Races: Online (VR Smartphone App)

Chapter 205: Cut Scene of a Man At The Crossroads

Han Jing found the golden opportunity to leave, and he took it. He ignored the calls of Mou Gu to return and walked as calmly as he could away from the diner, and he didn't need to be frantic or anything. He was simply but a man going back home after an hour of bar time with strangers.

But even he was afraid that if he took another step, he'd end up back in the Veiled world.

Yes.

That was right.

Han Jing glanced back once at the diner a couple feet away, and he couldn't hear Mou Gu calling out to him now, so he moved faster. Not enough to arouse suspicion, but of someone looking forward to getting home already.

And he really did, his house was his sanctuary.

He really needed a safe place now. And that was because he remembered everythingdespite all the effort of his old acquaintance to make him forget about his experience. The searing of the memory-sealing talisman had done its job, and its invisible mark was left on his forehead. It had literally burned before he passed out. But its effectiveness was questionable.

Or rather, he had found a way to combat it.

[ ROEHSC001 Synchronization ]

[ Soul Calibration: 12% Efficiency ]

[ Skill - Instinctual Dodge Used ]

[ Skill - Lesser Resistance Used ]

[ Skill - Basic Agility Active ]

[ Skill - Basic Endurance Active ]

[ Skill - Night Vision Active ]

[ Skill - Basic Reflexes Active ]

[ Skill - Mental Fortitude Active ]

His Soul Calibration already increased by 2%? That was a substantial number to himhe didn't have a clue how to increase it, well, Peach told him it increased bit by bit, but it really did. His body was attuning itself to the Skills that 'Han' gained in his world. Was it all because of his interaction with the talisman?

Han Jing would consider it as more monumental compared to him gaining [ Hastened Learning ] in his world.

And he was so close to forgetting it.

Mental Fortitude. He thought it was only about himself not panicking in the bleakest of dangers, but it also seemed capable of staving off other mental attacks. Anything that damaged his psyche, maybe? He sighed inwardly in relief. Psion Class. He was Level 4 at it, but somehow it managed to save his lifewell, his memory. But that was almost the same thing because if he forgot about the stuff he encountered, he would be clueless and unaware of the threats of the world. And that was valuable.

Except his friend thought it was better to forget.

Well, not a chance. He could understand Mou Gu's motivations, no doubt, it was more about him not getting involved in something dangerousthe ding in the background was a welcome soundbut Han Jing couldn't escape it, could he? He was already part of this strange world and all the danger associated with it. There was no opportunity here for him to step down at all.

Well, maybe he could.

Mou Gu had put in the effort to let him assume a life of normalcy.

That spoke volumes about the man's intentions. The guy wasn't out to get Han Jing at all. Or perhaps it was standard procedure when dealing with someone like him? But regardless, Han Jing always had a choice.

If he wished to avoid it, then he could.

That was the most sound decision. He could keep himself separated from the world and all of its dangers. He should avoid other people, even other humans from different servers and even the other Races from his own server.

But more than that, the foremost of the threats he could experience were also escapable.

As long as he avoided getting himself back into the passing of the Veil, then he would be alright. Han Jing didn't even need to go out that much in the first place, so the chances of this happening again was rare. And yet, that was based on the idea that he would never leave the house.

But that led to a problem on its own. He knew he still needed money, money more than ever, his current Skills were useless unless he became a tutor.

How far would [ Hastened Learning ] get him?

Programming had its own number of learners, and it was all more of a refresher, but what if he studied something out of his own knowledge? If he opened a medical book right now, would he become a genius? Was there actually a chance that he could become a doctor, engineer, or something else if he wished?

...He really should get a Gambler Class and try it out in a casino.

Options. Those were options. He could pursue thatbut he also needed to remember that the Wood Elf was coming soon enough. And how would he deal with that when the time came? It shouldn't be that hard right, just a tour around the block and the Wood Elf would go bye-bye, right? No? Probably a no. Most definitely a no.

Hiss!

Han Jing blinked and looked around to see nothinguntil he found a stray cat in the streets. The streetlights bounced off its dark fur and green eyes. The creature hissed at him and gave him a long and unblinking stare. It was not a good sign. But what was its problem? Was the street not big enough for the two of them? He scrunched up his face and avoided it, he shook his head and walked past it. He could have attempted to scare it off, but it looked feral than just a stray one. "Don't want to get any rabies."

'...asshole.'

