Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 291: The Disappearance of Ling Ishikawa

Liu Xing couldn't help but think that if his character card could survive a few more modules, he could become a true Secret Cult leader. He had a feeling that he would be in over his head by then.

After all, as the leader of the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect, Liu Xing had some decisions to make, like how to deal with the heretics from the Deep Sea Gospel Society...

With these thoughts in mind, Liu Xing couldn't help but sigh. He could already see his hands stained with blood.

Just then, Yin En suddenly spoke up, "Damn, why do I feel like..."

Before Yin En could finish his sentence, Liu Xing saw a flash of white light in front of him, and when he looked back at Yin En, he realized that Yin En had disappeared without a trace.

There was no need to say more; Yin En had been sent to Hybrier by Honda Tetsuya.

Liu Xing furrowed his brow and said with frustration, "I can't believe it, the teleportation happened too early this time. We haven't even completed half of the module's progress, and now we're short one person."

Miyako Goudong, who was nearby, nodded and said, "Plans can't always keep up with changes. But it's not a big problem. We still have plenty of time. We can use these two days to prepare properly and wait for Ling Ishikawa to return before we take action. The tricky part is that if any NPCs besides Lu Tianya find out about Ling Ishikawa's sudden disappearance, Matsui Yui's anxiety level is likely to skyrocket."

Liu Xing sighed in resignation. As Miyako Goudong had pointed out, if anyone outside of Lu Tianya, even Dogo Aige, found out about Yin En's sudden disappearance, it would be a big problem. Dogo Aige might inform Matsui Yui, especially since Yin En was his guest, and now he had vanished within Fisher's Village, which was currently cut off from the outside world.

For Matsui Yui, or rather Matsui Ichiro, having someone mysteriously disappear within the village he controlled, and not being able to find that person, would surely make him extremely anxious. After all, Fisher's Village was now isolated from the outside world.

If Matsui Ichiro panicked, Matsui Yui's anxiety level would definitely rise, and it wouldn't be a one-time increase. It would gradually increase over time.

So, Matsui Yui's anxiety level was sure to exceed a hundred eventually, and as for how much higher it would go, that was uncertain.

Zhang Jingxu proposed a solution, "Let's tell everyone that Ling Ishikawa is sick and needs isolation and treatment. After all, only Dogo Aige comes to deliver food every day, so as long as we send him away, the other NPCs shouldn't pay much attention to Ling Ishikawa."

Everyone nodded in agreement; it seemed like the only viable option at the moment.

Just then, KP Green Light spoke up, "Alright, today's Private Room time is almost up. Players, please prepare yourselves. At the same time, I'd like each player to undergo a sanity check because you witnessed Ling Ishikawa's sudden disappearance. However, since Ling Ishikawa had already informed all players except for Miyako Goudong about these events, only Miyako Goudong will need to make a sanity check, with a success resulting in a loss of 1d3 sanity points and a failure resulting in a loss of 2d3 sanity points. The other players will undergo a sanity check as well, with a success resulting in no loss of sanity and a failure resulting in a loss of 1d3 sanity points. Of course, due to Liu Xing's special circumstances, he will not need to undergo this sanity check."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, realizing he had forgotten about this part. Fortunately, his special status exempted him from the sanity check. However, the unluckiest one was Miyako Goudong, as he had been acting alone on the first night and hadn't heard Ling Ishikawa's warning.

Zhang Jingxu: 13/70, success. Panda Pig: 75/76, success. Miyako Goudong: 64/58, failure. Miyako Goudong: 2d3=3.

Liu Xing was surprised to see that Miyako Goudong's sanity was only 58 points. He hadn't expected it to be so low, but then he remembered Miyako Goudong's fascination with mysterious events and how he eagerly participated in sanity checks that could have been avoided. So, his low sanity was understandable.

With a sympathetic glance, Liu Xing, Zhang Jingxu, and Panda Pig looked at Miyako Goudong.

"Alright, this time only Miyako Goudong loses 3 sanity points. Private Room time is officially over. Players, you can now start playing your roles," KP Green Light said with a cheerful smile.

As soon as KP Green Light finished speaking, Miyako Goudong jumped up and exclaimed, "What's going on? How did Ling Ishikawa suddenly disappear?!"

Panda Pig, sitting next to Miyako Goudong, stood up and patted his shoulder, explaining Ling Ishikawa's situation.

After hearing Panda Pig's explanation, Miyako Goudong suddenly realized, "So Ling Ishikawa is the chosen one from the legends. When he returns, I must spar with him and discuss Magic Spells with him."

Faced with Miyako Goudong's over-the-top enthusiasm, everyone had no words.

Due to Ling Ishikawa's sudden disappearance, the group decided to temporarily postpone their earlier plans and returned to their rooms to rest.

Liu Xing went back to his room, stood by the window, and observed the outside as usual. As expected, due to the lack of moonlight, the world outside was pitch-black.

With a sigh, Liu Xing washed up and went to sleep.

The next morning, Liu Xing woke up on time, but he could hear the sound of rain outside.

It was raining.

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, surprised that after participating in so many modules, he had finally encountered rainy weather.

However, this rainy day had both good and bad aspects.

The good part was that because of the rain, Ling Ishikawa's "sickness" could be considered reasonable. The bad part was that the rain prevented Liu Xing and the others from going outside.

In a small village like Fisher's Village, the roads became muddy, and the sea was not calm during rainy days. So, Liu Xing and his group had no suitable reason to go outside. Attempting to do so would arouse suspicion from Matsui Yui and Matsui Ichiro, potentially raising Matsui Yui's anxiety level once again.

Therefore, Liu Xing sighed and realized that he would have to stay in the villa and rest today.

