Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Ever since Druid successfully entered Arkham Hospital, players' enthusiasm to explore this scenario seemed reignited.

This included Black Cat, who had never really left the hospital, constantly trying to replicate Druid's method of entry. No matter how long he loitered around the nursing station, he couldn’t enter the nocturnal hospital, almost attracting security several times.

Strange, what was he missing?

Black Cat felt frustrated. Could it really be that Lann had manipulated something to let Druid into the hospital?

Oh man, what kind of protagonist treatment is this (sour)

Black Cat hadn’t been sulking for long when he suddenly noticed a familiar NPC in the hospital lobby.

Black Cat often watched game streams, especially those involving Lann, and quickly recognized the NPC who had previously accompanied Lann to the apartment for a search.

If he remembered correctly, his name was...

"Dr. Archy?!"

Black Cat enthusiastically tried to pat Archy's shoulder from behind but was swiftly dodged. Archy turned around, looking at him warily, "Who are you? We haven't met before."

"We haven't met, but I've heard about you from Alon's (live stream)."

Archy raised an eyebrow, "So you're one of Lann's...?"

He didn't finish the sentence when Black Cat eagerly nodded, "Yes, I know Lann, and my companion is currently trying to rescue him."

"You said, rescue?"

Archy asked in surprise, "What happened to him?"

"It's a long story. This isn't the place to talk. Come with me," Black Cat glanced around and pulled Archy to a more secluded corner.

Just then, Druid sent him a message. Black Cat, who had been closely following Druid's live stream, obviously knew what he was up to.

He squatted down in the corner near the safety exit of the hospital's ground floor lobby and drew a cross with a dagger on the wall.

Archy watched him finish drawing expressionlessly, "You brought me here just to watch you do this? Great, indeed a powerful testament to the incomplete evolution of humanity."

Black Cat's face flushed with embarrassment, "No, that's not it. Just hear me out."

Black Cat briefly conveyed his deductions and the current situation of the night-time hospital to the NPC.

"The place where Lann is now is quite unique, like the other side of this hospital. If the rules of the daytime hospital influence the structure of the night-time hospital, then conversely, if we leave some marks in the daytime hospital, wouldn't they also appear in the night-time one? That's why I want to give it a try."

Black Cat never intended to conceal anything from Archy. In his view, Archy was undoubtedly one of Lann's followers, likely here to rescue Lann.

Archy's face remained expressionless, but internally he was increasingly astonished.

The night-time hospital, dreams, the foreigners' conspiracy.

And Lann, suspected of being sealed.

"Can such a being be sealed?" Archy wondered, suspecting this might be Lann's own strategy, and asked softly, "What should I do?"

"Lann passed a note to my companion, which should contain the way to break the night-time hospital," Black Cat said solemnly. "The position of Arkham Hospital's Director is likely the core of the night-time hospital. We need to figure out a way to overthrow the current fake Director."

"I understand," Archy nodded. "Then why don't we go check out the Director's office next?"

Black Cat was taken aback, "Ah? How do we get there?"

"Just go directly." Archy adjusted his clothes and walked out of the corner to the reception in the lobby, "Hello, I'm Archy Hayes, a psychologist. I need to speak with the Director."

The busy nurse at the front desk paused, "The Archy Hayes from the police department?"

"Yes," Archy replied emotionlessly, "I have a case and would like to consult the Director's opinion."

"Okay, just a moment." The nurse quickly used the phone next to her, presumably to inform the Director, but after several rings, there was no answer.

"The Director seems to be out on some business. Why don't you return first, and we'll notify you when he's back?"

Archy shook his head, "It's urgent. I'll wait for him in his office. The Director's office is on the top floor of the administrative building, right?"

"Yes, please wait a moment." The nurse pulled aside an intern, "Let him take you there."

The intern had no objections. Black Cat, following Archy, was still in disbelief when they reached the door of the Director's office.

After the intern left to continue his duties, Black Cat couldn't believe it: "Did we really just walk straight in here?"

"What else?" Archy calmly pushed open the door to the Director's office.

"I didn't realize it was so easy to get in here."

"Of course not," Archy glanced at Black Cat, "Because I have the skills and reputation."

