The Strange Adventures of Hearn the Believer

……

Chapter 6 Lambsday (4th)

Life's carousel has gone round and round. After many days, Ms. Marisa, who had logged into the electronic sea again, unsurprisingly got stuck on loading again. Although she was mentally prepared to know that this was an unavoidable step in breaking through the predicament, she was suddenly alone in the darkness again, and couldn't help but feel sad.

Fortunately, the suffocating darkness was slightly alleviated by a flickering lamp. Light footsteps approached from afar, and the pale blue flame illuminated Miss Marisa's panicked face.

Marisa was slightly relieved when she saw that the person holding the dark blue lantern was the senior she had asked for help earlier.

"saved……"

Marisa subconsciously let out a long sigh, and the response she received was a short word.

"Follow."

So, Marisa began to follow her senior, who was carrying a lantern, through this boundless darkness.

She dared not fall too far behind. The flickering lantern only illuminated a small area that barely contained the two people who were just a step apart. Once they crossed the boundary, all that remained was endless darkness.

If that were all, it wouldn't be so anxiety-inducing. Compared to the almost nonexistent visual feedback, the auditory feedback is far more abundant. There seems to be the sound of the ocean tide, with countless colossal creatures rising and falling with the ebb and flow of the waves, only to disappear again in an instant, merging into the illusory sea, leaving behind only the melodious whale songs.

Several times, Marisa almost jumped up in fright, because she vaguely saw slippery and slender creatures swimming past her feet. She subconsciously looked down by the light just a step ahead, but what she saw was a color that made even the surrounding darkness recede. It was a kind of despair, the color of the abyss.

"arrive."

A slight signal came from ahead, and Marisa stopped just in time to avoid a potentially disastrous collision with the senior student. She breathed a sigh of relief.

The surroundings were still completely dark, at least that was the case in Marisa's eyes. Although she didn't understand what "arrived" meant, Marisa believed that her senior wouldn't be making things up.

Sure enough, the next moment, heavy doors slowly opened inward, signaling the end of the long night.

"Close your eyes until I tell you when you can open them."

"OK, all right!"

Miss Marisa, having no other choice but to rely on this reassuring senior, obediently followed her advice.

Then, she took a step and was guided into the world enveloped in soft light.

……

Miss Marisa never got to hear from her senior that she could open her eyes. Instead, as if she were being woken up by a morning alarm clock, a certain node in her brain was triggered, and she subconsciously opened her eyes at a specific moment, only realizing it later.

In short, when Miss Marisa regained her sight, she found herself in a silver-blue palace.

What comes into view are rows of towering bookshelves that seem to have no end, exceeding the height that a person can easily pull out and borrow. They surround the only resting corner in the room, a place consisting of simple, cold, and uncomfortable silver chairs and matching tea tables.

Marisa seemed a little dazed. If her memory served her right, she had been invited for tea by her senior about ten minutes ago, and now she was here again…

Marisa peered through the wisps of smoke and saw that the seat opposite her was empty, replaced by a black cat of unknown origin sitting on the table.

A small animal that, no matter how you look at it, transcends the realm of realism. It has a pair of large, dark red eyes like copper bells, whiskers that are so neatly arranged that they are perfectly symmetrical, and a mouth that stretches to the base of its ears... oh, to the base of its ears in a human sense, in short, full of absurd and impressionistic style.

It looks like he's smiling.

Normal cats don't laugh, and neither do dogs.

Marisa did not lower her guard because of the other person's petite size and humorous appearance. She quickly looked around and only relaxed a little when she spotted her senior in the corner of her eye.

Charlotte was standing in a spot easily visible to Marisa, in the space between two overly cluttered bookshelves. She was leaning against one side of the bookshelf, seemingly flipping through an unknown text she had pulled from nearby with a bored expression. Noticing Marisa's gaze, she nodded lazily, indicating that Marisa shouldn't mind, and then continued to immerse herself in her reading.

Seeing this, Miss Marisa finally felt relieved. She turned her gaze back to the black cat in front of her, looked it up and down, and then tentatively spoke.

"Um, hello?"

"Hello, guest from afar. Your presence greatly honors my humble abode. May I ask your name?"

"?" Marisa tilted her head.

"?" The black cat tilted its head as well.

""

This bastard is problematic! What kind of cat would talk to people in such a fawning tone? Even their own master wouldn't. In those cats' eyes, even their own master is just a human servant.

Marisa's mind immediately went into alert mode, realizing that this was definitely not a normal cat, or perhaps it wasn't even a cat at all!

"Well, isn't it basic etiquette to state your own name before asking a lady's name?"

So, Miss Marisa, unusually, became polite or rather, ladylike, entirely out of caution.

"I see, I was rude." The black cat nodded, took out a monocle held up by a silver thread, put it on, and instantly transformed into a refined scoundrel.

"This young lady must have read the story of Alice in Wonderland, right?" the black cat suddenly changed the subject and asked.

“Of course,” Miss Marisa nodded in agreement.

