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

"What's wrong? Is that a trap over there? Or is there a monster?"

With a smug look on her face, the girl with the sand between her fingers said to Zhou Ke'er, "Oh, looks like you can't escape either~"

Because there was already a loud banging on the door. This door wasn't some kind of security door made of alloy or anything, just an ordinary wooden door. It would probably be broken down in no more than thirty seconds. Zhou Ke'er was still here, so she definitely couldn't escape.

Hahaha, let's die here together!

Zhou Ke'er hung up the phone, looked at Zhijiansha with pity, whose expression was strange and who looked like he was broken, squatted down and angrily rubbed the dog's head: "Sigh, poor dog, even though you are stupid, Daddy will not give up on you."

"I've decided on you! Come out, Sadako-chan!"

Before Zhijiansha could say anything more, Zhou Ke'er lit up the screen of the phone that he had forced (crossed out) that weirdo to buy for him, and shouted aggressively.

Immediately, a pink light flashed, and a chibi version of Sadako in a pink dress jumped out of the phone screen. Then... completely unaware that the phone was still quite a distance from the ground, she almost accidentally dropped it. Luckily, Zhou Ke'er caught it with quick reflexes.

"Heave-ho..."

The chibi version of Sadako struggled to her feet, her short legs and arms straining to stay upright. Turning around, she was startled by Zhou Ke'er's appearance, her eyes widening in surprise. "Wow! Mr. Joker... what happened to your face?! Did someone really do something to you?!"

"No, I cut it myself, and I still have the scissors... Anyway, that's not the point. In any case, we are indeed in a bit of danger right now. There's a group of people chasing me... Since you can freely travel between different screens, could you take someone with you? Like, take us with you?"

Zhou Ke'er shook her head and explained, then asked again to confirm—she had just remembered that she had the contact information for Sadako, the bug-level ghost, on her phone when she was halfway through her escape, and she had already briefly asked Sadako by phone, so it should be possible.

"No problem, I can handle this kind of thing."

The chibi version of Sadako nodded upon hearing this, but she didn't believe Zhou Ke'er's words at all. How could she have cut such a terrible wound herself? She's not crazy. What normal person, no, what normal ghost would dare to hurt herself so badly?

Thinking of this, Sadako glanced around and noticed Long Aojiao's corpse being carried on Zhou Ke'er's shoulder, and Zhijiansha lying on the ground, about to die and unable to speak... In an instant, Sadako was possessed by Conan, and she exclaimed in shock: There is only one truth!

Mr. Joker's current wretched state, coupled with his earlier statement about being chased and the corpse on his shoulder...

Sadako immediately pieced together all the clues, her eyes lighting up: It must be like this—the public-spirited, righteous, and kind-hearted Mr. Joker accidentally stumbled upon a gang robbery/fight/murder case, and in order to save the victim, who is now carrying this corpse, he naturally stepped forward to help...

However, due to the rule that monsters cannot harm humans (although Zhou Ke'er told the monster that he was human, the monster did not tell Sadako), and the fact that one man cannot fight against many, Mr. Joker was inevitably captured by the other party!

Driven by human depravity, those who caught the ghosts were determined to humiliate and ridicule them. These despicable creatures tossed a pair of scissors to Mr. Joker, threatening him that he either cut off the corner of his own mouth or they would kill the victim... The kind-hearted Mr. Joker, of course, selflessly sacrificed himself and willingly cut off the corner of his mouth...

However, what was unexpected was that the group of villains had no intention of keeping their promise at all; they were just toying with Mr. Joker! Even after he cut open his own mouth, he still killed the victim!

Mr. Joker, filled with grief and indignation, went through countless hardships to retrieve the body, only to be chased all the way here by that group of villains. This must be their hideout! Just one look at this woman with shackles around her neck, slumped on the ground, and you'll know she's definitely a victim of that criminal gang!

(Although this is the Ghost Power Company, the secret room that changed its appearance after the mechanism was triggered is one that Sadako has never seen before, so she naturally mistook it for something else XD)

But he didn't say much or complain. He just glossed over it and didn't mention the pain he had suffered at all, probably so that she wouldn't worry!

What a kind person you are, Mr. Joker!

More painful than physical pain is the wounded heart!

Xiao Zhenzi imagined this scene and looked at Zhou Ke'er with a pitying expression, her eyes blinking with tears in them, which made Zhou Ke'er's scalp tingle.

"Uh... sure, that's great. We shouldn't delay, they're about to break in... so could you take us with you first?"

Zhou Ke'er had no idea what Sadako had imagined in those five seconds. Her eyes suddenly changed, so he could only force a smile and ask awkwardly—he was afraid that he might accidentally scare her if he laughed in his current state, since he needed her help.

"Sure enough!"

Looking at Zhou Ke'er's forced smile, Sadako became even more certain of her earlier guess: Mr. Joker must be pretending to be strong! Still thinking of others even now, what a kind and gentle ghost!