"Right, high credibility, I should've known," Black Cat stopped dwelling on it, and just as he was about to start rummaging through the office, Archy stopped him.

Archy pointed to the surveillance camera in the corner of the office.

"What should we do now?"

"Do you have a friend who's good at handling this?" Archy asked tentatively.

Something clicked for Black Cat, and his eyes lit up. He took out his phone and pretended to send a text, but in reality, he was using the forum's private message feature to call for help. Five minutes later, he put away his phone and nodded at Archy: "We have ten minutes."

"Do you guys have a skilled hacker among you?"

"Well, sort of," Black Cat thought to himself, it's actually just a player in the hospital who managed to sneak into the surveillance room to tamper with the footage.

Archy looked at Black Cat intently, said nothing further, and did not stop him from searching any longer.

Black Cat had just finished searching the Director's office drawers when he noticed Archy standing idly by. Anxiously, he shoved the documents into Archy's arms: "Hurry up, it'll be too late once they catch on!"

"I'm not..." Archy tried to explain that he wasn't a follower of Lann, but Black Cat wasn't listening and turned away to continue rummaging through files.

Archy looked at the disorganized documents and files in his arms, took a deep breath, placed them on the desk, and hesitantly picked up one of the files.

"Well, I've already agreed to work for an evil deity, I might as well get used to this kind of thing."

With that thought, Archy cast aside his last reservations and began meticulously searching through the files.

He had a vague idea; if the night-time Director wasn't the real Director of Arkham Hospital, then what means was used to fake his identity?

Magic? Or an Origin power related to 'disguise'?

Was this spell capable of altering reality, or just changing everyone's perceptions and memories?

Archy planned to verify each possibility. He recalled the image of the Arkham Director - a thin, tall man named Soren Hog.

He searched the files here, but found most of them signed with a different name.

Archy had a hunch.

He called Black Cat over and shared his suspicion: "To expose the impostor Director, we need to collect these documents signed with a name different from the Arkham Director's. I suspect he may be using a power or magic to alter memories."

After speaking, he paused, "The evidence is that many documents requiring the Director's signature here are signed with another person's name. It seems he didn't intend to occupy the Director's position for long, otherwise he would have dealt with these documents."

Black Cat nodded, "After all, his plan is about to unfold. If it succeeds, he won't need this hospital anymore."

He looked at the name on the files.

Bobby Baruch.

"Do you know the original Director of Arkham Hospital? Is this the real Director's name?"

Archy shook his head, "I'm not sure. In my memory, the Director is Soren Hog, but look at these document signatures, many bear this name. If this person is the real Director of Arkham Hospital, then the imposter's trick can only alter memories, not reality."

"So if we find more similar contracts and, ideally, photos, we could overthrow the current fake Director, or at least make them question the true identity of the Director?" Black Cat's eyes lit up. "According to Lann, if the daytime and night-time hospitals really influence each other, then the Director's status and authority in the night-time hospital might be shaken."

Archy nodded, "We should also test this ability further, like the duration and range of this spell. Once we gather enough evidence, we can bring him down."

"Applause."

Sharp clapping echoed in the Director's office, followed by a stranger's voice, "Not a bad plan."

Black Cat and Archy froze, turning incredulously.

They saw a thin, tall man with silvery-white hair typical of the elderly, sitting on the sofa that had been empty moments ago. His appearance was a paradox; youthful skin, yet his overall presence felt lifeless.

"If not for a follower informing me someone was looking for me in the Director's office, you might have succeeded," Soren sighed. "Dealing with a god truly requires meticulous attention. But I'm curious, how did you get information about the hospital when he's sealed in the night-time hospital?"

"Run!"

At Archy's command, they dashed toward the office exit without hesitation and burst out.

Soren Hog just watched them quietly, making no move to stop them.

After running some distance outside, Black Cat's racing heart gradually calmed down. The terror of a boss suddenly appearing still lingered, goosebumps on his arms not yet subsided.

But wait, why did he run?

As they ran, Black Cat said, "Wait, why are we running? There are two of us and only one of him."

"If your brain is broken, I suggest visiting a psychiatrist," Archy replied bluntly. "Just him appearing suddenly in the Director's office without us noticing until he spoke means we could only go there to die."

