Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 342: Matsui Yui’s Tension - 100

Inoue Kenjiro turned green?! This was the only thought in Liu Xing’s mind.

"What? Is Inoue Kenjiro also caught in a compromising situation like Dogo Aige? This plot is getting intense," Ling Ishikawa couldn’t help but comment.

Zhang Jingxu nodded but still had some doubts. "Well, I think Inoue Kenjiro was indeed caught in a compromising situation, but what comes next in this letter is a bit strange. When Inoue Kenjiro first thought he was being cheated on, he stormed out in anger, only to find his wife halfway out of her clothes, standing in the water."

"Inoue Kenjiro probably assumed that the person he suspected of being involved with his wife was hiding in the water. So, he leaped into the water because the coastline around Fisher’s Village is very shallow, and the water is clear. You can see everything at a glance. However, after entering the water, Inoue Kenjiro saw nothing, which surprised him greatly. He had just heard his wife talking to someone."

"But at that moment, Inoue Kenjiro’s wife realized what was happening and immediately asked him what he was doing. Inoue Kenjiro was still very puzzled, but since he had no evidence, he could only say that he woke up in the middle of the night, couldn’t find his wife, and came to look for her. His wife explained that she just suddenly felt like taking a bath."

"So, this incident came to a temporary end. Although Inoue Kenjiro remained suspicious, there was no concrete proof. He had to accept his wife’s explanation. However, I personally believe that Inoue Kenjiro’s wife might be hiding something. After all, taking a bath in seawater in the middle of the night is quite unusual. Sea salt in the water can be uncomfortable on the skin. But since there’s no evidence, Inoue Kenjiro had to accept his wife’s explanation."

"At this point," Zhang Jingxu continued seriously, "I think Inoue Kenjiro’s wife might be involved. After all, bathing in seawater in the middle of the night is highly unusual. But according to Inoue Kenjiro, he immediately jumped from the bushes into the water, and it only took him five seconds. However, submerged in the water, Inoue Kenjiro saw nothing suspicious. The seabed was calm, and it’s beyond human capabilities to do what he claimed."

"Miyako Goudong, are you suggesting that Inoue Kenjiro was fooled by a mythical creature?" Zhang Jingxu nodded and smiled, "It’s possible. Considering the current situation, Inoue Kenjiro might indeed have been deceived by a mythical creature. Though it sounds absurd, it’s the best explanation we have."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, finding Zhang Jingxu’s theory reasonable. He knew that in Cthulhu RPG Game, there were plenty of quirky modules, and the theme of mythical creatures getting involved with humans was quite common in various genres.

Besides, Liu Xing recalled a recent Oscar-winning movie that told the story of a Deep One falling in love with a human. However, he heard that the film was overly politically correct, so he didn’t plan to watch it after finishing this module.

But Liu Xing couldn’t help but think that some aspects of the movie’s plot could be incorporated into this module. For instance, the romantic scenes between the Deep One and the human in the water made sense in the context of Inoue Kenjiro’s wife standing in the water.

With a grin, Liu Xing suggested, "What if it’s a Deep One? They are aquatic mythical creatures, and it would explain why Inoue Kenjiro’s wife was in the water. Some Deep Ones can even cast magic spells."

Liu Xing’s speculation left everyone momentarily surprised. Then Alice shook her head and said, "While that’s a possibility, Ryuusei, don’t forget that Deep Ones have quite... unsightly appearances."

Alice hit the nail on the head. Deep Ones were often described as fish-headed humanoids, and by human aesthetic standards, their appearance was gruesome, akin to a car accident scene. Moreover, just glimpsing a Deep One could damage one’s sanity, let alone engaging in a romantic relationship with one.

So, Liu Xing nodded and shrugged, saying, "Well, I guess I was just overthinking it. The appearance of Deep Ones is indeed too bizarre, and just thinking about it is unsettling. Also, according to Inoue Kenjiro’s description, his wife seems mentally stable."

Zhang Jingxu looked at the letter in his hand and said, "You’re right. According to Inoue Kenjiro’s account, his wife behaved quite normally after the incident. This made him doubt whether he had wronged her. However, Inoue Kenjiro noticed something peculiar—his wife had a distinct fishy odor about her."

"It’s worth noting that while Fisher’s Village was by the sea, and its residents were predominantly fishermen, the village had a constant fishy smell. But Inoue Kenjiro found his wife’s fishy odor to be unique, even exceptional, fundamentally different from others."

"However, due to his commitment to exploring the underground tunnels daily, Inoue Kenjiro couldn’t focus on his wife. But one day, after returning from his underground expedition earlier than usual due to heavy rain, he sensed something amiss. So, he went straight home."

"Upon his return, Inoue Kenjiro noticed his wife’s strange behavior and disheveled appearance, which sent chills down his spine. He began searching their home, looking for any traces of an affair but found nothing. There was no evidence to support his suspicion, leaving Inoue Kenjiro perplexed."

