[Player Forum]

When the light shone on him, no one could look away.

Even though Druid had seen Ranen several times before, in this moment, he couldn’t help but become mesmerized. Meanwhile, Black Cat had already gone through a sanity check.

[Ahhhh, my wife’s new artwork!!!]

[Let me in! Let me in!]

[This scene is worth everything. Alright, I forgive the game for temporarily making my wife disappear.]

[Hahaha, what a classic “raise the stakes and then bring the payoff” moment. The official team really knows how to create a big scene.]

[Tsk tsk, making the previous path so dark, and then only lighting up on my wife? The official team really knows how to do it!]

[Official team: Can’t get you guys with just his looks? (Laugh)]

[Thank you, official team, new artwork is so gorgeous!]

Ranen glanced at the audience’s reactions in Druid’s live stream, watching the numbers soar rapidly. He felt a sense of satisfaction in his heart.

It was worth the effort he spent staying up all night preparing the set, and the clothes that Ogre sewed overnight.

#The evil god is still working hard today#

#Quick, thank Ogre#

“You’ve arrived.” Ranen withdrew his gaze from the distance and looked at Druid and Black Cat, who were still standing in place, a smile tugging at his lips.

“You, you are…” Druid immediately got into character and asked hesitantly.

“Before entering here, he should have told you,” Ranen said slowly, “From the moment you spoke the prayer that pointed to me, you should have known what I am.”

He said it! He admitted it!

Druid stammered, “Oh my god, I mean, we didn’t know you were such a great existence… I mean, to think we had such a great adventure with someone like you, this will be the greatest honor of my life.”

The bullet comments couldn’t bear to watch him act like such a polite sycophant.

[What the hell is this translation tone? Hahaha]

[Druid, if you keep talking to me like that, I’m going to kiss your butt with my leather shoes.]

[Druid, where’s your dignity?]

[You’re deliberately getting closer to my wife… noted in my little notebook.]

[You scoundrel! How shameless!]

Druid quickly typed blindly in the live stream: [What sycophant? This is a normal person’s normal reaction, okay? A normal person would be shocked to find out that the companion they’ve been adventuring with is a god. Is it not okay to be surprised?]

Druid: [Also, how can players be called sycophants to NPCs?]

Before the bullet comments could continue criticizing him, Ranen spoke.

“I of course remember, and I’m very grateful for your help,” Ranen said, and Ogre, who had been standing in the shadows behind him, stepped forward, carrying a tray and walking toward Druid and Black Cat.

When Druid and Black Cat saw Ogre’s new appearance, their eyes nearly popped out.

Finally, the bullet comments asked the question on behalf of all the players.

[Who is this???]

[So handsome! Is this a new NPC!?]

[Wait, why does this look a little familiar?]

[Holy crap, that iconic body, isn’t this Ogre?]

[You up there, don’t lie to me, Ogre looks like this??]

[The Beast and the Rose ship is back! Ogre can carry Ranen with one hand, I’m all in for this body type gap!]

The man who walked out had his messy long hair neatly tied at the back of his head, with a few half-length strands deliberately left hanging by his cheeks. His features were deep, his jaw sharp, and his nose straight—an ideal “hard man” face popular in the West. However, his artist’s aura softened the stiffness of his features, adding a few extra layers of wild beauty.

Today, he wore a tailcoat corresponding to Ranen’s outfit. Since regular tailcoats on the market didn’t come in Ogre’s size, he had made this one himself, perfectly showcasing his broad shoulders and narrow waist. If Ranen’s beauty was that of an otherworldly, dazzling, divine figure, Ogre was the type that exuded explosive masculinity.

Just by looking at him, his appearance would probably be over 85.

[???]

[What the hell! He actually looks this good after dressing up! NPCs are always just randomly ugly, I’m crying.]

[Hiss, this body??? The before and after comparison?]

