Chapter 34

Chapter 34

"Eden? Sinners?" Archie furrowed his brows, fixating on the words in the notebook.

"It must be just a metaphor used by the religious organization," A-Long guessed hesitantly, "like those myths where God creates humans, Adam and Eve are exiled from Eden for stealing the forbidden fruit, and all humanity bears the original sin."

A local manifestation of gods? Mythical integration? Lan pondered the notes, but soon shook his head. He felt this was more than just a legend, especially the 'realm of the gods', which felt eerily familiar, like the Dream World.

At least in this game, the Dream World was a real place, which he had visited in his past life, though it was fraught with dangers.

Few players who ventured there returned intact; most died, their characters forever trapped in that Dream World.

The group continued reading.

[November 6th, a terrible day. I think I was seen during a meeting, by the apartment manager? He's corrupt and greedy. I hope the hush money I gave him will keep him quiet.]

There were also scattered pieces of information, such as the members of the foreigners' group, their activities, and a complete list of members. Archie even spotted the names of several politicians and high-profile figures. If these names were made public, it would shake the entire city of Arkham.

Towards the end, the entries became more casual, with day-to-day musings interspersed among important information. It seemed Charlie used the diary as a way to vent his internal pressures.

From the notes, it appeared that Archie's father was doing well, rising through the ranks of the foreigners' organization, increasingly mingling with influential figures.

But subsequent entries indicated a turn for the worse.

[Frank is extorting me again. Damn it, his greed is growing. I need to find a way to shut him up permanently.]

[The leader met with me today. It seems my work has finally been acknowledged. To win me over, he taught me how to open the Rift of Dreams, but it chilled me to the bone.]

[Why is this method almost identical to what's taught inside the Bureau of Investigation? Is there a traitor within the Bureau, or do the foreigners have their own source of information? No, if the foreigners have an infiltrator in the Bureau, it's too dangerous. I must find out the truth.]

[I successfully breached the first layer of the Rift of Dreams, but the second layer… it's an impossible trial! 'Abandon reason, embrace madness.' He wants me to become a madman first. What if I fail? Trapped in madness forever? Just attempting to delve deeper into the second layer, my emotions are already off. I actually found myself wishing I could just kill that greedy manager once and for all.]

[No, maybe that's really what I want. After all, he's just scum; no one would shed a tear for him!]

This line was crossed out with a red line, the handwriting noticeably more forceful.

[No! How could I think like that? Charlie, oh Charlie, have you forgotten the oath you took when you joined the Bureau? The people are who I am sworn to protect!]

Seeing this, A-Long couldn't help but kick Frank again: "Look at you, daring to extort people!"

Frank, silent, his eyes filled with deep pleading: "I know I was wrong, and I've paid the price. Just let me go, please. I'll turn myself in at the police station, I swear!"

Archie ignored Frank's pleas and continued flipping through the pages. As everyone's attention was on the notebook, Frank attempted to crawl out of the room.

He was discovered by A-Long and Matcha Milk Green and dragged back in.

[Recently, Frank, who has been suffocating me with his demands, suddenly eased up. But I don't think it's a good sign. I have a terrible suspicion that he might have realized I won't pay him any more. I might have to abandon my undercover identity. Luke warned me that continuing this way is too dangerous. But I've only completed half of my investigation. I think I'm onto something big, and I can't just walk away now.]

[Perhaps the Bureau of Investigation...]

The rest of the page was torn off, leaving the content unclear, and the notes on the following page were hurried.

[I've uncovered crucial information. The foreigners' organization is plotting a sinister conspiracy, a plan that's been in the works for over a decade. They might be nearing its completion. Their goal is to open the gates to the realm of the gods! But I can't investigate further. My actions were too hasty, and I might have aroused suspicion...]

[I have to leave, no matter what. I need to break away from this group. Luke says he's arranged everything for me to fake my death and escape. With his origin power, my wife and child will be safe, but I can't see them for now. I need to see them one last time, tomorrow is Archie's birthday, he's been wanting to see me... and I him.]

Archie's hands began to tremble again, his forehead vein throbbing, his cheeks flushing, the voice in his head growing louder, seemingly suppressing the memory he was struggling to recall. But Archie persevered, desperately trying to remember what happened that day.

