Chapter 3

"Remember that patient who was brought to the hospital after the accident on the highway last time?"

"Yeah, the lucky man who was the only survivor of that accident? Why do you ask?"

In a large hospital, it's not uncommon for patients to be rushed in due to traffic accidents. While it's certainly a tragic event, the nurses have become so accustomed to such scenes that they can now remain calm. It's a sad reality, but one must get used to it to work as a nurse in a hospital. The job of the nurses is not to look at them with pity but to provide the care they need. Empathy and compassion are different concepts.

"…Well, that patient finally woke up from a coma two days ago."

"Hmm? Really? That's good… But why do you look like that?"

Nurse Lee nodded at her colleague's words but gave a puzzled look. It was good news, yet her colleague's face had turned pale. The patient had been in a coma for over a week.

"No, no… The patient's condition is a bit strange."

"Strange?"

"Yeah."

Her colleague's throat tightened. She looked as if she had seen something she shouldn't have, and Nurse Lee involuntarily tensed up. What could have caused such a reaction?

"He couldn't sleep at night, as if he was having nightmares."

"…Maybe it's because of the traffic accident? I heard his entire family died."

Nurse Lee's words made her colleague give a bitter smile.

"We decided to keep the news of the accident from him for now to help him stabilize. Honestly, we can't tell a patient who just woke up from a coma that all his family members died in a traffic accident. We need to check his physical condition first. Besides, mental stability is crucial for recovery."

"…You're right."

Sometimes, it's necessary to delay telling the truth if it's for the patient's benefit, even if it means withholding information.

"What about this patient? There's something unusual about him…"

Nurse Lee felt compassion for the man, even though she knew she shouldn't. Her colleague took a deep breath and hesitated.

"…When the patient screamed at night, several nurses, including me, rushed in, and we almost died."

"Almost died?"

"Yeah… We were told to keep it a secret, but the patient tried to kill us."

"What?"

Nurse Lee frowned slightly.

Her colleague sighed again.

"He had somehow broken the glass window and was holding shards of glass to our necks."

As she said this, her colleague showed her neck, where a faint red line remained. The line was near an artery, and Nurse Lee shuddered. Her colleague could have died last night. The thought of how close it was to becoming a deeper cut was too frightening to imagine.

"Well, the male doctors rushed in and stopped him, but it was a real hassle. Haha…"

She gave an empty laugh, still looking pale.

"The patient was really strong. Despite over a dozen male doctors rushing in, he easily overpowered them. He only stopped when he got tired. It was amazing to see a patient who had been in a coma move like that after a traffic accident."

Even though many doctors are not physically fit due to their long hours, the same should have applied to the patient who had been in a coma. Despite only sustaining minor injuries, it was almost impossible for him to move so vigorously after a traffic accident. It felt like a scene from a movie.

*

It was a strange place.

Clearly human in form, but beings that were not quite human wandered through a dark labyrinth. They wore costumes that looked like they belonged in an RPG game, and there were even wizards.

Every path had ceilings of different heights, damp cave walls, and occasionally, long staircases of unknown origin. Despite being deep underground where sunlight never reached, plants grew.

The faint glowing orbs floating around made it easy to observe the strange scene.

Honestly, at first, I was amazed.

The wizards' fingertips burned with flames that incinerated nameless monsters, and those in front charged forward with swords and spears. Their bravery felt real, not just a performance.

As a giant monster fell to the ground with a scream, I thought to myself:

What a strange dream.

Dreams are usually uncontrollable, but this one felt different.

I was secretly following the adventurers as they advanced, defeating monsters.

When I wondered why I was following them, a reason came to mind as if someone had whispered it in my ear.

I have to kill them.

That was all.

Absurdly, I was blending into the darkness, pursuing them to kill them.

When I asked why I had to kill them, there was no answer.

In the dream, I moved as if it were my duty to kill them.

It was like a beast.

I waited for my prey to tire before striking, my eyes gleaming with the intent to sever their necks.

"……"

They finally defeated the monster and began to rest.

The enormous amount of blood from the monster flowed on the ground, but the adventurers, seemingly used to it, sat down without hesitation and began to chat. They were celebrating their successful hunt.