In the live stream, some excited players posted before-and-after comparison photos. The first one showed Ogre in his old outfit—loose clothes, a big bulky figure, and disheveled hair, giving off a strong sense of pressure, and looking a little sloppy.

The other one showed Ogre now, with a 2-meter-tall body and perfect proportions. His hair was tied back, appearance over 85.

[Let me introduce, this is my new husband (dog face)]

[I knew it, there’s no way an NPC appearing next to Ranen would be simple.]

Seeing that Druid and Black Cat had no immediate reaction, Ogre tilted his head, thinking they hadn’t seen him, and lowered the tray a bit.

Druid and Black Cat came back to their senses and looked at the tray Ogre was offering. It contained two daggers, each with dark green patterns on the handles, their overall design resembling military knives.

What are these?  

Before the two could use their investigation skills, Ranen said, “This is an enchanted weapon. Its effect is to absorb the enemy’s blood to replenish your own. Consider it a gift for joining the church.”  

Just like in the previous Soul-Eating Butterfly incident, once the NPC voluntarily disclosed information, the system notification popped up.  

[Vampiric Dagger (Enchanted Weapon)]  

[Grade: D+]  

[Description: A product of the Secret Church—one of a kind, no duplicates.]  

Enchanted weapon???  

Druid and Black Cat both gaped in shock, and the bullet comments exploded at the same time.  

[An enchanted weapon???]  

[Holy crap, there’s a reward like this?? Why don’t I have one?!]  

[Aaaaaah I’m so jealous! Isn’t this the first enchanted weapon in the game?]  

[Rigged! This has to be rigged! Druid must be using cheats!]  

[If I don’t have it, then it’s definitely rigged!]  

[Druid! Post the stats so we can see! Don’t make me kneel and beg orz]  

While the envious players in the stream continued to wail, the more seasoned ones had already logged in and rushed to join the faction.  

“This… this is for us?”  

“Of course. As I said, it’s a token of appreciation for your help, as well as your initiation gift,” Ranen replied.  

Druid and Black Cat solemnly accepted the daggers. Black Cat carefully tucked his away, while Druid, after showing off his to the stream for a while, whispered that he would post the weapon’s full stats on the forum later, so everyone should stay tuned.  

Clearly, he was teasing an upcoming forum thread.  

Black Cat asked, “Will you be returning to the psychological therapy room?”  

This was a question that Druid’s stream viewers were particularly eager to know.  

Ranen was silent for a moment before he said, “When the time is right, I will naturally appear again.”

The right time would probably be when those factions gave up their search or concluded that he was not the Gatekeeper.  

Moreover, the increasing number of players was another problem. With just 500 players before, many had already come to the psychological therapy room to find him, drawing attention from those around him. Now that the player count had doubled, Ranen wasn’t stupid—this was no different from outright telling the forces infiltrating Arkham, “There’s something unusual here.”  

Because of this, Ranen had already abandoned that place. At least until he found a solution, there was no way for him to return.  

Hearing his response, the audience in the stream was somewhat disappointed, though Black Cat seemed to be deep in thought.  

“It’s time.” At that moment, Ranen seemed to sense something. He looked toward the sky with a deep gaze. “You should leave now.”  

Other players had also found Carmen. Time was running out, and Druid and Black Cat needed to leave as well—he had to save some time for the others.  

“One last thing.” Ranen smiled at them. “Thank you for everything you’ve done.”  

He looked at Druid and Black Cat, but his words were meant for all players.  

Without their efforts, he alone would not have been able to stop the Outsider’s scheme.  

Because of them, the city remained safe.  

Druid and Black Cat opened their mouths, but before they could say anything, dizziness overtook them again. In the blink of an eye, they were back in reality.  

Carmen stood in front of them, smiling. “I assume you’ve met the one you wished to see.”  

“…Yes.” Black Cat steadied himself and asked, “Earlier, you mentioned ‘entering his divine kingdom.’ Was that place we just visited his divine kingdom? Can we go there again?”  