The notebook slipped from his hands, a photo falling out, which Lan swiftly caught. The two players, unsure what to do, watched Archie's change, Matcha Milk Green nervously suggested, "Should we, should we call for first aid?"

A-Long, who had almost died under her care before, stared in disbelief: "What? With your quack skills?"

The two nearly came to blows. Archie, swaying on the spot, was steadied by Lan, collapsing into his arms. His usually cold black eyes now filled with a mist of confusion and bewilderment, as memories of the past resurfaced, transporting him back to that night.

Archie's mother had prepared candy, small cakes, and a lavish dinner. Archie sat at the table, staring at the door, running to it at the first sound of it unlocking.

"Oh, my little prince," Charlie lifted him high. "Missed your dad?"

The next scene was him leaving the house.

"Don't, don't go."

Archie reached out instinctively, flailing in the air, while Lan could only grasp his hand: "I won't leave."

He remembered.

Young Archie, frustrated by his father's fleeting visits, stealthily followed Charlie after the birthday party. He saw his father speaking with a man in a black coat at the alley's entrance.

Recalling the neighbors' gossip, Archie thought of how Charlie had supposedly abandoned his family for his beliefs, consorting with disreputable characters. Angered, he burst out, confronting the man in the black coat, demanding he stay away from Charlie.

For the first time, Charlie's expression changed. He told Archie to go home quickly, while the man in the black coat appeared nervous, urging them to follow him away.

But it was too late.

That always detestable drunkard, along with his men, blocked their way.

"It's him, caught red-handed. I saw them whispering together last time, they're definitely up to no good!" Frank ingratiatingly said to the man at the forefront, with the silver-white hair typical of the elderly.

"They might be police or reporters, those annoying pests always after a big scoop!" Frank continued to babble, but the white-haired man stopped him, calmly observing Charlie and the man in the black coat, "I'm sorry, I thought we were comrades with aligned aspirations."

"Luke! Take Archie and run! You're not a combatant, I'll cover our retreat!"

Then there was only the sound of the wind and rapidly changing scenery. Young Archie was carried away by the man in the black coat, fleeing. As the surroundings blurred by, he kept his eyes on Charlie's receding figure.

Until a crimson tide completely engulfed that silhouette.

"I'm sorry, but I must seal this memory. It's the cost of my ability. No one will remember this incident, and no one will remember you. That's the only way you'll be safe."

"I'm very sorry, Archie."

The faces in the memory were blurred, but Archie only remembered the last sentence spoken.

[This Person Does Not Exist]

Now, this phrase shattered in his mind.

Archie got up woodenly, and Lan, seeing he was no longer in pain, let go of his hand.

Archie stood up, picking up the notebook that had fallen to the ground. It automatically opened to the last two pages.

The second-to-last page was unrelated to the foreigners.

[The only people I have wronged are my child and wife. I am sorry. In the eyes of those around us, their father was a crazed heretic. I failed to be a good father, a good husband.]

This sentence, seen by the two players and Lan, seemed to piece together the entire story.

[Such a painful story...]

[This is what being an investigator leads to (not really)]

[So it's all Frank's fault!]

Not just the live chat thought this way, but also the two players, especially the more emotional Matcha Milk Green, who clung onto Frank, trying to escape: "How about it, Dr. Archie, shall we give him a good beating?"

Archie looked indifferently at Frank: "Let him go."

Matcha Milk Green, not quite understanding, reluctantly released her hold.

Frank immediately crawled up, eagerly clinging to Archie's legs: "I really know I was wrong, I won't do it again, truly. I can return all the extortion money to you!"

Archie simply looked at him calmly: "Because of your extortion, my childhood wasn't pleasant. My mother fell ill, but she never told my father or went to the hospital. It wasn't until I was in college that we found out she had late-stage lung cancer. She passed away."

"Now, open your mouth."

Sensing what was coming, a deep fear flashed in Frank's eyes. He jerked back, but Archie grabbed him with one hand, forcing his mouth open, and brutally shoved the gun barrel inside.

"Bang!"

Blood and brain matter splattered onto the wall, nearly reaching A-Long, who was shockingly watching Archie decisively end Frank.

