Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 375: The Lost Soul Casket

Returning to their room, Ling Ishikawa couldn’t help but remark, "Leader, I never expected you to be so lucky, gaining the ability of mental communication. Now you can communicate better with Li Dian and the others. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the same luck as you, Leader."

Liu Xing chuckled and replied, "I think this ability I gained might be temporary. After all, Hu Li’s powers might not be strong enough to grant me permanent mental communication. But it’s still a good thing; at least, I won’t be hindered by language barriers for the time being."

After a brief chat with Ling Ishikawa, Liu Xing retired to his bed. However, before going to sleep, he couldn’t resist checking his character card again to see how long the mental communication ability would last.

To his surprise, he couldn’t find the duration of his mental communication ability. Instead, he discovered a significant problem – Ancient One Sirius’s Soul Casket was missing from his personal belongings.

This was quite perplexing because Liu Xing had read "Watanabe Ryuusei’s" memories, confirming that he had brought Ancient One Sirius’s Soul Casket to China. Furthermore, when "Watanabe Ryuusei" had left Rongcheng on the bus, he had specifically checked to ensure he had Ancient One Sirius’s Soul Casket. After all, "Watanabe Ryuusei" had come to China to help Ancient One Sirius find another Ancient One.

Could he have left Ancient One Sirius’s Soul Casket on the bus?

Liu Xing shook his head. This seemed highly unlikely because, based on the contents of the USB drive provided by Yin En, a player’s personal items weren’t carried with them at all times. These items were generally meant to be accessible during the module. Therefore, a player’s personal items were usually locked by default, and they wouldn’t be lost without the player’s knowledge unless intentionally discarded. There would be reminders through Judgments to prevent such losses.

So, Liu Xing was certain that Ancient One Sirius’s Soul Casket hadn’t been lost but had not entered this module due to some other reason. Some modules restricted the use of specific items, much like the ritualistic knife Liu Xing currently possessed, which wouldn’t have been allowed through China’s customs in this module. However, Ancient One Sirius’s Soul Casket seemed to be excluded for different reasons.

This made Liu Xing feel a bit troubled. It appeared that this module was more challenging than he had anticipated. In this real Cthulhu Role-Playing Game Hall, a player’s personal items were their last resort, especially for players who had left the Ghoul area. Their personal items were life-saving assets because the modules in the Cthulhu Role-Playing Game Hall were generally more challenging than those in the real world, and the Keeper (KP) wasn’t as accommodating. Therefore, relying solely on role-playing was unlikely to lead to a smooth completion. This was when personal items came in handy.

For instance, Liu Xing’s Ancient One Sirius’s Soul Casket allowed him to communicate with Ancient One Sirius. Though Sirius’s abilities were significantly weakened, he still possessed vast knowledge as an Ancient One. So, Liu Xing could receive valuable assistance from Sirius, especially in the current situation in Panlong Town. Sirius might hold the key to understanding the situation, which was likely why KP Snow Wind had excluded Ancient One Sirius’s Soul Casket from this module.

Thinking of this, Liu Xing had a sudden insight. He considered a possibility, but without concrete evidence, he decided not to dwell on it. He remembered how he had thought of various wild theories in the previous module, only to find them baseless.

This time, Liu Xing decided to gather solid evidence before exploring his conjectures. This way, he wouldn’t waste time on unfounded speculations.

With that in mind, Liu Xing decided it was time to get some sleep.

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, Liu Xing woke up. Players could set their waking time as long as no unexpected events occurred.

Liu Xing habitually went to the window to observe Panlong Town’s situation, attempting to estimate the time based on the clothing of the residents. The attire of people on the streets indicated that many were already active. Several three-wheeled carts laden with various goods, such as fruits and commodities, were coming from the direction of the bridge.

It seemed like today was Panlong Town’s market day.

Market day was a common practice in rural towns like Shudu. It meant that residents gathered for a market day every three or six days, providing an opportunity to purchase essential goods.

This brought back fond memories for Liu Xing. When he was young, he often visited his grandparents in his hometown, and during market days, his grandmother would take him to the market to buy delicious treats. While those delicacies might not hold up to his current standards, the warm memories remained unforgettable.

Just then, Hu Cang arrived to invite Liu Xing and the others for breakfast.

