Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls - Chapter 304: The Three Top Professions

To be honest, Liu Xing believed that he had a pretty good sixth sense. However, there was a slight issue with Liu Xing’s sixth sense… Liu Xing could only foresee imminent unfavorable events for himself, and they were events that couldn’t be reversed.

For example, during high school, while Liu Xing was playing with his phone in class, he suddenly realized that he might get caught by the headmaster for playing with his phone. So, Liu Xing decided to temporarily put his phone away. However, after more than ten minutes, he couldn’t resist taking a quick glance at his phone, and he was caught by the headmaster who appeared out of nowhere, leading to his phone being confiscated.

Another example from his junior high days: Liu Xing had once “modified” his end-of-term report card and successfully deceived his parents. But one afternoon, while he was happily playing with his friends, he suddenly felt a chill down his spine, as if he were about to be in big trouble. He immediately rushed back home, only to find his mother sitting on the couch with the altered report card lying next to her. It was only years later that Liu Xing discovered that his mother had met his junior high class teacher that afternoon, and that’s when she learned about his true grades.

So, Liu Xing always felt that his sixth sense, while accurate, wasn’t of much use. It only prepared him for impending unfortunate events in his future.

“If that’s the case, let Miyako Goudong lead the way. This way, she can make the most of her sixth sense and clear the path for us,” Zhang Jingxu said with a smile.

Miyako Goudong reluctantly nodded and self-deprecatingly said, “I don’t need you to tell me that. My character card practically forces me to take the lead. If I hadn’t asked KP, and if KP had confirmed that there were no ’mine-clearing’ traits, I would have been a mine-clearer by now.”

After some casual banter, the conversation returned to the main topic.

Clearing his throat, Liu Xing spoke, “Setting aside Miyako Goudong’s sixth sense, considering the current situation, this module truly lives up to its ’difficult’ difficulty level. We now know that Dogo Aige and Matsui Yui’s wedding is nothing more than a celestial farce. Although the objective of this celestial farce isn’t money but our lives.”

“But the contents of this memory card still trouble us. Given our character cards, our first instinct in a situation like this would be to find an opportunity to escape. However, our Main quest requires us to attend Dogo Aige and Matsui Yui’s wedding, making it challenging to simply run away. If we escape early, we’ll probably be considered eliminated,” Zhang Jingxu agreed.

Zhang Jingxu continued, “So, for now, we must focus on completing the Main quest before attempting to escape. However, as we discussed before, the most feasible escape route is through Inoue Haruto’s small boat, which can accommodate a maximum of three people. We currently have six people here.”

Zhang Jingxu’s reminder left everyone in silence. They all understood that the chance of safely leaving Fisher’s Village was only fifty percent.

“Hey, don’t avoid discussing this issue. Although it’s uncomfortable, we must address it now. It’s better to voice our concerns here to avoid conflicts later,” Zhang Jingxu emphasized.

Liu Xing nodded in agreement. Zhang Jingxu was right; this issue was inevitable. Sharing their thoughts now would prevent future conflicts.

Panda Pig sighed and raised their hand, saying, “It’s true that we should discuss this. But I have to say this: my character card tends to be selfish. So, even if I promise now not to fight for a spot on Inoue Kenjiro’s boat, I’ll still be true to my character card’s nature. I’ll definitely try to secure a place on Inoue Kenjiro’s boat by any means, even if it means betraying you guys.”

After hearing Panda Pig’s words, everyone exchanged glances. Liu Xing had to admit that Panda Pig was straightforward, not hiding their intentions until the end. However, Panda Pig’s character card had a rather undesirable personality, and it could potentially disrupt their plans when it came time to execute them. Many movies and TV shows featured well-laid plans falling apart due to one person’s selfishness.

Liu Xing decided to play the “villain” and said, “I think we should wait for Ling Ishikawa to return and decide by drawing lots. If Panda Pig happens to have bad luck, we’ll be cautious of their actions. If they plan something treacherous, we’ll intervene. How does that sound?”

Panda Pig nodded and opened their hands, saying, “That’s fine with me. It works for me, as I’m not inherently selfish, and my character card isn’t that great. It hasn’t cost me many points, time, or effort. So, even if I get eliminated, I won’t be too bothered.”

Liu Xing breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Panda Pig’s agreement. That was the kind of teammate they needed.

Just then, Miyako Goudong also nodded and said, “I agree with Liu Xing’s suggestion. When Ling Ishikawa returns, we can roll the dice with KP Green Light. The three with the lowest rolls, or based on the maximum capacity of Inoue Haruto’s boat, will be chosen. Of course, we all have to abide by this decision. My character card has no issues; after all, my chuunibyou personality makes me aspire to be a just ally. I won’t go back on my word.”

