Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

"Let’s head back. Staying here any longer serves no purpose, and there’s a possibility that the Cult of the Cadaver might come looking for trouble," Alice said, feeling frustrated.

With that, a displeased Liu Xing and the others got back into the car, deciding to return directly to Manchester. However, on the way back, Liu Xing couldn’t help but glance at the Bain Farm and the patch of woods. He noticed that the people from the Cult of the Cadaver had already left, and the magic crows on the fence of the Bain Farm were nowhere to be seen.

It seemed that the Cult of the Cadaver had succeeded.

Liu Xing covered his face and leaned back in his seat, somewhat resigned. "It seems we’ve lost thoroughly this time. We were completely played by Bai Hecheng and his group," he said.

Zhang Jingxu sighed and said with a wry smile, "Our loss this time is quite normal because we were a bit too careless. We didn’t take Bai Hecheng too seriously and treated him like our previous opponents."

Liu Xing nodded, acknowledging Zhang Jingxu’s words. Indeed, they had been too careless, still using the mindset of dealing with NPCs when facing Bai Hecheng and Shi Zixuan. They had been too presumptuous in their actions, allowing themselves to be led by Bai Hecheng.

"Alright, now that the original copy of ’Cult of the Cadaver Rites’ is likely in the hands of the Cult of the Cadaver, we need to think about how to destroy the corrupted wooden statue replica at EinsCastle. If we fail again, then we’re truly finished," Ling Ishikawa spoke up.

Liu Xing pondered for a moment before saying earnestly, "Actually, our chances of destroying the corrupted wooden statue replica at EinsCastle are quite high. With Miguel and Hu Li’s help, once they determine the location of the corrupted statue, we just need to lure away the guards at EinsCastle. If the Cult of the Cadaver’s forces guarding the replica diminish, Miguel and Hu Li can seize the opportunity to destroy it. With Miguel and Hu Li’s strength, there are hardly any members of the Cult of the Cadaver left in Manchester who can stop them."

Zhang Jingxu and Ling Ishikawa both nodded, knowing Miguel and Hu Li’s capabilities. They were far superior to ordinary mythical creatures, at least at an elite level. Among the members of the Cult of the Cadaver remaining in Manchester, Liu Xing thought that only the giant Ghoul could be considered elite, perhaps along with Bai Hecheng.

Soon, Liu Xing and the others returned to Manchester and went straight back to the Safe Point after changing cars.

Upon learning that the original copy of ’Cult of the Cadaver Rites’ had been taken by the Cult of the Cadaver, Lu Tianya and the others wore solemn expressions. After all, this concerned their lives...

However, at that moment, Miguel returned.

"I went around EinsCastle and confirmed the specific location of the corrupted wooden statue replica. Although I initially wanted to destroy it directly, there were too many Cult of the Cadaver devotees guarding it, and some powerful Ghouls were hiding in the shadows. So, I couldn’t guarantee a successful destruction. Therefore, to be safe and avoid alerting them, I chose to investigate other parts of EinsCastle," Miguel explained.

"Then I discovered that the Cult of the Cadaver had set up an altar in the castle’s backyard, and basic preparations had been completed. It seems they’re planning a Ritual Ceremony there. They’ve also fortified the surroundings with watchtowers, snipers, heavy machine guns, and even buried a lot of landmines underground. As for the cultists, almost all of them are armed with submachine guns. So, EinsCastle has essentially become a fortress," Miguel said seriously.

After hearing Miguel’s words, Liu Xing and the others furrowed their brows. They hadn’t expected the Cult of the Cadaver to acquire so many weapons, turning EinsCastle into a fortified stronghold!

Now, they couldn’t rely on the support of the Manchester police force. While the police could handle armed thugs to some extent, attacking a fully armed fortress would be suicidal.

However, on second thought, how did the Cult of the Cadaver manage to obtain so many weapons? Manchester was an inland city, making it extremely difficult to smuggle in weapons, especially heavy ones like machine guns.

Thinking about this, Liu Xing said, "It seems that the Cult of the Cadaver has likely turned some England military personnel. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have access to so many military-grade weapons."

Miguel nodded, confirming, "Indeed, most of the weapons in EinsCastle are current weapons of the England military. I also found their armory, and the crates inside bear the emblem of the England military. So, I believe there’s definitely a mole within the military."

Zhang Jingxu frowned, feeling helpless. "If there’s a mole in the England military, it’ll be difficult for us to seek their assistance. It seems attacking EinsCastle is out of the question now."

"By the way, Miguel, did you find any of the kidnapped foreign tourists in EinsCastle or the town? How are they doing now?" Alice asked.

Miguel thought for a moment before nodding. "I did find quite a few kidnapped foreign tourists, but they’ve all been assimilated by the Cult of the Cadaver. They’re now nothing but puppets controlled by the cult. The most troublesome thing is that if we launch an attack on EinsCastle and the town, the Cult of the Cadaver might use these tourists as human shields."

Liu Xing frowned. If that were the case, then the Manchester police would indeed be unable to assist them. Even if they knew the tourists had become members of the Cult of the Cadaver, they wouldn’t dare to attack them due to various pressures. So, these tourists had become the strongest shield of the Cult of the Cadaver.

"Wow, how are we supposed to fight against the Cult of the Cadaver? We can’t just send a few of us to attack EinsCastle, isn’t that just sending ourselves to die?!" Ling Ishikawa complained helplessly.

