Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

To tell the truth, Liu Xing hadn’t anticipated the rapid growth of the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect from the outset. Thus, he had casually assigned Honekawa Suneo a position, as the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect consisted of only a handful of individuals at the time.

However, Liu Xing now harbored some regrets. After all, the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect now boasted over three thousand followers, with more than ten thousand potential converts. Consequently, Honekawa Suneo, who was currently the third-in-command, was beginning to feel overwhelmed.

Although Honekawa Suneo’s abilities were quite impressive among his peers, his experience was limited to his age group. Therefore, as a recent graduate, he inevitably fell short in many aspects compared to adults. As such, Liu Xing intended to have Honekawa Suneo step down and make way for someone more capable.

However, Honekawa Suneo was considered a "founding father" of the sect, and he had performed admirably during his tenure. Demoting him abruptly could potentially incite dissatisfaction among Honekawa Suneo, Nobi Nobita, and others...

Liu Xing couldn’t help but recall the ancient Chinese emperors, particularly those of humble origins like Liu Bang and Zhu Yuanzhang. Some of their founding generals had been invaluable during their campaigns, as capable individuals were scarce at the time. However, once their empires were established, they discovered that many of their former subordinates were incompetent or had been merely filling positions. Consequently, many founding emperors would seize opportunities after their nations had stabilized to demote or dismiss these so-called "founding fathers," or even resort to execution...

After all, the times had changed, and so had the requirements.

Liu Xing was now facing a similar dilemma.

In Liu Xing’s opinion, Honekawa Suneo’s abilities and methods were suitable for a mid-level position within the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect. As a high-ranking leader, Honekawa Suneo would face difficulty in gaining the respect of his followers.

Given the current atmosphere, Liu Xing hesitated to address the issue of Honekawa Suneo’s position directly.

Thus, Liu Xing could only smile and say, "Alright, you’ve all heard the news. For now, please return to your duties and continue investigating the Deep Diving Society."

Upon hearing Liu Xing’s dismissal, everyone except Ling Ishikawa stood up and left.

Ling Ishikawa now served as Liu Xing’s personal bodyguard. Although Japan’s gun control laws were not as strict as China’s, obtaining a firearm remained challenging. Therefore, Liu Xing felt more at ease with Ling Ishikawa, a "Sword Saint," as his protector.

Of course, Liu Xing’s true bodyguard was soaring through the skies.

After leaving Zekiel Island, Rundell had returned to confer with its master. Subsequently, Rundell had been assigned to remain on Earth.

At this moment, Rundell was flying freely above Liu Xing’s head...

With this thought, Liu Xing felt more at ease. Although Rundell’s combat prowess was unremarkable, its investigation abilities were commendable. If the Deep Diving Society intended to cause trouble, Rundell should be able to detect it promptly.

Liu Xing sighed and asked Ling Ishikawa, "Ling Ishikawa, do you think it’s necessary to have Suneo step down?"

Ling Ishikawa understood Liu Xing’s thoughts and nodded in agreement. "I believe it is. Suneo’s current abilities and status are disproportionate, which could easily provoke dissatisfaction among the followers. Furthermore, other secret cults have already set their sights on us. If an undercover agent were to infiltrate our ranks and stir up trouble, we could potentially face a major crisis."

Liu Xing nodded. Just as Ling Ishikawa had said, if an undercover agent from another secret cult infiltrated the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect, they could exploit Honekawa Suneo’s vulnerability and potentially cause internal strife within the sect.

"As the saying goes, ’a thousand-mile embankment can be destroyed by an ant’s nest.’"

"However, how can I possibly bring this up? After all, Honekawa Suneo is a founding member of our Worshipers of the Yellow Sect, and he hasn’t made any major mistakes recently. I can’t seem to find an opportune moment," Liu Xing said with a hint of frustration.

Ling Ishikawa shrugged, indicating that he was powerless to help at the moment.

Liu Xing sighed and asked, "By the way, Ling Ishikawa, do you have any news about Zhang Jingxu and the others?"

