Chapter Thirty-Four: The Chaos

When Mo Tan rose from his gaming pod, his mood could only be described as abysmal.

Such a state was exceptionally rare. At the very least, it had almost never occurred while he was currently in his [Chaotic Neutral] persona; after all, no matter how troublesome a situation might be, he had always regarded it as a form of "amusement."

However...

It was difficult for him to feel cheerful right now. The premise of "amusement" was that even if a situation involved tortuous processes or vexing complications, there remained a way to resolve and handle it. Since there was rarely anything Mo Tan could not solve, he could naturally treat such things as a joy beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

But this time, there was no immediate or obvious way to address the issue.

"Once again..." Mo Tan did not even glance at his phone. He had tracked his login times and the duration he spent in Dave’s wardrobe with perfect clarity, so the conclusion was obvious: "Two more hours lost. The time is even longer than before!"

He climbed out of the gaming pod and walked to the bathroom to splash some water on his face, trying to calm himself down. He then returned to the sofa and sat, allowing that signature faint smile of his current persona to return to his face.

"In fact, it’s not as if I’m completely without leads, is it?" Mo Tan whispered softly. "Whether on the forums or anywhere else, this situation has never appeared before. So, it is almost certain that I am the only one experiencing this 'time loss' phenomenon during gameplay."

He subconsciously rested his face on one hand, his index finger tapping his temple, eyes narrowing slightly. "Although the anomaly of possessing multiple characters has already manifested, none of the three roles—Tan Mo, Hei Fan, or Mo—have encountered this 'game time loss' issue until now..."

His thoughts were gradually clearing, or rather, there had been a clear direction for suspicion from the very beginning; it was just that Mo Tan had not been certain enough until now.

But even so, it was time to pay attention, or the consequences would be unthinkable...

[The problem must still lie within my 'illness'... ]

[Does this mean the influence is not limited to just the multiple characters?]

[No, that direction is not clear! Let's think about it in reverse: what if the influence is still related to the 'characters' themselves?]

Mo Tan had completely calmed down by now and began to enter a specific mode of thinking.

[Different characters represent different personalities...]

He temporarily allowed himself to become an absolutely transcendent, independent entity in his consciousness, then looked down at the "himself" who was currently thinking from a god’s-eye perspective.

[Although in reality, I am always myself, and only my personality, emotions, and thought patterns undergo intermittent, drastic changes, in the game, they are completely separated.]

This delusion of "ascending dimensions" did not mean Mo Tan truly stood at the same level as an "author" or a "reader," but it was highly effective for contemplating things easily overlooked by subjective bias.

[According to the in-game classification, the personality I am manifesting at this moment undoubtedly represents 'Chaotic Neutral,' and the corresponding role in the game is 'Tan Mo.']

Beads of sweat appeared on Mo Tan’s forehead. After all, he was always himself, but now he had to dismantle the singular, subjective 'self.' This was neither an interesting nor easy task; for anyone, the perception of the 'self' is deeply rooted, and breaking it is no small feat.

[Then, when my personality becomes 'Absolute Neutral,' I am naturally Hei Fan in the game.]

[And finally, when I am 'Lawful Good,' I am Mo...]

Mo Tan frowned slightly.

[Wait! Finally?]

"No!" He suddenly widened his eyes and whispered: "It’s not 'finally.' There aren't only three. Even though I’ve intended to forget it from the start, my 'illness' does not consist of only three personalities..."

Mo Tan stood up, took a deep breath, and walked to the full-length mirror in the corner of the room. Looking at himself, he whispered: "Or rather, I did only have three personalities at the beginning, but after the 'Absolute Neutral' me appeared, it became four... Of course, after 'that incident,' only the three personalities and roles that represent me in the game have remained over these years..."

"But what if that 'me' has not completely disappeared?" Mo Tan stared intensely at the mirror, murmuring softly.