As they spoke, Black Cat and Druid kept sneaking glances at the magic circle on the carpet and silently reciting the prayer from before, trying to re-enter.  

Well, it was obvious they had failed.  

Carmen said, “Where He is, there is His divine kingdom. As for how to enter again—aside from true believers, followers currently have no way to enter directly. However, do not be discouraged. As long as your faith is sincere enough, you will eventually reach the standard of a true believer.”  

“Our Savior is merciful. Even if you are not true believers, as long as you contribute to the church, He will not withhold His gaze from you.”  

With that, a series of system notifications popped up.  

[Faction missions unlocked. You may complete the following tasks to earn faction honor points, which can be exchanged for exclusive rewards in the faction shop.]  

Black Cat and Druid’s eyes lit up as they quickly opened the mission list.  

[Faction Daily – Treat the Wounded]  

[Details: After the disaster in Arkham City, many citizens were injured, placing immense pressure on the medical system. Do your best to treat the wounded you encounter on the streets.]  

[Faction Daily – Rebuild Arkham]  

[Details: Many buildings collapsed in the disaster, leaving many NPCs homeless. Perhaps you can lend a hand in rebuilding their homes.]  

[Faction Daily – Comfort the Wounded]  

[Faction Daily – Deliver Supplies]  

There were many tasks, but they all revolved around a single goal—helping rebuild Arkham after the disaster.  

How is this an evil god?! This is more like a saint!  

Clearly, more than one player in the stream was thinking the same thing.

[Why are Ranen’s faction daily missions so normal? I was already mentally prepared to burn a few people alive.]  

[Good grief, someone arrest this villain above!]  

[I told you, this game isn’t a cultist simulator!]  

[If you keep this up, the cops are gonna come for you!]  

While the stream chat continued its chaotic banter, Druid couldn’t wait any longer and opened the faction shop. The moment he did, he was stunned by the sheer variety of items available.  

First was the potion section. Previously, Druid had been certain that only low-tier potions were sold here—mostly D-grade, with only a handful of C-grade ones that were either snatched up by players the moment they appeared or pre-ordered in advance by certain “connections” (looking at you, Trickster Squad).  

But now, there were actually B-grade and even A-grade potions???  

When Druid saw rows of A-grade potions gleaming with brilliant silver light, he instinctively pinched himself.  

Holy—A-grade?!  

[Flying Nightbat Transformation Potion]  

[Rank: A]  

[Effect: Upon consumption, you will transform into an A-level anomalous creature, the Flying Nightbat, for three hours, temporarily gaining its stats. Side effect: After three hours, you will suffer from light sensitivity for 2d4 ^[1]“2d4” is a dice notation commonly used in tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons. It means rolling two four-sided dice (d4) and summing the results.  For … Continue reading rounds.]  

Drinking this lets you directly transform into an anomaly? Wouldn’t that be completely broken?!  

Druid stared, dumbfounded, and instinctively checked the exchange requirements.  

[Requirements: True Believer status, 10,000 faction honor points.]  

Druid: …  

The faction daily missions they had just seen only gave anywhere from 10 to 100 points each. How long would it take to grind that much?  

It was the same in other sections. Druid also saw the enchanted weapons category, filled with drool-worthy artifacts—each accompanied by similarly daunting exchange requirements.  

The two took screenshots while practically salivating. Druid then asked, “Is ‘True Believer’ a rank?”  

“That’s right,” Carmen replied. “Everyone who has just joined the church is still an ordinary follower. Advancing to Casual Believer costs 100 faction honor points, Shallow Believer costs 1,000, and True Believer requires 5,000.”  

“Above the True Believer, there is also the Fanatic Believer, but this rank cannot be achieved solely by honor points. Only truly devout believers are qualified to gain the recognition of the Lord and become Fanatic Believers.”  

