A Psychiatrist's Bizarre Game Journey / Dream of the Mist

Once Red Crane and Sand Between Fingers had entered the module, leaving only Zhou Ke'er and Spring Fatigue in the safe house, Zhou Ke'er slowly spoke, saying seriously, "By the way, because this is a private consultation, even if I think you might need medication, I can't prescribe it for you. Of course, I prefer not to prescribe medication, because that stuff can cause more damage to the nerves and should be used with caution."

"Yes, that's right. It started a few years ago, about four or five years ago, when I began having nightmares constantly."

At first, it was fine. It didn't last long and was just some fragmented moments. It didn't have much impact on my life. Sometimes I would even watch it like a dramatic TV series and occasionally be amazed by my own wild imagination.

But the problem is... this dream is lasting longer and longer, and eventually it's almost exclusively this dream...

Spring drowsiness and autumn fatigue paused, tilted his head and thought for a moment, then continued: "It's like, if you're just watching a TV series intermittently, it's not that tiring because you have time to rest in between. But if it's a continuous movie, and it lasts all night long, from when you fall asleep until you wake up, then it's really exhausting. It means I can't get any rest even in my sleep."

"Hmm...you mean, when you dream, you don't feel like you're resting, but rather more tired, and those dreams aren't random, fragmented, or unrelated, but rather have relatively fixed...continuous plots? Like TV series or movies?"

As Zhou Ke'er pondered, she asked, feeling a little uncomfortable not having a ballpoint pen to press the button, so she kept rubbing the gem on her cane as a substitute: "So, can you still remember what you dreamed about? If it's convenient, why don't you tell me?"

There's an old saying from the old era: "What you think about during the day, you dream about at night." This isn't entirely absurd; I've encountered patients who repeatedly had the same dream, and your situation might be a variation of that...it's not impossible.

“I dreamt of dead people. No, not dead people, but people dying constantly, you know what I mean? And I’m not even sure if those guys can be called human.”

But if not, I don't know what to call them. I've never seen or even heard of them in real life. If you don't mind, I can describe their characteristics:

There were creatures with pure white wings and halos above their heads, creatures with things like goat horns on their heads, and some strange, non-human shapes that were just dark shadows, or deformed people with many arms and heads. In addition, there were some monsters that looked like octopuses with huge tentacles and fleshy chunks.

If I'm not mistaken, the scene could perhaps be described as a war; they charged relentlessly, and died relentlessly.

Chun Tuan Qiu Fei paused to catch his breath, and seeing that Zhou Ke'er didn't seem inclined to say anything, he continued, "Besides that, in this dream, it seems that I was observing from someone else's perspective."

Although I can neither speak nor move, I can hear and see their actions. It's just a pity that I can't understand the language they use. It might sound a bit like the language of the Old Age, but that's unlikely, because I've never learned it, or even heard anyone speak the language of the Old Age. There's no reason for it to appear in my dream.

Is it possible that people acquire skills they've never even heard of while dreaming?

"Uh...it's true that some people quickly acquire a skill they wouldn't have otherwise after developing a mental illness...but that's all based on prior exposure. It's possible that the mental disorder, by chance, brings a certain degree of placebo effect to the patient, thus prompting the patient to learn a certain skill in a short period of time."

But in your case... according to you, this language only appears in your dreams, but you don't actually know it, right? Then it's unlikely to be a specific language; it's more likely just random, randomly combined syllables in your dreams.

But we can't rule out the possibility that it is indeed a language... Could you repeat a few sentences? Let me hear it. If it is indeed some kind of ancient language, then..."

Zhou Ke'er said after careful consideration.

From the moment he heard the description of the dream's content by the person experiencing spring drowsiness and autumn fatigue, he sensed something was wrong.

If she wasn't mistaken, the monster she mentioned might be an angel or demon, a mythical creature from an ancient era. And... the scene sounded somewhat like the final battle of an ancient era, but Zhou Ke'er wasn't sure.

He doesn't plan to tell Chun Tuan Qiu Fa about this conjecture for the time being.

"Uh... I can't remember. I can't remember a language I don't understand at all. However, one word keeps appearing in my dream, which seems to be the name of the person I became in the dream, but I'm not sure."

If I remember correctly, that's what it said...

He reminisced, feeling drowsy in spring and tired in autumn.

“Pompeiro.” Zhou Ke’er repeated it several times, hesitated for a moment, and then said, “This pronunciation is indeed from an ancient era, but when combined… it doesn’t form any words or convey any meaning. However, if it were a name, it would make sense…”

For some reason, Zhou Ke'er felt like she had heard the name somewhere before, and it had a vague impression of her.

It must have happened recently, but I really can't remember.

