Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 280: Confusion

As expected, when Zhang Jingxu laid eyes on that tattoo, Liu Xing heard the sound of dice hitting the ground. Finally, KP Green Light smiled and said, "Zhang Jingxu, you're quite lucky. You've only lost 2 points of sanity and gained 2 points of Cthulhu Mythos knowledge. Now, Zhang Jingxu, you can choose to undergo a difficult Inspiration Judgment or a regular Cthulhu Mythos Knowledge Judgment. However, you can only make one choice now and cannot make another after a failed choice."

After some consideration, Zhang Jingxu decided to go for the difficult Inspiration Judgment. After all, in most cases, even a difficult Inspiration value would be higher than regular Cthulhu Mythos knowledge.

Zhang Jingxu, 23/40 (80), succeeded.

Liu Xing breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the result. It seemed that Zhang Jingxu had good luck, and they could finally understand Honda Tetsuya's origins.

However, Zhang Jingxu shook his head and shared the information KP Green Light had provided, "The tattoo on Ling Ishikawa's body is, in reality, a magic array. It's a magic array that allows Ling Ishikawa to safely travel to the ancient Hybrier. What's most important is that this magic array should exist in pairs. When the other magic array is infused with magic power, Ling Ishikawa will be transported to ancient Hybrier. If the magic power of the other magic array is depleted, Ling Ishikawa will be sent back to the present."

"As for the origin of this magic array, it should have originated from ancient Hybrier. If we divide it carefully, it seems to have originated from the far north, possibly connected to some powerful deity. However, it's likely not the Deer Goddess, who was initially prominent in Hybrier, but rather an evil entity named Zhatuogua."

"Zhatuogua is another name for Tsathoggua, because in Hybrier and the far north, there exist civilizations of mythical creatures like snake people alongside humans. Therefore, Tsathoggua has different names in different civilizations."

"So, if things go as expected, this magic array is somehow related to Tsathoggua. Does this imply that Honda Tetsuya is a follower of Tsathoggua? As one of the Great Old Ones, Tsathoggua, known as the 'Lazy Divine,' has a form resembling a toad, amorphous and ever-changing."

There's a saying that goes, "You can judge a person by their name," and it applies to the Great Old Ones as well. Tsathoggua, as the "Lazy Divine," rarely intervenes personally. Due to its unique family background (Tsathoggua's father seemed to oppose cannibalism, and Tsathoggua appears to be a cousin of Cthulhu), Tsathoggua is the most tolerant of all Eldritch Gods when it comes to humans. Most of the time, it doesn't kill or devour humans and even bestows various forms of knowledge upon them.

However, due to its laziness, Tsathoggua generally doesn't leave its underground abode. So, for humans to meet Tsathoggua, they must venture into the perilous depths of the underground, where many mythical creatures reside. Therefore, most humans who enter the underground abyss are devoured by those mythical creatures before they can even catch a glimpse of Tsathoggua.

Thinking about this, Liu Xing believed that Honda Tetsuya must have been one of the lucky ones who received knowledge from Tsathoggua. However, Liu Xing couldn't quite understand why Honda Tetsuya would send Ling Ishikawa to Hybrier. Did he really intend for Ling Ishikawa to replace Ibon?

Liu Xing was perplexed.

At this point, Ling Ishikawa spoke, "In that case, Zhang Jingxu, do you have any way to help me remove this magic array? Ancient Hybrier is incredibly dangerous, and I've joined a wizard tower that's currently hosting a competition. If I fail, it's very likely I'll have no way out because my master, Serak, is researching some dark magic."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, knowing that Yin En had done his homework. Wizard Serak had always been researching forbidden dark magic, and Serak met his demise when his research went awry, turning him into a snake person, which was discovered by Ibon. Ibon, in a panic, threw a bottle of strong acid at Serak's face, effectively ending Serak's life.

However, to research such forbidden magic, one would surely need a substantial supply of experimental material, and the available material here was most likely humans...

Zhang Jingxu shook his head with regret and said, "Forgive me, but I'm not skilled enough to remove this magic array that's integrated into your body. With my abilities, it's impossible to help you dispel it. You'll have to find a way to destroy the other magic array so that you stop being transported back and forth. I can confirm that when you're transported to Hybrier, the other magic array will be within a straight-line distance of no more than twenty meters from you."

Ling Ishikawa nodded, a look of despair on his face. "In that case, it seems I won't be able to find the other magic array. The height of the wizard tower is around twenty meters, and there's also a deep underground level. In total, there are ten floors, each with an area of nearly three hundred square meters, filled with various items. Finding the other magic array is like searching for a needle in a haystack, and there are many places I can't access..."

Liu Xing could only pat Ling Ishikawa's shoulder to offer comfort.

After resolving Ling Ishikawa's magic array issue, Lu Tianya and Panda Pig returned to the room, and everyone continued to discuss their next steps.

"In the current situation, I believe it's best for everyone to wait and see what happens in the afternoon. After all, there isn't a single person on the streets of Fisher's Village right now. But the most troublesome part is that we'll have to spend a whole six days with Alice upstairs. Ling Ishikawa disappeared in the Flame Bar, which is under Alice's jurisdiction, so there's a high chance she might recognize Ling Ishikawa," Liu Xing suggested.

Ling Ishikawa nodded in agreement and said, "I can only hope that when Honda Tetsuya sent me to Hybrier, he erased the footage of my disappearance. But for added safety, I think it's best for me to remain hidden. If Alice recognizes me, we'll be in serious trouble."

"Most importantly, we need to ascertain whether the Deep Sea Gospel Society will send anyone else to Fisher's Village besides Alice. Rituals like these usually involve professionals, and if it's those individuals from Morimoto Academy who escaped, we'll be in deep trouble," Liu Xing remarked.

