Chapter 114

Chapter 114

"It's because... you should have been dead a long time ago."

"What do you mean by that?"

The thin man with black hair and eyes chuckled without elaborating, but Carmen's mind involuntarily wandered back to the Soul Devouring Butterfly incident from so long ago. If not for Lane, he indeed...

"I'm quite curious, who aided you," the Prophet said lazily, leaning against a tree stump. Carmen's heart tightened, and he pressed his lips together, refraining from speaking.

"Hmm, even if you don't say, I can guess," the Prophet continued. "After all, the Kamui tribe didn't have a tradition of serving other gods before."

"What is the true purpose of your visit here?!" Carmen couldn't help but demand, his gaze towards the Prophet now laced with caution. At the same time, he prayed inwardly for Lane's attention to fall upon this side.

"Relax, I merely came to meet an old friend," the Prophet replied casually.

"Then you've seen him and can leave now," Carmen said coldly. But as soon as he finished his sentence, he realized something was amiss. While he did have a history with the Prophet, their relationship hadn't been intimate enough to classify them as friends. Moreover, the Prophet had just mentioned he 'didn't expect to see him here.'

This meant that the Prophet hadn't come to see him.

"Whose old friend are you referring to?"

"The one who's already here," the Prophet replied with a smile.

Carmen looked around in confusion but saw no one apart from himself, the Prophet, and a vagrant.

Wait, a vagrant?

They had surely cleared the park of all unrelated individuals during the setup.

The vagrant stirred, then opened his eyes, his brown irises transforming into silver in an instant.

As he stood up, his aura shifted dramatically. His disheveled appearance and sour-smelling coat couldn't conceal the air of mystique and authority emanating from within him.

The vagrant casually changed his sitting position on the log. "What brings you here?"

"I'm just paying a visit, didn't I say I was coming to see an old friend?" the Prophet smiled. "With someone who doesn't step out of their domain, I dare not approach your Bureau of Inquiry. This is the only time and place I can meet you."

"Stop using your abilities to track my movements. Are you tired of living?"

"Well, you're not wrong. I have indeed lived enough."

Carmen watched the conversation between the vagrant and the prophet with a puzzled gaze. It was evident from their familiar banter that the vagrant was an old friend whom the prophet had specifically come to see.

No, he couldn't be a vagrant. The aura emanating from him suggested that the person within might have undergone a profound transformation.

The Prophet's tone shifted, and he turned to Carmen with a smile. "It's truly rare for the three of us to be reunited like this. Let me think... it must have been centuries since our last gathering."

Carmen remained silent, letting the implication hang in the air. If the Prophet spoke the truth, then was the vagrant, Nero, destiny itself?

Why would the legendary Three Wise Men converge here? What could be their purpose for gathering?

"Futility," Destiny assessed the Prophet's words with a cold detachment, his luminous silver gaze casually sweeping over Carmen. In that instant, she felt as though her entire being had been pierced through by his piercing eyes, a chill running down her spine.

In the next moment, Destiny faintly furrowed his brow, a hint of perplexity flickering in his eyes.

"What did you see?" the Prophet inquired curiously. Noticing Destiny's silence, he ventured a guess, "Nothing at all, perhaps?"

Destiny remained silent, yet his non-response was an unspoken acknowledgment.

The Prophet softly hissed and passed his flask to Destiny. "How peculiar."

"Not really," Destiny replied, taking the flask. "I've seen my share of oddities since I arrived here."

"Ah, you also find this city peculiar, don't you?"

"The balance is still fragile, but it could be a viable solution."

What riddle were they weaving? Carmen listened in confusion, though she recorded their words instinctively, not understanding their meaning.

Not far from them, another player was performing the same action.

Indeed, a player.

As a player, how could one resist the temptation to meddle in such a bustling gathering? Isn't making straightforward purchases a task better suited for the Fourth Cataclysm?

The stern words came from Arlon, who had just entered the venue and was wildly casting Stealth.

Initially, he had planned to liven up the gathering, but upon noticing Carmen due to the commotion caused by the black cat, and then spotting an unfamiliar NPC who had stopped Carmen, Arlon's curiosity got the better of him and he followed, only to overhear something explosive.

Despite being unable to comprehend their conversation, the newly emerged NPCs exuded an aura of prominence.

Their demeanor, that enigmatic figure's air!

"It seems like a new storyline is unfolding."

"Aaron, why are you eavesdropping again?"