To be honest, Carmen himself found this ranking system rather strange. Shouldn’t a church determine ranks based on piety? But at the time, Ranen had given him a knowing look and said, “They’re more accustomed to this kind of system.”  

Sure enough, Druid and Black Cat had no objections. They simply whispered to each other for a moment before quickly taking screenshots of the rest of the faction shop.  

They didn’t even have time to examine everything in detail—players were still waiting in line. Once they finished taking their screenshots, Carmen promptly threw them out the door.  

The impatient players outside immediately rushed in.

Meanwhile, Druid ended his stream and told his viewers that he would organize the screenshots and upload them to the forum, asking them to stay tuned.  

There was too much new content this time, and he had a feeling the forum was about to get lively again.  

—-

Player Forum  

After several days of grinding—uh, no, doing daily quests—the forum’s skyrocketing activity had gradually returned to a normal level.  

Of course, this normal level was still much higher than in the previous beta version. After all, back then, most people could only watch but not play. Now, at least, another 5,000 players had joined the game.  

When Druid started his stream, the complaints against the devs hadn’t gained much traction before they quickly fizzled out.  

Because everyone suddenly realized—oh, so Ranen is still here.  

Well then, never mind.  

Time to log in and see my wife.  

Of course, aside from those players who were happily jumping into the game, there were also plenty of bystanders—cloud players who hadn’t secured a beta slot. Even though Wheel of Fate had just opened up a new batch of spots, given the total number of players on the waiting list, it was nowhere near enough. Every day, the forum was filled with wails from those who hadn’t managed to get in.  

2nd Commenter: [Is this tiny batch of slots supposed to be charity for beggars? Give us more, you bastards!]  

3rd Commenter: [Yeah, yeah! The slots were gone before I could even blink! Not even five seconds! qwq ^[2] Crying]

4th Commenter: [I bet scalpers are hoarding the slots! The devs need to investigate this!]

5th Commenter: [Give me a slot! I need to see Ranen! If I don’t get my wife, I’m gonna die! orz]

6th Commenter: [Let me in! I’m a student! Give me a slot! (reaches out hands)]  

7th Commenter: [Corruption! This has to be rigged! How did all 5,000 slots disappear so fast? I don’t care! If I didn’t get in, then there must be corruption!]

8th Commenter: [Um… I just want to ask, is the player who said they were going to quit the game and give up their spot still around?]

9th Commenter: [Lmao, you’re behind on the news. Druid just streamed and confirmed that Ranen is still in the game, plus he has his own faction. Now everyone has gone to the live stream to check it out.]  

10th Commenter: [Bruh, weren’t you guys just talking about boycotting the devs and quitting? What happened to that?]

11th Commenter: [Uh… that was just talk. (shifty eyes)]

12th Commenter: [Wasn’t me! I’ve always been looking forward to this game! Must’ve been some cloud players ^[3]A “cloud player” (云玩家) refers to someone who follows a game by watching streams, reading forums, or consuming other secondhand content instead of playing it themselves. This term is … Continue reading stirring things up.]

13th Commenter: [Exactly! I bet the ones yelling earlier were just people who didn’t get in. Maybe they were hoping to trick someone into giving up their slot. What a scheme!]

14th Commenter: [HOLY SHIT. DID YOU GUYS SEE DRUID’S STREAM?! HOLY SHIT, IT’S INSANE.]

15th Commenter: [What? What happened? I haven’t watched yet.]

14th Commenter: [Image.jpg]  

The screenshot uploaded by 14th Commenter was taken from Druid’s stream, capturing Ranen in a breathtaking shot with almost no effort. Against a backdrop of twisted darkness, he seemed to glow—no, this wasn’t even an illusion. A soft light truly illuminated him, making the young god’s beauty the sole focal point of the image.  

He was the only shining deity in a shadowed forest.  

16th Commenter: [The composition! The lighting! The flowers! The trees!]  

17th Commenter: [(crying) This is too artistic. It looks like it could be framed and hung in a gallery. The devs really know what they’re doing.]  

