Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

"In fact, with Bai Hecheng setting the terms, we’re somewhat at a disadvantage. But we can more or less guess their choice. Currently, Bai Hecheng has two options: either hold their ground and force us to attack EinsCastle, or take the initiative and confront us in Manchester. Judging from the title of this third phase, Bai Hecheng will probably choose the former. Given the current situation, they have a significant advantage by holding EinsCastle," Zhang Jingxu analyzed.

Liu Xing nodded in agreement, saying, "Exactly. Compared to launching an attack, Bai Hecheng’s defensive advantage is much greater now. So as long as they don’t suddenly become overconfident or irrational, they won’t choose to face us in Manchester."

At this point, KP Li Shunchan interjected, "It seems you understand your opponents well. Bai Hecheng has made their decision. Your ultimate mission is to destroy the counterfeit rotten wood carvings and prevent the Cult of the Cadaver from turning all residents of Manchester into zombies."

The final mission was as expected.

Liu Xing shrugged and remarked, "Looks like we’re in for another infiltration mission."

Ling Ishikawa nodded and suddenly suggested, "I just thought of something we could use for escape: gliders. If I recall correctly, the walls behind EinsCastle are about thirty to forty meters high from the ground, which should be suitable for glider use."

Yis People raised an eyebrow, shaking his head. "Gliders can indeed be used, but they’re bulky and require a considerable runway for takeoff. Unfortunately, the Cult of the Cadaver won’t give us enough time for that. If we jump without sufficient runway, it’s akin to jumping off a building to our deaths."

Ling Ishikawa felt embarrassed, realizing he had forgotten that gliders typically required a significant runway for proper flight, and the Cult of the Cadaver wouldn’t just let them run around on the city walls.

"What about wingsuits? I remember wingsuits can be used for jumping directly from cliffs, and they’re quite convenient to carry and wear," Zhang Jingxu suggested.

Yis People shook his head again, saying seriously, "Wingsuits have higher demands on the user. It would take us, beginners, at least half a month to master their use proficiently. By then, it would be too late for us."

Zhang Jingxu sighed in agreement.

Liu Xing rubbed his chin and proposed, "How about we just use rappelling? We can install the rappelling equipment as soon as we climb the walls of EinsCastle. And to be safe, we’ll have someone prepared with a cushioning airbag at the bottom of the cliff. When we retreat, we can simply rappel down, which should only take about half a minute for a height of thirty to forty meters. Learning rappelling is quite simple, as long as you’re not afraid of heights, it’s easy to pick up."

"Right, rappelling is a good choice. We can easily carry it with us, and its concealment is very strong. Unless the Cult of the Cadaver conducts a deliberate search, it’s unlikely they’ll discover our pre-installed rappelling devices. Moreover, rappelling skills can indeed be learned in a short time. I learned it in the real world in just half an hour, minus about ten minutes of the teacher’s nagging. Then I effortlessly completed a ten-meter rappel," Ling Ishikawa said with a smile.

Zhang Jingxu nodded, patting Ling Ishikawa on the shoulder. "I’m much the same. A year ago, when I went to a foreign tourist spot, there was a rappelling project down a cliff of over twenty meters. I also completed it in just half an hour. So, as long as we find a climbing club in Manchester, it should only take us a day or two to learn climbing and rappelling skills."

"You rich folks sure have a colorful entertainment life," Liu Xing said enviously.

Zhang Jingxu shrugged, laughing, "I’m not a rich person. Besides, the entry threshold for these extreme sports isn’t high. You can learn them for a few hundred bucks at relevant tourist spots. But mastering them is difficult. If you really want to play climbing and rappelling, you’ll spend a lot on equipment. After all, the equipment for these extreme sports is crucial for your success, and it’s worth spending a bit more."

At this point, Yis People glanced at his mobile phone and said, "I just checked, there are over a dozen outdoor sports clubs in the Manchester area. It seems we have a wide range of options."

"Then let’s ask Chris for advice. He should know which outdoor sports club in the Manchester area is better. And we also need to ask him for some climbing and rappelling equipment because, in general, police equipment is better than civilian equipment," Liu Xing said, taking out his mobile phone to contact Chris.

After a brief conversation with Chris, he introduced a outdoor sports club he frequented. The coaches and owners of that club were ex-soldiers, with a significant portion being special forces, making this outdoor sports club well-known not only in England but also throughout Europe.

As for climbing and rappelling equipment, Chris promised to deliver them to the Safe Point within two days, all of which would be brand new military-grade equipment, much to Liu Xing’s satisfaction.

"Alright, the equipment issue is settled. How about we head to the outdoor sports club to learn new skills?" Liu Xing said with a smile.

Zhang Jingxu glanced at his mobile phone and said, "Let’s wait for Ryuzaki and the others to return first. Then we can go to the outdoor sports club together. It shouldn’t take long for Ryuzaki and the others to come back, especially since Romero’s house isn’t far from here."

Just as Zhang Jingxu finished speaking, the sound of dice hitting the ground was heard, indicating that Ryuzaki and the others had begun their move.

"Why do I feel like you’re jinxing Ryuzaki and the others, Zhang Jingxu? You just mentioned it, and they’ve already started," Ling Ishikawa looked at Zhang Jingxu with suspicion.

