Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Liu Xing furrowed his brows as he contemplated the situation. If the Pig Head Butcher had gone berserk due to Gralki’s awakening, there was a possibility that the mysterious statue underground in Panlong Town might also emerge because of Gralki’s revival.

Liu Xing was concerned that if the mysterious statue were to surface, it could unleash even more terrifying disturbances, affecting the entire population of Panlong Town. This could potentially plunge the entire town into chaos.

However, due to the ongoing heavy rain, Liu Xing found it impractical to venture to Panlong Town Middle School to investigate further. Therefore, he could only bide his time for now.

Glancing at his phone, Liu Xing noted that it was only around noon. It seemed like another boring afternoon awaited them.

Suddenly, Zhang Jingxu interjected, "Uh-oh, I just realized something. When we were in front of Hu Li, we kept addressing Ling Ishikawa as ’Ling Ishikawa’ instead of ’Ishikawa Ayako’ or just ’Ayako,’ didn’t we?"

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Yes, that’s right. At that time, I was a bit nervous and forgot that Hu Li was nearby. So, I directly called her ’Ling Ishikawa.’ But given the circumstances, Hu Li probably won’t mind these details. Besides, I was speaking in the Island Nation Language, so telepathic communication could be considered a form of translation. Hu Li might think she misheard or misunderstood... Well, I can’t keep making excuses. Ling Ishikawa, you’re on your own."

At this point, Ling Ishikawa wore a resigned expression and replied, "Well, I think I’m on the brink of death now. You guys better prepare to collect my corpse. After all, Hu Li is a perceptive person. She probably suspects or even knows my true identity by now... Oh well, I believe Hu Li will eventually realize my true identity because the few times I met her alone, I could sense her subtly probing me, and I’ve shown some vulnerabilities."

Liu Xing nodded and reassured, "It’s alright. We won’t really die in Panlong Town, and now we have a cooperative relationship with Hu Li. She probably won’t act recklessly against us anymore. After all, our only chance to leave this temporal distortion in Panlong Town and return to the real world is through cooperation."

"I hope so," sighed Ling Ishikawa, sensing the awkward atmosphere.

To lighten the mood, Zhang Jingxu chuckled and said, "But all jokes aside, we’ve been pretty lucky today. If we hadn’t obtained gasoline from Wang Anquan, we’d probably be huddled in our homes right now, trembling in fear. Moreover, that berserk Pig Head Butcher might have broken in and attacked us."

Liu Xing nodded, understanding that in the Cthulhu RPG Game, the Pig Head Butcher would definitely target the players if it chose to attack.

So, Liu Xing could imagine the chaotic scene of himself and his group fleeing through the streets with the Pig Head Butcher in pursuit.

Looking back, he realized that Zhang Jingxu and the others had been fortunate to meet Wang Anquan and secure gasoline.

Speaking of Wang Anquan, Liu Xing suddenly thought of an issue and asked, "By the way, Zhang Jingxu, didn’t you say earlier that Wang Anquan would need until tomorrow to provide us with the animal traps he’s crafting for us? But once tonight passes, it will be a new day. So, won’t we miss out on those traps?"

The smile on Zhang Jingxu’s face gradually faded. "You’re right. It seems we’ll have to pay another visit to Wang Anquan later to get as many traps as we can. However, now that the Pig Head Butcher has been turned into barbecue, we don’t need to worry about any mythical creatures suddenly emerging in the downpour."

Wan Chongshan chimed in, "Indeed, we’ve been fortunate. Even if we don’t get those traps, we can still hold off the Black Cat Demon long enough for Hu Li to intercept Gu Master Chaxi on the supermarket rooftop. But due to certain ’unmentionable’ reasons, I have to keep that to myself."

Liu Xing couldn’t help but think of another matter. He spoke earnestly, "Speaking of this heavy rain, it’s the perfect time for water ghosts to be active. Do you think water ghosts might be roaming around in the downpour?"

Zhang Jingxu furrowed his brow, pondering for a moment before saying, "It’s indeed a possibility. Normally, water ghosts stay submerged in water, and even when they come ashore, it’s usually along riverbanks or lakeshores with abundant moisture. In conditions like this heavy rain, water ghosts could indeed wander around Panlong Town. So, when we go to Wang Anquan later, we might encounter water ghosts."

Li Dian, feeling somewhat frustrated, added, "On that note, we don’t seem to have any effective methods to deal with water ghosts. Our bird gun is definitely useless, and while Ling Ishikawa’s thunder and lightning technique theoretically deals high damage to water ghosts, it requires hitting them first, and the water ghosts can’t stay in the water. As for close combat, well, none of us are skilled fighters..."

Ling Ishikawa shrugged, saying, "If I had a suitable weapon, my melee abilities would be quite decent. However, I doubt I’ll find any suitable weapons in Panlong Town, and using shape-shifting significantly weakens my strength."

Liu Xing glanced at Ling Ishikawa’s currently slender arms and legs, nodding in understanding.

Just then, Hu Cang brought out lunch, and they all began eating, despite the peculiar "meat aroma" still wafting in from outside the door.

After finishing their meal, Liu Xing and the others returned to the third floor to rest in their respective rooms. With the heavy rain outside, there wasn’t much they could do.

Liu Xing gazed at the pouring rain outside and turned to Zhang Jingxu, asking, "Zhang Jingxu, how is it possible that China’s Daoist sects didn’t notice Panlong Town’s eerie state, especially considering it’s located near Rongcheng? It should have been relatively easy to discover, right?"