At this moment, the Mo Tan in the mirror exuded a temperament of pure "chaos"—unrestrained, doing whatever he pleased, devoid of good or evil, treating everything as a "game" or "fun," acting purely on whim without any purpose...

"Perhaps the current me is already a rather terrifying guy." Mo Tan’s playful smile was laced with a hint of bitterness. "But there was once an even more terrifying 'me' in existence—a madness that even the current me cannot imagine, and..."

He did not continue. He turned and walked to the table, started his computer, and began scouring the official forums and numerous data sites of *World of Sin* with extreme efficiency, hoping to find some clues.

"If that is really the case..." Mo Tan scanned the countless pages opening and closing in an instant with focused, earnest eyes: "Then everything can be explained!"

...

January 3, 2049, 7:00 PM

[Mental connection detected, synchronizing personal information...]

[Connection complete, reading character information.]

[Welcome back, Chaotic Neutral Tan Mo. Loading *World of Sin*. Have a good night.]

Mo Tan appeared once again in Dave’s wardrobe, though the two people who had been... whispering here last night were long gone.

"As expected." Mo Tan pushed open the wardrobe and stepped out slowly, chuckling. "That Lord Lonn should have left long ago, and it seems our student Dave has already been granted that 'temporary paladin' title by the blind 'Holy Church Union' and is preparing to act..."

As he spoke, he walked to the door, donned that dusty gray ceremonial robe, unlocked the door from the inside, and walked out as if no one were around.

Mo Tan did not bother locking the door for Dave, as he had no intention of playing that slightly "bromantic" wardrobe-hiding routine again. Besides, his intelligence gathering had gone more smoothly than expected. Although he had missed some news due to that unpleasant disconnection last night, it did not hinder his plans.

Finding a random alley to change back into his previous white robe, Mo Tan headed straight to the Forest Inn in Pato City.

"Hello there~" Mo Tan smiled at the Flower Elf landlady who seemed perpetually busy cleaning up. "I’m looking for two little kids."

Yes, although Mo Tan’s age was about the same as those two, his race—the Elves—was an outlier whose age could not be calculated based on appearance. The term "little kids" sounded perfectly fine to the landlady, but...

"We don't have the kind of people you're looking for here," she replied without looking up. "Want a drink?"

The implication was clear: buy something or get lost.

"Don't be like that~" Mo Tan said leisurely. "Since we are both collaborators of those two children, why be so distant? You know, even though you have been living in seclusion for so many years since the dissolution of the Night Owl Mercenary Group, you can’t just leave Cole, the nephew of your old flame, and his companions in danger, can you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," the landlady shook her head. "And... it's safe here."

"Don't kid yourself~" Mo Tan shook his head. "Who can a mid-tier Nature Mage protect? Or perhaps add that Great Swordsman who also runs an unconventional tavern? Time is running out, Ms. Rendo. Not looking for trouble doesn't mean trouble won't find you, understand?"

The landlady of the Forest Inn, the former main combat mage of the Night Owl Mercenary Group, a Flower Elf named Lanye Rendo, whipped around to stare at Mo Tan, demanding in a low voice: "Who exactly are you, and what do you know!"

"I have neither the interest nor the obligation to satisfy your curiosity." Mo Tan walked slowly toward her and gave a faint, wicked smile: "You can view me as a Savior, or... an Overturner."

Rendo was silent for a moment before finally letting her shoulders drop. She put down the plate in her hand and said to Mo Tan: "I have to keep an eye on you."

"If you could join us, that would be even better." Mo Tan smiled happily.

...

Fifteen minutes later.

"That’s about it." Mo Tan sat on a table in the room, spreading his hands toward the other three. "I have two plans, but both require your cooperation. As for which one we implement, I will come back later today to tell you. Any questions?"

Ms. Rendo immediately asked: "Why should we trust you?"

"It’s simple~" Mo Tan pointed at Cole and Little Ai, laughing. "First, I saved the life of your old flame’s nephew, and saved another victim, while protecting a certain innocent soul as best as I could."

