Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 344: Dealing with Shoggoth

Panda Pig is dead?!

Upon hearing KP Green Light’s words, Liu Xing couldn’t help but be taken aback. After all, he had returned to his room and entered the Soul Casket right after the discussion had ended. So, at most, only one or two minutes had passed since he had last seen Panda Pig. How could Panda Pig have died so suddenly?

Even more concerning was KP Green Light’s mention of Matsui Yui acting so quickly. This implied that Matsui Yui had taken action without KP Green Light’s knowledge, and it seemed that Matsui Yui had personally killed Panda Pig.

Thinking about this, Liu Xing initially wanted to leave the Soul Casket and investigate in the real world. However, he quickly realized that he had no valid reason to do so at the moment. He couldn’t just tell Sirius that he suddenly needed to use the restroom. He had to stay inside the Soul Casket for the time being.

Moreover, Liu Xing was worried that Matsui Yui might still be at the crime scene. If he happened to stumble upon Matsui Yui and Panda Pig’s bodies, it would be disastrous. After all, Liu Xing’s character card’s combat abilities were nothing to brag about, and without summoning Byakhee, he might not stand a chance against Panda Pig.

Furthermore, Matsui Yui was likely accompanied by Shoggoth.

Seeing Liu Xing lost in thought, Sirius asked, "Liu Xing, what’s on your mind?"

Liu Xing snapped out of his thoughts and quickly replied, "It’s nothing, I just suddenly remembered something, so my mind wandered for a moment. But speaking of which, Sirius, the time flow inside this Soul Casket seems to differ significantly from the outside world."

Sirius nodded and smiled, saying, "That’s correct. If the time flow inside the Soul Casket matched the outside world’s time flow, I would have perished many years ago. When you entered my Soul Casket, it may have felt instantaneous, but in reality, an hour had passed. You see, even with your access card to my Soul Casket, you still had to undergo various checks to enter Fisher’s Village. We can’t take any chances with individuals like the Yis People potentially tampering with your soul."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, finally understanding. It meant that Matsui Yui might not have arrived at the villa to kill Panda Pig immediately. Panda Pig had mentioned his plans to explore Fisher’s Village on a side quest that night. So, Matsui Yui might have killed Panda Pig when he left the villa.

Realizing this, Liu Xing breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that Matsui Yui was likely not still inside the villa.

This time, Liu Xing didn’t forget that he was in the middle of a conversation with Sirius. After briefly drifting in thought, he continued, "Back to the main topic, Sirius, what are your thoughts on Shoggoth? Especially when it comes to battling them. My situation doesn’t look great, and I might have to face the Shoggoths who escaped from the underground defense facility."

Sirius furrowed his brow and sighed. "It depends on the situation. As you know, Shoggoths possess incredible evolutionary abilities. Over the years, they have likely evolved significantly from the time I controlled them. So, the methods I used to deal with them back then might be outdated."

"However, if these Shoggoths are now under the control of the Deep One clan, there are a few methods that might still work. Our Ancient One clan and the Deep Ones share some techniques for controlling Shoggoths, such as using certain magic spells to subdue them. But these spells wouldn’t work for you, as your vocal organs differ significantly from ours, and you can’t use our magic."

"But I assume you’ve been to my storage room. Inside, you should find a Shoggoth suppression device specifically designed to control Shoggoths. It’s made from highly advanced composite materials and won’t easily break. You can use this device to deal with Shoggoths."

Liu Xing nodded and then asked, "I see. So, how do I use this Shoggoth suppression device? I can’t just walk up to a Shoggoth and put it on them, I wouldn’t be able to do that."

Sirius smiled and projected an image of the Shoggoth suppression device, pointing to a subtle protrusion in the center. "This is the activation mechanism for the Shoggoth suppression device. Each device corresponds to a specific Shoggoth. When you press this button, the device will automatically move to control the corresponding Shoggoth. The device has a range of up to twenty meters and requires the target Shoggoth to be within your line of sight for the dynamic tracking system to work."

Liu Xing suddenly understood. The Shoggoth suppression device was essentially a modified elf ball that could reassert control over a previously captured Shoggoth.

"By the way, my Shoggoth suppression device is specifically designed to control the most powerful Shoggoth currently present in Fisher’s Village. So, if you spot a Shoggoth noticeably larger than the others, you can use the device to capture it. As long as there are no unforeseen complications, you should be successful, and that Shoggoth will be at your disposal," Sirius explained.

Sirius’ words gave Liu Xing some reassurance. Now he had a chance to capture an elite-level Shoggoth, which would certainly help him overcome his disadvantages. However, the odds were still stacked against him.

Liu Xing pondered for a moment and then asked, "Apart from the Shoggoth suppression device, are there any other ways to deal with Shoggoths? Relying solely on one device won’t guarantee my survival against the horde of Shoggoths."

Sirius smiled again and pointed to Liu Xing’s chest, saying, "Liu Xing, haven’t you used the Identity Verification Device? You’re now at the same rank as me in terms of military officials."

Blushing, Liu Xing replied somewhat sheepishly, "I didn’t expect Sirius to notice that."

