I ACCIDENTALLY BECAME A GUILD THERAPIST
Chapter 10 – The System's Curveball and a Smirking Secret
ARC I: THE ACADEMIC EXILE
---
SYNOPSIS: While escaping the chaos of her guild, Livia (Mental Supporter Lv. 4) receives a critical System Update: the powerful, but draining, Therapist's Insight skill. Testing the skill on Miles Vexley, she instantly uncovers a deep-seated trauma related to betrayal. Miles, usually guarded, is visibly shaken, forcing Livia to realize that her role is no longer about managing superficial neuroses—it's about confronting the serious, hidden pain of her guild members.
---
Livia Marcelline Quinn, Mental Supporter Lv. 4 and unwilling server icon, was clinging to her last shred of patience. Her Therapist's Log was a chaotic chronicle of the Bloodbath & Beyond guild's dysfunction: Bron: Plushie mania, existential dread. Nyx: Dark phobia, awkward crush. Phina: Slime romance. Alaric: Betting addiction. Miles: TBD—probably smug.
She'd fled the fanboy chaos for the Twilight Arena, a sprawling MMORPG coliseum where players dueled for leaderboard supremacy. Livia sat on a cracked stone ledge, her blue-rimmed robe glowing faintly, muttering, "This place makes the guild's camp look like a meditation retreat."
The Twilight Arena thrummed with chaos—players clashed below, swords flashing, while faction recruiters bellowed about "Exclusive Guild Trials!" Livia's introverted soul craved a server crash.
I'm their shrink, meme queen, and burnout survivor.
Flunked psych, memed across worlds, and stuck as the emotional glue for a guild of walking disasters.
A notification pinged:[Achievement Unlocked: Arena Wallflower. +10 Observation Points (Passive)]
"Observation points for surviving this circus?" Livia muttered. Her progress bar read Mental Supporter Lv. 4: 900/4000 EXP. Her Empath Surge and Empathic Insight Lv. 1 turned her into an emotional radar, but the guild's chaos was a relentless storm.
As she scribbled Issue: Arena's too loud. Approach: Earmuffs?, her HUD glitched, static crackling. A robotic voice boomed: System Update:Therapist Class Enhancement.
New Skill Unlocked:Therapist's Insight.
A holographic panel appeared: Therapist's Insight Lv. 1: Reveals hidden emotional issues in patients. Cost: 20% mental stamina per use. Livia's sarcasm flared. "Fantastic. Now I'm a psychic sponge. Just what I needed."
A notification flashed:[Achievement Unlocked: System's Favorite Lab Rat. +5 Curiosity Points (Risky)]
Before she could process, the guild teleported in, their banner glowing over the arena. Bron, Phina, Nyx, and Alaric landed with various degrees of clumsiness. Alaric shouted, "I bet 300 gold we wipe unless Buffer therapizes us!"
Livia's Empathic Insight pinged, overwhelmed, but she activated Therapist's Insight on instinct, targeting Miles Vexley, who leaned against a pillar, his smirk as sharp as his psychoblade. The skill flared, her HUD displaying:
Patient: Miles Vexley.
Hidden Issue: Trust Deficit, Rooted in Past Betrayal.
Severity: Critical.
Livia froze, her notepad slipping. Miles? Mr. Smirk has trauma?
Miles caught her stare, his smirk faltering—it actually cracked, replaced by a momentary flash of shock and naked irritation.
"What's that look, Buffer? Trying to crack my code?" he said, his voice flat, the teasing gone.
Therapist's Insight caught a flicker of deep unease and immediate self-defense. Livia's introversion screamed to back off, but her new skill pushed her forward. She scribbled: Patient: Miles. Issue: Trust problems, deep. Approach: Tread lightly.
"Uh, just… checking in," she said, her voice cautious. "You seem… off. Anything you want to share?"
Miles pushed off the pillar, his eyes narrowing, the shock hardening into a cold challenge. "Off? You're the one digging for ghosts in a duel pit, rookie." But Therapist's Insight pinged: Patient Deflection:High.
Livia took a breath, deploying Empath Surge. "Look, Miles, you don't have to talk, but… if something's weighing you down, I'm here. You can drop the smirk for five minutes."
Miles flinched, his posture shifting almost imperceptibly, like a muscle spasm.
His smirk completely vanished, replaced by a grim set to his jaw. "You're digging deep, rookie," he said, voice a low rumble. "Be careful where you step. Some scars don't just heal—they bite back." He turned away abruptly, putting his back to her.
Therapist's Insight caught a deep current of pain and lingering self-doubt. Livia scribbled: Miles: Deflected. Issue: Betrayal trauma?Approach: Don't push… yet.
The arena erupted before she could probe further. A player's meteor spell misfired, showering sparks over the pit. Bron roared, "Protect Buffer!" and tackled a nearby crate. Phina's slime rolled into the fray.
Livia's head throbbed. She activated Group Therapy Lv. 2, her voice cutting through the chaos. "Everyone, focus! Save your energy for the raid, not… this mess!" Her Empath Surge amplified her command, and the guild paused, Bron dusting off his plushie.
A notification pinged:[You stabilized a pre-raid meltdown. +1200 EXP]
Her progress bar climbed: Mental Supporter Lv. 4: 2100/4000 EXP.
Miles clapped, his smirk back in place, but clearly forced and brittle. "Not bad, Buffer. You're keeping us sane—barely." His Therapist's Insight pinged: Patient Trust: Slightly Increased.
Livia's chest tightened, not from loyalty, but from the burden of seeing their hidden pain. She wasn't just an NPC; she was their mirror, reflecting wounds she barely understood.
The arena's chaos resumed. Livia scribbled: Guild: Emotional landmines. Miles: Trust issues. Approach: Survive their baggage.
A final notification flashed:[You glimpsed the guild's hidden pain. Achievement Unlocked: Trauma Detector]
Livia closed her notepad, muttering, "I'm either a therapist or a masochist." As Miles' gaze lingered, his smirk hiding a crack she now saw, she knew her role was no longer just a job. It was a dive into their darkness, and she wasn't sure she could swim.
---
To be continued...
Chapter 11:Guild Therapist Overload