However, this time, Hu Cang didn’t immediately leave but approached Liu Xing with some hesitation. He apologized, "I’m sorry, Mr. Ryuusei. Last night, I was a bit impatient, and my words were too harsh. I hope you don’t take it to heart."

Liu Xing, not wanting to hold a grudge, quickly responded, "No, no, Hu Cang, it’s me who should apologize. I tend to be straightforward in my speech and didn’t consider your privacy when asking pointed questions. So please don’t blame me."

Thus, Liu Xing and Hu Cang reconciled.

Zhang Jingxu then emerged from the room and inquired, "Hu Cang, do you have any idea of the current time and any significant events happening now?"

Hu Cang shook his head, regretfully saying, "I’m not entirely sure of the current time because in Panlong Town, market days occur every three or six days due to temporal distortions. It means that we encounter a market day almost every time, except for the ones early in the morning when people come for medical treatment. I’ll need some time to determine the specific time."

Zhang Jingxu nodded, slightly intrigued, and suggested, "In that case, is there still television signal available in Panlong Town? If so, we can use that to better determine the time."

Hu Cang shook his head and smiled, "That’s impossible. In Panlong Town, we’ve lost all contact with the outside world. Neither television signals nor phone lines work. What’s even more peculiar is that, apart from me, the other residents of Panlong Town seem to have forgotten about this."

Liu Xing had expected this situation, as Hu Cang described.

At this moment, Li Dian and Wan Chongshan also came out of their rooms. However, Liu Xing noticed that Ling Ishikawa was nowhere to be seen.

Could it be?

Hurrying back to his room, Liu Xing confirmed his suspicions – Ling Ishikawa had disappeared again. It appeared that Ling Ishikawa had been transported to Hybrier once more.

This actually relieved Liu Xing because if Ling Ishikawa could be transported to Hyb

rier, it meant that Panlong Town was not a completely sealed space. Ling Ishikawa could seek guidance from his master, Serak, and inquire about the Great Old One responsible for the current eerie state of Panlong Town. Additionally, he could explore possible methods to reverse the situation.

So, Liu Xing was eager for Ling Ishikawa to return safely from Hybrier, bearing valuable information.

Leaving the room, Liu Xing noticed that Zhang Jingxu and the others had already gone downstairs for breakfast.

As Liu Xing descended the stairs, he pondered how to explain the sudden disappearance of Ling Ishikawa. After all, in the previous module, when Miyako Goudong and Panda Pig learned that Ling Ishikawa could cross through time and space, they lost some sanity points. To protect the sanity of Wan Chongshan and Li Dian, Liu Xing decided to change the explanation.

Upon reaching the dining area, Liu Xing pretended to be somewhat flustered and said, "Something major has happened! It seems like Ling Ishikawa has suddenly disappeared!"

This statement surprised everyone present.

However, Zhang Jingxu, who was privy to the situation, quickly caught on and understood why Liu Xing was doing this. He decided to cooperate, saying, "What? How could Ling Ishikawa just vanish like that? Could some monsters or demons have abducted him? Or is Ling Ishikawa playing a prank on us?"

Seeing Zhang Jingxu’s cooperation, Liu Xing continued, "Ling Ishikawa and I are very close friends, so I know him well. He wouldn’t play such a mysterious prank, and there are no suspicious signs in the room. Therefore, I think Ling Ishikawa might have disappeared out of thin air."

Liu Xing and Zhang Jingxu played their roles convincingly, making Wan Chongshan and Li Dian realize that Ling Ishikawa’s disappearance must involve hidden circumstances. They understood that Liu Xing and Zhang Jingxu were doing this to protect their sanity, as they were well aware that Wan Chongshan and Li Dian were seasoned players and had never encountered such a sanity-deduction method before.

So, Wan Chongshan and Li Dian appreciated Liu Xing and Zhang Jingxu’s consideration and decided to play along.

With that, Hu Cang, who was initially baffled, accepted the explanation that Ling Ishikawa’s disappearance was due to the temporal distortion in Panlong Town.

The matter was temporarily settled.

At the breakfast table, Liu Xing and the others understood the importance of staying in character. After speculating about Ling Ishikawa’s disappearance for a while, they began discussing their plans for the day.

