Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, pondering whether the black cat demon’s claws were suitable for drawing complex diagrams.

The black cat demon noticed Liu Xing’s gaze on its claws and chuckled, "What are you looking at, kid? While my claws may not be ideal for drawing, I can use a minimal amount of energy to control the pen and create precise drawings without missing a single detail."

Liu Xing nodded quickly, smiling, "I see. So, Cat Elder, can you give me the layout diagram of the supermarket building now?"

The black cat demon shook its head and replied, "I didn’t expect you to visit me tonight, so I stored the layout diagram of the supermarket building in a rainproof location. Although I can make rain pass through my body, I cannot guarantee the diagram won’t get wet without using some mana. So, wait here for a moment, and I’ll retrieve it for you."

With that, the black cat demon leaped out of the window and vanished into the pouring rain.

After a while, it returned with a piece of paper in its mouth.

Liu Xing took the paper from the black cat demon’s mouth and noticed that it hadn’t been wet, with only a few small raindrops on it.

Liu Xing couldn’t help but admire the black cat demon’s strength. It seemed that the demon was more powerful than at least ten of himself combined.

He unfolded the paper and finally saw the layout diagram of the supermarket building.

As the black cat demon had mentioned, Gu Master Chaxi had made significant alterations to the supermarket building, completely changing its original layout.

For instance, on the third floor, which Liu Xing was most familiar with, the original structure of three rooms and a living room had been entirely opened up, turning it into one large hall. However, what struck Liu Xing as strange was that the black cat demon hadn’t marked any "traps" or "gu worms" on the third floor, while the first and second floors had been labeled.

Could it be that Gu Master Chaxi didn’t prepare defenses on the third floor?

Liu Xing raised this question with the black cat demon.

The black cat demon chuckled and pointed at the third floor, saying, "The third floor is indeed special. Its primary function is as a sacrificial site. When Gu Master Chaxi wants to offer a human sacrifice to Gralki or other powerful deities, they will bring the victims to the third floor for execution. Their blood is used to draw the ritual magic circle, and the victim’s organs and body parts are arranged in a specific pattern on the circle. So, Gu Master Chaxi converted the third floor into a large hall, with no other arrangements, as it’s not permitted to have anything else in a sacrificial site."

"Now, let’s take a look at the first floor. You probably know that it appears like a regular supermarket, but Gu Master Chaxi has hidden surveillance bugs in every corner. These surveillance bugs have a single function: they can share their vision with Gu Master Chaxi. So, when you entered the supermarket, Gu Master Chaxi already knew. If you make any suspicious moves, Gu Master Chaxi, who usually stays on the second floor, will take action."

"On the second floor, you’ll find Gu Master Chaxi’s true stronghold. Therefore, numerous traps have been set up there. First, at the corner of the staircase between the first and second floors, where there should be light fixtures, Gu Master Chaxi has installed poisoned knives. When activated, these knives will drop freely, and if you get hit, you’ll either be unlucky enough to die instantly or suffer from a lethal poison. Either way, you won’t come out unscathed. Since this staircase is devoid of sunlight, it’s quite dim, and without my warning, there’s a high chance you’d fall victim to it."

"Next is the second trap, which is similar to the first one. Gu Master Chaxi has created a hidden layer in the ceiling of the entire second floor. When triggered, it releases a swarm of devouring insects living within. Individually, these insects aren’t powerful, but when they work together, they can be a formidable force. Even at my peak, I wouldn’t dare to confront them head-on. However, these insects have a significant weakness – they fear fire. Using fire against them would eliminate the threat swiftly."

"As for Gu Master Chaxi’s gu worms, there are three types. The first is the Gu Master’s personal Worm King, which you’re probably aware of how to cultivate. It involves placing various poisonous insects in a sealed container, and the one that survives becomes a gu worm. Then, a hundred gu worms are placed together, and the one that survives becomes the Worm King. The Worm King’s primary role is to help Gu Masters control other gu worms. In essence, if you control the Worm King, you control all surrounding gu worms."

"However, the specific type of Worm King varies. Based on my special investigation, Gu Master Chaxi’s Worm King should be a Heart-Changing Silkworm. It’s tiny and looks like a maggot, but it can enter the brains of most creatures, secrete a silk-like substance, and take control of the host. Only by removing the silk can you break the control, but that’s nearly impossible."

"Gu Master Chaxi’s second gu worm is the Poison Burst Insect, which is about the size of a cockroach and capable of flight. Upon receiving Gu Master Chaxi’s command, these insects charge recklessly toward their target. When they approach or are about to die, they self-destruct, releasing a poison that covers a one-meter radius. If the poison touches your skin, you’ll suffer various adverse effects, possibly leading to death."

"Lastly, Gu Master Chaxi has a gu worm called the Mutant Worm. This gu worm is more like an exotic species, containing a unique liquid that, when injected into a creature, induces genetic mutations within a short time. I don’t know the specifics, as I only learned about it during a conversation with some foreign friends. This is my first time encountering the Mutant Worm, so I can’t say what it will turn people into, but I’d advise against risking it."

