Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Liu Xing furrowed his brow as he hadn’t expected that the entire Panlong Town wouldn’t have any gasoline or diesel available.

However, upon reflection, Liu Xing realized it was quite normal. Yesterday, when he and Ling Ishikawa were wandering around Panlong Town, they only saw bicycles. Not a single motorcycle was in sight, let alone cars. It was evident that in the year 1999, the economic status of rural areas like Panlong Town was still in need of improvement. Therefore, there was a lack of vehicles that used gasoline or diesel as fuel. It was only natural that no one in Panlong Town stored gasoline or diesel in their homes.

Of course, the most crucial reason was that this module wouldn’t make it so easy for the players to acquire mission essentials with just a bit of money. The Cthulhu RPG Game wasn’t that simple.

So, Liu Xing immediately thought of Wang Anquan. According to Hu Cang’s hint, Wang Anquan used a bucket of gasoline to set fire to the Black Internet Cafe. This gasoline would be more than enough to burn the pig head butcher to death.

Thinking about it, Liu Xing couldn’t help but frown because obtaining that bucket of gasoline from Wang Anquan would require Wang Haiyang, the owner of the Black Internet Cafe, to be driven to the point of desperation.

In simple terms, it meant that the players had to let Wang Haiyang die without intervening and only then strike when Wang Anquan sought revenge for his son.

If they chose to do that, Liu Xing felt he would become an antagonist, not only for allowing someone to die but also for aiding the oppressor to some extent.

However, if they didn’t follow this path, they might not be able to take down the pig head butcher directly. Moreover, it might provoke the pig head butcher, leading to a battle where they would likely be at a disadvantage.

So, Liu Xing was now in a dilemma. Although he had mentally prepared himself during his first entry into the real Cthulhu RPG Game, deciding that he would disregard the lives of NPCs and players when necessary, and even kill someone himself if it came to that, Liu Xing wasn’t cold-blooded to that extent. Although he kept reminding himself that NPCs were just data, this Cthulhu RPG Game was incredibly realistic, causing Liu Xing to forget at times that the other characters were just NPCs.

Looking at the white liquor in front of him, Liu Xing spoke up, "If there’s no diesel or gasoline, can’t we find an alternative fuel? Something like white liquor, for example. It should be relatively easy to gather enough white liquor."

Zhang Jingxu shook his head without hesitation and replied seriously, "That’s not very practical. While acquiring white liquor is easy, the problem lies in its combustion properties. Compared to gasoline or diesel, the burning effect of alcohol distilled from white liquor is worlds apart. At best, it might burn off a bit of the pig head butcher’s blood, but it would also put him into a rage. It would be a lose-lose situation."

Liu Xing felt a bit embarrassed as he realized he had been too hasty and had forgotten that white liquor’s burning properties weren’t suitable for their purpose. Although he didn’t know the specifics of white liquor’s combustion, he remembered seeing patients with alcohol burns during his internship in the burn unit at the hospital. Patients burned by gasoline or diesel were either admitted to the intensive care unit or sent directly to the morgue. There was a clear difference in severity.

At this point, Ling Ishikawa thought of a way to obtain gasoline. "In that case, to get a sufficient amount of gasoline, we’ll have to deal with Wang Anquan. We can’t leave Panlong Town to buy gasoline from the outside, and as far as we know, Wang Anquan is our only source. But..."

It was clear that Ling Ishikawa also had reservations about allowing Wang Haiyang to die. After all, during their Private Room time yesterday, everyone’s goal had been to find a way to save Wang Haiyang.

Zhang Jingxu was also hesitant and, after a moment of silence, said, "We need to carefully consider this matter. After all, we don’t necessarily have to kill the pig head butcher. If we let Wang Haiyang die just to kill the pig head butcher, it’s not morally justifiable."

Liu Xing nodded in agreement. "Exactly, that’s what I think too. Besides, didn’t Hu Cang mention that Panlong Town is completely cut off from the outside world now? So, the gasoline should have been stored in Wang Anquan’s house all along. We should be able to obtain the gasoline from him in advance."

Although Liu Xing said this, he was certain that things wouldn’t go so smoothly. Based on the current information, a properly used bucket of gasoline could certainly kill the pig head butcher. Therefore, a powerful weapon like this module must have a difficult condition for obtaining it.

However, Zhang Jingxu and Ling Ishikawa agreed with Liu Xing’s point of view and silently moved on from the topic.

Just then, the broadcast at the Panlong Town Elementary School started playing the wedding march. It seemed that noon had arrived, and the wedding of Xiao Mochen and Hu Li was about to begin.

Everyone’s attention was now focused on Xiao Mochen and Hu Li.

However, Liu Xing could still notice that Hu Cang seemed uneasy, wearing a conflicted expression.

After a while, the wedding officially began.