"Well, if I always manage to overhear crucial information, wouldn't that count as a skill too? (Lights a cigarette)"

"Hmm? I initially thought this game event was simply about trading items, perhaps with some entertaining treasure hunting. But there's actually a hidden plot?"

"Didn't you hear their conversation? 'Centuries', 'Investigation Bureau', 'should have been dead'. Crikey... They seem like major players."

"I share the same feeling. It must be a pivotal storyline!"

Aaron concurred, holding his breath and focusing intently on their conversation.

"So, you made a special trip to meet the ruler of this city?" the Prophet inquired. "You don't strike me as someone with such leisure."

"I've come on an errand."

"The matter couldn't be handled remotely?" the Prophet teased.

Fate fell silent for a moment before saying, "I can no longer see through this city's destiny."

The Prophet was taken aback by this.

"The city should have vanished months ago, but it still stands. Since then, fate has been disrupted, and the future has become shrouded in fog," Fate continued. "That's why I felt the need to come personally. After seeing the city with my own eyes, I realize I made the right decision."

"Fate has changed so much," the Prophet said, looking at Carmen. "This is indeed intriguing."

He suddenly turned to face a certain direction and declared loudly,

"He says so. What do you think? Are we fortunate enough to have an audience with the Ruler of Arkham?"

A second, two seconds passed.

Scratching his head awkwardly, the Prophet said, "Huh, really no one's here? But I could have sworn someone was watching us?"

"Aaron, they can't be talking about you, right?"

"Damn, would it be too awkward for me to leave now?"

"But Aaron isn't Lane, hahaha. Would he get mobbed if he went out?"

Aaron felt incredibly awkward as well. He wanted to say that he was just part of the live broadcast and that everyone should treat him like a camera, not paying him any mind. However, seeing that the Seer's gaze had already landed on his direction, clearly identifying someone present, hiding was futile. Just as Aaron was about to grit his teeth and step out, he suddenly noticed golden glimmers appearing around him.

A rustling sound ensued.

Plants shifted slowly, entwining like serpents, faintly outlining the shape of a young man. Eventually, their rough bark transformed into smooth, fair skin, and their branches became intricate, curved horns.

Lane emerged from the thicket, his face concealed by a white cloth. He cast a subtle glance at Alon, who was stealthily moving beside him.

"Prprprpr! Wife!"

"Aaaaah! It's the wife, she's here!"

"Clearly, Lane noticed Alon's stealth, but he chose to appear now to draw attention. Oh, how doting he is."

"What qualifications do you have, Aaron? Move aside and let me handle this!"

Lane had been watching them since Carmen began her prayer. His guard rose sharply upon hearing their conversation.

He knew more than the players did. He was now almost certain that the Chief Investigator was the legendary 'Fate,' and their dialogue confirmed his suspicion. He hadn't expected this gathering to attract Fate's attention, let alone the Prophet, who held the least information!

What was their purpose here?

After much deliberation, Lane decided to make his presence known. After all, Arkham was his divine realm, and he wouldn't tolerate these two wreaking havoc. If they intended to do something, he could swiftly subdue them.

From the Prophet and Fate's perspective, the appearance of the enigmatic deity was far more subtle and grandiose than they had imagined.

They perceived more than ordinary beings, with intuition far surpassing human limits. Thus, they could see even more than Aaron did.

The moment this mysterious deity with ram horns appeared, the forest's plants seemed to rejoice, whispering praises of the Shepherd God in their ears. The ecstatic hymns threatened to convert them into believers as well.

Indeed, to them, these plants were alive. Each one brimmed with a significant concentration of spirituality. To those aware of what spirituality truly was, the implications were chilling.

A highly intuitive individual, upon entering this city, might instantly be assimilated by this 'forest,' becoming a follower of the Shepherd God. They would kneel on the ground, praying alongside the 'plants.' Their knees might sprout similar roots, keeping their eyes open for days and nights until they became an integral part of the 'forest.'

Arkham was teeming with trees, appearing to these beings as a divine kingdom upheld by anthropomorphic pillars – this was the tainted domain of the Pastoral God. This was His realm.

The moment Lane appeared, Carmen had already bowed her head and stepped two paces behind Him. The Prophet lowered her head in the direction Lane was coming from, avoiding direct eye contact with the divine countenance as a sign of respect. Destiny, on the other hand, stood still, indifferent, with her gaze fixed on the distance.

"Salutations to the Master of the Forest, Ruler of Arkham," the Prophet greeted first.

Lane was taken aback by the Prophet's measured politeness, but he quickly regained his composure and responded with an air of grandeur, "There's no need for such formalities."

