Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls - Chapter 290: A New Speculation
Liu Xing looked at Zhang Jingxu with a puzzled expression and said, “Can you really say something like that? Aren’t you concerned about my well-being? What if my luck isn’t in my favor, and I end up hurting myself by crashing into a wall?”
Zhang Jingxu chuckled and began to explain in a serious tone, “You can’t put it that way. If the Wall-Passing Technique fails, there’s a 50% chance of an injury judgment. Only if the judgment succeeds, you’ll lose 1d2 HP. So, Liu Xing, you have to believe in your luck. It won’t come to that.”
Liu Xing sighed in resignation, feeling conflicted. “This Wall-Passing Technique can indeed allow me to enter Fisher’s Village’s Ancestral Hall, but if my luck takes a bad turn, I might lose some HP. If there’s a combat round in the upcoming module, I’ll be at a disadvantage. Besides, in Fisher’s Village, I doubt there are any doctors or means to recover HP.”
At this point, Zhang Jingxu took out a small bottle from his pocket and interrupted Liu Xing, saying, “You don’t have to worry about that, Liu Xing. This small bottle contains a Healing Potion specially made by my sect. Regardless of the type of injury, a single dose can restore 1 HP. However, each player can only use three Healing Potions during each module. I believe three Healing Potions should be sufficient.”
Liu Xing looked at the bottle in Zhang Jingxu’s hand and realized that he might indeed be manipulated by Zhang Jingxu. It seemed he was really being pushed to crash into the wall.
With this in mind, Liu Xing had to bravely say, “Alright, let me test the power of this Wall-Passing Technique. But let’s make it clear now, Zhang Jingxu, you must give me ten Healing Potions as compensation for my mental and medical expenses.”
Liu Xing didn’t want to come out on the losing end, especially if the Wall-Passing Technique failed, which would result in a real collision with a wall. The mental pressure was already significant, so he needed to gain some benefits from Zhang Jingxu. Besides, Zhang Jingxu’s Healing Potions were valuable.
Although each Healing Potion could only restore 1 HP, and a player could only use three during a module, they could ignore damage types, making them extremely useful.
However, Liu Xing’s request shocked Zhang Jingxu, and he exclaimed, “Wow, Liu Xing, are you trying to extort me? You’ve seen the size of this bottle; do you think I have that many Healing Potions? I only have around ten at most right now, and unless I can return to my sect, I won’t be able to replenish Healing Potions. So, I can’t give you ten Healing Potions.”
Liu Xing knew that Zhang Jingxu couldn’t provide that many Healing Potions, as he could tell the small bottle couldn’t hold so many. But Liu Xing wanted the effect, so he negotiated.
Therefore, Liu Xing had to pretend to be disappointed and said, “In that case, how about half? Give me five Healing Potions.”
Now, Zhang Jingxu understood Liu Xing’s intentions, and for the sake of the bigger picture, he reluctantly agreed, “Alright, let’s settle for that. After the Private Room session ends, we’ll play out this scenario, and I’ll give you five Healing Potions.”
With the deal in place, Liu Xing smiled and said, “Alright, that’s settled then. But should we seize the opportunity and go to Fisher’s Village’s Ancestral Hall tonight? We can also complete that Side Quest and explore Fisher’s Village while we’re there.”
Yin En chimed in, “That’s possible, but we should send someone to scout ahead. After all, it’s just a Side Quest, and unexpected situations might arise. To avoid a party wipe, I think we need a suicide squad.”
Miyako Goudong shook his head, expressing his concerns, “I don’t think it’s a good idea to visit Fisher’s Village’s Ancestral Hall at night. The dark night can bring various unforeseen dangers. I believe it’s safer to go in the morning. The villagers of Fisher’s Village should be in their homes at that time, unable to monitor us. In the afternoon, they start activities, and that’s when it gets crowded.”
Panda Pig, on the other hand, had a different opinion, “Forgive me for saying this, but I think going in the morning might be riskier. We don’t know what the Fisher’s Village residents are up to. Are they secretly observing us? Danger often comes from the unknown. I believe it’s best to go in the afternoon when the villagers are out in the open. I observed them this afternoon, and they were all engaged in activities. If we take precautions and leave a couple of people behind to monitor them, we should be safe.”
Miyako Goudong and Panda Pig presented valid arguments, leaving Liu Xing unsure of what to say.
However, Liu Xing realized a possibility, considering that Fisher’s Village’s Ancestral Hall had been transformed into the Ocean True Deity Sect’s church. As the head of the Fisher’s Village branch, Matsui Ichiro might be living in the Ancestral Hall itself.
After all, the small island where Fisher’s Village was located was not large, and according to Miyako Goudong, she had circled around Fisher’s Village without seeing any building that could be Matsui Ichiro’s residence. So unless Matsui Ichiro was living underground, he might indeed be in the Fisher’s Village Ancestral Hall.
