Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Cthulhu RPG Game is all about immersion, so many players are drama kings, trying to outdo each other in their performances. However, most of these drama kings are prone to persecution complexes, often driving the game master (GM) crazy and then unleashing a Nyaruko-style massacre.

"Alright, Wu Wei, now tell us what the GM had you secretly roll earlier and what the results were after the electrotherapy," Zhang Jingxu said, opening the conversation.

Wu Wei nodded and explained seriously, "The secret roll I just did actually determined the outcome of the electrotherapy. There are three possible states after the electrotherapy: the first is the stupor I just acted out, the second is incoherent babbling, and the third is no effect at all. If it’s not the third state, we’ll proceed to a second judgment, which is a 1d20 roll to determine the severity of the state. I suspect this is a cumulative judgment, and when we’ve had multiple electrotherapies, the value of a certain state will accumulate to 100, causing us to become completely trapped in that state, unable to escape. As for the final judgment, it’s a 1d100 roll to determine the duration of the state, measured in minutes. I got a 1 three times in a row, so I recovered quickly."

After listening to Wu Wei’s explanation, Liu Xing asked with some doubt, "Wu Wei, have your attribute and skill values decreased?"

"Not yet, which is why I suspect that the state values will accumulate. When the state values accumulate to a certain level, our attribute and skill values will decrease. However, if we have to undergo electrotherapy every day, it’ll only take us around ten days to accumulate a state value of 100, and by then, we’ll be almost certain to ’game over.’ So, we only have nine days left to escape this internet addiction treatment center," Wu Wei said with a serious expression.

"Alright, Wu Wei, you’re so good at performing, so you can continue to act stupid later. I and Xue Jingliu will stay normal. Liu Xing, remember to tell Professor Yang that our initial states were the same as Wu Wei’s, but we recovered quickly," Zhang Jingxu said with a smile.

Wu Wei glared at Zhang Jingxu, laughing sarcastically, "What do you mean, Zhang Jingxu? What’s with continuing to act stupid? By the way, hasn’t it been over ten minutes since the last private room session? Where’s the second lucky judgment the GM promised?"

During the last private room session, GM Ghost had mentioned that there would be a lucky judgment ten minutes later to determine whether Professor Yang would return early. Now, after calculating the time, they realized it had been over ten minutes, but GM Ghost hadn’t brought it up.

Thinking about this, Liu Xing quickly contacted GM Ghost, "GM, didn’t you say we’d have a lucky judgment? Why hasn’t it started yet? Have you forgotten?"

As soon as Liu Xing finished speaking, GM Ghost replied, "How could I forget about this? The reason I haven’t conducted the lucky judgment is that your teammate has already entangled Professor Yang, making it temporarily impossible for Professor Yang to return. The lucky judgment will be postponed, but I’m not sure how long it’ll be delayed. Your teammate is a veteran driver, extremely skilled at using their character’s advantages, so theoretically, they can hold Professor Yang back for an entire day!"

KP Ghost’s words left Liu Xing and the others staring at each other in disbelief. They never expected their teammate, who had yet to reveal themselves, to be so powerful, able to hold off Professor Yang for such a long time. Moreover, it seemed that this teammate was a veteran driver who had spent a lot of time in the Shoggoth Region, which was a piece of good news.

In the Cthulhu RPG Game, an experienced player could at least double the team’s chances of clearing the game, of course, from 1% to 2% at best.

"Hey, it seems we don’t need to put on a show anymore, but then again, we shouldn’t assume there are no security cameras here. What if Professor Yang discovers our private transaction with Liu Xing? We’d be in big trouble," Xue Jingliu suddenly thought of a concern.

Liu Xing looked around the treatment area for possible camera installations but found none.

"There are no cameras here, and it’s unlikely there would be any. After all, Yis People’s Electric Therapy Device is so powerful that it would interfere with cameras, so it’s unlikely they would install cameras here," Liu Xing said, sharing his thoughts.

Wu Wei shrugged and spoke up, "Liu Xing, that’s not necessarily true. With Yis People’s advanced technology, it’s entirely possible they could manufacture cameras that aren’t affected by magnetic fields."

Before Liu Xing could respond, Zhang Jingxu stood up and said, "That’s unlikely. We mustn’t forget that it’s still 2003, and this is only a second-tier city. Professor Yang’s access to materials is limited, so even if he has the technology, it’s like trying to make bricks without straw."

Wu Wei nodded in agreement after hearing Zhang Jingxu’s words.

"Alright, let’s get back on track. Later, you’ll all act normally, and I’ll undergo electric therapy with Professor Yang, which will trigger some anomalies. You know what to do next," Liu Xing said with a smile.

Just then, KP Ghost spoke up, "Now it’s time for the second Lucky Judgment. This time, it’s a 50-50 chance, and a roll below 50 is considered a success. Who’s going to roll the dice?"

"I’ll do it," Xue Jingliu said confidently.

Xue Jingliu rolled a 96, a critical failure.

... The group fell silent.

"Haha, your good luck has finally run out. Now, Professor Yang will remember that Liu Xing is still waiting for him in Treatment Room 1, so he’ll return there in a minute," KP Ghost said with a chuckle.

Liu Xing sighed and told Zhang Jingxu and the others, "Alright, let’s get back to our positions. We need to wrap up our private room time."

After ending their private room time, Wu Wei looked confused and asked, "Who am I, where am I, and what am I doing?"

Wu Wei’s philosophical questions raised Liu Xing’s eyebrows. Wu Wei was indeed a skilled actor, always adding drama to the situation.

Liu Xing thought that the Cthulhu Role-Playing Game Hall could be renamed the Cthulhu Performance Training Center.

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