<<Is this place a mire?>>

After hanging up the phone with Doctor Archie, Ranen once again reflected on his outing with Albert yesterday.

Of course, it wasn’t because he was sentimental. Ranen had been single for many years and had seen plenty of resentful couples in the field of psychological counseling. He had heard countless dramatic stories filled with ups and downs—cases where people, misled by scumbags and subjected to various forms of manipulation, couldn’t escape the shadows of their past relationships, even resorting to self-harm. 

Simply healing these emotionally scarred patients had left Ranen exhausted. Having seen the harsh realities of life, he had long since given up on the idea of feeling moved by someone. The little deer in his heart had been metaphorically welded to countless treatment plans.

Even with a face like his, Ranen had never thought about starting a sweet romance. To him, simply living to this point was already a stroke of luck from his ancestors.

His recollections of the time spent with Albert were driven by his desire to analyze Albert’s behavior.

Currently, all the clues he had received seemed to point to the fact that Albert was indeed problematic.

Yet, no matter how hard Ranen tried to recall, the only impression he could extract from those memories was that Albert was a silly dog who truly loved him.

Is this person’s acting skill so refined that even he is being deceived, or is it something else…

No, wait. If Albert really were a follower of some evil deity, why hadn’t any players from the previous life mentioned it? If he were indeed a heretic, was the disaster that swept through Arkham somehow connected to him? Did the players know about this? Did the previous Archie know about it?

Ah, his head is starting to hurt again.

Ranen didn’t understand why he had to deal with such messy situations.

And the name that Archie came up with seemed inconsistent with the name of the gardener in his memory, but the name Soren Hogg… he felt like he had heard it somewhere before.

Hmm, he couldn’t recall.

After thinking for half an hour, Ranen confidently reached a conclusion and slumped onto his desk, subconsciously opening the player forum to start browsing aimlessly.

Oh, wait, he meant to start checking what kind of trouble the players had caused again.

Thanks to the forum’s word-filtering feature, Ranen’s eyes were spared from being bombarded by the recent wave of ship pairings and fanfiction posts. After scrolling for a while, he actually found a few threads that piqued his interest.

“Brothers, interested in attending my funeral?”

What’s more, the thread starter was a familiar player—Ye Ye Hao, whom he had encountered last time.

Ye Ye Hao: So, you all remember how I gloriously sacrificed myself in the last mission, right?

Ye Ye Hao: And what we didn’t expect was that later, Edmund actually found the surviving Shushu Hao and Baba Hao, sent them to the hospital, and even asked when my funeral would be held because he wanted to attend.

Baba Hao: That’s right, how could we miss out on something this fun?! And with a kind NPC footing the bill, we just had to make it happen!

Ye Ye Hao: Any players interested in attending my funeral, feel free to join me tonight at the Yoris Cemetery on the outskirts of town! By the way, I’ll be the host! (Insert dog head emoji with a rose) 

He had to admit, the Trouble Squad really knew how to stir things up. At least for now, the concept of players attending a funeral felt pretty fresh. Quite a few players enthusiastically replied, saying they would attend.

Ranen was also a little curious—mainly to see what new antics the players would come up with—so he noted the time and place of the funeral. As evening approached, he headed out.

Dressed in all black this time, Ranen had learned from his previous experiences and wore a mask and hat. His platinum blonde hair was neatly tucked into the hat, with only his emerald green eyes visible.

He hailed a cab to the outskirts of the city, where, by this hour, the area was almost deserted. Normally, funerals were held during the day, but these players knew better. To avoid attracting the attention of NPCs, they had intentionally picked a time when there would be the fewest people around.

As Ranen approached Yoris Cemetery, he saw that quite a few players had already gathered.

Ye Ye Hao had switched to a new character card, changing his name to Zufu ^[1] Grandpa Hao. Ranen almost couldn’t hold back his laughter.

Apparently, neither could the other players—or rather, they had no intention of doing so. The atmosphere at Ye Ye’s funeral was anything but solemn, with everyone laughing loudly. The originally somber occasion had turned into a scene filled with joy and laughter, leaving poor Edmund, who had come to attend the funeral, standing there in confusion.

