Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Lan En turned off the video.

Thinking about his own series of psychological reactions after the player's death, like being moved by the light of humanity, wondering how someone could give up their life so easily...

Lan En silently covered his face.

"Ahhhhh, why, why is it so embarrassing, ahhhh!"

"That nonchalant expression, borne of giving up, instantly crumbled. Lan En desperately searched for a place to hide, wishing he could bury himself in a hole."

"You should have said you were a player earlier.jpg"

"Especially seeing all the praise and speculation about his identity on the forum, Lan En felt both embarrassed and like sighing. He was really just a slacker, nothing more. If he truly were some so-called demon god, he wouldn't have fallen to such a state!"

"He was just an ordinary person who happened to cross into a game world, oh no, rather a misfortunate soul."

"Of all places to cross into, it had to be this extremely dangerous world..."

"At that moment, the night at the hospital was dispelled by the light on the horizon, ushering in a new day."

"Strangely enough, as the sunlight entered the hospital room, the corpses of the monsters and the damage on the walls all vanished, as if everything that happened last night was just a dream."

"But Lan En knew it was not a dream, at least the forum that appeared in his mind was real."

"He really had crossed into the game 'Destiny's Gyre,' and it was still the early stages, even before the public or closed beta had started."

"After an awkward period, Lan En lay on his bed, lost in thought for a long time, until someone knocked on his hospital room door."

"'Good morning, Mr. Lan En,' the blonde nurse appeared at his door, her figure so slender it was almost excessive, barely resembling that of an adult woman, with her deliberately loose collar revealing her distinctly protruding collarbones."

"'Good morning, Anita.' Lan En's smile was forced as he quickly averted his gaze. The blonde nurse seemed to misunderstand something, her smile becoming more enchanting as she bent over and said, 'I'm here to change your bandages.'"

"Lan En shuddered, his mind uncontrollably flashing back to the night's monstrous figure: 'Anita, I thought you were in charge of the reception desk.'"

"Yes, but today Nurse Mary is on leave," the blonde nurse blinked, "I'll be applying your medicine today. Please rest assured, I'll be very gentle."

Lan En thought of the red-haired nurse from last night.

"The hospital during the day is completely different from at night, a fact he had noticed early on. For instance, this seemingly frail blonde girl in front of him transforms into a monstrous flesh mound at night, who likes to snack on patients."

"The red-haired head nurse is the same. During the day, this gentle nurse is the dream of all doctors in the hospital, but at night she becomes the spider woman from last night. Strangely, no matter what happens in the hospital at night, everything returns to normal by day."

The sound of the blonde nurse closing the door interrupted Lan En’s thoughts. She stared intently at Lan En's face, her cheeks flushing red: "I'll start by helping you change your bandages."

Lan En: ...

"Images of the monstrous nurse devouring the patient from the next room last night, obsessively staring at him while crunching on bones, flashed through Lan En’s mind."

"He shivered violently, pondering how to tactfully refuse, when a knock sounded at the door."

"Knock, knock, knock."

"The knocking was slow but heavy. The blonde nurse, not wanting to miss this opportunity, spoke impatiently, 'We're changing bandages here, whatever it is can wait.'"

"The knocking outside paused, then persisted. The blonde nurse turned impatiently, opening the door: 'I said we're applying medicine here.'"

"The door opened to reveal a figure nearly filling the doorway, long, disheveled hair obscuring the face, the mere presence exuding an oppressive aura."

"The blonde nurse instantly swallowed the rest of her words."

"Lan En craned his neck, seeing the visitor and promptly speaking out, 'Good morning, Ogrer.'"

"The visitor bowed his head. Despite the doorframe not being low, he had to stoop to enter the room. As he straightened up, his exaggerated height of nearly 2.1 meters, akin to a small giant, became apparent. His long, unkempt hair fell to his shoulders, giving him a rough look. Most of his face was covered by the disordered hair, with only the mostly white of his eyes occasionally visible, making him look fierce and unapproachable."

