Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls - Chapter 343: Panda Pig, Death

What?! Matsui Yui’s tension level is at 100%?!

Liu Xing furrowed his brows. He hadn’t expected Matsui Yui’s tension level to skyrocket like this, especially in the middle of the night.

At that moment, Ling Ishikawa contacted KP Green Light, asking, “KP, what’s going on? Why did Matsui Yui’s tension level suddenly spike in the middle of the night? Don’t tell me this is a Plot Encounter?”

KP Green Light chuckled and replied, “You’re absolutely right; it is a Plot Encounter. With her wedding ceremony approaching, Matsui Yui is experiencing pre-wedding jitters. She’s worried that her wedding won’t go smoothly, leading to some sleepless nights and naturally, increased tension. So, Matsui Yui’s tension level has naturally risen. Are you satisfied with this explanation?”

Satisfied? Not a chance.

If it weren’t for Alice and Lu Tianya, two NPCs sitting nearby, Liu Xing and the others would probably have cursed KP Green Light openly. After all, this so-called Plot Encounter was incredibly far-fetched, involving pre-wedding anxiety.

However, they had no choice but to accept the reality. They had to prepare for the consequences of Matsui Yui’s tension level reaching 100%, which meant being randomly selected as her target for a chase.

Suddenly, the sound of rolling dice filled the air as KP Green Light began another hidden roll.

“Well, it’s done. The chosen target for Matsui Yui’s chase has been determined. However, I can’t reveal that information to you now. But let me remind you all—Matsui Yui’s pursuit will last for twenty-four hours. If she doesn’t eliminate her target within that time, she’ll give up.”

“Of course, if other players or NPCs happen to be with the pursued target, or if Matsui Yui discovers that a player knows she’s chasing someone, well, it’s a bit convoluted, but the point is that Matsui Yui will add another target, and there won’t be any time limit. She’ll relentlessly pursue them. So, you players need to make your choices: whether to help the pursued player or not,” KP Green Light said with a smile.

This was troublesome.

If KP Green Light hadn’t said those last few lines, players would have likely leaned towards mutual assistance. After all, once they survived Matsui Yui’s pursuit, they still had to work together in the game. More people meant more strength.

But the situation had changed. Trying to assist the pursued player was almost certain to be noticed by Matsui Yui, unless they could truly act as if nothing was wrong.

Moreover, due to the hidden roll, nobody knew who Matsui Yui’s target was. This left the players with two choices: either stick together and face danger as a group or split up and hope the pursued target could fend for themselves.

However, Liu Xing had a theory. Matsui Yui’s choice of target might not be entirely random. It could be someone she perceived as a threat, as KP Green Light had hinted. Matsui Yui still wanted to go through with her wedding…

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, realizing that KP Green Light’s words contained important information.

Usually, every word spoken by the GM was significant, even if they were intentionally misleading. They wouldn’t outright lie. So, from KP Green Light’s recent words, it wasn’t hard to deduce a crucial piece of information—Matsui Yui still wanted her wedding with Dogo Aige to happen.

This meant that if they didn’t stir up trouble, they should be able to complete the Main quest without much pressure.

However, Liu Xing was curious about Matsui Yui’s motives for wanting the wedding to happen. It couldn’t be that she genuinely liked Dogo Aige, could it?

If Matsui Yui truly had feelings for Dogo Aige, that would complicate things…

Sighing, Liu Xing said, “Let’s put aside the contents of this letter for now. I have a hunch that Matsui Ichiro and his group might be planning to attack us. Today, we had a significant altercation with Matsui Ichiro, and most importantly, Alice, you had a conflict with Matsui Yui. She must know that you possess something detrimental to her.”

Alice nodded, confirming, “Ryuusei, you’re right. Although my relationship with Matsui Yui is average, she should know me quite well. She might suspect that I’ve revealed her true identity to all of you. Therefore, I believe Matsui Yui will choose to strike first, using any means necessary.”

Liu Xing and Alice set the tone for their upcoming discussion with their agreement.

“So, what should we do? Fisher’s Village is so small that we have nowhere to hide. As for confronting Matsui Ichiro and his group head-on, that doesn’t seem realistic,” Miyako Goudong said, looking helpless.

A direct confrontation was definitely unrealistic, given the significant power imbalance.

“Forget about a direct confrontation; we don’t stand a chance against Matsui Ichiro and his group. Since our combined strength probably wouldn’t even defeat a Shoggoth, my suggestion is for us to stay in the villa for the next few days. If we spot Matsui Yui or Matsui Ichiro entering the villa, we’ll come out together. In any case, we shouldn’t be alone with either of them. I don’t think Matsui Ichiro or Matsui Yui intends to exterminate us completely at the moment,” Ling Ishikawa suggested seriously.

Liu Xing nodded in agreement. Ling Ishikawa was right; unless there were unexpected developments, Matsui Yui would likely target just one player at most.

Liu Xing believed his luck had been relatively good lately, so he assumed he wouldn’t be Matsui Yui’s chosen target. After all, he hadn’t interacted with her much.

So, Liu Xing agreed, “I agree with Ling Ishikawa’s idea. If Matsui Ichiro and his group wanted to eliminate us entirely, they would have acted by now. But given the current circumstances, even if they do intend to take action, it will likely be to make an example of one of us. However, right now, Alice is probably Matsui Yui’s primary target.”

