[114] Reinhard

[You have awakened the talent Key of Gate.]

[Key of Gate: ?]

[Endowed by the Watcher of Gates, it grants you a key, establishing an enigmatic connection between you and the Gate. Through the authority of the Gate, your existence can now be projected across multiple timelines.]

[However, remember this universal truth... every version of you is still you.]

"Ugh...."

Reinhard braced himself with both hands on the ground, suddenly vomiting a mass of muddy sludge and decayed grass from his stomach. The wet, disgusting mess splattered onto the ground.

"Phew... Phew..."

"Suddenly... this Key of Gate talent appears, and all versions of me are still me? What does that even mean? What did I do in that hallucination?"

"Damn, my head hurts just thinking about it."

"Forget it, I better not think about it... At least I made it out."

"Was I eating dirt in the hallucination? Even the school cafeteria isn't this bad..."

Reinhard vaguely remembered walking into a ward in the hallucination. Feeling cold, he had covered himself with a blanket and fallen asleep in its warmth...

His clothes were soaked and covered in patches of mud. His hair was disheveled, and his thin, lanky frame swayed slightly as he tried to clear his head, lifting his gaze only to be taken aback.

Around him stood dozens of foxes, all pure white in color.

Startled by his sudden movement, the foxes scattered but then cautiously formed a circle around him, their amber eyes blinking as they watched him intently.

Thunder rumbled, and the rain poured down relentlessly.

"Foxes? Where is this..."

Reinhard panted slightly, supporting himself as he slowly got up from the ground, surveying his surroundings under the curious gaze of the foxes.

The damp, musty smell of rotting wood filled his nostrils.

He was inside a dilapidated temple, its walls letting in the wind from all directions.

On an altar covered in cobwebs and dust stood a decaying statue.

It certainly wasn't local gods, it was draped in a tattered, yellow cloth, concealing its face, and its lower robe bulged with what appeared to be several intricately carved tentacles.

Glancing at the statue, Reinhard felt perplexed.

"Not the local gods, but a foreign god? Is this some weird local belief? This broken temple even has a Cthulhu statue."

Judging by its disrepair and the lack of incense, it seemed like a neglected, possibly heretical shrine.

The wind, mixed with rain, howled through the broken windows.

Noticing the large tufts of white fox fur clinging to his clothes, Reinhard began to understand. He then looked back at the furry foxes.

"I must have run here in a frenzy, and you guys were also here seeking shelter from the rain. So, you all gathered around me to keep me warm, huh?"

Snuggling under a blanket in a hospital room, surrounded by foxes in a ruined temple... it explained the warmth.

As if they understood him, the white foxes nodded and made soft, chirping sounds.

"Wow, pretty smart... So, foxes really chirp like this."

Reinhard shook off the dampness, walked to the temple door, and peeked outside.

Outside the temple, the torrential rain had turned everything into a white blur, he had no idea where he was.

"So... having the Pure Heart is fine, but this frenzy is troublesome. Looks like I can't rely on the cafeteria next time."

He murmured to himself.

Recently, heavy rains had been falling in this prefecture, so Reinhard could confirm he was still within its borders.

Feeling uncomfortable from the wet clothes, Reinhard closed his eyes and sensed his magical reserves. He then glanced at the wooden idol.

Crack.

He snapped off the statue's tentacles and tossed them aside. Rubbing his hands together, he generated a spark of electricity that ignited a bright flame in the woodpile.

"Wow~"

Seeing his magical feat, the white foxes let out a collective gasp, their amber eyes gleaming in the firelight.

"Alright, gather around for warmth. You all look pretty wet too." Reinhard said, pulling his hands into his sleeves and crouching by the fire. "Let's roast some squid."

...

"Yes, roasted squid strips. This is the snack I brought for you, Zhang Jue. Eat something, at least."

The attending doctor sat by the hospital bed, watching the black-haired youth take small bites of squid strips, chewing slowly. The sight of his gaunt face made him sigh deeply.

Why had he suddenly stopped eating again?

"You've been reclassified as a mild case. Why have you stopped going to the cafeteria in the past few days? You haven't been eating the food sent to you either. Did you have a disagreement with the other patients?"

