Chapter 227: The Final Trial (2)
Liu Xing nodded and was about to leave when Otonashi Takuya stopped him and said, "By the way, Hisanobu Ito has turned into a fearsome monster now, with strength almost on par with Mikageichi. Moreover, his size is even larger than those artificial monsters like Deep Ones. So, they can only escape through the underground passage leading to the Rose Graveyard. Also, the undercover agent you asked me to watch has left with Mikageichi. Now, there's no time to waste; you need to go after them."
After hearing Otonashi Takuya's words, Liu Xing left, but he couldn't help feeling uneasy. According to Otonashi Takuya, Hisanobu Ito's current strength was nearly equal to Mikageichi, who wielded a large sword. What was more concerning was that Hisanobu Ito's size surpassed even that of the artificial Deep Ones.
In other games, monster size was mostly for show, providing little substantial impact on the players beyond visual awe. However, in the Cthulhu RPG Game, size influenced various aspects of the game, such as the mythical creature's health, movement speed, attack range, and potential size-based combat advantages. So, in the Cthulhu RPG Game, size usually correlated with greater strength.
For Liu Xing and his fellow players, facing humanoid monsters like the Killer Demon was preferable to confronting colossal mythical creatures. The oppressive force they exerted was overwhelming, and they often had area-of-effect attacks.
Once Liu Xing got in the car, he shared all the information Otonashi Takuya had given him with the others.
Vetran Driver Yin En, who was responsible for driving, decisively contacted KP Li Shunchan and said, "KP, please activate the Private Room time for us, and make sure to extend it directly. After this battle, we probably won't need Private Room time anymore."
KP Li Shunchan chuckled and replied, "OK, I can tell you now. The upcoming battle will be the final scene of this module. If you can defeat Mikageichi and Hisanobu Ito, you'll obtain that large sword and proceed to the storyline ending. So, give it your all, and I look forward to your performance."
Upon hearing KP Li Shunchan's words, Liu Xing raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but quip, "This battle seems like it won't be easy. I didn't expect Mikageichi to get hold of that large sword. It's like giving him wings. If things go as expected, Mikageichi's strength is now on par with the Killer Demon, and there's also Hisanobu Ito, who's even larger than the artificial Deep Ones. I'm afraid we might get wiped out this time."
Gu Jun, sitting beside Liu Xing, shook his head and offered a different perspective, "While that's true, this battle might not be as challenging as it seems. Mikageichi and Hisanobu Ito just had a tough fight with Otonashi Takuya and the others. They should be looking to catch their breath and recover some health at the Rose Graveyard. So, I believe Mikageichi and Hisanobu Ito are probably at half health now, and they likely have some negative buffs on them."
"As for that large sword, I suspect that it was forcibly separated from Sawada Tomohiko's soul under Kanna Ryoko's spell. This could have affected its damage bonus. So, I believe the damage bonus of that large sword is now at most 3 to 5 points, or even lower. Therefore, I think we can handle this battle. We all have pistols, and we should be able to get a preemptive attack in."
Gu Jun's words helped boost morale and eased the tense atmosphere inside the car.
However, Chen Wenbin chimed in with a dose of realism, "Well, I have to be honest. Even if Mikageichi and that large sword have been weakened, their combined effect could still be greater than the sum of their parts. Mikageichi is a skilled fighter, and his mastery of the large sword should surpass Sawada Tomohiko's. So, if Mikageichi's attack lands, it could easily deal at least 10 points of damage, possibly killing any one of us."
Chen Wenbin's words left everyone speechless.
Nevertheless, Liu Xing came up with a counterargument, "Indeed, Mikageichi has the ability to instantly kill any one of us, but we also have the chance to focus our attacks on Mikageichi in a single round. After all, Mikageichi should still be an individual, unlike Hisanobu Ito, who's an artificial mythical creature. Based on my impression, Mikageichi's health should be around 10 points, at most not exceeding 12 points. So, if we're lucky, our six-person concentrated attack in one round should severely injure or even kill Mikageichi. If one round isn't enough, we can go for another!"
"Liu Xing is right. Although Mikageichi is formidable, he's still a flesh-and-blood being. He can be killed, just like Sawada Tomohiko back then. Despite his strength, he's fundamentally human. And don't forget, I have a protective amulet from Kanna Ryoko that can withstand one of Mikageichi's attacks. So, we should have three rounds to attack Mikageichi. Killing him should be manageable," Yin En confidently added.
Yoh Asakura then expressed some concerns, "True, I also believe killing Mikageichi shouldn't be too difficult of a mission, but among us, only Yin En and Yasaka Mashiro have slightly better pistol skills, right? So, to kill Mikageichi, we'll need a bit of luck."
Luck was indeed a mysterious attribute, and no one could predict it accurately.
"Are you all so focused on Mikageichi? Aren't you concerned about Hisanobu Ito's abilities? Based on the cases of the artificial Deep Ones and Ghouls, I think Hisanobu Ito should have considerable abilities. Moreover, I suspect the mythical creature blood he injected might come from the Black Mountain Goat Hatchling!" Gu Jun dropped a bombshell.
"What?!"
The group was shocked, and even Yin En, the driver, momentarily lost his grip on the steering wheel. Fortunately, the car's performance prevented it from overturning.
Gu Jun sighed helplessly and said, "Yin En, please focus on driving. We don't want to die before the battle even begins. Regarding what I said earlier, when you got off the car to find Otonashi Takuya, I noticed some marks on the grounda set of shallow, massive hoof-shaped footprints. This made me suspect that Hisanobu Ito had injected himself with Black Mountain Goat Hatchling's blood. Among the mythical creatures I know, only Black Mountain Goat Hatchling could leave such footprints and stand over five meters tall."
