Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 378: Mutual Restraint

In the Cthulhu RPG Game, enemies like Zha Kang are notoriously difficult to deal with. After all, such enemies typically don’t engage in direct combat upfront. Instead, they employ various means to weaken you, set traps to ensnare you, and generally avoid direct confrontation unless they are absolutely certain of victory.

Thinking about Zha Kang’s primary method of attack, using various gu worms, Liu Xing couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. After all, these gu worms were extremely small, and even with the utmost caution, it was still possible to fall victim to them. Moreover, conventional methods of insecticide wouldn’t be effective against these gu worms once they had taken hold.

So, with these concerns in mind, Liu Xing turned to Hu Li and asked, "Miss Hu Li, I’m aware of the terror of these gu worms, but given our current abilities, I’m afraid we might struggle to deal with them. Do you have any methods to handle these gu worms?"

Hu Li chuckled confidently and replied, "I knew you wouldn’t have a straightforward way to deal with those gu worms. After all, the use of gu techniques is becoming increasingly rare these days, and most practitioners remain in the Miaojiang region. Therefore, knowledge of how to deal with gu worms is not widespread. However, I happen to know an effective method that can deal with over eighty percent of gu worms. As for someone like Chaxi, who you mentioned, I doubt they possess any higher-level gu worms."

Liu Xing nodded but quickly realized something was amiss. "Wait a moment, Miss Hu Li. You mentioned a gu practitioner named Chaxi, but I remember that Chaxi was referred to by someone else as Zha Kang."

Hu Li was momentarily surprised and then explained, "Chaxi is indeed Zha Kang, but that was before the temporal distortion occurred in Panlong Town..."

"So, at that time, when Xiao Dafu went to find Chaxi, he suddenly died at the supermarket entrance. I found multiple gu worms in Xiao Dafu’s body at that moment, which led me to discover Chaxi’s true identity. Originally, I didn’t intend to seek revenge for Xiao Dafu, as he deserved his fate, but he happened to be Xiao Mochen’s father. Xiao Mochen requested that I uncover the truth and seek vengeance on his behalf."

"So, I decided to meet with this Chaxi. Since Chaxi had already violated the rules of the Black Flood Dragon, I believed they would be dealt with by the organization. Therefore, I wanted to gather information about Chaxi in advance. I administered a tranquilizer to Chaxi and infiltrated their lair."

"What I didn’t expect was that Chaxi had already used gu techniques to modify their own body, rendering the tranquilizer ineffective. I nearly fell into Chaxi’s trap, but fortunately, I had left a contingency plan and managed to evade capture. However, I was still forced into a confrontation with Chaxi. Zha Kang possessed formidable close combat skills, and their nails were poisoned with gu toxins. I ended up getting poisoned."

"After being poisoned, I sought treatment from Doctor Zhong Rensan at the clinic. To my surprise, Zhong Rensan successfully cured the gu toxin in my body. I became curious about how he managed to do it and discovered that Zhong Rensan wore an amulet infused with certain magic spells by a highly skilled individual. This amulet automatically repels gu worms within a certain range, which is the method I mentioned earlier. The most important thing is that Zhong Rensan himself is unaware of the amulet’s true purpose."

Liu Xing nodded in understanding. He hadn’t expected that Zhong Rensan, who seemed inconspicuous, would turn out to be an important NPC in this module. Not only did he possess vital information about the pig head butcher, but he also had an item that could restrain Chaxi, the gu practitioner. Furthermore, there seemed to be a connection between Zhong Rensan and the mythical creature in the basement of Panlong Town Clinic.

Therefore, Liu Xing believed it was necessary to inform Zhang Jingxu and the others to have a conversation with Zhong Rensan upon their return.

However, a problem arose. Liu Xing didn’t believe that obtaining Zhong Rensan’s amulet would be easy. Hu Li had mentioned that the amulet had significant historical significance and value. Zhong Rensan was unlikely to part with it easily.

Liu Xing continued, "In that case, Miss Hu Li, I assume you wanted to obtain that amulet back then. After all, having that amulet would make dealing with Chaxi much easier. So, may I ask if Dr. Zhong Rensan is willing to sell the amulet?"

Hu Li shook her head and smiled, saying, "Of course, I wanted to obtain that amulet, but Dr. Zhong Rensan is not willing to sell it. That amulet is a family heirloom, and aside from its magical properties, it’s incredibly valuable in terms of its craftsmanship. Zhong Rensan is knowledgeable and knows the amulet’s worth. Naturally, he’s not willing to part with it."

