Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 245: Preparing for the Beginning

Liu Xing rubbed his temples on both sides, looking somewhat frustrated as he gazed out at the sea beyond the window. The lingering sense of melancholy that enveloped him left Liu Xing feeling somewhat dazed.

The strange dream he had just experienced still lingered fresh in Liu Xing's mind. Reflecting on it now, he believed that his dream self was more like a pure spiritual entity, which was why he had lost all five senses.

However, that figure holding an oil lamp, "himself," with a smile on its face, still sent shivers down Liu Xing's spine when he recalled it.

Liu Xing snapped back to reality, realizing that this dream was his second in the Cthulhu RPG Game. The first one had occurred in the Earth Dragon Village module. However, he couldn't help but wonder why his dreams always turned into nightmares. Liu Xing suspected that the game masters were up to something sinister.

"Mirror World," Liu Xing murmured as he poured himself a cup of hot water, contemplating life while observing the tumultuous waves outside his window.

Liu Xing remembered that an unnamed game master had once mentioned that Mirror World was actually a large-scale module. He had always believed that he would return to this Mirror World eventually. So, during his first nightmare, he had encountered that embarrassing Formless Offspring.

Now, Liu Xing suddenly felt that the mist in his dream was likely the fog concealing the R'lyeh ancient city within the Mirror World.

Thinking about it this way, was his current nightmare connected to the previous one? Liu Xing stroked his chin, realizing that he might enter the Mirror World again in the future, be pursued by the Formless Offspring, and find himself within that mist. But Liu Xing couldn't help feeling like he was courting trouble.

With a sigh, Liu Xing pushed aside these jumbled thoughts and began pondering the impending final battle. Although he believed he had analyzed the situation thoroughly, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something he hadn't accounted for. People like Bai Hecheng were still enigmatic to him.

So, Liu Xing closed his eyes, meditating on the unexpected events that might occur and how he would respond. At this point, Liu Xing felt reasonably confident in his chances of success. He had successfully turned Honda Tetsuya, who had nearly become a cultist, and alerted Morimoto Academy's students to the fanatical believers. As long as nothing went terribly wrong, Honda Tetsuya should be able to lead his students to deal with the NPC threats from Bai Hecheng's side.

Then, it would be a showdown between players.

However, Liu Xing was curious about the strength of a player who had transformed into a Ghoul. He suspected that Bai Hecheng's abilities differed from those of regular Ghouls. After all, if Bai Hecheng had already reached the level of a Ghoul Elder, he would likely have been assigned to participate in advanced modules long ago, rather than bullying "kids" like Liu Xing here. Ghoul Elders' abilities were something Liu Xing hadn't witnessed personally, but based on Honda Koichi's capabilities before he became a Ghoul Elder, it was clear that they could create shields that could withstand hundreds of points of damage and teleport instantly. These two abilities alone could spell doom for Liu Xing. Therefore, Liu Xing believed that Bai Hecheng couldn't be a Ghoul Elder; otherwise, it would disrupt game balance.

Therefore, Liu Xing thought that Bai Hecheng was a cultist, but an advanced one with some spells at his disposal. However, after witnessing the spells used by Gu Jun, Liu Xing had lost confidence in the spells within the Cthulhu RPG Game. The conditions for their use were too demanding.

Liu Xing considered that Bai Hecheng's spells, most likely, would be impractical in the crowded environment of the driver's cabin, especially if they required "eye guidance." In that case, their effectiveness would be limited.

As for Mo Jin, he had likely acquired a new character card, so Liu Xing had no information on Mo Jin's current strength. However, judging by Mo Jin's Innsmouth Face, he was certainly a Deep One hybrid. Mo Jin was likely a melee character with formidable abilities, given that mythical creatures excelled in certain attributes compared to humans.

On Liu Xing's side, Yin En and Takayanagi Aoyin were the main ranged damage dealers. Liu Xing figured that all he had to do was follow behind and provide support. Currently, he only had a ritual dagger, which was useful for self-defense but inadequate for combat.

Therefore, Liu Xing decided to focus on his support role.

The clock ticked, and it was now six in the morning. Yin En sent Liu Xing a text message, indicating that they were ready on their end.

Liu Xing got up, had a quick meal, and checked his items. Apart from the ritual dagger, most of his equipment seemed to have little use, as they would primarily be facing human enemies this time.

After making his preparations, Liu Xing remembered Juri Sonoda's advice to check his phone for messages from Shizuka and the others.

So, Liu Xing picked up Juri Sonoda's phone and read the messages. In summary, Suneo had informed a total of seven classmates, and with Shizuka and others included, there were eleven Morimoto Academy students who now understood the situation they were about to face.

According to Suneo and the others, the ten of themexcluding Shizuka due to her combat limitationswould split into pairs and position themselves to get closer to the cultist NPCs with firearms. A team consisting of Gian and Nobita would specifically deal with Bai Hecheng, as Juri Sonoda had identified him as the leader among the cultists.

