Chapter 30

Chapter 30

After hanging up with Dr. Archie, Lann revisited in his mind the day's outing with Albert.

It wasn't because he harbored any sentimental feelings. Having been single for many years and working in psychotherapy, Lann had seen plenty of unhappy couples and heard numerous dramatic stories. He had encountered cases where people, misled by unfaithful partners, were unable to move on from their past relationships, even resorting to self-harm.

Just healing these emotionally scarred patients had exhausted Lann, making him disillusioned with romance. He was far from being moved by such feelings; his heart was firmly welded to his treatment plans.

Even with his looks, Lann never considered embarking on a sweet romance. In his eyes, just being alive to this day was a blessing from his ancestors.

Reflecting on the time spent with Albert, Lann was 'reviewing' Albert's behavior.

All the clues he had gathered seemed to point towards something genuinely problematic about Albert.

But no matter how much Lann pondered, the only thing he could recall from that memory was that Albert was a foolish dog, genuinely in love with him.

Was Albert's acting so masterful that even he was fooled, or was it that...

Wait, that's not right. If Albert truly were a follower of some other malevolent deity, why hadn't any player from his previous life mentioned this? If he were a heretic, could the disaster that swept through Arkham be related to him? Did the players know about this, did the previous life's Archie know?

Ah, his head was starting to ache again.

Lann didn't understand why he kept encountering such messy situations.

Moreover, the name Archie came up with didn't quite match the gardener's name in his memory, but Soren Hogg... that name sounded familiar.

Hmm, can't remember.

After half an hour of contemplation, Lann boldly concluded, slumping over his desk and subconsciously opening the player forum, starting to slack off.

Oh no, he was actually inspecting what kind of chaos the players had caused for him.

Thanks to the forum's word-blocking feature, Lann's eyes were spared from the recent surge of shipping and fanfiction posts. After browsing for a while, he actually found a few threads of interest.

"Brothers, anyone interested in attending my funeral?"

And this post's author was a player Lann recognized – Night Night Hao from the last encounter with the troublemakers squad.

Night Night Hao: "So, guys, remember how I gloriously sacrificed myself in the last mission?"

Night Night Hao: "What we didn't expect was that Edmund later found surviving Uncle Hao and Baba Hao and took them to the hospital. He even asked them when my funeral was, saying he'd attend."

Baba Hao: "Right, how could we miss such a fun event?! Plus, a kind-hearted NPC (big sucker) is paying for it, so we're going all out!"

Night Night Hao: "Any players interested in attending, come to the Yoris Cemetery on the outskirts of the city tonight for my funeral! By the way, I'll be hosting it myself! (dog with a rose in mouth)"

It must be said, the troublemakers squad really knew how to create a stir. At least now, the concept of attending a player's funeral was still quite novel, and many players were eagerly commenting that they would attend.

Lann was also somewhat intrigued, mainly to see what new antics the players could come up with. He noted down the time and location of the funeral, and as evening approached, he left his home.

Dressed in black, Lann had learned from past experiences. He wore a mask and a hat, carefully tucking his platinum blonde hair inside, leaving only his emerald green eyes exposed.

He took a taxi to the outskirts of the city. At this time, this area was sparsely populated. Generally, funerals are held during the day, but players, aware of their impact, chose the least busy time to avoid attracting NPC attention.

As they neared Yoris Cemetery, a considerable number of players had already gathered.

Night Night Hao had switched to a new character card, renaming himself Grandfather Hao. Lann almost burst out laughing.

Obviously, the other players couldn't hold back either. Instead of maintaining the solemnity of the occasion, the funeral was filled with laughter and joy, leaving Edmund, who had come to attend the funeral, standing alone in confusion.

Edmund: Confused.jpg

Seeing this, Lann couldn't help but laugh quietly. The laughter was loud and abundant around him, and Edmund in the cemetery shouldn't have been able to hear, but he sharply turned and accurately located Lann among the crowd.

His lips parted, about to instinctively call out 'My Lord'.

Lann quickly gestured for silence, then turned and walked to a more secluded corner. Edmund understood, casually meandering out of the group of players, and gradually made his way to Lann's side.

"My Lord," he whispered.

Lann was now able to respond calmly to this title, automatically ignoring the 'My Lord' address.

"Are you here for the funeral too?" Edmund asked softly.

Lann couldn't exactly tell him he was just there for the spectacle.

After a moment's thought, Lann finally formed a response, slightly curving his lips: "In a way, yes. For some, death signifies the end of everything, but for others, it's just the beginning of a grander adventure."

"Look at them."

Edmund looked over to see the players still joking and laughing. There was no sadness or solemnity on their faces, as if they were celebrating a friend heading to a better place.

Lann cleared his throat: "Actually, this is a funeral tradition from their homeland, to send off the deceased with smiles, so that their journey beyond won't be filled with reluctance."

