Chapter 25

Chapter 25

When Amos reappeared, he was lying in a forest far from the manor. The moment he stepped on the soil, he collapsed uncontrollably, his limbs becoming bonelessly limp like noodles, his eyeballs in their sockets shriveling and eventually falling out.

Ability backlash.

This was the first time Amos had suffered such a terrifying backlash. He was so weak he could barely stand, struggling to pull another wild chrysanthemum from his pocket and crushing it.

A rich life force burst from the chrysanthemum, filling his limbs and eyes, but leaving his face pale as paper.

Yet, he felt no regret, even for using up one of his few stored healing flowers for his moment of madness.

His only regret was not being able to see the full image of that flower.

"Lann." Amos murmured the name, as if by closing his eyes, he could still see that beautiful, unique flower.

……

Alon's body lay cold under the table. He didn't die at the hands of a ghoul, nor from the spells of the mysterious man.

Instead, he was killed by a botched medical punch from one of his own.

The live stream audience laughed themselves silly.

["Medical epic fail, so realistic, LOL. From great success to epic fail, what kind of law of luck conservation is this?"]

["Thanks to the host, I was bummed about missing this fight, but now I'm happy. On my way to help the host collect the body."]

["Quack doctor indeed (Dumbledore shaking his head)"]

Matcha Milk Green, who accidentally killed Alon with her medical attempt, was also embarrassed. She looked up at the other injured players, and the surviving players averted their gaze in unison.

The combat round was over, but the gameplay wasn't. In this game, skill points are earned through sufficient successful attempts – in short, use first aid more to improve it, and fight more to improve combat skills.

With the battle over, it was time to practice first aid skills, so the players started a cycle of healing each other.

In the process of healing back and forth, accidents like these happen occasionally.

Lann had already left the scene before the remaining players excitedly surrounded the mysterious man at the end of the fight. Calrence voluntarily stayed behind to wrap things up, organizing the players to escort the surviving guests into limousines and discreetly transport everyone back to the Black Poker headquarters.

After the players left, the inspection team finally arrived.

"What in the world happened here..."

When the Inspection Bureau arrived, the banquet scene was deserted.

Only the scattered corpses, severed limbs, variously sized bloodstains, and shattered glass bore witness to the hellish events that had transpired.

The team leader carefully approached a body, crouching to inspect it: “Come take a look, this bite mark, these claw marks, and the movements, what do they remind you of?”

The others hurried over, examining the marks on the body, one of them tentatively asked, “A ghoul?”

Inside the Inspection Bureau, there's specialized training to identify common lower-level oddities, with ghouls being a frequent subject. This D-class oddity, often encountered in investigations, was quickly recognized by the team.

“Yes, not just on this body, but also here, and here.”

The team leader led them around the banquet site, his expression growing more solemn: “There must have been quite a number of ghouls.”

Summoning so many ghouls, even if they were D-class oddities, indicated a significant scale of the incident.

Furthermore, the team leader was concerned about some bodies showing signs of premature aging and the presence of fine sandy residue apart from the corpses.

“Search for any survivors.”

Unfortunately, they were a step too late. Half an hour earlier, Lann and Calrence had already left. Before leaving, Edmund had taken special measures to cover any detectable traces. Moreover, Calrence had ensured all survivors were taken to Black Poker’s safe house.

As a result, this team found no useful clues and could only temporarily co-opt police powers to cordon off the villa’s vicinity for a thorough search.

Elsewhere.

After a night of tumultuous events, close brushes with death, and even a bout of PTSD, Lann was mentally exhausted. He headed straight home, not wanting to deal with the aftermath involving Edmund and Calrence. He collapsed into bed, utterly spent.

In a half-dream state, he thought he heard the door open and close, but, too exhausted and trusting in Ogler, he didn't bother to open his eyes.

He could feel large hands gently stroking his forehead before he slipped into a deep, sweet sleep.

Ogler stood by the bed, leaning over to look at the person engulfed in the covers, silently straightening the disheveled bedding, removing his shoes, and then quietly watching Lann.

Reaching out, he caressed Lann's forehead, his hand traveling down to rest on the black phoenix butterfly perched on Lann's shoulder, pretending to be an ornament.

