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

Then, he leaned forward slightly, turned his head to look at the spot where he felt sleepy and tired, and moved one hand with difficulty to rest on the knee of the bent leg.

A small amount of blood slowly flowed down his forehead, but it quickly congealed on his face.

He looked at the spot where spring drowsiness and autumn fatigue had been and suddenly said, "I'm sorry, I didn't expect that the time for parting would finally come. I've caused you to have so many nightmares."

Spring drowsiness and autumn fatigue stared in surprise, instinctively shifting her gaze to the back, but she didn't see a single person—meaning, that guy was actually talking to her?!

"You can see me?!"

Feeling drowsy in spring and tired in autumn, I subconsciously asked, "What's going on?"

But Pompelo continued to stare at her location, paused for a moment, and then continued to speak to himself: "You may be very confused now, and you may keep asking me questions, but unfortunately, I can neither see you nor hear what you are saying. I can only sense your presence. Originally, this could have been done through certain means, but there is no need for it anymore."

Spring drowsiness and autumn fatigue silenced him, and he said no more.

From what he said, it seemed that the nightmare problem that had been bothering her for so long was finally going to end? Was it because the world in this dream was going to be destroyed? Although she didn't know the details, she had at least followed this guy's perspective in the dream and experienced so many things, so she naturally understood the general situation.

For some reason, even though she had always wanted to get rid of this recurring nightmare, now that she actually knew that the nightmare was about to disappear... she felt a strange sense of loss, and even an indescribable sadness about the destruction of this world began to linger and spread in her heart.

"Our original plan was to contact people in the future through some kind of secret technique, communicate with them, and find a way to save them... but we don't know what went wrong, the time span seems to be a bit too long."

Pompelo tilted his head slightly, looking at the sky that seemed to have been completely torn apart, with the eerie light of the stars spreading down very gently. He revealed an indescribable bitter smile: "The moment I connected with your mind, I roughly understood the situation from your subconscious. We really... couldn't stop the destruction of this world."

Spring drowsiness and autumn fatigue opened their mouths in surprise—what did this mean? The implication in this guy's words, whether explicit or implicit, was that she and he actually lived in the same world, and he was just someone from a very distant time? And that this world had experienced a destruction?

The Old Era?!

The vague concept from that history lesson suddenly popped into my drowsy mind.

"While it is true that once this secret technique is activated, it is very difficult to stop, it does contain some of my personal wishes—if everything we have done ends in failure and leaves no trace in the future, wouldn't that be too lonely?"

Pompelo's eyes gradually glazed over: "I'm sorry, because of my personal wishes, this nightmare has plagued you for so long... Please accept my apology and remorse."

As he spoke, he laboriously raised his hand toward the spot where Spring Sleepiness and Autumn Fatigue were. A streak of light flashed, and it seemed as if something slowly flowed from his hand and landed on Spring Sleepiness and Autumn Fatigue's hand.

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707. Rejoice! This is the birth of a new god.

Zhou Ke'er sensed that something, though still very faint, was somewhat similar in nature to a "divine essence" and was condensing and forming.

Unlike the pseudo-godhood he used as a prop in the game before, and unlike the time-space godhood he inexplicably inherited, Zhou Ke'er could fully feel that this existence belonged entirely to him, was perfectly suited to him as an individual, and existed solely for him as an individual.

Although it has only just begun to condense, it is not only very weak, but it has also not yet shown what its "power" is.

But isn't this a little strange? From the process, recruiting followers may be somewhat similar to gaining believers, but having followers doesn't mean that a being can be called a god, or an existence equal to a god, right? Some powerful monsters, or certain monsters that are worshipped in groups, may have followers who believe in them, but they can't be called "gods" at all.

Besides, Zhou Ke'er had a dog-like familiar in the game before, right? Why didn't she react at all back then...? Could it be that it doesn't count? Even if it doesn't count, Zhou Ke'er only has one familiar now, and who knows if that familiar actually believes in her...

Although she didn't understand the underlying principle, since it had already been condensed, Zhou Ke'er saw no need to return it. She didn't need it now anyway, so she could just keep it for now.

Zhou Ke'er's thoughts drifted a little away—wasn't the game currently merging with the real world? That means it's very possible that NPCs from the game could cross over into reality, right? If she could also develop those NPCs into her followers or followers, would it have the same effect?

In that case, as long as we cast a wide net and catch more fish, and develop more high-quality fish fry, wouldn't we be able to develop extremely rapidly?

There is great potential, great potential indeed!

Zhou Ke'er still remembers that an NPC once said he wanted to be his dog.

While pondering, Zhou Ke'er imbued Hu Tao with the evil power originating from him. Hu Tao was immersed in the misty black fog, and it seemed as if it had been baptized. Not only were its wounds repaired and its severed limbs regenerated, but it also gained some other powers, and even its temperament underwent some subtle changes.

Because she had just been baptized and was still not fully conscious, Zhou Ke'er simply tore open a spatial rift, grabbed Hu Tao, and flew all the way back to her home from the strange space, since it was on her way anyway.

