Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 91: The First Drop of Blood

Due to Liu Xing's higher proficiency in medicine and first aid skills compared to Shi Ying, Tang Tai and the others unanimously chose Liu Xing as the lead physician to head the team. Liu Xing was also elected as the spokesperson for the volunteer team, while Shi Ying assumed the role of assisting Liu Xing.

As for Tang Tai and Mo Jin, they played the role of onlookers, adding a sense of grandeur to the situation.

Therefore, Liu Xing, in his capacity as the spokesperson, stepped forward with a smile and addressed the middle-aged villager, "It's fortunate that you are aware of our purpose here. We've heard that someone in your family is unwell, so our volunteer team has come specifically to check on them and offer medical assistance."

The middle-aged villager hesitated for a moment, then nodded with a smile, saying, "Ah, I see. My son came down with a severe cold a couple of days ago, and he still hasn't recovered. If it weren't for the upcoming ritual that Village Chief insists we attend, I would have taken him to the County Town for treatment already. I am truly grateful that you've come to help my son."

As the middle-aged villager spoke, he made way for Liu Xing's group, indicating that they should enter and talk inside.

Without hesitation, Liu Xing and his team entered the house.

Upon entering the living room, Liu Xing noticed an array of farming tools neatly arranged along the walls—everything from hoes to pitchforks.

The middle-aged villager served tea and plenty of pastries to Liu Xing's group, saying, "Dear volunteer friends, please have some refreshments and water first. There's no need to rush regarding my son's illness."

Liu Xing exchanged a knowing glance with Tang Tai and Mo Jin, then smiled and said, "We had already eaten before coming, so Dr. Shi and I will go in to see the patient first."

Tang Tai then smiled at the middle-aged villager and said, "My friend, I'm a traveler from a foreign land, and I'm very interested in the customs of your Earth Dragon Village, especially the upcoming ritual ceremony. I hope you can share some insights with me."

The middle-aged villager hesitated for a moment again, then smiled and said, "Very well, I'll take these two doctors to see my son first, and then I'll return to tell you about the customs of Earth Dragon Village."

With that, Liu Xing and Shi Ying followed the middle-aged villager into a small room adorned with various posters. Liu Xing even spotted posters of Cthulhu and Nyaruko—yes, Nyaruko, not Nyarlathotep.

"Please, doctors, take a look at my son's condition. I'll step out to introduce the customs of Earth Dragon Village to our foreign friend," the middle-aged villager said as he left the room.

Liu Xing and Shi Ying exchanged glances, and Shi Ying positioned herself at the door to ensure a clear escape route.

"Um, who are you?" At that moment, the bedding on the bed in the small room wriggled, and a slightly chubby young man of high school age emerged.

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow and replied, "I'm a volunteer participating in earthquake relief efforts, and I'm also a doctor. I heard from other villagers that you're not feeling well, so I came specifically to provide medical treatment for you."

"Ah, I see. My name is Tang Zilin, and I'm the only high school student in our Earth Dragon Village. In the future, I'll be the first college student from our village," Tang Zilin said with a hint of pride.

Liu Xing nodded and continued to inquire, "Alright, Tang Zilin, you seem full of energy, not like someone who's sick."

Upon hearing Liu Xing's words, Tang Zilin felt a bit embarrassed. He touched his head and said, "Well, you see, I'm not actually sick. But there's a reason I pretended to be. Being the only high school student in the village, I naturally have a higher level of education and awareness than the other villagers. So, in order to avoid participating in that Town Dragon Ritual, I faked illness and stayed at home."

Liu Xing now understood that Tang Zilin considered himself a "knowledgeable" individual, which placed him on a different intellectual level compared to the ordinary villagers. Thus, he came up with the idea of feigning illness to avoid participating in the ritual and being controlled by the Earth-boring Demon Worm.

"By the way, Doctor, please don't tell my dad about me pretending to be sick. If he finds out, he'll definitely punish me," Tang Zilin said nervously, thinking that Liu Xing was about to expose him to his father.

Liu Xing, upon hearing Tang Zilin's plea, felt relieved because things were progressing even more smoothly than he had anticipated. "Alright, I won't inform your father about your feigned illness. However, you need to tell me why you didn't want to participate in the ritual. I heard from the Village Chief that this ritual will become an important tourism event for Earth Dragon Village. As a resident, you should have been willing to participate, right?"

Liu Xing chuckled and began questioning Tang Zilin.

Tang Zilin furrowed his brow, pondered for a moment, and finally made up his mind. He began explaining, "Well, at first, I did intend to participate in the ritual. But on the day before the ritual, after dinner, my dad forced me to go for a walk to lose weight. As we passed by our Earth Dragon Village's Ancestral Temple, which is where the ritual takes place, I suddenly heard a strange and uncomfortable sound. Following the sound, I looked inside the Ancestral Temple and saw the Village Chief tearing up a book. He had lit a brazier in front of him. The Village Chief seemed like a puppet being controlled by someone, tearing the book methodically. Then, he would toss the torn pages into the brazier. Each page, as it touched the flames, would turn into a purple fireball."

"The eerie scene made me feel that something was amiss. So, I left the Ancestral Temple. However, just before leaving, I saw the Village Chief crumple one of the pages into a ball and throw it behind the Ancestral Temple."

As Tang Zilin finished his explanation, Liu Xing suddenly felt the ground violently shaking beneath him. He slipped and fell to the ground.

"Alright, now everyone, let's make a Luck Check!" KP Snail said with a smile.

Liu Xing: 42/80, Success.

Shi Ying: 12/75, Success.

Mo Jin: 33/75, Success.

Tang Tai: 100/40 (Difficult), Critical Failure!

"Hehe, so Tang Tai is dead!" KP Snail continued to speak cheerfully.

As KP Snail's words rang out, the earthquake subsided. Liu Xing and Shi Ying rushed to the living room, only to find Tang Tai lying on his back on the floor with a pitchfork deeply embedded in his chest.