Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

[...Luo Ye should be here too.]

She rubbed her forehead, took a deep breath, then a soft breath, and her thoughts gradually calmed down.

Some things, no matter how long you avoid them, you'll eventually have to face them. And now... that should be the perfect time.

So, where should we go?

Alice's gaze shifted. Clearly, the Yharnam outside the nightmare, bathed in sunlight, and the Yharnam of the dream were two completely different areas. Although the general features could still be identified, the layout of the buildings was obviously much more complex and denser.

In the past, Alice would probably have simply launched an information interference attack in any direction to obtain most of the city's information, whether overt or covert. Even if conditions weren't right, she would have chosen to operate covertly, silently climbing to inconspicuous heights to observe, or infiltrating densely populated tavern areas to gather and compile information before considering trivial matters like planning her next move.

Because she has always been such a cautious person, she doesn't trust others, and often doesn't even trust herself. She even carefully considers physics and mathematics, which are theoretically infallible. Apart from Patchouli, she would rather complicate everything than take even the slightest risk.

She has always been this way, in the past, and will continue to be this way. But now, at least for now…

Alice struggled to suppress her intense urge to act alone and covertly. She rubbed her face vigorously, then, before passersby began casting questioning glances at her standing there lost in thought, she first spotted a Yharnam citizen who, judging from his appearance, demeanor, and micro-expressions, seemed relatively kind and frequently out and about. And then…

"Excuse me." Alice somehow retrieved her social skills from her university days from the depths of her memory. She then applied them to the Yharnam citizen who had been pulled aside.

"Excuse me... how do I get to the Youssefka Clinic?"

..............................

Asking for directions went smoothly, as did finding her way. Even using only her mortal senses, Alice didn't waste time on trivial matters like getting lost—she followed the path pointed out by the hospitable citizens of Yharnam. After passing three streets, two squares, and four small city gardens, she successfully arrived at her destination. As she approached the edge of Yharnam city, near a high, cliff-like area, the clinic she remembered came into view.

Unlike what she remembered, the cemetery in front of the clinic was much larger and cleaner than before. There were no messy black carriages on either side of the path, and coffins bound by chains were no longer scattered everywhere in the street corners. She walked straight toward the clinic, where delicate white flowers grew beside the open iron gate. As she walked past the flowers, a gentle breeze stirred at her feet, and a sweet fragrance lingered around her nose.

There were patients in the clinic, but not many. Those who were sick mostly had minor ailments like colds or heatstroke. She made her way towards the second floor of the clinic, which she remembered, without encountering any obstacles. Occasionally, a caregiver or a patient would cast a curious glance at her, only attracted by her beautiful face. But they would only look at her curiously for a few moments before looking away, showing absolutely no signs of the romanticized scenes from novels.

Alice easily arrived at the second floor of the clinic where Luo Ye used to work. However, she did not see any trace of Luo Ye on the second floor. The person on the second floor of the clinic was a gentle and intellectual lady wearing a white medical coat. Her name was clearly heard by Alice when she was examining patients.

—She was Youssefka, the true owner of this clinic. When Alice appeared before her, she easily saw that Alice was not in any pain, but after finishing her chores, she kindly greeted Alice and asked if she needed any help.

"Have you ever seen someone who looks roughly like this, dresses like this, and whose name is Luo Ye?" Alice asked, and the doctor in white in front of her fell into deep thought. After thinking for about fifteen seconds, the doctor looked apologetic and told her in the gentlest of words that he had never seen Luo Ye.

“I’m sorry, to my recollection, no lady like that has visited my clinic in the past year,” Youssefka said apologetically. “Perhaps I wasn’t there when she came, or perhaps I’ve simply forgotten… Ah, if you don’t mind, you could go to the church and find a nun named Juliana. She’s my cousin and sometimes sees patients here on my behalf. Maybe she’ll remember the person you’re talking about?”

“…Thank you very much.” Alice bowed slightly, accepted the signed note from Youssefka, and quietly left the clinic.

In the dream, there weren't many survivors in Yharnam, were there? This doctor, and her cousin, would probably die in the disaster... no, perhaps worse. Although I don't remember the plot of 'Bloodborne' very clearly now, I recall that the doctor's cousin was a very wicked villain.

