Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 223: A Gathering Storm

After about half an hour had passed, Yin En hurriedly returned and began, "The situation is looking good. Sawada Tsuo has believed our words. Now, Sawada Yinyin and I are going to find Kanna Ryoko. Chen Wenbin, you can come along with us, and of course, Otonashi Takuya, you're welcome to join us as well. As for the others, they will have to stay here for some temporary rest."

With those words, Yin En led Chen Wenbin and Otonashi Takuya away.

Liu Xing and the others who were left behind exchanged glances and then retreated to their respective rooms. Currently being held by Sawada Tsuo, there wasn't much they could do.

Liu Xing returned to his room and took out his phone to check the latest news in Ziwu City. To his surprise, Juri Sonoda had already made announcements about various underground casinos in Ziwu City, and Ryochuan Taro, the chief of Ziwu City Police Department, had also stepped forward, vowing not to spare any of the city's casinos, including the Dark Willow Gang's underground casino, which seemed to be the main target.

Liu Xing realized that this module had entered its final phase. The Dark Willow Gang was now cornered and desperate, coming to seize Mian Gu Lu.

Fortunately, Sawada Tsuo was a smart man who believed Yin En's words. He should be actively preparing to deal with the Dark Willow Gang's plans. Liu Xing contemplated whether he should report to the Ziwu City Police Department when the time came.

In addition to this, Liu Xing found another piece of news that caught his attention. Shiro Michi, the director of 404 Hospital, had been missing for over a day, with no information about his whereabouts. All that was known was that Shiro Michi had left home at 7:00 PM the previous night and got into an unlicensed car.

Liu Xing furrowed his brow, suspecting that Shiro Michi had probably taken a ride with Mikageichi. According to previous information, Shiro Michi had a secret crush on Mikageichi, and organizations like the Dark Willow Gang often used unlicensed cars to avoid exposure. So, the unlicensed vehicle that could have convinced Shiro Michi to get in was likely driven by Mikageichi.

The reason Mikageichi had taken Shiro Michi away was probably simple. Shiro Michi had been serving as a semi-private physician to Hisanobu Ito, so it could be inferred that Hisanobu Ito's condition had worsened, and Mikageichi had called for Shiro Michi. Alternatively, it might be because Honda Koichi's experiments had made significant progress, necessitating Shiro Michi's medical expertise.

If that were the case, Liu Xing was sure that the Dark Willow Gang would have a significant number of artificially created monsters assisting them, and Hisanobu Ito's current strength might be comparable to that of a mythical creature.

"This situation is getting more complicated," Liu Xing sighed.

In the afternoon at around 5:00 PM, Yin En and Chen Wenbin returned first.

Fortunately, Chen Wenbin had successfully persuaded Kanna Ryoko to leave the mountain and come to examine Mian Gu Lu, help deal with Honda Koichi, and remove the curse on Aoki's group. However, Liu Xing needed to help Kanna Ryoko with one task: to eliminate the Killer Demon, or more accurately, to completely save Sawada Tomohiko. So, tomorrow, Liu Xing would have to send three people to accompany Kanna Ryoko to the undeveloped area to deal with the Killer Demon.

Even though Kanna Ryoko's assistance was invaluable, the thought of facing the Killer Demon still sent shivers down Liu Xing's spine. After all, the Killer Demon wielded a large sword, and if Kanna Ryoko couldn't completely subdue it, the three individuals accompanying her on the mission might meet a gruesome fate.

However, given the current circumstances, Kanna Ryoko's conditions had to be accepted; otherwise, there would be no chance at all.

At present, Kanna Ryoko was catching up with Sawada Tsuo, while Yin En was with Mian Gu Lu.

Feeling bored after a day of inactivity, Liu Xing went to the rooftop of the secondary building, listening to music and feeling the breeze as he prepared for the first, and possibly the only, battle of this module.

From his elevated vantage point, Liu Xing noticed Red Eagle Security Company vehicles continually entering Sawada Family territory. These vehicles looked like small motorhomes from the outside, but according to Sawada Yinyin's description, they had performance comparable to armored vehicles and were equipped with light machine guns.

Liu Xing couldn't help but comment, "Isn't Island Nation supposed to have strict gun control? How come Sawada Family has so many light machine guns and the rifles carried by the mercenaries? It's like they are ready for a war."

Gu Jun joined Liu Xing on the rooftop and chuckled, "Don't forget, Liu Xing, Island Nation is a capitalist country. If you have money, you can get anything you want. Sawada Family has been rooted in Ziwu City for centuries, amassing wealth over time. They have more than enough resources to purchase these weapons. Besides, based on my investigation, Sawada Family has connections with the elite."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, surprised to learn that Sawada Family had connections with the elite.

The elite, known as the "Kazoku," were the nobility in Island Nation from the Meiji Restoration until the end of World War II. They were mainly composed of feudal lords from before the Meiji Restoration and held a status just below the Emperor's imperial family. The "Kazoku" was officially abolished on May 3, 1947, with the enactment of the post-war constitution.