After settling Hu Tao at home, Zhou Ke'er advised her to stay home as much as possible, take leave from work, and avoid contact with relatives and friends to prevent the evil spirits on her body from spreading and infecting others unconsciously. She suggested waiting until she had adapted to her current state of being filled with evil spirits and was able to control them before making any further moves.

Although Hu Tao wasn't quite clear on the concept of "evil spirits," as a member of the family, she could still sense them instinctively. And since Zhou Ke'er was speaking so earnestly, she nodded in agreement.

After leaving Hu Tao's house, Zhou Ke'er pondered the situation as she slowly walked back home. The distance wasn't too far, and it wouldn't take too much time; there was no need to rush.

Just as he strolled into the community's underground parking garage, intending to take a shortcut, he suddenly saw Lin Wen running in a hurry.

This guy was unusually unpretentious, not dressed up or wearing makeup, and even just ran out in a simple t-shirt and trousers. Although he looked like a young girl with short hair, he wouldn't normally come out like this.

He looked flustered; could he have encountered some trouble? Was he being hunted by a ghost?

No, Zhou Ke'er didn't sense any eerie aura either.

After all, it's impossible for every person you meet to be in danger, right? That would make the world too dangerous, and all the strange things happening around Zhou Ke'er seem very suspicious.

Lin Wen happened to look up and catch a glimpse of Zhou Ke'er walking in from outside. His eyes lit up immediately, and he seemed to want to call out Zhou Ke'er's name. However, for some reason, it seemed that an unknown force was stopping him, preventing him from saying that name.

Seeing this, Zhou Ke'er realized what was going on, so she quickly stepped forward and asked, "What's wrong? What happened? Why are you in this state? This isn't like you."

Upon hearing Zhou Ke'er's question, Lin Wen momentarily forgot about why he couldn't call out Zhou Ke'er's name, assuming it was just because he was too nervous to speak clearly. He quickly replied, "I found out why that game wasn't banned! When that disease was spreading widely, the relevant investigation agencies had already discovered the connection between the initial patients and the game. Although this conclusion was very far-fetched and unscientific, they did find some abnormalities in that game—but!"

At this point, Lin Wen swallowed hard, glanced around warily, and continued, "But the entire investigation was abruptly halted by higher authorities, seemingly due to pressure from some force... Listen to me, I know this sounds absurd. What era are we living in? This isn't some kind of sword and magic or fantasy, how could there be any so-called 'force'?"

But in essence, they're pretty much the same; you can call them a department or an organization—basically, they're the ones who prevented the investigation from continuing, which is why the game hasn't been banned yet. That organization has serious problems; I've found a lot of information about it, but it seems I accidentally exposed myself, and now they might have detected me… I've hidden all the information I found in this storage device; you must keep it safe!”

As he spoke, Lin Wen shoved a small storage device into Zhou Ke'er's hand, looking slightly anxious.

Zhou Ke'er raised an eyebrow—the organization Lin Wen mentioned must be the Exorcist Organization. He already knew about this before, but the fact that Lin Wen could investigate to this extent as an ordinary person was already beyond imagination. In some genres, he might even be a protagonist.

However, this news is already outdated; Zhou Ke'er has already joined the Exorcist organization and is being carefully protected.

Look how scared they've made Lin Wen! He's been terrified like this! The Exorcist Organization, you've done so many bad things!

Zhou Ke'er sighed inwardly and wrapped a wisp of evil around Lin Wen to ensure his safety.

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708. Please stop him!

"You don't need to worry too much, they wouldn't dare to lay a hand on you or me. Even if you don't trust others, you should trust... that my family's power is enough to protect us."

Zhou Ke'er shrugged and comforted him, only able to tell a small lie—there was no other way, it was too dangerous for Lin Wen, who was just an ordinary person, to get involved in this kind of thing. It was a quagmire that he could never escape once he found out. Zhou Ke'er felt very regretful for involving Lin Wen in this matter before.

Lin Wen paused for a moment upon hearing this, then seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, though it was unclear whether he was genuinely relieved or just putting on an act to put Zhou Ke'er at ease. "That's true. Since you've said so, I'm relieved. I was worried that I might be wiped out by that organization one day. I haven't lived enough yet."

"Don't say such discouraging things! You're not going to die. Don't think so much. I can see you're exhausted. People tend to overthink when they're extremely tired. My advice is—you should get some sleep and rest. When you wake up, you'll find that things aren't actually that serious."

Zhou Ke'er raised an eyebrow and interrupted Lin Wen, speaking in a slightly forceful tone. She could tell that Lin Wen's mental state was very bad.

And he added in his mind: Even if you die, I will bring you back to life.

After seeing Zhou Ke'er, Lin Wen seemed to relax a little, and his expression suddenly became somewhat listless and dazed. "You're right, you're right, I really should rest for a while."

For some reason, even though Zhou Ke'er's words didn't make much sense upon closer inspection and even had many flaws, they inexplicably gave Lin Wen a sense of credibility, especially in his tired and dazed state. Zhou Ke'er's words seemed to have a magical power of persuasion, and he agreed with Zhou Ke'er's statement without much thought.