The timing of Suneo and the others' attacks would follow Liu Xing's plan, and they would make audible signals to notify Liu Xing's group to start their assault.

Of course, initially, Shizuka and the others will be conducting a live video broadcast to gather evidence of Bai Hecheng and their cult ritual.

However, according to Shizuka's speculations, Bai Hecheng and his group might employ signal jammers. After all, their drugging plan had failed the previous day, and most of the Yueshihao cruise passengers would likely be awake today. To prevent passengers from filming and disrupting their plans, Bai Hecheng's group might prepare signal jammers.

But Suneo, being a rich second-generation, had a satellite phone with him, which regular signal jammers couldn't block, as they were designed for civilian use, like those used during domestic college entrance exams. So, Suneo intended to record the proceedings and transmit them outside.

Liu Xing remembered that Yin En also had a satellite phone. So, using Juri Sonoda's phone, he provided Shizuka with Yin En's number, asking Suneo to contact Yin En as well. This way, Liu Xing and his team could monitor Bai Hecheng's movements through voice communication.

Soon, Shizuka sent a text message, confirming that they had informed Suneo, and now the school principal had scheduled a visit to the Yueshihao cruise's cockpit at 6:30 AM. Shizuka's team was currently preparing for this.

Seeing this, Liu Xing texted Yin En, instructing him to get ready.

6:30 AM arrived. Shizuka sent another message, stating that they were now accompanying the school principal to the cockpit.

Liu Xing took a deep breath and woke up Juri Sonoda. "Juri, it's time."

Juri Sonoda nodded, rubbing her eyes. "Alright, Liu Xing, please be careful. I'm going to find Aoyin's family now."

Liu Xing nodded and said, "Sure, you all be careful too. If you notice anything wrong, just use the lifeboats to escape."

As he spoke, Liu Xing pushed open the door, checked the surroundings for any witnesses, and prepared to leave.

At that moment, Juri Sonoda suddenly said, "If you can come back safely, I might consider your request."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, feeling like Juri Sonoda had just set an incredible flag for himself.

However, he hadn't asked Juri Sonoda for anything, had he? Could it be that he had made a deal during his nightmare earlier?

Liu Xing decided that for now, it was best to play dumb. He turned back with a smile and said, "Alright, I understand."

Then, Liu Xing proceeded to the rendezvous point he had agreed upon with Yin Ena spot that provided a good view of the Yueshihao cruise's cockpit.

Arriving at the rendezvous point, both Yin En and Takayanagi Aoyin were holding pistols, keeping a watchful eye on the direction of the cockpit.

"How's the situation?" Liu Xing asked quietly.

Yin En took out a phone that displayed "No Signal." "Just as you expected, these guys have activated signal jammers. However, they're using civilian-grade jammers, the kind used during domestic college entrance exams. Their effectiveness is limited, and my satellite phone can still function. I've already contacted the Suneo you mentioned."

Yin En showed his satellite phone, which was emitting noisy voices. It appeared that it hadn't been controlled by the cultists yet.

"Honda Tetsuya just informed me that they're gathering on the ship's bow first before heading to the cockpit. They haven't entered the cockpit yet. However, I saw a few crew members entering the cockpit earlier, carrying black bags that likely contain the items needed for the ritual," Yin En informed Liu Xing.

Liu Xing nodded and gestured for Yin En to join him in a more secluded spot for a private conversation. After confirming that Takayanagi Aoyin couldn't hear them, Liu Xing and Yin En contacted KP Li Shunchan to activate the Private Room feature.

"The situation looks good for now. Unless there's a major unexpected development, our NPC team on this side should be able to handle the opposing NPCs. We have an advantage because we still have Takayanagi Aoyin," Liu Xing said with a smile.

Yin En nodded but expressed his concerns. "That's true, but there are still many variables. In the Cthulhu RPG Game, dealing with NPCs is one thing, but facing players is another. Players who can advance to the Shoggoth Region are usually quite skilled, with either strong abilities or unusual items. So, there's a lot of uncertainty, and we don't know if Bai Hecheng will summon Ghouls directly."

Yin En's words made sense, as players were indeed a significant variable in the game, leading to numerous possible outcomes in the same module.

Considering this, Liu Xing said, "Alright, let's keep it straightforward. Don't waste time talking to the opposition. Let's try to kill Bai Hecheng and Mo Jin directly. That way, we can end it quickly, and if they want to use items or spells, it will take them some time."

Yin En agreed but voiced his concerns. "That's true, but there's another problem. The combat rounds in Cthulhu RPG Game are quite painful. Even if we can launch a surprise attack, we can at most gain an extra turn and prevent the enemy from dodging. If we're unlucky, we might only inflict two or three points of damage."

Luck was a crucial factor.

"And it will take at least half a minute for us to reach the cockpit from here. While it seems short, it's actually quite long. If those Morimoto Academy students aren't up to the task, by the time we get there, it might already be game over. So, we need to hope that these students can hold out a bit longer, giving us a chance to intervene," Yin En added with a sigh.

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