The Soul-Eating Butterfly quivered under the touch, trembling under the palm, yet stubbornly refusing to move.

Ogler gazed down at it, intimidating the butterfly until it began to shed its scales in fear, then removed his hand, standing vigilantly by Lann's side until his breathing evened out, before silently exiting the room.

Leaving Lann's room, he walked down a hallway and stopped at the base of a staircase.

There was a nearly invisible door blended into the floor. Ogler lifted it, descended a short staircase, and entered the basement.

The basement was about half the size of a room, with three unconscious people inside. If Lann were there, he would recognize them from the tattoos on their wrists as members of Black Poker.

Ogler stood still, but the shadows at his feet spread out, snaking forward like a predator finding its prey, then entering the brains of two people through their ear canals.

The two unconscious people groaned in pain. Ogler searched their minds, not finding any trace of the mastermind behind the scenes, and muttered in disappointment:

"The matter is resolved, and you are no longer of use."

With that, the shadows withdrew from their brains, and simultaneously, their bodies disintegrated like paste, turning into black goo, their flesh dissolving until only faint scorch marks remained on the floor.

……

In his dream, Lann seemed to arrive at a place shrouded in mist, standing on a platform.

It was a vast platform, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Lann belatedly realized he must be dreaming.

He looked around and surprisingly found that although there was no light, the mist did not obscure his vision, and he could see quite far.

A glowing white dot floated beside him, seemingly leading him somewhere. Lann followed the light to a staircase leading upwards, arriving at a larger platform. In the center was a stone table, on which lay two ten-sided dice and a jester's mask.

The formation of dreams is partly due to some neurons in the brain remaining active at night. Generally, things in dreams are vague because it's impossible for human memory to recreate a complete world in a dream.

But the dice, mask, and the surrounding environment here were too realistic. If Lann hadn't remembered falling asleep, he would have thought he was involved in another incident.

Being cautious, Lann didn’t touch anything and avoided the eagerly approaching white light, standing still.

He didn’t observe for long before a wave of drowsiness overcame him, and he lost consciousness, sinking deeper into the dream.

When he opened his eyes again, it was the next morning.

Waking up refreshed the next day, Lann finally felt like reflecting on the distressing events of the previous night.

Clearly, the banquet was a trap, specifically targeting him, but he hadn't offended anyone to be noticed by beings of the mystical side.

Lann recalled the scene at the banquet where all the corpses simultaneously transformed into ghouls.

The Raising Dead technique was simple in effect; chanting a spell in an environment filled with corpses could temporarily turn them into ghouls. Although not as strong as genuine Class D anomalies, they had the advantage in numbers.

Clearly, someone had cast a spell, and Lann happened to recognize this magic.

This was the signature spell of a notorious character from a past life, well-known on the forums.

Amos, ever since appearing in the players' view, has consistently held the title of "The Most Hated NPC." He is infamous server-wide as a pervert, a puppeteer behind the scenes, and a destroyer of NPCs.

He claims to be a gardener, treating everyone he fancies as flowers; nurturing, watering, fertilizing, trimming unnecessary branches, and admiring their blooming beauty.

Then, at a certain moment, when he feels the time is right, he plucks them at their most beautiful.

Countless NPCs who considered him their closest ally were betrayed by him. This man possesses highly advanced disguise magic, and the NPCs he targets are always aesthetically pleasing and morally upright. These NPCs also have high popularity on player forums. However, once targeted by him, they end up being eradicated.

How could the players bear it? It can be said that at least half of the troubles in the game are directly or indirectly caused by Amos. In short, blaming him for everything seems just about right!

Under the wrath of numerous players who lost their in-game spouses, Amos has been topping the "Most Hated NPC" chart since his debut. Lann, until his transmigration, never saw him drop from that position.

The mere thought of being targeted by such a twisted character sent shivers down Lann's spine.

Panic set in as he wondered why he had never heard of Amos visiting Arkham before. Wasn't this character supposed to appear later in the game?

Biting his nails, Lann looked dejected for a moment, realizing that since he had transmigrated, this world was more than just a game. The NPCs here had their own lives, with players merely passing through.

Amos might have been active for a long time, just unnoticed by players due to their lower levels.

Thinking positively, it might not necessarily be him. Although resurrection magic is his signature, it doesn't mean other NPCs can't use it.

