Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 261: The Third Victim

Nothing to do.

Liu Xing suddenly found himself with nothing to do at the moment. His subordinates, though not numerous, were all working diligently to serve him. Liu Xing felt like he could now lead a life of leisure, with everything provided at his beck and call.

After discussing the next steps, Liu Xing found himself idling on the couch, pondering about life... or rather, daydreaming.

The current situation of this module had taken Liu Xing by surprise. He couldn't help but feel that this module had turned into a modified version, far from its original purpose. Originally, this module was meant for players who had just arrived at the new school, taking on the roles of students and teachers, to meticulously explore the hidden truths behind the school.

But now, due to Liu Xing's unique character card, the players' behavior had taken a drastic turn, and their primary objective seemed to have shifted towards confronting the puppeteers behind the scenes.

This module was now like a movie that had taken an unexpected turn during production. In a scene where the actors were supposed to be unarmed, suddenly, someone appeared with an unlimited supply of bullets and a blazing Gatling gun.

How should this movie be filmed?

As the director of the Cthulhu RPG Game, KP had no choice but to modify the module and adjust some plotlines. So, in the previous module, Honda Tetsuya, who had been behaving normally, had suddenly transformed into a mysterious figure with a powerful background. The Shadow Clan, originally just a gang organization, had also morphed into a formidable Secret Cult, swiftly expanding into the Kyoto region.

Liu Xing was certain that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Shadow Clan would have a significant role in this module, and it might even have an impact on other modules.

Because Liu Xing was almost certain that the five individuals who had assassinated the Shadow Clan's spokesperson were players from another module. Currently, both sets of players were in Kyoto, and there was a high likelihood that they would cross paths or even form connections due to the Shadow Clan's involvement.

Liu Xing hadn't forgotten that KP Fangs had warned him just yesterday that if the two modules influenced each other, the outcome might not be favorable.

Swift resolution was needed. Liu Xing believed that ending this module as quickly as possible would help prevent further unexpected incidents. However, due to the interference of the Deep Sea Gospel Society, uncovering the identity of the Red-Clothed Female Ghost had become even more challenging for their side.

At that moment, Liu Xing's phone suddenly rang.

Liu Xing picked up his phone and saw that it was a message from Honda Tetsuya.

Furrowing his brows, Liu Xing hadn't expected to receive another message from Honda Tetsuya, especially since he no longer considered Honda Tetsuya an ally after his mysterious transformation.

Thinking this, Liu Xing didn't immediately open the message. Instead, he called Ming Hanxing and got straight to the point, saying, "Teacher Ming, I've just received a message from Honda Tetsuya."

Ming Hanxing also furrowed his brows and expressed his skepticism, "What does Honda Tetsuya want by sending a message now? Is he trying to provoke us with information about Ling Ishikawa?"

Liu Xing shook his head, replying, "I don't think so. We can now confirm that Honda Tetsuya has no connection to the Deep Sea Gospel Society. In the audio we just listened to, there was no mention of Honda Tetsuya by the Deep Sea Gospel Society. Although we still don't know the reason why Honda Tetsuya sent Ling Ishikawa to an alternate dimension, I believe he wouldn't send us a message just to provoke us."

As Liu Xing spoke, he opened the message from Honda Tetsuya.

Upon seeing the beginning of the message, Liu Xing raised an eyebrow in surprise because Honda Tetsuya had started the message by mentioning the possible identity of the Red-Clothed Female Ghost.

Ming Hanxing, who was watching Liu Xing's screen, exclaimed, "What? Honda Tetsuya has actually found out the identity of the Red-Clothed Female Ghost, and he's actually informing us? Why?"

Liu Xing was now just as curious as Ming Hanxing about why Honda Tetsuya had decided to keep his promise and share the identity of the Red-Clothed Female Ghost with them.

Liu Xing and Ming Hanxing exchanged glances, both recognizing the perplexity in each other's minds.

