Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Lann saw off the two dazed players as they left.

Then, he checked the player forum, thinking his indifferent demeanor today might have cost him some impression points among the players. Plus, with his identity as an elder god being exposed, he assumed no more players would bother him.

That's when he came across the following post.

[Before entering the game: That NPC is so good-looking, must be photoshopped. After entering the game: Please, make an otome game already.]

The thread starter uploaded many photos, predictably of Lann taken today.

Surprisingly, the poster's photography skills were quite good. Despite the chaotic scene, the photos were steady, perfectly capturing Lann's beauty from all 360 degrees.

Especially the last three consecutive shots, perfectly depicting the moment Lann went from expressionless to a sharp gaze (actually noticing the approaching oddities), coldly staring at the camera, then turning to leave (actually fleeing home in fear).

OP: Seriously, with this character modeling, why not make an otome game and rake in the cash? Everyone knows running a campaign doesn't pay well! This game is even more niche than otome games! Please start making an otome game and take my money!

1L: He looks so fierce, that last look got me all stiff (dog head emoji)

2L: Exactly, make an otome game, please! I don't care about the plot; with that face, I'll spend all my money!

3L: +1, really not good at puzzle-solving, I just want to have a sweet romance with Lann.

4L: Doesn't this game have a favorability system? If you're not afraid to die, go for it (smirking emoji)

5L: I'm not afraid to die, let me try hahaha.

6L: Wake up, guys! Heard there was an inspiration check hahaha, I'm worried some of you might've died on the spot.

7L: But his appearance is 99, hehe, wife come close!

The thread soon devolved into indecent content. Lann closed his eyes, shut down the post, and started looking for other threads, believing that most people in this game were still normal.

Indeed, he quickly found a post by Druid.

"I Finally Found the Right Way to Play This Game!"

Druid's post, unsurprisingly, was the video from his arrival to being invited inside. Lann's mood improved, thinking this video would clear up misunderstandings.

Opening the video, it started with the conversation between Druid and Lann. Comments quickly floated across the screen.

"This is how you properly enter a scene!"

"So I've been misunderstanding it all along? The game is about finding special NPCs for quests!"

"Man, why can he get a quest when we're all players?"

"Must be the favorability inheritance, right? We really need to treat this game like a campaign group, inheriting bonds with NPCs from previous cards (thoughtfully)."

"So, if I take a lethal hit for an NPC and then create a card that looks exactly like them, can I play the 'substitute white moonlight' trope? (side-eye)"

"Jeez, don't do such stomach-churning stuff in a campaign, please qwq, it reminds me of some not-so-good memories..."

"Is no one going to talk about Druid's acting skills hahaha, so immersive, true campaigner indeed."

People were praising Druid's acting skills earlier. After all, this game originated from role-playing games, and role-playing (RP) is a core gameplay element. Players skilled in RP enhance the viewing and playability experience for other players and the game master.

However, when Lann mentioned arranging a series of tasks and offering psychological therapy upon their completion, the tone of the comments abruptly changed.

"Forget what I said."

"Who's being sour now, I won't say."

Ultimately, what exploded the comment section was undoubtedly the final scene. When Lann said, 'without him, I might not have been able to leave the hospital,' a flood of comments scrolled by, filled with '???' and numerous lemon emojis.

Lann calmly skipped past numerous comments like "I can't believe it, wuwuwu, I can't believe my wife has someone else in her heart," quickly scrolling down to where people started analyzing the situation.

2L: Is no one paying attention to the amount of information revealed here?

3L: So the primary focus of the second round of internal testing is solving how players receive quests, and here's the guiding NPC, though it seems ridiculous if only Druid can receive tasks.

4L: Nobody said only Druid could get tasks, right? I remember someone else got one before, didn't they?

5L: Yeah, it was Troublemaker No.1, right? Where is he now?

6L: Seems he's still on the task...

This started to irk the players.

