Am I the only one streaming Sword Art Online on the entire internet?

[SorinMarkov: Please, you have to believe me]

Sinon: I understand, thank you.

Shino raised her hand and replied, still pondering what kind of dangerous situation would warrant such a warning from Sorin. She changed the last item on her schedule for the next day to "find a private room in an arcade near the school to do a live stream," then put her phone back on the table and continued her unfinished washing-up routine.

It didn't take long, perhaps because she felt a bit tired today. When Suolin messaged her earlier, she had intended to ask him about the specifics of what happened back then, but after hesitating for a long time, she ultimately didn't ask and kept the question to herself once again.

She whispered a goodnight to the unanswered girl, then turned off almost all the lights in the room, leaving only a small nightlight by her bedside, and began to enjoy the most precious time of her day—sleep.

Perhaps because she went to bed early, Shino naturally opened her eyes at seven o'clock in the morning. Her appointment with Rebecca was at nine o'clock, and she would use this extra time to get ready and... ask her teachers for leave.

Generally, the process of requesting leave doesn't take much effort, because her teachers know that she needs to undergo such a medical procedure every now and then. This time was no exception; her current homeroom teacher could even request a full morning off simply by sending a text message.

Although she hadn't had much success with similar psychological treatments in the past, Shino now had a strong feeling that "this time will be different"—though it could also be a misperception.

I hope so.

She was still dressed in heavy clothing, more for defense than decoration, including a scarf, a coat with wide sleeves, and non-prescription glasses, completely isolating Shino from the outside world. She opened the door, whispered "good luck," and walked out of the apartment.

The sunlight outside wasn't very bright, perhaps because it was nearing winter. She sat quietly on the tram, browsing match updates on several well-known CS:GO forums on her phone, while also interacting with her fans on Twitter to alleviate her unease in the crowded environment.

She now felt that overcoming the fear Tokarev had instilled in her was no longer so important, because something more important had arisen: what exactly happened that day? Had she lost control and killed the man with three shots, or had that unknown person in every sense stood before her and taken all the blame for her?

Even though everyone and all the related reports told her that the person did not exist.

The announcement of her stop echoed through the tram; it was her destination. She stood up gently, holding onto the steel railing, and walked to the exit. She waited for the tram to slowly come to a stop before stepping out. The air outside was much fresher than inside the tram, and there were far fewer people.

This was practically the outskirts of town, and even in such a remote location, it would still take forty to fifty minutes to reach the psychiatrist's residence. Worse still, after using GPS to pinpoint her location for a while, Shino discovered that there was no longer any conventional path to take.

To be precise, it wasn't a well-maintained road, but rather a narrow path worn smooth by countless footsteps. She couldn't help but feel curious about this mysterious person; after all, not everyone enjoys living in such a secluded place, especially a psychologist who frequently interacts with people.

The long journey soon came to an end. She looked up at the typical Japanese-style villa in front of her, mustered her courage, and went up to knock on the door.

"Kuka koputtaa ovelle?" came the voice from the other side of the door.

Shino listened carefully; it was a girl who seemed to be about her age. Then she heard light footsteps, and the door in front of her opened.

On the other side of the door stood a woman with silver hair and purple eyes, dressed in a red and white shrine maiden's outfit. Her alluring face made Shino feel breathless for a moment. She looked to be no more than twenty-three or twenty-four years old, yet she possessed the youthful voice typical of fifteen or sixteen-year-old girls, which surprised Shino somewhat.

What's even stranger is that Shino always has the illusion that "she seems to have seen this face somewhere before".

“Nice to meet you, I’m Rebecca Vertanen. Please take care of me.” She bowed slightly, then stepped aside to let Sinon in. “I hope we can have a meaningful morning… I believe you’re here with the intention of becoming better, not worse.”

"That's right, Miss Rebecca... It would be even better if there could be some progress."

242. Astrologer?

Shino could smell a peculiar lavender scent on that woman, a scent that intoxicated her and made her head feel somewhat dizzy.

