Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Liu Xing chuckled and nodded, saying, "Thank you, Cat Elder. But I’m curious about why you’ve come to find me at this moment."

The Black Cat Demon nodded and looked in the direction of the supermarket building. "I’ve come to remind you of something. At this time, Gu Master Chaxi is likely to leave the supermarket and head to the mountains near Panlong Town to collect insects for refining gu worms. So, I believe you and your group would be willing to intercept Gu Master Chaxi."

After hearing the Black Cat Demon’s words, Liu Xing was momentarily puzzled but quickly realized they had been in a misconception. They had been planning to set traps on the rooftop of the supermarket, assuming Gu Master Chaxi would leave the supermarket first, but they forgot they could directly attack him while he was outside collecting insects.

Gu Masters collecting insects outside wouldn’t carry too many gu worms with them, making it a good opportunity to ambush them.

With this in mind, Liu Xing couldn’t help but thank the Black Cat Demon. "Thank you for your reminder. I’ll inform the others about this information, and I believe they’ll also choose to intercept Gu Master Chaxi when he’s outside."

The Black Cat Demon smiled and nodded. "That’s the idea, but I’m concerned you might hesitate in the heat of the moment. When Gu Master Chaxi goes out, he always has those addicts he controls follow him secretly. So, if you decide to intercept him, you won’t have to deal with a large number of gu worms, but you’ll likely have to fight those addicts, even kill them."

Liu Xing frowned, realizing that the Black Cat Demon had hit the key point.

Liu Xing sighed and said, "I understand your point, Cat Elder. I’ll talk to my companions about it. I believe they’ll be willing to take action, especially considering that those addicts are not good people, and most of the people in Panlong Town are probably already dead."

The Black Cat Demon nodded and confirmed, "You’re right. I can assure you that none of the natives in Panlong Town are alive now, so you don’t need to feel any psychological pressure. After all, killing humans and killing zombies are two different concepts."

Liu Xing thought about it and agreed that killing zombies wouldn’t weigh on their conscience.

Just as Liu Xing was about to speak, a sudden cold wind made him sneeze.

"Ah, young one, your physical condition needs improvement if you can’t even withstand a bit of cold wind. Well, the matter is settled now. You better go back and put on some more clothes. But don’t forget what you promised me. Time is running out, and if you kill Gu Master Chaxi, you’ll have to face Gralki next. So, you better find those four items for me as soon as possible," the Black Cat Demon said and then left the rooftop.

Liu Xing shrugged and thought that the Black Cat Demon really didn’t feel the cold, being a mythical creature who had practiced for hundreds of years. They also had protective magic spells.

Back on the third floor, Liu Xing immediately put on an extra layer of clothing.

Zhang Jingxu, in the room, noticed and asked, "Ryuusei, where did you just go? Ling Ishikawa came looking for you once, and I told him to check the restroom, but he came back saying you weren’t there. Judging by your appearance, it seems you went to the rooftop again."

Liu Xing felt a bit embarrassed but nodded and said, "Yes, I went to the rooftop again to check if there were any more glass bottles. We need them to make more Molotov cocktails for a better chance against Gu Master Chaxi. However, I didn’t realize it’s already winter."

Zhang Jingxu nodded and said with a smile, "I see. Well, it looks like I’ll need to wear more layers today too. But on another note, Ryuusei, you should go find Ling Ishikawa now. He seems quite anxious."

Taking the hint, Liu Xing left the room to find Ling Ishikawa.

Ling Ishikawa was engrossed in Seirath’s notebook when Liu Xing approached. "Ling Ishikawa, is there something you needed from me?" Liu Xing asked.

Ling Ishikawa put down the notebook and turned to Liu Xing. "Here’s the situation. You mentioned earlier that you wanted to go to Panlong Town Junior High to check on that statue. Considering the limited time, I think we should go there right now."

Liu Xing thought for a moment and nodded. "You’re right; time is running short. Let’s go to Panlong Town Junior High to see if the statue has been unearthed. However, it’s quite cold today, so make sure to wear extra layers before we head out."

Ling Ishikawa agreed and put on an additional layer of clothing before joining Liu Xing. They left the room together.

At the entrance, they ran into Hu Cang. Liu Xing quickly gave a plausible reason, explaining that he and Ling Ishikawa planned to take a walk around Panlong Town to check the area around Panlong River where the Black Flood Dragon might be. Hu Cang accepted the explanation and reminded them to return in time for dinner.

Leaving Hu Cang’s place, Liu Xing and Ling Ishikawa headed straight to Panlong Town Junior High.

As they approached the Black Internet Cafe, Liu Xing felt an inexplicable pressure, making him uneasy. Liu Xing and Ling Ishikawa exchanged glances, and their eyes conveyed vigilance and concern.

"Master, do you still want to go to Panlong Town Junior High? It seems that the statue has probably been unearthed," Ling Ishikawa asked.

After considering it, Liu Xing nodded. "Since we’re already here, let’s take a look at Panlong Town Junior High. Seeing is believing, and if we notice anything unusual, we can quickly retreat. There shouldn’t be any problems."

With that decision, Liu Xing and Ling Ishikawa entered Panlong Town Junior High. However, at that moment, something unexpected happened.

While Liu Xing easily entered the school, Ling Ishikawa seemed to hit an invisible barrier and was pushed back, looking surprised.

"What’s wrong, Ling Ishikawa?" Liu Xing asked with some confusion.