In the Morimoto Academy case, only Fujiwara Hiroshi was caught, while Daikubo Sosuke, Crow, and Fujiwara Yuko managed to distance themselves from Morimoto Academy. Both the Education Chief and Police Chief had retired after achieving their goals.

So, in summary, while the branch of the Deep Sea Gospel Society in the Kyoto region was disbanded, most of the main members escaped sanctions, and they are currently in a "jobless" state, so it's not surprising that they were sent to Fisher's Village.

However, individuals like Fujiwara Yuko would surely recognize Liu Xing, Ling Ishikawa, and Lu Tianya...

Just thinking about it is quite thrilling.

"Let's do this then. Panda Pig and I will go downstairs for now. After confirming Alice's location, I'll come back up to inform you," Zhang Jingxu proposed.

Liu Xing nodded and said, "That works, but Panda Pig, since you'll be staying with Alice on the third floor, you'll have to keep an eye on her. If Alice does anything suspicious, come down immediately and let us know. But the most important thing is, we need to find an opportunity to sneak into Alice's room and see what she brought to Fisher's Village this time. I believe Alice might have brought a satellite phone to stay in contact with the outside world, which we can use to get help."

Panda Pig chuckled and patted his chest, saying, "Leave it to me. Alice lives right next door to me, and as you all know, the sound insulation conditions here are very poor. I've faintly heard Alice talking in her room, so if she's not talking to herself, Alice should be on the phone."

Perfect.

At this moment, KP Green Light suddenly spoke, "Attention, players. Matsui Yui's anxiety level has risen to 10. Please analyze the specific reasons for this increase."

Everyone furrowed their brows. They didn't expect Matsui Yui's anxiety level to suddenly increase by 10 points at this moment.

However, Liu Xing could roughly guess why Matsui Yui's anxiety had spiked. The reason was quite simple: Matsui Yui had somehow learned about their actions in the morning, which had made her worried.

"For now, let's leave it at this. Everyone should stay cautious, and avoid doing anything that might make those in power in Fisher's Village feel nervous. If they suddenly decide to abandon this ritual and eliminate us, we'll be in danger," Liu Xing reminded them.

Everyone nodded in agreement and returned to their respective rooms, as there was currently nothing worth discussing.

Lying on his bed, Liu Xing suddenly remembered somethingthe issue of Alice's allegiance.

If Liu Xing remembered correctly, Alice had joined the Deep Sea Gospel Society not out of genuine loyalty. From her words and hints, it was apparent that Alice wasn't wholeheartedly committed to the society.

So, if only Alice had come to Fisher's Village this time, Liu Xing had a bold assumption: the true force behind Fisher's Village might not be the Deep Sea Gospel Society but someone else entirely.

Thinking about this, Liu Xing felt a headache coming on. After all, he had just stirred up trouble with the Deep Sea Gospel Society, and now he might be antagonizing another Secret Cult. Liu Xing wondered if he was making too many enemies.

Liu Xing took out his phone and noticed that it was only 10 in the morning, with two more hours until lunch. With no entertainment facilities available, he felt quite bored.

Was this what they called a "Buddha-like module"?

Liu Xing remembered seeing a few so-called Buddha-like modules in reality. These modules were typically designed for single players and mostly involved being nagged and berated by the game master. Players didn't need to take any actions; all they did was roll dice. Players would often engage in self-soothing and self-encouragement, trying not to lose their minds...

So, in Cthulhu RPG Game, the outcomes of Buddha-like modules were usually madness, as the hypnotic tunes of the game master were far from pleasant.

Of course, there was also another type of module that was incredibly frustrating. In these modules, there were no mythical creatures at all, and players had to outwit the air itself. In essence, the game master was playing pranks on the player characters. If the player characters found out that this was the case, they'd probably want to track down the game master and confront them.

Liu Xing remembered that when Wu Lei was the game master, he had used this type of module, and the player characters had expressed their desire to know Wu Lei's contact information afterward to express their gratitude for the unique gaming experience. Of course, if possible, they'd also like to know Wu Lei's home address to visit and thank him personally.

Speaking of Wu Lei, Liu Xing realized he hadn't contacted him in a while. During this period, Liu Xing had been immersed in real Cthulhu RPG Games and occasionally played video games or read novels during his spare time.

Liu Xing rubbed his chin and decided that after this module, he would go see Wu Lei. After all, he was about to start advancing to higher-level modules, and it was time to listen to Wu Lei's experiences as a game master again.

With nothing else to do, Liu Xing decided to take a short nap. He could always set an alarm with KP Green Light.

Noon.

Liu Xing woke up right on time and went to the window to observe the situation outside. He could see smoke rising from the chimneys of all the villas in sight, and some children had come out to play games on the streets.

Suddenly, the children scattered, as if they had seen something terrifying.

It turned out to be Dogo Aige.

Once Dogo Aige entered the villas, the children returned to the streets.

It seemed that, except for the Inoue family, the other villagers were not allowed to meet outsiders or were considered "sinners."

After a while, Zhang Jingxu knocked on the door and said, "Ryusei, it's time for lunch. Alice just left, and Lu Tianya had a brief conversation with her. Alice said she's going to meet Matsui Yui."

Liu Xing stepped out, somewhat surprised. "What? Alice went to see Matsui Yui?"

Zhang Jingxu nodded and said confidently, "That's right, Alice should be meeting Matsui Yui. After all, in this Fisher's Village, Alice can't go anywhere else."

Liu Xing furrowed his brow and said, "That's strange. Logically, Alice should be an outsider like us, right?"

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