"Is that so? If needed, I'll try to write down a sentence next time and repeat it to you when we have the chance. So, that's the general situation. What conclusions do you have?"

Chun Tuan Qiu Fei nodded, then looked at Zhou Ke'er, who seemed to be deep in thought, and asked.

Although she didn't seem to have much hope.

"..."

Zhou Ke'er remained silent for a while. His intuition told him that his drowsiness and fatigue in spring and autumn were definitely related to those messy things in the old era, but he had no concrete evidence, so this inference was a bit arbitrary.

Furthermore... even if Chun Tuan Qiu Fa told him his deduction, he might not believe it. Instead, he might think... either Zhou Ke'er was playing a trick on him, or that Zhou Ke'er was a complete delusional lunatic.

"Well.."

Finally, Zhou Ke'er sighed, shook her head, and shrugged helplessly: "Okay, I have to say, I haven't thought of any specific methods yet. If it's just about trying a universally applicable approach similar to your situation, then there's no need for me to explain it, and it might not even be effective."

Okay, I'll go back and think about it carefully, and do some research while I'm at it. If I really can't figure it out, I'll ask those so-called experts. I'll give you a definite answer next time we meet. How about that?

"Alright."

Upon hearing this, Chun Tuan Qiu Fa wasn't too disappointed, since she had already anticipated this outcome.

"Well then, let me take this opportunity to sleep comfortably for a while longer. I don't know why, but I don't have nightmares when I sleep in the game."

Feeling drowsy and tired from spring and autumn, I yawned, lay back down on the sofa, and mumbled indistinctly with my eyes half-closed.

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139. I will not lose my job (I'm certain).

The sunlight streaming through the window in the early morning was just right.

Zhou Ke'er rested her chin on one hand and held the mouse in the other, idly browsing the computer screen, the mouse making a "click-click" sound.

It was so boring. From the moment he stepped into the mental hospital, he wanted to go home—well, no, there was Porius at home... Maybe he shouldn't go back...

God knows how much effort he spent this morning persuading Porius not to come along; that guy actually... stared blankly into space all night...

Thinking of this, Zhou Ke'er couldn't help but sigh. He didn't have any clothes at home that fit Bolius's body type—the size difference was too great—besides, Bolius couldn't wear a white robe every day.

So now he's looking online for clothes suitable for Bolius.

After all... isn't work time meant for slacking off?! Work and personal matters shouldn't be separated!

Hu Tao knocked on the door, brought in a cup of coffee, and gently placed it on Zhou Ke'er's desk, glancing casually at the computer screen.

She couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Oh, are you picking out clothes in advance so you can grow taller? Or are you so self-aware that you're sure you won't grow any taller, so you're just looking at long clothes that you can't fit into, just to feast your eyes?"

"Hey! That's going too far."

Zhou Ke'er protested angrily. He hadn't even mocked Hu Tao for having a flat chest every day, and Hu Tao was still provoking him!

Seeing the slightly pitying look in Chun Hutao's eyes, Zhou Ke'er didn't know what to say. She couldn't very well tell her that there was a naked man living in her house, could she? That would be tantamount to publicly coming out as gay!

Zhou Ke'er wouldn't want that! He likes pretty young ladies! Besides, in this setting... to sarcastically remark that Hu Tao has a flat chest... um... wouldn't that feel a bit like sexual harassment?

In the end, Zhou Ke'er had no choice but to remain silent, only looking at her with a very resentful expression: "Ha, you really have a lot of free time, even having time to come here... Speaking of which, there haven't been any patients lately. Although it's not nice to say it like this, it's still quite unusual!"

Zhou Ke'er was silent for a while, took a sip of coffee, and asked with a pout.

While this situation certainly suits his taste, it still feels rather strange. Surely he doesn't have that much free time?

"Huh? You didn't know? Haven't you seen the recent news?"

Hu Tao glanced at Zhou Ke'er strangely, "Recently, for some reason, a lot of mental illness patients have appeared without any warning, and along with the mental illness, there are all kinds of strange physical symptoms."

Psychiatric experts studied the case for a long time but could not find out what caused it. They had no choice but to transfer the patient to a general hospital for isolation and treat the physical symptoms at the same time.

So, recently, patients with suspected mental health issues have had to go to the hospital for a physical examination to confirm they're healthy before coming to our clinic. Otherwise, they'd have to be hospitalized directly. It's been about a month already, and you're only just realizing that? Otherwise, where do you think you found the time to play games during work hours?

"Huh? What's going on now? And it's accompanied by physical symptoms? Don't you think your statement... is putting the cart before the horse?"

Normally, shouldn't a physical illness lead to mental health issues? If it's just an isolated case, then it could indeed be a symptom of a mental illness. But if it's occurring on a large scale, shouldn't we first consider the possibility of some new infectious disease?