"Relax, child. You've been having a lot on your mind lately, and it seems to be something that's been bothering you for a long time... Am I right?"

Rebecca spoke slowly and deliberately, at a pace of about two to three vowels per second. This way of speaking subconsciously calmed the audience and made them more easily persuaded.

However, Shino probably saw too many psychologists, which made her quite familiar with and resistant to this kind of thing that could be considered a professional skill.

"Since you've taken charge of my treatment, I think you must know something about my past situation. At least I think you should put away those fortune-telling tricks like cold reading."

Sinon didn't know why she said that. She wanted to cooperate with the doctor, but her self-protective mechanism kicked in and she blurted out such a blunt and self-defeating line. However, Rebecca wasn't angry at her words. She still smiled and stood about twenty centimeters away from Sinon, continuing to speak.

"What's troubling you is a memory divided in two, one half being redemption and the other half destruction. I think I'm right this time."

Sinon's gaze towards Rebecca changed instantly; her previous indifference had turned into shock. She trembled, unable to utter a word for a long time.

"Don't be surprised yet, child. Actually, many things are hidden deep inside you. It's just that someone locked them up at first, and so far, no one who has been able to access your heart has the ability to unlock them."

Rebecca's words were laced with utter contempt, as if she looked down on her colleagues. After saying this, she turned and led Shino deeper into the villa. Shino peered into the villa's interior, and to her surprise, it didn't seem as large as it appeared from the outside. Although there were light sources emitting a pale purple glow everywhere, the interior was still dimly lit.

"Before we begin the consultation, let me give a more detailed self-introduction. I am Rebecca Vertanin Mo, officially a psychologist, but by profession I am an astrologer... or as you would say, a star-seeker."

Is this a psychologist or just someone with chuunibyou (middle school syndrome)? Shino suddenly had this impolite thought. However, just as this thought formed in her mind, Rebecca, who was walking in front of her, suddenly turned around and glanced at her.

"The term 'second year of junior high school' is probably a general term for the behaviors that students in the second year of junior high school and this age group can do. At least I don't think that kind of evaluation is suitable for me—don't look at me like this, I am actually a mother."

Rebecca still wore a gentle and charming smile, but she had truly startled Shino. Shino dared not let her imagination run wild, and even had the urge to turn around and run out of the villa. However, her words piqued Shino's curiosity even more.

"Such a beautiful lady, her child must be very beautiful too..."

“Come upstairs, child. Relax. You have a more resilient heart than others, which has kept you from completely breaking down during such a long period of isolation. This is your advantage, but it is also the reason why you have not been able to untie your own knots. You cannot trust others who try to peer into your heart and touch the locks on it. Rather than trusting a therapist, you prefer to wrap your supposedly fragile heart in layers of your own primitive defense mechanisms.”

Rebecca stopped in front of the second-floor attic, gently opened the small wooden door, and stepped inside. Sinon, filled with a mixture of doubt and anticipation, followed Rebecca into the attic, her gaze immediately drawn to the magnificent starry sky above.

“This is a star chart I observed in Jerusalem in 1043 AD. It’s one of the goals I’ve been working on for the past thousand years,” Rebecca said, pointing to the boundless starry sky above. Then, for the third time, she gently reassured the bewildered Sinon, “Relax, child. If you’re curious, feel free to look around this room. Let me know when you’re ready.”

After saying that, she sat down on a small chair and stared blankly upwards. Shino walked around the attic. Inside, there were all sorts of instruments whose functions she didn't understand, as well as many bookshelves and books scattered on the floor.

After going around in circles, Sinon finally returned to Rebecca's side, looking directly into her purple eyes and the six-pointed star pupils hidden within them, and said in a resolute tone.

“I’m ready, Ms. Rebecca.”

“Then sit down,” Rebecca said to Sinon, still sitting upright in her chair. Sinon instinctively sat down, but immediately realized something was wrong—she didn’t have a chair.

But strangely, she still felt something supporting her. Just as she was about to look down out of curiosity, Rebecca suddenly spoke up to stop her.

