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

"Ah... here we go again... it seems like we're encountering one event after another, it's been going on since the very beginning of this module... are they pushing us so hard?"

Spring drowsiness and autumn fatigue made me yawn, scratch my messy hair, and complained sleepily, "According to the module's time, it's already late at night! It's a good time to sleep! Why haven't they found a place to sleep yet, and why are they stuck outside in the cold wind encountering all these strange things?"

"Hey, don't say that... When something like this happens, it's definitely better to go check on them, right? It's such an ugly thing to just stand by and watch someone die..."

Seeing that Chun Kanqiu and Hong He both seemed unwilling to move, Zhang He quickly advised, "Besides, this situation is very likely related to the mission, right? We'd better go check it out..."

Although it seemed a bit troublesome, spring drowsiness and autumn fatigue meant he wasn't the type to throw a tantrum regardless of the situation, so he nodded in agreement.

As for Flamingo... hehe, she was just about to find out which guy had the leisure to interrupt her so conveniently. She really had to thank him properly, hehe^^~

So, led by Zhang He, Honghe and Chunkunqiufei cautiously made their way towards the direction from which the sound came.

"Pfft... Pfft..."

As you get closer, a faint sound, as if something sharp is piercing a sandbag, or... a human body?, keeps coming out, seemingly accompanied by the sound of bubbles stuck together by some viscous liquid bursting.

The three exchanged a glance, nodded, and discreetly peeked out from around the corner to look in that direction.

Under the dim streetlights, a man dressed in a dirty clown costume with messy hair sat astride a woman lying on the ground, his back to them. He held a bloodstained dagger in his hand and stabbed the woman repeatedly, the dagger gleaming with a murky and dim light under the streetlights.

It was obvious that the woman was doomed.

"Hey...didn't that cat just say that ghosts and monsters can't harm humans?!"

Spring drowsiness and autumn fatigue made him instinctively and swiftly stop Zhang He, who was about to rush out to help those in need. He was wide awake and whispered to Honghe and Zhang He, "What do you want to ask?"

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214. Strange and Weird Things (Twenty-Three)

"So...we need to see beyond the surface...if the cat wasn't lying again, then it means...this clown-dressed guy isn't a ghost, but a person, or...that woman lying on the ground isn't a person, but a ghost!"

Honghe narrowed her eyes and answered in a low voice as if it were the most natural thing in the world. After thinking for a moment, she added, "Besides, cats would never lie, so there's only one truth!"

"Hey, hey, hey, that's a really arbitrary statement!"

Spring drowsiness and autumn fatigue completely fail to comprehend what it means to be a cat lover...

"No, the cat would never lie, that's for sure!"

Seeing that Chun Kan was listless and Qiu Nuan looked speechless, Zhang He quickly nodded solemnly to the side.

Just then, the woman who was lying on the ground with several stab wounds and should have been dead by now struggled to lift her head. She saw Chun Kun Qiu Fei and the others hiding around the corner, with only a few heads showing. As if grasping at a straw, she shouted with joy, "Help! Kill the ghost!"

Upon seeing this, the three, Spring Sleepy and Autumn Fatigue, were immediately alarmed, realizing something was wrong—damn it, who the hell would have thought that the woman was pinned to the ground and stabbed but still not dead! And she could even lift her head and see Red Crane and the others who were spying on her, this is just too outrageous!

"Huh? Who is it... no, what the hell?"

Upon hearing this, the clown-like monster immediately sprang up from the woman, leaning against the wall with a "thud," and glanced at Red Crane and the others, ready to strike. "Hmph... But even if you want to stop me now, it's too late... This monster is doomed!"

"Oh, this..."

Spring drowsiness and autumn fatigue, slightly shocked, glanced at the woman who had just been shouting "Help! Help! Help!" as if in a final burst of energy, was now collapsed on the ground, blood oozing from her mouth like crumbs. She was still supporting herself with one hand, clenching her teeth, trying to turn over and crawl forward: "If only...if only we get there...if only we get to that place..."

"call out!"

With a whooshing sound, the strange man dressed as a clown suddenly swung his hand, and the dagger in his hand flew out and pierced the woman's neck with a "thud," pinning her to the ground.

"Sorry... that place is full!"

The clown watched the woman lose her breath, narrowed his eyes, and muttered in a hoarse and eerie tone.

"Damn it! I just had a chance to save her, why did you stop me!"

Zhang He, who was being held tightly by the flamingo and the sleepy and tired creatures, was very puzzled. Seeing this, he couldn't help but ask indignantly, "Have you become so accustomed to such ugly behavior as refusing to help someone in distress?! That was a living, breathing life! Even if you didn't intend to take the risk, there was no need to stop me!"

Besides, this can't even be considered an adventure! Haven't we all been told that ghosts and monsters can't harm humans? So we're basically wearing a get-out-of-jail-free card... what's there to be afraid of?!

