Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 83: Acting Skills

Mo Jin spoke with a pragmatic edge. Although the name of the Earth-boring Demon Worm contained the word 'worm', this didn't imply it was a mindless insect. In fact, the intelligence quotient of an Earth-boring Demon Worm was significantly higher than humans, calculated as the result of 5d6 multiplied by 5, with a maximum value reaching 150, far surpassing the human average of 99.

Hence, unless the Earth-boring Demon Worm from Earth Dragon Village was intellectually impaired, it would know how to concentrate its superior forces and arm itself to confront Liu Xing and his team. In such a scenario, their only option would be to flee, as fighting would be akin to courting death.

"Tang Tai, it seems our actual adversaries are the armed peasants, with the Earth-boring Demon Worm merely making brief appearances to launch SAN value attacks on us," Tang Tai said, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

"That's not necessarily true," Shi Ying countered, shaking his head solemnly. "The seal on the Earth-boring Demon Worm must have been partially broken by now, meaning it has likely gained the ability to attack. I suspect we'll engage in one or two rounds of combat with it. More importantly, we're about five kilometers away from Earth Dragon Village. To successfully escape, we must reach this point from the village, facing potential dangers like earthquakes and landslides along the way."

Liu Xing nodded in agreement. Shi Ying's analysis was astute. The mission's objectives and the scenario set by the Castle Lord seemed eerily similar, both requiring escape from a designated area. Clearly, the landslide was a critical boundary marker.

The nearby mountain structure had become unstable. If they were pursued by the Earth-boring Demon Worm, which could potentially trigger another earthquake, they might need to rely on agility or luck checks to survive the falling rocks.

"Damn it, the difficulty of this second promotion game is insanely high. It's almost as if they don't want us to pass," Mo Jin sighed in frustration, beginning to complain.

Liu Xing also sighed. "Who designed this scenario? They must be as mentally unstable as Bai Hecheng!"

Meanwhile, in another promotion game...

"Ah-choo," Bai Hecheng sneezed, touching his nose sullenly. "Isn't it supposed to be spring in this module? How can I catch a cold? Low constitution really sucks, but that shouldn't be an issue in the future. After all, the constitution of a Ghoul is quite impressive."

Shaking his head, Bai Hecheng unrolled a sheepskin scroll, muttering an arcane language. In front of him, four men and women lay unconscious, bound tightly.

Back to Liu Xing and his team...

Liu Xing suddenly thought of something and urgently addressed the group, "What if Wang Wei has also been controlled by the Earth-boring Demon Worm?"

His theory wasn't baseless. Wang Wei was a villager from Earth Dragon Village. Although he claimed he hadn't been back for over a decade, that was just his word.

"You're right, Liu Xing. It's quite possible that Wang Wei has been controlled by the Earth-boring Demon Worm and sent out to find sacrifices – us," Tang Tai agreed, nodding.

Liu Xing glanced at the path they had come on, his expression grave. "If Wang Wei is under the Worm's control, he might sabotage our car or find a signal to warn the villagers of our arrival."

Tang Tai raised an eyebrow, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket, along with a wallet. He didn't bother with the wallet that fell to the ground. "Hmm, but if the Worm controls Wang Wei, it wouldn't need him to call the villagers. And if not, Wang Wei is just a guide NPC. I'll use the excuse of something left in the van to check it. Keep Wang Wei busy and don't let him follow."

Mo Jin chuckled, sidling next to Tang Tai and casually kicking the wallet into the roadside bushes. "You're clever, Tang Tai. With me here, Wang Wei won't have a chance to follow you to the van."

Just then, Liu Xing heard footsteps approaching – Wang Wei was returning.

Liu Xing exchanged a knowing look with the others, and they swiftly resumed their 'acting' roles, chatting idly.

"We're ready to go to Earth Dragon Village," Wang Wei announced cheerfully upon his return.

Tang Tai nodded, smiling. As he put his cigarettes back in his pocket, his expression changed abruptly. "Oh no, where's my wallet?!"

Liu Xing joined in seamlessly, "Are you sure you brought your wallet, Tang Tai? Could it be in the van?"

"I'm certain," Tang Tai replied earnestly. "I wanted to smoke earlier but didn't out of consideration for you all. I felt my wallet then, so

it must be in the van."

Their acting was flawless, leaving Wang Wei puzzled and uncertain. "Let's go back to the van to check, Tang Tai. But if it's there, can we leave it in the van? We'll retrieve it after completing our mission in Earth Dragon Village."

Tang Tai immediately shook his head. "No, I need my wallet. It has a photo of my wife, which I must see before sleeping. I must go back to the van to get it."