But in reality, Black Cat was indeed thinking of courting death, now was the perfect opportunity to test the boss's strength! If not now, when?!

He thought about stopping, but then realized Archy had already come to a halt.

What, is the NPC going to join in the fight too?

Archy looked around with a troubled expression, "Something's not right."

"What's wrong?"

"The lighting... Haven't you noticed it suddenly became darker?"

After Archy pointed it out, Black Cat indeed noticed something amiss.

The corridor they had just run through was clearly still in the afternoon light, and the hallway lights were off on their way to the Director's office, relying only on the natural warm lighting.

But now, as they exited the Director's office, the indoor lighting had turned into a cold, white light, and the fluorescent lights in the hallway ceiling had somehow turned on.

Moreover, it was too quiet; the hospital should be bustling in the afternoon, but now it was as silent as midnight.

Black Cat asked, "Should we go back and check?"

Archy thought for a moment, "Let's keep moving forward."

They had just rounded a corner when they saw a huge figure approaching from the end of the corridor.

Black Cat only glanced at it before his face changed, pulling Archy to hide behind the plants outside a patient room.

As soon as they hid, the massive figure appeared in front of them but didn't turn their way, continuing straight ahead.

Black Cat let out a sigh of relief, whispering, "That's the anomaly one of my companions who infiltrated here saw before. We call her 'Meat Mountain Butcher.' Seeing her confirms we've indeed entered the other side of this hospital."

Archy listened quietly, then asked, "Is Lann here?"

"Yes, wait, I'll message Druid." Black Cat quickly sent a private message to Druid.

Black Cat: Druid, where are you? I'm in too, I'll come find you.

Druid: ??? How did you get in?

Black Cat: Don't know. I was originally sneaking into the Director's office to investigate, and we actually found something. I took a photo, look. Photo.jpg

Black Cat: According to Archy's deduction, this Director is indeed a fake. He must be using a spell or something that affects human memory, but the spell can't alter facts, so all the documents we found are signed by another person.

Druid: This name... it seems familiar.

Black Cat: We had successfully obtained the documents, but at the last moment, as we were about to leave, we got blocked by the boss qwq

Druid: You didn’t encounter...

Black Cat: Yes, the Director himself! He must be the boss of this instance, the leader of the foreigners! His silent appearance scared us out of our wits. I almost peed myself, and then hurriedly ran out with Archy.

Black Cat: And now, I've entered the night-time instance of the hospital too.

Druid: Got it, just be careful, it’s dangerous here.

Druid pondered over the name Black Cat sent for a while, finally recalling who it was with the help of the chat's reminder.

"It's the ‘Director’ in the ward, indeed, he is the real Director of Arkham Hospital!"

Druid sneaked back into the ward again. It was sleeping time, patients had their curtains drawn, isolated from each other, occasionally snoring or grinding teeth. Druid quietly entered the farthest curtain and woke up the sleeping Director.

"What are you doing?" The Director, jolted awake and about to explode, was taken aback by Druid's serious expression.

Druid asked, "Is your name Bobby Baruch?"

The ‘Director’ rolled his eyes, "Yes."

"I knew it, you are the Director of Arkham Hospital!" A smile of relief appeared on Druid’s face. "My companion confirmed your identity."

"Oh." The 'Director' sighed and collapsed back onto the bed. "A psychological evaluation now, at night? I'm really not the Director."

"It's not a psychological evaluation," Druid, frustrated, thought for a moment. "My companion infiltrated the Director's office and found information. You signed the documents for the reform of Arkham's medical system, right?"

The 'Director' sprang up from the bed in shock, "Are you serious?!"

"Of course. My companion found documents in the Director's office, all signed with your name."

The 'Director's' breathing became rapid, excitedly saying, "I knew it, I knew it! That imposter won't be arrogant for long!"

His voice rose with emotion.

Druid quickly gestured for silence.

Bobby, a bit disgruntled, nevertheless lowered his voice, "What's there to fear? I'm the 'Director.' Now that you've found evidence, haha, this is great. As soon as they start questioning me, I can just tell them to check the documents!"

