Steve patted Peter on the shoulder and said, "Yes, Shiller is indeed a skilled healer and has a lot of patience with you. He's a good mentor to you. But it cannot be denied that during the time when he first met us, his mental state was not very sound."
"I think at that time, just like now, his psychological trauma was making his mental illness act up, causing him to lean on alcohol for consolation." Strange sighed and said, "Well, if I had known that he was mentally ill, I would've chosen my words more carefully."
"But he wasn't resorting to self-harm then, was he?!" Matt objected, "This wound looks like it was self-inflicted, doesn't it?"
Matt pointed out a fact that they all had noticed. Given Shiller's strength, unless he had suddenly decided to harm himself, there would hardly be anyone who could leave such a deep wound on him. After all, he was a cloud of fog—how could fog be injured?
If Shiller had previously been engulfed in his own psychological trauma, the reason he didn't resort to self-harm was likely due to some changes in his living circumstances or something that diverted his attention. Stark rubbed his chin, analyzing with psychological theories he had read about.
"The thing that distracted him might have been us." Steve made an assertion, "During that period, he encountered us one after the other and then got caught up in demanding work."
"However, the reason why he relapsed this time is probably because he was too busy. The dual pressures of the physical and psychological led to a recurrence of his mental illness."
"This is not the time to discuss the causes of the disease." Strange crossed his arms and said, "What's done is done, and we need to discuss how to heal Shiller's soul wound. We can't just leave him injured."
"Do you magicians have any unique insights into soul wounds?" Stark turned and looked at him. Strange rubbed his chin again and said, "Actually, the so-called 'soul wound' and the theory of mental illness share a lot in common."
"When someone encounters significant changes, his or her soul can become unstable. At this time, slight scars may appear. If the scars enlarge under further stimulation, from the medical perspective, it means that the person has a mental illness. From the magician's viewpoint, it signifies a soul wound."
"Shiller's wound probably existed all along, resulting from his past experiences in the mental asylum. And this time, because of the excessive busyness and…"
Strange hesitated for a moment, surveyed the group—all of whom looked somewhat guilty and hung their heads in shame. He sighed and continued, "Our continuous chain of unexpected incidents stimulated him again, leading to the rupture of the soul wound."
"It's all my fault." Peter said gloomily, "At that time, I noticed that Doctor Schiller was not in a good state, but I was just concerned about pouring out my own troubles. I should have turned around and left immediately…"
Steve also pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "I also felt something was off at the time. Shiller never drinks alcohol, so why would he suddenly ask me to have a drink with him?"
After Steve finished speaking, the rest of them turned their eyes to Stark.
Stark shrugged, somewhat embarrassedly, "Well, well, you are all attentive and kind-hearted people. It was just me who thought that he was so desperate for money that he didn't care about his life."
"I had even prepared to cover my medical expenses for this quarter, which would mean working for free for half a year."
After saying this, he stomped his foot and stroked the beard stubble on his chin, saying, "So, how do we cure his wound?"
"In a moment, I'll move Shiller into the Mirror Space. I'll ask the Grand Mage from Kamar-Taj to draw a healing array. We'll see if we can strengthen his soul by forcefully infusing energy."
"Wait a moment, after the doctor leaves, I'll have my mecha bring in some monitoring equipment to document changes in his body..."
The group huddled together, discussing ways to improve Shiller's condition. Meanwhile, Shiller, who was lying in the emergency room, appeared especially calm within his Tower of Thought.
Marvel Schiller, sporting a vicious wound on his neck, shrugged nonchalantly at his superego and said:
"Sorry, money matters more than life."
The Superego shook its head in resignation as if it had predicted this response. "You should know that the psychological trauma Schiller once experienced in his memory is unerasable for all personality fragments. We all suffer from a loneliness that has never truly been cured."
"So no matter which personality trait emerges, when one becomes overly fatigued, the strain and anxiety can overwhelm us and trigger traumatic stress reactions, which can lead to injuries."
The Superego looked Marvel Schiller up and down. "They're planning to treat you now. If you want to rest, you can step back for a while, or you can let Arrogance take over."
"Never mind, I'd rather stay unconscious." Marvel Schiller shrugged. "No matter what they do to me, as long as no personality traits emerge, I won't wake up."
Superego nodded without saying anything, turned, and left. As soon as he was gone, Marvel Schiller revealed an inexplicable smile.
Shortly after, a blood-soaked figure appeared at the entrance to the insane asylum. The deep wound running from his jaw to his collarbone continually bled, staining half his body a dark red.
He walked straight in to the large door at the end of the room.
A figure wielding a knife dashed towards him with terrifying speed, only to freeze upon noticing the wound on his neck.
Marvel Schiller looked up, thrust his hand into the wound in his own neck. As the blood gushed out, Moonlight Schiller staggered back two steps, shaking his head as if seeing hallucinations.
"You did this." Marvel Schiller moved a step forward, his tone low. "You know who you hurt like this, do you? You know how serious these injuries can get on a regular person."
Under Marvel Schiller's relentless pressure, Moonlight Schiller's hand began shaking, barely holding onto his knife. He stared at Marvel Schiller and retorted,
"Greed, you've gone mad! This scar is ours. You're also hurting and bleeding because of it..."
But as he spoke, the wound on Marvel Schiller's neck began to deepen, spreading across half his chest. His eyes, however, betrayed no pain. "I know. But I don't care."
"No Schiller can be indifferent." Moonlight Schiller was cornered, the door just steps away. Marvel Schiller had no interest in further conversation, and charged straight at him.
Moonlight Schiller tried to fend him off, but in his eyes, the faces of the Schillers before him were constantly fluctuating. His trembling arm and terrifying hallucinations left him defenceless, and he was instantly disarmed. He tried to yell out but was choked the next moment and slammed against the wall.
Marvel Schiller's eyes held nothing but endless greed, like a grassland ablaze. His bloody arm tensed, his fingers tightened while Moonlight Schiller struggled in agony until he finally lost consciousness.
Marvel Schiller tossed Moonlight Schiller aside like trash, picked up the dropped Umbrella Knife, inserted it into the door lock.
As the gates slowly opened and the body on the hospital bed came into view, Schiller let out a deranged and dangerous laugh.
"Found you."