Zhang Jingxu shrugged, saying helplessly, "How can you say I’m jinxing them? It’s just a coincidence. Besides, with Ryuzaki’s lineup, even if they encounter Ghouls, they can handle it... Well, maybe I shouldn’t jinx them. It would be troublesome if they really encountered Ghouls."

At this point, Yis People couldn’t help but ask KP Li Shunchan, "KP, can you tell us how things are going with Ryuzaki now? We’ll find out the results soon anyway."

KP Li Shunchan chuckled and said, "Well, I certainly can’t tell you exactly how things are going on Ryuzaki’s end right now because that would be a spoiler, and you know there are no good outcomes for spoilers... Just kidding! While sometimes as KPs, we can cut players some slack, for matters involving module plot progression like this, we won’t just tell you players outright. It takes away from the game’s playability. Of course, I don’t think any of you players want to play that kind of game, right?"

Who would want to play such a deadly game?

Liu Xing inwardly commented before speaking, "At this point, we can basically confirm that this Romero is the last player on Bai Hecheng’s side. And although Romero is a spy for the Cult of the Cadaver, his skills are likely based on the police officer template since he has been working at the Manchester Police Department. Therefore, Romero doesn’t pose a significant threat to Ryuzaki’s team. However, I’m still concerned that Ryuzaki’s team might expose their identities."

Zhang Jingxu nodded, smiling, "While what you say makes sense, Liu Xing, it might be a bit too much worry. I think, given Ryuzaki’s abilities, unless Romero rolls a few critical successes, he won’t be able to discern their true identities. But Romero might have a chance to guess their identities, considering that at this point, the only ones likely to target his family are us."

"Oops, take a look at this message. Some daredevil Oil Turtle streamers decided to sail into the sea live on air, only to have their bare skin corroded by the Thick Fog. It’s caused quite a stir, with some media outlets directly pointing fingers at the English authorities, claiming they allowed toxic gas emissions from chemical companies, leading to the appearance of this Thick Fog. Of course, many also blame the Russians, believing it’s their experimentation with large-scale biochemical weapons," Ling Ishikawa said, holding up his mobile phone.

Liu Xing searched on his own phone and found numerous messages on a nonexistent social media platform regarding this issue, with videos and images circulating everywhere.

Liu Xing randomly clicked on a video, but after three seconds, he closed it immediately because the people looked horrifying, with not a single patch of intact skin on their bodies, and their hair completely gone, resembling skinned animals.

This caused a public outcry. Those in England, who were already fearful of the ubiquitous Thick Fog, now plunged into panic, with various doomsday and conspiracy theories abound.

Of course, the most prominent demand now was for the English authorities to come out and explain the situation.

However, the English authorities were still playing dumb.

"With this incident, the likelihood of the English authorities helping us has decreased significantly. Or rather, they’re now like a mud Buddha crossing the river—they’re struggling to protect themselves, so they don’t have the energy to deal with us," Yis People said, shaking his head.

Suddenly, a thought struck Liu Xing, and he said, "Right, since this Thick Fog was created by the Deep Ones, Baruka, being one of the prominent members of the Deep Ones, should know how to dispel it."

Liu Xing dialed Matsui Yui’s number since she should be with Baruka now.

"Hello, Mr. Ryuusei, is there something you need from me?" Matsui Yui asked, puzzled.

Liu Xing got straight to the point, "Well, I wanted to ask about the Thick Fog by the seaside. Is your father nearby? I’d like to know his thoughts on it."

"Sure, let me hand the phone to my father," Matsui Yui said without hesitation.

After a while, Baruka’s voice came through the phone, "I’ve heard about the Thick Fog by the seaside. It’s undoubtedly the work of those Deep Ones coming to hunt me down. But to dispel this Thick Fog, we’ll need to send people to the sea to kill the Deep Ones responsible for maintaining the magic spells. However, you humans certainly can’t go there because you should know the consequences of staying too long in that Thick Fog. Besides, the sea is the Deep Ones’ territory, so going there recklessly is almost suicide."

"So, if you think it’s necessary, I can take my people to deal with those Deep Ones. But I can’t guarantee how long it will take to eliminate them because the sea area of England is vast. So, Mr. Ryuusei, once you’ve reached a decision, just let me know. I’ll set off when you do, and it’ll probably take about five days for me to clear the Thick Fog. Now, Mr. Ryuusei, I’ll wait for your decision," Baruka said.

Five days.

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow. Baruka’s choice presented a difficult question to answer.

Because Liu Xing originally intended to have Baruka assist them in infiltrating EinsCastle, considering Baruka was the strongest combatant on their side. Without Baruka, the likelihood of destroying the counterfeit wooden carvings would decrease by at least twenty percent.

But if Baruka went to solve the Thick Fog issue, then the pressure from the English authorities would decrease significantly, and they wouldn’t have to make significant concessions.

Moreover, the most crucial point was that resolving the Thick Fog issue would not only benefit their group but also all players in England fighting against the Cult of the Cadaver.

So now the question arose.

For oneself? Or for others?

Liu Xing sighed and said, "Mr. Baruka, please wait for a moment. Let me discuss with the others."

Liu Xing put down his mobile phone and looked at Ling Ishikawa and the others.

Ling Ishikawa shrugged and expressed his opinion first, "I think we should let Baruka go deal with the Thick Fog issue. Although Baruka might not catch up with us in infiltrating EinsCastle, he can change the overall situation of the conflict between England and the Cult of the Cadaver."

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