Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 268: Yin Ens Fantastic Journey

Liu Xing was now quite surprised. If Yin En hadn't lied, then Yin En's experiences were eerily similar to Historical Ibon's. Moreover, as a player, Yin En also had some knowledge of Ibon's life. So, if Yin En intended to, there was a real possibility of becoming Ibon.

With this thought in mind, Liu Xing couldn't help but glance at Lu Tianya, who seemed rather unresponsive. Although Lu Tianya knew some of Ibon's deeds, the difference in pronunciation between Yin En and Ibon's names in the Island Nation Language was significant, which is why Lu Tianya hadn't connected the dots right away.

However, Liu Xing suddenly realized a crucial point. Even though Yin En had become Wizard Serak's disciple, it didn't necessarily mean that Yin En had replaced the real Ibon. Unless, of course, Yin En was indeed Ibon in this parallel world!

So, Liu Xing couldn't resist asking, "By the way, Ling Ishikawa, I'm very curious about one thing. When you mentioned that Wizard Serak wanted to pass on all his knowledge of magic to you, does that mean Serak only has you as his apprentice?"

Ling Ishikawa naturally understood Liu Xing's inquiry and replied with a smile, "I initially thought the same, but after I agreed to become Serak's apprentice, I discovered that Serak actually has more than twenty apprentices. These apprentices come from various places, and there's even one whose background is identical to the fabricated one I created. No wonder Serak improvised so much."

The apprentice Ling Ishikawa mentioned was, of course, the real Ibon.

Hearing this, Liu Xing raised an eyebrow and sighed, "I see. It's a shame you returned too early. If you had stayed a bit longer at the Mage Tower, you might have learned a few spells from Wizard Serak. It could have made dealing with the Deep Sea Gospel Society much easier for us."

Upon hearing Liu Xing's words, Ling Ishikawa couldn't help but wear a somewhat resigned smile. He shrugged and said, "I thought the same initially. If I could learn a few spells from Serak and then return to the modern world, it would have been fantastic. However, the reality was quite different from my expectations. As I mentioned earlier, in Serak's Wizard Tower, there are over twenty apprentices. Most of them only know one or two spells, and those are often insignificant parlor tricks. The rules of the Mage Tower are harsh, allowing only the most talented and dedicated apprentices to receive Serak's guidance and become true Wizards. The rest either continue to serve as Menials within the tower or seek other paths outside."

"So, after I became Serak's most recent and last apprentice, he announced that there would be an Inheritance Ceremony in ten years to determine which apprentice would become his true successor. During this time, some of the slower apprentices would be eliminated each year. However, this also means that even if I don't become Serak's direct disciple, as long as I endure long enough, I can still learn a significant amount of magic."

"Then, Serak started teaching us meditation, allowing us to sense the presence of magic. Before me, several apprentices had already sensed magic's existence, but I was utterly clueless. I couldn't perceive magic at all. In the end, I returned to the modern world in this bewildered state. So, I don't think I have what it takes to become a Wizard."

Liu Xing nodded, realizing that Yin En's luck had its ups and downs. Yin En had become the last apprentice of Wizard Serak, but the Judgment of sensing magic had possibly ended in a significant failure.

"Nevertheless, since Ling Ishikawa, you've already returned, it's unlikely you'll go back to Hybrier. So, let's put all this behind us and not dwell on it too much," Ming Hanxing said, patting Ling Ishikawa's shoulder.

Ling Ishikawa shook his head, feeling perplexed. "That may not be the case. For some reason, I feel a vague connection to Hybrier even now. I sense that I could be transported back to Hybrier at any moment. It's a strange feeling."

Liu Xing nodded, realizing that Yin En was probably in a situation similar to his own, accepting a world mission.

With this in mind, Liu Xing suggested, "Well, let's prepare ourselves now. We'll meet at the Old Teaching Building at nine o'clock tonight."

After Liu Xing adjourned the meeting, he exchanged glances with Ling Ishikawa and Ming Hanxing. The three of them found a quiet corner away from the others and initiated a private conversation.

"Wow, Yin En, you're incredibly lucky to have traveled back to Hybrier and become an apprentice magician. You even share the same lineage as Ibon. It's like you've accepted a world mission," Ming Hanxing said, envious.

Yin En nodded and replied with a wry smile, "That's true, but you only see the surface. In that unknown space, I had to face four mythical creatures all by myself. It felt like walking on thin ice with every step, and each Judgment filled me with dread. Luckily, the Dice Goddess favored me, allowing me to survive and escape that place."

"Furthermore, that Mage Tower is even more terrifying than I described earlier. I could sense from some details that Serak worships a giant toad-like entity. I believe the historical Ibon's faith in the giant toad was influenced by Serak. As a result, Serak, despite claiming that eliminated apprentices have the option to leave, might actually use them as sacrifices to the giant toad. So, if I were eliminated, it would be a dire situation."

The giant toad Yin En mentioned referred to Tsathoggua, one of the Great Old Ones, bearing a resemblance to a large toad.

"You're right. Since it's a world mission, failure would likely result in a card tear. But this also means that you'll have to keep traveling back and forth. It sounds quite troublesome," Liu Xing said with a smile.

