Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

With a graceful leap, the Black Cat Demon landed on the table beside Liu Xing’s chest, allowing Liu Xing to finally sit up and meet its gaze at eye level instead of looking up while lying down.

However, Liu Xing was still puzzled by why the Black Cat Demon had suddenly sought him out and made him promise such a peculiar oath.

Logically, Liu Xing believed that if the Black Cat Demon had come to find him today, it must have been for assistance or cooperation. After all, there was no reason for the Black Cat Demon to seek him out just for a casual chat. So, if the Black Cat Demon was indeed seeking help or cooperation, why did it insist on keeping this matter a secret from others and involving only him? Liu Xing had a hunch that whatever the Black Cat Demon was about to reveal wouldn’t be simple.

At this moment, the Black Cat Demon spoke, "Well, you should know my current situation by now. I am indeed deceased, but I have no idea why I have appeared as a spirit in this temporal distortion of Panlong Town. However, a voice in my mind has been urging me to find a helper to assist me in returning to life."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, surprised that the Black Cat Demon had truly perished. Nevertheless, he still had some doubts and asked, "Wait a minute, Old Cat, are you saying you’re already dead, and yet when you were crouched on my chest earlier, I could still feel the weight of your body?"

The Black Cat Demon chuckled and extended its paw, swiping it through the table beneath. Liu Xing saw the paw pass right through the table, and with another swipe, a piece of the table was missing.

"You see, I’m not entirely in a spirit state right now. I can freely switch between physical and ethereal forms. You should understand what I mean," the Black Cat Demon said with a grin.

Liu Xing nodded, even though he was still a bit bewildered. He realized that the Black Cat Demon’s current state was incredibly powerful since it could switch between being tangible during attacks and intangible when threatened. Under normal circumstances, the Black Cat Demon seemed nearly invulnerable.

Therefore, Liu Xing silently cautioned himself not to provoke the Black Cat Demon, as he had no idea how he might meet his end if he did.

Seeing Liu Xing’s momentary distraction, the Black Cat Demon tapped the table with its paw and said, "Don’t get distracted, and don’t overthink it. Despite my current state, I’m not as formidable as you might imagine. My powers have been greatly weakened, and I now possess only about a tenth of my former strength. Most of my magic spells are unusable, and I must rely entirely on these claws for attack. However, rest assured, I can still easily dispatch you even with these limitations."

Liu Xing forced a smile and nodded. He knew the Black Cat Demon could indeed defeat him under the current circumstances.

The Black Cat Demon smiled again and continued, "Alright, I won’t tease you any further. But don’t underestimate yourself or feel embarrassed about losing to this old cat. Remember, I’ve lived for many more years than you, and my experiences far outweigh yours. If you can help me with what’s coming next, I’ll reward you with something special."

As soon as the Black Cat Demon finished speaking, KP Snow Wind stepped forward and said, "Congratulations, player Liu Xing, you’ve triggered a Side Quest—The Commission of the Black Cat Demon. If you successfully complete the task the Black Cat Demon has given you, you’ll receive a mysterious reward. However, please note that during this quest, you cannot seek help from others or disclose the details of the Black Cat Demon’s task to anyone else. Violating these two conditions will result in automatic failure of this Side Quest."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, as this Side Quest was somewhat expected.

However, Liu Xing still had one question for the Black Cat Demon. "Old Cat, I have a question. How did you die? Was it at the hands of Gralki, or perhaps the Black Flood Dragon?"

The Black Cat Demon pondered for a moment and then replied somewhat dejectedly, "Actually, I don’t know how I died. It’s rather embarrassing to admit, but I was killed in my sleep. When I realized I was under attack, I hadn’t even opened my eyes before my assailant took my life. However, I can say with certainty that it wasn’t Old Black, the Black Flood Dragon. We were good friends."

Liu Xing was surprised to hear that the Black Cat Demon and the Black Flood Dragon were good friends. After all, the previous accounts of them, especially from Hu Cang, had painted them as bitter enemies.

Could it be that the legends Hu Cang spoke of were incorrect?

Seeing Liu Xing’s astonishment, the Black Cat Demon chuckled and said, "I see you’ve heard that legend, haven’t you? The one that depicts me as a notorious villain who massacred a town’s people, narrowly escaped a highly skilled monk, wreaked havoc in Panlong Town, and ultimately perished alongside a Black-Clothed Taoist, all while being trapped in the bamboo forest next to Panlong Town?"

Liu Xing nodded and replied, "Yes, that’s what I heard. Are you saying that this legend is false?"

The Black Cat Demon smiled again and said seriously, "If you believe me, then yes, that legend is entirely false. Every word of it is fabricated. It was spread by one of my enemies. Would you like to hear my side of the story?"

Liu Xing nodded and said, "I’d like to hear the details."

The Black Cat Demon wore a nostalgic expression and began to speak in a somber tone, "Through a fortunate turn of events, I gained enlightenment and awakened my spiritual consciousness. However, I was still weak, and a Snake Demon had already taken control of the area. I had no choice but to leave my homeland because Cats and Snake Demons are natural enemies. If that Snake Demon had discovered me, I would have met an inevitable demise. As fate would have it, that Snake Demon later became my nemesis. The legend you mentioned earlier was spread by him."