"However, nothing in this world is absolute. Although Zhong Rensan is reluctant to sell the amulet, he’s willing to give it as a reward if someone helps him with a particular task. This task involves another supernatural creature in Panlong Town - the Mountain Demon. The Mountain Demon is a creature with a humanoid-monkey appearance, small and dark-skinned, commonly found in the mountains. It likes to make various contracts and deals with humans but seeks revenge if those contracts are violated, often targeting the entire family of the oath-breaker."

"So, Zhong Rensan’s ancestors made a contract with a Mountain Demon. In exchange for various rare herbs and materials, the Mountain Demon required Zhong Rensan’s family to provide it with sustenance. And what the Mountain Demon feeds on, Mr. Ryuusei, you can probably guess: the organs of humans, such as hearts, livers, spleens, lungs, and kidneys. Fortunately, the Mountain Demon only needs to feed four times a year, consuming the internal organs of a single person each time. So, during times of war, it was relatively easy for Zhong Rensan’s ancestors to satisfy the Mountain Demon by obtaining a corpse from mass graves."

"However, after the founding of the nation, especially in recent years, cremation has become prevalent in the Rongcheng region, making it extremely difficult to provide enough food for the Mountain Demon. But Zhong Rensan is well aware of the Mountain Demon’s terrifying nature and doesn’t dare to violate the contract. Therefore, he had to lead the Mountain Demon away from Rongcheng to Panlong Town, where traditional burials are still common. However, because of the improved quality of life and healthcare in Panlong Town, there are rarely any deaths here, and the Mountain Demon only feeds on fresh sustenance."

"As a result, Zhong Rensan sometimes resorts to deceit, luring outsiders or wandering individuals to Panlong Town Clinic’s basement and letting the Mountain Demon kill them for sustenance before disposing of their bodies. But I believe, Mr. Ryuusei, you can understand Zhong Rensan’s situation. After all, one’s family’s lives are at stake. However, Zhong Rensan now realizes the weight of his sins."

"So, Zhong Rensan decided to seek help in eliminating the Mountain Demon and offer the amulet as a reward. However, the Mountain Demon is a formidable adversary. I know it has excellent hiding abilities, especially in the dark. It cannot be easily detected with the naked eye unless specific methods are used. Moreover, it is incredibly agile, and its sharp claws can easily pierce through a person’s body. Engaging in close combat with the Mountain Demon is an unwise choice. However, I believe, Mr. Ryuusei, that you and your group can come up with a solution to deal with the Mountain Demon."

Liu Xing nodded thoughtfully, saying, "According to what Miss Hu Li has mentioned, the Mountain Demon is likely hiding in the basement of Panlong Town Clinic. So, all we need to do is trap the Mountain Demon in the basement and use fire or water to deal with it, right?"

Hu Li gave a sly smile and nodded, "Your method is indeed good, Mr. Ryuusei. Using fire or water is an effective way to deal with the Mountain Demon. However, you must not forget that the Mountain Demon is highly intelligent and possesses a strong sense of danger. So, attempting to deal with it using fire or water has a very low success rate. These methods require extensive preparation and make a lot of noise. The Mountain Demon would hear it and realize that someone intends to harm it. In that case, the Mountain Demon would either launch a preemptive attack or escape, waiting for an opportunity."

"Therefore, no matter what choice the Mountain Demon makes, it will likely result in unfavorable consequences for us, possibly even casualties."

At that moment, Liu Xing, looking at Hu Li with a half-smile, had a sudden insight. He spoke up, saying, "In that case, Miss Hu Li, it’s time for you to lend us a hand. If you can hypnotize or stupefy the Mountain Demon, then dealing with it will be a piece of cake."

After all, the basement was a relatively closed space with poor air circulation. Unless the Mountain Demon had an extremely strong resistance to drugs, Hu Li’s sedatives should be effective against it.

Upon hearing Liu Xing’s suggestion, Hu Li smiled and nodded. She said, "I’ll take care of the Mountain Demon. I’ve killed one before during a previous time point, so killing another one now should be a piece of cake. However, I’ll still need your help to keep watch because, as they say, better safe than sorry."