Liu Xing continued scrolling through the message, and as expected, the identity of the Red-Clothed Female Ghost was revealed to be Juri Sonoda's close friend, Higashi Meizi.

According to Honda Tetsuya's message, when Higashi Meizi had committed suicide five years ago, he had been wearing red clothes. Most importantly, when Higashi Meizi's body was sent to the funeral home, her parents were convinced that their daughter didn't die by suicide. This was because some of Higashi Meizi's personal belongings had gone missing, and the missing items were ones she held dear and wouldn't have casually discarded during a suicide.

Furthermore, at the request of Higashi Meizi's parents, an examination of her body at the funeral home had revealed some injuries that didn't match the method of suicide. This only solidified her parents' belief that their daughter had been murdered and hadn't taken her own life.

However, after being "persuaded" by Morimoto Academy, Higashi Meizi's parents ultimately accepted the fact that their daughter had committed suicide and received a "compensation" from Morimoto Academy. After that, they left Kyoto, their hearts heavy with grief.

In the last part of Honda Tetsuya's message, it was mentioned that three years ago, Higashi Meizi's family had perished in a fire, and the local authorities had ruled it as an "accidental event."

After reading Honda Tetsuya's message, Liu Xing fell into deep thought.

Firstly, Liu Xing was sure that the information about Higashi Meizi possibly being the Red-Clothed Female Ghost was not something Honda Tetsuya had obtained from Morimoto Academy's Archives Room. After all, Morimoto Academy wouldn't record anything detrimental to their own interests, especially regarding what had happened to Higashi Meizi's family.

Secondly, the level of detail in this information showed that Honda Tetsuya had considerable resources at his disposal. It was evident that Honda Tetsuya's identity was far from ordinary.

Lastly, Liu Xing was most curious about one thing: if the next victim turned out to be Honda Tetsuya, could the Deep Sea Gospel Society make it look like a "suicide"?

Considering the current intelligence, there was a high probability that Honda Tetsuya could be the next one targeted, especially since he claimed to have seen the Red-Clothed Female Ghost and had a handprint on his chest.

However, since Honda Tetsuya had the ability to transport Ling Ishikawa to an alternate dimension, he must also have the capability to defeat the Red-Clothed Female Ghost with ease, and even single-handedly dismantle the Kyoto branch of the Deep Sea Gospel Society.

Therefore, Liu Xing felt that, given the extent of modification in the current module, Honda Tetsuya might have lied. While Honda Tetsuya may have indeed encountered the Red-Clothed Female Ghost, the next sacrifice target of the Deep Sea Gospel Society might not be Honda Tetsuya, but someone else. Honda Tetsuya might have known about his own status from the beginning, which is why he acted surprised when they met in the Archives Room.

Moreover, if this speculation was correct, then Honda Tetsuya's message was a reminder to their group: "Don't waste time on him."

Thinking this, Liu Xing couldn't help but say to Ming Hanxing, "It seems that we were played by Honda Tetsuya from the beginning. He guessed my identity and our initial intentions and deliberately misled us. If Ling Ishikawa hadn't been sent to an alternate dimension by Honda Tetsuya, we might have continued to be deceived."

Ming Hanxing nodded, but he was still puzzled. "That's true, but I can't figure out why Honda Tetsuya would do this. After all, he's not on the side of the Deep Sea Gospel Society. Why would he want to deceive us like this? Is he just bored?"

Shrugging, Liu Xing replied, "Who knows? Honda Tetsuya's behavior is indeed very strange. In the Yueshihao incident, he appeared weak and helpless. Now, he's transformed into a formidable presence. But I have to admit, his acting skills are exceptional."