Liu Xing couldn’t help but wonder, was Matsui Ichiro living in Fisher’s Village’s Ancestral Hall?
So, Liu Xing quickly spoke up, “In that case, Matsui Ichiro could be living in Fisher’s Village’s Ancestral Hall, and the Side Quest we triggered earlier requires us to enter Fisher’s Village’s Ancestral Hall. I used to think there might be traps or mythical creatures guarding the Ancestral Hall, but now, if Matsui Ichiro resides there, entering might lead us straight to him.”
Liu Xing’s words left everyone in silence for a moment.
Finally, Liu Xing’s loyal ally, Yin En, spoke up, saying, “I think Liu Xing is right. Matsui Ichiro, as an Ocean True Deity Sect missionary, living in Fisher’s Village’s Ancestral Hall makes sense. Besides, Matsui Ichiro referred to the Ancestral Hall as a forbidden place, so it’s likely filled with secrets he’s guarding personally.”
Zhang Jingxu nodded in agreement, “Indeed, but if that’s the case, our plan to enter Fisher’s Village’s Ancestral Hall becomes complicated. Even if Liu Xing uses the Wall-Passing Technique to get inside, he might easily be discovered by Matsui Ichiro. If that happens, unless Liu Xing gets incredibly lucky with persuasion or quick talking, or if he can eliminate Matsui Ichiro right away, Liu Xing might have to forfeit the game.”
“In that case, if the Wall-Passing Technique fails, my headache and HP loss will be the least of my concerns. If Matsui Ichiro hears any noise, I’m in deep trouble,” Liu Xing couldn’t help but comment.
Miyako Goudong patted Liu Xing on the shoulder and smiled, “That’s not necessarily the case. With Matsui Ichiro’s methods as a fanatic of the Secret Cult, Liu Xing, you won’t go down so easily.”
Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, realizing that Miyako Goudong was correct. From what he had seen in “WatanabeRyusei’s” memories, the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect had a special department dedicated to handling individuals detrimental to their cause. This included apostates and those who posed a threat to the sect. The methods employed by this special department were varied and unimaginable.
So, Liu Xing felt that if he fell into Matsui Ichiro’s hands, his fate would be abstractly horrifying.
Thinking about it, Liu Xing couldn’t help but shiver. This was a real Cthulhu RPG Game, and the sensations from any harm were no different from reality. He had already experienced the horror of standing on the brink of death when the “Liu Xing” character card was poisoned. Even now, the memory of that feeling sent chills down his spine.
So, Liu Xing voiced his concerns, “Let’s put our plan to enter Fisher’s Village’s Ancestral Hall on hold. We should wait until we confirm whether Matsui Ichiro is indeed residing there before making a decision.”
Yin En and the others nodded, as they understood that if Liu Xing got into trouble, their situations wouldn’t be any better. Matsui Yui’s anxiety would likely skyrocket, and someone might have to accompany Liu Xing to the afterlife.
“Here’s an idea. Does anyone here have tracking skills? I think Alice will probably go to see Matsui Yui again tomorrow. We can simply tail Alice, and she’ll lead us to Matsui Ichiro’s residence,” Yin En suggested.
However, they faced the same issue again. None of the players present had tracking skills.
But Liu Xing shook his head and said with a smile, “We don’t necessarily have to actively tail Alice to find out Matsui Ichiro’s location. We can wait for her at the Fisher’s Village’s old site.”
So, Liu Xing and the others decided to have Miyako Goudong be on standby at the Fisher’s Village’s old site early the next morning.
But Liu Xing was curious about what it was like to play as “Miyako Goudong,” a character with an over-the-top Chuunibyou attribute.
In response to Liu Xing’s question, Miyako Goudong sighed and said, “What kind of game experience can I have with a character card like this? Cards with a Chuunibyou attribute are tough to play. After all, they’re practically designed to be sacrificial in Cthulhu RPG Game. I’ve been on the brink of tearing up my card multiple times due to this attribute. I’ve played eight modules with this character card, and every time, I barely avoided tearing it up. It’s all because of this attribute that forces me to take risks and face danger alone.”
What was even more challenging for “Miyako Goudong” was that every time they encountered a mythical creature, they had an inexplicable confidence and believed they could take it on alone. So, Miyako Goudong had to charge in first, only to start planning their escape afterward.
Therefore, Miyako Goudong felt that their character card in this Cthulhu RPG Game was akin to Don Quixote.
After listening to Miyako Goudong’s story, Liu Xing felt fortunate that his character card wasn’t too troublesome, at least in terms of personality compatibility. He didn’t have to make many choices that went against his character… for now.
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