Edmund: Confused.jpg

Seeing this, Ranen finally couldn’t suppress a chuckle. Logically, with all the noise and laughter, Edmund, who was in the cemetery, shouldn’t have been able to hear anything. But suddenly, he turned around sharply, locking eyes with Ranen through the gaps in the crowd.

His lips parted, about to instinctively call out “My Lord.”

Ranen quickly made a gesture for silence, then turned and moved to a more secluded corner. Edmund, understanding the signal, discreetly slipped out of the crowd of players, wandered around for a bit, and then slowly made his way over to Ranen.

“My Lord,” he whispered.

By now, Ranen was completely unbothered by the title, having grown accustomed to it, and simply ignored it.

“Did you come to attend the funeral as well?” Edmund asked quietly.

Ranen couldn’t exactly tell him that, no, he was just here to watch the chaos unfold. After thinking for a moment, Ranen finally found some words, curling his lips slightly into a smile. “Something like that. For some people, death marks the end of everything, but for others, it’s merely the beginning of a grander adventure.”

“Look at them.”

Edmund glanced over at the players, who were still laughing and joking around, their faces showing no sadness or solemnity. It was as if they were celebrating a friend who had moved on to a better place.

Ranen coughed lightly. “This is actually part of their funeral tradition from their homeland. They believe in sending off the dead with smiles so that the departed won’t feel any reluctance on their journey.”

Edmund immediately understood. “I see, that’s the reason.”

However, he soon turned his gaze to the funeral host, Zufu Hao, and hesitated. “But why do I feel like his mannerisms are similar to Ye Ye’s?”

“Probably because they’re twins,” Ranen replied.

“Then why are Baba Hao and the others getting along so well with this person…”

“Because it’s their tradition,” Ranen replied with a serious expression. “They believe that when a loved one passes away, a part of their soul will inhabit the bodies of their family, especially their twin. The family is then to be treated as if they were the departed, and the family member should bear that emotional burden to soothe the grief of the deceased’s friends.”

Edmund was deeply moved. “I see, that’s how it is.”

Finally, the lie had passed. Ranen wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

Ye Ye Hao, having switched to a new role card, took on the duties of the priest and began reciting the eulogy at his own grave:

“Mr. Ye Ye Hao, born 25 years ago in a poor countryside, died on March 24th, just the day before yesterday, at the age of 25. I can still recall his image in my memory. My poor twin brother, who never had enough to eat or wear, survived by theft and fraud, which may be despicable, but who can blame him in such circumstances?

…”

Traditional eulogies typically focus on a person’s accomplishments or the longing of their family, but players weren’t ones to follow boring conventions. At most, they’d mention the backstory of their role cards and then let their creativity take over.

“Under the care of a hostess named Lasina, Mr. Ye Ye enjoyed a brief period of decent living. I have to say, I really despised him for it. Why didn’t that rich lady come looking for me instead?! Oh, by the way, I’m still open to wealthy patrons. I’ve got plenty of talents, and even oil tycoons are welcome. I’ll introduce you to my lovely teammate Shushu Hao, he’s always available…”

A major incident occurred at the funeral as Ye Ye, pretending to be the priest, was pinned down and beaten by Shushu Hao. But it didn’t matter, as Ye Ye quickly got back up and continued his speech.

“I have to say, my twin brother’s life was an absolute failure, but even in his failed life, he did manage to do something remarkable.”

Ye Ye puffed out his chest and looked toward Edmund. “He died saving others, and for that, I’m proud of him.”

The surrounding players cooperated by applauding. Edmund, dazed, looked toward them and was gently pushed forward by Ranen, back into the players’ line of sight.

“Thank you, Edmund.”

“No, no, there’s really nothing for you to thank me for,” Edmund said, waving his hands in flustered denial.

Ye Ye shrugged. “No, your survival is the greatest comfort to us. Not to mention, you saved Baba Hao and Shushu Hao, preventing an even bigger conspiracy.”

Two players nodded gratefully at him, and one came over to give Edmund a pat on the shoulder.

“I really… didn’t do anything.” Edmund’s voice grew quieter. Among this group of eccentrically dressed oddballs, who would look especially strange to most people, he suddenly felt an odd sense of belonging.

No one looked at him with strange eyes. They were grateful to him and accepted him.

He thought to himself, he truly liked this group of people.

And he was even more grateful to the being that allowed him to integrate into this place.

