Chapter Three: Tan Mo, the Chaotic Neutral
Most cases of dissociative identity disorder erupt or switch without warning. However, after years of conscious training, Mo Tan has now managed to secure himself roughly five minutes of buffer time—a span not to be underestimated, a critical window that has saved him countless times from being forcibly admitted to a psychiatric hospital.
During this interval, he briefly harbors two personalities simultaneously, with the one about to surface immediately suppressing any overtly unusual traits or emotions, allowing for a smooth transition.
After all, no matter which personality it is, they are all facets of Mo Tan himself, sharing the same memories, identity, and intellect. Though their temperaments differ, they are not entirely separate individuals awkwardly crammed into the same vessel.
Strictly speaking, there are four personalities.
The first was crafted by Mo Tan in later years—a relatively moderate and gentle character, sharing similar interests with peers, meticulous, and possessing a few ordinary friends whose personalities meshed well. This was the absolutely neutral Black Fan from the previous “Realm of Innocence.”
The second personality harbors a mind drifting across countless channels. Unlike the first, everything he does lacks a clear purpose. If he seeks anything, it is only an elusive joy and satisfaction. Had he been born in another era, he might have been a libertine living a carefree existence or a mad, eccentric terrorist or revolutionary.
The third personality is harder to define. To call him a saint might not fit, given Mo Tan is male; to say “saintly father” borders on infringement. Suffice it to say, he is a paragon of morality in every sense—hating evil with a fierce passion. If Mo Tan could maintain this personality consistently, combined with his intelligence, he could easily obtain a green card and run for chief justice in the most nefarious capitalist country. Failing that, traveling back in time to become a righteous paladin punishing villains would be no problem. Importantly, integrity does not equal foolishness. Justice fortified by wisdom not only resists manipulation but often exposes the filth lurking in the darkest corners.
As for the last personality...
No one wishes to recall it. This was the one Mo Tan sealed away from the start. Though it may exist, it is the most unnecessary of all, a consensus shared by all Mo Tan’s personalities.
Returning to the main point...
Before, Mo Tan had some experience playing mental simulation games. However, his mental state would fluctuate violently during personality switches. Even with the precious five-minute buffer, he would still be forcibly disconnected afterward. This time, however, he failed to anticipate the start and the end.
Disconnection itself was not unusual, but this time it was an instantaneous cut-off with no buffer.
Re-logging in was fine too, but the system prompted him to recreate his character...
“Hahaha! This is simply too amusing!” Standing again on the stone platform, gazing at the surrounding void, Mo Tan paused for a moment before bursting into laughter. “Though this game hasn’t helped me discover my ‘true self,’ it is exceptionally entertaining!”
As if déjà vu, nine doors descended from the heavens.
This time, Mo Tan showed no hesitation. He strode directly to the door labeled “Chaotic Neutral,” which he had tried before, and chuckled, “Open.”
Boom!
As if long awaited, the door trembled and swung wide open, its swift motion seeming to beckon him inside.
“Or perhaps the real ‘me’…” Mo Tan murmured with a low laugh. “Can these four words—‘Chaotic Neutral’—explain it all?”
He cracked his neck and eagerly stepped through.
The system’s voice echoed from the darkness...
[Your alignment is—Chaotic Neutral. This stance is irreversible. Beginning calculation of your initial talents, race, and abilities.]
“A pure individualist, avoiding authority, hating restrictions, challenging traditions...” Mo Tan softly recited the Dungeons & Dragons definition of Chaotic Neutral from memory. “Is this what true chaos means...?”
[Calculation complete. Your initial character profile is:]
Race: Half-Elf
Gender: Male
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Talents: Chaos (extreme emotions grant you additional damage and success rates), Cunning (Cunning School level +3), Sophistry (makes others more likely to believe you)
Base Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 8, Wisdom 9, Constitution 4
Civil Attributes: Eloquence 8, Charisma 8, Knowledge 8, Leadership 5
Combat Attributes: Cunning level 3
“All of these are me, yet the differences are quite remarkable,” Mo Tan remarked with no complaint, though no one could guess why he was so pleased.
[Please name your character.]