18th Commenter: [My hands are itching to draw. The moment I saw this, I knew what I’d title the piece—The Forgotten Shepherd God.]

19th Commenter: [Passing you a pen, master artist! I wanna see it! Hurry up and draw!]

Chasing Books: [Hmm, the composition really is fantastic. The devs really put in effort this time. I watched Druid’s entire stream, and honestly, you guys will be even more amazed when you watch the replay. You can tell they put real thought into the design—none of the plants along the path were repeated. Every single one was uniquely bizarre, and most of them don’t exist in real life. The only common theme was their dark, grayish tones, giving the whole forest a feeling of death.

Following Druid and the others’ perspective, the journey started with a sense of oppression. The paths were narrow, almost suffocating. Using classical Chinese poetry to describe it, it felt like “the mountains and rivers end, leaving no path ahead” or “at first, the passage is so narrow that only one person can pass through.” But as they moved forward, guided by the glow of fireflies, it suddenly became “a vast, open view”—”the willows darken, then bloom anew.” The young god stood at the gathering place of light—or perhaps, he was the only source of light in this entire forest.]  

21st Commenter: [The person above wrote so much. I’m sticking with you now. (dog head emoji)]  

Chasing Books: [Thinking about it this way, it feels like the developers deliberately kept Ranen out of the real world at first. Maybe it was all part of the design—keeping Ranen’s fans in suspense, making them anxious and fearful of losing him, only to then give them a big surprise. A bit of suffering, followed by a sweet reward—wasn’t that the perfect way to keep you all hooked?]  

22nd Commenter: [Damn, that actually makes so much sense.]

23rd Commenter: [So I got CPU’d by the developers? No way, my mental health has taken damage. @WheelOfFateOfficial, I suggest you compensate me with more beta test slots to heal my wounded heart.]

24th Commenter: [Attach your ID number.]

25th Commenter: [I’m not as eloquent as the person above, I can only keep repeating that my wife is too beautiful. Ughhh, and he even changed outfits! The developers really put in the effort. So when are we getting merch?]  

26th Commenter: [Ranen, Ranen, my wife, my wife! Ehehehehe~]  

27th Commenter: [Too handsome, too beautiful, I’m done. (collapses in satisfaction)]  

28th Commenter: [Am I the only one who noticed a shadowy figure in the corner next to Ranen? It kind of looks like Ogre.]  

29th Commenter: [Bro, what kind of night vision do you have? It’s that dark, and you can still see?]  

Ranen Solo Fan: [Don’t care. I’m a solo Ranen fan. Ogre, Edmund, Archie—none of them matter to me. I’m just a simple, shameless simp for my wife’s looks.]

CP Fan: [Oh? Is that so? Not even for this? [Image.jpg]]

The image was clearly another screenshot from the livestream. It showed Ogre in a tailcoat, carrying a tray as he walked past two players. There were several close-up shots of his face, as well as pictures capturing his full figure from the front, side, and back.  

30th Commenter: [Who is this? A new NPC?]  

31st Commenter: [Bro, that’s Ogre, lmao. He just tied his hair back.]

32nd Commenter: [???]

33rd Commenter: [???]  

34th Commenter: [Damn… that chest, those arms, that shoulder-to-waist ratio. (drooling) ]

35th Commenter: [I used to see people on the forum calling Ogre a “male mom,” and I didn’t believe it. Now I’m the first to say it—male moms are the best!]  

36th Commenter: [That’s gotta be at least a C-cup, right? Gotta be. I really wanna squeeze and see if it’s soft.]

37th Commenter: [No one else simping for his face? He’s so handsome, with such a wild look. I thought he’d be the carefree, roguish type, but he’s actually a loyal dog-type male mom? This contrast is everything.]

38th Commenter: [Same. I didn’t ship Ogre and Ranen before, but now… I kinda do.]