The clown, hearing Zhang He's indignant words, was taken aback. Just as he was about to speak, Honghe, with a cold face and a calm but subtly mocking tone, said, "Isn't it obvious? Use your brain, which is no different from a drowned frog's, and you'll see that this strange creature in front of you isn't a ghost, but a person! The woman who was just killed was the ghost..."

Although I don't know that ghosts can be killed, especially not by physical means... it's obvious that anyone who kills a ghost single-handedly by relying on the fact that they are human and cannot be harmed by ghosts is definitely a dangerous character!

Think about it carefully. If this guy you saw was Zhou Ke'er, would you dare to go up and stop him?!

"Oh... then it's alright."

Upon hearing this, Zhang He's expression turned strange, as if he was trying to imagine the scene... then he shook his head at lightning speed.

"Ahem...I think you guys...seem to have misunderstood something?"

After hearing Zhang He say that they were not ghosts but humans, the clown breathed a slight sigh of relief and forced a smile onto his somewhat comical face: "I am a very normal human being, how could I possibly harm my own kind... I only attacked these despicable ghosts to protect the people of this city, to protect you all!"

"Huh? Protect us?...."

Although Zhang He reluctantly accepted the reasons given—spring drowsiness, autumn fatigue, and the red crane's earlier attempt to stop him—he still couldn't help but frown upon hearing the clown's words, saying, "I don't see what kind of protection this is... The other party clearly couldn't harm you at all, yet you used that to your advantage to kill her..."

They even put on an air of moral superiority, using this excuse to satisfy themselves... This behavior is truly despicable!

A saying from the old era perfectly captures this: "The weak, though cowardly, wield their swords against the weaker!"

"Hey, hey, hey, that's going too far... Don't start a fight before you've even said a few words or gotten any information out of us!"

Feeling drowsy and tired, Zhang He rubbed his eyes helplessly. His overflowing sense of justice, stemming from his excessive pursuit of so-called "beauty," was proving to be quite troublesome...

While there's nothing inherently wrong with these actions and thoughts, well... how should I put it... it definitely brings a lot of trouble.

"That's not how it is... You might not know, but..."

Xiao Yan wasn't angry at all. Instead, she seemed used to this situation, giving a helpless bitter smile and waving her hand: "Forget it, there's no use telling you guys about this. The organization doesn't allow us to reveal this to ordinary people..."

"If you're not allowed to disclose it, then don't say it!"

Upon hearing this, Honghe couldn't help but narrow her dead fish eyes, a strange light flickering within them. She thought to herself, "Those who truly don't want to talk about it won't utter a single word..."

This behavior is clearly either an attempt to lure us into inquiring about that so-called organization and that secret, or a blatant declaration: "Come ask me! I might pretend to refuse at first, but if you keep asking, I'll definitely tell you! Because I really want to tell you!"

Normally, if Honghe encountered this situation, she would definitely say that since that's the case, she wouldn't pursue it further, and then wave goodbye to the other person.

Unfortunately... this happens within a module, and this near-self-destructive claim... there's also a ridiculously absurd "organization"—she won't believe you if you say it's unrelated to the plot or quests...

"Just as I thought. You couldn't even think of a reason to explain it, could you? Ha... What are you planning to do now? Continue your despicable self-satisfaction?"

Before Honghe could even speak, Zhang He, that simpleton, couldn't help but make another provocative remark directed at the clown's back.

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215. Strange and Weird Things (Twenty-Four)

"You only saw the surface of the situation, yet you recklessly wielded your cheap and useless sense of justice... You drew conclusions without ever understanding the true circumstances..."

The clown paused, but didn't turn around. In a hoarse voice, as if lurking beneath a bottomless abyss, he replied, "You say I act recklessly from a moral high ground, but aren't you the same? Humans are always such creatures, strict with others but lenient with themselves... No one is an exception."

But...even so, I still love humanity so much...

"..."

Zhang He was speechless for a moment after hearing the clown's words. When the clown shook his head and prepared to leave, Zhang He hesitated and continued in a low voice, "Perhaps you are right... my words just now did have that tendency... I never thought I would do such a shameful thing unintentionally. It's too disgraceful! I apologize to you!"

However, besides that, it's an undeniable fact that you just killed that young lady, and it's also a fact that she couldn't resist. Furthermore, you've been evasive about your reasons... I believe that, out of justice... no, simply based on my own sense of "justice," I cannot allow myself to compromise without receiving a satisfactory answer from you!

"Honestly... I really struggle with these kinds of people... those obsessives who are extremely fixated on something..."

Feeling drowsy and lethargic, he sighed helplessly, even starting to yawn again, feeling drowsy—after all, judging from what Zhang He had just said, it was definitely not pleasant. In a normal game, NPCs might have wanted to fight Zhang He with bayonets after hearing that, but this guy wasn't angry at all, and even had the mood for verbal sparring...

Even when they're asleep and feeling drowsy, they can tell in their dreams that this guy doesn't intend to harm them! So... there's nothing to be afraid of anymore, they can go back to sleep!