Cole looked at Ms. Rendo with genuine horror: "Old... old flame!? My uncle, who is a loafer all day long!?"

"Second." Mo Tan ignored him and simply spread his hands. "Besides trusting me, you have no other choice. Setting aside the cult’s foundation and their own strength, even their public influence is not something you can contend with. So, the question of 'why trust me' is quite foolish."

At this moment, Little Ai suddenly bowed slightly to Mo Tan and said loudly: "I believe in you, sir! Is there anything I can do? As long as I can avenge Lada and the others, I will do anything..."

"Tsk tsk." Mo Tan shook his finger at the girl. "Young ladies shouldn't go around saying 'I will do anything' so casually. As for what you need to do, let’s wait until I meet with that guy and come back."

With that, he didn't even wait for the three to react before pushing the door open and leaving...

After a silence, Rendo, the landlady of the Forest Inn, covered her beautiful face and sighed heavily: "Completely led by the nose by both sides... A cult... students from the Knight Academy... the Internal Affairs Chief of Pato City... what is all this nonsense..."

...

"I also think that gentleman is worth trusting." Cole shrugged. "Regardless, he saved me and Little Ai, and Rona’s soul... so I want to believe in him and repay him. Also, um... Mrs. Rendo..."

"Hmm?" The landlady, whose demeanor was completely different from usual, hummed through her nose and rolled her eyes at Cole: "What do you want to ask?"

Cole gave a sheepish laugh: "Are you and my uncle really... that..."

"No!" Rendo turned her head away, saying coldly: "It’s just my own unrequited love, just like Lada for Little Ai, Little Ai for you, and you for that girl Rona."

"Eh!?" The young acolyte, who had been standing to the side and minding her own business, was stunned: "Hey, hey, hey, hey! Sister Rendo! I, I, I..."

Rendo shrugged: "What about you? Enough, this is not the time to talk about this. I’m actually quite curious how that unfathomable man knows all these things. Cole, did you tell him anything?"

"I don't even know anything myself, what could I have said?" Cole scratched his hair. "But that gentleman did ask me some questions about my uncle before, then about the location of the Thieves' Guild intelligence post. Oh, and after I mentioned I was familiar with the Forest Inn, he asked about you..."

Rendo rolled her eyes, sighing as she walked out with a troubled look: "Forget it, forget it. You two just wait here. I need to go out and gather some information, and while I'm at it, find that bastard Bayes..."

With that, she left the room, leaving a trail of fragrance behind.

Then... the two young people in the room remained silent.

The situation was incredibly awkward.

"Get out..."

"Huh?"

"I said get out!"

"But it’s not safe downstairs!"

"This isn't the only room in the building! I said get out, you idiot!!"

The little acolyte, who had suddenly become violent for some reason, kicked Cole out with a flushed face.

...

Outside Pato City, in the forest where Lada and Rona had died.

Dave, dressed in bright silver knight armor, stood in the woods. A faint reddish-gold light swirled around him, and he held a greatsword mixed with a high proportion of holy silver, looking like a "pay-to-win" player.

And not just the kind with holy light effects, but a high-level VIP with cool dark-element skills...

Because he was whispering to himself, his eyes filled with a murky, evil fog. His free hand was curled into a claw, and pale, wretched mist was seeping from his palm.

A few minutes later, accompanied by two low groans, the soil in front of him erupted. Two massive, blood-red, lizard-like creatures with sharp fangs and claws and bony spikes on their backs—in short, Red-Spine Beasts—appeared before Dave.

Clearly, these were the two creatures that had gone on a killing spree not long ago.

But unlike their violence and madness that night, these two monsters were as docile as geckos...

On their foreheads, two seals engraved with eerie ripples had appeared, flashing at the same frequency as the pale halo in Dave’s hand.

Reflecting each other...

Chapter 34: End