Sirius nodded and said, "Of course. Our Ancient One clan’s identity verification is like placing a seal on our respective souls. We can instantly recognize each other’s status. But your situation is unique, so you can’t yet see my identity, whereas I can see yours."

"Speaking of which, I mentioned to you before, Shoggoths once rebelled under our Ancient One’s command. So, we devised various methods to control them, one of which involves implanting a control chip inside their bodies. This chip prevents Shoggoths from launching attacks against us Ancient Ones. Moreover, when your rank reaches a certain level, you can directly control Shoggoths for your own purposes."

"However, while these chips are claimed to be permanent, they can still get damaged for various reasons. So, there’s a good chance that more than fifty percent of the chips inside the Shoggoths in Fisher’s Village have been damaged. It’s also possible that the Deep Ones controlling them have discovered these chips and removed them."

At first, Liu Xing felt hopeful upon hearing Sirius’s words, thinking he might have a chance to control all the Shoggoths in Fisher’s Village and achieve greatness. However, as Sirius continued, Liu Xing realized he was being overly optimistic.

In Liu Xing’s view, the Shoggoths in Fisher’s Village had been controlled by the Deep Ones over a decade ago, and these new-generation Deep Ones had likely forgotten about the Ancient Ones. So, they probably wouldn’t be aware of the chips implanted in the Shoggoths’ bodies. But from a game perspective, it was unlikely that KP would provide players with such a significant advantage. Liu Xing was sure that most of the chips in the Shoggoths’ bodies were damaged.

Sirius seemed to sense Liu Xing’s disappointment and patted him on the shoulder, saying somewhat teasingly, "Liu Xing, don’t overthink it. As I mentioned, you’re still human, not an Ancient One. Even if those chips were intact, they’d only prevent the Shoggoths from attacking you. To control them, you’d need to learn specific commands. While I can teach you those commands, you can’t produce the necessary vocalizations."

Liu Xing was about to retort, but Sirius preempted him, saying, "Wait a moment, it seems someone is touching your body. It might be someone trying to contact you. I’ll send your soul back to your body now."

Liu Xing furrowed his brow, puzzled about how Sirius could know when someone was touching his physical body. Wasn’t the Soul Casket incapable of sensing the outside world?

Seeing Liu Xing’s confusion, Sirius quickly explained, "You entered the Soul Casket in soul form, but not your entire soul. A small part of your soul remains in your body, monitoring your physical condition in real-time to prevent any accidents."

Liu Xing had to accept Sirius’s explanation for now, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that Sirius might be hiding something.

Regardless, Liu Xing left the Soul Casket to return to the real world. According to Sirius, someone was looking for him.

Could it be Matsui Yui?

With a hint of worry, Liu Xing opened his eyes and was relieved to see Ling Ishikawa.

"Leader, you’ve finally awakened," Ling Ishikawa said nervously.

Liu Xing nodded and pretended to be puzzled. "What’s going on?"

Ling Ishikawa pointed upstairs and said, "Just now, when Miyako Goudong was about to sleep, she suddenly heard some noise coming from Panda Pig’s room. Then, it sounded like Panda Pig went out. Initially, Miyako Goudong didn’t pay much attention to it. However, in less than a minute or two, she heard Panda Pig’s cries and screams from not far away. So, Miyako Goudong called us to go find Panda Pig, or rather, retrieve his body."

Liu Xing was already aware that Panda Pig was dead, but he had to play along. He sighed and got up, saying, "Don’t say such ominous things. Panda Pig might just be in danger. Let’s hurry and search for him."

Ling Ishikawa shook her head, affirming, "Panda Pig is definitely dead. There’s nowhere to hide in Fisher’s Village, and Matsui Yui and her group are fighting on their home turf. If Panda Pig was spotted by Matsui Yui, he wouldn’t have stood a chance. But why did Panda Pig go out so recklessly in the middle of the night?"

Liu Xing was also puzzled by Panda Pig’s risky behavior. After all, the rewards for the nighttime side quest in Fisher’s Village were not significant enough to justify such a risk.

Could Panda Pig have accepted some hidden quests?

Liu Xing considered this possibility as he put on his clothes and joined Ling Ishikawa and the others. The mood was somber among the group, as Panda Pig had been killed by Matsui Yui.

They walked out of the villa area, and Fisher’s Village was eerily silent.

The group proceeded with caution, keeping a close eye on their surroundings. Every little rustle made them jump in fear.

Eventually, Liu Xing and the others left the villa area.

"Miyako Goudong, are you sure it’s this way?" Zhang Jingxu asked in a hushed tone.

Miyako Goudong nodded and said with certainty, "I’m sure it’s this way. Judging from the sound and how loud Panda Pig’s cries were, he should be just ahead."

Miyako Goudong pointed to a clump of bushes about ten meters ahead.

Liu Xing, Ling Ishikawa, and Zhang Jingxu led the way.

They opened the bushes, and Panda Pig’s lifeless body came into view.

"Panda Pig was strangled by a Shoggoth," Liu Xing sighed and said aloud.

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