Edmund had an epiphany: "I see."

However, he soon looked at Night Night, the funeral's host, with hesitation: "But why do I feel like his behavior is a lot like Night Night's?"

"Maybe because they are twins."

"Then why are Baba Hao and the others getting along so well with him..."

"It's their tradition," Lann said seriously, "They believe that when a family member passes away, part of their soul attaches itself to the living, especially in the case of twins. They treat the living relative as if they were the departed loved one, shouldering the emotions to comfort the sorrow in their hearts."

Edmund nodded in respect: "I understand now."

Lann breathed a sigh of relief, having smoothly navigated the conversation. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

Night Night, with his new character card, took over the priest's duties, reading the eulogy in front of his own tombstone:

"Mr. Night Night Hao, born 25 years ago in a poor village, died on March 24th, just two days ago, at the age of 25. I can still remember how he looked in my memory, my poor twin brother. Since we were kids, he struggled to feed and clothe us, resorting to theft and fraud. It was despicable, but who could blame him in such circumstances?

……”

Traditional eulogies usually speak of the deceased's accomplishments or memories of family. But how could players stick to such boring conventions? They merely sketch out the background of their character card before improvising freely.

"Under the care of a mistress named Rasna, Mr. Night lived a decent life for a while. I must say, I despise him. Why didn't such a rich woman come for me?! Oh, and now I'm also looking for a rich woman. I've got plenty of tricks up my sleeve. Oil tycoons are also very welcome. I'll introduce you to my adorable teammate Uncle Hao, who's quite something behind closed doors..."

A major incident occurred at the funeral: Night Night, pretending to be a priest, got tackled and beaten by Uncle Hao. But that didn't matter much, as Night Night bravely got up and continued speaking.

"I must say, my twin brother's life was a complete mess, but even in his failure, he did something remarkable."

Night Night stood tall and turned towards Edmund: "He died trying to save others, and for that, I am proud of him."

The surrounding players started clapping in unison. Edmund, taken aback, looked their way and was gently nudged by Lann to step forward, back into the center of the players' attention.

"Thank you, Edmund."

"No, no, I didn't do anything worth your gratitude," Edmund waved his hands in a fluster.

Night Night shrugged: "No, the fact that you survived is the greatest comfort to us. Besides, you saved Baba Hao and Uncle Hao, preventing a greater conspiracy."

Two players nodded at him appreciatively, and one came over to pat Edmund on the shoulder.

"I really... didn't do much," Edmund's voice grew quieter, feeling an odd sense of belonging among this group of oddly dressed eccentrics who would seem bizarre in the eyes of ordinary people.

No one looked at him strangely; they appreciated and accepted him.

He thought, he really did like these people.

And he was even more grateful to the one who allowed him to become a part of this world.

"Alright! The funeral is over, let's start the feast!" Night Night cheered.

"Oooohhhhhhh!"

The players, elated, brought out food, lights, candles, and even set up various underworld-themed decorations to match the ambiance of the cemetery.

Of course, their carefree celebration was mainly because Yoris Cemetery had long been abandoned. Few people buried their loved ones in this area anymore, and even the caretaker had passed away not long ago.

It was fitting, a nonexistent cemetery for the burial of a nonexistent person.

Lann smiled and didn't disturb the players' fun, choosing instead to quietly leave.

He once belonged there, but now, his presence would only incite various adulations and speculations from the players. In this moment of pure joy, it was best to leave the space to them.

The players didn't notice Lann's departure. Perhaps Edmund did, but he was surrounded by players and only briefly lost sight of Lann, whose figure had already vanished.

Lann wandered aimlessly through the streets. It was late, and cabs were hard to come by. As he walked, a sense of loneliness welled up within him.

In this vast world, he had no home of his own.

In the misty air and deep night, lights shone in every household. Unseen oddities roamed the streets and alleys, invisible to ordinary people.

Lann walked among the pedestrians, among the oddities, feeling as if his consciousness had lightly floated out of his body. He cared neither for humans nor oddities, traversing between the two, belonging nowhere.

An imperceptible fog spread from where Lann passed, unnoticed by him.

Until a deep voice brought him back to reality.

"Lann?"

Lann snapped back to his senses, seeing his roommate who had unexpectedly appeared in front of him, holding a shopping bag as if just returning from a supermarket run, filled with fresh eggs, steak, rosemary, pasta, and bread.

"What's for dinner tonight?" Lann asked instinctively.

Oger looked at the shopping bag and hesitated, "Steak dinner?"

"Sounds good," Lann smiled, his drifting consciousness regaining some focus. Yet, for some reason, he felt unusually weak. Just as he was about to look down, Oger silently took his hand.

"? Oger?"

"We're about to cross the street, look ahead," Oger said softly beside him.

