Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Soon, the group arrived at a bridal photography studio near the villa areasubway station, where Chris was speaking to his subordinates in front of the monitors.

"Mr. Chris, we’re here. How are things going?" Alice greeted.

Chris turned around, about to reply, when he saw Liu Xing in a wheelchair, and said with some confusion, "Mr. Ryuusei, why are you here today? Your body hasn’t fully recovered yet. It’s better not to participate in this operation. After all, those on the other side are a group of ruthless and fanatical believers who won’t hold back."

Liu Xing smiled and shook his head, saying, "Mr. Chris, you don’t need to worry. After two days of rest and applying the medicine Baruka gave me, I’ve recovered almost completely. I can now move freely. Sitting in this wheelchair is just to deceive the enemy and hide Victor inside. This way, if we have to fight the Cult of the Cadaver’s believers, we won’t be at too much of a disadvantage."

Chris nodded, smiling. "I see. Thank you, Mr. Ryuusei, for bravely joining us despite your injuries. Earlier, I was concerned that our firepower might be insufficient because you’ll have to pretend to be ordinary citizens waiting at the subway station. That means we can only carry handguns. However, through our investigation, we can confirm that the Cult of the Cadaver’s followers are planning to target this subway station. I’ve contacted a friend who works on the subway, and they’ve filmed the area from this station to the next one. They discovered that about a hundred meters from this station’s departure point, on the right side, the Cult of the Cadaver’s people have opened up a hole."

"When should we go to the subway station then? Unlike bus stops, there’s only one train, so we can’t wait there indefinitely. Besides, the Cult of the Cadaver’s people will surely be monitoring the station. If they notice anything unusual, all our efforts will be wasted," Alice said earnestly.

Chris thought for a moment and said, "The England police have compiled a list of recent kidnapping cases and found that they mostly occurred during two time periods. Firstly, definitely around midnight when there’s minimal foot traffic, making it less likely for the criminals to be spotted immediately. Also, our police response efficiency is lower during that time, with only one or two officers available, so we can’t risk tracking the kidnappers."

"As for the second time period, it’s between seven to eight in the evening. During this time, the flow of people is low as many are either at home or out enjoying themselves. Additionally, staff in public places are also less vigilant. This makes it an opportune time for the Cult of the Cadaver, especially at the villa areasubway station. Because the last train at midnight from there usually carries no passengers, we believe the Cult of the Cadaver’s people are likely to strike between seven and eight."

After hearing Chris’s analysis, Liu Xing glanced at his mobile phone and noticed it was only six o’clock.

As it was still early, Chris invited Liu Xing and the others to have a meal first.

During the meal, Chris couldn’t help but say, "I used to hear about mythical creatures from you all and didn’t think much of it, assuming they were similar to monsters in games. But when I saw Baruka’s tribe in person, I was almost scared out of my wits."

Ling Ishikawa chuckled and said, "Mythical creatures are called that because we humans know very little about them. We think they only exist in myth and aren’t real. So, when we encounter them for the first time, it often challenges our perspectives. It’s normal for you to be scared, Mr. Chris."

Chris nodded, curious, "I see. But this gentleman looks somewhat unfamiliar. I don’t know how to address you."

Ling Ishikawa looked helpless.

Zhang Jingxu, holding back a smile, pointed at Ling Ishikawa and said, "Mr. Chris, you actually know this gentleman. He is Ling Ishikawa."

Chris raised an eyebrow, surprised. "What, he’s Ling Ishikawa?! Mr. Zhang Jingxu, don’t joke with me. As an experienced police officer, I’ve met countless people, and I can tell the difference between men and women... But then again, this gentleman does bear some resemblance to Ling Ishikawa."

Zhang Jingxu explained Ling Ishikawa’s situation to Chris, and with confirmation from Liu Xing and the others, Chris reluctantly accepted reality.

"I see. I didn’t expect Mr. Ling Ishikawa to possess such formidable magic spells. But it’s also a good thing. I believe the Cult of the Cadaver only knows what Ms. Ling Ishikawa looks like when transformed into a woman, not his original appearance," Chris said seriously.

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, feeling Chris’s point was valid. Since Ling Ishikawa appeared in this module as a female, the information collected by Bai Hecheng’s side might be flawed, so they might not know Ling Ishikawa’s true appearance.

Therefore, Liu Xing said seriously, "Mr. Chris, you’re absolutely right. I also think that the Cult of the Cadaver probably doesn’t know Ling Ishikawa’s true appearance. So I believe Ling Ishikawa can now become our trump card."

Ling Ishikawa nodded and said with a smile, "Exactly. I agree. Since the Cult of the Cadaver doesn’t know what I look like now, I can do much more. For example, I could find an opportunity to join the Cult of the Cadaver."

Alice shook her head and said, "You’re thinking too much. The Cult of the Cadaver is a relatively closed secret cult. Their way of recruiting believers is very simple, with middle-ranking members directly approaching potential recruits. Their target demographic is usually elites, so it’s difficult for ordinary people to join. And as Mr. Chris should know, although the authorities in various European countries have long been aware of the Cult of the Cadaver’s existence, they haven’t been able to infiltrate it. So, Ling Ishikawa, you shouldn’t think too much about becoming a mole."

Ling Ishikawa, hearing Alice’s words, could only nod helplessly, smiling bitterly, "Well, alright. I won’t count on becoming a mole for the Cult of the Cadaver for you guys. But there are still other things I can do. After all, you guys have to stay hidden, while I can openly appear in public."

