Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 404: Stormy Skies on the Heavenly Terrace

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow and jokingly remarked, "Oh, did Ibon decide to treat you like a brother after seeing your transformation technique?"

Ling Ishikawa’s smile gradually faded as he sighed, "Alright, can you guys please stop with this joke? I’m already feeling quite desperate. After using the transformation technique for the first time in Hybrier, I couldn’t help but come to the Heavenly Terrace, contemplating the idea that if I couldn’t change back, I might as well jump off and end this life..."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow again, asking with a smile, "And then what happened?"

Ling Ishikawa shrugged and continued, "The wind on the Heavenly Terrace was too strong, combined with the already cold weather in Hybrier. I was frozen and gave up on my thoughts. I left the Heavenly Terrace. However, that trip to the Heavenly Terrace unexpectedly had its perks. I discovered that I could see Ibon’s room from there, and that day, I happened to witness Ibon preparing for some kind of Ritual Ceremony."

Zhang Jingxu nodded thoughtfully, saying, "I assume that the Ritual Ceremony Ibon conducted was related to Zhatuogua, considering Ibon is a follower of Zhatuogua, and he’s destined to receive Zhatuogua’s favor. So, Ling Ishikawa, did you consider joining Ibon and pledging yourself to Zhatuogua?"

Ling Ishikawa shook his head, somewhat despondent. "At that time, my thoughts were the same as yours, Zhang Jingxu. I planned to follow Ibon and align with Zhatuogua. But what I didn’t expect was that after conducting that Ritual Ceremony, Ibon became elusive. I could hardly find him outside, and I couldn’t just knock on his door and tell him I knew what he was up to. So, I thought about participating in the Ritual Ceremony, but it would have been too abrupt."

"Furthermore, one day while I was observing Ibon on the Heavenly Terrace, I saw him lure a Menial from the Mage Tower into his room. He then killed the Menial and used the blood to draw a magic circle. From that circle, he summoned a Formless Offspring, which he concealed in his room. So, I suspected that if I asked Ibon to let me join the Ritual Ceremony without convincing him completely, I’d only end up as a sacrifice."

"However, later on, Ibon seemed to return to normal. He didn’t become more eccentric. But I still noticed something unusual about him in our interactions. As you all know, Ibon came from an ordinary family, so initially, he lacked confidence and avoided initiating conversations. It was always me who initiated contact with him. However, after summoning the Formless Offspring, Ibon gained a lot of confidence. He started initiating conversations with me."

"Although our relationship is quite good now, Ibon never mentioned anything about the Ritual Ceremony. Even when I explicitly mentioned Zhatuogua, he acted completely ignorant. Unfortunately, my character card lacks a psychology skill, so I can’t tell if he’s lying. Overall, my relationship with Ibon is good, and he might be willing to give me something. I just don’t know if I’ll have the chance to return to Hybrier and visit Serak’s Wizard Tower again, as I’m completely unfamiliar with Hybrier’s terrain."

Liu Xing stroked his chin, curious. "Speaking of which, Ling Ishikawa, with both you and Serak either dead or missing, doesn’t that mean Ibon now has control over Serak’s Wizard Tower? After all, you mentioned earlier that you and Ibon were given authority over the Mage Tower by Serak before he secluded himself."

Ling Ishikawa furrowed his brow and pondered for a moment before saying, "In theory, yes, that’s how it should be. Apart from Serak, the Mage Tower’s leadership consisted of only Ibon and me. So logically, Ibon should be the next master of the Mage Tower. However, as I mentioned earlier, Ibon is quite reclusive. Besides me, he doesn’t have any friends within the Mage Tower. So, his relationship with the other residents is not great. Therefore, Ibon might struggle to gain their support. Additionally, among the batch of apprentices who entered the Mage Tower with us, there’s a guy named Costa who might stir things up."