"Um... could you please save me first... my neck is really about to break..."

Zhijiansha overheard Zhou Ke'er and Zhenzi's conversation. Although she didn't understand what was going on, she at least knew that the little one standing in Zhou Ke'er's hands could help them escape. So, she mustered her last strength and hurriedly asked, "If you keep dawdling, I'm really going to die!"

"Oh right, please save her first! Her neck is handcuffed, is that alright?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ke'er also remembered the fingertips that were about to type GG, and quickly spoke up.

"No problem, just watch me!"

The chibi version of Sadako nodded, then hopped from Zhou Ke'er's palm onto Zhijiansha. "Please put your phone on the ground and point the screen at this lady's head!"

Yes, even in his own perilous situation, his first thought is still for the safety of others... As expected of Mr. Joker, truly a role model for us goblins! So kind!

Sadako thought to herself.

Zhou Ke'er obediently did as she was told. Then Zhenzi jumped to the ground, hopped her short legs to the phone, and then laboriously used her two little hands to push the phone toward the sand between her fingers.

A truly magical scene unfolded: the moment the phone screen touched the sand between the fingers, the sand seemed to have been sucked into the phone screen by a vacuum cleaner (scratch that), and instantly disappeared.

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210. Strange and Weird (19)

“Mr. Joker, are you going to take this corpse with you? The dead cannot be brought back to life... You should understand that, right? Even if you take this corpse with you, she can't become a ghost like us and reappear in this world.”

After quickly transferring everyone into the phone, Sadako reached out from the inside of the screen in a very illogical way, and then... sucked the phone itself into the screen—it was as absurd as a person lifting themselves up by their own hair—while looking at Zhou Ke'er with a strange expression that made him involuntarily tighten his anus. "Please accept my condolences. You have done your best. Don't be too sad."

"???"

Zhou Ke'er carried the corpse, glanced at Sadako who had returned to her normal size, and had no idea what she was talking about—could it be that becoming an idol would make her brain break? Or was this the legendary "redemption" that weakened her? Not only was her strength weakened, but her intelligence also dropped?

But... it's impossible for a person to become a ghost after they die, right? But... isn't it said that ghosts and monsters are species created because of human beliefs? If many people believe that someone will become a ghost after they die, isn't that equivalent to creating a ghost legend? Although it's not made up out of thin air, but based on real events, isn't that more convincing?

"Uh... I just want to find a place to bury her."

Zhou Ke'er scratched her head, then changed the subject, asking, "Speaking of which, I really didn't know that... I always thought that as long as there were corresponding urban legends, and a group of people believed in them, you could create corresponding ghosts and monsters..."

Finger Sand, who hadn't had a chance to speak, wasn't interested in interrupting either. She first looked at herself in astonishment. That was just too amazing... It was practically an escape technique. If players could learn it... While thinking wildly, Finger Sand casually surveyed the surrounding scenery. Although it seemed that the female ghost in front of her knew Zhou Ke'er and there were no signs of a sudden falling out, it was always good to be cautious.

Upon hearing Zhou Ke'er's words, Sadako thought to herself: So that's how it is. Mr. Joker is blaming himself for not being able to save that woman, so he can only do everything he can to make amends. And now, all he can do is let that woman rest in peace... Mr. Joker must be very sad and heartbroken right now. Sigh... What a gentle ghost.

"Uh... what's wrong? Is there something you can't tell me, or do you not know the specifics?"

Zhou Ke'er was waiting for Zhenzi to answer the question when she noticed that Zhenzi had inexplicably started to daydream. As she daydreamed, she began to ponder seriously, seemingly lost in thought. So Zhou Ke'er quickly asked her what she was thinking about.

After all, the place they were in was the same standard scene that often appeared in Sadako's death videotapes—wasteland + dry well + forest.

Plus, it's always nighttime, and there's always a chilly wind... it's really getting cold! I can't just stand here forever...

"Ah, no, no, no..."

Hearing Zhou Ke'er's question, Zhenzi snapped out of her reverie and quickly waved her hand, explaining, "Um... let's go downstairs first. It's kind of embarrassing to keep you standing here..."

Without waiting for Zhou Ke'er and Zhijiansha to say anything, Zhenzi ran to the dry well in three quick steps and jumped in with a "whoosh".

A second passed.

Two seconds passed...

Nine seconds passed...

Hey, why hasn't there been a "bang" yet? Is this well really that deep...?

"Hey... what's going on here? Did this ghost suddenly have a mental breakdown and commit suicide?"

Sand between Fingers couldn't help but half-jokingly remark, "She doesn't mean we should jump down with her, does she? Please... it's okay if she's a ghost, but we'll die from the fall, right?"

"Hmm... It's simple, as long as there's something to cushion your fall, you won't die. So... I have a suggestion."