[Sisters killing each other...no, did the younger sister unilaterally hurt the older sister?]

[For Luo Ye, am I the younger sister she loved and cared for? And does she compare herself to Yusefka, who was killed by her sister, which is why she occupies the upper floor of the clinic in her dreams, occupying this actually unremarkable position?]

Sisters... that's such a heavy word.

After leaving the clinic, she hailed a carriage, took out pre-set coins from her pocket to pay, and pointed to the Healing Church in Yharnam. This church, which had brought countless calamities in the dream world and could almost be considered half the source of all the tragedies in Bloodborne, had now become a legitimate and benevolent denomination in Yharnam. They no longer used the blood of the Old Gods, but instead used herbs and scalpels to heal diseases. This made the church, which should have been infamous, beloved in Yharnam.

The horses' hooves pounded the ground, the carriage wheels chugled, and the carriage carrying Alice glided briskly through the wide and noisy street. Leaning against the carriage, she observed the many details of the street through the side window, lost in thought.

She easily found the square in Yanan City from her memory. There was no blood, no raging beasts, no mindless beast-devouring patients. There were only flowers, fountains, leisurely pedestrians, and Zhao Yingkong and Zhao Zhuikong sitting on the stone benches of the square, chatting shoulder to shoulder. They greeted her when they saw her carriage pass by, but did not show any expectation of talking to her.

Clearly, if she got off here, she would become a newly minted third wheel. Alice, at least, had some emotional intelligence, so she simply smiled at the Zhao siblings and then told the driver to take a longer route.

It wasn't actually that far. Not long after, she saw Xiao Honglu teasing a little girl on the other side of the square from the carriage. It was an adorable little girl with a delicate white ribbon tied in her hair, and her older sister, who was probably two or three years older than her. When Alice saw Xiao Honglu, this boy who looked like a twelve-year-old, he almost made the two little girls cry and run to their mother.

Very well, this precocious, neurotic boy has finally done something a twelve-year-old boy should do. Alice shook her head. When she saw the girl's tall, strong priest father, sleeves rolled up, walking towards Xiao Honglu, only to be stopped by the girl's mother, she lost all interest in watching.

Anyway, this brat is too annoying to take a beating, and he won't die even if he does, so let him be.

With this thought in mind, Alice closed her eyes.

However, the next moment, she opened her eyes as if she had been electrocuted!

Because another passenger suddenly appeared in the carriage that had previously housed only her. Luo Ye, whom she was trying to find, had silently appeared in the seat opposite her, quietly watching her!

“Alice.” Luo Ye’s voice was flat, as monotone as her figure. “Are you satisfied with this outcome?”

Section 4: Simple Games and Discussion

Are you satisfied with this result? Ah... do you even need to ask?

“Those who were supposed to die didn’t, and those who were supposed to live continue to live. Several new worlds have gained freedom, and our companions have grown significantly.” Alice clasped her hands together and leaned forward slightly. “I think I should be satisfied. Yes, I’m quite satisfied with this outcome.”

"Are you not satisfied?" Alice asked softly, gazing at Luo Ye before her.

However, Luo Ye did not answer directly.

She reached out and pulled down a suspended table from the side of the carriage. A brand-new, exquisite deck of cards appeared in her hand—a deck of cards, one side a clean, blank white, the other side containing fifty-two cards of each suit, from Ace to King. She removed the two Jokers and set them aside, then casually shuffled the cards a few times before spreading them out in a smooth line on the table, suit and letter side down.

"Want to play cards?" Luo Ye asked.

How do you play?

"Each person draws five cards, and we compare their hands."

Alice nodded. Although she was currently only in a mortal body, her dynamic vision still allowed her to accurately capture the information she wanted during the card switching process while Luo Ye shuffled the cards. When Luo Ye gestured for her to proceed, she unhesitatingly drew five locked cards from the deck and flipped them over in front of her.

What appeared before her was the 10 of spades, J, Q, K, A—a straight flush, blackjack. Theoretically the highest possible hand. Then she saw Luo Ye casually draw five cards from the deck and lay them out in front of her.

