Chapter 99

Chapter 99

After allowing the professors to continue their research, Lane temporarily bid farewell to the University of Michigan and returned to the central courtyard in Arkham. Soon, he summoned the Sphinx once more.

The more he delved into this world, the more questions arose in his heart. At this time, the Sphinx's role resurfaced.

The Sphinx appeared with its elegant feline gait, eagerly approaching Lane the moment it saw him, rubbing against his palm. Lane was almost accustomed to the Sphinx's appearance now and didn't dodge this time. Instead, he scratched the Sphinx's lion-like fur and chin as if petting a cat.

The Sphinx responded with a contented purr, having changed its strategy. Though Lane was a dog person, why couldn't he become a cat person? The Sphinx was determined to make Lord Lane appreciate the merits of felines!

Ah, today, the Sphinx remained blissfully unaware of its own appearance.

Lane: "I'll need your help again today, Sphinx."

"My beloved master, anything for you is my duty. You don't have to say that," the Sphinx purred, nuzzling Lane's hand affectionately before stepping back to begin its task. "Are you curious about what Lord Archie has been up to lately?"

Lane: "…Yes, I am."

"Recently, he's been attending to unfinished police business and keeping an eye on the Audit Bureau's operations for you," the Sphinx said, satisfied with its display of Archie's importance before Lane. Its tail swished happily behind it. "What would you like to know?"

"Why did Jason enter Job's body after his death?" This was currently the most pressing question for Lane. He recalled Job's transformation into maggots and Archy's abnormal state after losing control in the second layer.

Lane had been harboring this doubt ever since he helped Albert through the third layer. Why could these anomalies replace humans within their bodies? What was their purpose? These creatures seemed to have no pattern in their actions, existing between dreams and reality. Only high-level anomalies possessed intelligence, and regardless of their rank, they would ruthlessly kill any human who laid eyes on them. So where did these monsters originate?

As for the Jason inside Job's body, was he an anomaly or a human?

"Sphinx, why did Jason enter Job's body? Surely through a normal means," Sphinx answered without hesitation. "A means you should be familiar with."

"The Third Layer of the Gap of Dreams..." Lane murmured.

Sphinx had never provided wrong information before. In the Gap of Dreams' third layer, the challenge was for humans to find themselves while protecting themselves from being killed by anomalies. Failure allowed the anomalies to use that person's body to enter reality. So, was the entity inside Job an anomaly?

Jason... had become an anomaly?

Lane felt as if he heard the crisp sound of dice landing, the signal of inspiration striking. "What is the relationship between humans and anomalies?"

"Of course, it's..." Sphinx opened his mouth to reveal the answer when his expression suddenly changed, a hint of pain flashing across his face.

"Sphinx?"

A tiny black shadow suddenly caught Lane's attention on the Sphinx's body, near its tail. With a snap of his fingers, the surrounding plants restrained the frenzied Sphinx.

The shadow gradually materialized before Lane's eyes: it was a creature resembling both a flea and a centipede with multiple segments, firmly attached to the Sphinx's rear, biting deeply into the flesh, causing blood to flow. The Sphinx roared like a lion, its eyes reddening with rage.

Lane attempted to capture or drive away the strange insect using the plants, but strangely, they couldn't seem to touch it. As if by magic, the insect's body would instantly become intangible, as if made of air upon contact.

What on earth was this?

With the insect still unresolved, the rational light in the Sphinx's eyes was being replaced by madness. It started to frantically claw and bite at the binding plants. Thankfully, Lane had foreseen this and used the plants to restrain it. However, that wasn't enough; the Sphinx was strong. Lane threw another handful of seeds, fully pinning down its limbs. Then, the plants manipulated him, turning him around so that the insect was now facing Lane directly.

Ogar's voice sounded nearby. "That is a Truth Bug."

"What?" Lane turned his head, seeing Ogar approaching.

"Truth Bugs, a product of the Dream World, creatures used to carry forbidden information and knowledge," Ogar explained softly, his gaze fixed on the insect on the Sphinx's back. "But I'm not sure why it's here. Normally, their domain is within the Dream World."

"How do we get rid of it?"

Ogar reached out silently to the Truth Worm, but strangely, the creature didn't react to his touch, seemingly intent on killing the Sphinx.