It's 2093 now. The once wildly popular IP, *Alice in Wonderland*, has been adapted into countless games and other experiences across various rating systems in the digital world. These days, you'd be embarrassed to call yourself "Alice" unless you have some kind of amazing talent, like tearing apart a rabbit, having a yandere personality, or being a master hypnotist. This is true across all rating systems. Perhaps because of this, with the declining birth rate persisting to this day, young couples who have just become parents are, out of good intentions, gradually abandoning this historically significant name for a young girl and choosing other names for their beloved daughters instead.

Hey, these days, who doesn't have a few "Alice" characters on their personal terminal? Maybe I should name my daughter something else, cough.

“That makes things easier.” The black cat clapped its paws. “Then you must know the Cheshire Cat from that story, right? I’m her neighbor. You can call me Little Ba.”

"..."

That brat really knows how to back down on a whim!

Miss Marisa's lips twitched, but the situation was beyond her control. She wisely gave the dangling cat a way out, and a smile bloomed on her face. She even used polite language, "Hello, Mr. Little Ba, Cheshire Cat's neighbor, my name is Marisa."

"Ah—Marisa! Such a beautiful name. When I heard that word, it felt as if my soul had been redeemed from heaven, completely cleansing the filth from my soul, giving me a new life… (The rest is omitted.)"

"..."

This simp, no, this jerk, will he ever stop?!

The other person's praise poured out like a never-ending river, while Miss Marisa felt goosebumps rising all over her body! If her senior hadn't been leaning there reading, she would have been scared away by this brat.

"cough."

A soft cough, more symbolic than actual, came from the void, as if to remind the little beast. Upon hearing the sound, it obediently shut its mouth and sat up straight.

"Ahem," this time it was the black cat's turn to cough lightly and say seriously, "Anyway, now that we've exchanged names, Miss Marisa, shall we go through the formalities or just settle the payment directly?"

"?" A big question mark popped up on Miss Marisa's little head.

"Look, aren't we the Cheshire Cat?"

"No, you're the Cheshire Cat's neighbor."

“The Cheshire Cat’s neighbor is also a Cheshire Cat. Our hometown town is called Cheshire, so all the cats living in the town are called Cheshire Cats. Look at my standard Cheshire teeth.” As he spoke, the black cat grinned, once again showing off its set of sharp teeth that stretched from its ears.

"That sounds very reasonable. You've convinced me." Marisa nodded with some skepticism, her knowledge of Maoyue expanding further. "So what did you mean by 'following procedures' and 'direct settlement'?"

"As you know, the Cheshire Cats' job is to take Alices on a journey to Wonderland..."

"No, no, I don't know, and I don't want to know. I always thought it was a unique story."

"Now you know."

"Okay, so what?" Miss Marisa, who was too lazy to argue with this brat, simply shrugged.

"As we all know, Miss Alice in the fairy tale, guided by the Cheshire Cat, traveled to Wonderland and eventually returned to the human world. Regardless of the outcome, she gained something."

Yes, regardless of the outcome, I've seen countless "Alices" in the electronic world since I was a child. There's Alice from 92-60-88, Alice from surfboard-wearing little girl, and even Alice with the Tower of Babel. I really can't easily agree with what kind of gains you're referring to.

Miss Marisa smiled to the surface, but inwardly she was thinking something.

“Ahem, harvest, yes, harvest, the important thing is, there is a harvest.” The black cat cub emphasized the word “harvest” three times in a row, and blinked its big, bell-shaped cat eyes at Alice, no, Miss Marisa.

“You see, I’m actually one of the lazier Cheshire Cats. If I can easily meet my monthly quota, I’m open to discussing anything. I don’t think Miss Marisa wants to waste her time going to Wonderland with some unknown Cheshire Cat, so…”

Of course not, all I want to do right now is go home.

Miss Marisa's personal demands were becoming increasingly clear, but her remaining rationality suppressed the impulse, and she silently awaited what would follow.

"So, 'going through the motions' means we'll go on a sleepwalking trip according to the normal procedure. Whether you come back alive depends entirely on your luck, Ms. Marisa. 'Settling directly' is even more straightforward. It means we both agree that we've already gone on a sleepwalking trip. Ms. Marisa, you can now fill out a user experience evaluation form so we can give you an account to your superiors. In return, we'll definitely offer a corresponding gift as compensation for our shared slacking off. It's reasonable, isn't it?"

"That sounds convincing, you've convinced me again."

Miss Marisa originally intended to say that those who offer unsolicited favors must have ulterior motives, but upon hearing that there was a gift, her words took a different turn and became more suggestive.

Oh dear, I just can't control my hands!

Marisa is both deeply distressed and delighted by her habit.

"Now, please sign the questionnaire."

The black cat stretched out its paw and pushed a letter sealed with wax. Marisa took it and carefully opened it. Inside was a letter written in English, with a purely printed font. It looked quite authentic.

“Mr. Cheshire Cat, you’re not going to trick me, are you?” Marisa still looked at the black cat opposite her with some suspicion.

