Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 71: Doubts

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, surprised that KP Cao was so straightforward in revealing that the strange city they discussed was indeed the lost ancient city of R'lyeh.

This revelation led Liu Xing to further suspect the old Taoist. Could he be an incarnation of Cthulhu?

However, KP Cao didn't give Liu Xing much time to ponder. Smiling, he said, "Congratulations, player Old Chinese Doctor, for completing the scenario 'Harvest Festival' and achieving the perfect ending with no player deaths. You also completed the Hidden Quests, safely escorting Nan Xiaoniao back to the real world. Thus, you've earned a total of 450 points: 200 as a basic reward for completing the scenario, 100 for the perfect ending, and 150 for the Hidden Quests."

Liu Xing nodded, pleasantly surprised by the generous rewards of this promotion game. Indeed, greater risk brought greater points.

"Next is the character relationship reward. As the police couldn't find Nan Xiaoniao's family for various reasons, Liu Xing has adopted her. Thus, in your character relationships, you gain a foster daughter, Nan Xiaoniao, with a friendliness level of 80. In certain special scenarios, you can bring Nan Xiaoniao along," continued KP Cao. "However, since player Old Chinese Doctor didn't earn any growth marks this time, we'll skip that part and move to the question phase. As you and Tina are the MVPs, each of you can ask two questions. Though, you'll also be privy to the questions and answers of other players."

Liu Xing nodded and without hesitation asked, "OK, then I want to know, who exactly is that old Taoist?"

KP Cao was momentarily stumped by Liu Xing's question. After a brief silence and a somewhat awkward response, he said, "Uh, that's a bit beyond the scope of the game. The old Taoist wasn't supposed to appear in this scenario. I don't know why the higher-ups suddenly introduced him, and even let you see the ancient city of R'lyeh... But since you insist, I can only reveal his rank. I, as the KP, am not privy to his true identity. I can only see his level."

Liu Xing frowned, realizing that the old Taoist was not originally part of the 'Harvest Festival' scenario, but an intrusion from another 'set.' Moreover, his identity was so classified that even the KP lacked clearance. This indicated that the old Taoist was likely an incarnation of either Nyarlathotep or Cthulhu, both high-level entities.

Accepting this, Liu Xing nodded and requested, "Alright, KP, just tell me about the old Taoist's level then."

"Very well," KP Cao conceded. "Judging by his attribute strength, he's at least on par with an incarnation of a Great Old One. However, without access to his skills, I can't be certain. After all, skills are the true measure of a mythical creature's strength."

Liu Xing nodded in agreement. KP Cao's words made perfect sense. Beings like the Great Old One possessed skills that could instantly kill players with a hundred percent certainty. The only difference was whether it would instantaneously kill 1d6 or 1d10 players.

However, KP Cao's response also confirmed Liu Xing's suspicions. The old Taoist must be an avatar of Cthulhu, as R'lyeh, the ancient city, was the resting place of Cthulhu. Ordinary avatars of the Great Old One would not dare to enter R'lyeh casually, but the old Taoist strolled in as if it were his home.

Yet, Liu Xing quickly thought of another question and hurriedly asked KP Cao, "So, my second question is quite simple. This R'lyeh, it's not the real R'lyeh, is it?"

KP Cao nodded and replied, "You are correct. This R'lyeh is not the actual one, but a projection of the city in the mirror world. Furthermore, I can share a not-so-secret piece of information with you. The entire mirror world is a scenario of a promotion game, a necessary step for players advancing to the Cthulhu region. The birthplace of players in the mirror world is determined by the special scenarios they previously encountered. For example, Liu Xing, if you participate in the mirror world's scenario, you'll be born inside that temple, giving you another chance to meet your old friend, the Formless Offspring."

KP Cao's revelation left Liu Xing somewhat bewildered. He hadn't expected the mirror world to be a critical scenario in the promotion game. Therefore, the current Harvest Festival scenario was just a minor event, with the real challenge still to come.

The thought of thousands of Formless Offspring in the dense fog sent a chill down Liu Xing's spine. "Can one actually play this game?" he wondered. However, his curiosity was piqued about why the KPs seemed to favor him with extra information. Was it because of his good looks or some protagonist's aura he possessed?

With this thought, Liu Xing couldn't help but ask KP Cao, "Do all of you KPs like to provide extra information to players? The three KPs I've met have all given me quite a bit of information."

KP Cao chuckled and replied, "It's better for you not to know too much. Simply put, we KPs see great potential in newcomers like you. KP004, who you must know, is a person I greatly respect. He mentioned you a few days ago, saying you have a good chance of advancing to the Cthulhu region. It's a coincidence that this promotion game brought me to you, a kind of fate, I suppose."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, surprised to learn that KP Cao was KP004's junior. This was indeed a rare coincidence. It made Liu Xing realize that the KPs of the Cthulhu Role-Playing Game Hall were interconnected.

Therefore, Liu Xing tentatively said to KP Cao, "So, all of you KPs…"

Before he could finish, KP Cao shook his head vigorously and interrupted, "Friend, some things are not for you to ask. You understand what I mean, right?"

Liu Xing nodded, indicating he understood KP Cao's point, but his curiosity about the KPs only grew.