she said coolly.
Three men were immediately pointed out for the morgue, where they would work as corpse handlers. The fear was evident in their faces as they processed the task at hand. None of them dared to protest.
In a world ruled by terrifying spirits, it was clear that defying the authorities wasn't a wise choice.
Lina continued, "You four," she said, indicating the women, "will work as temporary nurses in Ward One."
The women visibly relaxed, though no one was truly at ease in a hospital like this. The air was thick with dread—the Third Hospital's reputation for high mortality rates loomed over everyone.
Finally, Lina approached Luca, her voice much softer now, and handed him a pristine white coat and a stethoscope he clearly wouldn't use. She handed them with more care than she had given the others.
"Thank you," Luca said, with a genuine smile as he took the items, slipping the white coat on and pinning the identity card proudly to its breast pocket.
The rest of the players, seeing the way Luca was treated by the beautiful yet terrifying nurse, couldn't help but feel a mix of envy and admiration. Luca's clever words had secured him much better treatment than the others.
Among the men, one with delicate features and an almost feminine appearance stared at Luca and then at the imposing nurse. He recalled how Luca had used the excuse of discussing medical conditions to get the nurse alone.
Suddenly, everything clicked for him.
The truth was… so obvious.
He couldn't resist anymore, his hand timidly rose. "Uh... excuse me..." he asked in a feeble voice.
Lina's piercing eyes turned toward him. Her tone grew colder, "You better have something useful to say. Or…"
Her ice-cold response contrasted sharply with the warmth she had shown Luca, and the man's suspicions were confirmed.
At first, Lina had been just as cold and hostile toward Luca. But now… it seemed something had changed.