With that, he glanced into the room. Shiller was still lying on his back, speaking to some unseen entity. Stark said,
"Even if he is just a pathfinder without any new plans in the future, I don't want to see a hero, albeit an unsung one, end up broken and mad."
Charles and Steve both nodded. They saw Shiller as indeed an unsung hero.
Let's set aside the means he used to achieve his goals. What matters is whether he achieved them or not. Since he did, and it benefited human civilization, he could rightly be called a hero. Moreover, it's not like Shiller is disinterested in fame and fortune – he's even willing to spend his own money to publicize his accomplishments.
Still, Charles landed a blow: "First of all, I can't use my psychic abilities to treat Shiller. As you may have seen, the state of his consciousness space is beyond complex. I can't use force. I neither want to nor am capable."
"I get that, but I've heard you're a world-class expert in psychology and psychiatry. Can we achieve the goal through conventional psychiatric treatments?" Stark questioned.
"Actually, my suggestion is hospitalization. It might work better." Charles hesitated, "I am not a conventional psychiatrist, nor do I have any practical experience. I barely have any experience treating patients. I'm not sure how much I can do about a case this severe..."
Stark and Steve looked at each other, and then Stark spoke up: "Before this, I'd tried inviting psychology and psychiatry experts from all over the world for consultation on Shiller's case. However, it turned into something of a reunion for them..."
At this point, Steve suddenly looked at Stark and said: "Aren't you self-studying psychology? Can't you try being a doctor?"
"I remember someone telling me he was capable of anything. So, wouldn't becoming a world-class psychiatric expert in three days be easy?" Steve asked.
Steve was basically mocking Stark. However, Stark seriously replied, "I have certainly considered this option, but I'm afraid it won't work."
"The reason it won't work is not because I can't self-study. It's because many of the papers and books I use for self-learning were written by Shiller."
Steve slapped his forehead.
Indeed, attempting to treat a psychology expert's mental issues is, in itself, a somewhat absurd undertaking.
From their own theoretical perspective, they would know if they were ill. If they knew they were ill but couldn't cure themselves, then the complexity of the condition is likely beyond anyone's imagination.
"If the mental problems were caused by other issues, we might have been able to solve the root of the problem. There's almost no problem we can't solve if we work together." Charles shook his head, "But if, as you say, he wants to bring someone back from the dead, that falls precisely in our blind spot in terms of knowledge and abilities."
Just as their discussion hit a dead end, Shiller's standoff with death also came to a standstill.
Shiller, filled with powerlessness, looked at the scale and said, "Well, even if you don't let me into your realm, shouldn't you give me a reason?"
"If you think my existence outside your realm can provide you with more death, I swear, starting today, I won't even kill a mosquito until you appear and negotiate with me. I'm turning over a new leaf! Do you hear me, Death!"
"I really don't understand..." Shiller picked up the base of the scale and started complaining to it, "Osiris, such a weak god, was willing to make a deal with you. Why can't I? Where did I go wrong?"
"I've said it before, if you think contracts are too primitive, we can sign an agreement instead. Haven't you made deals with Mephisto? I can ask him to broker the deal. He recently mastered human contract law."
"If you don't like the old goat, you can find Odin as well. We're quite familiar with each other. With all these people vouching for me, what's your concern about this deal?"
"If you don't like the shareholding system, we can do membership instead. Heck, we don't even have to use the membership channel at the Holy Sanctuary. If we collaborate on a one-on-one basis and you conduct business with me, I can give you an insider discount..."
"I sincerely hope you don't see me as a scammer. I've been doing business for many years, and my credibility is there for all to see."
"You should know about Setorak and Xeseon, right? Setorak is a long-time client of mine. The service packages I've introduced to him are not nearly as favorable as the one I'm offering you..."
Shiller, with the scale in hand, didn't look like he was performing any mystical ceremonies. Instead, he seemed more like a telemarketer.
He even found a chair and sat down, his elbow on the table and his chin resting on his hand. He kept muttering to the scale about flexible packages, more for the same price, exclusive discounts, and so on.
In fact, if death didn't respond at all, Shiller wouldn't doggedly continue his sales pitch. However, when he pressed down on one side of the scale, someone on the other side was wrestling against him. This meant that death was ever-present, never leaving his side.
Shiller also realized that death just didn't want to let him into the Land of Death. Yet, she was unwilling to give up her deal with the Egyptian Pantheon and thus had to obey the principle of the scale's judgment.
With this understanding, Shiller came up with a plan.
When he pressed down on the side of the scale with the heart, if the side went down, then he would die for failing the judgment. If death didn't want him to die, she would have to materialize and press down on the side of the scale with the feather. This meant that death would have to pay attention here.
Therefore, the scale was no longer a symbol for judgment but a telephone instead.
When Shiller pressed here, if death didn't want him to enter the Land of Death, she had to answer the call, pressing on the other side. When he pressed the other side, it meant that she could hear what Shiller was saying.
So, when Shiller conducted a sales harassment by pressing here, death had to accept the sales harassment by pressing there.
After he developed this new function, Shiller, as the leader of multi-level marketing, tried his best to war-game death, forcing her to join him.
However, the scene of Shiller holding the scale and muttering incessantly appeared even more terrifying to the three people outside the door.
Isn't that a case of obsession turning into illness? Hasn't he gone completely mad???