With three Kings and two Queens, Alice knew exactly what cards Luo Ye would draw before he even revealed them. She had memorized the position and value of each card while Luo Ye shuffled the deck. While such an operation might be difficult for ordinary people unfamiliar with card games, it wasn't beyond the realm of mortals; it was an operation achievable with just a certain amount of talent and training.

Alice is an ordinary person, at least for now.

“I won,” Alice said easily.

“No, I won,” Luo Ye replied. “Your total card points were lower than mine, so I was the one who ultimately won.”

The sum of 10, J, Q, K, and A is 47. However, the sum of three Ks and two Qs is 63. The latter is significantly greater than the former. Therefore, the winner is clearly obvious.

Alice raised an eyebrow.

"I see... A word game guided by a misconception? The rule is indeed to compare the number of points? Suit and other miscellaneous items are ignored?"

“Yes, only the size matters. The total number of points matters,” Luo Ye replied calmly.

"Best of three?"

"Two wins in three games."

So Luo Ye shuffled the cards again, and this time Alice drew first—she considered it carefully and this time drew four Kings and one Queen of Spades from the deck. Then she saw Luo Ye take out a few more random cards from the deck.

Alice's total is 6+4, while Luo Ye's total is 3, 7, 8, 9, and Q of different suits. The sum is a pitiful 39.

“I’ll win this time, won’t I?” Alice asked.

“No, I still win,” Luo Ye replied, flipping over her cards. Four Kings and a Queen appeared on the blank side, while the side with the letters turned pure black. And it wasn't just her cards; Alice's cards underwent the same change. When Alice flipped her cards over, she saw five random cards that added up to only thirty-something points.

"Is this the real deal?"

"Yes, this is the real deal. The other side was just different patterns."

"I've never heard of playing cards having different patterns on the back, and being dealt face up when they're different sizes."

"So now you've seen it," Luo Ye replied calmly, "best of three, I won both."

“Now you understand.” She carefully put away the fifty-two playing cards along with the two jokers. “You think you’ve won, but you may not have really won. You think the ending is ideal, but the result may not be as you wish.”

Alice wrinkled her nose slightly. "That's only because you concealed the rules. If you had revealed all the rules and details fairly from the beginning, the outcome wouldn't have been like this."

“You’ve lost your temper, Alice,” Luo Ye replied calmly. “If this were anyone else, even Patchouli, you would immediately reflect on your immaturity, examine your flawed thinking, and firmly remember this lesson. Instead, you’re acting unreasonably like this.”

Alice took a deep breath. She knew perfectly well why she was so irritable, and she knew even more that this irritability was a deliberate indulgence deep within her heart. She tried hard to calm her restless heart, and after a long while, she managed to squeeze out a few words through clenched teeth.

“This is not fair.” — She wasn’t referring to the bet itself.

“There has never been any fairness in this world,” Luo Ye replied quietly. “The purest fairness is the survival of the fittest, where the strong gain everything and the weak lose everything. All discord is resolved through simple comparisons of strength and weakness. However, such fairness does not exist. Any order established by intellectual life is a denial of the concept of ‘fairness’ itself… Of course, this kind of wordplay is not very meaningful. But I think you should be able to understand what I am trying to express.”

"When the rules are unclear, success or failure is just empty talk. If you are satisfied with the result you have achieved, then you may continue to be satisfied. But your satisfaction does not mean the end of everything. You think that you have solved everything by overcoming your inner demons and proving the Way with force... You can continue to think that."

"...You haven't given up yet?" Alice rubbed her forehead. "Are you really looking forward to your death?"

"Death is a means, not an end."

"So what is your purpose?"

"do not know."

"Is it that you don't know, or that you can't say?"

"I don't know, and even if I did, I probably wouldn't tell you."

"So what can be said?"

Luo Ye paused slightly, raising an eyebrow. She scrutinized Alice from head to toe, seemingly going through a complex mental process. This process lasted for about fifteen seconds before she answered slowly and deliberately.

"There are only three things I can tell you." She took a soft breath.

"First, I must die. Second, you are the only one who can kill me. Third, I cannot lose to you, whether subjectively or objectively."

“Why must he die?” Alice asked. “Is there a time limit?”