He tried to comfort himself, but still felt uneasy, recalling a theory from the player forums in his previous life.

When you think Amos might be behind it, everyone starts to look like Amos.

After pondering, Lann decided to check the player forum for clues, as the bounty task was completed, but there might still be remnants of information.

Opening the player forum, he was greeted with posts about last night's banquet.

Randomly opening a post, he saw discussions about unidentified creatures writhing and howling inside.

["Wuwuwu, my wife is so cool, she’s stunning, I've climbed back over the wall for her!"]

["I am that butterfly, I want to be close to my wife too~"]

["Butterflies love flowers and beauties, and so do I, so I = butterfly."]

["Wuwuwu, my wife’s counterattack was so cool!"]

["Doesn’t anyone appreciate the clown? Weren’t those fight scenes thrilling and cool? My new husband wuwuwuwu"]

["Oh, we don’t call him clown now, we call him the sunny and cheerful big boy (dog head emoji)"]

【？？？】

["Doesn't he seem sunny and cheerful? Just look at how happily he laughs while slaughtering enemies! (affectionately)"]

Of course, some people also had serious discussions about yesterday's banquet.

["Doesn't anyone care that the banquet was clearly a trap, specifically to target Lann? The sudden appearance of the Soul-Eating Butterfly specimen seems like a setup by someone behind the scenes."]

["Hiss—Has someone noticed the revival of an evil deity? An opposing force?"]

["It might have been a probe; otherwise, how could such an arrangement ever trap an evil deity?"]

["But then again, the host of the banquet is a bit suspicious. Wasn't it organized by Black Poker? Aren't they supposed to be on Lann's side?"]

["An insider betrayal? But it seems Calrence can still be trusted, always standing by Lann's side."]

["Is no one paying attention to the clown by Lann's side? His combat performance was clearly not that of an ordinary person. I watched another live stream, where the ghouls tore apart Baba and others, but this person suddenly transformed."]

["Is there a possibility that he was originally a follower of Lann, sent by Lann to investigate this incident?"]

["Hiss—I suddenly have a bold idea. Maybe, just maybe, the main mission during Arkham's beta phase is a battle between Lann's forces and another evil cult?"]

["Think about it, remember the initial player kidnapping case? Back then, Calrence led players to wipe out one or two small gangs. But it doesn't add up. How could such small factions know about Lann's identity? They didn’t even have anyone skilled in magic, hardly worthy opponents for Lann."]

Lann couldn't help but twitch his lips upon reading this comment.

He recalled the farcical player kidnapping case. He hadn't inquired how Calrence handled it, vaguely remembering Calrence wanting to move past the incident. The players, of course, wouldn't let go of the clues, so Calrence conveniently blamed a small gang.

Since that gang was involved in fandu activities, Lann didn't pay much attention then, thinking the matter had ended.

He hadn't expected it to resurface now.

["So, is there a possibility that what happened yesterday is of the same nature as the player kidnapping case? The kidnapping might have been just to identify the target, and last night's bloody banquet was a probe."]

["A probe for what?"]

["Not sure, maybe testing Lann's abilities. I’m increasingly convinced by Black Cat's theory – Lann might genuinely be in a restricted or sealed state. They might have come to confirm this!"]

["Hiss—So, that mysterious man in black could be from the forces that sealed Lann?"]

["Very likely."]

["I bet they will have even bigger conspiracies in the future!"]

That sounded quite reasonable. Lann thought so, but then he paused.

Wait a minute, he wasn’t sealed at all.

Great, he had almost been brainwashed by reading too many forum theories.

Continuing to scroll, he found posts analyzing his abilities, like the Soul-Eating Butterfly’s voluntary attachment, suggesting that evil deities might have a certain allure to oddities, potentially explaining how the deity’s kin are formed.

Other posts noted that some very observant players saw Edmund's eyes change color at the end, speculating it could be another form of divine possession.

Lann, holding his forehead, quickly closed all these speculative posts and used the forum’s targeted search feature to look up the keyword “bounty task.”

There were quite a few posts. As expected, after the resurrection of the Soul-Eating Butterfly, the task was closed. Many players submitted their findings at the end of the task and received some rewards.