Reinhard frowned at this question, seemingly trying hard to recall something, but his eyes flashed with a hint of confusion.

"They bullied me..."

"They? Who bullied you?"

"Some girls with colorful hair wanted me to play with them."

The doctor was taken aback.

"Well, you could play with them. Socializing is good for your recovery."

"You don't understand, doctor." Reinhard shook his head gently, frowning. "They want to eat me."

Was this another delusion of persecution?

The doctor furrowed his brows tightly. This was a psychiatric hospital with strict management over the patients. There was no way patients could dye their hair.

He had never seen any girls with colorful hair here.

Ah, it made sense now. It was another anime-inspired delusion. Those fantasies could be quite harmful!

As everyone knows, anime enthusiasts are mostly shut-ins, and this guy was an extreme case.

Since it's a hallucination, he should confront them head-on!

"If they want to eat you, are you, a grown man, really afraid of women? Just push them away! Do you really think you can't beat them?"

The doctor raised his voice.

Although this approach was somewhat aggressive, the doctor believed that Reinhard needed to snap out of his panic quickly, at least enough to start eating properly again.

It seemed... to make sense?

Right! He was a man, after all. Even if he couldn't beat four girls, he could still run away, couldn't he?

As a psychiatric patient, he wouldn't be held legally responsible!

Damn, if they harassed him again, he would simply overpower them! He could throw that red-haired and blue-haired girl into the trash can!

Reinhard thought it might be worth a try.

"I brought you some books and a few toys. Zhang Jue, if you ever feel bored in your room, just call me. I'll come to play with you, we can play chess or something."

"Thank you."

...

Sitting by the fire, Reinhard reached out and gently scratched the chin of a small fox in front of him.

"Thank you for keeping me warm."

The white foxes didn't seem afraid of him at all. Seeing him start the fire with a lightning spell only made their amber eyes sparkle even more.

Reinhard and the dozens of foxes sat together in the leaky, windy temple. Soon, the foxes had climbed all over him, snuggling close and forming a harmonious, warm cluster.

There was no trace of the so-called fox smell, these clean creatures emitted a pleasant fragrance.

"How should I thank you... I only have a few silver coins." Reinhard said, patting his clothes. "I guess money doesn't mean much to you, huh?"

After pondering for a moment, he remembered a rather amusing folktale.

Legend has it that a scholar who saved too many animals eventually had to face various spirits fighting for the chance to repay him.

Could such a thing really happen?

"Well... I don't have much to give you, so I'll leave you a blessing." Reinhard smiled.

The blessing.

It was said that spirits trying to transform into humans needed both accumulated power and a blessing from a human to break through their limitations.

Some animals that had gained spiritual insight would find an opportunity to ask a human, "Do I look like a person?"

If the answer was yes, and if the animal had enough spiritual power, it could then gain the potential to transform into a human.

So, hearing Reinhard's words, the white foxes chirped excitedly.

They quickly formed a circle around Reinhard, from the smallest to the largest.

Reinhard had no idea how much value his blessing carried, but he was just playing along, not taking it too seriously. It shouldn't matter too much, right?

Pointing to the smallest fox, the young man spoke firmly.

"I see you as a 148 cm tall, white-haired, red-eyed, flat-chested tsundere girl!"

"I see you as a beautiful schoolgirl with black stockings!"

"I see you as a blonde twin-tailed high school girl!"

"I see you as a cool and aloof disciplinary committee member with high attack but low defense!"

"I see you as a gentle and kind onee-chan with a voluptuous figure!"

"I see you as a warm-hearted, full-figured woman!"

"I see you as..."

"Phew...."

Reinhard wiped the sweat from his forehead, letting out a long sigh.

That was no easy task.

Giving blessings to dozens of foxes had nearly drained every bit of female character archetypes he had in his mind.

Toward the end, he could only give a dry, "I see you as a beautiful beast-eared girl!" to the eager foxes, leaving them to figure out the details themselves.

The foxes leaped and frolicked around, clearly thrilled and excited to receive their human-like identities from their benefactor.

Even though they weren't yet old enough to transform, they now had a glimmer of hope for the future.

However, after blessing them all, Reinhard suddenly remembered something very important.

