Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Thunder rumbled—

A violent storm swept through Arkham city, lightning snaking like silver through the clouds. Deafening thunderclaps erupted intermittently, startling flocks of birds in the forest below into frantic squawks, quickly drowned out by the booming thunder.

In an old mansion in Arkham, once a haven for the wealthy, a mysterious tragedy had struck just days ago, leaving the residents dead overnight and casting an ominous shadow over the property.

The investigators of the Bureau, undeterred by the so-called haunted house reputation, had come to Arkham specifically to probe such mysteries, hoping to uncover the root cause of the city’s strange happenings.

Strangely, despite their extensive search, they had found no traces so far.

It was as if someone had beaten them to it.

"Tch, nothing here either?" Impatience was setting in among the team members; one kicked a nearby staircase, eliciting a grating creak from the decaying building, "Hey, are you sure there's something here?"

The last remark was clearly directed at Edmund, who was trailing behind. He hung his head, unable to respond to the impatience in their voice.

"Alright, everyone, calm down," the team leader intervened, "Clues are inherently difficult to find. Edmund, you did sense something here, right?"

Edmund nodded hastily, his lips pursed, his face pale: "I can feel it..."

“Yeah, right. You said the same thing when we passed Arkham Hospital, and again during our visit to the amusement park on Tenth Avenue, and by the church. Each time you claimed to sense something.”

The person scoffed, “Oh, and I remember, someone had a meltdown in the middle of the street, claiming there were strange things all over Arkham when we first arrived. And what did we find? Nothing. Not only did we come up empty, but you also embarrassed the team leader. How can you keep spouting such nonsense?”

Because it’s all true.

Edmund remained silent, clutching the necklace around his neck.

The necklace was emitting a faint warmth, reminding him that something truly was present here.

It was the only valuable thing he owned, warming up as a warning when something strange approached, but due to its origin, he couldn't and didn’t want to disclose it.

"Bart," the team leader’s tone grew more serious.

"It's the truth, Captain!" Bart couldn’t help but explode, "I know you want to say this kid has higher intuition than us, more sensitive, but ever since he entered this city, something’s been off. Tell me, who in this team doesn’t have high intuition? How could we join the Bureau without the requisite ‘qualifications’? But has anyone else sensed anything?"

Silence enveloped the group, with the other members coldly watching Edmund being harassed, no one but the captain speaking up for him.

"...Let’s search this place first," the captain finally said, unable to resist the pressure from others to speak up for Edmund.

The team moved silently through the villa, searching here and there, but in the end, nothing strange happened, nor did they find any traces.

When leaving, Edmund was at the back of the group, his expression growing increasingly grim, but he dared not say more. Only when the captain passed by did he grasp at his sleeve like a lifeline.

"Ca-Captain… behind, there's something behind…"

The captain glanced at Edmund, then looked back, seeing and feeling nothing.

He sighed, finally having to accept that others might be right, patting Edmund on the shoulder: “Edmund, consider seeing a psychologist.”

Edmund froze, then realized what the captain meant, his face turning ashen: “I, I…”

“Don’t worry, I won’t report this to the headquarters for now. You… think about it.”

The captain patted Edmund’s back again and quickened his pace to catch up with his teammates.

Edmund, trailing behind, couldn’t help but whisper, “But… it really is there.”

Behind him, shadows stretched longer, finally forming a gaunt silhouette like a skeleton draped in a layer of human skin, and its whispers reached Edmund's ears.

[Butterfly… butterfly…]

[The butterfly is going to fly away]

……

Recently, Lan En was troubled by an issue.

That was, his psychology clinic was not short of income due to the influx of players, but he felt he was drifting further away from his role as a psychotherapist.

A normal psychotherapy clinic is meant to welcome clients facing challenges or mental distress, but who had he been receiving lately?

“Lan En, Lan En, do you have someone you like?”

“How do you find me? (flirting) (charm skill activated)”

“Man, I've set my sights on you, come be mine (a dog head holding a rose)”

“Wifey, hehe, wifey”

Forget mental colds or facing challenges; these clients were like social terrorists creating problems for others!

Lan En massaged his forehead wearily, just as Ogerl timely poured him a cup of hot tea.