"Odd," Ogar tilted his head. "Truth Worms are usually harmless and don't go berserk. They don't even manifest physically. Their role is to bear truth and parasitize in those who know it until they merge with them. Cases of madness like this are rare."

"Can't you just remove it directly?"

Seeing the Sphinx losing its sanity and self-mutilating, Lane's brow furrowed.

"Not really. Ordinary people can't touch Truth Worms. They exist in a dimension between dreams and reality. I might be able to, but it's biting down hard now. If we force it off, there's a chance it could explode, contaminating the Origin with the pollutants stored within the worm. Then, the Origin would degenerate into a pollutant itself."

It was more bizarre knowledge, but Lane had no time to ponder it. "Can an Origin ability become a pollutant? What about its owner?"

"They'd probably die," Ogar replied after some thought.

Lane couldn't accept that outcome. Frowning at the worm, he noticed the Sphinx's struggles weakening, while the light representing Archie in his mind was fading. Uncertain what would happen if things continued, he pondered for a few seconds before reaching out to the Truth Worm.

In the Divine Realm, Lane and Ogar were at a stalemate, unsure how to deal with the worm. Lane sensed the Sphinx's efforts dwindling, and the light symbolizing Archie in his mind growing dimmer. He hesitated for a moment before extending his hand toward the Truth Worm.

This was his Divine Realm, after all.

Here, everything should bend to his will, and Lane couldn't tolerate the thought of his followers perishing here.

In the domain of a god, the deity's thoughts and desires became reality.

Lane's hands were as fair and lustrous as jade, but as he moved, his well-groomed fingertips gradually darkened, with his nails lengthening and exuding an ominous sheen.

A black vertical line silently appeared between his brows, from which a crimson-gold eye opened, staring intently at the Truth Worm.

But something strange happened then. As Lane's hand drew closer, the worm that had been firmly clamped onto the Sphinx's flesh began to tremble.

Lane's heart stirred, and he reached for the worm. To his surprise, it actually released its grip and flew away warily.

The Sphinx ceased its struggle and passed out quite obligingly.

Lane let out a sigh of relief. The Truth Worm, in turn, circled around before leisurely landing on Ogler.

"It's back to normal," Ogler said coolly as he looked at the worm in his palm. Seeing Lane's slightly nervous expression, he explained, "They're harmless under normal circumstances. I have these worms inside me too."

He pondered for a moment on how to explain further, "You can think of them as beneficial insects, um, not exactly that either. If too many people know a particular truth, the worms can't withstand the corruption and will die along with their host."

"Pollution?"

"Mm-hmm. Certain knowledge is cursed; once gained, it can cause mental corruption. Truth Worms were created to counteract this pollution. They coexist with their hosts. When someone acquires forbidden knowledge, the Truth Worms will parasitize their dreams. Usually, there are no symptoms, but if the spread of knowledge becomes too extensive, the worms can't withstand the contamination and will explode, killing both themselves and their host."

"Can't these worms be prevented from attaching themselves?"

"The parasitism occurs silently. For some powerful individuals, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Dealing with the pollution is more difficult than dealing with the worms."

Lane didn't respond, remembering Sphinx's earlier statement, "Knowledge is finite." Was he referring to these worms?

There were still many questions on his mind, but Lane was now more concerned about Archie.

Closing his eyes, Lane tried to glimpse Archie's situation through the Dusk Gap's luminous points, but all he saw was darkness – it seemed that Archie had also fallen into a coma.

Sphinx appeared severely injured, and his state when bitten by the worm was peculiar. Many questions swirled in Lane's mind. "How can we heal him? Would replenishing his spirituality help?"

"He seems to have been contaminated by the curse leaked by the Truth Worm," Oger crouched down to examine Sphinx. Normally, he would advise against attempting a rescue in such situations, but...

Looking at Lane's worried expression, he shook his head.

Len’s heart sank. "Can’t be saved?"

"No," Ogar struggled to find the right words, "Do as you did back then to awaken them from the madness of the second layer of the Dream Gap."

Awaken them from the madness…

Lane was taken aback. He actually didn’t know how.

Back then, Alcy and Edmund had woken up after his outburst at the hospital, and then Edmund had awakened again due to an unknown reason when he had "opened the door."

