Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

The Key?

Liu Xing quickly realized that this so-called "key" was essentially a requirement for him and his group to eliminate the Troll Gu Masters in Panlong Town. Otherwise, they might not be able to progress through this module.

Although this module seemed to require reaching 100 "truth" points to clear, the reality was that these side quests provided crucial "truth" points. In normal circumstances, Liu Xing was certain that when all players reached eighty or ninety "truth" points, the side quests in Panlong Town would disappear. At that point, they would be forced to accept the final side quest, which was to enter Panlong Lake and deal with the injured Gralki’s doppelganger.

So, unless one player ignored the well-being of the others and completed most of the side quests in Panlong Town alone, there was still a chance to leave without confronting Gralki’s doppelganger.

At this moment, Green Willow took a small black pearl from her pocket and spoke, "Silly fox, hold onto this. You must keep it safe because it’s one of Black Flood Dragon’s unformed dragon pearls. It’s the key to resurrecting Black Flood Dragon. When the time in Panlong Town reaches the dragon’s head and it starts raining heavily, take this dragon pearl to Panlong Bridge and toss it into the water. Then, Black Flood Dragon can be resurrected."

"But, when we say ’resurrect,’ it’s more like summoning its spirit. In strict terms, Black Flood Dragon will become a hollow spirit, but its power should not be underestimated. It will definitely be a valuable ally in dealing with Gralki. So, silly fox, you must be cautious and complete this mission at all costs. Otherwise, our dreams of defeating Gralki and saving Panlong Town will be in vain."

Hearing this, Liu Xing realized that this dragon pearl was likely an essential item for Ling Ishikawa to complete her side quest. After all, Green Willow had already explained that summoning was a lower-tier version of resurrection. So, if Ling Ishikawa successfully summoned Black Flood Dragon’s spirit, then she could certainly complete her side quest.

Hu Li received the dragon pearl from Green Willow and nodded, saying, "Don’t worry, Green Willow sister. I will definitely summon Black Flood Dragon back."

Green Willow nodded and prepared to leave.

However, Zhang Jingxu, who was beside them, spoke up, "Green Willow sister, may I ask you a few more questions?"

Green Willow raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, and replied, "You may, but I can only answer three questions, as I need to head to Panlong Lake immediately."

Zhang Jingxu nodded and asked, "First, I’d like to know how many ’keys’ there are in Panlong Town, and who are they?"

Upon hearing Zhang Jingxu’s question, Liu Xing couldn’t help but nod in approval. Indeed, Zhang Jingxu was quite clever to ask the crucial question.

After all, Green Willow hadn’t explicitly mentioned how many "keys" there were in Panlong Town. Now, Liu Xing could confirm that there were only three "keys": Gu Master Chaxi, Troll, and Pig Head Butcher. Of course, if we counted, Hu Li might also be considered a "key."

So, if after killing the three "keys" of Pig Head Butcher, they still couldn’t gather enough "keys," the situation might become awkward. Therefore, it was better to clarify certain things sooner rather than later.

Green Willow chuckled, seeing through Zhang Jingxu’s thoughts, and explained, "In Panlong Town, there are a total of five ’keys,’ namely, Silly Fox, Pig Head Butcher, Gu Master Chaxi, Troll, and Water Ghost. I understand you may have many questions after hearing this, so let me explain. Firstly, you mustn’t kill Silly Fox, and there’s no need to do so, as all the ’keys’ need to gather together to work."

"I believe you have discovered all the ’keys’ except for the water ghost. After all, Gu Master Chaxi and the others are staying in Panlong Town, while the water ghost resides in Panlong River. Moreover, this water ghost is extremely cunning; it has chosen a human as its spokesperson, namely the owner of the Black Internet Cafe. So, if you want to kill the water ghost, it’s best to persuade the owner of the Black Internet Cafe to cooperate. Otherwise, you won’t have a good chance to eliminate the water ghost."

Upon hearing Green Willow’s response, Liu Xing felt relieved. When he first heard that Hu Li was the ’key,’ he was already somewhat despairing. After all, facing Hu Li alone was a challenge, and now with the more formidable Green Willow supporting Hu Li, the situation seemed even more daunting.

As for the existence of the water ghost, it was unexpected but made sense to Liu Xing. He had been puzzled from the beginning about why the Side Quest related to the Black Internet Cafe arson case didn’t involve any mythical creatures. It turns out that the water ghost had been hidden in the shadows, instructing the owner of the Black Internet Cafe to commit murders. This also explained why the owner of the Black Internet Cafe had forced Wang Haiyang to suicide and why she had drowned herself after the arson incident.

However, as Green Willow had pointed out, dealing with the water ghost would be challenging. It constantly hid in the Panlong River, and Liu Xing’s group lacked the ability to fight in the water. Therefore, engaging the water ghost underwater would be suicidal.

The only option was to find the owner of the Black Internet Cafe and persuade the owner to lure the water ghost to the surface. Only then would Liu Xing’s group have a chance to defeat it. Liu Xing thought the persuasion would likely involve threats and incentives, as the water ghost’s control over the cafe owner was probably based on coercion. If necessary, they could use Hu Li’s hypnosis abilities on her.

However, Liu Xing was curious about Green Willow’s description of the water ghost. Was it a Deep One or a traditional Chinese water ghost? They would find out in due time.