While everyone was still figuring out how to get tasks, there were already players who quietly had a steady place to receive tasks, along with subsequent psychological therapy (although it was later revealed that everyone could seek therapy from Lann).

Instantly, numerous players became envious.

Of course, there were also rational players raising doubts.

7L: Don't you find it strange? If Lann really is an elder god, would he be so kind to humans? Even when surrounded, not a single player died; he just glared and went back inside. Honestly, for an elder god who views humans as ants, this seems a bit out of character.

8L: Exactly. And since when do elder gods kindly guide you through tasks? And what's this about inheriting favorability? Since when does an elder god have favorable feelings towards humans? The funniest part is the last segment of the video; didn’t you hear him say ‘because of Druid I was able to leave the hospital’? What kind of weak elder god is that?

Indeed, from the typical impression of tabletop role-playing games, elder gods are usually super bosses who cause instant party wipes, inducing madness with just one glance, capable of annihilating several well-equipped investigator teams, synonymous with despair, unknown, and fear.

There are a few exceptions among elder gods who disguise themselves indistinguishably from humans, like the infamous Nyarlathotep, but that's a rare case, and even then, it's filled with malevolence towards humans.

Moreover, the initial speculations about Lann's identity began more as a joke, as it's well-known that human attributes have limits, usually capped at 90 during character creation.

Scores above 95 might indicate a special identity or lineage.

If it's close to or exceeds 100, that's firmly non-human territory.

Hence, upon seeing Lann's appearance, players joked that his appearance surely exceeded 99, branding him as a definite elder god.

While some enjoy the banter, others take it more seriously, especially as the forum gets flooded with newcomers drawn by Lann's looks, leading to inevitable conflicts.

9L: Honestly, can we stop calling an obvious guiding NPC an elder god? Elder gods have more dignity than to run a therapy clinic. I've only heard of elder gods driving people insane, never about them providing psychological healing.

10L: To the above, do you own this game? How do you know the game's depiction of an elder god must align with your perception?

11L: Heh, what's the point of sophistry? Your elder god needs human help to escape a hospital?

12L: Stop arguing, a big shot has posted an analysis thread, here's the link: https://xxx/xxxx

Lann leisurely observes their various debates, utterly unfazed and even amused, curious about when they will discover the truth.

He's not any elder god, just a helpless NPC whose greatest wish has been to survive.

As for guiding players, it was a realization that even if he did nothing, players would still impact his life, so why not use them to resolve the city's mysterious incidents?

He remembers some clues from tasks in Arkham, albeit not much. Providing clues to players not only satisfies their investigative needs but also makes the city safer, a win-win.

He muses lightheartedly, then casually clicks on the analysis thread to see what players are saying under the assumption of confirmed truth.

Black Cat (LZ): Hello everyone, Black Cat here. Many of you know me because I just nailed a prediction, haha~ The internal test indeed added an NPC to guide players, and that's our 'wife' Lann, who blew up on the forums. The devs really know what they're doing (dog with a rose in mouth).

Alright, let's get to the point. Since that video was released, there's been a lot of speculation about Lann's identity, and I'm here to jump on the bandwagon.

As we all know, I was present during that video's incident. As a witness, I think I have the right to share my thoughts. First off, I regretfully align with the theory of Lann being an elder god. Don't rush to judge me; this is based on my speculation of the game's lore.

First, many of us were drawn to this game by the hospital video uploaded by Druid, speculating Lann's elder god identity from his performance in it. But how many noticed the extra information revealed about the hospital in that episode?

That is, the difference between the hospital during the day and at night.

Information I got from Druid: the hospital's staff turn into bizarre monsters at night, and no matter what happens, everything returns to normal by day. As evidence, I secretly visited the hospital after the beta started. Remember the neighboring patient Lann mentioned in the video? Lann said the neighbor was killed by a night nurse.

Guess what? During the day, he was recorded as having died of illness. I sneaked into the morgue and rolled a medical success; this result should be accurate.

