Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Suddenly, Ling Ishikawa, who had played dead, startled Liu Xing and the others. However, as they looked into Ling Ishikawa’s clear eyes, they realized that Ling Ishikawa had regained consciousness.

However, Ling Ishikawa’s snake scales on his body remained unchanged.

Liu Xing hurriedly approached and asked, "Ling Ishikawa, how do you feel now? Is there anything uncomfortable about your body?"

Ling Ishikawa nodded with a smile and self-deprecation, "Of course, there’s some discomfort, after all, anyone would feel uncomfortable if scales suddenly grew on their body. But in other aspects, I feel pretty good."

While speaking, Ling Ishikawa stood up and moved his body.

Honestly, Ling Ishikawa looked quite eye-catching now, especially with the snake scales covering half of his face. Liu Xing couldn’t help but notice that Ling Ishikawa’s left eye had turned into a golden snake pupil. It looked peculiar, but also rather handsome.

"Ling Ishikawa, why did you return so quickly this time? It’s been less than half a day, and how did you end up looking like this?" Zhang Jingxu asked.

Ling Ishikawa, upon hearing Zhang Jingxu’s words, looked puzzled and said, "What? Have I only been gone for half a day? That doesn’t seem right. I spent a whole year in Hybrier this time."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, surprised that Ling Ishikawa had spent so long in Hybrier. In previous visits, he had only stayed for a few days at most.

However, this explained one thing: why Ling Ishikawa had been transformed into a snake man. According to the related lore, Wizard Serak should have turned into a snake man due to the influence of snake man magic only after a certain period following his apprenticeship with Ibon. So, in terms of the timeline, Ling Ishikawa spending a year in Hybrier made sense.

However, what Liu Xing was most concerned about now was what benefits Ling Ishikawa had gained during his year in Hybrier. After all, in his previous short visits to Hybrier, Ling Ishikawa had managed to learn several Magic Spells, albeit some of them were more whimsical than practical. Still, they were Magic Spells. So, Liu Xing was eager to know if Ling Ishikawa had acquired more useful magic during this extended stay, especially spells targeted at mythical creatures in Panlong Town. It would certainly make their current quest easier.

With this in mind, Liu Xing couldn’t help but ask, "Ling Ishikawa, could you please tell us in detail what you experienced during your year in Hybrier?"

Ling Ishikawa nodded and began to speak, "When I returned to Hybrier, I was with Ibon, and we were following our damn cheap master Serak as we left the Mage Tower. We headed to an underground cave recently discovered by a group of shepherds. The first shepherd who found the cave and managed to escape claimed that deep within the cave was a massive city. Moreover, this city didn’t seem abandoned, as they saw signs of activity."

"However, before this group of shepherds could continue exploring the city, they began experiencing various symptoms of poisoning. The first shepherd who found the cave wisely decided to run for his life, and he was the only one who made it out alive. He spread the word about what was happening inside the cave. Serak, however, clearly knew from the beginning that the cave was inhabited by snake men, but he pretended not to."

"When we arrived at the makeshift campsite near the cave, we met some adventurers, mercenaries, and wizards who also wanted to explore the cave. So, the next day, we entered the cave together. We soon discovered the massive city, but even before we could enter, we were attacked by a group of snake men. These snake men used curved weapons that were coated with various poisons."

"As we fought off the snake men, half of our companions died, most of them due to poison. The problem was, most of our fallen companions were melee fighters, which meant we were left without a tank. So, about half of our remaining comrades decided to retreat and leave the cave. At this point, Ibon and I tried to persuade Serak to leave as well, but he was confident that everything would be fine."

"Then, just before entering the city, Serak gave both Ibon and me an amulet with strange symbols on it. According to Serak, this amulet symbolized a great true god named Zhatuogua, who resided underground. Therefore, Zhatuogua would protect its followers who ventured underground. So, Ibon and I relaxed a bit, considering that most of the gods in Hybrier were quite reliable, especially to their followers."

"However, after entering the city, Serak became more active and claimed to know the city’s history. In short, the city was called Youss and was built by an alien race. However, this race offended some deity and was wiped out. Before their demise, they released various toxins into the city’s streets. Hence, only the snake men could inhabit the city."

"Nevertheless, Serak claimed to know how to access the heart of the city, which was the treasury of that alien race. So, the others agreed to let Serak lead the way. He led this group of people into the heart of the city, a magnificent palace. When we entered the palace, Serak instructed Ibon and me to leave immediately. Although we were confused at the time, we followed Serak’s orders and left."

"As we reached the entrance of the city, we saw a formidable-looking snake man handing a scroll made of sheepskin to Serak. After a brief exchange in the snake man’s language, Serak took us away from the underground cave. It was only then that Serak revealed the truth to me and Ibon."