“Alright! The funeral is over, let’s start the banquet!” Ye Ye cheered.

“Woooooo!”

The players were thrilled, each pulling out food, lights, candles, and even setting up eerie lighting effects to match the cemetery atmosphere.

Of course, they could be so carefree because Yoris Cemetery had long been abandoned, with few burials taking place in the area, and even the caretaker had passed away not long ago.

It was fitting—a nonexistent cemetery, perfect for burying nonexistent people.

Ranen smiled, not disturbing the players’ fun, and turned to leave.

He had once belonged there ^[2] Being a player , but now, if he showed up, it would only attract the players’ attention and speculation. In this moment of pure joy, it was better to leave the space for them.

The players didn’t notice Ranen’s departure. Perhaps Edmund did, but surrounded by the players, he only looked away for a moment, and Ranen’s figure had already vanished.

Ranen wandered aimlessly along the streets. It was late, and it was hard to find a taxi. As he walked, a wave of loneliness suddenly washed over him.

The world was vast, yet there was no home for him.

Mist lingered in the air, the night deepened, and lights shone from every home. Strange creatures, invisible to ordinary people, roamed the street corners.

Ranen walked among the pedestrians, among the strange beings, as if his consciousness floated lightly away from his body. He cared neither for humans nor for the strange, drifting between the two, with no place to call home.

The mist, invisible to ordinary people, gradually spread from where Ranen walked, yet he didn’t notice at all.

Until a deep voice pulled Ranen’s mind back to reality.

“Ranen?”

Ranen snapped out of his daze and saw his roommate standing in front of him, though he hadn’t noticed when he had arrived. His roommate was carrying what looked like bags of groceries fresh from a supermarket run, with eggs, steak, rosemary, and of course, pasta and bread sticking out of the top.

“What’s for dinner tonight?” Ranen asked instinctively.

Ogre glanced at the bags and hesitated. “Steak dinner?”

“Sounds good,” Ranen smiled, the fog in his mind clearing a little. But for some reason, his body still felt weak. Just as he was about to lower his head, Ogre silently took his hand.

“? Ogre?”

“It’s time to cross the street, look ahead,” Ogre said softly beside him.

Ranen lifted his head and saw the green light indicating it was safe to cross. Pedestrians and strange beings waiting for the light surged forward all at once.

In a crowded place, it was easy to get separated. Ranen instinctively tightened his grip on Ogre’s hand. Ogre returned the gesture with equal strength, and the two of them walked step by step with the crowd to the other side. Ranen didn’t notice that the gray mist beneath his feet slowly retracted, and the strange beings among the crowd cast longing glances at him but couldn’t approach.

As they walked back to the apartment, Ranen felt like a kite being held in place.

The other end of the string was in the hand of the person holding his.

At night, Ranen lay on his side in bed, well-fed and scrolling through forums, feeling as carefree as a god.

Loneliness? What’s that? Never heard of it.

The pleasant feeling had his brain firing on all cylinders, and suddenly, he sat up as a flash of insight hit him.

Soren Hogg.

He finally remembered the name. Wasn’t that the boss of the Outsider Organization from the final Arkham battle quest? Since he was the first big boss to wipe out the entire player group and cause the main quest to fail, even though he never appeared again, there were still many traces of him in the forum. The immense pressure he had placed on the players at the time was unforgettable.

He was relieved that the person wasn’t a perverted gardener. At least he didn’t have to worry about the people around him. But the Ousider Organization wasn’t much better!

But then, why had he become a target? It didn’t make any sense. In his past life, there wasn’t even an NPC like Ranen in the quest. He couldn’t figure out what butterfly effect had drawn their attention to him. Why was a group that should be focused on concocting evil plans suddenly targeting him?

And what exactly were the Outsiders after? He couldn’t recall clearly—he only remembered that they ended up destroying Arkham…

The thought that a big boss like that was targeting him for no apparent reason almost brought Ranen to tears. He really wanted to ask why.

He hadn’t done anything! Couldn’t their villainous organization focus on their apocalyptic goals instead of fixating on a regular guy like him?

Is it too late to leave Arkham right now?

Ranen was deeply troubled, and that worry lingered with him all the way until the next day.

The morning sunlight once again woke up a sleepless person. Under Ogre’s hesitant gaze, Ranen resolutely left the house and sat down once more in the therapy room.

