Chapter 18.

Chapter 18.

After his panicked escape, Edmund's mind was still somewhat dazed.

What was that?

He took the necklace outside and was horrified to discover that the six-pointed star, which had never changed before, showed signs of slight melting.

He knew from his time at the Investigation Bureau, having seen many dangerous anomalies, but had never seen such a reaction from the necklace.

Who exactly was that person in the therapy room?

At that moment, Edmund recalled the captain's mention of the Otherworld and the matters of the evil gods, his heart sinking as he hurried back to the police station.

The Inspection Bureau, independent and superior to the police system, operated from the police station in Arkham, causing some resentment among the officers. When Edmund rushed into the station, he received several cold looks, but he had no time for such trivial matters, urgently entering the office designated for Inspection Bureau members.

"I, I've found..."

The office personnel glanced over, but quickly looked away disinterestedly upon recognizing Edmund.

Edmund opened his mouth, his fervor suddenly cooled by their indifference, but still managed to say with difficulty, "I have important information to report."

The Inspection Bureau, constantly treading the fine line between madness and darkness, exists to protect the public and promptly thwart the emergence of anomalies and the plots of evil gods... a group of investigators.

Recalling the oath he took when joining the Bureau, Edmund clenched his teeth and raised his voice: "I've discovered traces of an evil god in Arkham City!"

The captain stood up abruptly: "What did you say? Are you sure?"

"I'm certain, the evil god has descended into this world."

"Have you seen it? How can you be sure of your judgment?" someone asked skeptically.

"I..." Edmund hesitated. His certainty stemmed from the necklace's anomaly and his firsthand experience with Lann.

The strange sensation that seemed to warp his mind was deeply etched in his memory. This was no mere anomaly; as the Bureau's records stated, anomalies lacked human intelligence. Lann, however, communicated normally, blending into society with no one else reacting – only a god could do that.

But he couldn't explain this to his colleagues. His necklace was clearly a peculiar item, but its origins were unexplainable, and being his mother's keepsake, he couldn't risk losing it.

At that moment, Edmund remembered the various abnormalities he experienced when facing Lann. His mental state was clearly off, and if it weren't for the necklace, he might have completely succumbed.

"If you meet him, you'll understand! His appearance... it's somewhat abnormal," Edmund hesitated, feeling his explanation lacked conviction and added, "He's unnaturally beautiful, beyond what's normal for a person."

The others in the office exchanged glances, their faces showing a mix of disbelief and amusement, and finally, someone couldn't help but laugh.

That laughter set off a chain reaction, turning the office into a sea of mirth. Edmund stood there, bewildered, as the captain, somewhat sympathetically, said, "Edmund, did someone at headquarters tell you something?"

Edmund, not quite understanding the captain's implication, replied, "Some of the more experienced investigators did mention that anomalies, followers of evil gods, and some evil gods themselves can appear different from normal people."

"That's true," the captain awkwardly continued, "New members often misunderstand this, thinking anyone overly ugly or attractive might be an anomaly or a follower of an evil god. But often, it's just your misperception."

"But it's not like that, I'm sure of it... You'll understand if you see him with your own eyes! He's in the psychotherapy office on Seventh Avenue!" Edmund exclaimed anxiously.

"Psychotherapy office?"

A stranger's voice came from outside the room. Edmund, in his haste, had left the office door open. A passing police officer, hearing their argument, casually mentioned, "You're not talking about Dr. Lann, are you?"

"Oh, sorry, you're so loud I could hear you out in the hallway."

The captain shot a disapproving glance at the careless Edmund. The existence and purpose of the Inspection Bureau were supposed to be confidential from the public.

Too anxious to notice the captain's look, Edmund eagerly responded, "You know Lann?"

"Of course, Mr. Lann previously helped us a lot. If it weren't for his assistance in interrogating a criminal, we'd probably still be stuck, " the officer shrugged, "Plus, he's a friend of our Chief Albert, not only handsome but also an outstanding psychologist."