Foxes that make those chirping sounds are usually male, aren't they?

Oh no...

"Uh... wouldn't beast-eared girls be more appealing to most people? What scholar would want a fox-man to repay them?"

Feeling a bit uneasy, Reinhard broke out in a cold sweat.

Then, he noticed the oldest-looking white fox bowing to him. It scurried into the tattered robes of the statue and pulled out a dusty scroll, placing it before him.

"Huh? A reward?"

"The wise seek knowledge diligently, not out of a desire to acquire it, but because knowledge pursues them relentlessly. Knowledge, unfeeling as it is, pursues humans like an eagle hunting a rabbit..."

The content was written in a neat script that Reinhard could read, though after skimming a couple of pages, he realized it was full of cryptic, philosophical musings, much like the fragmented texts he had inherited.

"It's not that people chase after knowledge, but that knowledge chases after people? An interesting perspective, and..."

Reinhard turned to the cover of the scroll.

"The Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan? What a strange title."

...

"Strange? I thought you, as a PhD candidate, would enjoy deep philosophical readings."

The doctor watched as the black-haired youth took the book, flipping through it with a somewhat dazed expression.

"I'm not really into philosophy, and I'm a science PhD, Doctor... I specialize in computer science."

"Haha, I get it. Just like a complex game, right? Reading books can help with your condition, Zhang Jue."

The doctor had deliberately chosen philosophy, thinking the more incomprehensible, the better. It would occupy Reinhard's mind, leaving less room for his erratic thoughts.

Hearing complex game, Reinhard's lips twitched.

"You're the one obsessed with games. Your whole family is an open-world RPG... I told you, I'm not sick."

"Good! If you're not sick, that's great! If you don't want it... then give it back to me."

"Fine, I'll read it..."

A strange feeling washed over Reinhard as he accepted the doctor's gift, pulling the book closer to himself.

"Not like I have anything better to do."

Days had passed, and this hallucination still hadn't faded. Reinhard had no idea what state his body was in the real world.

And... the system was gone too. Damn, it said it would always be there when needed. Hmph... what a useless system!

Since his last visit to the hospital room, he had developed a strange fear of going out, losing his appetite, and feeling increasingly isolated.

Reinhard knew these were just hallucinations, and he didn't let them bother him too much.

The doctor frequently checked on him, and despite knowing he might be a figment of his imagination, Reinhard couldn't help but develop a bit of a soft spot for him.

"Thank you, Doctor."

"Haha, that's the spirit! Read more books. I'll bring you more whenever I can."

The doctor chuckled, placing bags of items in the room, filled with board games, toys, and snacks.

It wasn't purely out of pity... well, maybe a little. This patient's case had garnered so much attention that curing him would secure his professional reputation.

It was worth the effort.

"Don't worry. I won't relapse, and I no longer believe I'm some character from the past dynasty."

To ease the doctor's mind, Reinhard reassured him, even though he was just saying it to placate the doctor.

"Good, keep it up, Zhang Jue."

The doctor walked over and patted the black-haired youth on the shoulder.

Although it seemed that the patient was exhibiting new symptoms, Reinhard hadn't mentioned being Zhang Jue in the past few days, giving the doctor a glimmer of hope.

"By the way, you've been classified as having a mild condition now. This means you're no longer restricted to bi-weekly visitation. Your family can come to see you anytime."

The doctor placed his hands firmly on Reinhard's shoulders, speaking earnestly.

"So, don't worry your parents, okay? At least in front of them... don't claim you're Reinhard, all right? Just show some compassion for Zhang Jue's parents."

Reinhard stared at the doctor for a moment without nodding or shaking his head. "I'll see how it goes."

After all, they were strangers to him. He could play along, but he wouldn't acknowledge himself as Zhang Jue.

"That's good." The doctor smiled.

Even if it wasn't a promise, Reinhard's willingness to consider it was progress.

...

Back in the dilapidated temple surrounded by foxes, Reinhard's keen senses picked up faint calls through the sound of rain.

"Young Master! Young Master!"

"They've come for me. Seems the county seat isn't far."

Reinhard gently rubbed the head of the little fox in his arms, its fur mostly dried by the fire.