"No, no, please rest assured. For us in the service industry, reputation is everything, and customers are God."

As the Cheshire brat pulled out three beautifully wrapped gift boxes one by one from under the table, he hurriedly shook his head and denied it, saying, "We would never do something that would ruin our reputation. If you are dissatisfied afterward, you can go to the Consumer Association to sue me."

"Oh ho, you're under the jurisdiction of the Consumer Association? Which Consumer Association?" Marisa was amused.

"Look." The Cheshire boy's cat face pouted in a certain direction with a very aggrieved expression. Marisa looked in that direction and saw that familiar and reassuring figure still there.

This confirmed her suspicions and put her mind at ease.

Sure enough, this shameless little cat was only behaving well because his senior was there.

Although the reasons behind it are unknown, there is no doubt that the senior student fulfilled her promise and resolved this long-standing issue for Marisa.

Once again, I've incurred a favor.

Marisa thought to herself.

"Here are three of the highest quality gifts. In the past, only Miss Alice, who had perfectly completed her journey in Wonderland, was qualified to choose them..." the black cat said, pointing at the three gift boxes.

“Oh, I see. So you have to choose one, right? Please introduce them to me in turn, Mr. Cheshire Cat.”

"No need, I've already included the instruction manuals. You can take all three copies." The black cat waved its paw with considerable magnanimity.

"Huh?" The happiness came too suddenly, and Marisa was stunned, unable to contain herself.

"You are welcome."

"no……"

"Do you still need a minibus for me to send you? Please rest assured that after-sales service is also an extremely important part of the experience. Throughout history, many shops have ruined their reputation because of this, so our shop will never repeat the same mistake. You can rest assured."

The black cat proudly repeated the topic of "rest assured" twice.

"No, no, no, you're too kind." Even though she had a bad impression of him before, Miss Marisa couldn't help but blush slightly after receiving his favor. Although this cat's behavior was not that of an ordinary sycophant, it still made her feel quite advantageous. This made Miss Marisa, whose skin was thicker than a city wall, involuntarily become polite and humble. She quickly typed out a series of thirteen-star reviews on the form on the letter paper and left her signature in the last blank space.

"Please accept this." Marisa put the letter back into the envelope and handed it over with both hands.

"Let me handle this. Please accept it." The black cat respectfully took the envelope with both paws, then respectfully handed over the three gift boxes stacked together with both paws.

Strangely enough, when the three gift boxes touched Marisa's hands, they turned into tiny specks of light and disappeared.

The black cat provided an explanation at the opportune moment.

"After you get back, please think about it carefully. Although I have given it to you, whether to use it and how to use it are things you should consider yourself later."

Since the other party had already said so much, Miss Marisa couldn't question or press for details about where the three gift boxes had gone. She would leave everything to be discussed after she woke up.

Even if you get scammed, you can still sue the Consumer Association, right?

Marisa isn't worried about this stray cat running away.

"Then, I will arrange for carriages and horses to escort you... Meow!!!!!!!!!!"

The black cat's farewell words abruptly ceased, replaced by an extremely mournful meow.

This was the first time Marisa had heard this black cat, who called itself the Cheshire Cat, make such a meow that was so fitting for its image, even though the meow was not only extremely shrill but also abruptly stopped halfway through, as if its fate had been seized by the throat or the back of its neck.

Then, a fluffy cat ball appeared before Marisa's eyes, its fur standing on end.

"Little Ba, right?"

When that cool voice rang out, Marisa noticed that the senior student who had been quietly reading in the distance was now standing next to her. She sat down calmly and casually, her gaze gradually settling on that cat-like face.

"Yes, yes, yes." Mr. Cheshire Cat pulled a snow-white handkerchief from under the table once again. He first kept wiping the cold sweat dripping from his forehead, then put the handkerchief away, lowered his face and stopped looking up. He even tried his best to lower his body. If Mr. Cheshire Cat had just been at eye level with Miss Marisa by using the height of the table, then at this moment, he had undoubtedly lowered his position to below that of the guest opposite him.

"This...sir, is there anything I can do for you?"

"Of course, you seem to be a black cat with great wisdom, so you can probably answer my questions right now."

"No, no, no, please ask first. I will answer everything I know. If I truly do not know, please be lenient and I will gladly accept the punishment." Mr. Ba pitifully shook his cat face, then suddenly stretched out his paw and, with lightning speed, pulled several strands of cat hair floating in the air into his palm, then stuffed them back under his buttocks. "Excuse me, spring is here, and there is some shedding. Please forgive me, please forgive me."

“You seem to know a lot about girls, and most of your books are about that. I just quickly flipped through a few but couldn’t find the answer, so I came directly to ask you.”

"I know a little, I know a little, you flatter me." This time the black cat had learned its lesson; it shook its head slightly to make sure no fur fell out. "What's on your mind?"

At this point, even Marisa became curious about the question her senior was about to ask, and she couldn't help but hold her breath.