Mythos Of Narcissus: Reborn As An NPC In A Horror VRMMO

The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers is a strange and haunting collection of stories connected by a sinister play that shatters the minds of its readers.

The forbidden play, also titled The King in Yellow, is said to be beautiful but devastating. Anyone who reads past its first act is driven to madness or despair, haunted by the mysterious figure of the titular King and the enigmatic city of Carcosa.

The themes of madness, forbidden knowledge, and cosmic dread permeate the first four stories of the collection, which blend gothic horror with existential terror.

The Repairer of Reputations was the first one.

In a dystopian version of New York, Hildred Castaigne becomes consumed by delusions of grandeur after reading The King in Yellow. Believing himself destined to rule an empire, his paranoia and ambition lead to betrayal and tragedy.

The Mask was the second one.

A tale of unrequited love and tragedy, where a sculptor's alchemical invention turns people into marble. The play's influence lingers, casting an air of doom over the characters.

In the Court of the Dragon was the third.

A man is pursued by a sinister church organist after glimpsing the truths hinted at in The King in Yellow. Madness overtakes him as he feels trapped by the King's influence.

The Yellow Sign was the fourth..

A painter and his model are cursed after discovering a mysterious yellow sign, believed to be connected to the play.

They succumb to dread and death, haunted by a grotesque figure resembling a graveyard watchman.

The remaining stories, such as The Street of the Four Winds and The Street of the First Shell, deviate from the supernatural horror of the earlier tales, focusing on love, war, and art in a Parisian setting.

However, the ominous presence of the King and the city of Carcosa lingers in the background, giving the entire work an air of unresolved mystery.

The room had settled into a rare moment of quiet. Charis had finally calmed down enough to rest her head against my chest as she nibbled on a piece of fruit, while the others—Kuzunoha, Verina, Viviane, and Lupina—occupied themselves with the sudden revelation that was just dropped on this occasion.

It wasn't long before the lull was broken, though, as Kuzunoha tilted her head with a sly smile.

"So," she began, her voice dripping with mischief, "Shall I regale you with the tale of the King in Yellow? Or rather, Carcosa's version of him?"

Charis stirred slightly, her gaze lifting to Kuzunoha with quiet curiosity. Verina set her musket aside with a faint sigh, and Viviane arched an eyebrow, though she didn't object. Even Lupina, who had been sulking after the earlier teasing, seemed to perk up at the mention of the curiosity.

"Go on, Kuzunoha," I said, indulging her. "Let's hear this version of yours."

Kuzunoha's grin widened as she leaned forward, folding her hands beneath her chin. "Ah, where to begin… The King in Yellow, is but a tale, an existence that is woven into reality by a play formed by a certain existence that suddenly decides to live amongst the downtrodden humanity amongst their fight against the Ordeal. Or that was what the majory of sources described it.

"The Solemn Whisperer—a name that lingers like the echoes of a forgotten song, soft but persistent. He was a pilgrim, or at least that's how the stories begin. A lone figure of unknown origin, wandering the land in search of… well, no one really knows what.

"His goal, his purpose—those details are shrouded in mystery. But what did he leave behind?"

"The Solemn Whisperer is said to have carried something with him, the very thing that morphed it into this so-called 'play'—a truth, though not the kind you or I would recognize.

"They called it the Timely Truth, a tale woven so intricately that it became a play performed by those who had been… enlightened by his teachings. He traveled from settlement to settlement, sharing this so-called truth with those willing to listen. And as he moved, his followers grew."

Her voice softened, taking on a more ominous tone. "But this wasn't just any truth, as I described earlier. Those who embraced it became vessels for its spread.

"They would perform the play, a tale, a story, a song~ sharing its words and gestures with others, who in turn became new vessels.

"And as the Timely Truth spread, so too did the existence of the King in Yellow."

Charis shifted uncomfortably in my lap, her fingers curling into my sleeve. I gave her a reassuring squeeze, though my own curiosity burned brighter with every word Kuzunoha spoke.

My daughter seemed to be conflicted in trying to read the intention and truth behind Kuzunoha's words and the entirety of this story pertaining to the Timely Truth.

By that alone, I could deduce a thing or two about how this Timely Truth transcend beyond what Charis could interpret and judge of its ultimate truth.

"You don't need to pry upon it," I whispered gently. "Just think of it as a mere tale."

"... Okay."

"At first," Kuzunoha continued after she saw me comforting Charis, "It seemed harmless. A curious phenomenon, perhaps even a cultural quirk. But then something began to change. Entire cities became consumed by the Timely Truth.

"Madness spreads like wildfire, not as chaos but as a kind of… conceptual black hole. Comprehension collapsed in on itself, and those who tried to make sense of the truth found themselves drawn deeper into its grasp, unable to escape."