He stood up, adjusted his robes, and walked to the temple's entrance.

"I'm here."

His soft words echoed through the rain like thunder, commanding and majestic.

"Young Master! It's the Young Master!"

The guards from his estate trudged through the mud, the old steward clutching an umbrella, tears streaming down his face as he ran over.

"Young Master, why did you come to such a remote place? We've been searching everywhere for you!"

"I was guided by an immortal, so sometimes I lose control of myself."

Reinhard had already thought of this convenient excuse.

"I wanted to ask you, wasn't I supposed to be brought back to the estate and sent to my room? How did I end up in this rundown temple?"

"An immortal? Oh, oh yes! I followed your instructions and did bring you back to the estate!

"But then you suddenly jumped out of bed, went to the library, and tore through all the texts, calling them useless trash compared to yours!

"Then you ran to the kitchen, splashed animal blood all over the garden, laughing maniacally about blood sacrifices for the blood god and vowing to cleanse the garden thoroughly!

"Finally, you went to the county's red-light district, flirted with the courtesans, scattered their undergarments everywhere, and threw silver coins around, hosting a wild party before jumping off the roof and disappearing!"

"..."

Oh no, this is mortifying.

Is there a hole in the ground? Please, let me crawl into it!

The old steward, with the eloquence of a former schoolteacher, vividly described Reinhard's madness, making it easy to imagine the scenes.

Ugh... kill me now!

After such public antics, Zhang Jue's life must be over, right?

Damn it, was I possessed by the Chaos Gods?

Wait a minute, Tzeentch, Khorne, and Slaanesh have all had a go, but where's Nurgle?

Reinhard glanced at the mud and grass he had vomited up, his muddy clothes. No doubt... he had been rolling in the mud.

"I... I was possessed by an immortal."

Reinhard emphasized defensively. Chaos Gods are immortals too, right?

"Yes! Yes, I understand, Young Master!"

The old steward nodded vigorously.

"After all, how could you possibly enjoy wild parties or flirt with twelve courtesans at once? You've never even visited the red-light district!"

"..."

Hiss...

The cold air seemed to drop a few degrees.

Reinhard paced in the temple, feeling the strange looks from the guards... a mix of reverence, awe, admiration, and incredulity.

"By the way, how are my parents...?"

"Madam and Sir aren't angry. They know your temperament, but they were worried sick! Otherwise, we wouldn't have organized a city-wide search! Even the city guards were mobilized by your father!"

"Yes, yes! How could I possibly enjoy visiting brothels? It's slander! I was possessed by an immortal who likes such places!"

Reinhard's sharp gaze swept across the guards, ensuring they all understood the narrative he was spinning.

"Right! Right! The young master was possessed by an immortal! We'll announce it that way when we return! Which immortal was it, young master?"

The old steward, keenly observing Reinhard, sought further instructions.

"Taigong Wang!" Reinhard replied without hesitation. "He loves fishing and indulging in pleasures! I was hosting him!"

"Very well! Young master, was it truly Taigong Wang, the advisor to the king, who possessed you?"

"Of course! Before my reincarnation, we were best friends in heaven. I even took a few hits from his divine whip! Previously he invited me to fishing, but I couldn't be bothered!"

Everything he said was true.

Since you asked for my help, dragging you into this shouldn't be a problem, right, fisherman?

Reinhard enthusiastically shared tales of Taigong Wang's skills, battles, and pleasures in heaven, captivating his audience. The guards' eyes sparkled with admiration and awe.

"So that's why the young master suddenly seemed mad. It was because he was hosting an immortal."

"Our family has been blessed by an immortal's presence. We'll all rise in status!"

The white-haired foxes gathered around, listening intently as Reinhard spun his tales.

After talking until his mouth was dry, he realized everyone was completely engrossed in his stories.

"Tsk... Weren't we supposed to go home?"

"Yes, yes! Let's go home! Young master, allow me to hold the umbrella and lead you back to the estate!"

The old steward glanced at the white-haired foxes behind him, admitting they had startled him initially. But since the young master didn't object, he remained silent.

"Young master, what about these...?"

