Punishment

Cold wind howled outside. Xie De could not be bothered to argue with 455 anymore. He struggled to his feet and felt his way into the bathroom.

He had brought nothing this time except his phone and gun, not even a change of clothes.

Fortunately, the hotel provided towels and bathrobes, so at least he would not have to go naked.

By the time he finished showering, the power had stabilized, but 455 had not turned on the lights. Instead, it had taken control of the hotel television and put on a horror movie, a classic American one. The heroine was tied to a cross by a murderer, screaming her head off. The screams gave Xie De such a fright when he came out that he almost thought he had been transported into another Instance.

He rushed over in a few long strides and switched off the television. "What are you doing?" he demanded through gritted teeth.

"Training your courage," 455 said as though it were obvious. "So you won't keep getting scared."

Xie De was expressionless. "Jung said that any forced change to a person's nature is harmful."

455 was speechless. "Since when did you get so philosophical? I'm helping desensitize you."

"Oh, can't you give it a rest? Do you have to do it when I'm practically dead on my feet?"

Xie De was even more speechless than 455.

The curtains over the floor-to-ceiling windows were open. Light reflected off the high-rises and spilled through layers of rain into the hotel room. His half-dry silver hair hung loose around his waist, still dripping. Xie De wore the longest bathrobe available, its hem reaching his ankles. He liked to keep himself thoroughly covered when he dressed; only his collarbones were exposed above the robe.

As he spoke, he sank into a corner of the sofa in a relaxed sprawl and yawned. If he had not still been waiting for Wei Yanchi, he probably could have fallen asleep right then.

"Host, we need to use every second to become a proper king of the grind. How else are we supposed to keep up with the big shots? If you fail a mission in an Instance, you'll be dead."

"But we still need to balance work and rest."

Xie De half closed his eyes, waiting to hear what astonishing pearl of wisdom 455 would offer next.

But he waited and waited without hearing a word from 455.

Strange.

He got up and walked over to look, only to discover a jumble of garbled characters on his phone. Alarm shot through him. His hand had barely touched the phone, before he could even call out to 455.

Agony like a massive electric shock swept through his entire body in an instant. Pain beyond a certain point left no room for screaming. Xie De hit the carpet with a thud, and a crack appeared across the phone screen when it fell.

Reflexive tears instantly filled his eyes, their corners reddening. The taste of blood kept rising in his throat. His hands strained until the veins stood out, and he opened his mouth without making a sound. It hurt so much.

Xie De's vision kept going black. He felt as though he might die.

He had no idea how much time passed before the pain in his body finally began to fade. Then he heard the door open.

"Mr. 39?"

"Mr. 39!"

The lingering smile on Wei Yanchi's face instantly gave way to panic. He hurried forward and dropped to one knee. The usually unflappable master was unexpectedly at a loss.

39 was in terrible shape. His fingers trembled faintly as he crouched on the floor, clutching the carpet. He lifted his head a little, a reflexive tear slipping from his wolfish eyes, then squeezed them shut again, like a trapped beast brought low for the moment.

"What's wrong? I can help you."

"Get out."

The bathrobe that had covered 39 so thoroughly had come more than halfway undone, exposing broad stretches of bare skin.

Wei Yanchi did not leave as he was told. Instead, he froze where he was, seeing clearly that the exposed skin was covered in scars.

Scars left by burns or electric shocks covered his beautiful muscles. They were horrifying, and lent 39 an even fiercer edge.

This was not a body that invited pity, nor was it something to admire.

Yet Wei Yanchi's throat tightened. The hand he wanted to reach out with could not move any closer. He was a very clever man, clever enough to know all sorts of obscure things. For instance, he knew that these irregular scars had only one straightforward explanation-torture.

Electric-shock scars like these could only make him think of the devices used in interrogation rooms specifically to torment prisoners.

The scars bore witness to the brutal punishment 39 had endured, as though he had been tortured within an inch of his life. His current condition might be the result of not receiving prompt treatment afterward, leaving him with lasting complications that flared up without warning.

His hand slowly clenched into a fist. Never had Wei Yanchi been so desperate to understand 39's past. What exactly had he been through? Or rather, what was he going through now?

What sort of organization lurked in the darkness?

Who was he risking his life for?

"I can help you."

It was the second time Wei Yanchi had spoken, and the only thing he could say.

"Get out."

He was refused again.

"No." Wei Yanchi's jade-like eyes were dark, more oppressive than the black clouds outside.

He was going to make a very bold decision. Even if 39 shot him dead tomorrow, he thought, he would not leave. He would not make a choice he would regret.

Wei Yanchi gathered him into his arms as though cradling a handful of cold, fragile snow.

39 braced a hand against him, irritation creeping into his voice. "I told you to get the hell out."

Can't you understand plain language?

Exasperated, Xie De wanted to kick Wei Yanchi. His body no longer hurt that much; he simply had very little strength left. What concerned him most right now was what had happened to 455.

Why had such a violent surge of electricity suddenly erupted?

455 definitely had not intended this.

That little good-for-nothing hasn't fried itself, has it?

With the protagonist here, it was difficult to check on 455. Xie De gritted his teeth and used every ounce of strength he had to push him away, only to realize he had overestimated himself. His strength spent, his vision went black and he collapsed again. Fortunately, someone caught him this time.

He saw Wei Yanchi's reddened eyes.

One final thought crossed Xie De's mind. I'm the one who got electrocuted. What's the protagonist crying for?

The next day, the first faint light of dawn arrived. The rain had passed and the sky was clear.

Eight in the morning.

The first thing Xie De saw when he woke was Wei Yanchi curled up pitifully on the sofa, asleep. He himself was in bed, tucked snugly under the covers. The places that had ached before no longer hurt at all, and he felt refreshed, far better than he had yesterday.

Xie De could guess that Wei Yanchi had done something last night. Not wanting to wake him, he slipped quietly out of bed, picked up his phone, and waited in silence for it to turn on.

"Waaah, Host, I'm sorry, (;´༎ຶД༎ຶ`), I'm sorry! I admit I'm a little good-for-nothing! Waaah, yesterday I just wanted to absorb a little more electricity, but I didn't expect to take in too much. The hotel's breaker tripped, and my main unit blew up!"

455 sobbed its heart out.

"All right. As long as you're okay."