Bobby seemed to be floating on air, muttering about kicking out the imposter and returning to the Director's office himself, oh, and firing those annoying orderlies.

Druid, helpless and worried that his loud voice might attract the patrolling staff, whispered, "It's not the time yet. Everyone's memories have been tampered with. I need solid evidence to prove your identity, and we can't draw the attention of the nurses and doctors."

"Why?" Bobby looked at him curiously.

"Because we'll die!" Druid, exasperated, "In this hospital, if you don't follow those rules, the monsters will tear us apart!"

"What monsters?"

"The doctors and nurses! Can't you see? That chief physician who brought me here, he looks like Frankenstein! His face is covered with terrifying stitches."

Bobby fell silent, watching Druid with a look of pity in his eyes.

Druid felt uneasy, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"If I were still the Director, I'd arrange a bed for you in this ward," Bobby said. "Although it seems a bit ironic saying this now, honestly, you should see a doctor."

"The chief physician who brought you may be old with a deeply lined face, but he's not quite Frankenstein."

Druid was stunned.

He felt a chill creep up from his feet to his spine, making him shiver as if his marrow was soaked in cold wind.

[Wait, what's he talking about? I feel like I just heard a huge amount of information, but my brain isn't processing it.]

[My sanity, it's dropping. I'm not even in the game, just watching Druid's exploration via live stream, and I feel like I'm losing sanity.]

[Where is reality, and who is the one who's truly mad?]

[What are you talking about? I don't understand (confused).]

[Gosh, I had a suspicion when I saw that all the patients here seemed normal, but now it seems they really can't see the night-time hospital, meaning everything looks normal to them.]

[What kind of hellish joke is this, normal people can see the night-time hospital, but in the eyes of the 'mad,' they cannot?]

[That doesn't make sense, this 'Director' shouldn't be mad. If he is the original Director, he's undoubtedly sane. But why can't he see the night-time hospital?]

[What about the fake Director's authority? Does he have a problem himself?]

[This is bad, we can't even be sure if he's actually mad or not.]

[If the Director's identity is just his delusion, then is the name Black Cat found really that of the Director?]

[...I'm completely confused now. What is reality and what is illusion? If the world seen by NPCs is real, then what is it that players see?]

A familiar notification sound rang in Druid's ears.

[Sanity check: Failed.]

【san-3】

Druid snapped back to reality, his sanity, which had been shaking violently, narrowly managing to hit the brakes.

Ironically, it was the first time he felt relieved to hear the system deduct sanity points.

At least it meant he hadn't succumbed to temporary madness, it meant this was just a game, and it meant that the situation he was experiencing was still under control.

As for whether the Director is real or fake, and whose perception of the world is real, Druid no longer wanted to ponder deeply.

Druid asked without much hope, "Do you have any special supernatural abilities by birth?"

Bobby's look towards Druid became more peculiar. His initial excitement had faded, and his gaze was slowly turning into that of someone looking at a madman, even starting to doubt the information Druid had revealed earlier.

A few 'chuckles' of laughter came from the bed next door.

After a long silence, Druid changed the subject, "You wanted me to help you with something, right? To restore your identity?"

"Yes," Bobby said, his enthusiasm not as high as before, "To be precise, I want you to help me find the flaws in that imposter."

"In any case, my companion indeed found some information. The fake Director's spell apparently cannot affect reality. So finding concrete documents or photos with you and the hospital's senior staff should arouse suspicion among other nurses and doctors."

"Don't worry, I have many companions; they'll surely find those proofs quickly."

Druid was confident about this.

However, the information feedback from the chat quickly disappointed him.

[Druid, don't be too certain with your words.]

“？”

[You better check the forum quickly.]

Not understanding why, Druid logged into the forum and soon came across the latest intelligence.

"Theft in Arkham Hospital Director's Office, Important Documents Missing: A Loss of Humanity or a Fall of Morality?!"

Translated, this meant that not only Druid was playing; many players had returned to the hospital. After Black Cat's post, realizing the situation, players rushed directly to the Director's office without hesitation.

They were ready to face the boss for a chance to snatch some documents. For players, confronting the boss was even better.

Soon enough, the instance boss taught all players a lesson.