"White-haired foxes." Reinhard explained. "They kept me warm in the temple. If you see any foxes near the estate, don't chase them away. If they come to the city gates, let them through."

"Ah, sacred beasts! I understand..."

Reinhard picked up the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan from the ground and tucked it into his robe. He then tore a piece of his clothing, his fingers sparking with lightning as he inscribed his name with a flourish.

Witnessing his casual display of lightning magecraft, the guards' admiration intensified.

Reinhard rolled up the cloth and tucked it into the fur of the largest white fox.

"In the city, show this to people, and they will direct you to find me."

What if there really was a fox spirit among them?

Tsk, who needs brothels when one fox spirit outshines twelve courtesans!

"Remember." Reinhard smiled. "No fighting. If any of you want to transform and repay kindness, come together. My home is big enough, and I can handle it."

The white-haired foxes exchanged glances, seemingly understanding, and nodded, emitting soft coos.

Wearing the clean clothes the old steward handed him, Reinhard stepped into the rain, surrounded by an electric aura.

The magnetic field repelled the downpour, allowing him to float above the muddy ground, appearing as if he were an immortal walking on air.

It consumed a lot of magical energy.

But... this act needed to be convincing.

Amidst the reverent gazes of the onlookers, Reinhard suddenly ascended, stepping through the rain towards his home.

Once out of sight in the rain, he lowered himself to fly closer to the ground, conserving his magical energy.

As he floated past the city gate, the soldiers watched in amazement.

"Look! Young Master is flying!"

"Walking on air, at his age, he's already an immortal?"

Boom!

A bolt of lightning struck Reinhard, causing his hair to float behind him, his dark eyes sparkling with electric light.

In the astonished stares of countless onlookers, Reinhard, like a descending god, walked into the city, crossing the boundary between rain and sunshine.

The peculiar power seemed to repel the rain clouds from the county seat, leaving him walking under a clear sky.

Countless citizens watched in awe, drawn out by the commotion, filling the streets with excited faces.

Sighing deeply, Reinhard continued onward, feeling the weight of their expectations.

Now, perhaps he could salvage some of his social demise.

Damn, all this constant discharge was exhausting, but thankfully, his magical reserves were plentiful.

As he saw his family's courtyard approaching, Reinhard straightened his clothes, adopting a solemn expression, an ethereal demeanor, and gracefully descended.

The maids and stewards in the mansion erupted with excitement.

"Sir! Madam! The young master has flown back from the heavens!"

...

Bang!

A pair of hands, belonging to a woman and well-maintained, forcefully pushed open the door to the sick room.

"Jue'er! My son!

"How do you feel?! Are you feeling any better?!

"Those doctors, are they tormenting you?! Are they giving you any strange things to eat?!"

The woman grabbed Reinhard's hand, somewhat excitedly and cautiously stroked his wrist, as if holding a precious treasure.

"Madame... Please calm down..."

The doctor wiped sweat from his forehead nervously, genuinely afraid of triggering Reinhard and causing him to make any aggressive moves, which could escalate his condition.

"Calm down? How can I calm down! They've locked up my son in a psychiatric hospital! Can you stay calm?!"

"I understand the feelings of a parent, but..."

"They won't let me see you! Do you know that? They say you have a strong potential for violence! Jue'er! My son has always been obedient since childhood, never causing trouble with anyone, how could he be violent?!

"Come, let me see, quickly let me see... Jue'er, my son, you've lost weight... a lot..."

Looking at his son's exhausted and despondent expression, the woman became incoherent with emotion.

She cautiously touched Reinhard's face, her expression filled with unutterable heartache.

As Reinhard sat on the bed, reading, he suddenly froze.

He stared blankly at the woman who had rushed in, constantly touching his face.

Compared to his memories, this face, so familiar and yet even more familiar, had become much more haggard.

There were more silver hairs.

The wrinkles were deeper.

His trembling vision... seemed to rapidly blur.

An uncontrollable, overwhelming sense of sorrow flooded from the depths of his heart.

Tears of bewilderment trickled slowly from his sunken, black-ringed eyes.

Reinhard's lips quivered.

"...Mama?"

"Hey! Mama's here! Mama's here! Jue'er! My son! Look! Doctor, listen quickly, my son recognized me! Is he already better?!"