“Thank you, Ogerl.”

Ogerl silently shook his head, gazing at Lan En for half a second before setting down the teacup. His large hand lifted and, under Lan En's puzzled look, reached into his hair to remove a fine thread that had somehow gotten stuck there.

“Um... thank you.” Lan En, noticing the removal, responded instinctively.

The female player undergoing psychotherapy exclaimed excitedly, “Thank you, I ship it!”

Lan En: ???

Lan En maintained his unchanging smile, composedly saying, “Your time is up, it's time for you to leave.”

“Ah? That's it? Then I’ll pay for another hour!”

“Sorry, but the clinic is closed for the day.”

The female player left the therapy room with a look of regret, then excitedly uploaded the photo she had just taken.

“Whoo-hoo, Beast and Rose, I totally ship it!”

Ever since Lan En temporarily enlisted Ogerl as a bodyguard, Ogerl had mysteriously decided to stay, spending his time in the psychotherapy clinic serving tea and drawing, visible to players who came in.

At some point, a mysterious group started shipping characters on the forum. Ogerl’s scruffy and large build, combined with Lan En's otherworldly beauty, sparked a curious chemistry, attracting numerous ship fans.

Like the photo uploaded by the female player, the angle perfectly captured Ogerl's gesture of removing the thread from Lan En’s hair, making it appear as a tender stroke.

A bunch of excited ship fans immediately swarmed the comments.

And confused passersby who stumbled upon the scene.

Is it an Even Function: What, this NPC is still popular? This game is unbelievable, just hyping up an idol NPC to boost popularity.

Comment 24L: What's this unknown entity butting in above?

Is it an Even Function: Seriously, I logged into the game and saw him. He looks good, but not to the extent of being mesmerizing, right?

No one in the thread responded to him, but that didn't stop him from being active.

Is it an Even Function: There have been popular paper-thin characters before, but it's strange that such a shallow character with no storyline or character development can remain popular for so long. Could it be the game's developers are using fake accounts to hype it up?

Comment 25L: What's it to you who people are fans of? And Lan En's charm is indeed significant. You'd understand if you spent a card to see him.

Is it an Even Function: I've been there.

Comment 26L: Then what was your Intuition score at the time?

Is it an Even Function: What does that have to do with anything?

Comment 27L: It matters. Players have noticed that the higher your Intuition score, the more likely you are to be attracted to Lan En, even if he’s not your usual type. But the effect wears off once you log off.

Comment 28L: The developers really put thought into it, sob sob. This little easter egg shows Lan En's unique status. Raising your Intuition and then going in to see your waifu is the happiest thing ever, and chasing after paper-thin characters in the game is cheaper, no risk of bankruptcy.

The subsequent comments continued in this vein. In the end, Is it an Even Function was overwhelmed and retreated. It was unclear whether they would log into the game to investigate further or disappear from the discussion.

……

Lan En was oblivious to all this. He watched another player trying to charm him in the middle of the session leave, closed the therapy room door, and heaved a deep sigh.

This money is hard-earned.

Since the last time, although players no longer blocked the therapy room entrance, they found another way to avoid being kicked out by Lan En – by becoming his ‘patients.’

Of course, they weren’t there for treatment. Among the players who became Lan En's 'patients,' some wanted to boost his favorability, some were simply obsessed with his looks, and others were troublemakers trying to charm him.

If not for the small amount of money they paid, Lan En would have already driven them away.

But then again, having not treated normal clients for so long, Lan En began to miss his past professional life. He felt that if this continued, his career would take a strange turn.

Ding-a-ling~

The wind chimes at the door rang crisply as Lan En looked up to see a new client entering the therapy room.

Notably, there was no white text above this client’s head.

Not a player?

Lan En's eyes brightened, his lips curling into a warm, welcoming smile: “Hello, please take a seat.”

The visitor froze upon seeing Lan En, a look of bewilderment and fascination flashing across their face. They stood motionless for a long time before finally taking a seat across from Lan En, as instructed. But quickly realizing what they had done, they turned pale and attempted to flee.

However, Lan En didn’t give them the chance to leave, asking, “What’s your name?”

