“Chapter 20”

"Chapter 20"

"'Brother!'"

"'Uncle!'"

"As the door opened, the three siblings and their mother rushed to the bedside. Lann stepped aside, turning to find the three players unsurprisingly staring at him."

"In their eyes, such a difficulty was trivial for Lann once he decided to intervene."

"Meanwhile, Yeyeyoru, a con artist by profession, watched the tearful family, especially the man lying in bed, with a thoughtful gaze."

"[Psychology: Success]"

"[You see fanaticism on his face, and you can feel his heartfelt gratitude towards his savior.]"

"'I see, I understand now,' Yeyeyoru whispered secretly to the other two players."

"Lann turned sharply, but due to the distance, couldn't make out their specific words."

"However, an intuition told him it was probably not something good."

"Surrounded by his wife and three children, the man struggled to smile. His mouth moved as if trying to say something, but only a faint breathy sound came out. The woman bent down to listen closely and then looked up at Lann in surprise: 'Lord Lann... Carmen has something he wants to say to you.'"

"Only Yeyeyoru and the three siblings noticed the change in the woman's tone. Lann approached, puzzled. As he drew near, the gaunt man visibly excited, startling Lann, who instinctively soothed, 'Don't rush, focus on recovering first.'"

"With these words, the man, whose chest had been heaving, calmed down and stopped trying to speak, his gaze still fixed on Lann."

"The woman and her three children were very grateful to Lann and the three players, warmly inviting them to stay for dinner. Lann, concerned about his clinic, politely declined, whereas the three players happily accepted for some reason."

"When leaving, Lann received a consultation fee far exceeding the agreed amount. He looked at it and returned the excess."

"'1000 Xiyuan for the treatment, as initially agreed.'"

"Lann himself couldn't figure out how the man had broken free from the Soul-Eating Butterfly's mental control and certainly didn't want to overcharge, especially since he hadn't done much."

"Moreover, seeing the man's condition and inferring from the house's many arrangements, their financial situation wasn't great. Lann felt uneasy about taking more money."

"The woman insisted on him staying, but Lann, preoccupied with his own clinic and the roommate waiting at the apartment, bid her farewell."

……

"Lann's ominous premonition had come true."

"He returned to his psychology clinic, ensuring everything was in order before heading home. He was enjoying dinner with Ogrel when a sudden whim made him want to check the current discussions on the player's forum."

"To his surprise, he saw the hottest thread on the forum was started by the Cunning Citizens team, and it was then that he learned one of those three players was live-streaming the game."

"Lann: '...Wait a minute, does that mean...'"

"Sure enough, his ominous premonition came true the next second."

"Due to the prize pool task, all players received a notification. The first special task triggered in the game caught everyone's attention. Even though most players had no idea where the task was located, many invested, thinking the entry fee was not expensive."

"Then, those who invested, prompted by friends and family, flocked to the task's trigger location, which was Yeyeyoru's live stream."

"After Lann revealed the value of the butterfly specimen, the viewer count reached a new peak. The chat was flooded with comments, especially after Yeyeyoru quickly realized and rushed to the room to use the appraisal skill."

"Due to the peculiarities of the K-Series game, players' appraisal skills were significantly reduced unless they had high skill points in relevant fields. Usually, the appraisals were vague, but with most of the information known, the success rate of the appraisal greatly increased."

"Since Lann had disclosed information about the Soul-Eating Butterfly specimen, Yeyeyoru's appraisal yielded the following result:"

"[Soul-Eating Butterfly Cocoon"

"Item type/Magic Potion Ingredient"

"Grade: A"

"Description: One of the core ingredients for making Dream-Entering Potions. Requires a Willpower check every three hours when near human individuals. Failure results in the loss of 1-3 health points and 2-5 mental points. Continuous failure three times leads to temporary madness and an irreversible state of life drain.]"

"An A-grade item/magic potion ingredient!"

"And it's a core ingredient for making advanced magic potions, the Dream-Entering Potion!"

"Is this something that should appear in a beginner's village? What kind of incredible luck is this??"

"The chat instantly turned sour."

"[Waaaaah, I can't believe this, it's so unbalanced! Forget magic potions, I haven't even seen the lowest level item, how can someone get an A-grade item?!]"

"[It's rigged, definitely rigged. It's unfair if I don't get one!]"

"[Is this item for sale? I can offer a high price!]"

"[Stop talking nonsense, okay? It's not just you who sees the potential in this game. Streamer, please don't sell it! This is a game-breaking item!]"

"As the chat was flooded with envy, a shadow suddenly appeared in the window."

