Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls - Chapter 360: Love Triangle

Liu Xing rubbed his chin and expressed his concern, saying, “So, it seems that this Zha Kang has some influence in Panlong Town. If he decides to make a move against us, how should we handle it?”

After all, Zha Kang’s actions would undoubtedly be ruthless, and he was known for using gu worms.

Liu Xing certainly didn’t want to have a wriggling parasite inside his body, although it was generally difficult to completely eliminate internal parasites.

Zhang Jingxu pondered for a moment and pointed upstairs, saying, “You don’t need to worry about that, Ryuusei here. In my backpack upstairs, I have a fragrance pouch that can repel toxic creatures, including gu worms. So, unless Zha Kang possesses extremely powerful gu worms, they won’t be able to enter the ten-meter radius of my fragrance pouch. Even if you were possessed by Zha Kang’s gu worms outside, entering the fragrance pouch area would allow us to expel them.”

Liu Xing nodded in approval. He hadn’t expected Zhang Jingxu to have such a useful item. In certain modules, they might encounter toxic creatures or even mythical creature offspring, which could be very troublesome if provoked.

Therefore, Liu Xing had considered acquiring an item for repelling parasites long before, but the shop only sold insecticides with limited uses, and they were inconvenient to carry. They also required some time to use, making them impractical for quick action. So, Liu Xing had abandoned the idea for a while.

In the end, Liu Xing hadn’t found a suitable item for himself.

But now, it seemed that Liu Xing had finally found an item that suited him.

With a cheerful smile, Liu Xing asked, “So, Mr. Zhang Jingxu, do you happen to have any extra fragrance pouches on hand? If possible, could you sell me one?”

Zhang Jingxu raised an eyebrow and immediately shook his head, saying, “I’m sorry, but this fragrance pouch was a gift from my master. I only have this one. However, I can ask my master about the herbal formula for the fragrance pouch in the future, and then I can make one for you.”

Since Zhang Jingxu had put it that way, Liu Xing could only agree.

At this moment, Ling Ishikawa interjected, “By the way, Zhang Jingxu, could you inquire with Hu Cang why we didn’t see the town government and police station in Panlong Town?”

Zhang Jingxu first looked puzzled, then surprised, and said, “That’s right! We spent the whole afternoon in Panlong Town today, and it seems we didn’t come across the town government or police station. Please wait here; I’ll go ask Hu Cang.”

With that, Zhang Jingxu went to inquire with Hu Cang.

“The current situation doesn’t look too optimistic. We’ve just escaped from one danger and walked into another. Trying to leave Panlong Town might be even more challenging than leaving Fisher’s Village,” Liu Xing said with a helpless expression.

Ling Ishikawa nodded in agreement, shrugging, “Indeed, in Fisher’s Village, we at least had some leverage with Matsui Yui. But here in Panlong Town, we’ve become lambs waiting to be slaughtered. However, the Black Flood Dragon shouldn’t attack us, and Xiao Mochen’s fox spirit wife might be on our side. After all, we’re friends with Xiao Mochen.”

Liu Xing chuckled and replied, “Ling Ishikawa, don’t be too quick to assume that Xiao Mochen’s wife is a fox spirit. Thankfully, we can’t communicate with them, or you might have been in for a beating this afternoon.”

Ling Ishikawa looked at Liu Xing with an incredulous expression and said seriously, “If I remember correctly, it was the leader himself who first suggested that Xiao Mochen’s wife might be a fox spirit.”

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, realizing that Ling Ishikawa was right.

So, Liu Xing quickly changed the subject, “Um, speaking of which, during our tour of Panlong Town today, I have a hunch that the strange transformation of the driver and the female guide might have something to do with the slaughterhouse. I mentioned earlier that the female guide had lost a leg, and it looked like it was cut off. While it might be a bit far-fetched, considering we’re now caught up in supernatural events, it’s possible that the only place in Panlong Town where a leg could be severed is a slaughterhouse.”

Liu Xing had another reason he didn’t mention, though. In his view, if this module truly drew inspiration from ’The Cabin in the Woods,’ there had to be something fishy about the slaughterhouse. When one thought of a slaughterhouse, the first thing that came to mind was a butcher. But this butcher couldn’t be a human anymore.

So, combining the driver and the female guide’s horrifying condition, Liu Xing had made this speculation.

Ling Ishikawa nodded in agreement but remained puzzled, “There’s a possibility, but the slaughterhouse is on the outskirts of Panlong Town. How did the driver and the female guide end up there? And after their transformation, how did they manage to return to us? Lastly, why did they come to us and invite us to join them?”

Faced with Ling Ishikawa’s questions, Liu Xing could only shake his head helplessly and say, “I’m not sure about these questions either. Everything I said earlier was just a guess. However, I’m more concerned now that if you suddenly get transported to Hybrier, it could be a problem. The excuse of being sick won’t work anymore, especially with Hu Cang being a doctor. Besides, this time, we’re relying on the hospitality of others.”

Ling Ishikawa, hearing Liu Xing’s words, nodded in frustration and said with a bitter smile, “I don’t know what to do right now. I’m starting to feel a sense of impending doom. It seems like I might be sent to Hybrier soon. It seems that the creator of this independent space couldn’t match Honda Tetsuya.”

Speaking of Honda Tetsuya, Liu Xing was now curious about some things. Who was the true identity of Honda Tetsuya, and why did he send Ling Ishikawa to Hybrier? What was the purpose behind everything he had orchestrated? Most importantly, now that Honda Tetsuya had faked his death and changed his identity, he should be coming into contact with Ling Ishikawa soon, or perhaps he already had.