"Sorry, I'm no paragon of justice," Archie said with self-mockery, a twisted smile on his lips. "Just a mere minion of an evil deity, nothing more."

Lan's expression was one of utter shock: =O

Wait, wait a second.

He wasn't opposed to killing Frank, as it was Archie's own revenge, but why add that last part!

Lan vaguely remembered that A-Long was still live-streaming... right?

Lan began to feel grateful that he couldn't see the chat.

As for the forums... well, out of sight, out of mind. He'll deal with that later.

Archie's handgun was silenced, and this floor of the apartment was deserted. Matcha Milk Green, staring at Frank's corpse, was conflicted: "What should we do with this?"

"Don't worry, I'll have someone take care of it later." At this moment, Lan was thankful for the connections he had through Clarence.

Wait, when did he become so adept at accepting these kinds of situations! No, this shouldn't be normal!

Archie, unfazed by the corpse on the ground, casually pulled a white cloth, originally covering furniture, to clean the gun. Only after his fingers and the gun were spotless did he carefully pick up the notebook that had fallen to the floor.

He bowed his head, rubbing the last page of the book.

"What's wrong?"

Archie looked up, meeting Lan's gaze, and after a moment of hesitation, said, "There seems to be something odd about this paper."

He handed the notebook to Lan, then walked around the room and returned with a lighter.

A-Long immediately perked up: "Could it be like that method in TV dramas?"

Archie looked at him quizzically: "I haven't seen such TV shows, but I did this experiment at home with Charlie when I was young. Using lemon juice or vinegar, a chemical reaction turns the written parts on the paper into a substance similar to cellulose. Its ignition point is lower than the paper itself, so when heated, the written areas char first."

Having said this, he carefully tore the page from the notebook, took a photo of its contents with his phone, and then held it over the flame to roast.

Brownish-black char marks gradually appeared on the paper, lightening in color, turning deep red like blood under the firelight, as if the words were a bloodstained letter written in tears.

[Beware of the Bureau of Investigation!]

A-Long looked up sharply, observing the expressions of everyone present. Matcha Milk Green, Archie, and he all showed faces of disbelief and shock, while Lan's expression was much more composed. The firelight reflected in his eyes, which seemed as deep as the abyss.

[Look at Lan's expression, he's not surprised at all.]

[Of course, he knew there was something wrong with the Bureau of Investigation!]

[Maybe this problem is somehow connected to Lan.]

[Very likely.]

"Let's leave this matter here," Lan finally spoke after a pause. "We shouldn't stay here any longer. It's time to go back."

The players and Archie snapped back to reality, Archie with a somber expression, while the players could barely contain their excitement.

This was big news!

Coupled with the thrilling plot they had experienced along the way, they anticipated a frenzy on the player forums!

Lan called Clarence to clean up the scene, and then the trio left in Archie's car.

A mission completion notification popped up. A-Long and Matcha Milk Green weren't surprised, happily accepting it, and then continued to gaze at Lan with puppy-dog eyes.

Lan: "...I'll call you for the next mission."

Though he doubted there would be a next time.

"Yay~" The players were overjoyed.

At the players' request, Archie dropped them off at the roadside before driving to Lan's psychology clinic.

Just before getting out of the car, Lan suddenly remembered something and took out the photo he had picked up earlier, handing it to Archie.

It was a family photo. Archie's fingers trembled as he took it.

The man in the photo was Archie's father, with black hair like Archie's, but his features were softer, his face covered in stubble, and his ocean-blue eyes curved into crescents as he smiled at the camera.

The woman in the photo, whom Archie knew all too well, was his mother who passed away during his college years. The lady's gentle face showed none of the hardship and weariness that came later, her face radiating happiness as she smiled, holding a tiny baby in her arms.

As Lan got out of the car, he heard a quiet, yet deeply heartfelt:

"...Thank you."

……

Meanwhile, on the player forums:

Returning to his psychology clinic, Lan logged into the player forum and, unsurprisingly, found it swamped with hot topics, all discussing the 'plot' that unfolded today.

"Epic! Today's Best Combat Scenes!"

Lan couldn't recall when such a thing had occurred, staring at the title for a while before clicking on it.

The video was a clip from A-Long's live stream. When Lan clicked on it, it began with a series of rapid footsteps.