Ling Ishikawa didn’t reply but made another attempt to enter Panlong Town Junior High from Liu Xing’s position, only to find himself still blocked by an invisible barrier outside the school.

After confirming that he couldn’t enter Panlong Town Junior High, Ling Ishikawa finally spoke, "Master, I can’t enter Panlong Town Junior High. It seems like I’m blocked by an invisible barrier."

Liu Xing knew that Ling Ishikawa wouldn’t joke at a time like this, so he decided to leave Panlong Town Junior High. After all, a wise man doesn’t stand under a leaning wall, and Liu Xing didn’t intend to take any unnecessary risks.

However, Liu Xing soon discovered that he was seemingly trapped inside Panlong Town Junior High by the same invisible barrier, unable to leave.

Seeing Liu Xing also unable to leave Panlong Town Junior High, Ling Ishikawa worriedly suggested, "Master, should I go and get Hu Li and the others to help?"

Liu Xing thought for a moment and shook his head. "No need for that. Even if Hu Li and the others come, I doubt it would make a difference. For now, I’ll go inside and see what’s happening. If I don’t return within half an hour, you can go back and inform Zhang Jingxu and the others not to come to this place."

Ling Ishikawa sighed in resignation and said, "It seems like that’s our only option. But please be careful, Master."

Liu Xing nodded, took a deep breath, and then turned to enter the school’s playground.

As soon as he entered the playground, Liu Xing saw a statue about ten meters tall leaning against one of the school buildings. The statue was surrounded by dark swirling currents.

What surprised Liu Xing even more was the statue’s appearance – it was a black coiled dragon!

Liu Xing immediately understood what was happening and took out the Black Flood Dragon’s scale from his pocket.

As expected, the Black Flood Dragon’s scale was gently trembling now.

Seeing this, Liu Xing contacted KP Snow Wind, "KP, can I infuse MP into the Black Flood Dragon’s scale now and establish a connection with the Black Flood Dragon?"

KP Snow Wind chuckled and replied, "Of course."

With that, the Black Flood Dragon’s scale flew out of Liu Xing’s hand and landed on top of the statue, emitting a blinding light.

When Liu Xing’s vision cleared, he saw a young man dressed in black standing before him.

This must be the Black Flood Dragon.

Before Liu Xing could speak, the Black Flood Dragon asked, "I sense the scent of the old cat on you. Is it the old cat who sent you to find me?"

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, realizing that the Black Cat Demon had at least been truthful about their relationship.

Liu Xing replied, "Yes, it was Cat Elder who sent me to find you, Jiao Dragon."

The Black Flood Dragon chuckled and nodded. "It seems the old cat hasn’t forgotten about me, but speaking of which, even though I’m trapped in this statue, I can still sense the anomalies in Panlong Town and my current situation. So, I suppose the old cat is in a soul state as well. By the way, you can call me Dragon Elder."

Liu Xing nodded and said, "Alright, Dragon Elder. Cat Elder is indeed in a soul state like you, but Cat Elder can still move freely within Panlong Town."

The Black Flood Dragon’s eyes dimmed for a moment, and he sighed. "You’re right. Cat Elder is in a much better situation than me. After Gralki killed me, I’ve been in a soul state, trapped inside this statue. If it weren’t for you bringing in my scale, I wouldn’t be able to come out and meet you."

Liu Xing pondered for a moment and asked, "Dragon Elder, do you know how we can rescue you from this statue?"

After a moment of silence, the Black Flood Dragon replied, "You should go find Cat Elder for that. Right now, I only know that I’m trapped in this statue, but I’m not entirely sure about the specifics of this situation. I’ll have to rely on Cat Elder to investigate. I’m about to return to the statue now, so the rest is up to you."

Liu Xing nodded and said earnestly, "Alright, I’ll go find Cat Elder then. But please, Dragon Elder, open the exit for me."

"Exit? What exit?" the Black Flood Dragon asked, puzzled.

Furrowing his brows, Liu Xing was about to respond when he saw the Black Flood Dragon transform into a black mist and return to the statue.

"What’s going on? If the invisible barrier at the entrance wasn’t set up by the Black Flood Dragon, then who could it be? And why am I able to come out again? Is it because of the Black Flood Dragon’s scale? Can I still go back in?" Liu Xing mused to himself.

After a while of thinking and unable to come up with answers, Liu Xing decided to test his luck and walked toward the entrance. To his surprise, this time he was able to walk out of Panlong Town Junior High freely.

However, when Liu Xing attempted to re-enter Panlong Town Junior High, he found himself blocked by the same invisible barrier.

Meanwhile, Ling Ishikawa, who had been observing from a distance, approached and smiled, "I knew you’d be alright, Master. But did you find anything inside Panlong Town Junior High?"

Liu Xing nodded and rubbed his temples, saying, "The statue buried beneath Panlong Town Junior High has indeed been unearthed. However, its purpose was beyond my expectations. It’s specifically designed to trap the Black Flood Dragon’s soul. Luckily, I managed to meet the Black Flood Dragon’s soul. But there are still some things I don’t quite understand. Let’s discuss it while we walk."

Ling Ishikawa nodded, and they left together.

Unbeknownst to them, on the rooftop of Panlong Town Junior High, a black man smoking a cigar was watching them. Beside him, a young man in black clothing with a cigarette gun lounged on a chair.

"Boss, that person named Watanabe Ryuusei is an acquaintance of mine. Can you cut him some slack?" the black man suddenly spoke.

The young man took a drag from his cigarette and smiled. "Since you’re asking, Aughra, I’ll definitely consider it."

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