Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Liu Xing didn’t think for a moment that their group’s strength could be compared to that of a fully armed expedition team.

Back in the hall, Liu Xing saw Zhang Jingxu and others sitting around the table with worried expressions.

Furrowing his brows, Liu Xing knew that something had gone wrong outside while he was inside the Soul Casket.

"What’s going on? Why do you all look so gloomy?" Liu Xing asked as he approached.

Ling Ishikawa sighed, saying helplessly, "Ryuusei, we need to tell you some bad news. In three days, we’ll run out of food. When Buke was preparing dinner, he found that most of the canned goods in the camp were damaged, and their contents had rotted away. As for the fresh food we brought, apart from some preserved items, everything else is essentially spoiled."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, surprised by the extent of the effect caused by the fluctuations from Sirius’ catalytic device. But upon reflection, it made sense; even Miguel’s parts couldn’t withstand the catalytic waves, let alone these canned goods and unprotected ingredients.

However, bad news wasn’t in short supply.

"In addition, we checked our firearms and found that we’re left with only the old-fashioned shotguns the earlier expedition team left behind. The important parts of the newer weapons are all unusable, so only those rugged old shotguns, which Buke can still repair, remain somewhat functional... Also, our generator is now kaput. So, we’re relying on the remaining power in the batteries for now. We estimate we’ll run out of electricity in two to three days," Zhang Jingxu said seriously.

Liu Xing nodded, shrugging. "Let me guess, our drinking water is also spoiled, right? After all, under catalytic influence, drinking water is also prone to spoilage."

Zhang Wenbing shook his head, smiling bitterly. "No, our only good news is that our drinking water hasn’t been affected. We still have enough for the next few days. It seems the heavens aren’t entirely against us."

Zhang Wenbing referred to "the heavens" as the Plot Encounter of this module.

However, to Liu Xing, this Plot Encounter was harsh; it had severely weakened their weapons and food supplies. In the perilous Zekiel Island, both weapons and food were crucial commodities.

With automatic rifles, even facing beasts like lions or tigers, Liu Xing’s group would have confidence in killing them. But now, with just a few shotguns, they’d struggle even against wild dogs. And as for Ling Ishikawa’s "three days’ worth" of food, Liu Xing doubted it would be enough for a satisfying meal for their group. So, they had to step out and have a "chat" with the island’s natives.

As for the distress signal transmitter, Liu Xing knew without thinking that it was all rendered useless now.

Feeling frustrated, Liu Xing found a seat and recounted his conversation with Sirius in the Soul Casket.

Buke stroked his chin, speaking up, "If what Sirius said is true, then we’re in for a big trouble. After the recent catalytic wave, the animals on Zekiel Island will have grown even larger. For us now, larger animals pose a greater threat, considering our limited firepower and accuracy with these old shotguns. It’ll be hard for us to take down enemies in one shot."

Liu Xing nodded in agreement, recalling times when he saw his cousin hunting with old shotguns in the real world. The accuracy was abysmal; they could miss a target within ten meters. Even when hitting small animals like rabbits or quails, it wasn’t always fatal.

So, Liu Xing was certain that unless they had exceptionally good luck, those old shotguns wouldn’t provide enough firepower.

In summary, Liu Xing suddenly felt a bleak future ahead. Their situation now was even more difficult than facing the Cult of the Cadaver before.

This time, they lacked numerical superiority and firearm advantage. Moreover, their enemies were irrational beasts who believed in a simple worldview: either you die or I perish!

Thus, Liu Xing knew that every fight they faced on Zekiel Island from now on would be a fight for their lives, and there would be no shortage of battles.

This was true survival on a deserted island...

Sighing, Liu Xing spoke up, "So, what’s our plan now? Shall we continue searching for Beast Repellent Grass on Zekiel Island as planned, once the rain stops, and then head to Myriad Beast Mountain to see what’s there?"

Zhang Wenbing nodded, sighing, "Yes, that’s the only option we have now. Before we came here, they already mentioned that if we were stranded on Zekiel Island, it would take them at least half a month to organize a more professional rescue team. Considering the situation in England, they won’t be able to spare any manpower for our rescue. And as for the Daoist sect in China, it will also take some time for them to deploy personnel here."

Most importantly, they came with a mission. Leaving Zekiel Island without completing it would mean failure.

So, regardless of the difficulties ahead, they had to persevere.

Just then, Miguel, who had been lying motionless on the ground, suddenly sat up, startling Liu Xing and the others.

Looking at Miguel sitting on the ground without moving, Liu Xing felt concerned. "Miguel, how are you feeling now? By the way, what happened earlier? Why did you suddenly stop moving?" R̃ÅℕỖᛒЁš

Miguel shook his head, saying, "I stopped moving because most of the components in my body had aged excessively, causing many instruments to malfunction. The system recognized it as an emergency and temporarily cut off my power supply, putting me in a dormant state for the system to conduct checks and determine if all the instruments in my body could function properly. Now that the system has shut down most of the instruments in my body, my abilities are similar to an ordinary person’s."