After some discussion, Chris decided to arrange a new identity for Ling Ishikawa as an intern journalist at a newspaper in Manchester. This would allow Ling Ishikawa to gather firsthand information by entering certain scenes promptly.

Before this, Liu Xing and the others had been staying at a safe point to avoid revealing their whereabouts and the location of safe points. Thus, much of the information was relayed to them via Chris’s mobile phone. Consequently, Chris might have overlooked some useful intelligence since he wasn’t a professional.

At this point, it was already 6:40.

Chris glanced at his mobile phone and said, "Now, everyone can start disguising themselves. At 7:10, a subway train will arrive at the villa areasubway station. By the way, I’ve replaced the subway station staff with our police officers. So, you can simply bring your guns and enter later. Also, if the Cult of the Cadaver doesn’t attack you, just take the subway back to the safe point."

Alice nodded seriously and asked, "But if we’re attacked by the Cult of the Cadaver, how should we respond? Should we shoot at them directly to try to leave one or two alive? Or should we pretend to surrender and follow them?"

After pondering for a moment, Chris said, "Since none of you are professional police officers, and those Cult of the Cadaver guys are lunatics, I think it’s safer for you to decide your actions based on the specific situation. If the Cult of the Cadaver believers act unfavorably towards you, then shoot them directly. If they’re not vigilant and don’t search you before taking you away, then try to follow them back to their base in the villa area. We’ll track you and coordinate from there to deal with these hidden Cult of the Cadaver believers."

After hearing Chris’s plan, everyone agreed without objections.

Therefore, Liu Xing and the others finished their disguises and entered the villa areasubway station.

It’s worth noting that because Ling Ishikawa had changed his identity, he temporarily withdrew from this operation to continue monitoring with Chris at the bridal photography studio.

Of course, after disguising themselves, Liu Xing and the others entered the villa areasubway station in batches according to the contents of their disguises to avoid arousing the suspicion of Cult of the Cadaver followers outside the station.

First were Alice and Ryuzaki, disguised as a newlywed couple because they were both white. Then, Yis People dressed as a rich second-generation figure, wearing designer clothes and exaggerated sunglasses. As for Liu Xing and Zhang Jingxu, they were made up to look like Arabs, wearing white robes. Additionally, because the robes were loose and easy to conceal items, Chris also equipped Zhang Jingxu with a Vityaz-SN submachine gun.

This way, Liu Xing’s team’s firepower increased significantly.

When Zhang Jingxu pushed Liu Xing onto the platform, he noticed that apart from Alice and the other two, there was only a man in a hoodie leaning against the wall, playing with his mobile phone.

However, Liu Xing could tell that although the man seemed to be playing with his mobile phone, he would occasionally glance at them and even after observing for a while, he would pretend to stroll around, finally stopping at a position where he could see Liu Xing’s group, muttering to himself from time to time.

Therefore, Liu Xing could be sure that the man was monitoring them.

After a while, Zhang Jingxu whispered to Liu Xing, "This person seems suspicious. He’s probably from the Cult of the Cadaver, and it seems like he’s contacting others because I can see a Bluetooth earpiece under his hoodie."

Liu Xing nodded, knowing that they were probably the targets of the Cult of the Cadaver.

At that moment, another round of dice falling was heard.

Liu Xing noticed that Yis People shook his head lightly, indicating that he hadn’t thrown the dice.

So, this should be KP Li Shunchan making a covert move, possibly deciding whether the Cult of the Cadaver would come to capture them, how many people would come, or whether mythical creatures would be involved.

Liu Xing took a deep breath and looked up at the signboard, realizing that the next subway train would arrive in ten minutes.

One minute later, Liu Xing heard a hurried footsteps approaching from nearby, probably about five or six people. The man beside them also changed his position, blocking the path behind Liu Xing’s group.

Liu Xing silently gripped the gun handle, ready to attack at any moment.

Half a minute later, six black-clad figures wearing skull masks and carrying various handguns climbed up from below the platform. The man standing behind Liu Xing’s group also pulled out a handgun and pointed it at them.

At this moment, Liu Xing’s group also cooperated to show a "panicked" demeanor, but in reality, they gathered together to ensure they wouldn’t be picked off one by one by the Cult of the Cadaver followers in front of them.

At this moment, the leader among the Cult of the Cadaver followers stepped forward and said, "Don’t be nervous, as long as you cooperate with us and follow us obediently for a trip, we won’t trouble you. And we can guarantee that you’ll be released in no more than a month. So, we hope you don’t make any meaningless struggles to cause trouble for both sides."

As the best actor among Liu Xing’s group, Alice nodded at this point, her voice trembling, "Okay, but we hope you’ll keep your promise."

"OK, please follow me. The subway is coming soon. You don’t want to be squashed into meat patties with us, right? Oh, Old Black, go and help the guy in the wheelchair," the leader said, checking the timetable. The next subway train would arrive in three minutes.

So, Liu Xing’s group obediently followed the Cult of the Cadaver followers and jumped down onto the platform, walking along the tracks.

The Cult of the Cadaver followers also kept their promise and just surrounded Liu Xing’s group in the middle, without physical contact.

Soon, Liu Xing’s group entered a sewer with the Cult of the Cadaver followers.

At this point, Alice couldn’t help but ask, "May I ask who you are and why you’re kidnapping us?"

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