Liu Xing had wanted to ask this question for a while now. According to Hu Cang, Panlong Town was located near Rongcheng, just an hour’s drive away, and it had close ties to the surrounding towns, as evidenced by the number of outside vendors coming to Fengchang Tian.

Furthermore, Panlong Town still had hundreds of residents. Therefore, the situation in Panlong Town in 1999 should have already come to the attention of relevant authorities. Supernatural events like this would undoubtedly be known to the Daoist sects in China, especially since more than a decade had passed.

Something didn’t add up.

Zhang Jingxu rubbed his chin, feeling conflicted. "Ryuusei, you’re right. According to all logic, the Daoist sects in China should have been aware of Panlong Town’s situation. China’s Daoist sects have been cooperating with the government, and if any supernatural phenomena occurred within China’s borders, the government would notify the Daoist sects to handle it. In a case like Panlong Town, it would be impossible for it to remain undiscovered and unaddressed for over a decade."

"Moreover, according to the regulations of our Daoist sects in China, in cases like Panlong Town, which are exceptionally rare, whether or not the Daoist sects have fully resolved the situation, they would still provide certain details and recommendations to make their members aware of such occurrences. This way, members would have some understanding of how to handle such situations when they encounter them. However, to my knowledge, the Daoist sects in China haven’t disclosed any information about Panlong Town."

At this point, Liu Xing was even more puzzled. "That’s strange. Could it be that Gralki’s power is so immense that it can completely erase Panlong Town from the real world or erase its existence from the real world?"

Zhang Jingxu shook his head and said resignedly, "Ryuusei, what you’re suggesting is even less likely. While the Great Old Ones are indeed powerful, their abilities haven’t exceeded our comprehension. You understand what I mean, right, Ryuusei?"

Liu Xing understood Zhang Jingxu’s meaning, as he had raised this issue himself. However, he realized that he could now entertain a daring idea, even though it lacked evidence.

Soon, the afternoon passed by.

Having spent an idle afternoon, Liu Xing and his group intended to go their separate ways after dinner.

Liu Xing, of course, had no intention of going to Wang Anquan’s place since he still needed to meet the Black Cat Demon on the rooftop.

With a little instigation from Liu Xing for safety’s sake, Ling Ishikawa and her group decided to visit Wang Haiyang together.

After Ling Ishikawa’s group left, Liu Xing grabbed an umbrella and headed to the rooftop.

On the rooftop, the Black Cat Demon was crouched on the railing of a small fishpond, quietly watching the fish.

As a supernatural being, the Black Cat Demon remained completely dry despite the heavy rain, which seemed to magically avoid touching its body.

Impressive.

Upon seeing Liu Xing, the Black Cat Demon smiled and said, "I thought you wouldn’t come to the rooftop in this heavy rain today. I was planning to summon you up here early tomorrow."

Liu Xing shook his head and replied earnestly, "That’s impossible, Cat Elder. If you call me, how could I not come? Besides, you’re here with valuable information for us. Both personally and for the greater good, I should come."

Timing was everything.

The Black Cat Demon chuckled and said, "Looks like you know how to talk. I like people like you. Alright, since your friends are all out, let’s go back to your room to talk. I can’t let you stand here in the rain."

Liu Xing nodded, following the Black Cat Demon downstairs.

Back in the room, Liu Xing couldn’t wait to ask, "Cat Elder, how is the situation now?"

After a moment of thought, the Black Cat Demon began to speak, "Gu Master Chaxi has already sensed that something is amiss. Your actions today while dealing with the Pig Head Butcher raised his suspicions. After all, there’s a certain connection between Gu Master Chaxi and the Pig Head Butcher. So, after seeing you kill the Pig Head Butcher, he arranged for Xiao Dafu and others to monitor you, and Gu Master Chaxi has likely learned some information about you through Xiao Dafu."

"However, these details aren’t important. Because at the next time point, Gu Master Chaxi shouldn’t retain any memories from this moment. So, you don’t need to worry about him being on guard against you. But for safety’s sake, you must deal with Gu Master Chaxi as soon as possible. You probably guessed it, but Gralki has already awakened, and it almost discovered me."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, realizing that the Black Cat Demon didn’t know how to break Gralki’s barrier.

So, Liu Xing asked tentatively, "Cat Elder, do you know Green Willow?"

Upon hearing the words "Green Willow," the Black Cat Demon’s eyes sharpened. "Green Willow, huh? I didn’t expect you to know her name. Anyway, let me give you a piece of advice: you should be cautious about getting too close to that person. You might end up getting duped."

Liu Xing furrowed his brow, surprised by the Black Cat Demon’s evaluation of Green Willow.

It seemed that the Black Cat Demon had some unresolved issues with her.

Liu Xing quickly changed the subject, "I see. Thank you for your advice, Cat Elder. Now, back to the main topic, how powerful is Gu Master Chaxi now? Has he set any traps in the supermarket building?"

The Black Cat Demon pondered for a moment before replying, "Gu Master Chaxi is indeed a cautious person. He has not only set various traps inside the supermarket building but also modified the entire structure. If you enter without caution, you will be caught off guard by Gu Master Chaxi. However, I’ve obtained the structural layout of the supermarket building and the locations of the traps. I’ll give them to you later."

[Thanks for reading at Patreon.com/maxnkoga , if you supporting this novel, a heartfelt thankyou, enjoy the content!]