[This Lovecraftian world is all too real]

Warning: This chapter contains scenes of violence that may be disturbing to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1!

Welcome back to Wheel of Fate.

Druid opened his eyes excitedly. What surprised him was that their starting point had also changed. They had gone from a deserted street corner to a small clinic. As soon as Druid sat up, he was hurriedly kicked out by an elderly nurse who declared, “If you can get up, you should give your bed to someone who needs it!”

Druid was kicked out of the clinic without even having his pants properly on, and then he was utterly shocked.

Such a small, rundown clinic already had a long line outside. Some people were bleeding heavily, but their wounds were hastily wrapped with bandages. Others were leaning on crutches, their faces so pale that it seemed they would collapse at any moment.

Oh, he really did collapse. The nurse organizing the line cursed under her breath, and along with another nurse, they lifted the patient and rushed him into the clinic. The remaining people in the line immediately began grumbling in dissatisfaction.

What’s going on? Why aren’t all these patients going to a proper hospital?

“Do you think we don’t want to go?” an elderly man in the line beside Druid rolled his eyes. “All the hospitals in Arkham are overcrowded. People with no insurance or money might as well come to a small clinic like this, at least they can get treated quickly.”

“Is it really that bad?” Druid asked, shocked.

“How long were you unconscious?” the old man sneered. “Haven’t you figured out the situation yet? The healthcare system can’t keep up, and a large number of poor people are just praying their wounds won’t get infected further and that they’ll die at home instead of here.” The old man scoffed. “And it’s all because of those capitalists who run illegal drug factories!”

“Illegal drug factories?” Druid was confused.

“Yeah, haven’t you seen the news? The reason there’s so much chaos in Arkham right now is because of that drug factory that was operating illegally, making hallucinogenic drugs. They even caused a leak of those drugs into the air, which is why so many people saw monsters!”

“Heh, is that really the case?” A man ahead in the line scoffed, turning around and pulling open the bandage to reveal deep claw marks on his waist and abdomen. “That’s just a cover-up by the government. It wasn’t a hallucination. There were really monsters! Otherwise, do you think these wounds were made by a human?”

Druid examined the claw marks on the man’s waist and abdomen. The marks were almost thirty centimeters long, which was indeed very exaggerated.

“Well… maybe it was a wolf that escaped from the zoo? I heard zoo employees are going out on the streets to catch wild animals.”

“Better to say that it was one of the government’s experimental animals that escaped! It’s obvious that there’s something going on behind the scenes. The government’s hiding the truth!” The man raised his voice, ignoring the looks from others around him. “We need to protest collectively! The government should reveal the truth!”

“That’s right!”

As the line of people began to stir, Druid quietly left before the nurse, who was rushing over angrily, could reach him.

Although he had already experienced it earlier, Druid couldn’t help but marvel at how realistic the NPC reactions were.

Previously, there had been instances where the influx of players and their strange behaviors made the local NPCs suspicious, and now, even more so, the NPCs were starting to question whether this world had another side!

This world truly felt so real!

[Do you want to claim the mainline rewards?]

“Yes! Of course!”

Druid immediately smiled broadly.

For the previous mainline quest, after players watched the final cutscene, they were forcibly logged out, and the rewards hadn’t been claimed yet.

The last mainline quest rewards were based on contribution points, so for someone like Druid, who participated in the earlier parts of the main storyline, the rewards were naturally substantial—30 freely allocated skill points, 10 fixed attribute points, and a three-level increase in player level.

Currently, Druid’s player level had already reached level 20, placing him among the first batch of players in this game.

In addition, there were rewards for brawling growth, listening growth, and “??? Mythical Knowledge” growth, among others…

After Druid collected all the rewards and rolled for all the growth, his highest attribute, Strength, had reached 50 points. The next highest skill was Investigation at 55 points, followed by Brawling at 45 points. Additionally, some general skills like Library Use, Dodge, and Firearms had also reached 30 points.

There was also a money reward—100,000 Western Dollars, enough to buy a vehicle or rent a small house for logging out. Alternatively, he could use it to get some weapons from the Black Poker group.