“Tan Mo, no need to confirm again. If it’s wrong, it’s wrong,” he said cheerfully, merely testing the system’s intelligence, indifferent to the name itself.
[Would you like to adjust your appearance?]
A slender man with mostly human features appeared before Mo Tan, his hair and eyes a vibrant emerald green, naturally looking exactly like him.
“You didn’t even confirm the name—smart,” Mo Tan praised, then said, “No major changes, just dye my hair back to black.”
---
The green locks of the half-elf model instantly turned jet black, and Mo Tan was satisfied this time.
[Character creation complete. Chaotic Neutral Tan Mo, welcome to the Realm of Innocence.]
Control of his body returned, with a familiar sense of déjà vu. But this time, both his surroundings and mindset were entirely different.
Opening his eyes, he found himself on a simple small-town street. Few people passed by, mostly farmers wielding hoes or hunters in humble gear. The races were diverse—dwarves, halflings, trolls, lizardfolk, some known to Mo Tan, others not—but all seemed harmonious.
“Tsk, compared to a reality where even skin color can be a reason for attack, this is truly a simple and honest world,” Mo Tan muttered as he slowly wandered. “Though trouble seems imminent...”
He said this because of the system’s guiding quest.
[—Stop the necromancer Medi from unleashing the ossification plague in Maple Sugar Town.]
This hardly looked like a normal beginner’s quest...
Yet Mo Tan was unfazed, even somewhat pleased.
“Hey! Friend!” He suddenly called out to a human man stooping to pick some red vegetables, smiling. “Can I trouble you for a moment?”
The man looked puzzled. “May I ask who you are?”
“A bard from a distant land,” Mo Tan lied effortlessly, then his tone darkened. “Of course, before wandering, I had a stable home, a warm place called home... until... oh, Ellie, why did it have to be you...”
He sighed deeply, then stopped abruptly, offering an apologetic smile to the confused middle-aged man. “Sorry, I can’t help recalling those things…”
“No, friend, I should be the one apologizing,” the man sighed with a look of shared hardship. “So, how can I help you?”
Mo Tan whispered, “I heard there’s a mage in Maple Sugar Town. If possible, I’d like to speak with him. Bards run out of inspiration, after all; children tire of tales of dragons and knights. So…”
“A mage?” The man frowned. “In Maple Sugar Town?”
“That’s what I heard,” Mo Tan replied without flinching.
Perhaps due to his expressive face and superb acting—possibly aided by his initial charisma of 8—the man, who was anxious to finish shopping and go home, took an interest, stroking his chin as he muttered, “I don’t recall a mage in town…”
“Oh, right!” Mo Tan slapped his forehead. “I think his name is... Medi?”
“Medi?” The man exclaimed. “He lives outside town, a gentle old man who occasionally comes here for supplies. He’s... a mage?”
Mo Tan blinked. “Where does he live?”
“In that two-story wooden house east of town. Wait, where did you go?” The man had just handed two copper coins to the shopkeeper. Turning back, the young man with a story was gone.
...
Medi Leven was hunched over a crumpled piece of parchment, sketching intently with a quill. Two minutes later, the elderly man stretched and turned with a smile.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Mo Tan, who had been leaning by the door for quite a while, shook his head. “I haven’t been here long. Besides, watching you busy with these futile tasks isn’t dull at all.”
“Futile?” Medi scoffed. “You think I’m just copying notes, young man?”
Mo Tan casually stepped inside, stopped before Medi, and wagged a finger. “Because you don’t know about deductive magic, I won’t explain much. In short, from certain traits of yours and the items in your home, I inferred your wife died several years ago. I circled around the decorative tombstone in your backyard and found nothing buried beneath. Also...”
“Also what?” Medi’s eyes darkened, idly stroking his ring.
“Also the aura of death I sensed even before entering,” Mo Tan said, settling into Medi’s chair with a leg crossed. “Enough to prove you’re preparing a foolish resurrection ritual.”
Here, Mo Tan lied. With his current power, he could detect nothing of the sort; the “death aura” was purely a fabrication inspired by the quest prompt.
But Medi did not know...