"Lann witnessed firsthand through a first-person view what happened in the room. Something was thrown in from the window, filling the room with thick smoke, followed by a person wearing a gas mask breaking through the window, heading straight for the specimen."

"Of course, the two players tried to resist. But only Baba, who could fight, had just reached the door; the combat abilities of the other two were questionable."

"They had focused on boosting their professional skills for successful scamming, so their combat power was barely enough to catch a chicken."

"In short, the intruder subdued them more easily than catching chickens. Baba, dazed from the smoke, was no match for the intruder, who eventually took off with the butterfly specimen. Lann and the three siblings arrived too late, only to watch the person leave."

"The chat suddenly lost its envious tone, turning to shock."

"[I knew it, such an item couldn't possibly be in the hands of players at this stage.]"

"[This makes sense, I am quite pleased.]"

"[No, why are you happy? They uploaded the info as soon as Lann mentioned it, and now the mission progress has increased by 30%!]"

"[What?!]"

"The prize pool task rewards are distributed based on the importance of the clues each person provides. Who would have thought that while most players were still starting their investigations, someone had already taken the lead."

"[Waaaaah, I'm so jealous, it's like free money!]"

"[It's unfair! This is obviously unfair!]"

"[It's not unfair. They found a breakthrough in the task by their own abilities, and just happened to encounter Lann. Lann 'just happened' to know about this item and casually told them... Damn, the more I talk, the more bitter I feel.]"

"[Waaaah, so it all comes down to Lann qwq I knew there were benefits to sticking with him, I just knew it orz]"

"[Am I the only one concerned about what Lann was actually there for? Initially, there were guesses in the chat, but since the prize pool task came out, no one seems to care.]"

"[He couldn't have been there for the butterfly specimen; otherwise, he wouldn't have casually revealed that information.]"

"[Hmm... Although the Soul-Eating Butterfly specimen is A-grade, Lann seemed utterly disinterested. He really must be above such items.]"

"Reading this, Lann's brow twitched."

"No, it's not that he looked down on it, but rather he had no use for it and thus wasn't interested. The reason he told the players was just because he felt it would be a pity to miss out."

"After all, although players are a bit crazy, they're one of the few sincere forces actively trying to save the world in this universe."

"Though he personally avoids players as much as possible, from the perspective of an ordinary person living in this world, he still hopes they become stronger."

"Who would have thought this too could be misunderstood..."

"At that moment, a special chat message appeared, clearly sent by the streamer."

"[Yeyeyoru: I know the real reason Lann made a special trip out here, and I’ll explain it at the end of the stream.]"

"Lann: '? Wait, he really just came for the consultation fee.'"

"These people couldn't be misunderstanding something else, could they?"

"With a heavy heart, Lann skipped to the end of the video. By then, the incident had ended, and he had already left. This segment was the scene Yeyeyoru and the others chose to stay for."

"'My guess is, Lann came out specially for these people.'"

"Yeyeyoru whispered to Baba and Uncle Hao, his voice soft yet loud enough for the live stream audience to hear."

"'Think about it, he's indifferent even to A-grade items. How often have we seen Lann leave his psychology clinic during the day?'"

"Lann: 'That's because the outside world is too dangerous...'"

"'What do you mean?'"

"Yeyeyoru shared his psychological assessment results he observed from the man, then confidently speculated: 'Think about what Lann is. A demon god, right? And he's still in hiding. So, what does he need most? I guess it's faith and power! Especially followers skilled in different areas!'"

"Seeing their skepticism, Yeyeyoru boldly stepped forward and asked:"

"'Are your potions for sale to the public?'"

"The woman looked at him surprisingly, smiling: 'Yes, they are for sale.'"

"'Considering Mr. Lann saved my brother, you can have an 80% discount on potions bought from me. However, only my brother can make advanced potions. Until he fully recovers, the potions I sell might not be as effective.'"

【！】

【！】

"[Wow! A potion merchant?!]"

"[This must be the first shop NPC, right??? And it's for potions!]"

"[Wait a minute! Did you hear what the NPC said? These Cunning Citizens get an 80% discount??]"

"The chat once again filled up uniformly with envious emojis."

"[I knew it, I should have been working on my wife's favorability. I shouldn't have bothered Kalens just because he offers more tasks (muttering)]"

"[I swear, from today onwards, I'll stick to Lann like glue (affectionately)]"

"[Pfft, do you even like Lann? You're just greedy for his benefits, you're despicable!]"

"[Aren't you licking boots too?]"

"[...Yes, licking!]"

"[Hiss—so the person Lann saved can make more advanced potions?? No wonder it was worth his trip.]"