What a great feeling! Now, even if facing D-level anomalies… at least he wouldn’t die as quickly.

Sighing, Druid thought to himself, this game is so good in every way, but the players’ combat power is too limited. Although he understood it was because of the tabletop RPG elements—it’s impossible for the players’ combat power to be overwhelming—there should at least be some allowance for them to fight back, right?

Overall, it was just a bit disappointing.

While Druid lamented, he headed toward Ranen’s psychological clinic. Along the way, he saw several temporary aid stations and volunteers distributing food to the injured or homeless people. Fire trucks were constantly passing by, back and forth.

The entire map didn’t reset immediately after the mainline plot, as they had imagined. Instead, it thoughtfully left the traces of the world’s wounds.

Hmm, perhaps it is a little too thoughtful.

In addition, Druid occasionally saw many curious-looking players wandering around the streets and alleys. It was obvious they were new to the game, which made him smile in amusement.

Heh, his treasure is getting popular now—so great!

Among these curious newcomers, there was a group of players who stood out. Every player in this group had a uniform title above their heads.

“Starwatcher”

Druid paused for a moment, recognizing that this seemed to be a player from a professional guild. He hadn’t expected them to join the game too.

But don’t professional guilds only play popular games? Do they see potential in Wheel of Fate?

Druid couldn’t help but glance at them a few more times. Three men and one woman—each clearly had their roles assigned. Unlike the new players casually wandering around, their direction was clearly purposeful, and they were always alert to their surroundings. They looked very professional.

This group seemed to be about to cross the street when a little girl, dazed and holding a photo of her deceased parents, stood in front of them. The red light turned on, and the group stopped in their tracks. The little girl, in a daze, continued walking forward.

The car speeding by honked its horn repeatedly and slammed on the brakes.

Druid’s pupils contracted, and he instinctively shouted, “Stop her!”

The people on the opposite side clearly heard Druid’s voice. They looked at him, but none of them moved.

*Crash—!*

The little girl, who had been in front, was now lying at the end of the road, her white dress stained red with blood.

Druid instinctively ran over. His steps faltered for a moment. Just as he was about to reach the girl, Black Cat beat him to it and rushed forward to administer first aid.

“Hold on, don’t give up on life!” Black Cat yelled as he took bandages and medicine from his medical kit, desperately trying to save the girl.

[First Aid: Success]

The girl’s bleeding slowed significantly, and more professional doctors and nurses from the nearby aid station rushed out. They surrounded the girl and continued the emergency treatment. Their expressions showed no surprise, only exhaustion and numbness, as if this scene had already happened more than once. Black Cat stepped back, his mood complicated as he stood to the side.

Druid, exasperated, shouted at the “Starwatch” players, “Why didn’t you stop her? You should have been able to make it in time!”

“What’s wrong with you? It’s just an NPC,” one of the players, a fat man with a physique resembling a sumo wrestler, rolled his eyes and turned to the player with the ID ‘Destiny is in My Hands’. “Captain, let’s go.”

Destiny is in My Hands ignored him, but upon seeing Druid’s ID, he clearly recognized him. “Druid? The one from the player forum?”

“…Yes, it’s me. What about it?”

“It’s nothing, just wondering if you’re selling your account?” Destiny is in My Hands smiled. “Our Starwatch guild can offer a good price.”

“Not selling,” Druid replied coldly.

“Okay then, how about adding each other as friends?”

“I don’t really like adding strangers.”

“Tch, what’s with the attitude?” The fat man rolled his eyes.

“Alright.” Destiny is in My Hands felt a bit awkward, didn’t press the matter further, and didn’t address Druid’s previous question. He turned and led his team away.

Druid wanted to chase after them, but Black Cat stopped him. “Enough, what are you arguing with them for?”

Druid fell silent, sighed, and said, “I just feel a little uncomfortable.”

“Who doesn’t? Our immersive players are on a different path from those professional gamers. Everyone can just go their own way,” Black Cat patted Druid’s back. “Let’s go. Let’s check on that little girl.”