At this moment, Tian Qing suddenly raised her hand and spoke up, "Although I don’t fully understand the current situation, I think, Mr. Ryuusei, your goal shouldn’t be to capture EinsCastle, but simply to stop the Cult of the Cadaver from using the corrupted wooden statue replica to unleash Magic Spells to threaten Manchester. So, we can find a way to infiltrate EinsCastle, head straight to the backyard, and then make a quick getaway."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow. Tian Qing’s words brought their train of thought back on track because initially, they had all been thinking of eliminating all the Cult of the Cadaver members entrenched in EinsCastle. In reality, their only goal was to destroy the corrupted wooden statue replica. Without it, the Cult of the Cadaver wouldn’t pose a threat to Manchester.

"Thank you, Miss Tian Qing, for your suggestion. We did indeed overthink it. While capturing EinsCastle could solve the problem once and for all, it’s impossible for us under the current circumstances. So, we’ll have to settle for plan B and focus on destroying the corrupted wooden statue replica. This will still thwart the Cult of the Cadaver’s plot. However, sneaking into EinsCastle won’t be easy," Liu Xing said, looking at Miguel.

Miguel wasted no time and projected a 3D model of EinsCastle on the table. "Apart from the main entrance, there are three ways to enter EinsCastle. The first is through the mountain next to EinsCastle. However, I’ve investigated the situation on that mountain. It’s been untouched for years, with no paths, and there’s a cave connecting to the Dreamrealm, where many Cult of the Cadaver members are stationed. So, our chances of success using this route are only fifteen percent. But the advantage is it leads directly to the backyard."

"The second route is the underground tunnels of EinsCastle. I’ve only located them using ultrasound, so I’m not clear on their exact layout. I know a few entry and exit points, but I can sense traps and some creatures inside, possibly Cult of the Cadaver devotees or even Ghouls. I believe our chances of infiltration through this route are only twenty percent, and once inside, we might be heavily surrounded by the Cult of the Cadaver."

"As for the last route, it involves climbing the cliffs on three sides of EinsCastle. The advantage of this route is that the Cult of the Cadaver pays little attention to what’s below the cliffs. So, our chances of successful infiltration are as high as seventy percent. However, if we’re spotted during the climb, we’ll have nowhere to hide, and it’ll almost certainly mean death. So, it’s a high-risk, high-reward option."

After listening to Miguel’s descriptions of the three routes, Liu Xing understood that Miguel’s predicted success rates were based on which route they chose at the time of infiltration. Considering the success rates of the three routes, Liu Xing believed only the third route was viable. The success rates of the other two were too low, and most importantly, they couldn’t afford to fail now.

So, Liu Xing suggested, "We can’t afford to lose anymore. For safety’s sake, let’s go with the third route. Of course, another option is to divide our forces into three. If the other two routes are discovered by the Cult of the Cadaver, we’ll retreat immediately and regroup below the cliffs. What do you think?"

"Agreed," everyone nodded in agreement.

With that, they made up their minds and split into three groups to infiltrate EinsCastle when necessary.

As for the specific division of routes, it would depend on the circumstances at the time.

"Oh, Mr. Liu Xing, why don’t you call Isabella now and ask if she knows about the underground tunnels in EinsCastle? If Isabella can provide more information, perhaps we can still consider making the underground tunnels our primary route," Zhang Jingxu suggested to Yis People.

Yis People nodded and took out their mobile phone to contact Isabella.

However, at that moment, Liu Xing suddenly heard the sound of the elevator starting. Thinking it might be Matsui Yui, he was surprised when the person who stepped out of the elevator shocked him.

Shi Zixuan!

Everyone was astonished to see Shi Zixuan at the Safe Point.

This meant...

Before Liu Xing could think further, Shi Zixuan smiled and said, "Don’t worry, only I know about this safe place. The people from the Cult of the Cadaver don’t know about it. Thanks to you all, I’ve also successfully completed the mission the Cult of the Cadaver gave me. I can finally extricate myself from this mess."

Liu Xing furrowed his brows and asked, "So, Shi Zixuan, are you saying you’re no longer with the Cult of the Cadaver?"

Shi Zixuan nodded earnestly, "Yes, I’m no longer with the Cult of the Cadaver. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be the only one here. In fact, I never intended to take on the Cult of the Cadaver’s mission in the first place. But I had to repay a favor, so I reluctantly accepted the mission to steal the ’Cult of the Cadaver Rites.’ However, it made me very uneasy because after witnessing what the Cult of the Cadaver is capable of, I can’t imagine how terrible it would be if they really controlled England. That’s why I’ve come to you now."

Listening to this, Liu Xing understood Shi Zixuan’s thoughts. Although Shi Zixuan’s profession was a thief, she was ultimately a normal person. So, after this module, the probability of Shi Zixuan turning against the Cult of the Cadaver was very high. Normal career players and fanatic believer players were inherently opposed, so Shi Zixuan didn’t want to see the Cult of the Cadaver grow. That’s why she specifically came to find them.

With this in mind, Liu Xing basically regarded Shi Zixuan as one of their own.

Ling Ishikawa also thought the same, "So, Shi Zixuan, do you have anything you want to tell us?"

Shi Zixuan took out a memory card and said, "This memory card contains information about Rayna, Ace, and Romero, the undercover agent the Cult of the Cadaver has placed in the police force."

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