Ling Ishikawa nodded with a smile. "I just got off the phone with Zhang Jingxu. He and Lu Tianya are on a plane right now. By the way, Zhang Ge has also been transferred to the Island Nation, and based on his rank, he should be stationed in Tokyo."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "What? Zhang Ge is coming to Tokyo too? It seems we’ll have to invite them to dinner when they arrive. But the most important question now is whether or not we should reveal our true identities to Zhang Jingxu and the others. After all, given the current circumstances, they’re likely to uncover our secret."

Before entering the current module, Liu Xing and the others had gathered to discuss this very issue. After all, if they failed to handle this matter properly, it could lead to a "fraternal betrayal" scenario...

Therefore, after much deliberation, Liu Xing and his companions devised a plan.

To put it simply, Liu Xing would continue to "deceive" Zhang Jingxu and the others, but he would admit to being the leader of the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect. However, he would also portray himself as a "good man trapped in a bad situation"...

Thus, Liu Xing and Ling Ishikawa exchanged glances, agreeing to meet Zhang Jingxu and the others tomorrow after they arrived in Tokyo and inform them of Liu Xing’s rise to leadership within the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect... Of course, they would present a carefully crafted version of events.

After finalizing their plan, Liu Xing and Ling Ishikawa returned to their respective rooms to rest.

After all, they still needed to adjust to the time difference.

The following morning, Liu Xing was woken up by Ling Ishikawa, as Zhang Jingxu and the others had already arrived in Tokyo and invited Liu Xing to join them for breakfast.

Thus, Liu Xing, who was still feeling a bit disoriented, accompanied Ling Ishikawa to meet Zhang Jingxu and the others.

As Zhang Jingxu and Lu Tianya’s accommodation had been arranged by Liu Xing in advance, their residence was quite close to Liu Xing’s home.

After exchanging greetings, Liu Xing and his companions found a nearby restaurant for breakfast.

Liu Xing then seized an opportunity to deliver his prepared speech, explaining that he had inherited the leadership of the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect due to unforeseen circumstances.

Zhang Jingxu and the others, who had been anticipating this revelation, accepted Liu Xing’s explanation after a brief silence.

Thus, a potential time bomb had been defused... at least temporarily.

The conversation naturally shifted to the Deep Diving Society.

"Before coming to Tokyo, I made inquiries with my superiors. The Deep Diving Society has been expanding rapidly throughout Asia recently, and they have practically gained complete control over the high-ranking officials in Cosmic Country. However, the Deep Diving Society seems to have learned from the mistakes of the Cult of the Cadaver and has not openly seized power in Cosmic Country. In reality, the Deep Diving Society has already established its dominance, and Cosmic Country is now planning to forcibly expel United States of America troops from its territory," Zhang Wenbing said solemnly.

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, expressing surprise. "What? The Deep Diving Society is that audacious? They’re not even giving the United States of America any face? Expelling those troops outright, aren’t they afraid of retaliation?"

Zhang Wenbing shrugged and said with a grin, "What do they have to fear? The Deep Diving Society has complete control over the high-ranking officials in Cosmic Country. The financial backers there are also their people, so the United States of America can no longer influence Cosmic Country’s political landscape. Besides, the United States of America doesn’t dare to make another move against Cosmic Country, so the most they can do now is impose economic sanctions. But the Deep Diving Society couldn’t care less about national economic issues."

Zhang Jingxu nodded in agreement and said, "That’s right. The United States of America must be aware that Cosmic Country is now under the control of the Deep Diving Society. Therefore, any leader of the United States of America with a brain should realize that they can no longer interfere with Cosmic Country in any way. As such, the United States of America can only swallow this bitter pill and make a few empty threats at most... Of course, it’s possible that the United States of America might do something crazy, considering their current president’s questionable mental state."

Everyone nodded in agreement with Zhang Jingxu’s assessment. After all, the current president of the United States of America was a typical businessman and "patriot." So, if the Deep Diving Society dared to disrespect the United States of America in such a way, the president would undoubtedly threaten retaliation.