When the car hit the girl earlier, the driver had already slammed on the brakes. Combined with the timely first aid from Black Cat, the girl’s condition had stabilized for the moment. She was put into an ambulance, and during this brief moment, Druid happened to meet the girl’s vacant gaze. It was then that he clearly saw her face and froze in place.

Black Cat nudged him. “What’s wrong?”

Druid replied, “I know this NPC. Remember the video of me that was shown during the PV earlier?”

“Oh, the one from your ‘Cabin Horror’ mission?”

Druid nodded and said, “She’s the little girl I saved back then. Her mother died trying to save her. After I rescued her, I handed her over to her father.”

Black Cat was silent for a moment, then sighed deeply. “This damn worldview.”

“Life for ordinary people in the Lovecraftian world is so pitiful,” Druid sighed again, then seemed slightly puzzled. “Well, I know they’re NPCs, but sometimes they’re so intelligent that I forget that.”

With that, Druid and Black Cat picked up the photo the little girl had been holding at the scene of the accident. The glass frame was undeniably shattered, but fortunately, the photo itself was mostly intact.

However, Druid, looking at the black-and-white photo of the girl’s parents, scratched his head irritably. “This damn game is too realistic in all the unnecessary places.”

“Who’s to say it’s not?” Black Cat sighed and patted his medical kit. “Good thing I put points into first aid and medical skills when I re-registered for the game.”

Druid glanced at him several times.

Black Cat: “? What are you looking at? I’m not gay.”

“Get lost, who wants to be gay with you?” Druid shot back, his face dark. “I was just checking if you’re really okay.”

“Of course. It’s just a game, what could go wrong?”

“Then were those things you posted on the forum intentional? You really scared me, you know.”

Black Cat didn’t respond but tilted his head slightly. “Let’s go. Want to find Ranen?”

“Of course.”

After confirming that Black Cat was fine, or at least appeared fine, Druid sighed in relief. As they walked toward Ranen’s psychological therapy room, he continued to complain about how excessively realistic the game’s details were.

However, they didn’t find Ranen at the therapy clinic.

There were already quite a few players gathered outside the clinic. When they saw Druid and Black Cat, two “celebrities,” many of them gathered around.

“Druid, have you seen Ranen?”

“No, I just logged in. I was delayed by the emergency earlier,” Druid shook his head. “Isn’t he in there?”

“Take a look.” Several players in front moved aside, and Druid and Black Cat saw the clinic’s door firmly shut.

“We looked through the window. Ranen’s not in there,” one player said. “Ranen never stays away this long. If he’s gone for a while, he usually hangs up a sign saying ‘Closed for Business.’ Do you think he might not be in this world anymore?”

Hiss—It’s very possible.

All the players present recalled the main storyline. Ranen should have successfully broken the seal in the hospital.

Regardless of whether the gatekeeper is him or not, in any case, Ranen might, perhaps, no longer need to disguise himself as a psychologist?

If that’s the case… does this mean they’ll never see Ranen again?

Most of the players who came to find Ranen immediately were either players who had been in the game since the 1.0 internal test or new players who joined just for Ranen. Now, being suddenly told that they might never find this NPC again, all the players were left feeling confused.

Then came the huge wave of discussion.

“No way! I came here just for Ranen! Is he really gone? Then I have no reason to keep playing this game.”

“Wuu wuu wuu wuu Ranen, my wife qwq, I don’t believe it!!”

“Ugh, what’s going on with this game? Can’t they get things right? Such a popular NPC, and they just remove him like that?”

“I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it, wuu wuu wuu.”

Amidst this passionate uproar, Druid and Black Cat quietly left the area.

Druid: “What do you think? Black Cat, is Ranen really gone?”

Black Cat was silent for a moment. After Druid asked several times, he snapped out of it: “…I don’t know. The game officials wouldn’t be stupid enough to remove a high-popularity NPC, right? And during such a critical time for the game’s promotion, aren’t they afraid of a massive player revolt?”

Druid logged into the forum and sighed: “As expected, the news has spread. That situation you mentioned is happening now.”

Black Cat also logged onto the forum and saw that players were indeed reporting that they couldn’t find Ranen.

3rd Commenter: [Everyone, Ranen isn’t at his usual spot. He may have left the human world.]

