Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 275: The Peculiar Fishers Village

Chapter 275: The Peculiar Fishers Village

Panda Pig had four photos on his phone, all depicting villas in Fisher's Village. However, Liu Xing quickly noticed a distinctioneach villa's lintel bore a small symbol.

The four symbols were hands, a book, a scepter, and swords.

Frowning, Liu Xing asked, "Panda Pig, are you suggesting that in Fisher's Village, the villagers' professions are differentiated by these symbols?"

Panda Pig nodded, smiling, "Exactly. When I entered Fisher's Village, I requested and passed a challenging inspiration Judgment from KP. Thankfully, I succeeded, and that's how I discovered these symbols. Their meanings should be quite straightforward, right?"

"Hands represent ordinary people or followers, given this is the world of Cthulhu RPG Game. In such isolated places, it's likely that a cult worshiping the Eldritch Gods could arise. If I'm not mistaken, the book symbolizes teachers or preachers, the scepter signifies senior members among the followers, and the swords are for those guarding Fisher's Village."

"After passing the inspiration Judgment, I encountered twelve villas. Six bore the symbol of hands, four of swords, and the remaining two each displayed a book and a scepter. As for the villa we're currently in, its lintel bears no symbol."

Listening to Panda Pig, Liu Xing stroked his chin, saying, "Your guess is right. Behind Fisher's Village stands a Secret CultDeep Sea Gospel Society. This cult venerates the Deep Ones. However, as far as I know, the main lair of the Deep Sea Gospel Society is in Reed Village, Hokkaido, not here."

Zhang Jingxu, intrigued, suddenly exclaimed, "I played a Cthulhu-themed game called 'Mist Island' in the real world (it's quite fun and has an official Chinese version on Steam). It's about a player leading a Secret Cult on an island, proclaiming the world's end and the island's inhabitants as survivors under the protection of a Great Old One. It seems Fisher's Village shares a similar setup with 'Mist Island.'"

"So, I suspect Fisher's Village might be a testing ground set up by the Deep Sea Gospel Society. Long ago, they deceived the original inhabitants and through centuries of ignorance, made them believe in the Society's narrative. Hence, the villagers don't realize they're Island Nation people and are restricted from using modern items or discussing the outside world."

Liu Xing's mind raced with the word "domestication."

If what Zhang Jingxu said was true, then the villagers were indeed being "domesticated" by the Deep Sea Gospel Society, more pitiable than ancient tribes in the Amazon, living perpetually in deception.

However, Liu Xing remained skeptical, saying, "That's all well and good, but why would the Deep Sea Gospel Society do this? If they just wanted more followers, there's no need for such elaborate setups. Fisher's Village, limited by geography, can only grow so much. The Society would be better off proselytizing in larger cities like Kyoto."

Yin En agreed, adding his questions, "Yes, and considering the weekly cruise ship visits, even if Fisher's Village's dock is secluded, the villagers must have seen it. What do they think of such a vessel? And what about women like Matsui Yui from Fisher's Village, or perhaps Deep One hybrids, who leave to find mates? Matsui Yui has been outside for quite some time and must recognize the differences between the outside world and Fisher's Village. So, the Deep Sea Gospel Society must have ulterior motives beyond just controlling the village."

The group fell into contemplation, unsure of the Deep Sea Gospel Society's actual intent.

After a while, Panda Pig hypothesized, "What if the Society simply wants to turn Fisher's Village into a breeding ground, where the villagers mate with the Deep Ones to mass-produce hybrids? The women leaving to find mates could just be a way to bring in new blood and prevent the entire population from turning into Deep Ones over generations."

Liu Xing shook his head, responding, "I considered that, but if true, isn't the Society playing god, or rather, blaspheming? And if it's about mass-producing hybrids, why not have the followers sacrifice themselves directly? Why go through all this trouble?"

With a heavy sigh, Panda Pig agreed.

Yin En lightened the mood, suggesting, "Let's drop this topic. We can't deduce much with the information we have, and it's getting late. Our private room time ends in two minutes. Let's rest and reconvene later."

Everyone nodded and went to their rooms.

In his room, Liu Xing sought KP Green Light for an Investigation or inspiration Judgment to ensure no hidden cameras or peculiarities were present. KP Green Light assured him the villa, serving as a safe point, warranted no Judgment.

Liu Xing approached the window, wanting to observe Fisher's Village at night. However, with no streetlights and absent moon or starlight, he saw nothing.

He realized the village likely had no electricity. Curious, he checked the bathroom and found a wooden structure resembling a northeastern kang bed, with a large metal tub filled with water and ready with kindling belowsuggesting a life without modern conveniences.

Upon witnessing the primitive bathing setup, Liu Xing thought humorously, "Cooking oneself in a cauldron..." Deciding against trying such a bathing method due to the lack of a lighter and his inability to use flint and steel, Liu Xing resigned to lying in bed. He considered using his phone but realized conserving its battery was crucial since it was his only link to the outside world, despite the lack of signal in Fisher's Village.

Regretting not bringing a satellite phone, which would have allowed him to call for help or even expose Fisher's Village's secrets, Liu Xing acknowledged he had to play along with the game without external assistance. So, without the option to use his phone, he opted for sleep.

After requesting a sleep package from KP Green Light, Liu Xing slept until 7 am. Waking up to the cold, he washed his face with cold water, unable to heat it himself. Realizing he had to endure six more days in these conditions, he sighed at the thought of the challenging days ahead.

Observing Fisher's Village in the early hours, Liu Xing noticed the villagers lacked the "Innsmouth Look" and seemed younger, with no middle-aged individuals in sight. Surprisingly, he saw more young male villagers than females, contradicting Dogo Aige's claim of a significant gender imbalance favoring women. Liu Xing wondered if he or Dogo Aige had been misled.

As time passed, Liu Xing found the villagers' behavior odd. The young people merely walked around without interacting or engaging in any activities, and after about ten minutes, they simultaneously returned home, leaving the streets empty again. This strange pattern intensified Liu Xing's suspicion that something was amiss in Fisher's Village.

When Dogo Aige knocked and invited him for breakfast, Liu Xing joined the others downstairs. After Dogo Aige reminded everyone to respect the village's customs, he left. The group discussed the primitive living conditions, with Ling Ishikawa complaining about the lack of modern amenities and the difficulty of starting a fire without a lighter. Panda Pig, a smoker, offered his lighter for communal use.

Liu Xing shared his observations of the young villagers' peculiar behavior, noting the unexpected male majority. Ling Ishikawa speculated it might be a unique local custom, while Zhang Jingxu pondered two possibilities: either the village's women married younger men due to a genuine gender imbalance or Matsui Yui had deceived Dogo Aige about the village's demographics to secure his integration into Fisher's Village. The group remained thoughtful, considering these anomalies and what they might imply about the true nature of Fisher's Village.

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