That would make things even more entertaining.

Liu Xing began to look forward to the unfolding events.

As for the Deep Diving Society, they had maintained a low profile in the Island Nation. Although one of the Deep Diving Society’s predecessors, the Deep Sea Gospel Society, was considered a large secret cult in the Island Nation, the underground landscape there was incredibly complex. Many internationally renowned secret cults had established branches in the Island Nation, and there were also many secret cults native to the Island Nation that were more powerful than the Deep Sea Gospel Society. Therefore, the Deep Diving Society had abandoned any notion of dominating the Island Nation and instead focused on quietly developing their presence there.

Consequently, Zhang Wenbing had not obtained any information about the Deep Diving Society’s activities in the Island Nation.

The conversation moved on to other topics.

This time, the discussion centered on the upcoming university life of Liu Xing and his companions.

"Ryuusei-kun, Ling Ishikawa-kun, Zhang Jingxu-kun, and Lu Tianya-kun, I must congratulate you on the start of your university life. University life is truly the most wonderful time in one’s life," Zhang Wenbing said with a smile.

Lu Tianya shook her head and said earnestly, "That’s not necessarily true. We’ve been encountering mythical creatures and dealing with various secret cults every other day. I think it’s likely that we’ll run into that Deep Diving Society that Alice-san mentioned before we’re even halfway through our university careers."

Liu Xing nodded in agreement. "I agree. We can now be certain that the Deep Diving Society has established a club as a branch within Tokyo Comprehensive University. So, our first objective after entering Tokyo Comprehensive University will be to identify that club and eliminate it as soon as possible. After all, none of us wants to spend the next four years rubbing shoulders with members of the Deep Diving Society."

"Listening to you all, I get the feeling that Tokyo Comprehensive University will become a thing of the past like Morimoto Academy in a year or two..." Ling Ishikawa said softly.

...

For a moment, everyone was speechless.

After all, with the exception of Lu Tianya, everyone else was a player. Therefore, Liu Xing and the others were aware that they would have to complete eight to ten modules over the course of their four years of university, and the difficulty of these modules would only increase with each one. The likelihood of Tokyo Comprehensive University becoming "history" was quite high.

For example, the Deep Diving Society might have a sudden lapse of judgment and come to Tokyo Comprehensive University to abduct students for a large-scale Ritual Ceremony, or they might even launch a terrorist attack...

Thus, Liu Xing also felt that the future of Tokyo Comprehensive University was bleak...

"So, we’ve become harbingers of misfortune," Ling Ishikawa said again, leaving Liu Xing and the others at a loss for words.

To be honest, though, the players of the Cthulhu Role-Playing Game Hall could all be considered harbingers of misfortune. After all, wherever they went, people died...

Therefore, Liu Xing couldn’t help but mourn for his future university classmates.

It wasn’t their fault, but the fault of the world...

Just then, Liu Xing’s phone suddenly rang.

Liu Xing took out his mobile phone and saw that it was Alice calling.

It seemed that Alice had also arrived in the Island Nation.

"Hello, Alice. Have you arrived in the Island Nation?" Liu Xing said as he answered the phone.

Alice chuckled on the other end of the line. "Yes, I’ve already arrived in Tokyo. Where are you now? I’ll drive right over."

Liu Xing gave Alice their location.

Ten minutes later, Alice met up with Liu Xing and the others.

After ordering breakfast, Alice said, "I’ve received orders from the Deep Diving Society to establish a contact point in the Tokyo area. So, I plan to return to my old ways and open a bar in Tokyo."

Liu Xing nodded and asked with a smile, "So, Alice, do you know which club within Tokyo Comprehensive University is the Deep Diving Society branch? Or who their leader is?"

Alice shook her head and said with a hint of confusion, "I don’t know that yet. Although I’ve been doing everything I can to gather information, it seems that this Deep Diving Society branch has a very important mission, so their security is very tight."

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