Alice nodded and smiled, saying, “That’s undoubtedly true. I think Matsui Yui is eager to eliminate me so that you all won’t discover her secrets. But speaking of that, if Matsui Yui does come after me, I hope my friends will lend me a hand. After all, I’m just a helpless woman.”

Ling Ishikawa sighed and drew a pistol from his waist, saying, “Since it has come to this, let’s all reveal our cards. I have a pistol and thirty rounds of ammunition.”

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, looking shocked as he gazed at Ling Ishikawa. He hadn’t expected Ling Ishikawa to carry a handgun with him. “Wait a minute, Ling Ishikawa, aren’t you a Wizard now? At the very least, you should be a swordsman. How did you become a marksman all of a sudden?”

Facing Liu Xing’s question, Ling Ishikawa looked a bit embarrassed as he scratched the back of his head. He explained, “Um, well, Ryuusei, you all know that I’m just a half-baked Wizard. The magic I’ve learned has proven to be ineffective. As for my swordsmanship, although I consider myself proficient, you’re aware that weapons carried openly after the prologue can’t be brought into public areas and won’t pass security checks.”

“So, you brought a handgun?” Panda Pig quipped.

Ling Ishikawa shook his head and toyed with the handgun. “No, no, it’s not like that. This handgun is something I discovered in an Alternate dimension space rift. I’ve mentioned before that, for some inexplicable reason, I gained the ability to access Alternate dimension space rifts after I was mysteriously sent to Hybrier. So, before coming to Fisher’s Village, I experimented with this new ability at home when I had nothing else to do. That’s when I stumbled upon this handgun and the skeletal remains of a police officer wearing a uniform.”

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, surprised at Ling Ishikawa’s stroke of luck. He had found a handgun during the Interlude Growth phase, and it could potentially lead to a new storyline. “I see. But I can’t decide if you’re lucky or unlucky, Ling Ishikawa. Finding a handgun is quite a feat. It’s not easy to obtain one in the Island Nation. It also implies that your family’s house is potentially cursed, as a police officer died there,” Panda Pig commented.

Ling Ishikawa nodded with a touch of helplessness. “What could I do? I felt desperate too. So, as soon as I returned home, I asked my family to move out. After all, it’s evident that the police officer was attacked by some mythical creature and died in an Alternate dimension space rift. I was concerned that my family might also be at risk of a mythical creature’s attack.”

“But as a student, I don’t have much say in my family’s decisions. They ignored my request, so I had to investigate the identity of the deceased police officer on my own and find a way to involve the police officer in the case. That way, my family would have no choice but to move. Eventually, I found information about the police officer in a local newspaper from several years ago. The police officer was originally investigating a deliberate murder case, but he disappeared while chasing a suspect, never to be found again. He was officially declared to have died in the line of duty, and the criminal suspect he was investigating remains at large.”

“Initially, I intended to bring the police officer’s skeletal remains back to the real world and place them in the attic. I would then pretend to discover the remains. However, as soon as I brought the police officer’s remains into the real world, the bones turned into ashes, leaving only a police badge and the handgun behind.”

It seemed that the unfortunate police officer had been tracking a criminal suspect who turned out to be a Void Spirit.

Liu Xing listened attentively and then asked, “So, Ling Ishikawa, how did you manage to get the handgun past port security?”

Ling Ishikawa smiled again, pointing at his waist. “That’s where my second discovered ability comes in. I can create a special space around me, essentially an Alternate dimension space rift that moves with me. It can only accommodate a handgun and these bullets.”

After hearing Ling Ishikawa’s explanation, everyone exchanged surprised glances. They hadn’t expected Ling Ishikawa’s newfound abilities to be so powerful. In the world of the Cthulhu RPG Game, there were strict regulations on carrying items, especially in modules set in urban locations, which had stringent requirements for personal belongings. If players attempted to carry prohibited items forcibly, they risked being caught by the police and sent to a special module – Prison Drama.

Ling Ishikawa’s ability allowed him to bypass these restrictions, making it a formidable power. While handguns didn’t have a significant impact on Shoggoths in the Cthulhu RPG Game, they did boost the group’s morale. As for Liu Xing and the others, they had few weapons they could use openly. Liu Xing’s ceremonial dagger, in particular, couldn’t be exposed easily, as it might raise suspicion from “Zhang Jingxu.”

So, the group decided to rest in their respective rooms for the time being and await Matsui Yui’s pursuit.

After returning to his room, Liu Xing entered the Soul Casket and prepared to have a serious conversation with Sirius.

Once inside the Soul Casket, Sirius appeared before Liu Xing.

Liu Xing wasted no time and said, “Sirius, I encountered Shoggoths in Fisher’s Village.”

Sirius raised an eyebrow, looking surprised. “What? Shoggoths? Have they breached the underground defenses?”

Liu Xing nodded and said earnestly, “Yes, the Shoggoths broke through the underground defenses and reached the surface. But from the current situation, it seems like these Shoggoths are under the control of the Deep Ones.”

Sirius frowned, somewhat resigned. “That complicates matters. Deep Ones are quite formidable creatures. I was killed by one of them in the past.”

At that moment, KP Green Light suddenly announced, “Well, it appears that Matsui Yui has acted quicker than expected. I’ll inform the remaining players that Panda Pig has been killed by Matsui Yui. Matsui Yui’s tension level has now returned to 50%.”

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