Chapter 231: The Death-Seeking Yin En

Chapter 231: The Death-Seeking Yin En

For an ordinary profession, having a Cthulhu Mythos knowledge score in the double digits marked a significant turning point. Players would then have the opportunity to switch to the Occultist class. However, having a Cthulhu Mythos knowledge score in the double digits also had its advantages, as it meant that the player's character card had gained a certain level of understanding of the Cthulhu Mythos world they inhabited. This, in turn, would grant them some reduction in Sanity (SAN) checks.

Looking at his character card, Liu Xing suddenly remembered something. He hadn't acquired the Disguise skill yet! Liu Xing furrowed his brows, thinking that he should have completed Juri Sonoda's mission by now. Why hadn't he acquired the Disguise skill? Could it be that Juri Sonoda's mission was a series of interconnected missions?

Thinking about it, Liu Xing recalled that during their previous phone call, Juri Sonoda mentioned she would come to China for a visit. So, it was highly likely that Liu Xing would encounter Juri Sonoda in one of the modules, and she might assign him another mission. However, the rewards for completing this mission should be quite substantial.

At that moment, Liu Xing found himself standing by the sea, realizing that he had officially entered the module. The timing of his entry was precisely at the last moment of the previous module's ending scene, when he and Yin En were standing at the bow of a ship.

Liu Xing turned to look and saw Yin En, who appeared utterly disheartened.

Observing Yin En's condition, Liu Xing was puzzled. He asked, "Yin En, what's wrong with you? Your expression looks rather strange."

Yin En reluctantly shook his head, as if he wanted to say something but found it difficult to speak.

Liu Xing shrugged. Since Yin En didn't want to talk about it, he wouldn't press the matter. However, Liu Xing had already guessed why Yin En looked this way. It was likely that during Interlude Growth, Yin En had chosen some peculiar options.

Because this module still took place in January and on a cruise ship, Liu Xing could feel his body starting to get cold. To avoid catching a cold, he invited Yin En to leave the bow and return to a coffee shop inside the ship, where they ordered two cups of hot coffee.

However, just then, Liu Xing suddenly spotted a familiar figureJuri Sonoda!

Liu Xing remembered that Juri Sonoda had reported the Dark Willow Gang under her real name to escape their pursuit, and she had informed him during their phone call that she would first visit the Cosmic Country to lay low.

So, it came as a surprise that Juri Sonoda had chosen to board the same cruise ship as them.

However, this could be good news, as Juri Sonoda was a journalist with remarkable skills, especially in stealth and disguise. In this module, Liu Xing could leverage Juri Sonoda's abilities to better identify the players from the opposing faction and their location during the Eldritch God ritual that would take place on Yueshihao.

Just as Liu Xing was about to greet Juri Sonoda, the Game Master (GM) for this module finally appeared. And just like Juri Sonoda, the GM for this module turned out to be someone familiarLi Shunchan.

GM Li Shunchan chuckled and said, "Hey, Liu Xing, Yin En, we meet again! It's been just a day, and you're already missing me, aren't you?"

Liu Xing chuckled, and Yin En chimed in almost simultaneously, "Not at all."

According to the Cthulhu Mythos setting, Dagon, as the eldest of the Deep Ones, naturally became their leader. They usually lived in underwater cities created by the Deep Ones, and the most famous underwater city should be located outside Innsmouth, beneath the Devil's Reef.

So, Liu Xing believed it was impossible to perform a ritual to summon Dagon in the Cosmic Country's sea region. Therefore, Liu Xing thought that the two cultist players were likely worshiping a powerful but unknown Deep One, possibly on par with an Elder Ghoul.

"Well, it does seem likely. I remember watching a documentary about the real-world Sewol ferry disaster, and it mentioned the possibility of the ferry colliding with a massive unidentified underwater object, causing it to capsize. So, I suspect that in this module, if those two cultist players successfully conduct the ritual, they may summon a powerful Deep One to destroy the Yueshihao," Yin En affirmed.

Liu Xing nodded and suddenly remembered Yin En's strange expression earlier. With curiosity, he asked, "By the way, Yin En, what did your expression mean when we were at the bow of the ship?"

Upon hearing Liu Xing's question, Yin En's expression became animated, reminiscent of a Sichuan opera face-changing performance.

After a moment, as if determined, Yin En sighed and reluctantly said, "I might as well tell you the truth. You should know that this module's timeline is immediately after the previous module, so the options for Interlude Growth are very limited and unique. So, this time, I made a special choice for Interlude Growth 'Playing Both Sides'!"

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow and gave a sly smile, asking, "Are you saying you successfully seduced Takayanagi Aoyin?"

Yin En nodded with a serious expression, and everything became clear.

Liu Xing understood and, with a chuckle, said, "You city folks really know how to have fun. But I really admire you; you should know what kind of person your fiance, Sawada Yinyin, is. Yet you still dared to choose such an Interlude Growth. You must be looking for a 'death by fire' ending."

Yin En wore a wry smile and shook his head, saying, "What can I do? I was desperate at the time. I saw that the other Interlude Growths weren't very reliable, so I decided to take a chance. After all, the success rate for this 'Playing Both Sides' Interlude Growth is only 5%, so I thought it would fail... But little did I know, my luck was so good, I rolled a 1!"

"Then, as soon as I entered the module, I gained a new memory segment confessing to Takayanagi Aoyin before boarding the ship. The lines were so cheesy, just thinking about it gives me goosebumps. And then, Takayanagi Aoyin accepted my confession and agreed to be with me... But as you said, after this module ends, I'll probably face a mandatory Interlude Growth 'Getting Killed by Miss Sawada Yinyin with a Chopping Knife...'" Yin En explained.

Liu Xing chuckled and playfully tapped the table, saying, "It serves you right for being curious. There's a saying that goes, 'Knowing the tiger's den but still entering it willingly.' I salute you as a man."

After teasing Yin En, KP Li Shunchan spoke again, "Alright, the module continues now. Liu Xing, Yin En, your Main quest will trigger when you discover the players from the opposing faction. So, your primary goal right now is to find those two opposing players. But I believe, Liu Xing, this shouldn't be a problem for you."

As soon as KP Li Shunchan finished speaking, Takayanagi Aoyin walked over with a cup of coffee and sat down next to Yin En as if nothing were amiss. She smiled and said, "Mr. Liu Xing, I didn't expect to run into you here."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow in surprise, not expecting Takayanagi Aoyin to act so naturally. He couldn't help but exchange a glance with Yin En, who silently nodded.

Liu Xing understood that Yin En's choice of the 'Playing Both Sides' Interlude Growth was no longer a reckless decision; it was essentially seeking death.

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