He stopped right in his tracks. Han Jing glanced back behind him and only saw the stray cat on the street. Did he hear it correctly? Or was he imagining it? He cleared his throat and adopted a high pitch, "Hey kitty, kittydo you want something to eat?"

A flash of claws appeared in his head. But the cat was walking away from him, showing off its butthole at him. Its tail was raised high to show off its butt.

Han Jing made a face and shook his head. Was this what the cat meant by an asshole? It didn't speak as much as the Colossal Wyvern did, but its message was pretty clear in a way. If Han Jing actually understood it correctly. Well, he thought dogs that wagged their tails were happy, so was it the same thing with this cat?

...and why was he thinking too hard about this?

He checked the screen and did find the notification that he wanted.

[ Skill - Detect Thoughts *Active ]

[ Partially Active ]

It came with little annotation at the end, his Skill being partially active. Was it because he could only still detect thoughts from animals and not humans? Han Jing rubbed his face and sighed. He looked up and found that the stray cat was gone. There went his practicewell, Madam Dongxia still had a cat of her own.

But that cat hated him too.

He could go to an animal shelter too or something, a pet shop? Han Jing recalled his attempts at detecting thoughts at Kraelonia Academy's Dining Hall and shook his head. "Just one is enough." Too many, and he'd feel like his head would explode. But this wasn't the right place for him to be thinking and planning.

Han Jing was still outside, he soon made his way back home.

And it was there that he would take everything into account.

.

.

.

Mou Gu rubbed his face and gave his colleague a look, he appreciated that Dai Song Lan came back for him and checked on his condition. But he really wanted to check and make sure that his old classmate was alright, and the guy ruined the chance.

"Does he know?"

Mou Gu looked up and saw the younger man's face.

Dai Song Lan had a raised brow, and it was the greatest sign of interest he had seen from the man in a while. He didn't want to compare Song to a robot, but sometimes the man simply performed and didn't ask questions. Now that he showed some curiosity, however Mou Gu puffed his cheeks. "He accidentally ended up passing through the Veil and into the Abyss."

"Hmm?"

A silent urge for him to continue. Mou Gu sighed and waved a hand, "I still had a memory-erasing talisman, and I wiped his memory out."

"What of reporting?"

Mou Gu bit his tongue and wished that his friend almost didn't ask him that. But it was an inevitable thing, because while he could have turned a blind eye or two, ensure that his old classmate didn't come into harm's way and never get involved in this world hidden behind their own worldDai Song Lan concentrated on the rules. They were instilled in this guy's mind.

There was a reason why Mou Gu never won 'best employee of the month' despite his disarming personality. "He doesn't remember anything, that's all that matters."

"Are you sure?"

He knew that Dai Song Lan was only asking questions, but it didn't stop him from clicking his tongue. "Of course, I checked the man's qi levelshe's not a cultivator. He's just a normal guy who ended up bypassing the Veil by accident."

"Really?"

He looked up and frowned at the man. "That actually happens, you know? We have some other people looking into rehabilitation centers to check on people who narrowly escaped the abyss on their own but end up mentally unstable."

"I see,"

"Yes, you see indeed." Mou Gu sighed and folded his hands together, "He's always just weird like that, even before. You don't have to think too hard about it, but I also managed to uh use something on him when I visited the black market."

"Huh?"

He didn't even need to look up to know and imagine the blank look on his colleague's face. The man took everything as it was, but the mind-suggestive elixir he found wasn't even supposed to be used for consumption of anyone he knewhe was supposed to study it in his free time. Alchemy was a thing he wanted to learn more about.

Mou Gu gave his colleague a smile and waved a hand, "It's nothing, not really your business, Song." He ended up using it on Han Jing without knowing how it would interact with the memory-sealing talisman. But change the subject. He gave the other guy a grin, "I didn't expect you to clean up all the spiritual creature's remains that quickly."

... Mou Gu had been afraid that the guy would wake up and something terrible would have happened to him. But even if Han Jing woke up pissed in his diner, that was alright. Even if the guy ranted about his own family problems and gripes about the world, even if he mocked Mou Gu and judged him, it was much, much better than him getting involved.

He really did the right thing.

It wasn't going up to his superiors, he would make sure that Dai Song Lan didn't say anything at all. But maybe the guy would forget it on his own. What mattered was...his old friend was safe. The two of them weren't really that close, but Mou Gu was sure of one thing.

Han Jing deserved a normal life.

Who was he to take it away from him?