Ming Hanxing nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes, when I first met Honda Tetsuya, I thought he was insane. Little did I know that he was just playing a role. But for now, Honda Tetsuya has revealed the true identity of the Red-Clothed Female Ghost to us, so we don't need to invest so much effort in the investigation. However, Honda Tetsuya is quite a tricky character. He only told us half of the story. Regarding the Red-Clothed Female Ghost, or rather, Higashi Meizi, she likely wants the personal belongings she lost before her death. Honda Tetsuya should know what Higashi Meizi desires, but he didn't elaborate."

Liu Xing and Ming Hanxing sighed simultaneously, feeling somewhat disheartened as they sat on the couch.

After all, Liu Xing and Ming Hanxing were both players, and they understood that the current module was extremely unfriendly to players. Honda Tetsuya was like a bug, capable of eliminating them at any moment. Of course, there was also a high likelihood of being sent to the alternate dimension to meet Ling Ishikawa.

However, speaking of Ling Ishikawa, Liu Xing was now more at ease. Since he hadn't received any card-tearing messages from Ling Ishikawa, it indicated that the danger level in the alternate dimension where he had been sent was not high, and he might even return before the module ended.

"By the way, Leader, this means we need to continue our investigation because I believe the next target of the Deep Sea Gospel Society may not be Honda Tetsuya, but someone else," Ming Hanxing said seriously.

Liu Xing nodded and then called over Honekawa Suneo and the others, recounting the information Honda Tetsuya had sent them.

Honekawa Suneo was quick to grasp Liu Xing's intention. He spoke, "I understand, Leader. I'll go find someone to investigate the next real victim. As always, I'll be careful and ensure we don't get discovered by the Deep Sea Gospel Society."

Liu Xing nodded and told Honekawa Suneo, "Suneo, it's on you now. Just as before, be cautious, and don't let the Deep Sea Gospel Society catch wind of our actions."

As Liu Xing finished speaking, his phone rang again. He was surprised because, despite having gained favorability with Lu Tianya through their previous exchange, he still sensed a certain level of wariness from him. He hadn't expected Lu Tianya to call him voluntarily this time.

Liu Xing gave a nod to Honekawa Suneo and others, signaling them to stay quiet, and then he answered the call while activating the speakerphone. He smiled and said, "Lu Tianya, what can I do for you?"

On the other end of the phone, Lu Tianya sounded anxious. "There's trouble at the school again, Ryusei. Your former homeroom teacher, Honda Tetsuya, has been found dead in the Old Teaching Building!"

Liu Xing's smile gradually disappeared. He exclaimed, "What happened?!"

"Just a few minutes ago, a local YouTuber climbed over the school's wall and started live-streaming in the Old Teaching Building area. He discovered Honda Tetsuya's body floating in the swimming pool, which should have been dry by now. The YouTuber has already called the police, but his livestream is still ongoing. You can watch it on YouTube," Lu Tianya continued.

Liu Xing furrowed his brows and said to Lu Tianya, "Thank you for the heads-up, Lu Tianya. I'll watch the livestream now. We'll get in touch later."

Liu Xing hung up the phone, and Nobi Nobita had already found the livestream mentioned by Lu Tianya. He handed his phone to Liu Xing, who saw a blood-red liquid-filled swimming pool on the screen. In the center of the pool, Honda Tetsuya lay lifeless, with a pale face and closed eyes.

According to the livestreamer's description, he had entered Morimoto Academy by climbing over a collapsed wall just five minutes ago. While passing by the swimming pool, he discovered Honda Tetsuya's body.

As for the unidentified red liquid in the pool, the livestreamer claimed not to have detected any blood odor, and he even dared to scoop up some of the liquid with his hand. Strangely, once removed from the pool, the liquid turned transparent.

Security guards from the school and nearby police officers had arrived at the scene, along with some onlookers.

Among the crowd, Liu Xing spotted Oko Hayato, the policeman who had previously struck up a conversation with their group and seemed more like a member of an unruly mob.

"Let's go. We should check out the situation at the school," Liu Xing said, closing his phone and getting up from the couch.

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