CP Fan: [[Image.jpg] Look at this pic—Ogre standing behind Ranen, dressed in a tailcoat, looking like the perfect loyal attendant. Isn’t that peak loyal dog energy? And look at their size difference—feels like Ogre could lift Ranen with one hand.]  

39th Commenter: [Thank you. I ship it now.]  

40th Commenter: [Lift! Hurry up and lift! Show me! (crying)]  

41st Commenter: [Not only can he lift him—ahem—during certain activities, Ranen’s feet probably wouldn’t even touch the ground. I’m losing my mind.  

AAAAHHHHHH!!!]  

When Ranen logged into the game forum and saw this post, he nearly wanted to bury himself in the ground out of sheer embarrassment.  

Being praised was one thing. After all, he had used his looks to attract players on purpose, and over time, he’d built up some resistance to compliments. He wasn’t the same person who used to blush just from seeing a player’s praise thread.  

But shipping? Especially shipping him with his own roommate, who he saw every day? That was just awkward.

And the worst part—the players’ posts were getting out of control. Ranen immediately closed the forum, pretending he hadn’t seen anything.  

“Ranen?” Ogre looked at him in confusion, watching him space out and blush on the throne. “What’s wrong?”  

“N-Nothing.” Ranen took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.  

But he couldn’t calm down, dammit!  

Especially with Ogre right next to him. The moment he closed his eyes, all he could see were the wildly inappropriate posts he had just read. He felt like his soul was leaving his body.  

Where are Black Cat and Druid? When are they going to post something? He needs to cleanse his mind of this nonsense.  

He had sworn never to look at weird fan content or… certain explicit posts on the forums. But in the end, he still got caught off guard!  

Ranen quickly exited the post and opened another one—something clearly discussing something else, like the newly introduced enchanted weapons in the game. Only then did he barely manage to calm down.

2nd Commenter: [Everyone’s talking about NPCs—doesn’t anyone care about the enchanted weapons?]

3rd Commenter: [Right? This is the first time these kinds of weapons have appeared in the game! That’s the real topic here!]

4th Commenter: [I think everyone’s waiting for Druid and Black Cat to upload detailed stat screenshots. Druid’s livestream chat is already exploding—players want him to post the stats now, but he said he’d upload them to the forum later.]

5th Commenter: [Ugh, why are they always so lucky? This is the first enchanted weapon in the game!]  

6th Commenter: [Who isn’t jealous? Guess they just licked the right NPCs. (bitter)]  

—-

“Boss! The game’s first enchanted weapon just dropped!”  

While most players were swarming the Kamui District, the Starwatch Squad had also noticed the anomaly. Fatty, who was always monitoring the forum, quickly found the reason.  

“Black Cat and Druid figured out how to join Ranen’s faction, and they even got D-grade enchanted weapons together!” Fatty sent the forum screenshots to Destiny is in My Hands. “The weapon’s stats haven’t been revealed yet, but this doesn’t look good for us.”  

Destiny is in My Hands frowned as he opened the image, his heart sinking slightly at the sight of the military-style dagger.  

After a long silence, he said, “Calm down. There’s a good chance every faction has its own benefits. Since they introduced the faction system, this version or the next will definitely revolve around major faction conflicts. The devs wouldn’t just let one side dominate—it’d be unfair to players who choose other factions. As long as the devs aren’t complete idiots, they won’t break the game’s balance like that.”  

“In other words, at least in the early stages, joining any faction should offer roughly the same advantages, just with different specializations. The only real difference is the strength of the backing behind each faction. The Investigation Bureau is backed by a national institution, meaning it has the scale to accommodate a massive number of players. Once the open beta starts, a huge wave of players will definitely join the Investigation Bureau first. Our choice isn’t wrong.”  

“Besides, who says joining the Bureau doesn’t come with perks?” Destiny is in My Hands suddenly chuckled. “We should actually thank the players who uploaded intel to the forum. Don’t you think the Bureau would pay big money for that kind of information?”  

