Chapter 169

Chapter 169

Despite the chorus of encouragement from the live stream viewers to become the university's chancellor, God on Earth knew that he was not yet qualified for such a position with his current credentials.

If Bletchley University were to be established, it would likely be the result of the combined efforts of all the churches. The prestigious role of chancellor would then be held by the Patriarch or a Cardinal from either the Secret Order or the New Church.

But God on Earth didn't mind; he hadn't proposed this idea for the sake of the position. It was purely for the fun of it.

The cultists' meeting concluded temporarily, and their strategy began to unfold swiftly.

As it turned out, when all the cults in New Port united, news spread rapidly. Within just three days, most organizations in New Port had learned of the existence of the Secret University, and many had even seen parts of the footage.

Threads filled the air, invisible to ordinary people but visible to Lane. These threads connected his divine realm to the Secret University.

The time had come.

He took out the Ark, and a silver quill appeared in his hand, still bearing only one seal, as before.

But perhaps it was worth a try?

Lane gazed at the intricate web of threads connecting to Miskatonic University, each strand representing the diverse perceptions people had of the institution: enigmatic, potent, and steeped in history.

These perceptions, when combined, created distinct impressions in the minds of different individuals.

Now, Lane stood high above Arkham, under the cloak of midnight, as he skillfully rewove the vanished image of Miskatonic University into the subconscious of its residents.

Suddenly, within the dreams of Arkham's inhabitants, the school appeared, shrouded in mystery and bearing an eerie aura, frequented by eccentrics and oddballs.

Long-lost memories resurfaced, and more threads materialized in the sky above Arkham, coalescing into the outline of a door.

Every player, whether they were in Miskatonic, the Celestial Hospital, or in the real world, sensed something amiss. They looked up to witness a silver-hued figure emerging in the distant sky.

Draped in a tattered silver cloak, its lining a vivid red, the figure's face was mostly concealed, with only a portion of skin visible, adorned with crimson divine markings.

"Aaaah! It's here!"

"My love, my love! Your new form is breathtaking!"

"No way, you can see that from so far away?"

"Screen capture function zooms in, no need to thank me."

"Capturing, capturing like crazy, capturing like there's no tomorrow!"

At this moment, not only the players in reality but also those within the Divine Realm could see Lane's figure. Under the gaze of the players, a veil of mist began to envelop Arkham.

On the site where MIT originally stood, a complex array of buildings emerged – lecture halls, libraries, research institutes... one structure after another returned to reality.

Larkin, who was conducting an experiment with a test tube in the research institute, turned his head to fetch an herb, only to find the crucible boiling on his worktable vanish entirely. Larkin's eyes widened in shock, and he rubbed them as if he had seen a ghost. When he opened them again, even the entire experiment table had disappeared.

Larkin: ...? What's this? Another student prank?

Disbelievingly, he closed his eyes, pinched himself, and upon reopening them, the entire research institute was gone!

Larkin exchanged glances with Alders from the neighboring institute, both seeing the bewilderment and astonishment in each other's eyes.

This scene unfolded in every corner of the campus. MIT professors and students in the Divine Realm watched in confusion as the buildings around them vanished. Professors in the middle of a lesson found their lecterns disappear, and instructors using the restroom discovered the entire facility had vanished. As they locked eyes with students in the opposite building, both froze for a moment. After a brief silence, the instructor frantically tried to pull up his pants.

"What on earth is happening here!?"

Lane: "…Ah, I seem to have forgotten to inform the folks from Miskatonic."

Lane hovered in the air for a moment, pretending nothing was amiss, but as he tried to evoke the locals' subconscious memories of Miskatonic University, he encountered difficulty.

It was simple, really. While the cultists had a strong impression of Miskatonic University, they hardly had any recollections of its professors or students—except for those who were players.

Wait, wait—this could be disastrous if it fails.

Cold sweat broke out on Lane's forehead, but he quickly composed himself and attempted to use the Arkham to forcibly implant the professors' and students' images into the subconscious of Arkham's residents.

...But it didn't work.

Since these weren't genuine memories, the insertion of specific details or impressions would soon be detected as inconsistencies, causing contradictions that even led to some threads connecting to Miskatonic fraying.

A fine sheen of sweat appeared on Lane's forehead. Just as he was struggling to calm down and find a solution, the second seal on the Arkham suddenly cracked. In Lane's astonished gaze, the second purple seal shattered.