Thinking about this, Liu Xing felt a headache coming on. After all, mythical creatures like Honda Tetsuya, even the incarnations of Great Old Ones, were not beings he and Ling Ishikawa could easily deal with, especially with Honda Tetsuya having clear intentions.

It was getting troublesome.

At this moment, Zhang Jingxu finally finished his conversation with Hu Cang and returned, saying, “Indeed, there is no town government or police station in Panlong Town. This is due to historical reasons. Initially, Panlong Town was just a village, subordinate to another town. However, as Panlong Town developed rapidly, it was upgraded to a town. Because of its small size and proximity to the original town it belonged to, Panlong Town’s officials and police officers still work in the original town. Therefore, there are no official institutions in Panlong Town.”

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, not expecting this arrangement.

“By the way, concerning the legend of Panlong Town Middle School and the Black Flood Dragon, I received confirmation from Hu Cang. Those elementary school students were not lying to us. However, some details were missing. Back when those students summoned the disc spirit and stayed at Panlong Town Middle School, although some students survived, they either ended up in the hospital or a mental institution. But a year later, those students began to die one by one.”

“Most of these students died from extreme fear. So, the people who learned about this decided to keep it a secret to avoid causing panic among other residents of Panlong Town. Hu Cang, in particular, knew about this because he had a nephew who was one of the victims. However, the matter didn’t end there.”

“Because another year passed, the non-local students who hadn’t been at school when the disc spirit was summoned also started experiencing misfortune. The cause of death remained extreme fear. But as of now, three students have not faced any accidents. However, two of them have left Panlong Town, and the last one still residing here is probably insane because he lives in a flat on the same street as Black Internet Cafe and hardly ever leaves his home,” Zhang Jingxu explained.

As Zhang Jingxu finished speaking, KP Snow Wind chimed in, “OK, congratulations, players! You’ve triggered another Side Quest – ’Mad Disc Spirit.’ Completing this Side Quest will reward you with 500 points and 20 ’Truth’ points. However, only three players can participate in this Side Quest. The mission objective is to ensure that NPC Guo Ming doesn’t die within twenty-four hours after player contact.”

Guo Ming, mentioned by Zhang Jingxu, was likely the last remaining student.

Liu Xing furrowed his brows; this Side Quest was completely different from what he had anticipated. He had thought it would involve investigating the true nature of the disc spirit, but it had turned into a protection mission.

Protecting missions were known to be the most challenging in Cthulhu RPG Game. Enemies hidden in the shadows were difficult to deal with, as they could choose when to strike, while the players could only defend passively. Moreover, these enemies were mythical creatures, making their attacks even more formidable.

Mythical creatures often didn’t need to resort to tricks and schemes because their raw power was often sufficient.

Therefore, the success rate of protection missions in Cthulhu RPG Game was consistently low, and they were prone to heavy losses.

So, Liu Xing began to ponder whether he should accept this Side Quest. Fortunately, KP Snow Wind hadn’t demanded an immediate decision from the players, allowing them to discuss and decide later.

With this in mind, Liu Xing asked Zhang Jingxu, “Regarding the Black Flood Dragon, did Hu Cang say anything else?”

Zhang Jingxu regained his focus and said earnestly, “First, Hu Cang requested that we don’t make the matter of the Black Flood Dragon public to prevent anyone with ulterior motives from coming to Panlong Town to capture it. Although Hu Cang isn’t concerned about the Black Flood Dragon being caught, he worries that those trying to capture it might provoke it, breaking its vow not to harm living beings. If the Black Flood Dragon violates this vow, it won’t be able to ascend to a true dragon.”

“Additionally, the Black Flood Dragon has given itself a title – ’black-clothed daoist.’ So, if we’re lucky enough to encounter the Black Flood Dragon, we should address it as ’black-clothed daoist.’ Furthermore, it’s best not to bring up the topic of snakes when in its presence, as the Black Flood Dragon values its reputation.”

“Lastly, regarding why the Black Flood Dragon destroyed the bridge, Hu Cang believes that the Black Flood Dragon did it for the sake of Panlong Town’s residents or for our benefit. So, he suggests that we buy some eggs or something from the town and express our gratitude at the Black Dragon Cave. If we had left Panlong Town yesterday, we might have faced misfortune.”

Liu Xing nodded, realizing that they would likely advance the plot by visiting the Black Dragon Cave. It seemed that, among all the mythical creatures in Panlong Town, the Black Flood Dragon was the most likely to help the players.

Therefore, it was essential to establish a good relationship with it.

“By the way, when I was talking to Hu Cang, I noticed something. Hu Cang and Xiao Mochen’s relationship is not good at all. Every time Xiao Mochen is mentioned, Hu Cang changes the subject, and when Hu Li is brought up, I can see a hint of helplessness and resentment in Hu Cang’s eyes. So, I suspect that Hu Cang’s relationship with Xiao Mochen might have been influenced by Hu Li,” Zhang Jingxu said seriously.

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, curious, and asked, “Are you suggesting that Hu Cang, Xiao Mochen, and Hu Li might be in a love triangle?”

Zhang Jingxu nodded, smiling, “There’s a high probability. Hu Cang mentioned that Hu Li settled in Panlong Town before Xiao Mochen returned, and shortly after Xiao Mochen’s return, Hu Li and Xiao Mochen got married.

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