"I don't know, and perhaps there's no clear deadline. But I feel this urge welling up inside me. My heart, will, and soul are constantly telling me that I should do this." Luo Ye replied calmly, "Originally, in my plan, when I had nearly exhausted Chang'e's army, I myself, while not being destroyed, should have entered a state of extreme weakness and exhaustion. And if you had forcibly initiated the battle of inner demons at that time, then even if I didn't actively fight back, I would have been devoured by your nascent inner light in my weakened state—this is a kind of evolution, not a battle of victory or defeat. In this way, I would neither lose to you nor be killed by you, and everything would have become perfectly logical."

“Yet I have bypassed you and opened the light of my soul,” Alice whispered.

"Yes, you bypassed me and opened the light of your soul. So the way I was hoping for to leave is no longer valid. And apart from that, there are basically no other paths to take."

"What would happen if you didn't die?"

“Something very bad, extremely bad,” Luo Ye replied calmly, his words carrying a hint of Chu Xuan’s demeanor. “I don’t know the specifics, but I know it’s an absolutely terrible thing. And the longer this drags on, the more troublesome it becomes. And one piece of evidence is that I now possess the rank of a True God.”

"You too have the light of the soul!?"

“Yes, I also possess the Light of the Soul. It’s strange, but I do have this radiance.” Luo Ye nodded without hesitation. “Moreover, it has the exact opposite properties of your Light of the Soul. It’s not suitable to use it here, but you should know I have no reason to lie to you.”

The air inside the carriage seemed to freeze once more, while the sounds outside gradually thinned out. The distant rumble of church bells could be faintly heard; the Healing Church must be nearby… We were about to arrive at our destination.

Alice let out a soft breath. She knew Luo Ye hadn't lied to her. She also knew without a doubt that Luo Ye wasn't suited to unleash her Inner Light here—not even to demonstrate its power. After all, this world was ultimately a vacation destination, and if she did, and something completely opposite to her Inner Light erupted, this world would likely only have two possible outcomes: corruption or instantaneous explosion.

And there's probably no need to continue the conversation here. Luo Ye has to die, at least she believes she has to die, and she has to die in the prescribed way. And her belief is unbreakable, and she has absolutely no idea how to stop her.

She wouldn't harm the Central Continent Team, nor would she hurt Patchouli. Because doing so would mean engaging in a battle between her and Alice's true self. And she couldn't lose, therefore she couldn't die. True Gods are inherently resilient beings, even suicide is difficult; the probability of a loser surviving and a winner dying is practically zero.

However, if she didn't do that, Alice wouldn't consider her a target to kill—theoretically, Alice could achieve her wish by unconsciously taking her down before she could react. But clearly, Alice probably wouldn't do such an unconscious thing at this moment.

Everything is in contradiction, and the biggest contradiction is that the claim that "something terrible will happen if Luo Ye doesn't die" is entirely Luo Ye's one-sided statement without any supporting evidence. Although Alice knows that Luo Ye wouldn't lie to her, not lying doesn't mean that every word he says, put together, is the complete truth.

One thing is certain: my adoptive mother definitely played a part in this.

[It's like that game of cards in Luo Ye where the rules were unclear. Playing against someone without understanding the details of the rules. What you perceive as a victory might not be the right outcome... Ah, if only I could swap brains with Zheng Zha. If my thinking were as smooth as hers, I wouldn't be struggling with this now...]

The carriage stopped, and the driver gently knocked on the side of the carriage. Inside, Loye nodded to Alice, then vanished silently into dust. When Alice paid the fare and alighted from the carriage, the Healing Church's cathedral in the heart of Yharnam was already in sight.

She spotted Yusufka's cousin immediately, the woman who supposedly looked exactly like Yusufka. In the Bloodborne universe, Juliana was supposed to be a member of the choir, belonging to the upper echelons of the Healing Church, and had long since fallen into madness due to the influence of the Old Gods' knowledge. However, here, she appeared to be just an ordinary nun.

Of course, Juliana's true identity was unimportant to Alice. The reason Alice focused so much attention on this ordinary nun was because, as Alice alighted from the carriage, the first person she noticed was an acquaintance engaged in pleasant conversation beside the nun.