"An entire civilization," Viviane casually interjected, "Succumbed to it. That's basically what happened."

Kuzunoha nodded, her smirk fading into something more serious. "That's right. A whole civilization was exposed, and its fate… well, that's where things get murky.

"Some relics and texts suggest that the Timely Truth wasn't a curse but a kind of ascension. That those who embraced it became something greater, transcending their mortal limitations. And that, is what some believe gave rise to Theotech as we know it today~

"Others, however, tell a different story. They say the Timely Truth destroyed that civilization, reducing it to the ruins we now scour for Theotech artifacts. That it wasn't ascension but annihilation, leaving behind only remnants of what once was."

"Two extremes," I murmured, my mind racing. "I can assume that the truth hasn't been uncovered yet."

"It is just incomprehensible in nature, just like the basis of some Theotechs that we used as the foundation of this bastion." Kuzunoha said with a shrug.

"Though, you said that there are many instances of imaginary places or floors in Theotech site," I pointed out, finally. "Are all of those imaginary realms related to the King in Yellow? I assume not, since you act as if today's instance is a rarity. Then how comes you know that the imaginary realm is tied to this whole Timely Truth?"

Kuzunoha chuckled. "Remember the 101st floor you described? The way time and space bent, the way reality itself seemed to unravel… it all fits with the descriptions of places touched by the Timely Truth, in a sense of the possibility and structure of the Theotech Site.

"You see, the Timely Truth cannot exist in physicality or conceptual comprehension. It's beyond such things by its very nature. And when it does manifest, the space around it starts to warp. Dimension, time, comprehension—it all begins to twist, just like the Time of Nihil to an extent, but much more concentrated and structured~

"That floor, my beloved Narcissus. Is a preserved instance of the Timely Truth's essence."

A chill ran down my spine as I recalled the upside-down sea, the looping time, the overwhelming sense of wrongness.

"But what is the Timely Truth, really?" I asked.

Kuzunoha's grin returned, sharper than before. "Nobody knows. Except, of course, those who've been enlightened. But they're not exactly in a state to share their insights, are they?"

"That's reassuring," Verina said dryly, her tone laced with sarcasm. "So we're dealing with something no one understands, spread by a figure no one can trace, with consequences no one can predict."

"100 points for you~!" Kuzunoha said cheerfully. "Though, I will deduct 90 from it, because it is you who are answering it."

"Talk about bias."

Viviane, however, didn't share their amusement. "The Timely Truth is also an enigma even among the fae," she said, her expression becoming stern. "Its influence has been felt throughout Carcosa's history, always in different forms, always leaving chaos in its wake. Thus, the subtle influence and forbidden knowledge of the acknowledgement of the existence of the King in Yellow."

Lupina, who had been unusually quiet, suddenly perked up. "Wait—fae have a society?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Viviane ignored her, continuing as though the interruption hadn't happened. "There have been instances of the Timely Truth's appearance even in recent history.

"Relics, scrolls, fleeting manifestations—all hinting at the King's subtle influence. And each time, it always speaks of the drastic changes that will happen.

"What happens if he returns? If he's already here, waiting?"

Her words stirred a deep unease within me.

My mind drifted to the scripts I had written for the early bastioneers—the personalized bibles I had created to guide them.

Could those texts… could they be part of the Timely Truth, even though I was the one who made them with my own mind and words? The thought sent a shiver down my spine, though I kept it hidden. Read latest stories on My Virtual Library Empire

Trying to shake the growing tension, I asked the question that had been weighing on me. "Is the King in Yellow's return a bad thing?"

Both Kuzunoha and Viviane spoke at once, their voices overlapping with stark contrast—Kuzunoha smug, Viviane stern.

"Yes."

"Yes."

Kuzunoha leaned forward, her grin sharp as a blade. "It's bad, not for Carcosa itself, but for the inhabitants.

Viviane nodded. "The King in Yellow has also been hinted at in countless ancient texts as a rightful ruler of Carcosa. So consider this: Carcosa already imposes limits and constraints on those who live here. Now imagine what kind of… rules that will get enacted, which will come with the King's return."

Verina, ever the pragmatist as of the current, voiced her opinion, "Doesn't it depend on the King's personality? What does he decide to do?"

Lupina nodded, her wings twitching slightly. "Yeah, what if he's not so bad?"

Charis, her voice small but thoughtful, added, "Maybe he will help humanity?"

Kuzunoha laughed, a mischievous, almost gremlin-like sound. "Oh, you sweet summer children," she said, grinning. "The risk alone is bad enough. If it can be delayed or prevented, it should be. But…" She waved a hand dismissively. "It's not our job to think about this whole crisis, really.

"Plenty of factions in Carcosa are already working together to prevent the arrival of the King in Yellow. Let them handle it, as we enjoy our dreaded time here on Carcosa's soil~"