"Firstly, Serak knew from the beginning that the underground city belonged to the snake man clan and that the snake man clan worshiped the deity Zhatuogua. Being a follower of Zhatuogua himself, Serak decided to meet these snake men. He knew that the snake man clan possessed powerful magic. By the time we reached the makeshift campsite, Serak had already entered the underground cave early and made an agreement with the snake man clan."

"The agreement was straightforward. Serak would deceive the explorers into entering the very heart of the city, which was the snake man clan’s sacred ground for rituals. In return, the leader of the snake man clan would give Serak a magic book. In simple terms, Serak traded dozens of lives for the snake man clan’s magic. At that moment, both Ibon and I were shocked. But what astonished us even more was that the so-called Amulets Serak gave us were, in reality, remote-controlled bombs under Serak’s control."

"So, both Ibon and I dared not voice our anger. During this time, Serak saw our potential and decided to take us on as his formal disciples. He then started researching the magic of the snake man clan in seclusion. Ibon and I were granted the freedom to move around, except for Serak’s sealed chamber, which was off-limits."

"At first, I thought I’d be back here soon, so I roamed around aimlessly. By chance, I stumbled upon a spare key to Serak’s sealed chamber, which I casually pocketed. However, I soon realized that this trip to Hybrier was exceptionally long. Thus, I decided to self-study magic in the library. During this year, I managed to learn and master various magic spells. I’ll demonstrate some of them for you later."

"Just about two hours ago, I was practicing a new magic spell, Sensory Magic. In simple terms, it allows me to sense if someone is using Magic Spells within a certain range and, after mastering it, even judge the strength of those spells. I sensed an unusual magical fluctuation coming from Serak’s sealed chamber, which was different from what I had sensed before. So, I decided to enter the chamber, knowing I had the key."

"When I entered the chamber, I found no sign of Serak but encountered a snake man instead. I used sulfuric acid I had on hand to kill the snake man. However, before dying, the snake man used magic on me, transporting me to the wilderness and gradually transforming me into a snake man. I lost consciousness due to the pain. I thought I was going to die this time. But unexpectedly, I returned to Panlong Town, and you all saved me."

"But now, I can feel that I have turned into half a snake man. Overall, it has its advantages and disadvantages. Although my appearance has become somewhat strange, I have gained some snake man abilities. For instance, the snake scales on my left side provide me with some defense. My left eye can see in the dark, and I can also sense changes in temperature in my surroundings, determining the dynamics and conditions of nearby creatures."

Hearing this, Liu Xing nodded, realizing that Ling Ishikawa had gained quite a bit from this journey. He had learned several Magic Spells, acquired some snake man abilities, and most importantly, had killed Serak. Killing Serak was likely part of a world Mission.

However, Liu Xing also noticed that after switching from the "Liu Xing" character card to "WatanabeRyuusei," the world Mission hadn’t transferred to "WatanabeRyuusei." It seemed that Ibon was using the "Liu Xing" character card to help complete the world Mission.

Nevertheless, Ling Ishikawa’s current appearance was unsettling, making it impossible for him to interact with ordinary NPCs. Liu Xing estimated that Ling Ishikawa’s APP value was around 20 or 30 at most, which was unbearable for normal NPCs and made communication difficult.

So, Liu Xing furrowed his brows and said, "Ling Ishikawa, do you know any transformation or disguise spells? Your current appearance is quite terrifying, and I’m afraid people in Panlong Town might mistake you for a monster if you go out like this."

Ling Ishikawa’s expression changed, and he reluctantly said, "I do know a transformation spell, but it has some significant side effects. Personally, I’m not willing to use it, so..."

Zhang Jingxu shook his head and said seriously, "Let me update you on the current situation in Panlong Town first. Then, Ling Ishikawa, you can decide for yourself. Although we’ll be operating mostly covertly, there will be times when we need you to step forward."

Zhang Jingxu proceeded to inform Ling Ishikawa of everything that had happened in Panlong Town during his absence.

"In summary, that’s the current situation. We hope that you can consider the bigger picture, Ling Ishikawa. If the transformation spell has any drawbacks, please let us know, and we’ll help you overcome them," Zhang Jingxu added at the end.

Ling Ishikawa looked somewhat embarrassed but nodded. After thinking for a moment, he mustered the courage to say, "Actually, the transformation spell I’ve learned can be called a Gender Transformation Spell. When used, the caster’s body structure will change completely to that of the opposite gender for about a month, including appearance and voice..."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, barely suppressing his amusement. Although he knew that many of Ling Ishikawa’s learned spells in Hybrier had some quirks, he hadn’t expected this transformation spell to be so peculiar. No wonder Ling Ishikawa was hesitant to use it.

From Ling Ishikawa’s account, it seemed that he had already used the transformation spell once, and it lasted for a month. This meant that he had spent a month as a girl.

At this point, Zhang Jingxu jokingly put his arm around Ling Ishikawa’s shoulder and said, "How about it, Ling Ishikawa? Why don’t you use the transformation spell, and we can have some fun as well?"

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