"He helped with an interrogation before, he's been here?"

"Sure, many of us have seen him," the officer replied matter-of-factly.

Edmund's lips quivered slightly, his voice barely audible, "Don't you find anything unusual about him?"

"Unusual? It's probably your imagination. Dr. Lann is quite skilled at hypnosis," the officer chuckled, "Maybe he was just playing a trick on you? Haha."

With that, the officer left, leaving Edmund standing there, silently bowing his head.

Helping with interrogations, appearing normal to others, and most importantly, having normal social interactions and friends, and even running a psychotherapy office.

Such a being, it was hard to imagine he could be an evil god, vastly different from the indescribable entities the Inspection Bureau had previously investigated.

Amidst the mocking glances of those around him, the captain silently patted Edmund's shoulder, "You might be too tired lately. Take a good rest for a while."

The unspoken message was to have him step back from the current operation.

After speaking, the captain left the office with the other investigators to continue their work, leaving Edmund alone in the room.

In the empty office, Edmund's hands, hanging by his sides, clenched into fists. It was then he noticed he was holding a piece of white paper.

It was the paper he had taken from Lann's psychotherapy office, with a standard clock drawn on it.

……

Since leaving, Edmund hadn't shown any intention of returning.

However, Lann didn't dwell in disappointment for long, as new NPCs soon sought him out.

It seemed that the recent influx of players had created a bizarre illusion for the people in the nearby neighborhood, believing a renowned psychotherapist had opened a clinic there.

Thus, some actually came seeking his services.

Realizing his new visitors were not players, Lann was initially shocked, then warmly welcomed them to sit down.

"Hello, who needs psychotherapy?" Lann scanned the group of newcomers – two or three in total – still unsure who among them was in need.

The visitors to the psychotherapy office were two men and a woman, their skin a dark hue, appearing to be siblings based on their facial similarities. Upon seeing Lann, they predictably fell into a momentary stupor, taking a full minute to regain their composure.

The man leading the group immediately furrowed his brow, quietly discussing something with his brother and sister. Their language had subtle differences from the current official language, leaving Lann momentarily unsure of what they were saying.

But judging from their microexpressions... it didn't seem like they were discussing anything positive.

Lann was right; they were deliberating whether to continue or not.

"Little sister, is this the famous psychologist you mentioned? He looks too young, and also...” too handsome.

"Yes, he looks more like a TV star than a psychologist."

"I wasn't sure either, just saw that this place was popular recently. I thought a renowned psychologist had opened a clinic here." The sister hadn't done much research; their main concern was their uncle's aggressive illness, and they didn't have the budget for more famous doctors.

However, having met Lann, the sister began to form a different opinion. The doctor was exceptionally handsome, and their uncle had always been a stickler for looks: "Don’t you think... having this doctor might work wonders?"

As soon as she finished, her brothers' mouths twitched, but seeing Lann's puzzled face, they had to admit their sister might be right.

After all, their unreliable uncle had never been shy about his love for beautiful things.

Lann stood calmly to the side, waiting for their discussion to conclude before speaking up, "Have you made a decision?"

"Yes, sorry about that." The leading man switched to the official language Lann could understand, "We would like to invite you for a house visit. The patient can't move due to special reasons, could you please come to our home?"

This feels like a hassle...

Lann was about to refuse.

"Of course, we can only offer a fee of 400 Xi Yuan for the house call. You'll get this 400 Xi Yuan just for making the visit. If you can cure our father, there will be an additional reward of 600 Xi Yuan."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go." Lann's expression became serious as he quickly gathered his things. There wasn't much to pack anyway, as psychotherapy didn't require medical equipment. His main task was to hang a sign outside to inform players of his temporary absence.

His actions were so swift and decisive that they brought both relief and worry to the siblings.

After all, a mere 1000 Xi Yuan for treatment was not a high fee for a seasoned professional in this field. People are often reluctant to spend on medical expenses, yet fear that cheaper options may lack effectiveness.