The Prophet relaxed upon hearing this. Lane raised his right hand slightly, and the forest sprang into action. Vines entwined on the ground, stumps rose from the soil, and soon, four chairs materialized in the open space.

"As a guest, please be seated," Lane offered.

Surprised by Lane's affability, the Prophet composed herself and sat down between Lane and Destiny.

The seating arrangement now became: Destiny, the Prophet, Lane, and Carmen.

At Lane's gesture, Carmen also took a seat.

"I apologize for not paying my respects immediately upon entering your domain," the Prophet said.

"No worries," Lane said nonchalantly, lifting his gaze to the serene Fate. "Guests should be treated as such, provided they abide by the rules of hospitality."

"I shall adhere to them, naturally," the Prophet smiled, wisely refraining from using 'we.' Who knew what agenda Fate had? He certainly didn't have the audacity to meddle in Pan's domain. "After all, this is a very unique city, and we have no intention of disrupting the balance you've created here."

"Balance? What balance?"

"Weren't they talking about balance too? Has Lane done something we're unaware of?"

The viewers in Aron's livestream were perplexed, but little did they know, Lane was even more confused.

Seeing that Lane neither spoke nor objected, the Prophet seized the opportunity to continue. "Initially, upon hearing of a god appearing in Arkham, I assumed another city was destined to crumble... Please forgive me, I don't mean to reproach you. I understand that even if gods hold no ill will towards humans, our fragility is comparable to ants living beside giants. Even without malicious intent, the mere residue of their actions can lead to the annihilation of our kind, cycle after cycle."

Similar to the tragedies he had witnessed in history, where believers summoned malevolent deities, sometimes the summoned gods didn't harbor ill intentions towards humans. Yet, their mere existence was enough to cause spontaneous human demise.

It didn't matter if it was an Old God or an Evil God; the disparity in life forms was the critical factor.

The Prophet couldn't determine which faction Lane belonged to, but regardless, both posed a fatal threat to humanity.

That's why, upon witnessing Arkham firsthand, the Prophet was so astonished. Not because of the overwhelming "forest," but because the people of Arkham maintained their normalcy beneath it.

"As such, it deeply moves me to see a deity like you, who would stoop down to consider the feelings of ants," the Prophet's eyes crinkled in a smile. "Though I'm unsure how you've achieved this, there's no doubt that you've crafted an illusory paradise for the people of Arkham, sparing them from the madness of reality."

Lane had previously guessed that, as a malevolent deity or perhaps because he himself was one, he could traverse the fog without being tainted, just like the anomalies. His assumption turned out to be correct. Now that Arkham had become his terrestrial kingdom, its inhabitants, following normal rules, should have gradually been corrupted. Their minds would have been disturbed by the trees, their inspiration heightened. The day they saw Arkham's 'true' form would mark their assimilation into the forest.

This was the nature of a malevolent deity. Even someone as gentle as Lane couldn't negate the inherent corruption they carried.

But coincidentally, Lane, driven by compassion, had used the power of dreams to influence the dreams of the people of Arkham. Dreams symbolized the subconscious, and Lane had granted them an eternal, beautiful dream, altering their subconsciousness. Those who refused to accept the change in worldview might never witness the true face of Arkham.

As for the heretics who suddenly saw the real Arkham, it was simply bad luck. These individuals already had high inspiration, and when Lane employed his dream power, some fog accidentally escaped. When they inhaled it, they experienced temporary madness, during which they saw the true Arkham.

This was why the Prophet and Fate had called it a unique city. In cities typically occupied by malevolent deities, the residents' sanity would have already begun to plummet into madness. The healthy mental state of the people of Arkham was the exception.

However, since it was Lane's first time as a deity, he wasn't entirely clear on this matter, but he had stumbled upon the right solution by chance.

Lane fell silent for a moment, unsure how to respond. Finally, he said, "This is my domain."

In my place, I will naturally protect.

The Prophet understood the underlying meaning and was about to reply when Fate spoke up, "May I assume that you belong to the more benevolent faction towards humans?"

The Prophet frowned at Fate, who gazed back at Lane calmly.

"Not up to me," Lane replied, meeting Fate's gaze with his own, his eyes under the white cloth narrowing slightly. "And you two, what position do you take when questioning me? As guides of humanity?"

The Prophet waved his hands dismissively. "That was another era. If I were to step forward now and claim to lead humanity, I'd still have to follow the proper procedures and run for president...and there's a good chance I wouldn't even win."