Indeed, while the players might have seemed uninvolved in this task, they were actually investigating the origins of the butterfly specimen. Baba’s team, luckily meeting Edmund outside Lann’s clinic, found new clues, but other players also made significant discoveries.

Through these posts, Lann finally understood the full story.

It was the information Baba and the others had found earlier: someone was breeding these butterflies, likely manipulated by the Soul-Eating Butterfly itself, continually changing caretakers to provide the nourishment needed for the butterfly’s revival.

"The initial victim was the male owner of that villa, but due to a mishap during their first crime, the thugs couldn't wait for the owner to weaken and die, so they broke into the villa, resulting in a homicide."

"Subsequently, the butterfly changed hosts several times, with each not surviving for long."

"This case has been thoroughly investigated by the players. On the surface, the butterfly incident doesn't seem to have much to do with Amos."

"So, the root of this incident still lies within Black Poker…"

"Lann isn't one to suffer in silence. Though he can be cautious, he believes in getting even when wronged. He immediately took Ogler with him to the psychology clinic and furiously called Calrence."

"He had decided to demand an explanation from Calrence, as this whole affair was inseparably linked to Black Poker. But just as he dialed the number, he heard a cellphone ring from outside the clinic."

"Calrence was right outside, seemingly just arrived, with dark circles under his eyes. He was still wearing the same suit from last night's banquet, and Lann could smell a faint scent of alcohol and blood on it, indicating he hadn’t rested since last night and hadn’t even changed his clothes."

"As Calrence entered, the psychology clinic’s door still open, curious players peeked from outside. Ignoring their gazes, Calrence knelt on one knee before Lann."

"Lann was startled and almost instinctively dodged, but then he glanced at Ogler, towering enough to be two of him."

"Lann, keeping a straight face and stiffening his back, accepted Calrence's kneel."

"The players outside seemed to be excitedly discussing something, but Lann wasn't interested in giving them a show and had Ogler close the door."

"‘Last night's setup, it was Black Poker's doing, wasn’t it?’ Lann, recalling how a boss would speak, tried to emulate that demeanor."

"Calrence, head bowed, replied, ‘It was Joel, the former leader of Black Poker, acting on his own to set the trap. He too died in the manor last night. Now, I’m managing Black Poker. After this incident, I conducted a thorough investigation within Black Poker. Most members were also unaware of the banquet's secrets. However, I found this in the leader’s office.’"

"He handed Lann the investigation report and the discovered clues, including a voice recorder. Lann pressed play, and a recording started to play."

"…Who are you… How did you get in?"

The voice recorder's quality seemed poor, or perhaps the speaker was standing far away, making it difficult to discern more than a few words.

However, it was clear that the true mastermind behind everything was someone else, with Black Poker's leader merely a pawn.

After reviewing the investigation report and listening to the recording, Lann hadn't yet responded when Calrence knelt on his other knee, looking up and saying, “Marlz is dead, and I've dealt with those who colluded with him. From now on, Black Poker is at your service.”

Lann had heard similar words before from Edmund. Calrence's attitude was clear – he was willing to follow Lann, with Black Poker becoming his faction, his vassal.

Yet this was never Lann's intention. To be honest, he just wanted to know who was targeting him.

But it seemed the game of masquerading as an evil deity might continue indefinitely.

Lann was not completely unaware of the anomalies about himself, but without power, he felt inherently weaker.

In the end, Lann did not accept Calrence's allegiance. Calrence didn’t seem angry about this, instead reporting his subsequent actions.

Learning that the police had sealed the scene half an hour after they left, Lann felt a chill. Had they left any later, they might have encountered the police directly.

“Wait, those who were left behind…”

Seemingly understanding Lann’s concern, Calrence quickly added, “Not long after I left, I had them transported to Black Poker’s headquarters. I’ve spoken with them thoroughly to ensure they won’t reveal your identity.”

Lann breathed a sigh of relief, realizing the convenience of having a faction's support, assuming he truly possessed the strength Calrence and others believed he had.

Seeing that Lann remained mostly silent, Calrence, undeterred, reported the aftermath of the incident and then took his leave.

After sending Calrence off, Lann relaxed slightly, at least not having to worry about the Inspection Bureau discovering his identity for the time being.

"Pfft, I'm not an evil deity anyway, so even if they do come knocking, it won't matter!"