Miguel stood up, staggering, as he spoke, "Now, without the assistance of various instruments, I can barely walk. But I must apologize to you all. I’ve become an ordinary person... No, not even that. Half of my body is made up of various mechanical parts, so without their support, I’ve lost the ability to run or jump. I can only move slowly like this."

For the first time, Liu Xing sensed a tinge of despondency in Miguel’s words.

And indeed, Miguel struggled with each step as he moved.

Seeing this, Liu Xing, seated nearby, quickly went to support Miguel, comforting him, "It’s okay, Miguel. Once we leave Zekiel Island and return to Manchester, you can make a list of the mechanical parts you need. Then, we’ll find suitable replacements for the aging parts in your body, and you’ll be back to normal."

Miguel nodded, forcing a smile, "I hope so. After all, the mechanical parts in my body were created using non-human technology. So, I’m not sure if we’ll find suitable replacements in Manchester. And even if we do, replacing all the aging mechanical parts in my body won’t be an easy task..."

Liu Xing sighed, unsure of what else to say.

The atmosphere grew somber, and Liu Xing began to feel as though the Cthulhu Role-Playing Game Hall was targeting him. After all, Miguel, a special entity, was like a benign bug that often provided assistance, such as in the previous module when Miguel helped them understand EinsCastle’s situation and make appropriate arrangements.

So, Liu Xing felt that the Cthulhu Role-Playing Game Hall wanted to eliminate Miguel, this benign bug, hence the creation of this module for the Plot Encounter.

As Liu Xing pondered this, Miguel suddenly spoke up, "Although I’ve lost most of my functions now, my fundamental system remains unaffected. So, I can still provide you, Ryuusei, with various data and intelligence analysis support."

Hearing this, Liu Xing suddenly had an idea, "Miguel, can you use the aging of your mechanical parts to estimate the level of catalysis the animals on Zekiel Island have undergone? After all, it’s still storming outside, and we can’t go out to investigate."

By the way, Liu Xing also shared his conversation with Sirius in the Soul Casket with Miguel.

Miguel nodded, after a moment of contemplation, he spoke, "If everything goes as expected, the most noticeable change in the animals on Zekiel Island would definitely be their size. For most animals, size represents strength. So, based on my estimation, the animals on Zekiel Island should have increased in size by about fifty percent. Additionally, these animals would have strengthened their existing abilities, such as biting force and impact."

"In summary, these animals on Zekiel Island will be even harder to deal with..." Ling Ishikawa commented.

Liu Xing shrugged, resigned, "It seems the difficulty of our survival on this deserted island has increased. Let’s hope things don’t get any worse."

However, complaints aside, they still needed to eat.

Despite the scarcity of food, Buke, in charge of food management, generously provided everyone with a hearty meal, ensuring they had enough energy for tomorrow’s exploration of Zekiel Island.

And Liu Xing’s group was confident that during tomorrow’s exploration, they would encounter some conflicts with animals, and they should be able to acquire some fresh food then.

Although Liu Xing had concerns about consuming animals from Zekiel Island after hearing from Sirius how they were formed, worrying that a lack of timely "discharge" might lead to insufficient materials for the Life Creator, he remembered that previous expedition teams had consumed many animals from Zekiel Island without any mishaps. So, he believed that the research facility on Zekiel Island should have backup materials prepared.

After dinner, everyone returned to their rooms to rest.

However, once in his room, Liu Xing began to contemplate something: whether or not to summon a Byakhee.

Previously, Liu Xing had hesitated to summon a Byakhee out of fear that if he couldn’t control it, it might extort him with difficult conditions. But now, with the approval of the Yellow King, Liu Xing felt confident that he could control the Byakhee.

Moreover, Liu Xing felt that he needed a Byakhee’s assistance now, as the enemies in this module were all ground units. So, an airborne unit like a Byakhee should be able to dominate all the animals on Zekiel Island.

Thinking this, Liu Xing couldn’t help but open his character card panel, preparing to summon the Byakhee.

However, Liu Xing suddenly noticed a change in the content of the "Summon/Dismiss Byakhee" in his character card.

Summon/Dismiss Byakhee: Due to your recognition by the Yellow King, the Byakhee clan, as a retinue of the Yellow King, will unconditionally provide you with an elite-level Byakhee. Although this Byakhee is your servant and mount, remember to maintain a good relationship with it, as its favorability towards you will affect the services it provides.

Conditions for using this magic: When summoning a Byakhee for the first time, you only need to expend 3 sanity points to summon it. The Byakhee will arrive at your location within 1d3 hours. After that, you can summon the Byakhee unconditionally using its name.

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, surprised that after gaining recognition from the Yellow King, he had become a VIP of the Byakhee clan.

This finally brought some good news.

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