Hu Li’s words had barely left her lips when KP Snow Wind announced, "Congratulations, Player Liu Xing, you have triggered a Side Quest: ’Kill the Mountain Demon.’ The mission objective is to assist Hu Li in killing the Mountain Demon hiding in Panlong Town Clinic. The mission rewards each player with 10 ’Truth’ points and 200 bonus points. As the triggerer of this Side Quest, Player Liu Xing, you will receive an additional reward: a mysterious jade pendant, as well as a solo Side Quest: ’Kill the Gu Practitioner Chaxi.’"

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, surprised by the unique nature of this Side Quest, which offered item rewards and an opportunity for a solo mission. Based on the current situation, completing the solo Side Quest could potentially earn him 25 ’Truth’ points, a significant amount.

With the quest details settled, Liu Xing and Hu Li began discussing their plan in more detail. First, Hu Li would approach Zhong Rensan to accept the mission. Then, during the dead of night when the Mountain Demon was least alert, Liu Xing and his group would bring weapons to provide backup for Hu Li. She would use her sedatives to hypnotize the Mountain Demon. If everything went smoothly, they could easily kill it. However, in case of any unexpected events, they had prepared a net to trap the Mountain Demon. Allowing the creature to escape would be disastrous, not only for Zhong Rensan’s family but also for Liu Xing and his group.

Just as they were finalizing their plan, Liu Xing noticed a waiter coming up the stairs. It was the same waiter who had served them earlier.

"The boss, Xiao Mochen, is here," the waiter said respectfully.

Hu Li nodded and gestured for the waiter to leave. Then, she turned to Liu Xing and said, "I need to go downstairs for a while to deal with Xiao Mochen. Please stay here, Mr. Ryuusei. I’ll be back shortly."

Liu Xing was about to agree when he remembered something important. He quickly asked Hu Li, "Miss Hu Li, I just remembered something. Hu Cang mentioned that after returning to Panlong Town, he didn’t see any other women except for you and the owner of the Black Internet Cafe. Do you have any thoughts on that?"

Hu Li furrowed her brow, saying, "Ryuusei, I hadn’t noticed that until you mentioned it. Since the temporal distortion in Panlong Town, I haven’t seen any other women either. It’s as if they all disappeared."

"What about the waitress who just came up? Isn’t she a woman?" Liu Xing asked, puzzled.

Hu Li smiled mysteriously and replied, "Do you think so?"

A chill ran down Liu Xing’s spine. Could it be that the waitress had suffered the same fate as Xiao Mochen?

Seeing Liu Xing’s uneasy expression, Hu Li continued with a chuckle, "That waitress is not a woman, or even a human for that matter. She’s just a paper doll controlled by my magic spells. However, I used an illusion on her, so you saw her as a real person."

Ah, that explained it.

Liu Xing breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I see. But still, what happened to the other women in Panlong Town?"

Hu Li shook her head and stood up. "I really don’t know, but I think it might be related to Gralki. After all, before the incident, there were more than three hundred permanent female residents in Panlong Town. Now, it seems like they’ve all vanished into thin air."

Liu Xing couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of unease. Something was definitely amiss in Panlong Town, and it was likely connected to the mythical creatures.

As Hu Li left to deal with Xiao Mochen, Liu Xing continued to ponder the situation. He realized that there might be a complex interplay between the various mythical creatures in Panlong Town.

Starting with the gu practitioner Chaxi, to deal with them, they needed to first kill the Mountain Demon to obtain the jade pendant that would restrain Chaxi. To kill the Mountain Demon, they needed Hu Li’s sedatives, which would work only if everything went smoothly without alerting the creature. However, if things went wrong, they would need to use a prepared net to trap the Mountain Demon. Letting it escape was not an option.

Liu Xing believed that each of these mythical creatures might have a unique weakness or item that could help in defeating another creature. The disc spirit, for instance, was likely the enemy of the pig head butcher. Since the pig head butcher lacked a soul, it wouldn’t be affected by the disc spirit’s hypnotic abilities, making it immune to the creature’s tricks.

It was a complex web of relationships, and Liu Xing was determined to uncover the truth behind it all. But he also understood that he needed to be cautious and not blindly trust anyone in Panlong Town. After all, Hu Li might have her own hidden agenda, and their group could just be pawns in her game.

As Liu Xing mulled over his thoughts, he heard footsteps approaching. It was Hu Li, returning from her conversation with Xiao Mochen.

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