They seemed to be inexperienced adventurers, not quite seasoned veterans.

Observing them, I understood this.

I was curious about what an adventurer really was, but I accepted it and prepared to kill them.

I took a glass bottle from my pocket and coated my sword with it.

It was poison.

It had a slightly yellowish color and a sticky consistency, clearly dangerous. I applied it to my sword without hesitation.

This poison didn't take effect immediately. Such poisons were very expensive and rare.

However, once they were cut by it, their bodies would gradually stiffen over time.

It was a tool to aid in a smooth escape, not to help in the immediate battle. If someone tried to run, it would be troublesome.

I approached the adventurers, who were chatting peacefully.

Their guard was completely down, and they had no idea someone was targeting them. I cursed their stupidity.

Should I kill them?

The moment this thought crossed my mind, my hand was already moving.

My sword swung and cut the neck of the largest man among the adventurers.

He was a beastman with fur, and his skin was tough.

However, he couldn't react to the sudden attack and fell to the ground, clutching his severed neck.

His party members were shocked.

They tried to prepare for battle, but I was experienced. Before they could get into position, I swung my sword without hesitation. The maze echoed with the screams of the dying.

I had planned to ambush a group of enemies.

I wouldn't have rushed in recklessly. I first cut down the nearby wizard and priest. They were easy targets, still recovering from the battle with the monster.

Everything went according to plan.

Swinging my sword like a killing machine, I soon found myself surrounded by several corpses. It was a colorful scene, with all the beings of unknown origin.

Non-humans.

I seemed to call them that.

My face was cold as I killed them, feeling no guilt, only a strange sense of relief. The dry smile on my face felt good, but it made me feel sick.

My hands were covered in blood. They must have had families and friends. Was there a reason to kill them?

Why did I feel so good? Was this me? Why had I become like this?

My mind was a mess as I continued to observe my actions.

In the midst of the pungent smell of blood, I began to search the dead adventurers' backpacks, looking for something.

What was it?

Without even wiping the blood from my hands, I diligently searched their backpacks. What I found was simple.

An old wristwatch, handled with care, as if it were precious. It was an old design but looked sophisticated with its brown leather strap.

Seeing it, I felt a bit strange.

It was clearly an item from Earth, not something that could be made here. I had already subconsciously accepted that this was a different world.

Why did they have this item?

Without any intention of solving the mystery, I held the wristwatch and hid back into the darkness of the maze. My back looked lonely.

Why?

I was just a murderer.

Even though they were non-humans, they still had hearts, could speak, and share emotions. Was there any difference between killing them and killing humans?

As I stared blankly at myself disappearing into the darkness, I woke up.

*

"……"

The now familiar white ceiling came into view. It was the ceiling of the hospital. The air was filled with a scent that seemed to soothe the heart, but my chest felt as empty as the deep sea.

I had a nightmare.

Or, was it not a nightmare this time?

I was the one doing the killing, acting as the hunter.

"……"

The sensation of killing still lingered in my fingertips. The realistic feeling from the dream clung to my body, tormenting me.

I felt nauseous.

The unpleasant sensation of blood filling my nostrils and coating my mind wouldn't go away easily. How many times had this happened? I reached out to the ceiling.

It felt as if blood was still dripping from my fingertips. How many had I killed with these hands? I opened my eyes, and the lingering sleepiness began to fade.

At this point, I had to accept it.

I had really gone back in time.

Honestly, it still felt like a dream.

It was as if I was not the future me who had come here but the present me who was somehow peeking into the future.

Or, maybe that was the truth.

Although I had gone back in time, I didn't remember everything that would happen. My memories were vague, as if parts of the film had been cut out.

It was truly absurd that the only thing I remembered clearly was how I had died.

The sound of the greatsword slicing through the air, the pain at that moment, the only thing I remembered clearly was how I had died.

It didn't matter anymore.

As I slowly came to my senses, the doctor was already by my side, checking my condition.

"How are you feeling today? The weather is nice, so a walk might be good."

The doctor was smiling and speaking kindly, but there was something off.

His eyes were filled with pity, as if looking at a pitiful creature.

The reason was obvious.

"I'll do that."

A man who lost his entire family in a traffic accident.

That was how I was introduced in the hospital.