Zhou Ke'er turned to look at Zhijian Sha, tilting her head—75 degrees (because a living person's neck can't bend 90 degrees, and it's not like she's lazy)—and stared intently at him. This expression, combined with his current appearance and the strangely eerie angle, made him look a little creepy: "As long as you fall down first and become my cushion, I won't die. Brothers, do you think I did the right thing?"

"...Then why don't you just throw that corpse you're carrying around?! And...I've been wanting to complain for a while now, why are you carrying that corpse around like that?! Did you suddenly develop some weird 'beep' fetish?"

Zhijiansha twitched the corner of her mouth and glanced at Zhou Ke'er sideways. She was already quite used to Zhou Ke'er's trash talk, to the point that "as soon as she heard Zhou Ke'er's sarcastic tone, her mind would automatically convert it into a normal tone of narration."

"Um... Mr. Joker, and this lady...aren't you coming down? Although I listened to Mr. Joker and was planning to change the style,...we haven't had time to clean and tidy up here yet...if the cold wind blows for too long, even a ghost would catch a cold..."

Just then, Sadako suddenly poked her head out of the dry well, looking at Zhou Ke'er and Zhijiansha who hadn't moved yet with a puzzled look. But before they could answer, Sadako seemed to understand and exclaimed, "Oh right, I remember now... Mr. Joker, you're going to bury this lady's body first, right?"

Hmm... I guess it's too late to buy a plot at the cemetery now, not to mention the price is too high even for me... Besides, there's a chance the criminal gang hunting you down might find out, which could lead to bad consequences...

So, if you don't mind, you can bury her here with me.

"Hey, hey, hey, this is terrible... This ghost is obviously interested in you... What did you do to her, you scumbag!"

Seeing this, Zhijiansha couldn't help but lean closer to Zhou Ke'er and whisper a question.

"...Ghosts have incredibly sensitive hearing, you know. You might think you're lowering your voice, but to them it might be as clear as a frog urinating right next to your ear..."

Zhou Ke'er casually made up some lies, whispering deceptions and threats at the sand between her fingers, then looked seriously at Sadako. Although she didn't know why Sadako would misunderstand... Zhou Ke'er wasn't stupid. After listening for a while, she realized that Sadako seemed to be imagining something. And by just a little speculation based on her behavior, it wasn't hard to guess what she was imagining... So now, she should just go along with what Sadako was saying and try to win her favor.

Well... just like how not paying after sex means you're not a girlfriend, flirting and then not sleeping with the guy doesn't mean you're a jerk, right?

"In that case, I'm truly grateful... However, wouldn't it be a bit... awkward to leave this corpse here with you like this?"

Zhou Ke'er nodded to Sadako, who floated out of the dry well.

"It's okay, I'm a ghost anyway, why would I be afraid of corpses?"

Sadako smiled and waved her hand, not telling Zhou Ke'er—before the rule "ghosts can't harm humans" was enacted...new members like the thing Zhou Ke'er carried on her shoulder joined here every day~

They haven't left yet!

Thinking this, Sadako smiled even sweeter at Zhou Ke'er.

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211. Strange and Weird Things (20)

"Alright, in that case, let's do it your way... but we might need a shovel or something?"

After thinking for a fraction of a second, Zhou Ke'er nodded.

He was initially hesitant about leaving Long Aojiao's body with Sadako, since she still had the instruction that allowed ghosts to kill humans. Zhou Ke'er hadn't tried to find it beforehand, and if Sadako discovered it... things could get really bad.

But then she thought again. She had already said she was going to bury Long Aojiao when she came in, and the other party had even offered to bury the body here. If Zhou Ke'er made any more excuses or tried to search her body first, it would definitely attract the other party's attention and might even make her suspect Zhou Ke'er...

In comparison, leaving Long Aojiao's corpse here isn't such a bad decision. First, even so, Sadako might not discover it. Second... even if she did, Zhou Ke'er is a ghost in her eyes, so there's no problem for now.

Moreover... based on the information Long Aojiao received at the time, if the instruction wasn't released through so-called "official channels," it would be ineffective even if someone knew about it. Therefore, Sadako, upon learning this news, would definitely spread it, causing chaos but preventing it from escalating into a "disaster."

This wasn't too far off from Zhou Ke'er's original goal.

Therefore, after weighing the options, Zhou Ke'er did not refuse.

"Hmm? You don't need these."

Sadako waved her hand, then reached out and swung it, turning over a patch of barren grass to reveal a pit of moderate size and depth. "After all, this is my world, no need for all that trouble."

"...Oh."

Zhou Ke'er's eyes twitched. If they were exposed now, there would really be no way to escape in this place... Also, speaking of which, aren't you supposed to be able to change the terrain here with ease? Why didn't you have time to tidy up the furnishings and scenery here?

Thinking this to herself, Zhou Ke'er gently placed Long Aojiao's corpse... cough cough, into the pit with very gentle movements.

Zhou Ke'er then took two steps back, and the soil that had been overturned to the sides was covered over her again.

...