Anyway... even if she were awake, she couldn't persuade Honghe, who seemed to have mental problems on par with Zhou Ke'er, nor could she restrain Zhang He, a perfectionist and obsessive-compulsive... so she might as well just sleep—tsk, thinking about it this way, is she really the only normal person?!

"Ha, I can guess why he would do such a thing without him saying it."

Before the clown could answer Zhang He's question, Honghe squinted and chuckled expressionlessly, "Your thinking speed is as slow as a rookie nurse injecting an IV!"

This thought process is so simple, it's like catching a high fly ball from the pitcher, yet you keep asking all sorts of questions. It's embarrassing for me to hear you doing that.

Isn't this obvious? Since he's targeting ghosts and monsters, and claims to be protecting humanity, the excuses he can use are pretty clear: either the ghosts and monsters appear harmless on the surface but actually have the power or means to harm humans, or... while the ghosts can't harm humans now, they will soon, so the danger needs to be eliminated before then...

Is that right?

"....!"

The clown, who was already prepared to tell Zhang He the reason, was surprised to find that his lines had been stolen first. He could only turn around, take a deep look at the red crane, and nod: "That's right... indeed... but this is not a so-called 'reason,' but a fact that is actually happening!"

Since you've already deduced this yourself, then I suppose there's no harm in telling you the truth...

Actually... the directive to "allow ghosts and monsters to harm humans" has already been conveyed to this city, but it hasn't been announced yet because of our organization's interception...

Just think about it! These incredibly threatening monsters are currently subservient to humans only because of a rule that forbids them from harming humans. If that rule were to be lifted... they would retaliate tenfold! Then, the people of this city would face annihilation!

"this..."

Zhang He couldn't help but frown. Although what the clown said made a lot of sense, he felt that the values ​​revealed in his words were...very problematic!

"As expected, such a simplistic deduction is as obvious as knowing a bulldozer just by hearing the engine. But... I really can't agree with your approach and the motivation behind it."

Flamingo glanced expressionlessly at the clown, who seemed somewhat agitated, with eyes as cold as if he were looking at a pig in a pig farm, as if to say, "This kind of guy should just become a piece of meat in the butcher shop." She then said, "Compared to blindly adhering to so-called racism and taking pride in it... although such thinking is indeed understandable and has some merit, I really can't accept it."

Not to mention this half-baked racism... They can't even carry out such a bigotry idea, so what face do they have to spout nonsense?

Since humans can bully ghosts and monsters at will by virtue of their superiority over the rules, then once these unequal rules are abolished, the ghosts' counterattack will be as inevitable as burping after drinking a carbonated beverage, right?

Of course, I'm not suggesting any silly ideas about humans and ghosts needing equal rights. What I mean is... since you clearly understand that the conflict between humans and ghosts is as inevitable as exhaling after inhaling... then why didn't you take action sooner? Why wait until this false peace is about to be shattered before finally thinking of taking action...?

Those who firmly believe in their own ideas, even if they are stubborn, and act on them from the very beginning, even the most universally condemned villains, have something admirable about them. But you... indulging in illusions, forced into action by circumstances, and then using that to glorify your own greatness... ha!

Seeing the clown's less-than-ideal expression, Red Crane forced a mocking smile onto her expressionless face. "Personally, compared to so-called racial sentiments, I prefer to act based on 'personal interests'... no, to be precise, 'personal interests'."

Besides... so what if I harm others for my own benefit? I'm upright and honest, and doing things that harm others for my own benefit is perfectly aboveboard, isn't it? It's much better than what you guys do, using so-called "righteousness" as a pretext, right?

The saying "Those who are not of our kind are bound to have different hearts" is nothing more than cleverly integrating one's own interests into those of a certain mass group, thereby using the power of others to satisfy one's own needs, while simultaneously putting on an act of occupying a moral high ground...

While this approach...it might indeed be more advantageous to oneself in many situations, it's...utterly disgusting. Just thinking about it makes me nauseous; I have absolutely no interest in it!

"Your idea is also problematic!"

After listening to Honghe's twisted logic and heresies, Zhang He couldn't help but blurt out a sarcastic remark.

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216. Strange and Weird Things (Twenty-Five)

"So you see... something that could be explained in a single sentence is deliberately made to sound mysterious and drag on with a long, complicated explanation..."

Half-asleep and drowsy, feeling languid from spring's drowsiness and autumn's lethargy, she complained to Red Crane, "You're really bored. In a way, you and Zhou Ke'er are quite alike..."

"Ha, don't joke around. If Zhou Ke'er were standing here instead of me... you wouldn't have heard that long speech, but would have seen..."

The flamingo shifted its body slightly, squinted at the listless man, and, unusually, its lips twitched slightly. It said earnestly, "This clown was pinned to the ground and beaten black and blue, completely powerless, and could only obediently accept his 'well-intentioned advice,' okay..."