4th Commenter: [Oh no, I joined just to get a spot with Ranen! How could this happen?]

5th Commenter: [How could this be!]

6th Commenter: [Ahhh, I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it! Does this mean I won’t be able to see my wife when I log in anymore?]

7th Commenter: [This is boring. I also came for Ranen. If the officials are going to do this, there’s no point. Anyone with an internal test spot, PM me quickly.]

The post about Ranen’s disappearance quickly gained traction and soon occupied the front page of the game’s forum. Many players, especially new ones who joined just for Ranen’s looks, couldn’t accept it. They hadn’t even had the chance to experience the game’s appeal before being shocked by the official’s move. These players were the easiest to uninstall the game.

Players who were already logged into the game heard the news of Ranen’s disappearance and rushed to the psychological therapy room. When they saw it was empty, panic began to set in.

It’s no wonder the players were so upset. Before the main storyline ended, some players had already speculated that Ranen might not stay at his usual spot in the new version.

After all, Ranen’s previous “character setting” was that of a sealed evil god, but now that the seal was broken, some players guessed that he might no longer need to run a psychological therapy room.

Other players responded: [I’m not listening, I’m not listening. The officials aren’t really stupid enough to just remove him, right?]

And what happened? He really is gone!?

The posts in the player forum asking about it kept increasing, and the topic stayed hot for a long time. Many players ‘threatened’ the officials, saying that if Ranen was really removed, they would quit the game.

Druid: [Don’t worry, everyone. What if he’s just tired and temporarily taking a break?]

The last reply was from Druid. Black Cat glanced at Druid, who was operating in the game: “Do you really think so?”

“What if it’s just a misunderstanding?” Druid said.

Black Cat didn’t reply. He also hoped it was a misunderstanding.

“So, what should we do now?”

“Hmm…” Druid pondered, “Let’s go look for him together. Maybe he just stepped out for a bit.”

It made sense, after all. This game was different from others; it was so realistic. Black Cat had even secretly confirmed that NPCs really do go to the bathroom!

How amazing!

“You’re right, maybe Ranen just went to the bathroom,” Black Cat said confidently. “Let’s go look, maybe we’ll catch him at the restroom.”

Druid: ?

Something’s off with you.

Druid quietly distanced himself from Black Cat. Black Cat didn’t notice at all, enthusiastically heading to the nearby public restroom to wait for him.

They didn’t find Ranen, but they did run into a group of sneaky players sneaking down various alleys.

It was the Starwatch team, the same group they had clashed with before.

“Huh? You’re looking for Ranen too?” Black Cat asked, holding onto Druid, whose face had turned sour and was about to turn away.

“Looking for Ranen? No interest,” the fat guy jumped out. “We’re professional players, unlike you guys. We’re not interested in fawning over NPCs. We’re all self-sufficient in clearing dungeons.”

As he spoke, the fat guy couldn’t help but mock: “I don’t get why you guys are so stupid. The officials made it pretty clear that the focus of this version is the faction system, and you’re still crowding around the little evil god. What for?”

“Fatty,” Destiny is in My Hands suddenly spoke up, frowning disapprovingly.

“Okay, okay, I’ll shut up.” The fat guy made a zipping motion with his hand.

However, Black Cat raised an eyebrow and exposed their hidden agenda: “Oh, I get it. You want to join the Inspection Bureau, right?”

Destiny is in My Hands’s expression shifted slightly. “Hmm? Do we?”

“Come on, it’s obvious. As long as your team isn’t stupid, they’d have arranged for each of you to specialize in different fields when you entered the game. I bet some of you have put all your free attribute points into computers. Once your computer skill hits 35, you can access the game’s internal network and get warnings or recruitment notifications from the Inspection Bureau. The Inspection Bureau is probably the largest official organization in the game right now, and it’s the only one with official investigators.”

Black Cat said: “You professional players are all about the benefits, but I’m curious. You must have done some research before entering the game, right? If you’ve seen our previous posts, you should know the Inspection Bureau has clear internal issues. It might not be a good place.”

