Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Annoyed as he was, Lann gave it some thought and realized he couldn't actually let Archie report to the audit bureau. What if Archie ended up reporting him as well?

Therefore, the only solution seemed to be handling the situation himself and, in the process, firmly aligning Archie with him, eliminating any worry of Archie reporting his identity.

Damn, the more he thought about it, the more cult-like it sounded.

Lann quietly observed Archie's lowered head, concocting his words carefully, and said with a light chuckle, "You understand what this means, right?"

Archie's rigid spine trembled, and he closed his eyes in agony: "I know."

Those who have sought help from deities have seldom had a happy ending throughout history. He was well aware of the bleak future that awaited him.

But Archie was deeply concerned about the memories hidden by hypnosis, and he couldn't bear to see his friend follow the same path as that man.

Lann could see Archie's resolve and didn't try to dissuade him. Having decided to help, he naturally needed more information.

"When did your ability manifest? Do you understand what it is?"

Archie: "…I know. I discovered how to enter the 'Gap of Dreams' from a notebook among that man's belongings. At first, I didn't understand what it was and had nightmares for a long time. Only after overcoming my fears and gaining this ability did I realize everything written in that notebook was true."

After speaking, he scoffed: "Ironically, when I lost my memory, I naively thought that man was doing something remarkable, neglecting his family for it. But that was just my delusion."

"A notebook?" Lann was curious, "Can I see it?"

Archie hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "But I don't have it with me. I can bring it to you tomorrow."

Lann nodded and bid Archie farewell.

Archie arrived burdened with heavy thoughts and left looking even worse, his face more troubled than before.

Having few friends at the police station, the number of people daring to approach him when he was scowling was even fewer, especially among the officers working in the same area, who were all visibly intimidated.

"What's wrong? You look terrible."

Albert, under the gaze of others viewing him as brave, patted Archie's shoulder. However, his usually responsive friend just pursed his lips and, without turning to face him, said, "It's nothing."

After that, without waiting for Albert to ask again, Archie gathered his things and left the office: "I have something to do, leaving early today."

After he left, there was a noticeable sigh of relief in the office, and the chatter and laughter continued.

The usual bright smile on Albert's face faded.

"Have I been discovered?" he murmured, his fingers unconsciously playing with the necklace around his neck, the spinning triangular metal piece. "But, when..."

"Albert, what's wrong?" a colleague asked curiously, patting Albert's shoulder. Albert turned around, his face breaking into the same smile as any other day, "Nothing."

"Sorry, I think I'll have to leave work early today too."

"Ah? Did something happen between you two?"

"Nothing's wrong, just some important business to deal with." Albert smiled casually, tidying his desk quickly before walking out of the office in a different direction.

His hand dangled, typing a message on his phone blindly.

[You mentioned cooperation before, I agree. But the leader Hogg has asked me to capture Lann, you have to help me.]

[Sure ^-^ I'm quite curious about him too. So, let's wish ourselves a happy first collaboration.]

……

After Archie left, Lann began to contemplate how to resolve the current situation, eventually turning his attention to the players outside.

When it comes to investigation, who is better suited than the players themselves?

Lann stepped outside the psychotherapy clinic. Due to the recent cold treatment, many players had gradually dispersed, seeking new gaming hotspots, but some persistent ones still waited outside.

Seeing Lann emerge, A'Long, who had been idly chatting with his live-stream audience, suddenly perked up.

"Brothers, I sense the whiff of a new mission!" A'Long excitedly told his viewers.

The live chat, however, doused his enthusiasm with a dose of reality.

[No way, forget it.]

[You say that every time Lann shows up.]

[Look at the livestream of the Troublemakers Squad, they have tens of thousands of viewers. Even the game itself doesn't have that many online players. That shows that mischief is the key to popularity.]

[A'Long, stop waiting here. You've lost so many viewers already, careful or you'll end up with nothing.]

Just as A'Long was about to respond to the comments, he noticed Lann actually walking towards him!

"!" He immediately toned down his playful expressions and even straightened his clothes.

Lann approached A'Long, glanced at his ID, and said with a smile: "Do you have some time right now? I could use some help from an investigator skilled in [Investigation], [Listening], and [Library Research]."

"Of course! I mean, I'm always available," A'Long replied loudly.

As soon as he finished speaking, a template popped up in front of A'Long.

[Mission: Request from Lann

Description: He may need help from an investigator skilled in investigation, listening, and library research.]

Acceptance Criteria: Each skill must be at least 30 points.