"[I noticed it right away. You can replay the live stream and look at the eyes of the person Lann saved. Tsk tsk, total fanaticism.]"

"Lann closed his eyes in distress, unwilling to see any more posts speculating about his motives or any analytical comments."

"The thought that the players, who had just started to behave somewhat normally, would regress to their previous state, distressed him greatly."

"'Stop it! I'm just an ordinary person, stop adding to the story!'"

"He really isn't some demon god!"

"'Lann?'"

"Feeling a cool touch on his forehead, Lann blinked in surprise, seeing the worried look on Ogrel's face: 'Are you alright? Is the food not to your liking?'"

"'No, it's delicious.'"

"Lann mentally closed the forum's chat window and focused on the meal in front of him. Ogrel's cooking, for some reason, was always exactly to his taste. He twirled a generous forkful of spaghetti and smiled contentedly as he ate."

"Waaaah, this is so delicious."

"In this cold world, only the meals cooked by my roommate have some warmth.jpg"

"'Thank you, Ogrel. I might not have been able to keep going if it weren't for you...'"

"'Hm?' Ogrel tilted his head, looking somewhat naive despite his large build, 'I haven’t done anything special, though.'"

"'No, just you being here is enough,'" Lann said sincerely.

"He doesn't need people to idolize him like the players on the forum do, nor backstab him like others. Just being treated normally is the greatest help for him."

"After all, he still has someone normal by his side, right?"

"Ogrel showed a somewhat shy smile and stood up: 'I'll go get the cheesecake I bought today.'"

"As Ogrel left the dining room where they were eating, he passed by the staircase. The door leading to the basement moved slightly, with faint human moans of pain emanating from below."

……

"After finishing his meal, Lann saw Ogrel returning with the cake and asked curiously, 'Why did it take so long?'"

"'Because... I accidentally knocked over an easel and had to tidy up a bit.'"

"Ogrel spoke slowly, as if choosing his words carefully, but since he was usually quiet and spoke little, Lann didn't notice anything unusual."

"'I see. How's your painting going?'"

"'It's going well... I'll show you when it's finished,' Ogrel said. 'How about your psychology clinic...'"

"'Hmm?'"

"Did nothing really happen?"

"No, nothing," Lan En couldn't possibly tell Ogler about the players and the strange occurrences. He saw his roommate as an extremely rare good person who shouldn't be dragged into such matters. "Things have been getting back on track lately, though there are some minor troubles, I can handle them myself."

If there had to be something troublesome, it would be the prize pool task this time and the subsequent harassment by players.

However, Lan En had decided not to participate anymore. After all, this task had little to do with him. He was just out to earn a consultation fee.

Ogler didn't speak, just stared at him. Lan En initially kept his head down eating cheesecake, but eventually couldn't help but look up: "If I need help, I'll ask."

Only then did Ogler satisfactorily withdraw his gaze. After dinner, Lan En intended to go upstairs to rest, but noticed Ogler silently following behind him.

He turned around and asked hesitantly, "Is it that ritual again?"

Ogler silently nodded.

Since Lan En's discharge from the hospital, every time he returned home, Ogler would ask to do something with him every now and then, claiming it was a tradition from his place, signifying blessings and peace.

This small matter wasn't really a big deal. Lan En knew the game leaned towards a Western background, and many people had religious or specific ethnic characteristics. He got along well with his roommate, Ogler, who took on a large part of the household chores, cooked delicious meals, and importantly, had taken care of him during his hospital stay, so indulging him in a bit of ritual wasn't too much.

So, Lan En sat back down, while Ogler brought a cup of clear water from the kitchen, dipped his index finger and thumb in it, walked up to Lan En, and slowly touched Lan En's forehead with his fingers, seemingly drawing some pattern.

Then he slowly bent down, his nearly two-meter tall frame almost completely enveloping Lan En. Although he knew Ogler had no ill intentions and wouldn't harm him, for a moment, Lan En still felt the oppression caused by the size difference, like a smaller animal in nature facing an elephant or hippo, instinctively retreating.

Ogler caught his hand, stopping his movement. They were very close, Ogler's lips near Lan En's ear, and then he heard Ogler whispering something in a language he didn't understand.

[May you be safe and healthy, may disasters stay far away]

Lan En thought about the meaning of these few sentences Ogler had explained to him before, his ears slightly warming.

……

The next day, when the psychotherapy office reopened, it was unsurprisingly surrounded by players.

Lan En regretted momentarily, wishing he had asked Ogler to come and help before he left home that morning.

Fortunately, he quickly found a way to control the players.

That was, to lower their favorability.