Lann looked up to see the green light indicating it was safe to cross. The crowd of pedestrians and oddities waiting at the traffic light started to surge forward.

In crowded places, it's easy to get separated, so Lann instinctively tightened his grip on Oger's hand. Oger gripped back with equal strength, and they walked through the crowd to the other side. Lann didn't notice the mist under his feet gradually retracting, the oddities in the crowd casting longing glances but unable to approach.

Walking back to the apartment, Lann felt like a kite being held on to.

The hand holding the string was the one clasping his.

At night, Lann lay on his bed, scrolling through forums after a satisfying meal and drink, as content as can be.

Loneliness? Forgotten, unfamiliar.

The pleasure activated his cerebral cortex, and suddenly, he sat up, struck by a revelation.

Soren Hogg.

He finally remembered the name. Wasn't that the boss of the foreign organization in Arkham's final battle raid? The first boss to wipe out a player group, causing a direct failure in the main quest. Even if he never appeared again, his legacy lingered on the forums, evidencing the immense pressure he put on players back then.

It was a relief it wasn't the twisted gardener, but the foreign organization was no better!

But why was he targeted? It didn't make sense. There was no NPC like Lann in the previous life's missions. What caused this butterfly effect, drawing the attention of an organization that should be plotting evil schemes?

And what exactly was the foreign organization's goal? He couldn't quite recall, only knowing that they eventually destroyed Arkham...

The thought of such a formidable entity targeting him for unknown reasons nearly brought Lann to tears, making him desperately want to ask why.

Did he really do nothing wrong?? Why would a gang focus on an ordinary person like him instead of pursuing their own apocalyptic goals?

Is it still possible to leave Arkham now...

Lann was deeply troubled, a worry that lasted until the next day.

The morning sun woke another sleepless individual. Lann, under Oger's hesitant gaze, left home with determination, continuing his work at the psychotherapy clinic.

Oddly, the players were unusually well-behaved today, not even uttering their usual taunts, which left Lann feeling somewhat out of place.

Ding-ling~

Lann looked up, too tired to even force a smile, expressionlessly facing the newcomer.

When Archie entered with heavy steps, he was struck by the overwhelming pressure emanating from Lann.

Lann often smiled, his entire being radiating a vibrant softness when he did, diluting his inhuman beauty. Outsiders would only think him excessively handsome, not otherworldly.

It was the same with Archie. Had he not known Lann's true identity through his own abilities, he would never have imagined Lann as a potentially dangerous deity.

But today, Lann undoubtedly blew away the last bit of hope in Archie's heart.

The pressure, like facing an abyss, hit Archie head-on, almost making him turn and flee the space.

He could feel that Lann was in an unusually bad mood for some unknown reason, where even a single wrong word might lead to irreparable consequences.

Yet, Archie resisted the urge to run, stepping forward towards Lann, his expression somber.

Seeing him like this, Lann understood: "It seems I was right."

Archie looked downcast, dark circles under his eyes: "Yes."

The time rewinds to last night. After Lann hung up the phone, Archie was only half convinced.

After all, that was Albert, his good friend who had grown up with him. It was impossible for Archie to doubt his friend just based on a few words from Lann. Despite Lann's suspected deity identity, he trusted Albert more.

But Lann also had no reason to lie. In hesitation, Archie entered the Gap of Dreams that night to continue using his ability to inquire about Albert.

The result revealed that Albert indeed had been involved in several mysterious gatherings.

Archie's emotions at that moment were indescribable: anger, shame, and a profound sense of bewilderment.

As an expert in psychology and having grown up with Albert, he always thought he was one of the people who knew Albert best in the world. But at that moment, he realized it was all his own assumption.

Had he been too arrogant, failing to notice something amiss about Albert all this time?

"Albert often attends a mysterious meeting and has joined a secret organization."

Archie gave a bitter smile. He had used his ability a day later and, surprisingly, the questions asked by the man in black weren't as difficult as before, returning to simpler ones like the turtle soup question. He only failed once this time, temporarily losing his sense of taste, a bearable consequence.

Archie guessed that the difficulty of the questions might relate to the content of his previous inquiry.

"Which organization?" Lann asked.

Archie's lips moved: "The Foreigners..."

How to put it, not unexpected.

Lann murmured, "Soren Hogg, the leader of the Foreigners."

Was Albert sent by him?

Then, suddenly, something changed. As Lann mentioned that name, it seemed to trigger a chain reaction with his previous words. Archie's expression turned wrong, and before Lann could react, the young man bent over, clutching his chest and gasping for air.

Archie's head spun, overwhelmed with a flood of information, causing a headache so severe he almost fainted. Lann, not understanding what was happening, caught him just as he was about to fall, and Archie immediately grabbed Lann's sleeve.

"Hypno, hypnosis..."

"What?"