At this moment, KP Snow Wind stepped forward and said, "Congratulations, players, for triggering the Side Quest - the key to starting the final chapter. The mission is to kill the water ghost, pig head butcher, Troll, Gu Master Chaxi, and ensure Hu Li (no matter her fate) reaches the shores of Panlong Lake. Completing this Side Quest will reward you with a mysterious prize, which will be revealed later. However, this time, the mysterious reward is not related to ’truth’ points, but it will definitely satisfy all of you."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow; the note for this Side Quest was quite spiritual. Hu Li’s survival didn’t matter as long as she reached Panlong Lake. However, Liu Xing quickly realized that even though it said her survival didn’t matter, her fate would likely impact the mysterious reward for this Side Quest. After all, Green Willow had triggered this Side Quest, and her relationship with Hu Li was excellent. If Hu Li died, the reward for Liu Xing’s group would likely decrease significantly.

Looking at the introduction of this Side Quest, Liu Xing felt that it might be quite challenging, especially since Hu Li could potentially die.

Zhang Jingxu then asked the second question, "I see. Do you know, Green Willow, why there are no other women in Panlong Town besides Hu Li and the owner of the Black Internet Cafe?"

Green Willow pondered for a moment and shook her head, saying, "I don’t know the answer to that question. When I returned, it was already like this. I couldn’t sense any women other than the Silly Fox and the owner of the Black Internet Cafe. Even all the animals in Panlong Town seemed to be male. So personally, I think it might be related to Gralki, because Gralki was heavily injured by the Black Flood Dragon, so it might need to consume people for healing..."

Liu Xing furrowed his brow. While Green Willow’s explanation had some merit, he believed the situation was not as straightforward as she made it seem. In the Cthulhu RPG Game, although many mythical creatures and Great Old Ones consumed humans, there were typically no direct benefits associated with it.

However, since Green Willow had stated it, Liu Xing and his group could only nod in agreement.

Zhang Jingxu then asked the final question, "So, Green Willow, what are our chances of defeating Gralki? After all, now that Gralki has likely recovered, and if we defeat it, will Panlong Town return to normal?"

green willow chuckled and spoke, "Zhang Jingxu, you’re quite clever, combining two questions into one. However, both of these questions are rather simple. Firstly, concerning Gralki, even though some time has passed, his injuries might have somewhat improved, but the parting gift from the Black Flood Dragon isn’t easily remedied. So, Gralki is probably still enduring the intense agony of that poison."

"As for whether Panlong Town will return to its original state after Gralki’s demise, I can’t say with absolute certainty. However, I believe there’s a good eighty percent chance of success. I’ve noticed that Gralki has been supplying energy to Panlong Town to maintain its temporal distortion. So, once we eliminate Gralki, the source of that energy, Panlong Town should have a chance to return to its former state. Now, I must depart. Wishing you all the best of luck."

After green willow finished speaking, she transformed into a small willow leaf and vanished instantly.

Hu Li watched green willow leave and breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "Phew, she’s finally gone."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, curious, and said, "Why, Miss Hu Li, are you... um, afraid of Sister green willow?"

Hu Li nodded and said earnestly, "Indeed, Sister green willow is a formidable presence, having lived for over a thousand years. From what I know, she should be capable of defeating the Black Flood Dragon. However, the most troublesome aspect of Sister green willow is her penchant for lecturing others. Once she starts, it can go on for hours, repeating the same content. She’s given me a headache more than once."

Liu Xing chuckled and said, "I see. It’s a good thing Sister green willow has left, or we’d be in for a headache today. But now, she’s pointed us in the right direction. We must eliminate the four monsters in Panlong Town."

Hu Li nodded and looked in the direction of the Black Internet Cafe, saying, "The other three monsters are relatively easy to deal with. As long as we target their weaknesses, it should be easy to kill them. However, this water ghost might pose some challenges. If it stays in the water, we won’t even be able to touch it, let alone kill it."

"Then, Miss Hu Li, can’t you use your hypnotic abilities to lure the water ghost out of the water by persuading the Black Internet Cafe’s owner?" Zhang Jingxu suggested.

Hu Li shook her head and said with frustration, "It’s not as simple as you think. Sister green willow just mentioned it earlier. Most of Panlong Town’s residents have become soulless, walking corpses. My hypnotic abilities won’t work on them. As for trying to persuade or coerce the Black Internet Cafe’s owner, it’s highly unlikely to succeed. These walking corpses are probably under Gralki’s control, and he likely ordered the Black Internet Cafe’s owner not to reveal the water ghost."

Hu Li’s words left Liu Xing and the others in silence. If her assessment was correct, it seemed impossible to trick the water ghost through the Black Internet Cafe’s owner.

With a sigh, Liu Xing spoke, "We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Let’s first figure out how to deal with Pig Head Butcher and the others."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

At that moment, Hu Li suddenly slapped her forehead, expressing regret, "Oh, I can’t believe I forgot to tell Sister green willow about that matter."

"What matter?" Wan Chongshan asked with confusion.

Hu Li shrugged and explained, "In simple terms, when I sensed Sister green willow earlier, it reminded me of something that happened one evening. Initially, I had no intention of joining the Ritual Ceremony that Gralki’s followers were preparing to hold at Panlong Lake. But the Black Flood Dragon insisted that I go and take a look because it sensed that something was amiss."

"So, I went to Panlong Lake and found that everyone from Panlong Town had gathered there. Then, one of Gralki’s followers jumped into Panlong Lake, and Gralki appeared in the lake, casting a powerful mental Magic Spells. Even I couldn’t resist the control. But at that moment, the Black Flood Dragon intervened and engaged in a fierce battle with Gralki."

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