“But anyway, it’s the trend,” Destiny is in My Hands said, no longer trying to hide. “Our analysts behind the scenes think the Inspection Bureau is the most promising faction right now. And as for the issue you mentioned, who knows? Maybe it’s just a few bad apples, but it won’t affect the big picture.”

Black Cat didn’t respond. There wasn’t enough intel to analyze yet, but his instincts told him that the problems with the Inspection Bureau might not be small.

And debating justice or injustice didn’t really matter; the players didn’t care about that.

Destiny is in My Hands: “Although the chances are slim, I still have to ask, Mr. Black Cat, would you be interested in joining our organization? You have a very accurate grasp of this game, and we Starwatcher need people like you.”

Black Cat: “Sorry, I’m not a professional player like you. I only do things based on interest or mood.”

With that, there was nothing more to talk about. The two sides parted ways at the next intersection, and one of the Starwatch team members glanced at their backs. “Captain, shouldn’t we make them keep it secret? No players have realized how powerful the Inspection Bureau is yet. The longer we monopolize ahead, the better it will be for us.”

“Forget it. I don’t think they’ll accept our hush money,” Destiny is in My Hands shrugged. “Let’s go. We need to pick up the pace while their attention is still not on the factions.”

After the incident, Black Cat no longer had the mood to joke with Druid and said, “Let’s not waste time. Let’s head straight to the Black Poker and Kamui District. Ranen is more likely to be there.”

Druid: “…Then what were you doing earlier?”

“Ahem, wasn’t I just joking with you?”

To this, Druid cast a skeptical glance.

“Alright, it’s close to the Kamui District. Let’s go take a look.”

With that, the two quickly set off. Meanwhile, some players, thinking the same as Druid and Black Cat, began searching for Ranen.

The game forum also saw a surge of posts criticizing the game officials, showing just how much weight Ranen, this NPC, carried in the players’ minds.

When Druid and Black Cat entered the Kamui District, they noticed the stark contrast between the surroundings here and the outside city.

How should they put it? Before the main storyline, this district already looked quite poor, even having a slum-like feel. But now, after the main storyline, it was obvious that the area had been wounded; there were many temporary tents set up in the middle of the street.

What was different from the outside was that there were no shelters or volunteers in red vests here.

The people in this district, judging by their skin color, were undoubtedly from the same ethnic group. Druid and Black Cat, who had different skin tones, were immediately noticed as soon as they entered, but soon the three brothers who had met Druid and the others before came over.

“Is there something you need?” one of the brothers asked.

“Hi, hello, do you remember me? I came here before to buy some magical potions,” Druid greeted.

The younger brother of the three nodded. “I remember. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have come over. So, what’s the matter? If you have something to say, please make it quick. We’re very busy.”

Black Cat said, “We wanted to ask if any of you have seen Ranen? We saw that his psychology clinic has a sign saying it’s temporarily closed.”

The younger brother shook his head. “We haven’t seen that person in a long time.”

“Really? Alright then.” Druid and Black Cat were both disappointed. Just as they were about to leave, they heard someone walk out of a tent. “I think I heard a familiar name.”

“Uncle, why are you out here? Didn’t you just rest?”

“I couldn’t sleep, so I just got up.”

Carmen stepped out of the tent, looked at Druid and Black Cat, and smiled. “I’m glad I didn’t miss this.”

Druid felt a stir in his heart and quickly asked, “You are…?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I think I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Carmen, the leader of the Kamui Tribe. I don’t know if you know Ye Ye Hao and Baba Hao. They once saved me, along with Lord Ranen, of course.”

It’s him???

Druid and Black Cat looked at Carmen in confusion. Although they hadn’t participated in the Soul-Eating Butterfly event, they had certainly heard about the famous bonus pool quest in the game. But from the screenshots in the player forums, Carmen didn’t look like this!

Who is this exotic, handsome older man?!

Black Cat asked, “What do you mean by what you just said? Have you met Ranen?”

“No, I haven’t met Him,” Carmen said.

Seeing the disappointment in their eyes, Carmen slowly added, “But I received a divine oracle from Lord Ranen. If anyone comes searching for Him, I am responsible for guiding them.”