Frankly, Lane had no clue. Should he act out another outburst here?

Seeing the confusion on Lane’s face, Ogar reassured him, "Don’t worry, it won’t kill him immediately. He’s just temporarily asleep. But more importantly, we need to return the Origin Ability to its original host. Otherwise, if it takes too long, their connection might be severed by the fog."

"How… do we do that?" Lane asked.

"Hmm… It should return on its own if you get close to the subject," Ogar said uncertainly. After all, it was uncommon for an Origin Ability to actively seek its host while the latter was still alive.

This unexpected turn of events pulled Lane back into reality after a long while.

Of course, he didn't appear directly in the real world, as Ogar had warned that Lane's sudden appearance might cause some undesirable changes. Therefore, Ogar taught him a spell to conceal his presence, allowing Lane to arrive unnoticed.

To be honest, when Lane appeared at the entrance of Arkham Hospital, it felt like a déjà vu. It had been a long time since he last set foot in reality.

He glanced back at the hospital. During the day, it looked no different from when he first arrived in this world. Turning to face the bustling street outside, he saw the eerie creatures lurking in every corner, but now, Lane no longer felt fear.

The creatures stirred under his gaze, but none dared to approach him.

They watched him from a distance with eager and longing expressions.

Speaking of which, did the number of abnormalities in Arkham City increase again...

Lane casually scanned the creatures, a hint of curiosity flickering in his eyes. However, he attributed it to his heightened intuition after his awakening and dismissed the thought.

He entered the hospital during daylight and made his way straight to a ward. Archie, who had suddenly fallen into a coma, was admitted to Arkham Hospital, which could be considered half of Lane's territory. He easily navigated through the busy doctors and nurses, reaching the bedside of the unconscious man.

The man with black hair had his eyes tightly shut, his brow slightly furrowed, as if trapped in an unending nightmare.

A twinge of guilt stirred within Lane. The Sphinx incident was an accident, but he couldn't deny that it was somehow connected to him.

Seated on the edge of the bed, he gently brushed Arche's furrowed brow, smoothing away the tension, sensing that the Sphinx in the Realm of Dreams had vanished, likely having returned.

"Sigh... You need to recover quickly..." He sighed softly, vanishing from the ward before the doctor arrived for a checkup.

Upon returning to his divine realm, Len discovered Carmen calling out to him.

And the scale of it...

More and more devout prayers echoed in his ears. Len was taken aback, assuming there was another issue with the Kamui tribe. He hastily responded to the summons.

Out of caution, Len didn't descend in his physical form but instead cast his gaze towards the source.

Hmm?

What's going on here?

Len was perplexed. In the Kamui district, without his knowledge, a shrine had appeared, and Carmen was kneeling before it, reciting prayers.

"Carmen"

"Lord Lane!" Carmen sensed Lane's gaze and lifted her head, filled with excitement.

"What are you doing?" Lane was taken aback.

He noticed that it wasn't just Carmen praying but the entire Kamyi tribe. That's why he had heard so many voices earlier.

But according to the pattern Lane had previously discovered, he could only hear the prayers of true believers. Originally, there should have been only Carmen as a true believer among the Kamyi. But now...

Lane could sense at least thirty new true believers in the crowd, and he could hear their devout voices.

"Of course, we're expressing our gratitude for your kindness and generosity," Carmen said, her voice choking with emotion. "Everything you've done for us, the Kamyi tribe can never repay."

Lane: ?

In this moment, Lane was so stunned that it took him ten seconds to realize she was referring to the recent anti-racism incident.

"The government official came earlier. He didn't chase us away; instead, he informed us... The Arkham City Government has designated this area as the Kamyi Autonomous Region. From now on, we can live freely on this land." Carmen's voice broke repeatedly, making it difficult for her to complete a sentence.

Finally, finally...

If not for that government official presenting his credentials, Carmen would have believed it to be a prank by someone else. But the moment the truth was confirmed, the entire Kamui tribe fell silent.

Only those who have wandered without a home could comprehend the Kamui. They had never found a place to belong in this world, with no destination and no sanctuary. They drifted about like phantoms, day after day.

A piece of land to call their own, a sense of belonging — these were the most coveted yet unattainable dreams for the Kamui.