Yin En sighed helplessly and continued, "Exactly. This world mission is incredibly challenging. I have to complete two missions within the module's timeframe, and they appear unrelated. It's not very player-friendly."

Of course, this type of world mission was also unfriendly to Yin En's teammates. After all, you never knew when your teammate would suddenly disappear, when they'd return, or if they'd return at all...

So, Yin En somewhat embarrassedly said, "It seems I'll have to rely on both of you in the future. I hope you won't abandon me during the Interlude Growth."

Currently, Liu Xing and his companions were practically bound together. After all, Ming Hanxing and Ling Ishikawa were Liu Xing's disciples, and unless they chose to "leave the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect" or "go abroad" during Interlude Growth, they would remain tied to this destiny.

This was why Yin En expressed such sentiments.

Yin En was currently considered a character who might lag behind, but Liu Xing had high hopes for Yin En's future performance. If Yin En could become Wizard Serak's direct disciple, Yin En's abilities would become incredibly formidable. The "Book of Ibon" might even turn into the "Book of Yin En."

So, Yin En was like a high-risk, high-reward long-term investment. Succeeding would result in a reliable and powerful teammate in the future, while failure could lead to card tearing.

However, due to their enjoyable collaboration so far and the fact that Liu Xing also had a world mission, he was willing to "invest" in Yin En. After all, only players with world missions could advance to the Cthulhu region, so Liu Xing was already making plans.

With this in mind, `

Liu Xing decisively said, "Well then, I'll reluctantly agree. But, Yin En, you better repay me well."

As for Ming Hanxing, he appeared somewhat conflicted. After all, he was new and hadn't established much trust with Liu Xing and Yin En yet. Deciding to venture with them now was a tough choice for Ming Hanxing.

However, Ming Hanxing didn't hesitate for long and ultimately made up his mind. He nodded and said, "Very well, I'll take the risk today too. I hope Yin En won't disappoint me."

Upon hearing Liu Xing and Ming Hanxing's agreement, Yin En couldn't help but smile and say, "Of course, when I learn magic in the future, I'll be invincible. You'll be able to rely on me. But speaking of which, there's something I'm very curious about. In Serak's study room, I saw a labeled tag with a specific name highlightedConan."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow. Here, Conan definitely didn't refer to the death god elementary school student but rather to a barbarian.

"Conan the Barbarian" was a novel by Robert E. Howard, depicting the adventures of a barbarian named Conan in Hybrier. According to widely accepted beliefs, "Conan the Barbarian" and the setting of the "Book of Ibon" existed in the same era in Hybrier. Therefore, theoretically, these two works were connected, and Conan might know Ibon, as they were contemporaries.

So, since Yin En had seen Conan's name, it indicated that, in this parallel world, Conan had entered the Cthulhu RPG Game.

Thinking about this, Liu Xing said with enthusiasm, "Yin En, your character card was originally focused on Swordsmanship, right? Why don't you find a way to leave the Mage Tower and learn swordsmanship from Conan? That way, your strength should increase rapidly. After all, Conan should be a powerhouse with stats like Strength 99, Constitution 99, and Combat Skills 99."

Yin En raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "I feel like I've entered a wolf's den by going into Serak's Wizard Tower. Since Serak has already closed the tower, I suspect that if I attempt to escape, it might be game over for me. After all, Serak, as Ibon's teacher, is likely a formidable figure. So, it's better not to take unnecessary risks. However, if I can become Serak's direct disciple, I might consider seeking Conan as my master and switching to a melee mage class."

These days, if a mage couldn't handle melee combat, they weren't much different from a fish out of water.

With this in mind, Liu Xing suddenly thought of the most important question. "By the way, you still haven't figured out why Honda Tetsuya sent you to the Alternate Dimension without any warning, right? Did Honda Tetsuya give you any special hints? And, it's likely that you were able to return because of Honda Tetsuya's intervention."

Yin En pondered for a moment and then said, "Well, I can confirm that I was indeed sent to an Alternate Dimension by Honda Tetsuya. However, after that, Honda Tetsuya didn't actively contact me. Based on the information I obtained when I accepted the world mission, it seems that Honda Tetsuya is planning to nurture something. That's why he initially sent me to confront those four mythical creatures and then placed me near Serak's Mage Tower, where I had to compete with the other apprentices."

Nurture something? Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, finding Honda Tetsuya's thought process quite peculiar. Sending Yin En into such dangerous situations, it was evident that Honda Tetsuya was trying to create a Human Gu King. What was Honda Tetsuya planning to do?

Nevertheless, Liu Xing felt that Honda Tetsuya had significant ambitions.

At this point, KP Fangs reminded them that the Private Room time had ended.

Having said what they needed to, Liu Xing and his companions dispersed to prepare for their nighttime exploration of Morimoto Academy.

However, Liu Xing sought out Lu Tianya to confirm some final details. "Lu Tianya, do you think the author of the Ghostly Talisman and the owner of this compass are the same Taoist who confused Higashi Meizi?"

Lu Tianya thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "It's likely because there are very few Taoists with genuine abilities. Moreover, I can sense that this compass was used recently, and it can automatically track Higashi Meizi."

Liu Xing nodded in agreement.

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