Druid and Black Cat:!

Carmen: “Please follow me, travelers from another world.”

With that, he turned and walked from the tent to a nearby detached house. Druid and Black Cat quickly followed, and Druid, without needing Black Cat to remind him, instinctively started a live stream.

They were both quite familiar with this.

Both of them loved the game and also really liked Ranen as an NPC. If this was a misunderstanding, they just hoped that the new players would be a bit more patient with the game.

Carmen led them to his house, which was also the place where the Soul-Eating Butterfly event had occurred. He and his sister’s family lived in a two-story small building. The house seemed spacious at first glance, but it was actually in disrepair, with very simple interior furnishings.

As soon as Druid and Black Cat entered, they eagerly asked, “What should we do?”

“Don’t be in a hurry,” Carmen said with a mysterious smile. “He has already made arrangements.”

The two of them quieted down. Carmen brought over a roll of blanket with a strange magic circle carved into it.

“He knew long ago that someone would come looking for Him, so He specially instructed me to welcome you. However, His current location is special, and you must go through a ritual to meet Him.”

“What kind of ritual?” Druid asked impatiently.

“Before the ritual, I must confirm something with you,” Carmen said. “Once the ritual begins, there will be no turning back. You must join Lord Ranen’s faction in order to enter His divine kingdom.”

“Are you sure you want to join?”

A system prompt sounded in their ears.

[Are you sure you want to join the Neutral Faction – Secret Church?]

Faction!

Of course, it is a definite “yes”!

Just as Druid was about to select “yes,” Black Cat suddenly said, “Sorry, could you let me have the first membership slot? Please, this is really important to me!”

Druid was a little confused, but since Black Cat had asked, it didn’t seem like a big deal. Black Cat happily clicked confirm first, followed by Druid.

The two were delighted to find out that they were the first and second to join Ranen’s faction.

[My wife’s faction! Does this mean my wife isn’t gone!?]

[Ahhhh Secret Church!]

At this moment, Druid’s live stream, which had just started, was flooded with viewers. When the players saw the system prompt from Druid and Black Cat, they couldn’t help but start commenting.

“Hehe, we’re the first and second to join the Ranen Church,” Druid said, bragging with the bullet chat.

[Ahhhhhh Druid, Black Cat, you guys snuck ahead again!]

[Is this even fair? Is this even fair?]

[Tell me where! I want to join too!]

[Looking at the surroundings, this is probably the Kamui tribe’s place, the location where the bonus pool quest was triggered last time!]

[Wait for me, I’m coming too!]

The players were commenting in the bullet chat, eager to join, while Druid and Black Cat looked at Carmen and asked, “We’ve joined the faction, so what’s the next step?”

Carmen looked at them kindly, suddenly stood up, crossed his arms over his chest, and bent slightly in a bow, “Welcome to the Secret Church. I am the first priest of the church, Carmen Kamui.”

“The next step is quite simple. To meet our faith, our savior, and deity, just recite the prayer on this carpet. This will attract His attention. If He wants to meet you, He will guide you to His divine kingdom,” Carmen explained.

Following Carmen’s instructions, Druid and Black Cat began the attempt:

“The Overturner of Fate,

The unspeakable mystery,

The new lord of nature and the forest….”

[It’s appearing! The directional prayer words, this must be Ranen’s power!]

[It definitely points to Ranen’s identity, huh, I thought there’d be something related to a gate.]

[The first two are hard to describe, but “The new lord of nature and the forest”—this is practically a decree of the Shepherd God!?]

Amidst the bullet chat discussions, Druid and Black Cat repeated the prayer Carmen had given, while continuously flashing thoughts of wanting to meet Ranen in their minds as instructed.

The magic circle on the carpet emitted a dazzling light, and when Druid and Black Cat closed and then opened their eyes, they found themselves in a completely different place.

As they opened their eyes, they arrived at a place that felt incredibly familiar.

“This… this is…?” Druid looked around in surprise. “Isn’t this the nighttime hospital!?”

How did they end up back here?!

Black Cat pondered for a moment and then said, “Could it be that all of this is actually our illusion? From the beginning, we never really left the hospital, and everything that happened afterward is just something we imagined?”