“The Outsider, the undercover agents within the Bureau, the appearance of the Eldritch God, and even the Gatekeeper from the main storyline.”  

“If this game is as intelligent and realistic as they claim, wouldn’t you want to test how far we can take this?”  

He made a convincing argument, and the rest of the Starwatch Squad gradually calmed down. However, one of the female team members raised a concern.  

“You’re not planning to sell out the Secret Church, are you?” she asked in surprise.  

“How is it ‘selling out’?” Destiny is in My Hands replied coolly. “It’s just business. Players don’t have loyalty, and besides, the existence of the Eldritch God is already public knowledge. When three people know a secret, it stops being a secret—do you really think the NPCs won’t find out once five thousand people know?”  

“We’re just maximizing our profits.”  

The female team member lowered her head in thought before looking up seriously. “Ranen is really popular. You’d better be careful not to make yourself the players’ public enemy.”  

“Haha, no way,” Destiny is in My Hands laughed. “Don’t take those meme-posting players so seriously. They talk like they’re die-hard fans, but in reality, they’ll switch sides the moment a hotter, stronger NPC appears. Then they’ll be screaming ‘wifey’ at someone else.”  

“It’s just an NPC—who’s really gonna care that much?”  

The female team member didn’t respond. She recalled the forum riots and how players had scoured the game world for Ranen.  

She didn’t agree with his judgment.

He was the captain now, so he couldn’t be bothered to argue.  

“Let’s go. I already have a lead—we’ll find the Inspection Bureau’s base soon.”  

They had only been walking for a few minutes when Fatty started shouting again. “Black Cat and Druid made a post!”  

The Starwatch Squad instinctively slowed their pace. Seeing how interested the others were, Destiny is in My Hands sighed. “Let’s take a break and see what they’re up to.”  

—-  

[Faction Discussion Thread]  

Black Cat: [Hello, everyone! Long time no see—I’m back! I just wanted to check in and let you all know I’m safe. First off, I swear I’m fine. That whole thing wasn’t for show—something urgent came up in real life, and I had to go offline suddenly. But now, I’m back!]  

Black Cat: [Alright, let’s get straight to it. Now that the game’s faction system has officially launched, players can finally join organizations for real. Honestly, I always thought I was already part of Ranen’s faction by default, but turns out I wasn’t. (doge)]  

Druid: [Who wasn’t, though? I thought it was a given that Ranen was the de facto leader of the player faction. Wait, you’re telling me he’s *

not?]  

Black Cat: [Jokes aside, we finally have the official name of Ranen’s faction: The Secret Church. Judging by the name, this organization seems to operate in secrecy and discretion. Since we just joined, we don’t know much yet, but I’ll break down the benefits based on what we’ve seen in the livestreams.

First and foremost—without question—the absolute centerpiece of this faction, the one and only designated leader, our one true faith and savior, is none other than everyone’s beloved Ranen.  

From the storyline where Ranen “went missing” for a while, you can see just how highly players regard him. Sure, some of those ‘I’m quitting if he’s gone’ posts were probably just people bluffing to pressure the devs, but it still shows how insanely popular he is. There’s no doubt he’s the biggest fan favorite in the game—ridiculously good-looking, shrouded in mystery, and still an enigma to this day. He’s also a walking quest dispenser—wherever he appears, you know there’s going to be an important storyline or mission. I wouldn’t be surprised if the devs themselves are Ranen fans.  

And judging from the latest PV released by the devs, Ranen will still be at the center of the new version’s storyline.  

In other words, joining Ranen’s church means you’ll have a high chance of getting tons of missions—including special or even main storyline quests!]  

Druid: [Not to mention, Ranen’s spawn point has changed. It’s no longer the Psychotherapy Room but the ‘Divine Kingdom,’ which used to be the Nighttime Hospital instance. Currently, only players who join The Secret Church can enter it for the first time.]  