They never dared to hope for such a thing. Forsaken by the gods for too long, they never imagined that they might one day return to the divine embrace.

This was why, seemingly overnight, the Kamui suddenly had so many true believers, and their conversion rate continued to rise.

"Should you be grateful, direct it towards Norman King," Lane said, his emotions mixed but refusing to accept the gratitude. He had done nothing; it was all thanks to the players.

"No, please don't say that. If not for you, we'd still be desperately struggling in the abyss. Norman King has no connection to us; he helped us because of you," Carmen shook his head repeatedly.

No, unfortunately, he probably did it for amusement, Lane thought to himself.

"Certainly, we will express our gratitude to that divine messenger as well! And in person," Carmen added. "I actually have something to report to you. Tomorrow is the Day of Exorcism, and the city government has invited us to preside over the ceremony!"

The Day of Exorcism, huh...

This was the second time Lane had heard this term. He nodded. "That sounds like a positive development for you."

The Purification Day was a traditional festival in Arkham, and rituals were something the Kamui were skilled at. If managed well, this might be an opportunity for the Kamui to fully integrate into the city.

Despite the players' anti-discrimination campaign causing resentment among many local NPCs, it had to be acknowledged that their actions were effective. They had genuinely helped the Kamui people.

At that moment, a crisp system notification echoed in every player's ears.

" Ding—Main Quest Act 1: A Race's Fate (Completed)"

"Act 1 contribution points are being calculated and will be distributed to all players' inboxes upon completion of the main quest."

"Act 2: Purification Day has begun.

Mission Description: (Insufficient clues, unable to preview)"

...Hmm?

Lane's smile froze on his face.

Act One's success is indeed a positive sign, suggesting that the government might have abandoned their plan to expel the Kamis. However, the commencement of Act Two hints that the matter isn't over yet.

Also, what on earth is this clue deficiency?

A foreboding sensation lingered in Lane's heart. He comforted Carmen one last time before diverting his gaze and opening the player forum.

Sure enough, all players had received the notification, causing an uproar.

Huawei: What's going on? What is this? Why is there no mission description for Act Two?

This Cloth Box: Cloud gamer eating melon.jpg

Matcha Milk Green: Yeah, why is it like this? Didn't we already complete Act One's mission?

Black Cat: (Contemplative) I think it might be because our methods were rather unconventional.

Druid: I agree...

God Among Men: Yes, probably so.

Black Cat: In a typical tabletop game, investigators would be entrusted by the Kamui tribe to infiltrate the government under disguise, follow leads to uncover the mastermind, and then defeat them, dismantling their conspiracy.

Ultimate Guy: But now, hhhhh... the mastermind is nowhere to be found, yet we've somehow managed to complete the mission anyway (with unjustified confidence.jpg).

Crazy Not Mad: Yeah, hhhhh... but I think this way was more fun.

Black Cat: I agree. This approach thoroughly and permanently resolved the Kamui tribe's issue. It's great, though I doubt the game officials anticipated this outcome. We've left them with no clues, it feels like the game has frozen (scratching head).

Even Number Seeker: Hahahaha! Ahaha!

Lanmen: hhhhh So we've basically thrown the game officials off track. Their prepared storyline is lost now.

Wicked Woman, Yay: But even so, they haven't banned the Divine Being in the Mortal Realm. I love this feeling of completing missions with freedom.

Matcha Milk Green: True, but we're clueless about the next stage now, qwq.

Black Cat: Well, when there's a will, there's a way. I think this is part of the game's test too, to see if player creativity works better or following the official script does. The last main quest followed the official route, but this time, due to players' actions, things have veered off course.

Druid: Hilarious, the GM is probably making stuff up on the fly. Oh wait, if there's a GM, they'd likely have killed off the Divine Being during their anti-discrimination efforts.

God Among Us: ^_^ Thanks for the mercy of the authorities.

Nightly: By the looks of it, there'll be chaos during tomorrow's Exorcism Day. We're in for quite a spectacle.

Black Cat: Nevertheless, it'd be wise to make some preparations. With no information this time, we're all blindly crossing the river, but basic arrangements can still be made.

As expected of Black Cat, so dependable!