"But Lan En knew that, despite Ogrer's appearance, he was actually a total mother hen."

"During his hospital stay, after the initial shock of this exaggeratedly built man visiting him, Lan En looked forward to his visits more than anything else."

"Not for anything else, but because Ogrer was incredibly caring! When Lan En first arrived in this world, confused and clueless, Ogrer silently took care of him for a week."

"When Lan En was most bewildered and helpless, what healed him were the meals Ogrer brought. Despite being a man of few words, Ogrer was extremely reliable and attentive. He once casually mentioned a dish he wanted to try, and the next day, Ogrer had it ready. Compared to his rebellious children in his previous life, Ogrer was like the world's best roommate!"

"If it weren't for this steadfast roommate's care, Lan En, with his lazy attitude, might not have made it through these days."

"In this cold world, only the meals brought by his roommate had some warmth.jpg."

"Plus, with the night's thrilling experiences at the hospital, Ogrer’s minor flaw in appearance seemed utterly insignificant compared to those terrifying monsters."

"'Good morning, Lan En,' Ogrer’s voice was hoarse and deep. He spoke slowly, as if unaccustomed to conversation, but this way of speaking combined with his size was quite intimidating, 'Were you just...?'"

"'Oh, Mr. Lan En hasn't had his dressing changed yet today,' the blonde nurse said with an awkward smile, about to speak further but was interrupted by Lan En, 'Ogrer, could you help me change my dressing?'"

"Both people in the room turned to look at Lan En, who smiled with a hint of shyness, 'Men and women should not touch hands when giving or receiving things.'"

"The blonde nurse panicked for a moment, 'But that’s not according to protocol...'"

"Her voice trailed off as she looked at Ogrer’s silent but fierce face."

"Ogrer took the ointment from the nurse’s hand. The previously persistent blonde nurse didn’t dare to act up in front of Ogrer and sheepishly made way for them, standing by the door."

"Lan En sometimes envied Ogrer’s intimidating presence, which commanded respect without doing anything."

"'Where is the wound...?'"

"Ogrer’s words brought Lan En's attention back. He undid his hospital gown, lay on the bed, exposing a small burn on his lower back, 'Please, if you would.'"

"The burn was located on his lower back, and for easy access, Lan En removed the outer layer of his hospital gown, lying on the pristine bedsheet, revealing a beautifully contoured back and an incredibly slender waist."

"The allure of an appearance score of 99 wasn't just in the face, but the body as well."

"There wasn't a single flaw on his body, but it was not the muscular build of a grown man. Rather, it resembled the beauty revered by the Greeks, a youthful stage transitioning from a boy to a man, with supple limbs and skin glowing with a healthy pallor. Under the sunlight, it resembled fine jade, brimming with youth and vitality."

"The most striking feature was the small dimples on his waist, adding a hint of sensual desire to a body that seemed like it belonged in temple murals, with even the slight redness of the mild burn appearing like a mark left by the god of love."

"The blonde nurse's initially dissatisfied expression was instantly replaced by fascination, almost as if her gaze was glued to him."

"Suddenly, Ogrer seemed to sense someone watching and lifted his head, turning towards her."

"Under his messy hair, the blonde nurse caught a glimpse of a pair of blood-red eyes. Her head suddenly ached, and she shook it, hazily shifting her gaze away."

"Lan En, oblivious to what was happening behind him, even found his roommate's touch surprisingly gentle and soothing. Had he not needed to check out soon, he might have fallen asleep."

"The application of medicine was soon over. Ogrer's movements were meticulous, but he didn't deliberately prolong the process like other nurses. Lan En turned his head and saw Ogrer rising to wash his hands, his demeanor as silent but reliable as ever. Oddly, after finishing, Ogrer touched Lan En's forehead with his finger, drawing a symbol."

"'This is... a blessing ritual from our homeland,' Ogrer explained slowly, 'Congratulations on your discharge, and I wish you health.'"