However, they said nothing in the end, a case of trying anything in desperation.

Lann, oblivious to their thoughts, followed them through quieter parts of the city. As soon as they entered, he keenly felt many covetous eyes upon them.

"Sorry, we seldom have outsiders here," the sister said softly, signaling her brothers with a glance. The three of them immediately flanked Lann, and the lurking gazes vanished.

Lann also noticed that the pedestrians here were indeed different from those outside, especially in terms of skin color. Although Arkham is a fictional city, its cultural roots and ethnicities are largely influenced by old-world Europe, whereas the people here had noticeably different skin tones.

This, along with the siblings' distinct facial features and the architectural style of the surrounding buildings...

If Lann remembered correctly, they were from the Kamuy tribe.

The Kamuy tribe, a group that players in the game frequently interacted with in later stages, are nomadic and usually have special activity areas within a city. They are particularly skilled in divination and pharmacology and hold trade fairs on special days.

They are a closed community, only inviting friends, or those with a friendly standing or higher in their faction, to their gatherings, where one could trade items.

It might not sound like much, but these trade fairs, though small, often featured exceptional items.

For instance, one of the 'artifacts' highly coveted by players, the Old Seal.

Or various magical potions with unique effects, available only at these fairs.

Thinking this, Lann couldn't help but speculate about the group's intentions, and soon, the three siblings led him to a somewhat rudimentary two-story house.

As the door opened, a beautiful woman with wrinkles at the corners of her eyes but still radiantly charming emerged from the house. On seeing the siblings, she first expressed great joy, then, hands on her hips, angrily scolded:

"Your uncle is still sick, and here you are gallivanting around! Where have you been?!"

"Mom, I was taking my sister and brother to find a doctor," the elder brother explained with an embarrassed look, "Uncle is obviously... having issues here, we can't avoid medical help now."

"Nonsense! His condition isn't a psychological problem, no psychologist can cure that. I've called the local great shaman, only a shaman can heal your father's illness!"

"Mom..."

The sister interjected suddenly: "We've already paid the money, and it won't be refunded now. Let's at least let the doctor have a look."

That statement was universally decisive. Lann finally understood why they had paid the deposit so readily. The woman's gaze shifted to Lann, first showing deep admiration, then obvious conflict and reluctance.

It was clear that this sum of money was significant for them.

The woman stood for a few seconds, then reluctantly stepped aside, "Alright, you can take a look too, but don't disturb the shamans during their rituals."

Lann didn't mind her distrust. In fact, knowing the Kamuy tribe was involved, he didn't expect this to be as straightforward as his last encounter at the police station. Some Kamuy are genuinely skilled, especially in pharmacology and divination, with some knowledge of the mystical world. That they were at a loss suggested this was no trivial matter.

Moreover, he was curious about their mention of a great shaman.

Could it be a wizard-like character? Wow, was he about to witness magic so soon?

Of course, Lann was excited. In the mid-game, players' character cards only start to gain significant combat power, and magic becomes commonplace in later stages. But by then, it's almost the dark era of followers and zealots.

Then, under Lann's curious gaze, the woman opened the door, revealing the true appearance of the great shaman.

Lann saw several mysterious-looking young people draped in colorful feathers, wearing leather hoods, appearing quite formidable, locking eyes with him.

Both parties were momentarily stunned.

My goodness, how could evil god NPCs be here??

Lann stared at the familiar white IDs floating above their heads, completely dumbfounded.

Aren't they players???

They are the great shamans? Impossible, at this stage in the game players barely master magic, let alone combat skills, not to mention they lack the necessary attribute points.

Wait a minute.

A possibility suddenly dawned on Lann, causing his pupils to dilate in shock.

Could they be running a scam?

An eerie silence fell over both parties.

Meanwhile, in Ye Ye · Hao's live stream, the barrage of comments exploded after Lann appeared.