"No need to confirm, when you feel you need a chair, you will naturally sit there steadily. Now let's get to the point: my previous guess was that what troubles you is a memory divided into two parts, one half redemption and the other half destruction. So the first question today is—what does destruction mean to you?"

After saying this, she took out a small incense burner, placed it in front of her, and silently lit it. A fragrant aroma wafted from the burner, still the scent of lavender.

"I..." Shino tried to recall, but the moment she began to remember, a strong feeling of nausea surged up from her stomach again, making her churn once more. She coughed violently, half-kneeling on the ground, and struggled to suppress the intense nausea.

“…Is it really this complicated? Such a level of enclosure…” Rebecca frowned, seemingly quite surprised by the situation. “It seems we’ll have to use some other methods.”

She sighed softly, stood up and helped Shino up, then took a small bottle out of her pocket and placed it near Shino's nose.

“Take a deep breath, inhale—exhale, inhale—exhale…” Rebecca helped Sinon sit down again, trying her best to ease her condition a little, and then took out a pocket watch from her bosom.

"Although it's a rather old-fashioned method and tools... it should be very effective in this situation."

244. The Horizon and the Observers

This is an unsettling place. One half of the space is almost entirely devoid of light, while the other half is surrounded by a faint metallic sheen. It's reasonable to assume that the entire room is made of metal, but the reason for this... remains a mystery.

At the boundary between light and shadow sat a man, a lit cigar in his left hand and a sharp military knife toying with in his right. Another man was completely hidden in the shadows, only his eyes gleaming a ghastly green, like rats living in the sewers.

"I still have to question your plan to deploy [GP] in Tokyo, Vasak. It's utterly pointless. This is our capital, which is shaking the very foundations of the United States, and you're going to waste it on something like that..."

The man in the shadows stood up and loudly questioned him. The man opposite him merely snorted, took another deep drag on his cigar, and exhaled a large plume of white smoke.

"Don't worry, it's not the real Green Poison, just a slightly more advanced flu virus. I plan to observe its effects in Tokyo, just like during Operation Dark Winter. This will help us better decide on our next steps."

His accent was fluent and somewhat lighthearted, like that of a weekly bard or cowboy. Yet the words that came out of his mouth were chilling.

“But that will make them wary. You’re squandering this opportunity, Vasak. I’ll say it again, it’s completely pointless!” The man in the shadows pointed at him and shouted again, “There are too many things standing in our way. The failure thirty years ago is the biggest lesson, and besides, we are no longer on that horizon.”

"Horizon? That's a joke. Who cares about Horizon anymore? You really think they still want to 'eliminate all of humanity to achieve true environmental protection'? Don't be ridiculous. Everyone just wants the world to be more chaotic and more fun." The man called Vasak chuckled dismissively and continued, "I hate this kind of world. It's too stable. There will be conflicts, but they'll only be within a controllable range. I'm incredibly looking forward to creating chaos that even the Templars and the Brotherhood can't handle. Do you think Horizon can do that, Gabriel?"

“Alright, Vasak, I reserve my opinion. Even if you really want to do it, I still don’t recommend you engage in such a pointless test.” Gabriel, seeing that he could no longer persuade Vasak, didn’t dwell on the matter any longer. He shook his head, stood up, and left the room.

------

"This child is really heartbreaking..."

Rebecca sighed, looking helplessly at Sinon so close to her, and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. All she had just done was to draw out Sinon's sealed memories from the depths of her heart and let her relive them.

At the time, things Shino didn't remember—including the bank's name, the faces of passersby, and the face of the person who stood in front of her to protect her at the crucial moment—were all blurred and pixelated. The parts she actively blocked out, or rather, those she blocked out under the influence of others, were displayed normally.

Throughout the process, she observed from the sidelines to prevent any unforeseen accidents. However, it seems that the anticipated unforeseen accidents did not occur. After using this hypnotic method to guide the memory, the subject typically falls into a deep sleep for two to three hours, at which point she can only wait.