Task Reward: 500 experience, 600 currency]

In reality, as an NPC, Lann has the authority to issue tasks, but the rewards he can offer are limited. The task quota is about 2000 experience points per week. Additional rewards like attribute points only appear in significant system-issued tasks, while monetary rewards have to be provided by Lann himself.

But why are Lann's tasks always fervently pursued by players?

Because his tasks, though seemingly offering modest rewards, often tie into major events!

Think about the last time the Troublemakers Squad encountered Lann, which directly led to a jackpot task. Just that task alone made them a fortune, giving them a significant lead among players to this day.

Later, when Lann appeared at a banquet, it triggered a regional monster-hunting task, the first time in the game where players could openly fight monsters for leveling up.

Both tasks were indisputably linked to Lann, and now the forums subtly recognize him as the central figure in this beta version of the game.

Thus, opportunists like A'Long appeared, camping day and night around Lann's psychotherapy clinic, fearing missing out on a big opportunity. However, not all players had the patience to spend time here, leaving only a few persistent ones, including A'Long.

And now, it seemed A'Long's gamble had paid off!

"Ending up with nothing, huh?" he cheekily said to the chat.

【？？？】

[Damn, this guy actually scored.]

[(Lemon)]

[No, I don't believe it. This must be just an ordinary errand task!]

Delighted, A'Long accepted the task, and Matcha Milk Green, who was also waiting outside the clinic, hurried over to accept it too.

Lann felt that the number of people was sufficient. It's better not to have too many people when visiting Archie's hometown, as it's easier to control the situation. After the two accepted the task, he returned.

The players who arrived a step too late were filled with regret, their lamentations echoing around.

Soon, the next day arrived.

Early the next morning, Archie appeared on time outside the psychotherapy clinic, only to be startled by the crowd waiting for Lann.

Are that many people going?

Actually, these were players who had heard about A'Long and Matcha Milk Green successfully accepting the task, coming in hopes of a chance, even though it was too late to accept the task themselves.

Fortunately, Lann soon emerged from his clinic, dispersing the onlookers, and only took A'Long and Matcha Milk Green with him to meet Archie.

"Let's go."

Archie bent down to open the car door for Lann, waiting for him to get in before returning to the driver's seat.

A'Long and Matcha Milk Green, of course, didn't receive this courtesy. Once the car drove away, the players left behind started whispering among themselves.

"Hey, isn't that NPC one of those from the previous slaughter fest?"

"What's going on, is he also a follower of Lann?"

"I don't know, but it's very likely!"

Unaware that he had been labeled a 'suspected follower' by the players, Archie respectfully handed a notebook to Lann after starting the car.

Inside the car, Archie and Lann were seated in the driver's and passenger's seats, respectively, while Matcha Milk Green and A'Long sat in the back.

Lann took the notebook from Archie and found its contents to be quite chaotic.

It seemed like a diary written haphazardly by someone under immense stress, with cryptic sentences like, 'At the junction of old and new, one must examine their own heart,' 'Entering a world of mist and madness,'

'It could be corpses, blood, spiders, or anything terrifying.'

'I'm afraid to come here, but I have no choice.'

The handwriting was messy, some parts nearly illegible, and it was a wonder how Archie found the correct way to enter the Gap of Dreams from this diary.

"I thought you hated your father."

"I do hate him," Archie said stiffly. "This diary... Albert deciphered it. He insisted on reading its contents and even took it to study for a while."

Lann raised an eyebrow, flipping through the pages and rubbing the words 'Gap of Dreams': "Is that so..."

But a question arose in his mind.

Was Archie's father really a member of the Foreigners, or just a member?

He remembered Edmund mentioning that the Gap of Dreams had existed long ago, known by different names in various eras and factions.

For example, the Tower of Babel, the Ladder to Heaven, etc., were internal terms used by the audit bureau for the 'Gap of Dreams'.

This made things interesting. Why would Archie's father leave this method in a book, calling it the 'Gap of Dreams'?

Flipping another page, Lann found the content becoming more obscure and convoluted, almost like the mumblings of a madman. The only discernible phrases were 'abandon reason' and 'embrace madness'.

"Have you studied this part?" Lann pointed to a paragraph almost entirely made of scribbles and errors.

"I have," Archie quickly glanced at the words in the diary, "It's probably related to the second layer of that space, but I've never been able to break through, and it comes with side effects."

"Like what?"

Archie pursed his lips: "Emotional instability, insomnia, nightmares, that sort of thing."

Lann nodded thoughtfully.

It seems that Archie's progress is stuck between the first and second layers of the Gap of Dreams.

Matcha Milk Green and A'Long, sitting in the back of the car, were completely bewildered.