There was no need to describe the wedding proceedings; everything was proceeding smoothly.

At Liu Xing’s table, the talkative Li Dian and Wan Chongshan had already bonded with the others, toasting each other and discreetly gathering more information about Panlong Town. Meanwhile, Zhang Jingxu was deep in conversation with Zhong Rensan, hoping to trigger a side quest related to Zhong Rensan or Panlong Town Clinic.

As for Liu Xing and Ling Ishikawa, who had limited communication due to the language barrier, they ate their food while discussing various topics.

"To be honest, Hu Li looks really stunning today," Ling Ishikawa said while picking up a piece of stir-fried pork.

Liu Xing nodded in agreement. As Ling Ishikawa had mentioned, Hu Li was exceptionally beautiful even without makeup. Today, she looked even more radiant, adorned in a magnificent red qipao. Liu Xing couldn’t help but think that gazing at Hu Li too long might be enchanting, and not the kind that required a Judgment.

With this in mind, Liu Xing couldn’t help but sigh, "If everything goes as expected, Xiao Mochen should be aware of Hu Li’s relationship with Hu Cang. But facing such a charming Hu Li, it’s understandable if Xiao Mochen can’t resist her allure. After all, even someone as resolute as me would find it hard to resist Hu Li’s charm. Heroes often fall for the beauty."

Listening to Liu Xing’s self-praise, Ling Ishikawa rolled her eyes and chuckled, "Leader, I never expected you to be this type of person. But on another note, just look at how delighted Xiao Mochen appears now. I wonder what expression he’ll have tomorrow when he discovers he has been transformed by Hu Li. It should be quite a sight."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow and couldn’t resist quoting a poem, "I think tomorrow, Xiao Mochen’s state of mind should be something like ’to win the battle but perish first,’ making heroes shed tears."

At this moment, Liu Xing and Ling Ishikawa were unaware that they were teetering on the edge of disaster.

Since the table Liu Xing’s group was seated at was closest to the main table, Xiao Mochen and Hu Li approached to offer a toast after completing the wedding ceremony.

Due to the language barrier, Liu Xing could only observe everyone’s expressions with a polite smile.

First was Hu Cang. Liu Xing could clearly see the complexity of his expression, which included feelings of unease, anger, helplessness, and conflict.

Next was Xiao Mochen, who could easily perceive the emotions Hu Cang was trying to convey because Hu Cang hadn’t concealed his feelings much. So, apart from embarrassment, Xiao Mochen had nothing left to express.

As for all the guests at the table, they were well aware of the love triangle between Hu Li, Hu Cang, and Xiao Mochen, so they tactfully avoided prying eyes, wearing a facade of indifference.

Hu Li’s expression, on the other hand, surprised Liu Xing. Hu Li had an aloof and detached demeanor, watching Hu Cang and Xiao Mochen with great interest, as if she were a bystander enjoying a show.

In this awkward atmosphere, Xiao Mochen and Hu Li completed their toasts. Xiao Mochen then walked away without looking back, heading to the next table, while Hu Li cast a meaningful glance at Liu Xing and the others.

Especially when Hu Li walked past Liu Xing, he caught a whiff of that faint fragrance again.

Fortunately, this time, KP Snow Wind didn’t intervene.

Liu Xing sat back down, and Ling Ishikawa couldn’t resist leaning over and saying, "This Hu Li is really quite peculiar. She seems to be enjoying the spectacle, and I think in her eyes, Xiao Mochen might just be a pawn she’s using to taunt Hu Cang."

"Very possible," Liu Xing replied while glancing back at Hu Li.

The wedding continued.

Liu Xing and his companions enjoyed the feast and engaged in various conversations.

"Oh, by the way, Ling Ishikawa, when we return to the Island Nation, let’s organize a belated birthday party for you. I wonder how well Honekawa Suneo and the others are handling the tasks I assigned them," Liu Xing said.

According to the memories of "Watanabe Ryuusei," after leaving Fisher’s Village, he arranged for Honekawa Suneo to continue spreading the faith in the Kyoto region, focusing on the students who had previously attended Morimoto Academy. After the events they had experienced, these students were more receptive to the teachings of the secret cult, making them potential Worshipers of the Yellow Sect.

For "Watanabe Ryuusei," this was a good development, but for Liu Xing, it wasn’t good news. He had learned from the USB drive Yin En had provided that a player’s character card had a hidden attribute – Influence.

Influence was determined by a player’s actions in the game, especially how much impact their character card had on NPCs in various modules. "Watanabe Ryuusei" as the leader of the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect had significant influence. His words and actions could affect the sect’s followers, particularly the fanatical ones, whose actions and even their families could be influenced.

Liu Xing realized that if Honekawa Suneo successfully converted those students into Worshipers of the Yellow Sect, "Watanabe Ryuusei’s" character card would gain a substantial increase in influence. Influence played a crucial role in determining the difficulty of modules and how well-matched players were against their opponents.