"Lan En touched his forehead and smiled, 'Thank you.'"

"When he looked up, he noticed the blonde nurse still standing silently at the door. He smiled at her, 'Nurse, I would like to proceed with my discharge today, please.'"

"The blonde nurse snapped out of her daze, responding instinctively, 'Alright, I'll get it arranged right away.'"

"A few meters out of the room, she slowly realized what Lan En had just said."

"Discharge... discharge..."

"Does that mean, she won't see him again?"

"The steps of the blonde nurse slowed down considerably."

"However complex the discharge process was, and no matter how reluctantly the nurses and doctors worked or how sorrowful they looked, Lan En's determination saw all procedures completed by the afternoon. When he left, not just the nurses, but also the less busy doctors and other patients in the ward came out."

"A young boy with an amputated leg clumsily supported himself with crutches as he rushed into Lan En's arms, his eyes brimming with tears: 'Brother Lan En, are you really leaving?'"

"'Yes,' Lan En crouched down to pat the boy's head, 'You need to listen to the doctors and nurses, and you'll be out soon too.'"

"'Wuwu okay qwq'"

"It wasn't just the children from the ward who came out; many other patients stood nearby, their gazes filled with reluctant goodbyes."

"This extraordinarily beautiful youth had become a bright spot in the hospital. Now that he was leaving, many were saddened."

"The doctor handling Lan En’s discharge process joked, 'Little Lan En's charm is too great, he has bewitched everyone. You don't know, but with you here, the nurses and doctors have been much more energetic. Why not stay, and we'll hire you as the hospital's mascot?'"

"Lan En gave an embarrassed but polite smile: 'You flatter me.'"

"He was well aware of the power of his appearance. Initially, he was even happy about it, but since discovering the hospital's nightly horrors, this charm had become more of a death sentence."

"Who the heck would want to be adored by thousands in a world of demon gods?!"

"He had to leave today, having already tried various methods to escape the hospital but failed due to various restrictions. Now that his wounds were finally healed, if he didn't leave now, he wouldn't be able to tonight."

"Despite repeated pleas from the doctors and nurses, Lan En resolutely left the hospital with Ogrer. Stepping beyond the hospital grounds, he visibly relaxed."

"Although Arkham City wasn't exactly safe – where is it ever safe where players are? – it was more like a beginner’s village, not as dangerous, right?"

"Lan En hadn't experienced the Arkham era in his past life, only remembering posts on forums complaining about the game's misleading early promotions. It was supposed to be a Lovecraftian game, but it lacked eerie elements, feeling more like an open-world, real-life simulation."

"Many players ridiculed the game, arguing that a normal game should highlight its unique features, not hide them. What was the point of concealing them?"

"Other posts echoed similar sentiments, essentially stating that as long as one didn’t encounter special events, the Lovecraftian horror and strangeness had nothing to do with them, and ordinary people could live ordinary lives."

"Keywords: peace, everyday life, beginner's village."

"Put together, it was quite reassuring..."

"Emmmmmm, reassuring?"

"Lan En silently observed the world around him, engulfed in confusion."

"In the bustling steel jungle, people weaved through streets and sidewalks, but the familiar scenes were now interspersed with oddities."

"At the corner up ahead, a group of youths with exaggeratedly colored hair were gathered around a smartphone, bursting into laughter occasionally. Behind them, a monster with a neck about two meters long laughed along."

"Next to the sidewalk, in a small green space, a raven with a human face sang loudly from a withered tree."

"The traffic light suddenly turned red, a red sedan hit the brakes, passing through a carriage. A breeze lifted the carriage's curtain, revealing not goods, but a pile of human heads inside."

"Spirits and oddities roamed freely."

"So much for Arkham being just a beginner's village, huh?"

"You call this a beginner's village?"

"Lan En was completely overwhelmed."

"Hello? Customer service? There's a major problem."