When evil gods hold a meeting in my head

Richard leaned against the wall, sat on the ground, and gasped for breath.

His legs were still trembling. Not from the cold, but from lingering fear. He stared out the porthole at the reef that receded further and further away, watching it transform from a small hill into a rock, then into a black dot, and finally disappear below the horizon.

The cheers in the corridor grew louder and louder. Some shouted, some laughed, and some jumped and yelled while hugging the people next to them. The sounds mingled together, buzzing like a swarm of bees.

Richard listened to those voices, but he didn't feel happy at all.

He slowly stood up and walked outside, holding onto the wall for support.

As he reached the door, he saw the corridor was packed with people. Passengers and sailors were all huddled together, some laughing, some crying, some kneeling on the ground muttering something. When they saw Richard come out, they fell silent.

Everyone was looking at him.

That look in his eyes was strange. Gratitude, awe, and a little bit of fear.

Richard stood there, being stared at by those people, when suddenly he remembered something.

extraordinary.

They just saw him use his supernatural abilities. The megaphone, the hypnosis, those whales that were sung to sleep. Although they might not fully understand what it was, they saw it.

In this world, some knowledge is poisonous.

Naansanho said that some extraordinary beings can hide poison within knowledge. Once you come into contact with that knowledge, you will uncontrollably feel fear towards that extraordinary being when you see them again. You will be completely powerless to fight back.

Nolan also said that the sommeliers are a group of people who can filter knowledge, so they will not be poisoned.

But these people weren't alchemists. They were just ordinary people. Fishmongers, laborers, boatmen, people visiting relatives with their families. They didn't understand anything about the extraordinary, nor did they know that knowledge was poisonous.

If today's events were to spread, and if anyone became curious, or if they were to come into contact with knowledge containing toxic substances somewhere...

Richard dared not think any further.

He looked at the group of people. A woman was holding a baby, who was still asleep, sleeping soundly. An old man was leaning against the wall, tears still streaming down his face. The sailors stood together, their hands still clasped, as if they were surviving a catastrophe and confirming that each other was still alive.

They were all looking at him.

Richard took a deep breath, raised his right hand, and snapped his fingers.

Purple mist surged from the ring, thicker than ever before, so thick it shone, swirling in his palm. He could feel the power within, heavy and seemingly inexhaustible.

My magic has definitely changed since I drank that potion.

With a thought, the mist condensed, stretched, and took shape in his palm. A few seconds later, the megaphone reappeared in his hand. It was brass-colored and bore the logo of Xixi Beauty Store.

He held the megaphone to his mouth and cleared his throat.

"Everyone."

The sound was amplified, echoing down the corridor. Everyone fell silent, staring at him.

Richard paused for a moment, organizing his thoughts.

"I know you just saw some... strange things. The whales, the singing, the sleeping monsters."

Some nodded. Some exchanged glances.

"Actually, this is why you hired me on board."

A murmur rippled through the corridor. Some frowned, some looked puzzled, and some opened their mouths as if to ask something.

Richard continued, "I am a hypnotist. You often encounter distressing things, and that's why you specifically hired me to come to the ship to help you resolve this troubling problem."

The confusion on their faces deepened. One sailor scratched his head and whispered something to the person next to him. The person next to him shook his head, also looking bewildered.

Richard ignored them. He took a deep breath and continued.

"Next, I only need to sing one song, and you will forget everything that just happened. All the terrible things, all the strange things, all the things you shouldn't remember, will be forgotten."

He paused, then added, "This is what you yourselves requested. It's for your own good."

After saying that, without waiting for the others to react, he raised the megaphone and began to sing.

"Two tigers, two tigers, running fast, running fast..."

The sound emanated from the loudspeakers, echoing down the corridor. A thin, faint purple mist drifted from the vents, mingling with the sound and reaching everyone present.

Those people stood there, listening to that song, and their expressions slowly changed.

From confusion to bewilderment.

From confusion to blankness.

Richard continued singing.

"One has no eyes, one has no tail, how strange, how strange..."

After singing the first verse, he sang the second. After singing the second verse, he sang the third. He didn't know how many times he sang it, only that the expressions on the people's faces became more and more vacant, until finally they became completely blank.

He put down the megaphone.

The corridor was eerily quiet. The people stood there, motionless, their eyes open, but there was nothing inside.

Richard waited a few seconds.

The first person's eyeball moved. Then the second. The third.

They blinked slowly and glanced at each other.

"What happened just now?" someone asked.

"I don't know," the other person said. "How did I end up standing here?"

Was the boat rocking quite a bit just now?

"It seems...it seems so."

"Is everything alright now?"

"It should be alright now."

As they talked, they slowly dispersed. Some went back to their cabins, some went up to the deck, and some stood there in a daze, as if they hadn't fully woken up yet.

The sailors exchanged glances and then left.

The corridor quickly emptied.

Richard stood there, watching the people leave, and slowly put down the megaphone.

He snapped his fingers, and the megaphone turned into mist and flowed back into the ring.

Then he leaned against the wall and let out a long breath.

Brion was still standing at the driver's side door, looking at him. His gaze was strange, indescribable.

"You..." He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know what to say.

Richard glanced at him.

"You forgot too," he said.

Brion paused for a moment.

Then his eyes changed. From complex to blank, from blank to empty.

He stood there, motionless.

Richard walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

"It's alright," he said. "Go back and rest."

Brion blinked, nodded, and turned to leave.

Richard stood in the corridor, watching his figure disappear around the corner.

Then he turned and walked toward the cabin.

Rosalie is still waiting for him. Thales is still there too.

He pushed open the door and went inside.

Rosalie sat on the bed, staring at him. Thales huddled in the corner, equally bewildered.

Richard glanced at them.

"It's alright," he said. "Go to sleep."

He leaned against the wall, slowly slid down, and sat on the ground.

The ship continued forward. The waves lapped against the hull in a rhythmic, steady motion.

It's very quiet outside.

Everyone was asleep.