As they rushed to the top floor of the hospital's administrative building, the alarm immediately went off. They hadn't even done anything at the Director's office door when they were caught by the police, already prepared for their arrival.

The thin, tall Director lamented, "Important hospital documents have been stolen. It's a group crime. Earlier, two people used the name of Police Department's Dr. Archy to enter my office and steal the files. These people must be their accomplices."

"Please arrest them immediately! The stolen documents contain vital patient information, and I'm worried they might do something irreversible with them."

The leading officer, stern-faced, assured, "Don't worry, Director Hog. We will soon find those who stole the documents. After bringing these people back to the station, I will interrogate them personally."

And so, these players were remorselessly taken away.

After this incident was uploaded, the players on the forum were also stunned. They had never encountered such a clever boss who was well-versed in human society, understanding its operational rules, and adept at using social power and resources.

Unlike traditional online game bosses who just wait in one place for players to challenge them, the bosses in this game were cunningly smart – they had brains.

It also made some new players realize the difference between role-playing games and traditional online games for the first time.

Players were no longer the traditional heroes, and NPCs wouldn't make things easy for them. Invading a police station could get you shot, robbing a bank would lead to arrest. Even if they were trying to stop a plot to destroy the world, others might not believe them. More likely, they would end up being sent to a psychiatric hospital.

Because everything is almost a direct copy of the real world.

12l: I'm stunned. I actually got caught by NPC police and thrown in jail. It's my first time in prison, and we're here to save Arkham! Is this the treatment for a savior? (Annoyed)

13l: This isn't the treatment for a savior, but it is for an investigative role-player. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been here. (Lights a cigarette)

14l: That's role-playing for you. Why else do you think we're thrown into Arkham, a modern city? The biggest difference between role-playing and other games is that everything happens undercover, unknown to the public. Even saviors have to wait for the green light to cross the street.

15l: Of course, bosses have brains too. For example, if he disguises himself as a police officer and you attack him, he could even shoot you for assaulting an officer.

16l: Games that are too realistic are just trash! (Annoyed)

After skimming through the cause and effect, Druid felt overwhelmed.

Well, he knew it would be like this. If role-playing could be conquered by numbers, it wouldn't be role-playing.

But now, the instance boss, Soren, probably had already plugged the real-world loopholes. They couldn't overthrow him with physical documents anymore. What to do now?

Druid glanced at Bobby, "Okay, there's a problem now. The fake Director might have realized our moves. He's likely destroyed all the physical documents. Do you know where backups of the files might be?"

Bobby: "Let me think. There should be backups on the computer. It's the digital era, after all."

Druid quickly contacted Black Cat.

Druid: Does any player excel in computing?

Black Cat: ...No, players don't have many attribute points to allocate. Even if they used them all for computing, they’d barely reach 50. It’s hard enough finding a programmer's job, let alone becoming an amazing hacker.

Unlike traditional role-playing games, the official game developers weakened the players’ ability to accumulate all points in one skill, like creating a [Peerless Hacker] or [Martial Arts Prodigy], to prevent imbalance. For example, 20 free attribute points might increase brawling to 20, but raising it to 40 would require 40 points, and so on.

Unless a special hidden quest is received, players' attribute points aren't that high, and only in the later stages of the game do we see scenarios where experts in various fields are common.

Druid: How did you manage to hack the surveillance then?

Black Cat: Uh, I found some players who wanted to reroll their characters. We physically tampered with it.

Translation: Attack on the surveillance room.

Druid understood why the police were so easily convinced by Director Soren's words.

Druid wiped his face, trying to compose himself from the complex emotions, and asked with difficulty, "Apart from the computers, where else can we find backup files?"

Bobby's look at Druid became even more peculiar.

"Why does he speak normally one moment and then space out the next?"

Having seen many cases in the psychiatric ward and with his own medical background, Bobby wondered if this man might actually be mentally ill.

But even if he was mentally ill, he was the only one who believed in Bobby now.

Bobby, less enthusiastically, said, "The only other place is the archives. There are backups of documents I signed before, but it's usually locked and not open to outsiders."

"Who has the keys?"

"It depends on who's on duty. Generally, it's with the on-duty doctor. You must have met tonight’s doctor."