It captured a group of brutal men armed with guns charging towards them, the camera spinning wildly as A-Long was kicked mercilessly into the room by Lan.

The subsequent footage, shot from his perspective, only showed the doorway, where Lan could be seen skillfully dodging an enemy's charge.

His soul-devouring butterflies, disguised as decorations, flew up, lightly touching the attacking enemies. Lan, without turning back, as if already aware of the outcome, calmly and precisely moved through the narrow corridor. He grabbed another enemy's gun, diverting the bullet trajectory to hit their allies, then seized the gun and effortlessly took down the shooter.

By then, the butterflies had eliminated the remaining enemies, gracefully returning to perch on Lan's shoulder.

The players had never seen such an easy victory in combat.

It was as effortless as plucking fruit from a tree while strolling in the park.

[So cool, my wife is so cool!]

[Wuwuwu, my wife's coolness made me cry]

[I thought my wife couldn't fight, so I just stood there. I was wrong, my wife can easily take on five people.]

[Wake up, the one above, ten of you wouldn't be a problem.]

[Are you underestimating the combat power of an evil deity? Let me give you a number: the population of a city.]

[It's cool, yes, but is this really how an evil deity should fight?]

Lan saw the questioning but didn't take it to heart. His expression darkened, however, when he finally saw the reason in the live stream why the players were so easily captured.

The two were so engrossed in watching him fight that they paid no attention to their surroundings. Only when the sound of breaking glass hit did they react in panic, and that's how Matcha Milk Green ended up being taken hostage.

The subsequent events unfolded as before, seemingly uninteresting. Lan was about to skip this part to read the forum's analysis (Dehua), but suddenly noticed a sudden spike in the number of comments during a certain segment.

Lan: ...A sense of foreboding.

His premonition soon proved accurate.

Archie, clutching his forehead, collapsed into Lan's arms. Lan knew this was a reaction to the triggering of a sealed memory, but the players were unaware.

[What's happening to Archie Cat?]

[Is this reaction, emmmm, PTSD? Or some kind of curse?]

[Fragile Cat! It's Fragile Cat! The cat collapsing into the arms of an evil deity!]

[Ah, the embrace of my wife is mine, draw your swords!]

[Seriously, what's going on here? Archie even said 'don't go']

[I don't know, heh, just a man vying for affection, I must say I'm more for the white and black dynamic of Albert.]

[They are enemies, and you still ship them?]

[Enemies make it more thrilling! White and black mad dog, teasing, faith shift, evil duo, hehehe.]

[Lol (grinning), that does sound exciting.]

Following that, Archie regained composure from his psychological struggle, calmly standing up and shooting Frank.

A splash of blood landed on Archie's pale cheek, which he nonchalantly wiped away, casually pulling out a white cloth to clean his gun, as naturally as if swatting away an annoying fly.

"I'm no paragon of justice, just a mere minion of an evil deity."

[Thank you, that was satisfying.]

[Honestly, so cool (muttering). Cleaning the gun with such a sense of cleanliness and abstinence is just too perfect.]

[Archie, mine mine mine, sob sob sob, my new husband!]

[It's been a while since I've seen an NPC handle things so decisively. I was getting angry reading that notebook, but now I finally feel relieved.]

[Thanks to Archie +1, if he had really let that Frank go, I probably would've thrown up.]

[Is nobody concerned about what Archie just said? He really is an agent of an evil deity!]

[What, you just realized that?]

[No! I object, my darling is not a minion of an evil deity, you're clearly the evil deity's kitty cat! Sob sob sob, mom won't let you call yourself a dog (dog head)]

[The dog group competition is too fierce, but kitty cat is the sole favorite!]

[Kitty cat sole favorite! + ID number]

Lan wiped his face, hurriedly closing the video. He couldn't take it anymore, any longer and he'd die of embarrassment.

Better to check the players' analysis. With so much information revealed in the plot, the forum's detective gods surely wouldn't miss it.

As expected, the forum had opened several serious analysis threads, especially Black Cat's post, which was hotly trending on the homepage.

"Investigator's Notebook – A Buried Past!"