"This Costa is the illegitimate son of a minor lord near the Mage Tower. Since he has no inheritance rights and was shunned by the lord’s other sons, Costa was forced to enter the Mage Tower, aiming to become a Wizard and then return to claim his inheritance. Unfortunately, Costa had the misfortune of having his position taken by me. So, he’s still just an ordinary apprentice. However, from what I know, Costa managed to gain the support of other apprentices and Menials within the Mage Tower through various means, becoming a sort of leader among them."

"So, if Ibon can’t handle the Costa situation, there’s a good chance that Costa might replace him. Alternatively, Ibon might become a formidable force with the help of that Formless Offspring and eventually seize control. But no matter how you look at it, Ibon’s situation is precarious. I suspect that even though I killed Serak, Ibon might still be forced to leave the Mage Tower, just like in the Cthulhu Mythos. If Ibon doesn’t leave the Mage Tower, he won’t remain Ibon, and the world will lose the ’Book of Ibon.’"

Liu Xing nodded in agreement. "You’re right. According to the principles of historical revision found in many time-travel novels, Ibon will probably leave the Mage Tower, and the only difference will be how he does it. So, Ling Ishikawa, if you want to see Ibon again, you’ll have to put in some effort. However, considering the storyline, you should have a chance to encounter him at the border of Hybrier. Maybe you can try your luck."

Zhang Jingxu chimed in with a smile, "Ling Ishikawa, you could also wait on Turlan Island. I remember that after traveling the border, Ibon spent some time in seclusion on Turlan."

Ling Ishikawa shook his head, somewhat resigned. "You guys are talking about going too far. Besides, I can’t stay in Hybrier indefinitely. Even if I go to the border or Turlan Island in advance and wait, I might still miss Ibon if luck isn’t on my side. But logically, I should have another chance to meet Ibon since my missions in these two modules are closely related to him. So, I believe I’ll have an opportunity in the next module or the one after that."

Liu Xing nodded and said with a smile, "Then remember to bring back some collectibles when you return. Our fortune might depend on it."

At that moment, KP Snow Wind interjected, "Alright, our Private Room time for this session has come to an end. Players, please assume your respective roles."

Liu Xing and the others exchanged glances, seeing that no one intended to continue the conversation. They then went back to their individual rooms.

Of course, even though Ling Ishikawa was fundamentally a man, his body had fully transformed into that of a female. Therefore, Liu Xing felt a bit awkward sharing a room with Ling Ishikawa, fearing he might make some inadvertent mistakes. As a result, Ling Ishikawa and Zhang Jingxu decided to switch rooms.

After helping Ling Ishikawa move his belongings, Liu Xing suddenly had an idea and pointed to the ceiling, saying, "Ling Ishikawa, it’s still early. Shall we go up to the rooftop? I remember that Hu Cang’s building should have rooftop access."

Ling Ishikawa thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "Okay, it’s indeed early. Let’s go up to the rooftop. Maybe we’ll make some unexpected discoveries. Besides, I have some things I’d like to discuss with you, Master, so it’s a good opportunity."

So, Liu Xing and Ling Ishikawa made their way to the rooftop together.

As they arrived on the rooftop, a cold shiver ran down Liu Xing’s spine as a gust of wind blew past him.

Since Liu Xing’s group had arrived in Panlong Town during spring, and the weather had been relatively warm, they were all dressed in long-sleeved clothes. However, at this moment, Liu Xing couldn’t determine the exact month, but judging from the attire of the people who had come to the market today, wearing two-piece or three-piece outfits, he estimated that it was now autumn.

Seeing Liu Xing’s reaction, Ling Ishikawa couldn’t help but say, "Master, it’s a bit chilly tonight. Should we go back to our rooms or put on some more clothes?"

Liu Xing moved his body a bit and smiled, saying, "It’s alright; it’s not too cold. I actually wanted to get some fresh air and clear my mind. The events of the past few days have been giving me a headache."

Ling Ishikawa accepted Liu Xing’s decision, and they continued their walk on the rooftop.

Liu Xing observed his surroundings and noticed that Hu Cang had beautifully landscaped the rooftop. There were vegetable plants on both sides, and in the center, there was a small pond with carp and crucian carp swimming inside.

