Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 12: Even Less Reliable Comrades

"Main Quest: Stay in EinsCastle for over 12 hours in one go, then leave Eins Town to clear the level. If a player leaves EinsCastle prematurely, they will be considered dropped out. However, if a player discovers the secret of EinsCastle, they may leave Eins Town immediately, clear the level, and receive a bonus to their clearance evaluation."

"It should be mentioned that I am kp004, the keeper of this Cthulhu campaign (in other words, the host during a Cthulhu role-playing game session, responsible for advancing the plot based on the players' choices, akin to a GM in regular games). When players need to make a skill check, they can mentally summon me by thinking of '004' to proceed with the roll. At that time, players can choose to make an open roll, whose result will be revealed to all players, or a secret roll, whose result will only be told to the player making the check. Typically, a secret roll will produce a sound effect to notify all players."

As kp004 explained this, Liu Xing heard the sound of dice hitting the ground near his ear. It was soft yet unmistakably clear, almost impossible to ignore.

"Additionally, when multiple players are in a relatively enclosed space, they can communicate with me to initiate a 'private room' session where they can converse in their player personas. Each 'private room' session can last up to five minutes and will run concurrently with real-world time."

"Of course, as a friendly kp, players who are interested might try to persuade me to open a back door for them. But convincing me is no easy task, heh heh."

Liu Xing realized that he might have encountered a kp with a rather wicked sense of humor.

As the host of a Cthulhu RPG Game, the kp largely dictates the direction of the plot. Most kps in reality tend to assist players in advancing the story correctly, and they are inclined to favor players in deadly situations. Of course, there are unscrupulous kps who enjoy leading players into traps, but the most troublesome are those like kp004, whose whims you can never predict—is the path they're pointing to a shortcut or a dead end?

At this thought, Liu Xing felt as if his future were shrouded in darkness...

"Enough chit-chat, let's officially start the game. I hope everyone performs well and gives me a good show."

After kp004 finished speaking, Liu Xing regained control of his body. He exchanged a glance with Chen Ling, and both instinctively turned their attention to the three newcomers who had just entered the tavern.

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Two men and one woman. The men appeared to be in their early twenties, while the woman looked to be in her thirties. Their appearances were average, blending into the crowd.

The noisy commotion Liu Xing had overheard was made by the two men. The one in a white shirt was still babbling incessantly, while his companion in a black T-shirt sighed in helpless resignation, occasionally responding with a word or two.

As for the middle-aged woman, she seemed indifferent, hanging back and paying no attention to the two men beside her.

Although Liu Xing recognized these three as players, since their storylines had not intersected yet, he simply glanced at them and approached the tavern's innkeeper.

"Innkeeper, do you have any breakfast available? My friend and I could use something to eat." As Liu Xing spoke, he pulled out his wallet and generously handed over a hundred pounds to the Innkeeper.

Seeing Liu Xing's liberality, the Innkeeper's eyes lit up. He immediately took the hundred pounds and said cheerily, "Oh, my dear friend from Huaxia, I'll arrange some of our local specialties for your breakfast right away. By the way, are you here to sightsee in Eins Town? If so, you must not miss the chance to visit EinsCastle."

Liu Xing nodded with a smile and replied, "Certainly, but my friend's car has some issues, so I wanted to inquire how soon the garage next door will open."

After pondering for a moment, the innkeeper replied, "Are you referring to the auto repair shop run by Old John? If so, you're out of luck today. He's gone to Manchester to stock up and probably won't be back until three or four in the afternoon."

Liu Xing's brow furrowed. According to the main quest this time, leaving the town of Eins was required to complete the level. The boundary of Eins encompassed more than just the streets of the town where Liu Xing stood; it was the entire jurisdiction of Eins. Hence, Liu Xing realized that a car would be an essential vehicle for players to leave the town.

Thus, it was imperative that Chen Ling's taxi be repaired before they could depart from Eins.

With this in mind, Liu Xing feigned a troubled expression and said to the innkeeper, "Boss, we might need to head back to Manchester tomorrow, so could you please let Old John know as soon as he returns to help us fix our car? It's parked right at the entrance of Eins. It needs a new set of tires at the very least, but we're open to negotiating the price."

As he spoke, Liu Xing pulled out a thousand pounds from his wallet and laid it in front of the innkeeper.

The advantages of Liu Xing's high credit were undeniably evident at this juncture. Although he hadn't counted the money in his wallet, by his estimate, there should be around two thousand pounds. Since the game's duration was only about a day, Liu Xing didn't hesitate to use the money to "persuade" the innkeeper with a monetary incentive.

In the wickedly capitalistic society, the power of money was amplified. No judgment was necessary; Liu Xing had already "persuaded" the innkeeper. With a hearty laugh, the innkeeper took the money and assured Liu Xing, "Rest assured, as soon as Old John is back, I'll see to it that he fixes your car. It'll be ready and waiting right outside my tavern, all fueled up for you!"

Satisfied, Liu Xing nodded and then sat down with Chen Ling at a table, waiting for their breakfast.

Meanwhile, the other three players seated themselves at the next table and began speaking in deliberately loud voices. Clearly, they intended to share their backstory with Liu Xing and Chen Ling.

After all, the introductory story was crucial. It explained why the players had come to this place. In the Cthulhu RPG Game, players had considerable freedom, but their actions still needed to make sense. For instance, Liu Xing had come specifically to visit Eins Castle, so it wouldn't be logical for him just to turn around and leave without good reason.

Soon enough, Liu Xing learned why the three had come to Eins.

The man in the white shirt was named Bai Hecheng, a student from a prestigious university in the capital, who had come to England to prepare for his studies abroad.

The man in the black T-shirt was named Wang Qi, and the woman was Wang Siyi, Wang Qi's aunt. Wang Qi's parents had come to England for a trip with Wang Siyi but had to return to their country due to work commitments, leaving Wang Siyi and Wang Qi to continue their travels together.

After settling his study affairs, Bai Hecheng had met Wang Qi and Wang Siyi in a restaurant and helped them pay their bill when they forgot their money. Grateful, Wang Qi invited Bai Hecheng to join them, and thus, the three began traveling together.

However, they had taken a wrong turn on their way to Manchester and ended up in Eins because Wang Qi had forgotten to refuel the rental car, forcing them to search for petrol in town.

What made Liu Xing somewhat speechless was Bai Hecheng's over-immersion in the role, constantly nagging about Wang Qi's forgetfulness to refuel. It was just part of the storyline, not something Wang Qi had actually forgotten, which had led to a quarrel between him and Bai Hecheng just moments before...

As for Wang Siyi, she remained completely detached, as if none of this concerned her.

Liu Xing couldn't help but feel that these three teammates seemed... not very reliable.