Chapter 211: Swollen Woman
"Yes, now that I know your origins, Otonashi Takuya, I feel even more relieved. With you here, even if Mikageichi comes to cause trouble, it's unlikely to end well for them," Gu Jun chuckled.
Otonashi Takuya felt a bit embarrassed by Yin En and Gu Jun's praise. He touched his head and said with a smile, "Oh, it's nothing. My current strength is just average. The main issue is that I don't have suitable weapons. After my body was enhanced, those old weapons feel too light. I'd rather fight barehanded."
Liu Xing nodded in understanding. He knew that power-type warriors like Xiang Yu and Lu Bu preferred heavy weapons because lighter ones couldn't fully utilize their strength. Looking at Otonashi Takuya's current physique, it was evident that he used to be a skilled warrior who focused on technique, as his body wasn't much different from an ordinary person's.
However, with his current enhanced strength, using his old weapons would result in excessive force, limiting his true potential. Back in the day, Otonashi Takuya had chosen to live in obscurity and adopted a low profile, mainly due to concerns that Kanna Ryoko might come looking for trouble. Additionally, he couldn't leave Ziwu City, so he couldn't acquire a suitable weapon. Moreover, the weapons he used in the past were likely of ordinary quality and had probably worn out long ago. That's why Otonashi Takuya had transitioned into a barehanded combat style.
Liu Xing shifted his gaze to Yin En, who understood Liu Xing's intention he wanted Yin En to provide Otonashi Takuya with a suitable weapon. In the Cthulhu RPG Game, a good weapon could significantly enhance one's damage output. For example, Killer Demon's large sword provided a whopping 10 points of fixed damage, meaning that Killer Demon could potentially defeat Liu Xing with a single successful attack.
Therefore, to equip Otonashi Takuya as the strongest combat asset, Yin En had to step in again and "seduce" a suitable weapon from the Sawada Family.
With this in mind, Yin En smiled and asked, "Otonashi, do you have any specific requirements for a weapon now? If they aren't too demanding, I should be able to procure a suitable weapon from the Sawada Family."
Even though Otonashi Takuya's current circumstances were largely due to the actions of the Sawada Family, he didn't hold any grudges against them. He believed that the Sawada Family was also a victim. After all, Sawada Tomohiko and Godless Priest had died under mysterious circumstances, and Kanna Ryoko's abnormal behavior made Otonashi Takuya think that he had been caught up in a chaotic situation.
Now, after learning about Mian Gu Lu and Eldritch God Taketori's involvement, Otonashi Takuya finally understood why he had become what he was now. It was all to protect Mian Gu Lu?
To be honest, Otonashi Takuya felt a bit mentally unsettled at the moment. After hiding his identity for centuries and waiting for answers about the events from the past, he had finally learned the truth all to protect a girl possessed by Eldritch God Taketori?
Suddenly, Otonashi Takuya remembered the words of the fan-wielding woman from the past, who had told him that he needed to protect the world. Killing Mian Gu Lu now would likely eliminate Eldritch God Taketori, right?
Liu Xing, sitting next to Otonashi Takuya, noticed his sudden change in expression and gaze towards Mian Gu Lu, which had turned hostile. Liu Xing realized that Otonashi Takuya might be struggling with some mental turmoil, as his thoughts seemed jumbled.
Thinking quickly, Liu Xing contacted KP Li Shunchan, saying, "KP, I want to perform psychoanalysis on Otonashi Takuya right now!"
Psychoanalysis was one of Liu Xing's hidden skills, which he had used only once in many Cthulhu RPG Games, and that had been on himself. Unexpectedly, it was now coming in handy.
"Well, using psychoanalysis now should be fine, but because Otonashi Takuya is a superhuman, your success rate will decrease by 10," KP Li Shunchan replied after considering for a moment.
Liu Xing rolled the dice, 12/60 (70), and succeeded.
Liu Xing breathed a sigh of relief; his luck hadn't let him down.
"Alright, Liu Xing, you've noticed that Otonashi Takuya's mental state isn't right, as if he's been hypnotized. You also realize that if you don't help him snap out of this trance, he might go berserk suddenly. So, you start providing psychological counseling to Otonashi Takuya, lasting for two minutes. The system will now guide you automatically," KP Li Shunchan said as Liu Xing began speaking involuntarily to Otonashi Takuya.
Others also noticed Otonashi Takuya's unusual state after Liu Xing's psychoanalysis. They realized that only Liu Xing knew the results, and now he seemed to be in a state of "no control," so they couldn't be sure if everything was fine.
Yasaka Mashiro led Mian Gu Lu, who appeared absent-minded, a few steps backward, while Yin En and Yoh Asakura instinctively protected Mian Gu Lu on both sides. As for Chen Wenbin, he moved closer, ready to continue psychoanalysis if Liu Xing's attempt failed.
However, two minutes later, when they saw Otonashi Takuya return to a calm state, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. After all, if Otonashi Takuya had gone berserk, there was a good chance that they wouldn't be able to handle him.
Following Liu Xing's psychoanalysis, Otonashi Takuya wiped the sweat from his forehead and began to regret his earlier thoughts. He couldn't understand why he had harbored such violent intentions towards Mian Gu Lu just moments ago.
"Otonashi, are you okay now?" Chen Wenbin asked hesitantly.
Otonashi Takuya nodded, feeling a bit frustrated. He replied, "Yes, I'm fine now. I don't know what came over me earlier. I suddenly had violent thoughts about Mian Gu Lu. If it weren't for Liu Xing stopping me in time, I might have harmed her."