[???]

[??]

A row of question marks flashed in the bullet chat, and Druid looked uncertain, while Black Cat laughed. “I’m just joking, how could that be?”

[LOL, because it’s Black Cat, I instinctively thought it was part of the plot.]

[Same here, I was just wondering if I missed something.]

[Wait a minute, don’t you think something’s off about the hospital?]

This wasn’t just the bullet chat; Druid and Black Cat noticed it as well. The hospital, which shouldn’t have had so many plants inside, was now almost entirely surrounded by trees. The area outside the mental treatment zone, which was originally an open space, had now grown many trees.

Not just the open space, but even the exterior walls of the hospital building were covered with all sorts of vines.

“What is going on here…?”

Before Druid and Black Cat could take a closer look, they suddenly heard heavy footsteps from behind.

The two turned around and saw a patient in a hospital gown running toward them with a vicious expression on his face.

“Move! Get out of my way!”

The patient yelled as he ran toward them, or rather, toward the direction they happened to be standing in, which was near the exit.

“The Director?” Druid looked at him in surprise.

Before the two players could react, the vines on the ground slowly rose and tripped the “Director,” causing him to fall to the ground.

The “Director” tumbled, covered in blood, and just as the cockroach-like nurse was about to grab him, the “Director” suddenly shouted, “Stop! I’m the Director of Arkham Hospital, you can’t treat me like this!”

The cockroach-like nurse remained unmoved and simply picked the Director up, then turned to the stunned Druid and Black Cat. “Apologies, respected guests.”

“Huh? What did you just call us?”

“Respected guests,” the cockroach-like nurse repeated, “Our Lord is waiting for you in the Arkham Hospital courtyard. Please, follow me.”

With that, the nurse hoisted the “Director,” still entangled in vines, onto his shoulder and continued toward the mental treatment area. Druid and Black Cat exchanged looks, both seeing the anticipation in each other’s eyes.

“I think we’re thinking the same thing.”

“Heh, great minds think alike.”

Without hesitation, Black Cat and Druid made their way toward the courtyard. Along the way, the vines and saplings on the ground seemed to gently bend as they passed, as if guiding them, like considerate butlers or the fairies leading the protagonist in a fairy tale.

The difference, however, was that in a fairy tale, the protagonist would usually reach a beautiful and mysterious realm, while Black Cat and Druid were gradually venturing deeper into a botanical garden filled with an eerie, sinister atmosphere.

The path from the mental treatment area to the courtyard wasn’t long, but the two spent a bit more time taking screenshots of the scenery along the way. The atmosphere of the nighttime hospital was already eerie enough, and now, with the added twisted plants, tree bark resembling human faces, black branches, withered leaves, and occasional ghostly shadows passing by windows or moving through the hallways, it was like a plus version of the dark forest.

Finally, they arrived.

The path turned, revealing a new view.

First, a faint glow like fireflies drifted past them. Druid and Black Cat hadn’t yet realized what was happening, until they saw Ranen’s figure.

The hospital was already dark at night, and the plants along the path were tall, dense, and strange, adding more to the horror movie-like atmosphere.

But the deep forest wasn’t home to monsters.

It was home to a deity.

The soft light illuminated Ranen, who sat on the only throne in the twisted forest, as if the sky above had been intentionally cleared to let the light shine on him. Behind him, giant trees reached up to the clouds, their branches full of white flowers. The intoxicating fragrance of the flowers penetrated deeply, and petals fell gently, some of which were fortunate enough to land in the Creator’s hands.

The glow surrounded him, but whether it was the flowers or the light, they were just stars that framed the bright moon.

Ranen had changed from his usual attire. Now, he wore something more suited to a royal court style. The black lantern sleeves were fastened with silver-white cuffs at the wrists, and the white vest revealed his waist. The lace collar was open, exposing his delicate collarbones. The simple yet elegant design highlighted his otherworldly beauty and aura. A dangerous butterfly with blood-red patterns on its wings rested on his fingertip, calmly assuming a submissive position.

He looked like a deity who had stepped out of an oil painting.