Therefore, I boldly speculate that the hospital at night and during the day are two different worlds. Those strange creatures and monsters may exist in a dimension different from ours.

My guess is that these bizarre beings can't easily appear in the normal world, much like cultists in tabletop sessions often need complex rituals to summon elder gods successfully. Lann might be an elder god but currently in a sealed state.

That's why he said, 'Without Druid, I couldn't leave the hospital.'

Maybe Druid did something that met a certain condition, partially breaking the seal, allowing him to leave the hospital at night and enter the normal world!

Lann: ????

Black Cat: Moreover, I guess if there are elder god forces in the game, there must be corresponding forces like investigators opposing them. Lann might be hiding from them, hence disguising as a normal person. Think about it, everyone believes elder gods = indescribable = mental contamination, so who would suspect a psychologist comforting investigators?

As for Lann's friendly attitude towards players... this point, frankly, isn't solid evidence. It just means we should continue observing for a while.

I think the game's devs have a plan. Looking at the internal test, they seriously want to create a very realistic world, even 'too realistic', making the game somewhat unclear, but I'm optimistic about their approach. They might not make the best game, but they're earnestly building a 'world.'

Therefore, I boldly guess, hoping future plot developments prove me right - who says elder gods must be evil? Who says investigators must be righteous?

I know some players might find this exaggerated, as almost all tabletop bosses end up being indescribable elder gods or related fanatics. But don't forget, another core aspect of tabletop games is mystery solving, and the favorite trick in mystery is overturning everyone's subconscious 'fixed' concepts. Nothing is impossible.

Of course, this theory is just my personal opinion, without any solid supporting evidence.

Lann, having read through, is profoundly shaken.

How to put it, although his own guess might be wrong, he had somehow managed to get part of it right by sheer chance.

Though he hadn't made any definitive statements about the deity part.

But the Inspection Bureau, or the official investigator organization, did indeed unveil a shocking conspiracy. This was the biggest, longest, and most challenging mainline campaign instance the game had experienced

— "Eve of Dawn: The Mystery of the Inspection Bureau's Demise."

By the time Lain had transmigrated, this campaign hadn't been completed yet. Countless investigators had died, and the script was filled with dark plots that made players doubt humanity as they progressed.

1l: Not sure what to make of it, but everything except the last guess sounds quite reasonable.

2l: Damn! So that's how it is!

3l: Hiss— I was leaning towards the theory that Lain isn't a malevolent deity, but after seeing the big shot's post, I'm wavering again. I never considered that interpretation of 'unable to leave the hospital.'

4l: No wonder Lain treats Druid's 'brother' so specially. According to the setting, they're twins. Maybe there's a connection, like using the brother as a pawn to unseal something or as a sacrifice.

5l: I think it makes a lot of sense. Lain might just be pretending to be human.

6l: Although the last guess seems far-fetched, the rest feels quite plausible.

7l: Come on, you believe such baseless speculation? I can make wild guesses like that too.

8l: Seriously, this guess is too outrageous... Do you have any evidence to back it up?

9l: We're only at the early stages of beta testing. Aren't we all just guessing? If you can speculate about Lain's identity, why can't others stick to their own theories? (speechless)

Black Cat: "Well, there's no point in arguing. I don't have any evidence; these are just my speculations."

10l: "See? Told you it was just this guy talking nonsense."

Black Cat: "But, speaking of evidence, there might be one. Ever thought, if he's a malevolent deity, wouldn't he have a cult or some kind of following that worships him? Deities, kin, and zealots are basic elements of a tabletop RPG. A deity's summoning or breaking of seals always involves cultists in some way, typically attracting some humans to do their bidding. It's rare to see a 'lone wolf' deity."

Black Cat: "So, we just need to observe if any such power emerges around Lain."

Lain, having read this, quietly exhaled in relief.

"Well, that's going to be a disappointment for you."

He thought to himself, as he was just an ordinary, unlucky guy with no affiliations whatsoever.