In the world of the Cthulhu RPG Game, although NPCs were hardly distinguishable from real people, it was, after all, just a game. Players and NPCs still had their differences. So, in most cases, players preferred to stick together, and if they were going to sell something, they would sell to NPCs.
Therefore, even in Liu Xing's eyes, Lu Tianya was the first to be considered disposable when necessary.
So, Zhang Jingxu first disclosed his relationship with Lu Tianya to Panda Pig and Miyako Goudong.
"Zhang Jingxu, are you suggesting that Lu Tianya, as an NPC, should participate in the lottery like us? Forgive me for being blunt, although I understand your idea, Lu Tianya is, after all, an NPC," Panda Pig said, furrowing his brows.
Zhang Jingxu sighed and nodded, saying, "I understand that, but I have no other choice now. My character card must be shared with Lu Tianya, so I need to discuss this lottery with you. My idea is as follows."
"First, Lu Tianya will participate in the lottery with us. After all, it's impossible for us to bypass Lu Tianya and conduct the lottery in a Private Room separately. That could lead to problems. Therefore, I suggest we use a draw of straws to decide."
"However, as a condition for letting Lu Tianya participate in the lottery, if only one of us, Lu Tianya or I, draws the short straw, then neither of us will board Inoue Haruto's small boat. Of course, if we are lucky and both of us draw the short straws, I hope you will let us board Inoue Haruto's boat together."
Liu Xing raised an eyebrow. Zhang Jingxu's idea was somewhat expected, but from a probabilistic standpoint, it was not in Zhang Jingxu's favor.
If Inoue Haruto's small boat had three available slots, Zhang Jingxu had a three-fifths chance of securing a slot. If Lu Tianya was included, Zhang Jingxu and Lu Tianya each had a fifty-fifty chance of securing a slot. However, the probability of both Zhang Jingxu and Lu Tianya securing slots simultaneously was uncertain, as Liu Xing's math skills were lacking. Nevertheless, Liu Xing believed it was likely less than three-fifths.
Therefore, Liu Xing nodded in agreement and said, "Since you put it that way, Zhang Jingxu, I support your idea."
Miyako Goudong and Panda Pig, understanding the situation, also nodded in agreement.
Another problem resolved.
By now, half of the Private Room time had passed. Liu Xing took out the pink, unidentified metal object from his pocket and said, "I don't think this unidentified metal is radioactive; it seems to be a special metal unique to the Dreamrealm. However, I still don't know why this metal was fashioned into a plastic toy or its specific purpose."
Zhang Jingxu thought for a moment and smiled, saying, "I think we'll find out the purpose of this unidentified metal soon, without any surprises. After all, this unidentified metal is one of the Mission objectives in this Side Quest, indicating that it will play a role in this module. If it truly comes from the Dreamrealm, I believe it will reveal its purpose tonight."
Liu Xing nodded, holding the unidentified metal and saying, "In that case, I'll place this unidentified metal by my pillow tonight. If I don't wake up naturally tomorrow night, please come into my room and wake me up."
"Well, of course, but what should we do with this key now? After all, this key can open the Bronze Gate, granting access to the Dreamrealm," Panda Pig said, holding the key.
Zhang Jingxu shook his head and said, "Let's not go to the Dreamrealm. Although I still have a chance to fetch reinforcements there, the risks are too high. If the Bronze Gate leads to a Moon Beast or another mythical creature, we'll be in trouble. Opening and closing this kind of alternate dimension gate is not easy with our abilities; it's not an ordinary gate."
Panda Pig agreed, handing the key to Liu Xing and saying, "Then you take the key, Liu Xing. If you encounter danger in the Underground Ruins, you can take a gamble and open the Bronze Gate as a last resort. After all, if something happens to you in the Underground Ruins, the rest of us won't survive."
Liu Xing accepted the key, realizing that there were only three potential sources of danger in the Underground Ruins. The first was any remaining security measures within the ruins, likely passive triggers that wouldn't harm them. The second was mythical creatures that might reside in the Underground Ruins, given that it was a paradise for such beings. And the last source of danger was Matsui Ichiro and the Ocean True Deity Sect. It was highly likely that Matsui Ichiro had already discovered the Underground Ruins and reported it to the sect. Thus, Liu Xing anticipated encountering either Matsui Ichiro or members of the Ocean True Deity Sect.