"That Frankenstein!" Druid thought. Perfect, the keys for the third floor also seemed to be with him.

"One last question, where is the hospital’s archive room?"

"Of course, it's in the administrative building."

Druid paused, then his face fell, thinking, wait, what if Soren goes directly to the hospital archives and destroys the records?

[It's okay, just go.]

The chat messages flashed before his eyes,

[The instance boss won't have time to destroy the evidence, as long as you move quickly.]

Druid paused, "What did you guys do?"

The tone of those few chat messages was fiercely determined.

[People who can utilize modern society's rules aren't just him!]

[Don’t underestimate us, the Fourth Calamity!]

In the real world.

Soren sat in the Director’s office with his eyes closed, surrounded by darkness, but within it, several points of light appeared.

Those lights represented the layout he had been working on in Arkham for a long time.

Achieving the grand feat of submerging an entire city in the real world into the Dream World is not something that can be done casually.

He no longer remembered how much time had passed.

Was it a few hundred years, or a thousand?

Waking up from the ruins, Soren had lost all his previous memories. He arrived in human society with nothing, wandering the world like a ghost.

Like a drifting duckweed, unaware of its destination.

Therefore, the obsession to return to that world was natural.

For this obsession, he founded the ‘Foreigners’ organization. Everything about this organization serves the purpose of returning to the Dream World.

Over these centuries, some have called him a heretic, others say he is a madman who escaped from a mental hospital.

But he didn't care; returning to his homeland was worth any sacrifice.

Arkham was a city open to all faiths. The newly enacted religious policies provided fertile ground for different beliefs, allowing this alternative organization named the 'Foreigners' to take root and flourish in Arkham.

Compared to other religious groups, the Foreigners were undoubtedly unique in their approach, not worshipping any deity.

Influenced by Soren's obsessive madness, all followers stubbornly considered themselves exiles unable to return home, believing their true homeland was somewhere deeper, beyond the land beneath their feet…

However, it wasn't easy for such a massive organization to evolve in human society. Initially, Soren faced countless obstacles; he was expelled by mainstream churches and even attempted to be arrested by the police. Over time, his body weakened but never encountered the day of death.

Because he was the perfect ‘human’, as long as his soul and spirit lived, he would never meet his end.

Days passed until the arrival of that person, bringing a chance for change to the Foreigners.

Soren opened his eyes, gazing into the void, somewhat lost in thought, perhaps reminiscing about the past as his plan neared success.

As for those sent to the night-time hospital,

Soren didn’t give them much thought. Just entering this world, not even reaching the second layer of the Dream Gap, they might defeat a monster or two, but would ultimately be overwhelmed and killed by the swarming creatures.

Dealing with them in the real world meant handling corpses and aftermath issues, whereas now, it was more convenient to just toss them into the night-time hospital.

As for the issue of his identity being compromised, Soren initially didn’t care. Soon, everything in the real world would lose its meaning; he just needed to endure this period.

Soren waved his hand, and all the documents behind him began to self-combust. He brushed off the ash on his clothes, stood up, and planned to eliminate any possible backup files.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door of the Director's office. Soren opened it to find several nurses in a fluster, saying, "It's bad, Director. Several patient families are blocking the hospital entrance with banners, demanding to see you!"

Soren: ?

Frowning, Soren wore a puzzled expression.

Why would anyone come looking for him?

To maintain his current public identity, Soren couldn’t refuse. He nodded and followed the nurse out of the administrative building towards the hospital entrance.

Before even approaching the hospital, the clamor was already audible from a distance.

"Don’t worry, the Director will be here soon. Discuss your grievances with him."

"Right, we’re just ordinary workers. Harassing us won’t solve anything!"

"Exactly, we’re just earning our salaries. If you have a grievance, go talk to the Director!"

"If you want to hit someone, hit the Director. He can take a beating, unlike me. One punch and you’ll be begging me not to die."

Soren: ...

"Cough, cough!" The slightly older nurse escorting the Director suddenly coughed loudly, trying to signal the other nurses who were still trying to direct the crowd to the Director. She coughed vehemently, as if she was about to cough out her lungs.