Although Lan En knew about the NPC favorability system in the game, he wasn't that kind of player in his previous life, so he wasn't familiar with this system.

Until now, when the players were crowding outside the clinic, even affecting the pedestrians on the street.

[Lan En Favorability -5]

The players were momentarily stunned, looking at Lan En standing at the door with a smile, but for some reason, exuding a dark aura, and they finally started to queue up consciously.

Only then did Lan En breathe a sigh of relief, having found a way to suppress them from their reactions.

He thought his days would gradually stabilize, but today, an unexpected visitor came to the psychotherapy office.

Black Poker's Karens.

This was the first time Karens had actively sought him out, and Lan En subtly heightened his vigilance.

Could it be that Karens had finally realized that the players were not his followers and that he was just an ordinary person? Damn, Albert hasn't returned yet, and his messages are like stones sunk in the sea. What should he do next? Should he call the police in advance?

Karens, unaware of Lan En's internal turmoil, respectfully handed over an invitation under his wary gaze.

"What's this?"

"It's a party hosted by our boss. He hopes to invite you," Karens spoke softly, "Other underground forces in Arkham will attend this party, and they might have some objections to the actions of your followers recently."

Lan En was stunned for a second before realizing Karens was referring to the players as his 'followers'.

"...Ah, this misunderstanding seems to be getting bigger."

Thinking of the fearless nature of the Fourth Calamity, and the blame he would have to bear in the future, Lan En felt numb all over. But he couldn't explain now, or he'd probably end up at the bottom of the lake at the hands of these gang members tomorrow.

But Karens seemed to misunderstand Lan En's silence. He slightly bowed his head, not making direct eye contact with Lan En, but continuously observing his expression from the corner of his eye. Seeing that Lan En’s expression hadn’t changed and appeared indifferent, Karens hurriedly said, "Of course, I know you don't care about this. We will do our utmost to prevent them from disturbing you, please... grant us this favor."

Lan En remained silent for a long time, uncertain about what to do. He understood the implications of Karens’ words: other forces in Arkham were already greatly displeased with the recent brazenness of the players, and the only reason they hadn't acted yet was because Black Poker was holding them back.

Black Poker had sent a friendly signal to him, probably the reason behind Karens’ involvement. From any perspective, it seemed he had no reason to refuse this invitation.

After pondering for a moment, he accepted the invitation. Karens finally relaxed, a hint of relief appearing on his face: “Then we await your arrival.”

As Karens was about to leave, Lan En spoke up: “Did Black Poker recently send someone to steal the butterfly specimen of the Kamui people?”

Karens paused, frowning in thought for a moment, then shook his head: “I haven't heard of such activities. It might be the personal actions of some lower-ranking gang members. Is that Kamui person your friend?”

Lan En quickly shook his head: “No, I just happened to come across this matter... the butterfly specimen.”

He paused: “It’s also known as the Soul-Eating Butterfly. It's not a good thing, having it in the hands of ordinary people can bring disaster. It would be better to deal with it as soon as possible.”

Hearing this, Karens’ expression turned serious: “I understand. I will speak with the boss and see who is behind this.”

Karens left the psychotherapy room, and Lan En, looking at the forum's trending posts, knew that the players were still investigating this incident.

Although 30% of the rewards were already claimed by three players, it was, after all, the first case since the game's launch that all players could participate in, and the other players certainly hadn't given up.

The players’ progress could be seen on the forum, especially those like Ye Ye who were live streaming. The three players, because of Lan En, were still at the forefront of the investigation. They certainly wouldn't give up their advantage and were continuing to investigate how the Soul-Eating Butterfly specimen came into being and who now possessed it.

Lan En glanced through it briefly, a sense of strangeness arising in his mind.

He remembered that in his previous life, the trigger point of this bounty pool task didn’t seem to involve the Kamui tribe, did it? Was it the butterfly effect that caused the players to trigger this task prematurely?

Originally, in his previous life, it seemed that an unfortunate soul who failed in the struggle over the Soul-Eating Butterfly specimen and died tragically, caused a mutation due to a special time point after his death, leaving behind an 'obsession.'

This obsession latched onto a person with higher spiritual sensitivity, who then sought out the players for investigation, triggering the bounty pool task.

Obsessions, akin to ghosts, are usually not as dangerous as bizarre entities. They generally don't affect reality, are quite weak, and can be ignored with a strong will. Except for the person they latch onto, others rarely see them. They don't naturally dissipate unless their desires are fulfilled.

In short, if one doesn't know how to handle an obsession, or if an ordinary person is afflicted, they're likely in for misfortune.