They couldn't understand what the two in the front were talking about.

A'Long, who was streaming live, saw the audience expressing their confusion.

[Although I don't know what they're talking about, I'm recording it anyway]

[Recording +1]

The group drove towards the west side of Arkham in Archie's car. Archie's old home was actually in Arkham too. He's a local, having moved out to live alone after adulthood. His mother passed away while he was in college, and he had never returned to that house since.

After about an hour's drive, Archie finally stopped the car in front of an old-looking apartment building.

"This is the place."

The apartment looked very old on the surface, with yellowed walls, unidentifiable black spots, cracks, and vines creeping up the walls. It could easily pass for a haunted house at night without any additional set-up.

As soon as the two players got out of the car, they started their basic operations, peering intently at the door and windows, as if not wanting to miss any clue.

Archie: "...What are they doing?"

Lann thought to himself that they were probably rolling for investigation and listening, as the game required specific actions for dice rolls. However, this routine of the players, which they took everywhere, seemed utterly bizarre to NPCs.

"Nothing, don't mind them," Lann said expressionlessly.

Archie hesitated to speak, then stopped, and finally didn't say anything, leading the way into the apartment with Lann.

The interior of the apartment wasn't much better than the outside. The floor was filthy, seemingly untouched for days. A figure was sprawled across the reception desk, snoring loudly, reeking of alcohol even from a distance.

Archie approached the desk and knocked. The person jolted awake, looking up in a daze. Upon seeing someone there, he said nonchalantly, "We have rooms for rent, cheap. If you're here to steal, forget it. Everyone here is broke, nothing to take but white powder!"

"It's me, Archie Hayes, used to live in 301 on the third floor," Archie said expressionlessly.

"Oh, it's four-eyes. How long has it been since you came back? What, you didn’t bring anything?" The drunkard sat up, sizing up Archie. Seeing he came empty-handed, he scoffed and turned his gaze to Lann, his eyes widening.

Archie stepped aside, blocking the drunkard's view: "I'm going up. No one's been in there these past few years, right?"

The drunkard glared at him irritably: "No, no one! Hurry up then! There's nothing there, even the homeless don’t go near it."

Archie stared at him for a moment: "Good." He turned and headed towards the stairs, with Lann slowly following. Lann couldn't tell if it was just his impression, but Archie seemed to become much colder since returning here.

The two players finally ended their inspection of the apartment's exterior and hurried after Lann and Archie, with Matcha Milk Green calling out, "Wait for us!"

Lann instinctively slowed down, but Archie, as if he hadn't heard, continued straight ahead.

An air of isolation surrounded him, signaling 'keep out' to strangers.

The two players hurriedly followed, the age-old stairs creaking under the weight of their steps. They stopped outside the first room off the staircase landing.

The dark-haired man stood outside the door for a few seconds before taking out a key, inserting it into the lock, turning it, and opening the door.

The apartment room was so small that one could almost see its entirety from outside - a single room and a bathroom, barely enough for a bachelor.

Lann glanced inside, his mind naturally conjuring an image of a woman struggling to raise a child alone. Turning his head, he saw Archie standing rigidly at the door, staring at the two players.

At that moment, Lann felt an inexplicable sense of relief and turned to the players: "Go look for clues in other areas."

[Task: Search the Surroundings.]

The two players, oblivious to anything amiss, happily accepted the task and left. Lann had no intention of entering, leaning against the wall and glancing at his watch.

After two minutes, noticing Archie still standing at the door, he looked up curiously: "Aren’t you going in?"

Archie opened his mouth: "Let’s go in together."

No sooner had he spoken than he regretted it, but the words were already out. Bracing himself, Archie stepped inside.

The room's furniture was all covered with white cloths, which along with the floor had a thin layer of dust. The only window was a balcony with broken glass. As they walked in, their footsteps left clear marks, showing that no one had been there for a long time. The room bore traces of life; a half-torn poster of a rock star was still clinging to the yellowed wall, half ripped off with a white edge remaining.

Archie stood in front of a slightly worn bookcase, covered with a white cloth, so the books inside seemed free from dust. Pulling off the cloth, he started removing the books one by one. Lann, standing beside him, heard Archie say, "Actually, we probably won’t find anything here."

Lann turned to him. Archie, looking at an album in his hands, spoke in a low voice: "After my mother died, I threw away most of the things left by that man. So, there might be nothing to find here."

"But you still insisted on coming back."

Lann observed, refraining from touching anything. He looked at the album in Archie’s hands. There were only a few photos, and it took Lann a while to barely recognize a small boy on the edge of a photo, resembling Archie.