"I was a newly awakened monster with weak combat abilities at that time. I got injured in a hunter’s trap near a place called Wang Family Village and ended up escaping to the village. There, a child named Gou Dan captured me as a pet. However, Gou Dan was quite kind to me, so I stayed peacefully in Wang Family Village, recovering from my injuries and practicing. Life was relatively good."

"After more than a year had passed, my strength had greatly improved, and I could easily take on adult humans one-on-one. However, to hone my combat skills further, I decided to spend some time in the mountains. During the period I left Wang Family Village, a group of bandits massacred all the villagers. So, I decided to seek revenge against these bandits and killed them all on a dark and windy night."

"After eliminating the bandits, I encountered the Snake Demon and a Donkey Demon, who happened to be protectors of those bandits. The bandits had been supplying them with food, and although I wanted to kill them both, I knew it was impossible given my strength at the time. Thus, I chose to flee. However, I was eventually captured by them."

"At the moment of my capture, a Taoist discovered us. The Snake Demon was injured by the Taoist, while I was taken to Panlong Town by the Donkey Demon. The Donkey Demon disguised itself as a monk and built Hualai Temple. Inside the temple, it tormented me in various ways. The Snake Demon also later transformed into a Taoist and came to Panlong Town. They both wanted to torment me, so they never killed me."

"After enduring their torture for a long time, I seized an opportunity to escape. However, it was during this escape that the Donkey Demon attacked some children playing near Hualai Temple. Old Black, surprisingly, intervened and killed the Donkey Demon. But what I didn’t expect was that the Snake Demon later fabricated the legend you heard earlier to tarnish my reputation. It even arranged for another monster to act out the story. I didn’t bother to defend myself, so I ended up in my current state."

Hearing this, Liu Xing suddenly realized the truth. He had always felt that something was off about the legend he had heard. It didn’t make sense that a mischievous child could randomly break the seal on the Black Cat Demon’s box. Furthermore, the Black Flood Dragon in Panlong Town couldn’t have disguised itself as a Taoist and perished alongside the Black Cat Demon.

Now, Liu Xing was inclined to believe the Black Cat Demon’s account. However, he couldn’t help but wonder about the snake’s body they had seen in the illusory realm and the ominous presence deep within the bamboo forest on their first day in Panlong Town.

Liu Xing asked the Black Cat Demon about these two questions.

The Black Cat Demon furrowed its brow and pondered for a moment before saying, "That bamboo forest is indeed suspicious. I couldn’t enter it at all because I felt an invisible barrier blocking me. In my prime, I could have broken through it with magic spells, but now I’m powerless. However, I can confirm that there’s something within that bamboo forest, and it’s been watching Panlong Town."

Liu Xing nodded, in agreement. "I’ve had a similar feeling. One time, when I passed by the bamboo forest, I sensed something deep inside watching me. But let’s get back to the main topic. What do you need me to do, Old Cat?"

The Black Cat Demon chuckled and replied, "I need you to find a few items to help me regain my strength. These items should be somewhere in Panlong Town, but for some reason, I can’t sense them. That’s where you come in. First, I need a cat collar. Although the Snake Demon and Donkey Demon originally made it to control me, the materials used for the collar are quite valuable, and I’ve already broken its enchantments. Even if the Snake Demon is still around, it won’t be able to control me again."

"Next, I need a jade pendant. It has the power to calm the mind and reduce external interference. The pendant might look ordinary, so make sure you collect every jade pendant you can find; don’t let any slip through your fingers. In addition to that, I require four small black orbs. They may appear small, but they are extremely heavy and make no sound. You should be able to easily identify them. If you can’t find all four, that’s fine, but the more, the better."

"Lastly, there’s a white stone, about the size of a common pebble. It’s distinctive because when you touch it, it alternates between feeling hot and cold. Once you get your hands on it, you’ll know you’ve found the right one. If you can retrieve these four items for me, I can regain some of my strength, and we can join forces to confront Gralki and restore Panlong Town to its former state."

Liu Xing appeared calm on the surface but was deeply conflicted internally. He hadn’t expected that three out of the four items the Black Cat Demon needed were already in his possession. However, he couldn’t be sure of the Black Cat Demon’s true intentions. In this module, it was challenging to determine the alignment of important NPCs, whether they were allies or foes.

So, Liu Xing could only be certain that if he handed over all four items to the Black Cat Demon, the Black Cat Demon’s strength would likely recover to somewhere between thirty to fifty percent. In the final battle, the Black Cat Demon might help his group confront Gralki, or it might assist Gralki against them.

Most importantly, Liu Xing couldn’t reveal this to anyone else now, as discussing it with others might lead to his demise, and that could happen at any moment. After all, the Black Cat Demon seemed unaffected by the temporal distortion.

In the midst of his contemplation, the Black Cat Demon suddenly asked, "Kid, what are you thinking about right now?"

Liu Xing quickly replied, "Oh, I was just thinking about whether I’ve seen any of those things you mentioned before."

The Black Cat Demon raised an eyebrow and grinned, saying, "I see. You’re quite proactive, kid. So, tell me, have you seen any of those items I mentioned?"

Liu Xing let out a sigh and said, "To be honest, I might have seen one of those items you mentioned. What do you think it could be?"

Liu Xing’s unexpected counter-question left the Black Cat Demon puzzled.

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