After hearing the black cat demon’s explanations, Liu Xing’s brows were twisted in knots. He hadn’t expected Gu Master Chaxi to be such a formidable adversary.

Firstly, the surveillance bugs, while seemingly non-aggressive, provided Gu Master Chaxi with a significant advantage by transmitting their every move to him. In both the game and reality, the importance of having the upper hand in information was undeniable.

Having the advantage of information allowed Gu Master Chaxi to plan strategies based on their group’s actions, while Liu Xing’s group, lacking this advantage, could only react passively, improvising as they went along.

Furthermore, Gu Master Chaxi’s remaining gu worms were nothing to be underestimated.

In Liu Xing’s eyes, the Devouring Insects were likely similar to Army Ants in nature, but they might be stronger in terms of size and individual combat abilities. If these insects got too close, it could become troublesome.

Then there was the Heart-Changing Silkworm that Liu Xing had already encountered. Its ability seemed incredibly overpowered, as leaving silk threads in a creature’s brain allowed control over that creature. Although the black cat demon didn’t mention it, Liu Xing suspected that there might be a limit to the number of creatures the Heart-Changing Silkworm could control.

Next was the Poison Burst Insect, which made Liu Xing think of a game abbreviated as "sc2." In this game, there was a unit called the Poison Burst Insect with abilities similar to Gu Master Chaxi’s, although the latter’s version seemed to be a weaker one. However, Liu Xing couldn’t help but wonder about the size of the cockroaches mentioned by the black cat demon. After all, there was a significant size difference between Northern and Southern Chinese cockroaches.

Considering Panlong Town’s location in southwestern China, it was more likely referring to Southern cockroaches. The thought of facing these giant Southern cockroaches, which could fly, made Liu Xing shudder.

Thinking of countless Southern cockroaches swarming towards him and exploding in a shower of oily liquid gave him chills.

As for the Mutant Worm, Liu Xing perceived it as something straight out of a biohazard scenario. It had the potential to mutate creatures into horrifying bio-weapons. However, Liu Xing assumed that the Mutant Worm would only be used as a last resort by Gu Master Chaxi.

From the information provided by the black cat demon, it was clear that Gu Master Chaxi held far more cards than their group. Therefore, Liu Xing felt grateful for the information provided by the black cat demon.

However, the problem now was that he couldn’t directly share this information with Ling Ishikawa and the others.

Since he couldn’t reveal the existence of the black cat demon, Liu Xing needed a plausible explanation for the information. It wasn’t like he could say he obtained it through stargazing and divination.

His head was starting to ache.

Seeing Liu Xing’s dilemma, the black cat demon added, "Kid, don’t forget the agreement we made. You can share this information with others, but you must never mention my presence. Do you understand what I mean?"

Liu Xing nodded reluctantly and said, "Cat Elder, why do you insist on hiding your identity? My companions and I share the same goal as you—to deal with Gralki. So, why not reveal yourself to them?"

The black cat demon gave Liu Xing a meaningful look and replied, "Kid, things aren’t as simple as you think. Let me ask you this: do you really understand your companions? Do you fully trust them?"

These two questions from the black cat demon left Liu Xing at a loss for words.

After all, he was currently in the persona of "Watanabe Ryuusei." Besides having some knowledge about "Ling Ishikawa," he knew very little about "Zhang Jingxu." As for the newcomers, "Li Dian" and "Wan Chongshan," Liu Xing hardly knew anything about them.

Regarding trust, Liu Xing couldn’t honestly say he had complete trust in his companions, especially given his cautious nature as "Watanabe Ryuusei." Even trusting "Ling Ishikawa" completely was difficult.

However, since the black cat demon brought up these questions, Liu Xing realized that there might be a hidden message.

For instance, in the player group, there could also be a "Kid." Liu Xing’s thoughts turned to the Judgment during the "Interlude Growth," where he had chosen a number of question marks. It seemed that this Judgment held some significance.

The reason the black cat demon had found him might be because he had chosen a corresponding number in that Judgment. In a player group of this size, having one "Kid" was entirely plausible.

With these thoughts in mind, Liu Xing asked tentatively, "Cat Elder, are you suggesting that among my companions, there’s someone else like Xiao Mochen?"

The black cat demon chuckled and replied seriously, "Yes, among your companions, there is indeed someone like Xiao Mochen, a follower of Gralki. However, because Gralki’s power protects them, I can’t be sure who among your companions is the follower of Gralki. But I can assure you that it’s not you, which is why I sought you out."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow and fell into deep contemplation.

If there was another "Kid" among the players, it would most likely not be "Ling Ishikawa," as both of them were devout followers of King Hastur in Yellow Robes. It was unlikely that they would align themselves with Gralki, a relatively weaker Great Old One.

Additionally, Liu Xing trusted Zhang Jingxu, considering his strong connection to the traditional Daoist sects in China. It seemed improbable for him to associate with a malevolent entity like Gralki.

Therefore, Liu Xing narrowed down the possibilities to either Li Dian or Wan Chongshan.

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