Rebecca scooped Sinon up in her arms and carried her out of the small attic, still trying to recall what she had just seen in Sinon's memories. What she saw was basically the same as Sinon's, so all she knew for now was that [an unidentified person had saved Sinon at that time]. But that didn't mean she couldn't know more.

"Get some sleep. We might have to talk about what happens next after you wake up."

Rebecca placed her on her bed in her bedroom, covered her with a blanket, and then left the bedroom, taking out her phone and dialing a number. At the same time, my phone suddenly rang.

"Hello? This is Li Muxin... Astrologer? What do you need me for?"

I instinctively gave a reply, but a moment later I realized it was Rebecca's number. So I put down the card book I was holding, walked to the bookshelf, and placed my hand on the shelf labeled "Event Log 2000s".

"I need records of bank robberies in Japan from around 2020, clerk."

Rebecca's voice came from the other side, but what struck me as odd was that Rebecca's voice usually had a lazy, nonchalant quality, but now it seemed to carry a hint of urgency.

“Around 2020, Japan, bank robbery… Okay, there’s only one record that meets all three criteria, but I can’t give you the original, I can only read it to you.” I calmly replied, then took the book with 2020 written on its spine from the bookshelf and placed it on the table. I randomly flipped to that page and continued reading, “The relevant record is highly related to the current record’s main perspective and carries confidentiality requirements from secular forces. If you’re ready, I’ll begin.”

"On September 17, 2020, a robbery occurred at the Bank of Tokyo [data deleted] branch. The robber, after injecting 15mg of cocaine intramuscularly, entered through the front door, killed a teller with a Tokarev pistol, and then threatened other tellers to fill his bank account. While waiting, the robber was attacked separately by Asada Shino and Sue Yulan, and then..."

"That's enough, thank you."

Rebecca's voice came from the other end, and I could hear a hint of melancholy in it. It had been a long time since I'd heard Rebecca's voice carry such emotion, and it sounded... somewhat related to my unfortunate senior.

"I don't quite understand what kind of deep feelings would make you decide to have a child with someone else, astrologer, but you should understand one thing—we are eternal, and only we are eternal in this world. Letting go sooner is better for everyone."

I sighed and offered this advice to Rebecca on the other end, though I doubted she would listen. I heard a faint sigh from her end as well; she didn't reply but simply hung up.

245.

"Hmm... what is this?"

Sinon struggled to open her eyes. Before her was an unfamiliar ceiling, but what offered a small measure of reassurance was the presence of a familiar woman beside her. Although she had no concrete evidence, Sinon had a vague feeling that Rebecca had been waiting there for quite some time.

She sat up in bed, curled her legs up, rested her forehead on her thighs, and her body trembled slightly. Her mind was still replaying the dream she had just had. This dream, which she remembered, conflicted with her previous memories, leaving her feeling utterly confused.

"Ms. Rebecca, what exactly happened to me..."

“Don’t be confused. You’ve only seen the truth that you’ve blocked out.” Rebecca smiled as she sat down beside Shino, reaching out her right hand to stroke her cheek and forehead, her tone full of affection. “So all along, your so-called past has been fabricated. Asada Shino didn’t shoot the robbers at that time. That’s the truth.”

"Is...is that so?" Sinon asked, her voice trembling as she looked up in disbelief. "But I...I still can't face that nightmare, and I still don't dare to pick it up..."

"How do you know you're afraid if you don't try? Here's what we'll do: you take a nap here first. If I'm not mistaken, you'll probably be going to do a live stream in the virtual world tonight, so just connect from here."

Rebecca gently stroked Sinon's back, then helped her lie flat on the bed as before, before walking to the window and lighting another incense burner.

"Yes, thank you, Ms. Rebecca."

Sinon murmured softly, then drifted into a dreamless slumber in the misty air. During this brief moment, Rebecca kept watching Sinon, and she suddenly felt that she saw the shadow of someone in Sinon, which made her sigh softly.

After watching Shino close her eyes from afar, she turned around and left her room, going back to the attic once again.