"Since he couldn’t be sure about his wife’s actions, Inoue Kenjiro decided to move his parents into their home one day after a heavy rain, giving them the responsibility of keeping an eye on his wife. Despite his reluctance to believe that his childhood sweetheart could betray him, Inoue Kenjiro had to take this precaution."

"Next, Inoue Kenjiro recalls his past with his wife. Inoue Kenjiro’s wife had a close relationship with him from a young age, and both families arranged a childhood betrothal for them. However, fate can be cruel. Inoue Kenjiro’s wife lost her parents during a fishing expedition in a brutal sea storm, and they were presumed dead. As a result, she moved into Inoue Kenjiro’s family."

"After this tragedy, Inoue Kenjiro channeled his grief into determination and intensified his exploration of the underground tunnels. He began to notice something amiss with the tunnels because some of the routes extended far beyond the boundaries of Fisher’s Village. So, Inoue Kenjiro asked the village’s elderly fishermen to sketch the approximate locations of other islands surrounding Fisher’s Village, which led to the creation of the additional map you have."

"At this point," Zhang Jingxu suddenly furrowed his brow, carefully studying the letter.

Liu Xing knew that Zhang Jingxu had likely spotted something crucial.

After a moment, Zhang Jingxu continued, "Towards the end of this letter, Inoue Kenjiro mentioned his last exploration of the tunnels, where he encountered a cave-in incident. He became trapped inside the tunnel, unable to retreat. Thus, he pressed on. During this forced journey, Inoue Kenjiro stumbled upon some peculiar scales on the ground. These scales were larger than ordinary fish scales and had an unusual iridescence."

"According to Inoue Kenjiro’s account, these scales shimmered like a rainbow, displaying different colors from various angles. This surprised him greatly, as he had never seen anything like them before. But at that moment, Inoue Kenjiro suddenly heard strange sounds ahead, leaving him with no choice but to continue despite the ominous feeling."

"Then, Inoue Kenjiro witnessed a scene that left him in shock. To put it in his own words, he saw a group of giant black earthworms engaged in a fierce battle with several Fishmen. Overwhelmed by the intensity of the scene, Inoue Kenjiro fainted. When he woke up, he found himself on the beach, the same beach as that night."

At this point, Zhang Jingxu set down the letter and said, "That’s all the content in this letter."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow and said thoughtfully, "If everything goes as expected, Inoue Kenjiro’s last sighting was probably a battle between Deep Ones and Shoggoths. But the question remains: why would Deep Ones pick a fight with Shoggoths? And who rescued the unconscious Inoue Kenjiro and left him on the beach?"

Though Liu Xing asked these questions, he had some conjectures already.

Firstly, in the current Fisher’s Village, even though Shoggoths were present, Matsui Ichiro seemed capable of commanding the Shoggoths to some extent. Liu Xing suspected that the Shoggoths in Fisher’s Village might have been defeated by the Deep Ones and tamed to serve as their minions.

In some related settings, there was a role among the Deep Ones called "Shoggoth Controllers." Liu Xing vaguely remembered that was the term. Shoggoth Controllers, as the name implied, were specialists within the Deep One ranks responsible for controlling and directing Shoggoths. They were considered "elite" among the Deep Ones, and their strength far surpassed that of regular Deep Ones. Importantly, Shoggoth Controllers often had several Shoggoths at their disposal, making encounters with them extremely challenging for players.

Therefore, Liu Xing suspected that among the Deep Ones Inoue Kenjiro witnessed, there might have been one or more Shoggoth Controllers. These Deep Ones were likely attempting to tame the Shoggoths they discovered within Fisher’s Village.

However, if this was indeed the case, Liu Xing would need to adjust his assumptions about the module’s plot once again. At this point, he was getting tired of speculating.

Panda Pig chimed in, "A battle between Deep Ones and Shoggoths? This plot feels like a crossover between Warhammer and Alien."

Just then, Alice spoke up, "No, no, no. I believe these Deep Ones might be here to capture the Shoggoths. Based on my mentor’s research on Deep Ones, they tend to have a certain number of Shoggoths in their activity areas. So, according to my mentor’s theory, Shoggoths are like pets or servants to Deep Ones, slaves of sorts. However, since there are still Shoggoths in Fisher’s Village, it suggests that these Deep Ones failed."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow. Alice’s explanation was spot on, but her last sentence seemed to introduce a twist into the story. The attention of everyone in the room turned to Zhang Jingxu.

Feeling their gaze, Zhang Jingxu cleared his throat and said, "Miss Alice, I believe those Deep Ones succeeded because all the Shoggoths are now staying quietly in various villas, refraining from attacking us. Therefore, we have reason to believe that these Shoggoths have been controlled by the Deep Ones."

Alice shrugged nonchalantly, smiling as she said, "Let’s hope so. If these Shoggoths have truly been controlled by the Deep Ones, we might have a chance to leave Fisher’s Village alive, as long as the Deep Ones don’t issue any orders."

KP Green Light then chimed in with a smile, "Congratulations, everyone. Matsui Yui’s tension has reached 100."

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