So, even though "Watanabe Ryuusei" might seem slightly less powerful than "Liu Xing" on the surface, his high influence allowed him to command NPCs and provide assistance in certain modules. Meanwhile, Liu Xing’s influence was virtually nonexistent, as he was a lone player with limited capacity to affect NPCs. This made it impossible for him to rally NPCs for assistance in modules.

Hence, Liu Xing believed that when he faced Yis People in a 1v1 confrontation using the seize card later on, he could use "Watanabe Ryuusei’s" influence to bring a group of NPCs to counter Yis People’s controlled "Liu Xing."

Certainly, the Cthulhu Role-Playing Game Hall would never allow Liu Xing to do such a thing. This is because the Cthulhu Role-Playing Game Hall always strives to balance the influence gap between character cards. For example, they place the occurrence location of the module in regions like China, which won’t be affected by "WatanabeRyuusei."

It must be said that the Cthulhu Role-Playing Game Hall’s balance is quite impressive. There are hardly any situations where one player outshines the rest, or where one player defeats ten others.

So, returning to the main point, as "WatanabeRyuusei" continues to gain influence, the difficulty of Liu Xing’s modules is bound to increase. Moreover, Liu Xing will find himself in various unfavorable situations, just like the current module.

Therefore, Liu Xing earnestly hopes that the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect can temporarily halt their expansion. This would slow down the rapid increase in "WatanabeRyuusei’s" influence, preventing a qualitative leap in module difficulty in the future.

However, it’s beyond Liu Xing’s control. After all, the character cards in Interlude Growth are nearly uncontrollable by players. So, Liu Xing has no means to influence this.

That’s why Liu Xing has decided to relocate the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect to Tokyo as soon as possible. This way, they can use the excuse of "low-key development" to stop recruiting more followers.

Ling Ishikawa naturally understands Liu Xing’s intentions and smiles, saying, "You can rest assured about this, Master. HonekawaSuneo and the others are quite capable, and isn’t Teacher Ming Hanxing also back?"

Speaking of Ming Hanxing, Liu Xing recalls that Ming Hanxing contacted him some time ago, saying he had received a system notification and needed to complete one more module to advance. However, because Ming Hanxing hadn’t played the game with Liu Xing and Yin En due to special circumstances, he couldn’t join their team temporarily. According to the plot point theory, modules have continuity.

But Liu Xing estimates that after completing the Panlong Town module, "himself" and "Ling Ishikawa" will return to the Island Nation, and that’s when "Ming Hanxing" will be able to join their team.

While Liu Xing and Ling Ishikawa chat, the wedding has reached its conclusion, and some guests have started leaving.

"This place isn’t suitable for lingering. Let’s get ready to leave," Zhang Jingxu suddenly approaches and suggests.

Liu Xing nods in agreement; indeed, this isn’t a place to stay for long, especially after just being hypnotized by Hu Li...

Thinking of this, Liu Xing suddenly feels a bit dizzy, and Zhang Jingxu in front of him becomes blurry, and the surrounding sounds gradually fade away.

Finally, Liu Xing’s vision darkens, and he loses consciousness.

After an unknown amount of time, Liu Xing opens his eyes, realizing he’s lying in bed. Ling Ishikawa is still asleep beside him, and the sunlight outside is bright.

Is it morning?

Liu Xing stretches lazily, takes a sip of water, and then pushes the bedroom door open, only to find Hu Cang coming up the stairs.

"Hey, Ryuusei, you’re up early today," Hu Cang says.

Liu Xing nods and replies with a smile, "Early to bed and early to rise, it’s good for health, isn’t it? Besides, we can’t trouble Mr. Hu to wake us up every day. You can go downstairs and get busy, Mr. Hu. I’ll wake up Ling Ishikawa and the others later, and then we can have breakfast."

"Sure," Hu Cang turns and heads downstairs.

After a while, Ling Ishikawa and the others also wake up and come out of their rooms.

After exchanging greetings, Liu Xing and the others go downstairs. Hu Cang and Hu Li have already prepared a sumptuous breakfast.

Ling Ishikawa eagerly takes her seat at the table, smiling and saying, "Mr. Hu, your food is really delicious. I almost don’t want to leave Panlong Town."

Hu Cang proudly nods and tells Hu Li beside him, "Of course, my wife’s cooking is among the best in Panlong Town. Otherwise, my guesthouse wouldn’t be doing so well. Right, dear?"

Hu Li, blushing, gives a shy smile and nods gently.

"Wow, Mr. Hu, you’re feeding us dog food early in the morning. That’s quite something," Li Dian jokes.

Liu Xing nods but feels that something is amiss. It seems like he might have been a bit groggy this morning.

That’s what Liu Xing thinks.

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