Black Cat: [Exactly. We don’t know how often we’ll get to see Ranen after joining, but at the very least, players who don’t join definitely won’t see him. So if you’re here for Ranen, make sure to sign up for The Secret Church.  

Now, let’s talk about the faction’s influence.  

As everyone knows, Ranen had two major forces backing him in the previous main storyline: the Kamui Tribe and Black Poker. Old players should be very familiar with these—Kamui is the only supplier of potions, while Black Poker offers a wide variety of missions. Boss Karens is also pretty generous, and Black Poker is the go-to faction for players who started with a gangster background—it’s the biggest underground force in Arkham.  

Now that the faction system is in place, officially joining will surely come with even more benefits. And here’s one for starters—I got confirmation that players who join The Secret Church will get a discount on potion purchases from the Kamui Tribe. The higher your follower rank, the bigger the discount!]

Druid: [It’s the same for Black Poker. There are more weapons available now, and they’ve even opened up training grounds where we can practice shooting and combat alongside NPCs. It’s essentially a long-term skill training area—though it does require spending faction honor points.]

Black Cat: [And finally, the most, most, most important thing.]

Druid: [We know you’ve been waiting for this.]

Black Cat: [That’s right—enchanted weapons!]  

Druid: [No need for words. Just look at the pictures.]  

The two of them clearly knew what most players in the thread were waiting for, so without hesitation, they quickly uploaded screenshots.  

The first image was of the enchanted weapon Ranen had given them—the Vampiric Dagger.  

[Name: Vampiric Dagger (Enchanted Weapon)  

Grade: D+  

Effect: Restores 1 HP for every 5 damage dealt. This effect triggers once every three combat rounds.  

Equipment Requirement: None  

Description: A prototype casually crafted by the newly ascended Shepherd God. The dagger carries a sliver of Their power—insignificant, yet to mere ants, it is as weighty as a mountain.]  

3rd Commenter: [That stat!!]  

4th Commenter: [This is actually pretty good. The average player HP is around 10 right now, and most fights don’t even guarantee damage. Even if you do land a hit, it might just be chip damage. This effect means that every three attacks, as long as you deal 5 damage, you recover a tenth of your health. Emmmm.]  

5th Commenter: [This is a god-tier weapon in the early game, no doubt. qwq]  

6th Commenter: [So it can even heal the user? This is straight-up disgusting. I don’t care, if I don’t have it, it’s unfair.]

7th Commenter: [This breaks game balance. I suggest giving it to me.]  

8th Commenter: [Why! Why did I join the church too, but I didn’t get one!]  

9th Commenter: [It’s obvious. The reason Ranen gave this to Black Cat and Druid is because they participated in the hospital instance. That’s probably where Ranen broke the seal (maybe), so this is a thank-you gift? Or maybe there’s a hidden favorability system at play.]  

10th Commenter: [Aaaaaah I’m so jealous! Whatever, whether I have one or not, whether this thing is actually that broken or not, I’m just going to complain first.]

The first page of screenshots was filled with A- and B-grade potions, all thanks to Carmen’s collection. Some were from the Kamui Tribe’s stock, while others had only been mentioned in books—high-level potions that even Carmen hadn’t managed to create in reality.

But that didn’t matter. Ranen knew the methods to obtain some of these potions, and since they required a high amount of honor points, by the time players gathered enough, Carmen would likely be able to craft them as well.  

The same applied to enchanted weapons.  

Based on his past-life experiences, Ranen compiled a list of powerful but not overly broken weapons, such as the Exorcism Gun, Achilles’ Armor, the Sword of Radiance, the Enchanted Crowbar, and the Old Seal.  

These were items that might not exist yet but were undeniably impressive and stylish.  

And within the descriptions of these items, Ranen planted a seed.  

A seed of hope—one that might allow him, at least temporarily, to break free from the role of Gatekeeper.