Liu Xing chuckled and pointed to the pond, saying, "I didn’t expect Hu Cang to have such taste. He has really taken care of this rooftop. But, Ling Ishikawa, what do you think about catching one of these fish and grilling it? After all, once we enter the next time frame in a few days, these fish should replenish, and Hu Cang probably won’t notice."

Ling Ishikawa smiled and shook his head, replying, "Master, it’s not a sure thing. Serak mentioned that our actions in a situation like this might affect Panlong Town, so if we catch a fish now, there might be one less in the future."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow and nodded, saying, "I see. Let’s spare the fish, then."

With that settled, Liu Xing crossed the pond and pointed in the direction of the supermarket’s rooftop, saying, "Look, Ling Ishikawa, the gaps between these standalone buildings aren’t too wide, only about half a meter."

Indeed, this was the real reason Liu Xing had invited Ling Ishikawa to the rooftop.

Back in their room downstairs, Liu Xing had suddenly remembered noticing the relatively short distance between these standalone buildings when he had returned from the teahouse. Now he wanted to confirm it.

Ling Ishikawa walked over and took a look, saying, "You’re right; the gaps between these standalone buildings aren’t too wide, and there aren’t significant height differences either. As long as we don’t slip, we should be able to jump across without much difficulty. This would allow us to reach the rooftop of the supermarket directly."

Liu Xing nodded and pointed to the supermarket’s rooftop, saying, "You see, we have a clear view of the supermarket’s rooftop from here. We can see that the entrance to the rooftop isn’t locked, so I’m concerned that Gu Master Chaxi might choose to escape from there when he realizes we’re attacking. Therefore, we need to block this route."

Ling Ishikawa thought for a moment and said, "I’ll go downstairs now and call Zhang Jingxu and the others up. We can discuss how to deal with this issue together."

Liu Xing agreed with the plan, and Ling Ishikawa headed downstairs.

Liu Xing rubbed his chin, furrowing his brow.

Because the rooftop entrance to the supermarket presented both an opportunity and a problem. While Liu Xing’s group could use it to launch a surprise attack, Gu Master Chaxi could also use it to escape. Furthermore, they would have to split their forces, turning a two-pronged assault into a three-pronged one, making their already limited manpower even more stretched.

It was troublesome.

A gust of wind blew through again, causing Liu Xing to shiver.

The rooftop wind was quite strong.

After a while, Zhang Jingxu and the others joined Liu Xing and Ling Ishikawa on the rooftop.

After observing the situation, Zhang Jingxu and the rest also furrowed their brows.

A moment later, Zhang Jingxu shook his head and said, "This is going to be tricky. We can’t assign someone to guard the rooftop entrance, and even if we did, it wouldn’t be enough to stop Gu Master Chaxi."

"Indeed, this rooftop entrance is like the entrance on the first floor. It would require at least two people to secure it properly, but even with two, we might not be able to stop Gu Master Chaxi," Wan Chongshan added.

The atmosphere fell into silence once again.

At that moment, Ling Ishikawa suddenly smiled and said, "No, no, no. We don’t necessarily need people to guard it. A place like this rooftop entrance is perfect for setting traps. After all, if Gu Master Chaxi chooses this escape route in a hurry, he won’t pay attention to what’s underfoot. But the challenge is how to install traps at the supermarket’s rooftop entrance. That’s the tricky part."

Ling Ishikawa’s suggestion brightened everyone’s eyes. Traps were indeed a good option.

Liu Xing was about to speak when another gust of cold wind blew.

The rooftop wind was truly strong.

Liu Xing thought for a moment and then nodded in agreement with Ling Ishikawa’s idea. Traps could be an effective way to secure the rooftop entrance.

Ling Ishikawa, after explaining his plan, went downstairs to inform the others and make preparations for setting traps.

As Liu Xing remained on the rooftop, he couldn’t help but feel the chilling wind once more.

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