Black Cat: Hello everyone, nice to meet you again! Today, your analytical friend Black Cat brings you another analysis. First, allow me to cry for a second. Why am I always analyzing after the fact, damn it! I want to be part of the story too! (throws something)

Black Cat: Okay, I've calmed down. Next, let's congratulate the two lucky players (lemon emoji)

Black Cat: Remember the last bloody banquet? That was probably the first show of a force opposing Lan. We knew nothing about them before, but now this mysterious organization has finally surfaced. Its name is the 'Foreigners'.

Currently, based on the notebook, the goal of the Foreigners is to return to the 'Realm of the Gods'. Veteran players like me might have guessed it – yes, the Dreamland, sealed with many ancients and filled with various old gods. I wonder if this 'Realm of the Gods' is a similar concept.

The organization believes that place to be the birthplace of humanity, the original Eden. Our current world is an exile, and they seek to return there by opening the Earth's gateway to the 'Realm of the Gods.' That's the purpose of the Foreigners.

How should I put it? It's quite innovative, much more unique than the simple summoning of evil gods.

Black Cat: Now the question arises, why are they targeting Lan? According to the plot, their goal seems to be capturing and sealing Lan. I boldly speculate that Lan might originate from the 'Realm of the Gods', and his arrival is closely linked to the Foreigners. Hence, upon discovering Lan's existence, they wanted to capture him, possibly as a 'coordinate' or a sacrifice in their plan.

1l: This organization is so badass? Using an evil deity as a sacrifice?

Black Cat: That's why they want to test him. Maybe something went wrong when Lan arrived, binding him to this body, or he's under some kind of seal. That's why they dare to target Lan.

Black Cat: Our previous guesses weren't wrong; Lan really is the center of this version. He's the vortex of this huge conspiracy. I suspect the main quest probably involves stopping the Foreigners' plot. Lan must have key clues to the main quest!

Black Cat: Even, I suspect the main quest is the confrontation between Lan's forces and the Foreigners.

5l: That sounds very plausible.

6l: Damn, Black Cat is badass. I believe you, you've been right before qwq. I'll follow the expert.

Black Cat: Secondly, apart from the main quest, the Bureau of Investigation revealed in the notes... tsk tsk, it's pretty much confirmed this organization has issues! But it hasn't appeared in the game yet, probably will in future plots, maybe related to the later main storyline.

Congrats to myself, predicted right again! But really worried about this world. How come even an investigator organization is like this? Really no problem? You're not going to rely on an evil deity to save the world, right?

A-Long: Good grief.

7l: Black Cat, what do you think about the 'Rift of Dreams' mentioned in the notebook? Lan and Archie discussed it in the car.

Black Cat: I think it might be a unique power system exclusive to NPCs, like using C to S grades to measure monster levels. There could be similar levels of special abilities among NPCs.

I wonder if it will be made available to players later on, especially since they mentioned the second layer of the Rift of Dreams, which seems to involve overcoming madness? Haha, it sounds like a test of 'mentality'. If it's opened to players, I'm curious how we'll navigate it. It seems like it would be unique and fun!

Black Cat: Finally, allow me to get a bit sentimental. I really admire the investigator who wrote this notebook. He embodies the ideal image of an investigator to me: silent, dedicated, tirelessly seeking the truth, with a sense of justice and never giving up.

No one is more worthy of being called the light of humanity. Despite being knocked down by life, he never wavered from his principles, always maintaining his humanity.

In conclusion, the spirit of the investigator will live on forever! The anthem of humanity is the anthem of courage!

Druid: Of course, there's also the outcome of either death or madness (dog head).

Black Cat: (Crying laughing) Right, we investigators never seem to meet a good end.

Black Cat: Ironically, the offspring of the investigator has joined the ranks of the evil deity (wringing hands). I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing.

Druid: It's not necessarily a bad thing. If the Bureau of Investigation has issues, why can't an evil deity save the world? (dog head)

Black Cat: Let's see how the plot unfolds. The identities of the NPCs appearing lately are so complicated. Now that the Bureau of Investigation is questionable, Albert's identity is shrouded in mystery. Does he know about the Bureau's problems? Whose side will he take next? And who is that mysterious black-haired man? Lan seems quite wary of him.

Black Cat: Anyway, let's look forward to the upcoming main storyline! This time, I'm determined to stick by Lan's side, without leaving even for a moment qwq.