Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 8: Finalizing Skills

Liu Xing checked the club's internal postings but found no information that would be of any help. The notices mostly detailed schedules, specifying which dates and times society members would play the game and the agreed upon times for synchronized matchmaking.

After a brief scan, Liu Xing switched off his phone, preparing to head out and meet the friend who had introduced him to the deep rabbit hole that is the Cthulhu role-playing game.

This friend of Liu Xing's was named Wu Lei. A native of Rongcheng like Liu Xing, both were students at Rongcheng Traditional Chinese Medicine University, sharing the same class and dormitory. Hence, Liu Xing and Wu Lei had always maintained a close bond. Yet, after his internship, Wu Lei didn't choose to continue working in a hospital but instead opened a board game store, becoming a small business owner.

Conveniently, Liu Xing's residence was a mere ten-minute walk from Wu Lei's board game store. Hence, Liu Xing would often visit to hang out, enjoy some tea and snacks, and chat with Wu Lei. Of course, Liu Xing would also watch Wu Lei play the Cthulhu role-playing game online with others.

On this occasion, Liu Xing hoped Wu Lei could help him determine the distribution of Skill Points on his character card. After all, Wu Lei's proficiency in this regard was leaps and bounds above Liu Xing's.

Arriving at Wu Lei's store, he found Wu Lei tidying up the place. A board game store, like a restaurant, should offer a welcoming ambiance, which is why Wu Lei cleaned the store thrice daily. At that moment, he had just opened and was setting things up for the day's business.

Stepping inside, Liu Xing casually greeted Wu Lei and, without being asked, picked up a cloth and began assisting with the cleaning.

Shortly after, the store was spick and span. Wu Lei grabbed a can of cola from the fridge and handed it to Liu Xing, asking with a smile, "Liu Xing, how did your interviews go these past few days?"

"How do you think they went? Who would hire a fresh graduate like me? These damn hospitals mostly hire postgraduates now." Liu Xing accepted the cola, sighing in resignation. If he had passed the interviews, he wouldn't have joined that cursed Cthulhu Role-Playing Game Hall.

Wu Lei had anticipated Liu Xing's response. He too had faced rejection after several hospital interviews post-internship, which led him to open a board game store instead of tolerating such setbacks.

"So, what's your plan? Are you thinking of going back home?" Wu Lei knew that Liu Xing's family ran a clinic and wondered if he was considering bidding farewell.

Taking a sip of his cola, Liu Xing shook his head, "No, no, I'm not planning on heading back home in defeat just yet. A friend found me an online part-time job that pays decently, enough to sustain me."

"Online part-time work, is that reliable? Don't get scammed," Wu Lei said, casting a teasing look at Liu Xing.

Raising an eyebrow, Liu Xing retorted, "What do you mean by that? Do you think I, Liu Xing, would be easily duped? They've already transferred my first month's salary."

Shrugging with a smile, Wu Lei then moved the sign to the front of the store, "Good to hear. If you're ever short on cash, let me know. My store might be small, but the income's substantial. I can definitely support you."

"Buzz off! As if you could even dream of having me rely on you. By the way, I came here today with a purpose. On a whim, I created a character card. Can you help me allocate the Skill Points?" While playfully scolding, Liu Xing produced a sheet of paper detailing the attributes of his character card.

Wu Lei looked at Liu Xing, somewhat surprised, "What? You finally made a character card? Hand it over, let me have a look."

Wu Lei had been trying to introduce Liu Xing to the Cthulhu tabletop role-playing game for about three years. However, Liu Xing consistently made various excuses and never managed to produce his own character card. Without a character card, one cannot participate in the Cthulhu game sessions.

Over the years, Wu Lei had never stopped nagging Liu Xing about this matter, persistently urging him to get his character card ready. Once he did, the experienced Wu Lei could then guide Liu Xing through the Cthulhu gaming sessions.

One day, Wu Lei took a look at Liu Xing's character card and commented, "Are you sure you didn't just randomly fill in these stats? They're pretty impressive."

Rolling his eyes, Liu Xing replied sarcastically, "Are you questioning my integrity? If I remember correctly, there was someone who, during an Online Game Group session, rolled the dice a few extra times for his character card stats."

That had been some days ago. Liu Xing had observed Wu Lei playing in the Online Game Group. Wu Lei, being unsatisfied with one of his character card attributes, had rolled the dice multiple times until he got a result he was pleased with. Yet, he claimed in the Online Game Group that he had only rolled once.

Due to the unpredictable game settings of the Online Game Group, one session might take place in the 1920s Lighthouse Nation (where most of the original Cthulhu mythos stories occur), while the next could be set in a 21st-century island nation (since many online videos about Cthulhu role-playing sessions come from the Japanese platform "n-site"). Given these significant time shifts, players generally need to create a new character card for each game. As the Online Game Group doesn't have the real-life oversight to ensure fair play, many choose to "cheat" by rolling dice multiple times until they get satisfactory numbers. Even the author admits to occasionally doing this.

Wu Lei's face turned red upon being called out, mumbling that "rolling the dice a few extra times during an Online Game Group session isn't cheating."

After a while, under Wu Lei's guidance, Liu Xing decided on the distribution of his character card's Skill Points.

Firstly, there was the 'Credit' attribute. Liu Xing allocated 50 professional Skill Points to it. A credit score of 50 would make him wealthy in the Cthulhu RPG, allowing him to purchase items that low-credit players couldn't, such as bulletproof vests and handguns. He could also hire private investigators or bodyguards.

Next was the essential skill for a doctor: First Aid. As First Aid can be used to treat injured players during combat, healers are indispensable in any game. Liu Xing set this at 80 points, essentially ensuring successful healing checks.

Then came Medicine, used to diagnose diseases, poisonings, and injuries, providing better out-of-combat healing than First Aid. Liu Xing assigned 78 professional Skill Points here.

Liu Xing allocated 70 points each to Psychology and Psychoanalysis. Psychology helps determine if someone is lying—a crucial ability in the Cthulhu RPG since a single piece of misinformation can lead to the group's downfall. In contrast, Psychoanalysis is a powerful skill that can potentially snap players out of madness—a primary cause for a group's failure.

For his hobbyist Skill Points, Liu Xing placed 60 in Persuasion, 40 in Investigation, and the remaining 70 in Jumping. Yes, he chose "Jumping", a skill considered god-tier in the Cthulhu Mythos. Persuasion and Investigation are pretty self-explanatory and essential for most players. However, Jumping is an eccentric skill, useful in combat for dodging and during exploration to reach places that are typically inaccessible.

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