Liu Xing nodded as well but suddenly realized that Watanabe Ryuusei’s character was not much better than Panda Pig’s.

Because “Watanabe Ryuusei,” the leader of the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect, enjoyed the favor of King Hastur in Yellow Robes, there was undoubtedly some arrogance within him. He considered himself superior, especially when it came to non-Yellow King believers like “Zhang Jingxu” and “Miyako Goudong.” Therefore, when faced with a life-and-death decision, “Watanabe Ryuusei” would likely choose to save himself, regardless of the means.

So, Liu Xing awkwardly said, “Uh, I just remembered an issue. The personality of my character card is also quite problematic. It’s even worse than Panda Pig’s character card, and I would say it’s on par with it. The thing is, my character card has a unique identity.”

Zhang Jingxu chuckled and replied, “If I’m not mistaken, Liu Xing, your character card’s profession is actually that of a secret cult leader, right? You mentioned earlier that your character card’s father was a secret cult leader already arrested by the Island Nation police. I’ve also learned from Lu Tianya that you’ve done certain things in the previous module. You’ve gathered a group of NPCs and players to serve you. So, it’s safe to say that you’ve successfully transitioned into one of the top three professions in the Cthulhu RPG Game: the secret cult leader.”

Liu Xing nodded in agreement. Since Zhang Jingxu had already guessed most of it, there was no need to hide anymore.

Now, Liu Xing was quite curious about what Zhang Jingxu meant by the “top three professions in the Cthulhu RPG Game.”

Before Liu Xing could ask, Miyako Goudong chimed in, “What? Liu Xing, your profession is a secret cult leader? Your luck is incredible! But, come to think of it, Zhang Jingxu, what are you talking about regarding the ’top three professions in the Cthulhu RPG Game’? I’ve never heard of them.”

Zhang Jingxu smiled and shook his head, saying, “Don’t you people ever browse the forum on the Cthulhu Role-Playing Game Hall? There’s a lot of useful information there, and in some seemingly casual posts, experienced players share their thoughts and experiences. One such player discussed their views on various professions in the Cthulhu RPG Game in a post, and after extensive discussions by many players, the consensus emerged on the top three professions.”

“First, there’s the high-ranking official profession. Due to the high reputation value of this profession, you can access a significant amount of reliable information and even mobilize enough manpower for investigations or pursuits when necessary. However, there are drawbacks. Obtaining this profession is challenging, typically requiring gradual growth through the Interlude Growth of the civil servant profession, which consumes a considerable amount of time and effort. Furthermore, I know that the Interlude Growth for high-ranking officials after transitioning can be quite perilous.”

“The second profession is the millionaire. And I’m not talking about just any millionaire; you need a net worth of at least tens of billions to qualify. The millionaire profession emphasizes wealth, and even in the world of the Cthulhu RPG Game, money can often solve problems. For example, hiring hundreds of bodyguards. However, the problem lies in the peculiar modules of the millionaire profession, often leaning towards what we call ’stream of consciousness’ modules, which diminish the effectiveness of wealth.”

“Lastly, there’s your profession, Liu Xing, the secret cult leader. Since the secret cults in this world are often associated with mythical creatures, even Great Old Ones, secret cult leaders typically possess some magic spells and the ability to command certain mythical creatures, along with a large number of followers. But the secret cult leader profession has its downsides as well. Firstly, secret cults are never officially recognized, so they face suppression and even extermination by the authorities. Secondly, due to hostile relationships among some mythical creatures or Great Old Ones, secret cults often have rival secret cults. Your adversary, Liu Xing, is probably the Deep Sea Gospel Society. Lastly, because secret cult leaders easily come into contact with entities unknown to the common populace, they are prone to madness and may eventually be forced to tear their character cards.”

Liu Xing nodded, appreciating the insight provided by Zhang Jingxu. Now, he understood how fortunate he was to acquire the “Watanabe Ryuusei” character card.

“It makes sense. If my character card wasn’t weakened, it would make the game too imbalanced, considering I could command dozens or even hundreds of followers with a single command,” Panda Pig commented enviously.

After discussing Liu Xing’s character card, Zhang Jingxu had an awkward request to make, saying, “By the way, regarding the upcoming lottery, I need to talk to you all about something. Liu Xing, you probably understand what I mean, right?”

Liu Xing nodded, knowing that Zhang Jingxu wouldn’t abandon Lu Tianya’s chance to survive, even though Lu Tianya was currently an NPC.

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