Just then, Liu Xing heard a knock on the door, and Dogo Aige was outside, saying, "Ryusei, it's time to eat."

Liu Xing responded and quickly put on his clothes before opening the door. He saw Dogo Aige about to knock on Ling Ishikawa's door.

Seeing this, Liu Xing hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Dogo Aige, Ling Ishikawa caught a cold while he was out for a walk yesterday because of the sea breeze. So, he has been feeling unwell since last night, and he's probably still asleep. After all, rainy days are perfect for resting."

Dogo Aige nodded with concern and said, "I see. It's easy to catch a cold on the island, especially with the weather being not so good these days. You all need to take care of yourselves. However, fortunately, Matsui Yui's father knows some medicine. Should I go find him now to check on Ling Ishikawa?"

Liu Xing furrowed his brow, surprised that Matsui Ichiro had medical knowledge.

But upon reflection, it made sense for Matsui Ichiro, as a missionary, to have some medical skills. Throughout history, many religious missionaries possessed basic medical knowledge. They would use their medical skills to treat illnesses and convert people, attributing the recovery of patients to faith.

However, Liu Xing certainly wouldn't let Matsui Ichiro treat Ling Ishikawa because Ling Ishikawa wasn't sick; he had just disappeared suddenly.

So, Liu Xing shook his head and smiled, saying, "There's no need for that. When we came to Fisher's Village, we prepared some common medicines. Ling Ishikawa has already taken some, so all he needs now is rest."

Dogo Aige listened to Liu Xing and nodded, saying, "Alright, if Ling Ishikawa's condition doesn't improve, Ryusei, you can come to my thatched hut, and I'll take you to Matsui Yui's father for help."

Liu Xing nodded and asked, "Sure, but by the way, Dogo Aige, is your thatched hut okay with this rain? Won't it leak?"

Dogo Aige shrugged and said with a smile, "My thatched hut is fine for now. Although it looks a bit simple, it hasn't leaked. The only trouble has been the journey here. Well, let's not chat here. It wouldn't be good if we woke up Ling Ishikawa."

With that, Liu Xing and Dogo Aige went to the villa's first floor.

On the first floor, Liu Xing saw Matsui Yui chatting with Alice.

When Dogo Aige came down, Matsui Yui exchanged greetings with Liu Xing and the others and then left with Alice.

Dogo Aige also exchanged pleasantries with them and then left the villa.

Liu Xing sat down in his spot and said, "Dogo Aige almost found out about Ling Ishikawa's disappearance just now. Fortunately, I stopped him in time. Now, let's coordinate our story. I'll say that Ling Ishikawa caught a cold while taking a walk yesterday and has been bedridden since. After all, rainy days are ideal for resting. But please don't slip up, and I really didn't expect Matsui Ichiro to know how to treat illnesses."

Zhang Jingxu nodded and said, "It's actually quite normal. For example, I have some medical knowledge too. Taoists like me often travel around, and even though I usually operate in the city these days, I still occasionally go on missions in remote areas. In case of emergencies in the wilderness, I need to ensure I can take care of myself or help others."

"But on another note, it seems like our luck isn't that great. We've encountered a rainy day, and now we can't go outside. After all, we don't even have an umbrella. If we get caught in the rain and catch a cold, it could be troublesome."

Liu Xing looked at the rain outside. Although it wasn't heavy, the cold weather could easily lead to a judgment on whether they caught a cold if they got wet.

"So, for now, we can only rest in the villa and wait for the rain to stop. But if I remember correctly, rain on the island tends to last quite a while, as the ocean continuously provides moisture to the rain clouds. So, I think this rain will last for at least a day or two, if not longer," Panda Pig lamented.

Hearing Panda Pig's words, Liu Xing began to suspect that this was the module's automatic correction mechanism. Since they had gathered too much information, the rain was likely a deliberate obstacle to keep them inside the villa, effectively wasting a couple of days.

Liu Xing sighed and leaned back in his chair, saying, "Well, it looks like we'll have to stay here and contemplate life for the next couple of days. Do any of you have playing cards or something to pass the time? We can't go outside now."

Panda Pig nodded and said, "You know what? I actually brought a deck of playing cards in my backpack because when I received Dogo Aige's invitation, I had a feeling this trip to Fisher's Village might be a bit boring. So, I brought a deck of cards since they don't take up much space."

As Panda Pig spoke, he got up and went upstairs. Soon, a deck of cards appeared on the living room table.

However, at that moment, Liu Xing realized that the lighter on the table was missing.

Furrowing his brow, Liu Xing said, "By the way, where did the lighter on this table go? I remember Miyako Goudong put it back after he finished showering yesterday. So, one of you must have it. If you're not using it, can you give it to me? I'm thinking of taking a shower today."

Everyone looked at each other, and it was evident that none of them had the lighter.

The truth became clear: the lighter was with Ling Ishikawa.

"If I remember correctly, when I put the lighter back yesterday, Ling Ishikawa took it, saying he intended to take a shower at night. But he disappeared last night," Miyako Goudong confirmed.

"Well, that's a problem. It seems we won't be able to take showers until Miyako Goudong returns. We'll have to make do without it for now," Liu Xing said with frustration, thinking about that impractical fire starter.

However, Zhang Jingxu suddenly said, "Wait a minute, we might be in luck. If Dogo Aige didn't misspeak, Fisher's Village has hosted many Wedding Ceremonies, so the villa we're staying in might have some interesting items left behind by previous guests."

As Zhang Jingxu spoke, KP Green Light chimed in, "Congratulations, players, you've triggered the fifth Side Quest: 'Find Suspicious Items in the Villa.' If you find five suspicious items, you'll receive 500 points."