Upon hearing Otonashi Takuya's words, Liu Xing suddenly considered a possibility. It seemed that Otonashi Takuya had been manipulated by the Swollen Woman. After all, Swollen Woman from the past had wanted Otonashi Takuya to "protect" the world. Now, with Eldritch God Taketori within Mian Gu Lu, killing Mian Gu Lu would theoretically eliminate Eldritch God Taketori.
So, Swollen Woman's mention of "protecting" the world might have been a subtle suggestion for Otonashi Takuya to kill Mian Gu Lu. However, it was worth noting that as an incarnation of Nyarlathotep, Swollen Woman probably didn't care about the world's fate or humanity's survival. To her, humans were mostly useful for their sanitygood food, in other words.
Liu Xing believed that Swollen Woman might have wanted to use Otonashi Takuya to kill Eldritch God Taketori. However, it seemed that the situation had changed, as Liu Xing had easily dispelled the hypnotic influence on Otonashi Takuya. This suggested that Swollen Woman might not be very committed to killing Eldritch God Taketori.
Moreover, King Tindalos was also working to protect Mian Gu Lu and eliminate Eldritch God Taketori. Those Demons from the past were most likely pawns arranged by King Tindalos, ensuring that both Sawada Tomohiko and Otonashi Takuya gained immense power and survived until this era to protect Mian Gu Lu. Something didn't quite add up.
Liu Xing furrowed his brow, realizing that the situation was more complex than it seemed.
There were two possible scenarios. First, King Tindalos might not have originally planned to manipulate Swollen Woman. Instead, Swollen Woman could have intervened upon learning of King Tindalos's plan. After all, Sawada Tomohiko initially worshipped Sulu, a possible incarnation of Cthulhu, which Nyarlathotep wouldn't want to ignore. Swollen Woman might have taken action after learning of King Tindalos's plan, causing Sawada Tomohiko's transformation into Killer Demon and orchestrating events to curse Aoki and others into becoming Ghouls, all to disrupt King Tindalos's plans and make things more "interesting."
The other possibility was that the so-called Sulu was actually a creation of Nyarlathotep in the name of Cthulhu. Considering the Cthulhu Mythos, Cthulhu was still in slumber, influencing humans through psychic waves but not communicating with them. Cthulhu was indifferent even to its own worshippers and kin. Therefore, it was unlikely for Cthulhu to establish its own faith. However, Nyarlathotep, who enjoyed causing chaos, might do it out of boredom.
Liu Xing believed that Nyarlathotep or Swollen Woman, who had created the Sulu faith, wanted to witness an intriguing drama. This led to the current situation where different factions were vying for control over Mian Gu Lu.
Liu Xing also remembered a peculiar Taoist from the Harvest Festival module who had entered the mirror world of R'lyeh. At the time, Liu Xing had considered the Taoist to be either an incarnation of Cthulhu or Nyarlathotep. Now, upon reflection, it seemed more likely to be the latter.
Suddenly, Gu Jun made a shocking revelation, saying, "If everything goes as expected, Otonashi, you must have received the blessing or curse of Swollen Woman. That's why you've become immortal and had your body enhanced."
Everyone looked at Gu Jun with astonishment. They hadn't expected "Gu Jun" to know about Swollen Woman!
As an incarnation of Nyarlathotep, "Gu Jun" belonged to one of the older entities in the Mythos and might be mentioned in certain texts or writings. Players could acquire knowledge about "Black Pharaoh" through these texts. However, beings like Aughra and Swollen Woman, who were active in modern times, wouldn't typically be documented in books or newspapers. After all, it wasn't feasible to organize a nationwide sanity-reducing event.
Even the most knowledgeable Occultists, who gained their Cthulhu Mythos knowledge through various means, either through hearsay or direct encounters with beings like Aughra or Swollen Woman, wouldn't typically find information about them in conventional literature.
Curious, Liu Xing couldn't help but ask, "Gu Jun, what do you mean by Swollen Woman?"
Gu Jun sighed and took out a black wallet from his pocket. He then retrieved a small piece of paper from the wallet, which turned out to be an old-fashioned movie ticket with the title "Shanghai Beach" printed on it.
"I became an Occultist because of this movie ticket. I had just graduated from high school and was a fan of supernatural horror novels, so I liked visiting the mysterious places that were shared online. One day, I came across a post about a paranormal movie theater near my hometown, where audiences often mysteriously disappeared after watching a particular film."
"At the time, I gathered three close friends, and we went to that eerie movie theater to watch a film. The movie we watched was 'Shanghai Beach,' not the famous TV series but a story about a dancing girl. And that dancing girl was Swollen Woman."
"I remember that day vividly. There were around ten spectators in the theater. As the movie started, my three friends and I blinked our eyes, and suddenly, we were inside the movie, facing Swollen Woman. She kept her face hidden behind a fan and initially offered us assistance."
"During the movie, we were attacked by Deep Ones. Two of my friends died in the process. I and the remaining friend returned to Swollen Woman, seeking her help once more. But then, she suddenly lowered her fan, revealing her true form. Swollen Woman was indeed swollen, and my friend had no chance to resist. She effortlessly caught him and pierced his head with her claws, consuming his brain effortlessly."
"For some reason, Swollen Woman decided to spare my life, and she even gave me a book called 'Shanghai Beach Chronicles.' She sent me back to reality. It was only then that I realized my three friends had disappeared, or rather, they had died in the movie. After reading 'Shanghai Beach Chronicles,' I decided to become an Occultist."
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