Zhou Ke'er escorted Lin Wen all the way home before heading back to her own. She couldn't very well let a dazed person walk home alone; that would be too disrespectful. To strangers, Zhou Ke'er might indeed be considered scum, but she was quite good to her friends.

Just then, Zhou Ke'er's communication bracelet suddenly rang.

He glanced at it casually, only to find that the caller ID displayed a string of gibberish. Zhou Ke'er narrowed his eyes and answered the phone—he wanted to see what kind of trick this was all about.

However, to his surprise, the voice coming from the communication bracelet was from Rae: "Take two steps to the left. There is a spatial node that I just preset. I'll be waiting for you there—I have something very important to ask you, something that is also related to you."

Rayle spoke hastily, as if afraid some other being might overhear him. But since they were already communicating through a communication bracelet, how could he not know that all call logs were backed up?

Zhou Ke'er pursed her lips, casually tidied her clothes, and then, as Reier had just instructed, reached out and tore open the passage of that spatial node, stepping into a distinctive pure white space.

A guy with his face covered in mosaic had been waiting inside for quite some time.

Disturbed by a series of inexplicable events, Zhou Ke'er was actually quite annoyed. Moreover, he never liked to hide his emotions, so he glared with dead fish eyes and, upon entering, casually created a sofa for himself using his supernatural powers—a sofa made of thick, black mist. He then sat down on it with his legs crossed and asked Rae in an extremely displeased tone, "What, do you want to see me? I don't remember us being on the same side."

"That's true, but in some ways our interests align. For example, the favor I'd like to ask you today."

Rieker did not deny Zhou Ke'er's words. After all, now that he was a double agent, it was hard to say whether there were still people on his side. Perhaps the only label left on him was "traitor."

"Tell me what it is, and I'll consider whether I should agree. Oh, and don't forget to discuss the compensation in detail."

Zhou Ke'er stared intently at Leier, her eyes filled with a dark mist.

He used to have to suppress his feelings in front of people he knew well, and although it was his own choice, it still made him feel uncomfortable. But now he doesn't have to.

If being a madman with a terrible temper would bring him pleasure, Zhou Ke'er would be happy to do so. He had always been a person who followed his desires and instincts.

"It sounds simple, but it's a completely different story in practice."

Rae slowly began, "I hope you can stop Renault's plans."

"?"

A question mark appeared in Zhou Ke'er's eyes, and she couldn't help but lean forward: "I originally thought that you were at least on the same page? Do you mean you intend to completely side with those great beings?"

“You can think that way, but my request has nothing to do with who I side with. You, including Renault’s companions, have too little understanding of Renault’s plans.”

Rae replied in a deep voice, “You only see that he wants to fight against those beings and save humanity—but you naturally ignore his personal definition of ‘humanity’.”

Zhou Ke'er's eyes narrowed slightly, as if she understood something.

Rae continued, "And this crucial premise indicates that, apart from pure-blooded humans, all other 'people,' including most of the humans in your world, are nothing more than expendable resources, tools, or even beings that should be wiped out. Over the long years, he has gradually lost some of his humanity and become too extreme. You should understand, right? Doing this... is absolutely unacceptable."

"laugh…"

Seeing Rayle trying to convey anxiety by covering his face with a mosaic, Zhou Ke'er couldn't help but scoff: "If I cared about other people's lives, I wouldn't have chosen to leave at the end of the previous event module. I'm not some saint; what does caring about the world have to do with me?"

I don't know if you're just biased or genuinely can't prioritize—Renault's plan has at least a very slim chance of success, and isn't that the opportunity we're betting on? If we stop him as you suggest, am I supposed to continue being a pet kept by those great beings, providing them with entertainment every day?"

But some people just want to live!

"Rieker countered."

“There are some people, but what does that have to do with me? I’ve said it before, I’m the most selfish person.” Zhou Ke’er stood up. “Besides, I don’t believe you’re telling me this because of those people’s lives. Or do you really think I’d be swayed by such words? You really don’t know me well enough.”

Rayleigh said that his true purpose was not to protect those guys.

"If their sacrifice can bring me happiness—that would be their honor."

Zhou Ke'er immediately made a scathing statement: "This is my opinion."

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709. Masterpiece

"Since that's all... Is there anything else? If not, I'll be leaving. My time is very valuable; what's the point of wasting it on such a ridiculous request?"

Seeing that Rayle had been silent for a while, Zhou Ke'er clapped her hands, indicating that she would leave if he didn't speak soon.

Upon hearing this, Rael looked at Zhou Ke'er again, his eyes flickering slightly, but in the end he only sighed: "No, there's nothing else. Just one last piece of advice—no, it's not really advice, just a warning and a reminder."

I can sense your current state, and the problem is... I don't even know the principle behind your acquisition of divinity. You need to be careful, the 'divinity' I'm talking about is very different from the divine status or divine position of our native gods in the old era. To be precise, it's more like a kind of existence that gods have fallen into evil, or a 'new god' that was originally a mixture of the two.