“Edmund, Edmund Walker.”

“Edmund, what problems have you encountered recently?”

Edmund’s face showed confusion, he opened his mouth to speak: “I…”

“I've been arguing with my colleagues,” he said softly, “It's an awful feeling. I can sense their doubts about me. I really saw something, but they don’t believe me, even suggesting I see a psychotherapist.”

“Trust has always been a crucial aspect in the workplace,” Lan En noted down, feeling a sense of returning to his role as a therapist, “So, did you come to me because you think they’re right?”

Edmund shook his head, clutching at his chest, “No, I… I know I’m not wrong... but I don’t know how to make them believe me. I don’t know what to do. I absolutely can’t lose this job, I just can’t!”

Lan En saw deep confusion etched on his face.

He thought he understood – this client didn't have a mental issue.

His biggest problem was rooted in a deep-seated sense of inferiority and insecurity. Even though he subconsciously believed in his correctness, he still meekly accepted others’ suggestions to come here because he couldn’t trust himself, merely hoping blindly to gain trust from others.

But if one doesn’t believe in oneself, how can they expect to win others' trust?

Lan En tore off a sheet of paper and handed it to Edmund.

“What’s this?”

"Please draw a clock on this paper and make sure to mark the time."

Edmund complied in a daze, though he didn't quite understand the purpose. After drawing the clock on the paper, he handed it back to Lan En: “Like this?”

“Yes, this is a simple test for mental status. Being able to completely draw the time on a clock generally indicates that you have not suffered a mental breakdown and still possess basic cognitive functioning.”

Edmund hesitated, his voice trembling slightly: “So... that means...”

“Yes,” Lan En glanced at the well-drawn clock on the paper and smiled, “I can confidently and assuredly say they are wrong. Your mental state shows no signs of issues. Now you can trust yourself, as well as my judgment, that you don’t have any problems.”

Trust.

Edmund’s heart, which had been floating adrift, suddenly found a firm footing at that moment. Lan En's smile reflected in his eyes brought an immense sense of calm.

Incredible.

It was like a lost traveler finding their way home, a weary bird returning to its nest. All the confusion, fear, and apprehension that had emerged since his arrival in the city seemed to be cleansed by that smile.

It made one want to draw closer, to see more of that smile...

Under Lan En’s puzzled gaze, Edmund unconsciously raised his hand.

But in the next second,

Edmund, as if scalded, suddenly snapped back to reality, gripping the necklace around his neck with an ugly expression.

Lan En: “What’s wrong?”

“I... I...” Edmund looked distressed, abruptly standing up, “Sorry, I need to go!”

At that moment, the necklace around Edmund's neck was emitting an astonishing heat, snapping him back to alertness and filling his heart with deep fear.

He had never felt the necklace burn so intensely, like searing iron, not even in his near-death experiences. Yet, he was also grateful that the scorching sensation had jolted him awake.

The person before him... he clearly wasn't human!

Edmund hurriedly stood up, attempting to leave. To his surprise, Lann didn't verbally stop him, but instead asked with a hint of confusion, "Are you leaving already, guest?"

"Yes, yes, I just remembered something urgent."

But it hasn't been an hour yet!

Lann's psychotherapy office offered the first hour for free, then charged beyond that. It had been rare to have normal business lately, and Lann seemed quite professional and effective just a moment ago, qwq.

But there was nothing to be done if the guest had an emergency.

Well, hopefully, it was indeed an emergency and not just a scheme to avoid paying.

Lann looked deeply at Edmund, "Then please attend to your urgent matter, guest. I believe we'll meet again soon."

Edmund hardly heard what Lann said, his heart oppressed by overwhelming fear, his ears filled with the thunderous sound of his own heartbeat. He made it smoothly to the door of the therapy room, turned the doorknob, escape seemingly within reach.

This terrifying entity seemed to have no intention of stopping him. His escape was too easy, and Edmund's heartbeat gradually slowed, prompting him to glance back.

It was then that Lann's voice finally reached his ears.

"...I believe we'll meet again soon."

He sat there, as usual, a smile that was not quite a smile playing on his lips.

As if he had already foreseen a future where Edmund would come to him on his own.