Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 86: "The Seven Chapters of the Mystic Scripture of the Enigmatic Lord"

As Liu Xing and his companions entered the vicinity of Earth Dragon Village, KP Snail spoke up, "Alright, it's time to officially commence the first phase of this promotion game. Players are not allowed to leave Earth Dragon Village before the commencement of the ritual tomorrow, but you are free to move within the village. Also, I'd like to mention that there is a hidden fragment of an ancient book within Earth Dragon Village. If a player manages to obtain this fragment, it will become their personal item, even if they fail to complete the game, as long as they don't tear their cards. Consider it an extra perk for this promotion game. Feel free to explore, players."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow. He couldn't decide if KP Snail was genuinely helpful or deviously cunning. On the surface, KP Snail had provided valuable additional information, but everyone knew that rewards came with risks. The fragment hidden in Earth Dragon Village was undoubtedly concealed in a secretive location, not easily found. There might even be traps or guardians guarding it. Liu Xing had already deduced the origin of this fragment – the "Earth-Guardian Summoning Scroll" from "The Seven Chapters of the Mystic Scripture of the Enigmatic Lord."

"The Seven Chapters of the Mystic Scripture of the Enigmatic Lord" was one of the few Chinese works within the Cthulhu Mythos. The book was authored by the ancient Chinese philosopher Xuan Jun, dating back to around the 2nd century AD. It was originally titled "The Seven Secrets of the Earth," but since the original manuscript had long been lost, only this faithful and comprehensive Chinese copy, known as "The Seven Chapters of the Mystic Scripture of the Enigmatic Lord," was known to exist.

This ancient text consisted of seven volumes, each serving as a chapter with different themes and contents. However, each volume contained one or more incantations, and among them was a volume that detailed the spell for summoning the "Earth-boring Demon Worm," known as the "Earth-Guardian Summoning Scroll."

In Liu Xing's view, "The Seven Chapters of the Mystic Scripture of the Enigmatic Lord" could be considered a summoning grimoire. Apart from summoning the Earth-boring Demon Worm, it could also summon mythical creatures like Ghoul, Hound of Tindalos, Byakhee, and more. The final volume had the ability to directly summon Nyarlathotep. However, except for controlling Byakhee using the book, the summoning of other mythical creatures was uncontrollable. To these creatures, human summoners were delectable prey, except Nyarlathotep, who saw humans as mere playthings.

In addition to summoning various mythical creatures, "The Seven Chapters of the Mystic Scripture of the Enigmatic Lord" also contained two volumes with special spells. One was the "Resurrection of the Dead" spell, which could only resurrect zombies. The other was the "Opening of the Gate of Kadath," which could transport you directly to the celestial realm (or mist). In short, there was no return.

Hence, "The Seven Chapters of the Mystic Scripture of the Enigmatic Lord" was often referred to as the "Book of Certain Doom."

However, what puzzled Liu Xing the most was the "Earth-boring Demon Worm" summoning spell. It could summon the Earth-boring Demon Worm but had no means of controlling it. Therefore, the ritual to subdue the Earth-boring Demon Worm must originate from another magical book, suggesting the possibility of another magical book or fragment within Earth Dragon Village. Yet, Liu Xing suddenly realized it could also be that the expert who suppressed the Earth-boring Demon Worm in the past merely orally conveyed the ritual to the village residents. With this, Liu Xing began to grasp the essence of the situation.

Centuries ago, the residents of Earth Dragon Village stumbled upon a fragment from "The Seven Chapters of the Mystic Scripture of the Enigmatic Lord" that could summon the Earth-boring Demon Worm. They recklessly summoned the creature, but fortunately, a knowledgeable individual intervened and subdued the Earth-boring Demon Worm. This person also orally conveyed the ritual for suppressing the creature to the villagers. Over time, the ritual to suppress the Earth-boring Demon Worm has been lost, leaving only the fragment of "The Seven Chapters of the Mystic Scripture of the Enigmatic Lord."

As a result, the Village Chief of Earth Dragon Village decided to promote the suppression ritual as a unique attraction, attempting to turn the village into a folk tourist destination. However, they only found the fragment of "The Seven Chapters of the Mystic Scripture of the Enigmatic Lord" and mistakenly treated the summoning spell for the Earth-boring Demon Worm as the suppression ritual. This inadvertently loosened the seal on the Earth-boring Demon Worm, granting it a degree of freedom!

At this moment, Liu Xing suddenly felt the return of control over his own body. It seemed he had regained command over himself.

Since they had triggered the task of this promotion game, the possibility of backing out was virtually nonexistent. So, Liu Xing and his group had no intention of leaving Earth Dragon Village. Instead, they followed the Village Chief to a somewhat run-down two-story house, with its door slightly ajar.

"I apologize, dear volunteer friends. This is the only place available for accommodation in the village. But rest assured, we have cleaned the interior and prepared clean bedding. We've also provided some ingredients, and you are welcome to cook your own meals," the Village Chief cheerfully informed Liu Xing and his group.

Liu Xing nodded and replied with a smile, "No problem at all. We volunteers are here to assist, not to enjoy ourselves. Having a place to stay is already a blessing. It's getting late, Village Chief, you should get some rest."

The Village Chief nodded with a cheerful smile and then left, with Wang Wei following suit.

Liu Xing's group exchanged glances and silently shook their heads before pushing open the door to the house.

As the Village Chief had mentioned, the exterior of the house might appear dilapidated, but the interior was surprisingly clean and well-maintained. It had electricity and natural gas connections, and the kitchen was stocked with poultry, fish, and seasonal vegetables.

"KP, we need to activate Private Room mode," Shi Ying said wearily.

After all, Liu Xing and his group had already discussed how incredibly challenging this promotion game was, bordering on inevitable death. At this point, they were halfway into the grave, so Shi Ying had given up the struggle.

"Damn it, it looks like we're all going to die together this time. But if we get swallowed by the Earth-boring Demon Worm, at least it'll be quick. If we die while fighting those villagers, it could be much more gruesome," Mo Jin remarked as she set down her backpack with resignation.

Liu Xing placed his own backpack on the table and spoke, "The 'ancient book fragment' mentioned by KP is probably the one that summons the Earth-boring Demon Worm from 'The Seven Chapters of the Mystic Scripture of the Enigmatic Lord.' It seems the ritual to suppress the Earth-boring Demon Worm has been lost."