"...Probably."

Suddenly, Lann remembered something and turned sharply to look at Ogler.

"Oh no, he might think I'm part of some cult! Ogler was so quiet I almost forgot he was there."

"Ogler, listen, I'm not trying to deceive you..." Lann began, his voice trailing off, "Okay, maybe I am deceiving him, but I'm not really an evil deity. It's just that if I didn't say so, we might be in trouble."

Ogler, however, seemed unconcerned, not at all upset about being dragged from his home so abruptly, his demeanor completely contrary to his appearance. His fluffy hair and build gave Lann the impression of a good-natured Tibetan Mastiff.

"It's okay, I believe Lann."

Ever since Lann was inexplicably intercepted by players, Ogler seemed to naturally accept any reason Lann gave.

Sometimes, Lann was grateful for Ogler’s unwavering trust, but at other times, he worried about his naivety.

"Sigh, what to do when your roommate is too innocent? I guess I'll have to be more vigilant."

……

As Calrence left Lann’s psychology clinic, he encountered players loitering outside.

"Sometimes I admire the perseverance of these people, doing nothing all day but waiting outside, as if seeing Lann would be worth any sacrifice."

"Maybe that's what faith is, something he might never fully understand."

Calrence glanced at them from a distance, choosing not to approach. Though he had decided to serve the evil deity, he didn’t want to become a devotee like them, unwilling to surrender his heart and beliefs.

"If there’s anything important to him, it's the city where he lives."

"Calrence grew up among gangs and streets; he was the child of a low-ranking gang member and a prostitute, subjected to discrimination and oppression from an early age. Under the guidance of his worthless father, he joined a gang. Typically, someone like him would harbor a sense of resentment against society, but Calrence did not."

"He was acutely aware of his unfortunate origins but did not become cynical. Instead, he learned the rules of his environment, using them and his talents to thrive in this underworld."

"This city is flawed, its steel forest casting shadows and darkness that silently swallow some people. But it's not entirely bad, as people like him rely on this darkness as a haven."

"Despite having seen hellish aspects of the city, Calrence never thought of leaving."

"This was his hometown, after all – a place of trivial lives and pervasive, unknown darkness, where he was born and raised. Where else could he go?"

"He, more than anyone, wanted to preserve Arkham's existing ecosystem. He never saw gangs as a cancer in the city. Even if toxic, they had become part of the city's bloodstream, a part of the darkness, maintaining order within it."

"'Boss.' A subordinate approaching him interrupted Calrence's thoughts. He came back to reality, remembering he was now the leader of Black Poker, and responded faintly."

"The subordinate, seeing Calrence's grim expression, said impatiently, 'You personally came here, and that person still disrespected you. Shall I...?'"

"Before he could finish, Calrence's face darkened: 'Shut up, take him away.'"

"The subordinate, startled, was quickly silenced and dragged away by Calrence's other men."

"To maintain secrecy, Calrence had not disclosed Lann's identity to anyone, and of course, no one knew the purpose of his visit to the psychology clinic."

"Even after being rejected by Lann, Calrence had no intention of giving up."

"After parting ways with Lann the previous night, Calrence quickly returned to Black Poker’s headquarters. Seizing control amidst the chaos following the leader’s death, he took over most of the underlings and power. With so many deaths at the banquet, keeping it under wraps was impossible. Cunningly, Calrence lured the surviving members to his turf, using Lann’s influence to consolidate them. In the midst of chaos, he expanded his power, consolidating several organizations under his control."

"Thus, to everyone else’s eyes, Black Poker and Lann seemed to be in cahoots, except for Lann himself."

"Calrence was anxious about when Lann would discover his actions and possibly punish him. That's why he came today, hoping to make their alliance official."

"Even after Lann’s refusal, he wouldn't give up. As long as he could prove Black Poker’s usefulness to Lann, he believed that even without explicit recognition, they wouldn't be easily destroyed."

"With mixed feelings, Calrence walked away from the clinic, hands in pockets, just brushing past a young man with freckles on his face."

"Calrence instinctively turned his head, but only caught a glimpse of the slender figure's retreating back."

"Why did he feel that this silhouette seemed familiar…"

"That disciple with clown makeup had disappeared since that night. Calrence wondered if he was still wandering around Arkham on Lann's orders, executing some dangerous and deadly mission."