"I was... hypnotized..." Archie's vision blurred with black spots. He couldn't even hear his own words as a man's vague voice echoed in his ears, uttering unrelated words. The information that had surfaced in his mind began to fade away.

No, no, this can't happen. He would forget again if this continued.

Archie clung to Lann's clothes desperately, like grasping at the last straw to save his life. He opened his mouth but couldn't utter a word, as if his tongue was no longer his own.

But Lann had already understood his meaning.

It was a bit hard to believe that Archie, a master of psychology, could be hypnotized, but it seemed like a psychological suggestion triggered by a keyword.

Time was of the essence, and Lann probably had less than two seconds to hesitate. He held Archie's face: "Look at me."

Using his last ounce of strength, Archie looked into Lann's eyes. They were so close, closer than ever before, those shining green eyes filling his entire view.

Snap—!

In a flash, as all of Archie's attention was forcibly drawn to Lann's captivating beauty, Lann clapped his hands sharply near Archie's ear, producing a loud and crisp sound through a special technique.

The voice in Archie's mind was abruptly cut off, leaving his brain blank, almost as if his nerves were paralyzed.

"Dr. Archie, are you alright?" Lann patted his back, asking uncertainly.

The technique Lann used was called "Neko Damashi," originating from Japanese sumo wrestling. It essentially involved distracting the opponent with a feint, while using a loud clap or shout to disrupt the mind, causing momentary paralysis. This technique has several applications in hypnosis, serving as a method for instant hypnosis.

Of course, its practical use comes with many limitations. Lann had resorted to it in a desperate moment, considering his own 'charismatic face' might make it effective.

Archie was dazed for a few seconds before regaining his senses, looking at Lann with a complex expression.

"Thank you," he said sincerely for the first time to Lann. "If it weren't for you, I would have forgotten again under the influence of the psychological suggestion. It was something very, very important."

"You're welcome," Lann shrugged, letting go only after Archie stood up on his own. "And I'm also curious, who implanted that psychological suggestion in you?"

"…I don't know," Archie looked down, "I don't remember who it was, but it must have been when I was very young."

“？”

"It's the environment, the only fragment I can recall is the place where I used to live."

Archie's voice was hoarse, his expression dazed: "Right now... I'm very confused, my mind is a mess."

Ah, this. Lann instantly felt guilty. Did he just stun the poor kid with that clap?

He examined Archie's expression more closely, feeling even guiltier. He had never seen such an innocent and bewildered look on Dr. Archie's face before. He might have actually dazed him.

Lann quickly pushed Archie into a chair: "If you don't mind, let's do a psychological analysis."

"The psychological suggestion that was implanted in you must be very old. If it's related to a cult, then the person who implanted it in you was probably trying to protect you by sealing away your memories."

Archie sat silently under Lann's guidance, closing his eyes and pulling a wry smile: "Protection? Maybe."

"Would you mind sharing with me about the memories you've recalled?"

Struggling with his emotions, Archie finally looked down and spoke slowly: "The sealed memories are about my father. He was absent from our lives since I was very young. I always thought he had someone else, and that's why he never visited us, but now I remember."

"He didn't have someone else. He joined a secret organization," Archie's expression turned cold, "He was too busy with his 'great cause' to care about whether we lived or died."

Lann: …

He had never dabbled in cult activities, yet why did he feel implicated at this moment?

Deciding to change the subject, he asked, "The organization your father was involved in, was it 'The Foreigners'?"

"Very likely," Archie said emotionlessly, "I sometimes followed him secretly during the few times he returned. I wanted to see if he really had someone else. He usually caught me, but once... my memory is hazy. I must have found something, but I can't remember now. Maybe if I return to a familiar place, more memories will come back."

He paused, then murmured softly, "I have to go back... I will go back."

"Go back and find evidence of this organization's crimes."

"Find the evidence, and then what?" Lann asked. "You have a similar, peculiar ability. Don't tell me you think that finding evidence will actually allow human laws to imprison them."

Archie was taken aback, then fell silent.

An uncomfortable silence spread between them, like a silent snake on the ground, waiting for its prey to show a vulnerability.

Truthfully, his initial reaction was indeed that having evidence would lead to arrests, even if not by the police, then by the audit bureau. But he quickly realized, would the being before him allow him to do that?

Eventually, Archie gave a bitter smile. He told himself, at this point, you couldn’t possibly think you could easily escape.

The moment he compromised with a deity, it meant continually compromising until gradually descending into the abyss.

"Please help me," he pleaded with the deity. "Tell me... what should I do."

Lann, who was about to suggest Archie could report to the audit bureau, suddenly fell silent.

Wait, what does this mean? That look of 'I'd rather be stuck in the mire and drag the neighboring cult down with me' - what is that supposed to imply?

Is this place a mire?

Oh, sorry to interrupt, but it seems in everyone's eyes, this place is also a cult.

Lann was suddenly at a loss for words.