"However, this is also good news because, judging from the depth of those footprints, it's apparent that while Hisanobu Ito's size has expanded several times, his weight hasn't increased significantly. Therefore, Hisanobu Ito shouldn't have too much health or a high damage bonus. Additionally, Black Mountain Goat Hatchling's attack frequency is generally low, and its movement speed is slow. So, when we confront Mikageichi and Hisanobu Ito later, we can temporarily ignore Hisanobu Ito, focus all our efforts on Mikageichi, and deal with Hisanobu Ito after we've taken care of Mikageichi. Perhaps we can even use the 'Kite' tactic to deal with Hisanobu Ito."
Gu Jun's analysis relieved the group. When they first heard the name Black Mountain Goat Hatchling, they were understandably alarmed, considering it was a 'divine progeny' level mythical creature. However, impostors were still impostors. Hisanobu Ito might look terrifying, but in reality, he wasn't all that formidable.
So, if Gu Jun's assessment was accurate, the battle could mainly focus on dealing with Mikageichi. With Hisanobu Ito's large size, Liu Xing believed even his basic pistol shooting skill would have a 100% chance of success.
"But then again, how did Island Nation get hold of Black Mountain Goat Hatchling? I recall that Black Mountain Goat Hatchling is mostly found in Europe and the Americas. And how did Honda Koichi manage to obtain Black Mountain Goat Hatchling's blood? After all, Honda Koichi is just a small-time Ghoul, hardly a snack for Black Mountain Goat Hatchling," Yasaka Mashiro wondered.
Liu Xing chuckled and explained, "It's quite simple. In this module, Island Nation probably has a secret cult composed of followers of the Shub-Niggurath (Cthulhu enthusiasts often use the nickname 'Shub-Nicholas,' and there's also a mocking nickname, 'Gauze Sister'). Honda Koichi might have joined this secret cult and successfully summoned the Black Mountain Goat Hatchling. While most fanatical cultists who summon Black Mountain Goat Hatchling end up as its meal, a few lucky ones receive Shub-Niggurath's favor and gain unexpected benefits. Some might even be transformed into Black Mountain Goat Hatchlings themselves. So, Honda Koichi's ability to obtain Black Mountain Goat Hatchling's blood might simply be a result of good luck."
As it was now past the evening rush hour, and the road from the villa area to the Rose Graveyard had relatively light traffic, Yin En sped along, taking only about an hour to reach the Rose Graveyard.
The group, having exhausted their Private Room time, discussed the tactics they would use in the upcoming final battle inside the car.
In simple terms, they aimed to strike Mikageichi first with a surprise concentrated attack. Then, Gu Jun would use his only spell, "Slow," on Mikageichi. Afterward, they would continue to focus on Mikageichi. If Mikageichi got close, Yin En would bravely step forward to intercept his first attack.
Once Mikageichi was dealt with, Gu Jun would use "Slow" on Hisanobu Ito, and then they would employ the Kite tactic against him.
Regarding Gu Jun's "Slow" spell, it was indeed a challenging one. To cast it, the caster needed to consume 3 MP and lose 1 SAN. They had to maintain eye contact with the target for five seconds, touch the ground with both hands, ensure that the caster and the target were on the same patch of earth, and recite an incantation. The success rate was double the caster's Cthulhu Mythos Knowledge value. Once the spell succeeded, the target would have a 20% reduction in Agility. If the target was in a combat round, there was a 1% chance at the start of each combat round that they would enter a "dazed" state, rendering them unable to move or attack.
In summary, the spell appeared effective, but the casting conditions were quite stringent. Continuous eye contact for five seconds had its share of challenges, such as the target blinking or turning suddenly, obstructions like leaves or pieces of paper falling in front of the caster or target, and the possibility of passing bystanders interrupting the casting process.
Therefore, Gu Jun's "Slow" spell had demanding requirements.
"It seems we arrived early. Mikageichi and the others should still be on their way," Liu Xing remarked after getting out of the car and gazing at the silent Rose Graveyard.
Gu Jun nodded and looked at the moon. He said with delight, "We're lucky. There are no dark clouds tonight, and the moonlight is just right. We just need to find a suitable battlefield, and my 'Slow' spell will come in handy."
The group donned their armor with +3 defense enhancements and picked up their pistols as they entered the Rose Graveyard.
According to Liu Xing's guess, the underground passage Mikageichi and Hisanobu Ito took should lead directly to their original lair in the depths of the Rose Graveyarda massive cave. However, because Gu Jun needed to maintain eye contact with Mikageichi and Hisanobu Ito to cast "Slow," Liu Xing's group could only choose to lie in wait outside the cave. Moreover, the illumination tools they had prepared, both on their person and in the car, had been disrupted by Kanna Ryoko's powers. Thus, engaging Mikageichi and Hisanobu Ito in pitch darkness inside the cave would be suicidal.
As a result, Liu Xing's group found a flat area outside the cave that was suitable for Gu Jun to use his "Slow" spell. They silently waited for their final trial.
It was unclear how much time had passed, but suddenly, Liu Xing felt a slight and rhythmic vibration from the ground beneath. It was evident that Mikageichi and Hisanobu Ito were about to arrive at the battlefield!
The group silently released the safeties on their pistols and began aiming at the cave's entrance. After prolonged aiming, their shooting skills would receive a bonus to ensure they could deal heavy damage to Mikageichi in the first round of shooting!
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