Upon reading this, Len breathed a slight sigh of relief; as long as the players remained orderly, there shouldn't be any issues.

As for tomorrow's Exorcism Day... just as Black Cat said, without any information, it seemed they could only hope the officials would act fairly.

...

On the night of Exorcism Day.

Arkham City appeared to have finally emerged from the gloom of the previous disaster. After that great calamity, people were unusually seen venturing out at night, breaking the silence that had veiled the city's nights, and gradually reviving its former bustle.

The atmosphere of Exorcism Day in Arkham City resembled a fusion of Halloween and Day of the Dead. On this day, people would decorate their doorsteps with flowers and treats to welcome back the spirits of the deceased. Meanwhile, many children would take to the streets to reenact the origins of Exorcism Day, with some portraying monsters, others playing villagers, and one child assuming the role of the divine being who expelled the monsters.

The deity was depicted as a masked figure with no face, draped in a white cloak, and adorned with horn-like protrusions on its head. As the black cat strolled down the street, it narrowly avoided being injured by some carelessly running children.

Due to the grand local festival, the night would be bustling with excitement until dawn. Hence, numerous vendors lined the alleys, selling various foods, festival flowers, and candles, creating a lively atmosphere.

Players were, of course, the happiest, quickly immersing themselves in the festive spirit. The black cat could only remind them, "Don't forget your weapons!"

The players waved goodbye, joyfully blending into the festive melee. The druid chuckled and patted the black cat's shoulder, "Relax, it's just a game. Besides, who knows when the main quest will start? It'd be a shame not to enjoy the festivities. Given this game's nature, we might not have another chance until next year."

"…You do have a point," the black cat considered and agreed, then relaxed. It purchased some local delicacies and started walking towards Arkham City's central square while snacking.

The grandest celebration of the night would take place there. After inquiring with NPCs, the black cat learned that it typically involved speeches from leaders, reenactments of mythological tales, prayers to the deity who once saved Arkham, and blessings bestowed upon the people by a priest in costume, followed by a similar routine annually.

However, this year's guest of honor was unique. Instead of the church overseeing the ritual, it would be the responsibility of the Kamui tribe. This was undoubtedly a headline-grabbing change and a response to the recent online disputes about discrimination.

Following the rise of the anti-discrimination movement, the previously recorded player videos predictably resurfaced and caused a stir. Arkham City found itself back under scrutiny, criticized harshly by netizens, almost being labeled as hell on earth.

Naturally, the Arkham City government faced immense pressure. In desperation, they invited the Kamui tribe to oversee this year's festival, attempting to convey to the public their efforts to combat discrimination.

Yet, could the seeds of distrust among the people be so easily uprooted?

When the Black Cat squeezed into the square, she found the Kamuy tribespeople standing awkwardly on a makeshift altar in the center, uncertain what to do. Below the stage, countless Arakham citizens sat silently, holding portraits of their deceased loved ones, their silence itself a powerful protest.

The atmosphere in the square was peculiar. The Black Cat approached an early-arriving player, recognizing the familiar forum username. "What's going on here?"

Alon: "Just like that. As soon as the Kamuys stepped onto the stage, this group suddenly appeared outside the square. They're just sitting there quietly, holding pictures of their departed family members and ashes."

Black Cat: "Oh, I see."

The Druid was puzzled. "Isn't the anti-discrimination movement already quite popular?"

Alon: "Take a closer look at their ages."

The Black Cat and the Druid studied the crowd below and noticed that most were elderly. No wonder the security guards dared not intervene; a single push might provoke a disaster.

"They're mostly old folks who have lost their children," Alon sighed. "You know how stubborn they can be. Once they've made up their minds, it's hard for others to change their views. Besides, many of them are devout believers, deeply convinced by the myth that the Kamuy tribe betrayed the gods, leading to Arakham's suffering. Look at the leaders' faces; they're turning green."

Indeed, the mayor, with a grim expression, was about to speak while the journalists beside him snapped photos eagerly, ready to headline this new development.

Amidst the commotion, a mundane-looking vehicle parked at the edge of the square caught everyone's attention.

"Apologies, I hope I'm not late."

A familiar username emerged from the car, and before Black Cat and the others could react, screams of excitement echoed from the crowd around the square.

Divinity Among Men had arrived.