The previously stilted strokes became smooth, and in the dreams of the people of Arkham, numerous eccentric figures began to appear.

How could the seal on the Ark suddenly break?

Unless...

Aogel.

A smile involuntarily curved at the corner of Lane's lips. Swiftly recomposing himself, an idea sparked in his mind.

Right, while others might have shallow impressions of the Mages of Mystic, there was one group that had spent considerable time with them.

The players.

Lane's avatar instantly appeared both in the Divine Realm and reality, offering a new quest to the players.

"Allegiance Quest: Bonds

Quest Description: Visit a location near Mystic University in the real world and reminisce about your experiences with its faculty and students.

Quest Reward: Mystic University Allegiance increases to Respect, Faction Reward Points +1000."

Most of the students from the Divine Kingdom were gathered in front of the MU grounds.

"Mmm, Professor Rakin seems kind on the surface, but he has a wicked sense of humor. He enjoys concocting potions with unusual flavors, like smelly socks and vomit," said Not Crazy, her eyes closed as she reminisced. "Then, he offers them for free to injured students and the infirmary, and collects their reactions."

"Wait, what?! I thought those were just standard potion flavors?!" The strongest male beside her was stunned. "We even used potions as punishment during truth or dare, because you never knew which disgusting flavor you'd get."

"Hahaha... Well, the professor dislikes students who get injured unnecessarily, especially when they treat injuries and death lightly."

"And you? How do you fit into this?"

"I don't use this card when I'm courting death!" No need to act all high and mighty.

"The Professor Alders and Professor Alexis are both fine," the black cat attempted to align her answer with the druid's understanding. "Professor Alexis is rather haughty, while Professor Alders is more tolerant of him."

The druid nodded in agreement. "Professor Alders is indeed proud when it comes to his field of study, and he has the right to be. They often bicker, but quickly reconcile to have afternoon tea together, reminiscing about their younger days. Players even ship them."

Black Cat: "Huh? I had no idea."

The druid spoke sincerely, "Then it's best you avoid the fanfiction section on forums. The 'sunset couple' has been quite popular lately."

The black cat immediately shot the druid a peculiar glance and moved two steps aside.

"Mister Jude is especially adorable!" Matcha Latte said with her hands cupping her cheeks. "He seems to have social anxiety and doesn't dare look us in the eye when he talks to us. But he's super reliable, and he knows so much! He looks so childlike when he's engrossed in collecting different stones!"

"Oh, I know him," Odd Number chimed in. "That NPC who gives out long-term quests for collecting different stones! The rewards are fantastic."

"And there's Sister Delia from the Alchemy Department—ahh, those long legs! She's a killer, sis!"

At first, the players had been thinking silently to themselves, but after someone spoke up, the others eagerly shared their own thoughts or compared notes on the NPCs' quests or impressions with those around them.

Unbeknownst to them, a transparent figure stood by the university gates, listening quietly to their conversation. Some looked embarrassed, some bashful, while others watched them with gentle smiles.

As their words fell, memories wove into threads, taking shape and drawing the wandering spirits back to the world of the living.

Crazy Laugh was happily sharing some unknown tsundere antics of Professor Lakin with Matcha Latte when she caught sight of a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye.

"Ahh! Professor Lakin!" Pushing her way through the crowd, Crazy Laugh rushed over in delight, and Lakin greeted her with a smile, opening his arms for a hug.

The druid, who was excitedly enlightening the black cat about the Sunset Red couple, felt a nudge from the feline and looked up in confusion. There, he saw Professor Alexis staring at him with a dark expression. "Explain to me what 'tsundere' means."

Alders smiled. "My relationship with your professor is merely that of colleagues."

Druid: ...Oh no, I've stumbled upon a gossip involving the original owner.

Jude, facing the excited gazes of the players, shifted his eyes away in embarrassment. After a while, he made an effort to restore his gaze and looked seriously into their eyes. "Thank you for your help before, really, thank you."

More and more figures of Michigan professors or former students began to appear. The players eagerly surrounded them, and laughter filled the entire campus.

In the sky, Lane sat cross-legged, floating mid-air as he watched this scene with a smile.

At this moment, something suddenly came to mind, and he activated the screenshot function on the forum.

Click!

Players hugged their professors or draped arms around each other, tousling hair. Every face wore a different expression, but all exuded a shared sense of joy and relaxation.

Welcome back, Michigan.