In almost every photo, Archie stood in a corner, seemingly trying to hide. Even in a primary school graduation photo, he stood at the back, clutching his torn shirt, shyly covering the holes, and looking down with a timid smile.

This was the only primary school photo. Later, in high school, another figure started appearing in the photos.

Snap—

Archie abruptly closed the album, looking annoyed and embarrassed. His mouth opened and closed, and for a moment, Lann thought he was about to spew venom, but he just dryly said, "Sorry."

He looked really nervous. Lann couldn't help but touch his nose: "It’s okay."

Did he really come off so frightening? If you don't want to look, then don't, but why apologize to him?

Archie put away the photo album, and Laine turned to the other sections of the bookshelf, noticing there were quite a few books, mostly about local folklore and mysticism.

Laine randomly pulled out a book and asked, "Is this your book?"

"No, it belonged to that man," Archie frowned, "I was going to throw them all away, but after finding that the diary was authentic, I kept these books as a precaution."

He paused, then added, "But after another search, I never found anything similar. Although these materials involve mysticism, they are just the usual misleading stuff you find on the market. This is all that’s left in this room related to that man."

Laine nodded, and with Archie's permission, he began to sift through a few books. As Archie said, they didn’t reveal any significant clues, appearing no different from the usual introductory books on popular mysticism found in stores.

It seemed Archie wasn't expecting to find any leads here either. He wandered around the room, seemingly trying to jog his memory, but after three rounds, nothing happened.

Suddenly, a rough voice came from outside.

"What are you doing?!"

Laine and Archie exchanged a glance and walked towards the door, only to see the drunk they had encountered earlier, who had apparently followed them. The drunk's matcha milk green eyes lit up at the sight of Laine and pointed at the apartment manager, accusingly saying, "He's the problem! He was spying on us around the stairwell corner earlier!"

"Hey! You're the ones with the problem. I was just making sure you weren't stealing anything!" the apartment manager, who was the drunk from earlier, retorted loudly, his face flushed, "I'm the manager of this building. Protecting the tenants' property is part of my job!"

"Oh? So responsible? Drinking on the job?" Alon wrinkled his nose and stepped away from the apartment manager.

"Mind your own business. It's better than letting suspicious people roam around," the apartment manager sneered. "What are you two doing anyway? I saw you trying to peek through the door crack of the next room!"

Matcha milk green turned to Alon, who scratched his head awkwardly, "I was just trying to listen to what was happening inside."

"If you ask me, I should call the police and have you all arrested!" the apartment manager shouted, feeling vindicated.

"Enough," Archie said impatiently, "Shut up! Frank, don't think I don't know what you're up to. Now get back to your post. I'll keep an eye on them. If any tenants report missing items, they can come to me."

With that, Archie gave the apartment manager a cold look. Frank shrank back, muttering something, and reluctantly left.

As soon as Frank left, A'Long eagerly approached Lann: "I just heard some noise from the next room. Someone was moving around in there, and it seemed like they were drawing something on the floor."

He hadn't finished speaking when the door of Archie's neighbor opened. A man with shoulder-length black hair appeared at the doorway, looking surprised at the people in the corridor: "Sorry, I thought I heard some noise in the hallway... Ah, is it the person who lives next door coming back?"

The moment the man appeared, Lann's pupils contracted.

No way...

This man, with his rare long hair, had an Eastern look in his eyes and eyebrows. Unlike the rugged men Lann had seen before, he was a tender man whose smile seemed to blossom with lilies in the background.

But in Lann's eyes, they should have been black lilies.

Amos Durell.

Isn't this the gardener? What is he doing here??

Just then, Amos also looked towards Lann. Like any normal person, he was stunned by Lann’s appearance, but he quickly regained his composure and sincerely praised: "Sorry, you're so good-looking, I couldn’t help but stare."

His compliment was devoid of any discomforting undertones, his gaze clear and his tone genuine, something that would normally endear anyone to him.

After speaking, he extended his hand: "I'm Amos, Amos Durell, just moved here. Nice to meet you."

Except for Lann, who already knew his true identity, he looked deeply at Amos but did not shake his hand, replying with a forced smile: "Lann, a sort of psychologist. But I don’t live here, he does. There’s no need for introductions, we’ll be leaving soon."

Amos retracted his hand without any sign of embarrassment and turned his enthusiastic gaze to Archie, about to say something, but Archie coldly said: "I don’t live here normally and have no interest in knowing you."

[Awkward, I feel embarrassed for this guy.]

[He looks good though! A new beauty!]

[This is strange, Lann isn’t usually so cold. Is there something wrong with this guy?]