Since he became a necromancer three months after his wife’s passing seven years ago, no one had ever confronted him about his identity so directly.
[Medi Leven]
Race: Human (NPC)
Gender: Male
Level: Bone Controller 9, Cleric 11
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Attributes: Strength 10, Dexterity 3, Wisdom 41, Constitution 15
Combat Skills: Necromancy 7, Holy Light School 15, Arcane School 10
Abilities: Flesh Perception, Bone Splitting, Bone Spear, Bone Shield, Curse of Agony, Summon Undead, Insight, Powerful Arcane Prism, Purification (disabled), Radiance (disabled), Blessing of Wisdom (disabled).
The reason for switching to a god’s-eye view to display Medi’s stats is threefold:
First, if Medi wished, he could obliterate Mo Tan in seconds.
Second, with only level 7 in necromancy, resurrecting someone dead for years is a fool’s dream.
Finally, data is not always the sole determinant of outcomes under certain circumstances...
“Give me one reason not to kill you, young man,” Medi said softly, eyes locked on Mo Tan’s emerald gaze. The ring on his left middle finger shimmered faintly, activating protective wards around the cabin to prevent Mo Tan’s escape.
Yet Mo Tan never intended to run. Instead, he suddenly burst into laughter!
“Ha! Hahaha!” The composed expression vanished as Mo Tan covered his cheeks dramatically, trembling and pointing at Medi, laughing until breathless. “Ha, you... you actually asked the dumbest question! I’m so disappointed, really, Medi, you’ve let me down!”
Medi glared coldly, his bony right hand conjuring a pale bone spear that instantly pointed at Mo Tan’s heart. “What do you think I should have asked?”
He hadn’t killed Mo Tan immediately because, upon entry, his spells Flesh Perception and Insight returned no anomalies—meaning Mo Tan was either reckless or utterly insane. Out of caution, Medi continued probing.
“I think you should ask me if there’s any real way to bring your wife back, beyond those crude futile efforts,” Mo Tan shook his head, wearing a look of frustrated pity. “Or better yet, if you’re smart enough, just ask me to do it.”
His demeanor was calm and natural, voice steady, heart rate normal, muscles relaxed, smile composed, eyes focused.
Medi’s insight and perception confirmed this—Mo Tan was telling the truth, merely stating facts that gradually weighed down Medi’s fervent heart.
“Please don’t make that face,” Mo Tan said gently. “The bond between soul and body is incredibly complex, leaving no room for carelessness. The knowledge and resources needed for resurrection far exceed your meager imagination, Medi.”
The old man’s composure finally shattered; his face twisted in a grimace as he roared, “You mean I’m doomed to fail? Mana will never return?!”
It must be said, Mo Tan’s blend of obscure knowledge and ambiguous persuasion, combined with his Oscar-worthy acting, had already shaken Medi.
“That’s where your folly lies,” Mo Tan sneered. “At this point, don’t you understand why I’m here?”
“You...” Medi suddenly raised his head. “You want to help me?”
“Drink this.” Mo Tan casually tossed a bottle. As Medi instinctively caught it, Mo Tan added, “It will let you communicate with souls temporarily. You have five minutes. I will help you complete the resurrection ritual.”
Medi’s expression flickered as he eyed the vial filled with clear liquid, narrowing his eyes at Mo Tan. “Why should I trust you?”
“You have no choice,” Mo Tan smiled confidently. “Or you can try attacking me, then reunite with your wife in a few seconds. Of course, I can’t guarantee you’ll still have a soul to exist by then.”
Medi fell silent. Rather than dismiss this as a madman’s prank, he was inclined to believe the enigmatic young man before him.
“I am no philanthropist,” Mo Tan’s face darkened. “Once your wish is fulfilled, many more tasks will await you. So stop wasting time...”
“If my wife is resurrected, I will serve you until my last breath,” Medi nodded, pulling the cork and drinking the liquid in one gulp.
Mo Tan laughed, genuinely delighted.
[Holy Water]
Single-use consumable
Effect: Increases your mana regeneration speed for ten minutes
[Note: The devout can convert ordinary water into holy water through prayer.]
...
Chapter Three: The End