# 245
**Chapter 245: Treatment Plan**
Upon hearing those words, the four orderlies froze in place. Even the pug at the side suddenly sprang up from the ground and scurried away, barking as it ran:
“Goo-goo-goo-goo…”
Merlin opened his eyes in a daze. The next moment his body twisted violently, and in the blink of an eye he had turned into the familiar pink starfish.
The starfish leapt from its seat, conjured a net out of thin air, and shouted excitedly:
“SpongeBob! Let’s go jellyfishing!!”
…
Meanwhile.
A thousand miles away.
Black crows wheeled, lightning danced. Inside an ancient, mysterious church, three towering thrones of thorn stood at the center, majestic and awe-inspiring; a single glance was enough to inspire worship.
Two of the thrones were empty. Only the rightmost one was occupied—lounging upon it, a bewitching man in a tailcoat. At his feet stood three figures shrouded in shadow.
“Idiots!” Yiyu on the throne said coldly.
“A simple mission almost failed, and for no reason at all two Believers died! If Shen Qingzhu hadn’t stepped in, that thing would’ve landed in Night Watch hands.”
Below the throne, the two men exchanged glances and spoke bitterly:
“My lord, it really wasn’t our fault… Our teammates died too strangely. We searched thoroughly—there wasn’t a single trace of an enemy.”
“Silence!” Yiyu snapped. “Worthless! When will you ever make me as proud as Shen Qingzhu does?”
The two immediately lowered their heads and said nothing.
Yiyu drew a slow breath. “This time I’ll let it—”
Smack—!
Yiyu clapped a hand over his own mouth.
The three below froze, looking up in bewilderment. One ventured, “J-j-jellyfish? Is that some new powerful mystery?”
“Fool! I meant… delicious Krabby Patties!!” Yiyu’s neck flushed red as he roared.
The three: ???
“My lord, what… is a Krabby Patty?” another asked carefully.
Yiyu sprang from the throne, clutching his head and screaming:
“Get out! All of you! Go find Patrick and jelly—”
Smack—!
Yiyu slapped himself. The terrifying pressure of a Klein realm crashed down; the three exchanged glances and hurried out of the church.
“Shut up, shut up, shut up… damned thing, you’ll not control my body!!” Yiyu’s roar echoed within.
Shen Qingzhu paused outside the church, glanced back at the empty hall, and narrowed his eyes.
“His mind really is broken…”
…
Asylum of the Gods.
“SpongeBob! When are you coming back to jellyfish with me!?”
The pink starfish sprinted across the yard at shocking speed. Lin Qiye’s eyes narrowed; he flashed in front of it, batted the net from its limb, seized the starfish, and lifted it into the air.
“Let’s see exactly what you are…” he murmured.
A brilliant magic circle bloomed in his palm, enveloping the pink starfish. With his other hand he began drawing a second array.
What is Merlin’s illness, at its root?
Is it anxiety born of being unable to find the real world? No—anxiety is a symptom, but not enough to land him here. The real sickness is “after anxiety, a second personality takes over.”
Merlin becomes a pink starfish only because that second personality *is* a starfish. Once in control, it reflexively uses transformation magic to resume its original form.
In short: alien personality intrusion.
The best cure is to rip that second self straight out.
Outside, Lin Qiye would be helpless; inside the asylum his power soars. While forcibly signing a summoning contract with the second personality, he also tries to summon it *out* of Merlin’s body.
That was the “designated-summon therapy” he had devised all morning—simple and brutal.
As the summon array blazed brighter, the starfish’s body warped, gradually reverting toward Merlin.
It’s working! Lin Qiye’s eyes lit up.
When half the starfish had turned back into Merlin, the mage’s body shuddered; torrential soul-force surged through the starfish and slammed into Lin Qiye’s array.
His face changed; the mighty impact shattered the spell. He staggered back two steps, regret flashing in his eyes.
The starfish’s soul was too entwined with Merlin’s. Sever the trunk and the roots, anchored deep, remain beyond reach—divine roots, no less. Lin Qiye couldn’t suppress them.
Still, the brutal “treatment” had torn free half the starfish’s soul. Merlin’s progress bar rocketed to 62 %—qualifying for a second ability draw.
Further healing would have to wait until Lin Qiye’s own spirit could rival a god’s.
He glanced around, suddenly puzzled.
Li Yifei and the others hurried over. “Director, what are you looking for?”
Lin Qiye frowned. “Strange… I ripped out half that starfish’s soul. Where did it go…?”
…
Church of the Ancient Gods.
Yiyu, finally calm upon his thorn throne, opened his eyes.
“One day I’ll drive you completely out!” he muttered, staring at his hands.
He rose to leave—then froze. Arms flung wide, he dashed about the church while two utterly different voices tore from his throat!
“Patrick! You’re here at last! Patrick!”
“Hahaha! SpongeBob, let’s go jellyfishing?!”
“Yes! Yes! Let’s go jellyfishing! Ahahaha…”
“Hehehehe…”