Considering the dangers, Liu Xing wasn't too concerned about holding the key. It was a gamble they were all in together.
"By the way, do any of you have any thoughts about that ring?" Miyako Goudong suddenly asked.
Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, surprised that Miyako Goudong was interested in the ring. Liu Xing had always considered it a cursed ring, providing short-term benefits but ultimately demanding a heavy price in return. Therefore, he had avoided giving it much thought.
"Miyako Goudong, have you really thought this through? That ring isn't something good. After all, this is the world of the Cthulhu RPG Game, not some fantasy novel world. A blood-bonded ring like that isn't some Grandpa's artifact; it's more likely to be a malevolent magic ring," Zhang Jingxu cautioned.
Miyako Goudong rubbed his head and sighed, saying, "I'm well aware of that, but you all know my character card's personality is chuunibyou. So, for someone with chuunibyou tendencies, facing such a flashy ring, how could I not have thoughts about it? Right now, my only thought is to obtain that ring..."
Liu Xing patted Miyako Goudong's shoulder in understanding.
Panda Pig stroked his chin and said with a smile, "In that case, Miyako Goudong, you can choose to sacrifice your small self for the greater good. Based on the description of that ring's properties, it seems to possess incredible abilities. If you can use that ring, our chances of completing this module will significantly increase."
Miyako Goudong sighed, shrugged, and said, "I'll decide based on the situation. If things continue to worsen, I might as well use the ring. After all, if we can't clear this module, it's game over. If I manage to clear this module using the ring, I can consider it an investment. I've spent about 2000 points on this character card, and completing this module should give me over a thousand points. As long as I can clear the next module, I'll break even. Using the ring to clear modules afterward would be pure profit." Hearing Miyako Goudong's words, Liu Xing suddenly became interested in the ring.
"Alright, let's make this decision. If Miyako Goudong is willing, then the ring belongs to him. You can come to me anytime to get the ring. But when you bond with it, make sure to inform us of its properties afterward," Zhang Jingxu agreed with a nod.
There was nothing more to discuss about the videos on the Memory Card and the contents of the diary. They had been laid out in the open.
So, Liu Xing decided to discuss the safety lock instead. "By the way, what are your thoughts on the safety lock Miyako Goudong found? I think it's not ordinary."
Miyako Goudong took out the safety lock from his pocket, examined it, and said, "The weight of this safety lock seems fine, and it's likely made of silver, based on the materials. I have a similar safety lock in the real world."
Liu Xing nodded and said, "I think this safety lock appears normal on the outside, but there might be something inside. So, why don't we open it and see? It doesn't seem to serve any purpose in its current state. It's unlikely to be as clichéd as those movies and novels, where showing it to someone suddenly triggers their memory."
Miyako Goudong agreed, and with the approval of Zhang Jingxu and Panda Pig, he decided to open the safety lock.
Panda Pig hesitated and said, "Personally, I think we should refrain from destroying the safety lock for now. What if the safety lock has other uses we're unaware of? We might run into trouble."
Miyako Goudong shook his head and, with the safety lock securely fastened, used a small, sharp dagger he had to carefully cut it in half. He was cautious, not wanting to damage any potential contents inside.
With everyone watching, the safety lock split in half, and a folded yellow paper fell out from its interior.
Upon seeing the yellow paper, Liu Xing immediately recognized it as a talisman. He knew that such yellow paper was typically used for drawing talismans.
As the only professional among the players, Zhang Jingxu took the yellow paper and unfolded it, revealing intricate runes.
Seeing this, Zhang Jingxu contacted KP Green Light and said, "KP, I want to perform a Mystery Knowledge Judgment to determine the exact purpose of this talisman."
Zhang Jingxu, 23/75, succeeded.
After a moment, Zhang Jingxu furrowed his brow and said, "What is this? This talisman isn't a safety talisman but an Evil Suppressing Talisman. Moreover, it's specifically meant for suppressing malevolent spirits?!"
Clearly, something was amiss.
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