Seeing Reinhard's seemingly genuine reaction.

The doctor's expression also became somewhat emotional.

Indeed, for any patient, tender parental affection was the most irreplaceable yearning.

Having transitioned Reinhard from severe to mild, this step seemed to be the right one. Allowing him to see his mother more often might lead to rapid improvement.

"Nurgle?! Tzeentch?!"

Reinhard was nearly grinding his teeth, thick red plasma oozing from his parched lips, his fingers, throbbing with strained veins, making cracking sounds as they squeezed the book.

After the bitter sorrow of seeing his mother's face again.

There surged a torrent of extreme, uncontrollable anger.

The rage that once belonged to a Spartan seemed to burst forth from nerves and veins.

Only this face... Only this bottom line, Reinhard absolutely couldn't tolerate being tarnished by anything.

"Nurgle! Tzeentch! Khorne! Slaanesh!

"Human Order! Counter Force! Get the hell out of here! I'll crush your damn blood, you fucking bitch!"

Reinhard suddenly raised his hand, smashing the book onto the doctor's face, his emaciated body seemingly bursting forth with a terrifying force, jumping abruptly from the bed, and grabbing the doctor's collar.

"If you want a one-on-one, I'll gladly come and wreck your ass right now! You keep targeting me, and I'll target you! What the hell do you think you're doing bringing my mother into this, huh? What kind of bullshit is this, messing with my memories?!"

The woman stood there, almost dumbfounded, watching her once obedient and now deranged son go berserk, spewing nonsense and jumping around, viciously grabbing the neck of his psychiatrist.

The burly orderlies rushed in, forcefully lifting Reinhard's arms and pinning him tightly onto the restraining chair, securing his limbs.

The doctor clutched his throat, coughing laboriously, a bitter smile playing on his lips.

"We had an agreement, Zhang Jue-"

"I'm not Zhang Jue, I'm Reinhard! Fuck your Zhang Jue! System! Come out! I'm ending this simulation right now! I'm going to break through that fucking counter force!"

But...

No response.

A middle-aged man standing at the door, with an expression of mixed emotions, gazed at his son sitting restrained in the chair, his face contorted in a fierce frenzy, like a raging lion.

"Jue'er..."

Hearing that voice, Reinhard paused for a moment, his expression also momentarily frozen.

He raised his gaze, his lips trembling.

"...Father?"

"Yes, it's father, Jue'er." The man walked in, wearing a look of pity, as if wanting to pat Reinhard's head.

Creak!

With a sudden burst of strength, Reinhard pushed the wheelchair backward slightly, the astonishing force even pushing the orderlies aside.

"Fuck off! You're not my father!

"It's a hallucination... It's all a hallucination! Chaos, Counter Force, you can't fool me...

"You're not my father, and you're not my mother either! You're wearing my father's and mother's faces, you think that your son is Zhang Jue, not me!

"Hahaha... Hahahahahahaha!"

Reinhard began to laugh softly, his laughter quickly turning into a hoarse, frenzied, chilling roar.

Because he understood.

He finally understood that the weapon they wanted to use to defeat him was this.

His deepest, most hidden memories.

And his softest part.

"Human Order, Chaos, Counter Force... You will all die.

"The reason you'll die is one, you've truly provoked me.

"This is your only way to defeat me, proving that you have no other means left... you can't erase me from existence, so you can only hope to crush my spirit, expecting my self-destruction."

Reinhard tilted his neck, emitting a crisp crack, his lips slowly curling into a sinister smile directed at everyone in the room.

"Khorne, I'll cut off your head and use your skull as a wine glass.

"Nurgle, I'll put you in a soup pot and stir it into a pasta pot.

"Tzeentch, I'll scoop out your brain, and decorate it in my home.

"And you Slaanesh, I'll step on your head and pour chaos into your fucking pussy."

"I'll never waver, never surrender, never give up, and never be defeated...

"Because I am... Reinhard.

"The ultimate antagonist filled with full of evils, the anti-chaos creature bred from your malice!"

---

No matter how deeply the roots of a tree anchor into the world, there will eventually come a time when that tree will fall.