For some reason, though, today the players seemed unusually well-behaved. They didn’t even make their usual sarcastic remarks, leaving Ranen feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

*Ding~

Ranen looked up, too tired to even muster a smile, his face expressionless as he glanced at the person who had entered.

Archie stepped inside with heavy footsteps, immediately overwhelmed by the oppressive atmosphere that greeted him.

Ranen usually smiled. When he did, his entire being exuded a gentle, vibrant energy that softened the inhuman beauty he possessed. Outsiders would simply think the young man was exceedingly beautiful, never suspecting his non-human nature.

Archie was no different. If not for his abilities that revealed Ranen’s true identity, no one would have ever guessed that he was an eldritch god—and possibly a highly dangerous one at that.

But today, Ranen blew away any last shred of hope Archie had clung to.

The pressure—like staring directly into the abyss—swept over Archie, making him nearly turn around and flee.

He could sense that Ranen was in a foul mood for some unknown reason today, and even saying the wrong word could lead to irreversible consequences.

However, Archie managed to suppress the urge to flee. Step by step, he walked up to Ranen, his expression somewhat gloomy.

Seeing his demeanor, Ranen knew exactly what was going on. “Looks like I was right.”

Archie, looking dejected with dark circles under his eyes, replied, “Yes.”

The story flashed back to the night before. After Ranen hung up the phone, Archie only half-believed what he had said.

After all, this was Albert, a close childhood friend. It was impossible for him to doubt Albert just because of a few words from Ranen. Compared to Ranen, whose identity seemed tied to an eldritch god, Archie still trusted Albert more.

But Ranen had no reason to lie either. Torn with uncertainty, Archie used his abilities that very night to enter the Dream Rift and inquire about Albert’s activities.

The result? He discovered that Albert had indeed been involved in various secretive gatherings.

It was hard to describe what Archie felt at that moment—anger, embarrassment, and a deep sense of confusion.

As an expert in psychology and someone who had grown up with Albert, he had always believed he knew Albert better than anyone else. But now, he realized that had all been his own assumption.

Had he been too arrogant to miss such obvious signs for so long?

“Albert has been attending mysterious gatherings and has joined a secret organization,” Archie admitted.

Archie smiled bitterly. He had used his ability again after a day, and to his surprise, the questions from the man in black weren’t as difficult as before. He was back to dealing with ordinary turtle soup. This time, he only failed once, temporarily losing his sense of taste—a price he could tolerate.

Archie speculated that the difficulty of the questions might be related to the content he had inquired about last time.

“What organization?” Ranen asked.

Archie’s lips moved, “The Outsider…”

Not surprisingly.

Ranen murmured, “Soren Hogg, the leader of the Outsider.”

Was Albert sent by him?

At that moment, an unexpected change occurred. After Ranen spoke that name, it seemed to trigger some kind of chain reaction. Archie’s expression began to shift. By the time Ranen noticed, the young man had already bent over, gripping the collar of his shirt and gasping for air.

Archie’s head spun, a flood of information rushing into his mind, making it feel as if he were about to faint from the pain. Ranen, unsure of what was happening, caught him just before he collapsed, and Archie immediately grasped Ranen’s sleeve.

“Hypnosis…,” Archie managed to say.

“What?”

“I was… hypnotized…” Archie saw black spots before his eyes. He couldn’t even hear what he was saying. A man’s indistinct words kept echoing in his ears, reciting unrelated phrases, and the information that had been vivid in his mind began to fade.

No, no! If this continues, he will forget again.

Archie clutched Ranen’s clothing tightly, like grasping the last lifeline. He opened his mouth, but no words came out, as if his tongue no longer belonged to him.

But Ranen had already understood his meaning.

Although it was hard to imagine that a master of psychology like Archie could be hypnotized, it appeared that the psychological suggestion was triggered by keywords.

Time was of the essence; Ranen had less than two seconds to hesitate. He cupped Archie’s face. “Look at me.”

Archie used the last of his strength to focus on Ranen. Their faces were very close, closer than ever before. Those bright green eyes filled his vision and heart.

*Slap—!*

In an instant, just as all of Archie’s attention was forcibly drawn to Ranen’s captivating beauty, Ranen didn’t hesitate. He quickly clapped his hands right beside Archie’s ear, using a special technique to create a loud and crisp sound.