However, even though the "Kazoku" were legally abolished, their influence still lingered. Many elite families retained vast land holdings and remained active in both politics and business, benefiting from certain unspoken privileges.

Liu Xing was intrigued, realizing that Sawada Family's influence ran deeper than he had initially thought.

So, Liu Xing hadn't expected that Sawada Family would be part of the elite class.

"Sawada Family, though tucked away in a corner and only developing in Ziwu City for centuries, had once defeated a Demon, receiving the Emperor's reward and becoming the lord of Ziwu City. Even though Sawada Tomohiko had passed away before formally taking up the role, his father continued to hold the position of Ziwu City's lord. Over the centuries, Sawada Family maintained good relations with other local lords, making correct choices in critical moments of history. As a result, when the list of elite families was announced, Sawada Family was recognized as part of the elite, albeit at a lower rank," Gu Jun shared the information he knew with Liu Xing.

Liu Xing nodded in understanding and commented, "I see. No wonder Sawada Family managed to acquire so many weapons and equipment. It seems that Dark Willow Gang won't have a chance to conquer Sawada Family. After all, a gang like Dark Willow Gang can at most have a few AK47s and handguns. How could they possibly challenge Sawada Family?"

Liu Xing conveyed his message with a meaningful glance at Gu Jun.

Gu Jun understood and shook his head, saying, "Sawada Family's forces should have no problem dealing with Dark Willow Gang alone. However, the monstrous creatures created by Honda Koichi, Dark Willow Gang's ally, might not be easy to handle. Those artificial monsters are made from mythical creatures, and according to Kuroba Naoki, they possess certain abilities of mythical creatures. That could pose a problem."

Liu Xing nodded and said, "In that case, we should have Yin En remind Sawada Tsuo to prepare his mercenaries mentally. Apart from Dark Willow Gang's lackeys, the real threat is the terrifying Monsters created by Honda Koichi. If those mercenaries aren't mentally prepared and they see those Monsters, it might lead to the collapse of the entire defense system. We don't want to defeat ourselves before the battle even starts."

Yin En agreed and said, "I'll go talk to Sawada Tsuo again. I hope he understands the gravity of the situation."

After leaving the rooftop, Liu Xing realized that Yin En had returned with Mian Gu Lu.

"Yin En, how is Mian Gu Lu?" Liu Xing asked eagerly.

Yin En smiled and nodded, saying, "After Kanna Ryoko's diagnosis, Mian Gu Lu's condition is quite good. Eldritch God Taketori is essentially a fetus residing within Mian Gu Lu, absorbing nutrients through the umbilical cord. Therefore, as long as we remove Eldritch God Taketori before the eclipse and expose it to sunlight, it will naturally die."

"But to remove Eldritch God Taketori, regular methods won't work. Ordinary weapons can't harm it at all. So, we need to obtain the large sword from Killer Demon. It seems we have to retrieve it directly from the source," Yin En explained.

Liu Xing sighed, "Well, considering that we're going with Kanna Ryoko to deal with Killer Demon tomorrow, Killer Demon should drop some equipment. But, speaking of which, can that large sword really be used to cut out Eldritch God Taketori? I mean, can it function like a scalpel?"

Gu Jun couldn't help but be curious, and his words evoked a humorous mental image in Liu Xing's mind a doctor in a white lab coat performing surgery with a sword as tall as a person.

The image was so amusing that Liu Xing couldn't help but chuckle.

Yin En clarified, "Ah, I didn't explain it properly. That large sword can actually phase through matter. Eldritch God Taketori is currently in a semi-phantom state, so Kanna Ryoko can use the sword to sever its connection with Mian Gu Lu. Once the Eldritch God Taketori loses its ability to reside in Mian Gu Lu, it will become phantasmal and separate from Mian Gu Lu's body. Then, all we need to do is have Mian Gu Lu stand in the sunlight."

Relieved by Yin En's explanation, everyone felt at ease.

Yin En added, "By the way, I talked to Sawada Tsuo about what you and Gu Jun discussed. He has asked Kanna Ryoko to prepare a calming tea that will help the mercenaries remain composed when facing mythical creatures. I've brought back a pot of it, and everyone will have a cup."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, realizing that their advice to Sawada Tsuo had yielded an unexpected bonus. He guessed that Kanna Ryoko's specially brewed calming tea would likely be just as effective as his family's ancestral green tea.

Yin En then brought out several tea cups and distributed the tea from the pot, explaining the effects of Kanna Ryoko's special calming tea. After drinking it, players would receive a buff called "Calm" which would reduce SAN loss to only 1 point during the next SAN check.

The effect was truly extraordinary, and Liu Xing couldn't help but think that this would be a crucial tool in maintaining his sanity when facing Kuroba Naoki. After all, the importance of SAN couldn't be emphasized enough.

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