"For a moment, Calrence thought the figure resembled the mad clown, but recalling the fleeting encounter with the freckled youth’s timid demeanor, he shook his head, dismissing the thought, and drove away."

"Lann had barely managed to send Calrence off when the sound of the door chime caught his attention. Turning around, he saw a slim, freckled young man."

"Edmund."

"His first real patient."

"Lann struggled to articulate his feelings at the moment, but one thing was clear: seeing Edmund heroically dispatch all the ghouls at last night's banquet had truly made him happy, even touched."

"Of course, that emotion lasted only until the moment Edmund knelt before him, offering his devotion."

"Lann, once again feeling betrayed, had six points to make: …"

"He didn’t understand. A promising young man, why did he choose this path? During the treatment, Lann hadn't said anything to provoke such faith, so why this sudden devotion?"

"Lann sent Ogler out and stopped Edmund from entering to pay his respects. His expression grave, he stared at Edmund until he looked panicked before averting his gaze."

"‘Edmund, why do you believe in me?’"

"‘Because my lord is the only one who affirmed me, believed in me, and guided me to accept myself,’ Edmund replied without hesitation, his gaze towards Lann no longer timid but filled with fervor and sincerity, ‘You are my pillar, your command is the direction I follow!’"

"There was one thing Edmund didn't say: Lann's presence brought him peace."

"Like a wandering traveler finally on the road home, a lost ship finding its guiding lighthouse."

"Lann's words provided Edmund with solace, giving him the courage to endure in this harsh world."

"This only made Lann's headache worse."

"How did I not realize I had such charm? Ah, wait..."

"Lann suddenly remembered that his charm was indeed quite significant now. According to tabletop gaming terms, it was nearing human limits. He had even experimented before, finding that hypnotism became quite easy when the target was in a state of chaos or fear..."

"So, Edmund's change wasn't incomprehensible. He might have been speaking normally, but to someone with a troubled heart, the impact could be more profound than expected."

"Realizing all this was his doing, Lann suddenly felt overwhelmed."

"It was probably his conscience as a psychologist condemning him."

"It took Lann a while to regain his voice: '...Why did you suddenly appear there? And why were you wearing clown makeup?'"

"Edmund recalled, 'Last night? At that time, I had just broken through the first layer of the Dream Rift with your help, and felt my physical abilities had improved. The clown makeup might be a manifestation of my powers. As for why I was there...'"

"He scratched his head, 'I just found myself drawn to your direction unconsciously, without any specific thought, just wanting to be by your side.'"

"Unconsciously..."

"Lann didn't know how to respond, but there was another point of interest: 'The Dream Rift?'"

"'Yes, the Dream Rift is the name given by the Inspection Bureau to that mist-filled dream space. There might be different terms elsewhere,' Edmund explained, 'but the Bureau has delved deeper into this area, so it's the accepted term... What's wrong?'"

"Lann was in shock."

"Wait a minute, the Inspection Bureau, the official organization investigating odd incidents and combating evil deities? Edmund is with the Inspection Bureau??"

"Instantly, Lann envisioned the clinic being surrounded by Bureau agents, followed by investigations and his eventual expulsion from Earth."

"Pfft, he’s not an evil deity! Don't cast yourself in that role!"

"Overwhelmed by the influx of information, Lann was a bit confused. Wait, if Edmund is with the Inspection Bureau, then his earlier visit for psychological treatment wasn't just about workplace conflict? But how can an Inspection Bureau agent believe in an evil deity, even though I'm not one, but Edmund seems to consider me as one..."

"In short, he's turned an Inspection Bureau agent into his follower?"

"Seeing Lann's perplexed expression, Edmund quickly said, 'Please rest assured, I haven't revealed your existence to them... Well, more accurately, they don't believe me... I'm so sorry, I will do my best to keep your existence hidden!'"

"Lann opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words, merely uttering a noncommittal 'Hmm.'"

The bad news: he might have caught the attention of the Inspection Bureau.

The good news: what does it matter if he’s not noticed by a malevolent deity.

The good news: he has a mole inside the Inspection Bureau.

The bad news: this mole firmly believes he is a malevolent deity.

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