The noise in Archie’s mind was instantly cut off, leaving him in a blank void, as if his nerves had been numbed.

“Doctor Archie, are you okay?” Ranen gently patted Archie’s back, unsure.

The technique he just used was called “cat trick,” which originated from Japanese sumo wrestling. In simple terms, it involved using feints to divert attention while employing sounds like clapping or shouting to disturb the mind, resulting in temporary nerve paralysis. There are many applications of this technique in hypnosis, making it a method for instant hypnosis.

Of course, there are many limitations in actual usage. Ranen had used it out of necessity, recalling its existence in a moment of crisis. With the added effect of his own “captivating face,” he thought it might work.

Archie took two or three seconds to recover, looking at Ranen with a complex expression.

“Thank you,” he said sincerely for the first time. “If it weren’t for you, I probably would have forgotten under the influence of psychological suggestion. That was something very, very important.”

“You’re welcome.” Ranen shrugged and released his grip only after Archie managed to stand up. “And I’m curious—who gave you that psychological suggestion?”

“…I don’t know.” Archie lowered his eyes. “I can’t remember who it was, but it must have happened when I was very young.”

“?”

“It was the environment. The only fragment I can recall is of the place where I used to live.”

Archie’s voice was hoarse, and his expression was dazed. “I’m really… confused right now. My mind is all jumbled.”

Ah, this. Ranen instantly felt a pang of guilt. Could it be that his earlier actions had left the kid in a daze?

He scrutinized Archie’s expression and felt even more guilty. This was bad; he had never seen such an innocent and bewildered look on Doctor Archie’s face. It seemed like he might have actually stunned the guy.

Ranen quickly pressed Archie back into his seat. “If you don’t mind, let’s do some psychological analysis.”

“The psychological suggestion you received must be from a long time ago. If it’s related to a cult, then the person who implanted that suggestion in you likely did so to protect you, which is why your previous memories were sealed.”

Archie remained silent, allowing Ranen to keep him pressed into the seat. He closed his eyes and tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Protection? Maybe.”

“Do you mind telling me about the memories you’ve recalled?” 

Archie’s expression showed a struggle. Finally, he lowered his head and slowly said, “The memories I’ve sealed away are about my father. He was gone when I was very young. I originally thought he must have someone else out there, which is why he never came to see us, but I remembered something just now.”

“He wasn’t with someone else; he joined a secret organization,” Archie’s expression turned cold. “He was too busy with his ‘great cause’ to care about our well-being.”

Ranen: …

It’s not like he has any involvement in a cult either, so why does he feel like he’s being indirectly criticized at this moment?

He quickly shifted the topic. “The organization your father was involved with is the ‘Outsider,’ right?”

“Very likely,” Archie replied expressionlessly. “A few times when he returned, I secretly followed him to see if he really had someone else, but he caught me several times. There was one time… my memory is a bit hazy, but I think I found something. If I go back to familiar places, I should be able to remember more.”

He paused and murmured, “I want to go back… I will go back.”

“Go back and find evidence of the organization’s crimes.”

“Find the evidence, and then what?” Ranen asked. “You possess a similar extraordinary ability yourself. Do you really think that if you find the evidence, you can use human laws to put them in jail?”

Archie paused for a moment, then fell silent.

An awkward silence enveloped the two, akin to a snake quietly slithering on the ground, waiting for its prey to reveal a vulnerability.

To be honest, his initial reaction was indeed that having evidence could lead to arrests. Even if the police couldn’t manage it, they could report it to the inspection bureau. But he quickly realized that the entity before him would not allow such actions.

Ultimately, Archie forced a bitter smile, telling himself that at this point, he couldn’t believe he could easily escape.

The moment he compromised with the evil god meant continual compromises, gradually leading him deeper into the abyss.

“Please help me,” he pleaded with the evil god. “Please tell me… what to do.”

Just as Ranen was about to suggest that Archie could report to the inspection bureau, he fell silent.

Wait, what does that mean? What’s with that expression of “I’d rather sink into the mire than drag the neighboring cult down with me”?

Is this place a mire?

Oh, pardon me; it seems that in everyone’s eyes, this place is also a cult.

Ranen was left speechless.