Mental illness is not contagious under normal circumstances. How could there be a large-scale outbreak of the same mental illness? That claim is very problematic, isn't it? Where did you get this information?

Without even thinking, Zhou Ke'er rolled her eyes and pointed out the mistake.

Seriously, so many bad things have happened lately... one after another, it's like one wave after another.

Although he doesn't have a hand fetish and doesn't bang his eyes on the Mona Lisa, he still longs for a peaceful life! Kora!

“Yes, you’re right, but how can we manage these things? The main point is, if no patients come to us, we won’t have any income, right? After all, our hospital isn’t state-owned.”

Hu Tao shrugged and said with a hint of worry, "If this continues, we'll have to change careers. Those psychological counselors will be in even worse shape."

"Oh...your concerns are valid, but what does that have to do with me?"

Zhou Ke'er tilted her head, looking at Hu Tao with a puzzled expression. While distracted by emptying her shopping cart, she continued slowly and deliberately, "My family doesn't just run a mental hospital. If we accidentally lose too much money, we can just close it down. It's not a big deal."

"Listen to this! Are you even speaking human language?! This has a huge impact on me! I'll be so poor I'll be eating dirt, and I'll end up dead!"

Hu Tao said angrily, "That damn rich dog Zhou Ke'er! It's one thing to get paid for slacking off at work every day, but this guy isn't afraid of losing his job at all! He can live the life of a useless person early on, and he won't run out of money even if he sits around for decades!"

"Oh well, judging from your appearance..."

Zhou Ke'er paused for a moment, then said to her without turning her head, "Clothes save on fabric, and food doesn't cost much, so what's there to be afraid of? We won't die poor."

Hu Tao reacted instantly, angrily hugging her flat chest with both hands, glaring at Zhou Ke'er with an unfriendly expression, as if she wanted to say something.

"Well, if you want, you can come and play games, become a professional gamer, and I'll pay you a salary?"

Seeing Hu Tao's unfriendly expression, Zhou Ke'er immediately changed the subject, casually saying, "Anyway, if the situation is really as you say, I guess not many people will dare to go out. Everyone will just stay at home. In that case... the gaming industry will definitely develop very well, right? Becoming a professional gamer isn't a bad idea. What do you think?"

Zhou Ke'er was obviously joking. Being a professional gamer isn't that easy; it's not just about playing games. Nothing in the adult world is easy—although Zhou Ke'er, being a wealthy and influential person, has no right to say such things.

"game?"

Hu Tao was taken aback. "Is it the one you secretly played with when you were at work last time?"

Zhou Ke'er glanced at Hu Tao. This guy seemed genuinely considering the feasibility of Zhou Ke'er's hastily uttered suggestion! This was bad news; if she accidentally led Hu Tao astray, it would be Zhou Ke'er's fault...

He was about to say something to persuade Hu Tao when he heard a knock on the door. Zhou Ke'er turned her head and looked at the screen of her work computer. Oh, it was the patient. She hadn't noticed before. She must have been waiting impatiently.

"Look, a patient has come in! It's not that easy to lose your job, don't overthink it!"

Zhou Ke'er shrugged and spoke to Hu Tao, gesturing for her to let the patient in.

Upon hearing this, Hu Tao had no choice but to push open the door and let the patient in.

Hearing the patient's footsteps enter and the door close, Zhou Ke'er casually looked up. "What's wrong? Describe the symptoms briefly..."

Before she could finish speaking, Zhou Ke'er felt a sharp pain in her head the moment she saw the newcomer. Her vision blurred, and she saw a black mist rush towards her. The patient collapsed to the ground, and Zhou Ke'er instantly lost consciousness, as if she were falling into a cold sea...

Total darkness.

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140. Human vacuum cleaner

"Gurgle..."

Zhou Ke'er gradually regained consciousness and heard sounds like something bubbling in the water or boiling water.

He barely managed to open his eyes—no, that's not right, Zhou Ke'er realized instantly that this couldn't even be called opening his eyes, because... he couldn't feel his body at all.

That's right, it's not just that she has no eyes, it's that her entire body seems to not exist, and the only thing that exists is Zhou Ke'er's... consciousness.

The so-called "opening her eyes" action was simply to allow Zhou Ke'er to perceive her surroundings.

It can't be called "seeing". It's a way of perceiving that is completely different from what we usually do with our eyes. It's not even related to the five senses. There's no sense of "touch" or anything like that. It's just a very crude way of imprinting this image into Zhou Ke'er's consciousness.

Around Zhou Ke'er, the most direct and impressive thing is a pale stone structure that looks like an altar—or perhaps it just feels like a small stone platform.