Hearing this, the nurses finally realized and turned around abruptly, even pulling back a nurse who was in the midst of complaining endlessly about how idiotic the Director was to the protestors.

The nurse turned, saw Soren, and immediately went pale, choking back tears: "Director, I was talking about the Director of the next hospital, do you believe me?"

Soren: "…There’s only one hospital in the center of Arkham City."

He sighed, waved his hand to have the nurse taken to the back, and stepped forward, scrutinizing the residents blocking the hospital entrance.

Ye Ye, the leader, instinctively shrank his head, but then remembered this was just a game and straightened up again!

"Greetings, I am the Director of Arkham Hospital," Soren said, curling his lips into a somewhat insincere smile, looking at them indifferently, "What brings you here?"

"Of course we have a reason! Your hospital has... uh, killed our family member... I mean, friend!"

"Right, we need an explanation from you!"

Soren continued to smile, but his eyes seemed to add a question mark.

Clearly, as a newly appointed hospital Director who is actually a cult leader, Soren had never dealt with this kind of hospital dispute before.

"Your friend is...?"

"It's Jackson! Oh, poor Jackson." Ye Ye said, tears streaming down his face, while the players behind him covered their faces, shoulders shaking, trying hard not to laugh out loud.

"He was so young, just undergoing a minor surgery. How could he die in the hospital! You must give us an explanation today!"

Soren looked at the nurse behind him, puzzled: "Jackson is...?"

The nurse, flustered, went to check the patient's records, and after ten minutes, she returned with a subtle expression: "Director, Jackson was the heart patient who died on the operating table."

She paused, adding, "He was 86 years old this year!"

Soren looked towards Ye Ye and the others, and Ye Ye, thick-faced, said, "We were close friends despite the age difference."

"Oh? All of you were close friends despite the age difference?"

"Yes!" The players behind him chorused, some with faces full of sorrow and anger, others covering their faces as if unable to accept reality.

Soren barely maintained his composure, asking with a sneer, "So, what do you want to do?"

"We don't ask for much, and certainly won't extort the hospital," Ye Ye stated, his gaze locked on Soren, "But we do wish for you, Director, to attend Jackson's funeral, which is being held today. It won't take up much of your time."

The essential goal was to temporarily draw the boss of this episode away from the hospital.

There was no need to worry about someone being sent to destroy documents in the archive room, as that area would soon become a 'crime scene'.

Players who didn't mind losing their game characters were indeed daring. :p

The entrance of the hospital was crowded, and the commotion they caused soon attracted a large group of onlookers. Curious bystanders are ubiquitous, gathering around the players and the Director, pointing and discussing.

Some 'enthusiastic onlookers' even started explaining to the crowd what was happening.

Being the center of such attention was an 'unusual' experience for Soren, who had become a cult leader. His expression gradually became reserved as he coldly glanced at Ye Ye before turning to leave.

"Hey, wait! Don't go!" Ye Ye relentlessly followed, trying to collide with Soren.

Soren's lips curled into a cold smirk. Standing still, the force with which Ye Ye attempted to collide with him rebounded, sending Ye Ye crashing to the ground.

Ye Ye was startled, but quickly composed himself, having achieved his goal. He wailed in pain, clutching his stomach, where a dagger was inserted, bleeding profusely.

From the angle of the onlookers, it looked like Ye Ye had lunged at the Director and then fell. Initially, it seemed like a staged accident, but the sight of real blood changed their minds.

The crowd, not expecting such a dramatic turn, erupted in screams and some started taking pictures with their phones. The nurses, unprepared for such a dire situation, were thrown into chaos.

At that moment, police officers emerged from the crowd, responding to an earlier report of a disturbance at the hospital entrance.

Seeing Ye Ye on the ground and Soren standing over him with a fluctuating expression, the officers were taken aback.

Players hidden in the crowd pointed at Soren, "It was him! He killed my brother! He's the Director of Arkham Hospital!"

The crowd was instantly in an uproar.

Amidst the flashing cameras and the noisy tumult, Soren took a deep breath, feeling more mentally exhausted than ever in his long existence.

"Good, very good."

He thought to himself that he had underestimated the deity of evil and his followers.

He had assumed the followers of the deity of evil would have some shame, but this one particularly defied all norms.