Liu Xing took a bite of a steamed bun and said, "After breakfast, I’ll go talk to Hu Li thoroughly. If I haven’t returned by noon, it means I haven’t reached an agreement with Hu Li and might have been killed by her. However, since we can all resurrect, there’s no need for you to seek revenge for me. Just be cautious, as Hu Li might target you next."

Zhang Jingxu nodded and said with a smile, "Indeed, even if we wanted to seek revenge for you, Ryuusei, it would be nearly impossible. Hu Li is too cunning to give us such an opportunity. So, we won’t waste time and energy on a futile attempt. Here, we can only toast with soy milk and wish you success in returning alive."

Liu Xing nodded in agreement and replied, "Thank you, Mr. Zhang, for your well wishes. I’ll do my best to come back alive. However, I’m not sure if Hu Li will give me that chance."

Wan Chongshan, sitting beside them, smiled and added, "Let’s hope that Hu Li will be reasonable this time and won’t kill you outright. Later, I plan to go to the market with Li Dian and explore Panlong Town a bit. We haven’t had the chance to explore it thoroughly yet, so Zhang Jingxu, would you like to join us?"

Zhang Jingxu considered it and then nodded, saying, "Sure, I’ll join you. We can gather some useful information while we’re out, like where to find gasoline."

"Gasoline?" Hu Cang looked puzzled.

Zhang Jingxu realized he had revealed some information inadvertently but didn’t mind. He admitted, "Yes, we’ve learned some specific information about the pig head butcher from Zhong Rensan. We know that the pig head butcher is extremely afraid of fire. As we mentioned earlier, we need to eliminate all the monsters in Panlong Town first to lift the temporal distortion, and our primary target is the pig head butcher. Since he’s a zombie, his weakness is obvious. We just need to find him during the day and douse him with gasoline to burn him."

Hu Cang nodded and said, "I see. This approach should be effective in dealing with the pig head butcher. However, there are hardly any motorcycles in Panlong Town now, which means there isn’t much gasoline stored in people’s homes. But I do know one person who has enough gasoline, and that’s Wang Anquan."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, surprised that Wang Anquan had a significant amount of gasoline.

He asked, "Hu Cang, didn’t you mention that Wang Anquan’s family is of modest means? How could he afford a motorcycle and have so much gasoline at home?"

Hu Cang pointed to his leg and explained, "Well, Wang Anquan is actually a disabled person. A few years ago, he had his leg broken by someone from a neighboring town while they were riding a motorcycle. As compensation, the person who caused the accident gave Wang Anquan a motorcycle and several cans of gasoline. Since they are all villagers here, they settled the matter privately. Wang Anquan accepted the offer, especially since having a motorcycle allowed him to earn extra money by renting it out to residents who needed to travel quickly. That’s why he often has a can of gasoline or two stored at home. If you’re willing to pay, Wang Anquan will sell it to you."

Zhang Jingxu nodded and said, "That sounds good. Later, Wan Chongshan and I will go find Wang Anquan and try to purchase a can of gasoline. However, we don’t know Wang Anquan’s exact address yet."

Hu Cang thought for a moment and then admitted, "Well, I don’t know Wang Anquan very well. I only heard about him from others after the Black Internet Cafe arson incident. I know that Wang Anquan lives near the rear bridge of Panlong Town, but I don’t have the specific address. You can ask around when you’re on the street, and someone should know where Wang Anquan lives."

Liu Xing suddenly remembered something and asked, "Hu Cang, I have a question. In the illusion yesterday, Zhang Jingxu and I visited a place called Panlong Lake. Is Panlong Lake the same as the Panlong Reservoir you mentioned earlier? But when we explored Panlong Town the day before, we couldn’t find Panlong Lake anywhere."

Hearing Liu Xing’s question, Hu Cang shook his head with a hint of helplessness and said, "Well, it’s a bit complicated. Panlong Reservoir is indeed Panlong Lake. After all, reservoirs are usually built on lakes to save costs. But as for why Panlong Lake has suddenly disappeared, I’m not entirely sure. When I returned to Panlong Town, I found that Panlong Lake had vanished without a trace."

Liu Xing had a hunch and seemed to have guessed the identity of the Great Old One responsible for these strange occurrences.

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