He made a lighthearted comment, perhaps trying to ease the tension, but Fate didn't smile. He continued to look straight into Lane's eyes, seemingly awaiting an answer.

The corner of Lane's mouth, which had been curling upward, flattened. Clearly, someone here still regarded him as a protector of humanity and was challenging the gods on that basis.

It was bitterly ironic, especially since Lane suspected Fate might be connected to Miskatonic's fall.

"I've said it," Lane stated calmly, "It depends on humanity."

The atmosphere grew heavy, as if the air itself had solidified. Finally, Fate spoke, "I understand."

What did he understand?

"My reasons for coming here were actually twofold. One was to investigate why Arkham hasn't vanished, and I've learned that already," Fate's gaze gently landed on Lane before quickly shifting away. "The other purpose was to ask you for some individuals."

With a sneer, Lane guessed, "Who?"

"Fitch, Carance, Albert, Edmund, Crey, and Amos," Destiny replied. "I assume you can see what I can see, otherwise, it's inexplicable how you've brought them into your domain... But I beg of you, hand them over to me."

He faced Lane and bowed, the first time this enigmatic man had shown such respect to Lane since his appearance.

Confused, Lane listened on. Although he had learned from Amos that Destiny was somehow targeting his followers, why would Amos's name appear here? And why did Destiny insist on their deaths?

He sensed a deeper secret lurking beneath the surface, something related to what Destiny referred to as 'what can be seen.' But Lane couldn't see anything himself.

Nonetheless, an opportunity was at hand, and Lane resolved to probe further.

Thankfully, his face was concealed by the white cloth, so no one could read his expression. He composed himself and spoke with a casual laugh, "You mean you want me to surrender my own followers?"

"Yes."

"Merely based on your word?"

"I can offer you the Bureau of Investigation in exchange," said Destiny.

The Prophet stared at him in astonishment. "Are you insane? The Bureau of Scrutiny has been your life's work for millennia, and it's not just yours."

Fate replied, "It is mine."

He waited for Lane's response, but the Prophet was not one to be deterred. He grabbed Fate by the collar. "Why are you doing this? Give me a reason!"

Indeed, Lane silently applauded the Prophet in his heart.

"Because they are the seven crucial points on the timeline leading to humanity's destruction," Fate explained, glancing at Lane as he faced the Prophet's confusion. "In the trajectory of humanity's demise, each of these individuals plays a pivotal role."

A trajectory of human annihilation?

Lane's gaze darkened with gravity as he pondered the power of fate.

"The extinction of humanity? You never mentioned this to me," the Seer exclaimed in surprise.

But Fate had grown weary, brushing off the Seer's hand. "You know it was inevitable. So what difference does it make if you're aware now?"

Inevitable?

No, if Fate's assertion is true, and these individuals really play a pivotal role in humanity's downfall, then the doomsday should be within just a few decades.

Suddenly aware that the world was on the brink of destruction, Lane wasn't overly astonished; it was more like a sense of inevitability had finally arrived.

After all, this was a Cthulhu-themed game. Those in the know understood the main storyline likely involved stopping an evil deity from obliterating the world. How could one call oneself an investigator without having saved the world a few times?

Wait, based on Fate's logic, did they foresee the catastrophic outcome and make every choice to steer away from the worst-case scenario?

Lane pondered, primarily due to the information overload from his previous life and the many game novels he'd read. The current information was ample for him to speculate on the capabilities of this enigmatic Fate.

Meanwhile, Aron's live stream had gone viral.

He never imagined that a routine stealth mission would accidentally uncover such critical intel!

"Damn, info overload! Is the world really going to end?"

"What's so surprising about that? In the Cthulhu universe, hasn't there always been the prophecy of 'The Stars Are Right'? I thought we all assumed the world wouldn't last much longer anyway," (nose pick)

"This must be a major storyline, maybe even the ultimate main quest! Is it really okay for it to come up now?"

"Exactly, I thought the theme of this version revolved around the dark side of the Audit Bureau."

"Well, if this Fate is indeed the Director of the Audit Bureau, from what he just said, does that really make him the villain?"

"As expected, his ability might be to see people's destinies. And everything he does is to prevent those fates, right? That actually sounds quite reasonable."

"But didn't you hear him? He's willing to sacrifice Archie and the others, qwq."

"But from a broader perspective of humanity, sacrificing a few to save the many is a justifiable choice, isn't it?"

The live chat erupted into a heated debate. Predictably, some had already uploaded the information to forums, foreshadowing an even bigger argument to come.

"Stop arguing, the story isn't over yet! Let's listen first!"