"The game will officially start in ten seconds."
Only now did Liu Xing realize that he seemed to be locked in some way. He could move his eyes, but his body was completely unresponsive, and he couldn't speak.
Ten seconds passed.
"The game begins!"
It felt as if his soul had returned to his body. Liu Xing regained control over himself.
Silence.
The four people seated around the table eyed each other. None seemed eager to speak.
After all, faced with such an inexplicable situation, they were fortunate not to be undergoing a sanity check. (In the Cthulhu RPG Game, "SAN value" is a critical player attribute, representing one's sanity. Encountering shocking or horrifying events, like gruesome bodies, mythical creatures, or magic, would prompt a sanity check. A failed check results in a permanent decrease in SAN value. If the value drops to zero, the character goes permanently insane, equivalent to death. Specific details can be searched online, as delving deep into these mechanics could fill an entire chapter.) Who in their right mind would want to chat with strangers now?
But Liu Xing was not one to sit idly. Rather than wait in anxiety for the game's one-hour duration to end, he decided to take the initiative and try to identify the cultist among the other three players.
To identify the cultist, he needed to start a conversation. While Liu Xing had never played a Cthulhu role-playing game, he had played similar online board games like "Werewolf." He believed he could identify any telltale signs in the cultist's speech.
"I am Old Chinese Doctor, just an average office worker in reality."
Given the game's background where all four players met online, Liu Xing revealed his online gaming ID and the role he was assigned in this game.
"I'm Shan He, a college student," said the man to his right, wearing a hat.
"I am Wu Gen Cao, the owner of a small business," said the older man to his left, nodding with a smile.
"My name is Bai Wan, the initiator of this haunted house exploration. I am a student at Magic City No. 7 High School." The young woman didn't raise her head, her voice slightly quivering.
Liu Xing looked at her, puzzled. The name "Bai Wan" didn't seem like something a girl would choose.
"Oh, Bai Wan, as the initiator, you must know some details about this old mansion," Liu Xing said, convinced she held essential clues. Every player would receive unique information based on their game roles, and Bai Wan, as the exploration's organizer, would undoubtedly have more insights.
Meanwhile, his own character, an average office worker, only knew the game's basic background.
Furthermore, he began to suspect Bai Wan might be the cultist. Given that she initiated the exploration, the likelihood seemed high.
Suddenly, Wu Gen Cao interjected, "I probably know more than her because I witnessed the tragedy that occurred in this mansion ten years ago."
He paused, lost in thought, then continued, "Ten years ago, I lived next door. One night, I heard screams from this mansion. I immediately called the police, but it was too late. A family of three had been brutally murdered. The culprit was eventually caught—a high school classmate of the family's younger son. The motive was apparently a romantic dispute."
From Wu Gen Cao's description, Liu Xing surmised that he had played the Cthulhu RPG Game in reality. The game emphasizes immersion, requiring players to narrate third-party information from a first-person perspective.
The young woman, Bai Wan, nodded after hearing Wu Gen Cao's story. Liu Xing glimpsed what seemed like a red necklace on her neck.
Bai Wan added, "Yes, both the suspect and the victims were seniors from our school, Magic City No. 7 High School. This incident became a popular urban legend. Some classmates recently mentioned several strange details about the case, and rumors that the mansion is haunted. That's why I initiated this exploration online."
A notification sounded, "Side Quest activated. Discover the true story behind this tragedy. Successful completion will end the game and grant additional rewards. No penalties for failure."
Liu Xing was surprised to trigger a Side Quest so quickly. He was relieved that there was no penalty for failing.
"I also read about this online and found supposed crime scene photos. There are three of them, but I can't vouch for their authenticity," Shan He said, producing a smartphone. He handed it to Liu Xing to examine.
Liu Xing saw a slightly blurred image of a corpse lying face-up in a kitchen, its face concealed by pixelation. A large hole, also pixelated, was visible in its abdomen. The next image depicted a body in a bedroom, a pool of blood around its head suggesting a fatal blow. The last showed a corpse seated in a chair in what looked like the room they were in. A gruesome tear was evident in the neck, the head lolling at an impossible angle.
Though obscured by a mosaic, Liu Xing still noticed that the body had long hair and wore clothing similar to a school uniform. Coupled with its slender stature, it seemed to be that of a young woman.
Does this mean that the family of three annihilated ten years ago consisted of two men and a woman? Liu Xing passed his phone to Wu Gen Cao, gaining a clearer picture of this gruesome incident.
"These photos are genuine," Wu Gen Cao remarked after a brief glance, heaving a deep sigh. "Even though it has been ten years, I am certain these are them." After speaking, he stood up.
A thought flashed across Liu Xing's mind. Could Wu Gen Cao be the fanatic who wishes to blow out the candle? However, he quickly dismissed this notion. Extinguishing the candle would require a full five seconds - ample time for Liu Xing to prevent any such action. Unless Wu Gen Cao was willingly walking into a trap, he wouldn't choose to extinguish the candle at this moment.
"Here, have your phone back," Wu Gen Cao said, bending slightly to hand the phone to Shan He.
"It's fine," Shan He replied as he stood and accepted the device.
Everything felt so ordinary.
Liu Xing pretended to adjust non-existent glasses, gazing intently at the candle, his thoughts racing.
Being someone who relished challenges and had a touch of obsessive-compulsive tendencies, Liu Xing felt compelled to complete any task presented to him, especially after triggering a Side Quest in the Beginner's Room.
From the game's context and data provided by the other three, he inferred a few things:
First, this ancient mansion likely housed three mythical creatures. However, their powers seemed limited since a single candle could restrict their movements.
Second, based on the main task, guarding this candle shouldn't pose any significant challenge. Yet, since the Side Quest was triggered so easily, merely guarding the candle would likely yield a low evaluation. Thus, the crux of this game hinged on the Side Quest. To ensure a better card rating and longer survival in future Cthulhu RPG games, Liu Xing knew he had to complete it.
Third, if the other three players held clues about the Side Quest, why didn't he? Had he missed something? With this thought, he began searching his pockets, finding only a wallet and a phone.
This phone was a classic Nokia 5230, a model Liu Xing remembered using during high school.
"It seems I'm a bit out of touch, using such an outdated phone. But it looks brand new. I wonder where one even finds such antiques nowadays," Liu Xing mused silently.
He awkwardly powered on the phone to find basic pre-installed Nokia apps with no network signal, ruling out online research. Checking the contacts, he found unfamiliar names. However, the call log showed the last call was from Shan He, made an hour ago, lasting 12 seconds.
"Shan He, we spoke on the phone an hour ago. What did we discuss? I can't recall," Liu Xing inquired, suspecting something.
"Oh, I remember asking why you hadn't arrived. You were already ten minutes late, while Wu Gen Cao, Bai Wan, and I waited outside," Shan He replied without hesitation.
"That explains the 12-second call," Liu Xing said with a chuckle, continuing to search for clues on his phone.
In the messages, hundreds of texts from over ten contacts awaited him.
Believing these messages held crucial information, Liu Xing began meticulously reading each one.
Sure enough, he found a message from a contact named "girlfriend" from two days ago:
"Dear, I've placed the protective amulet I prayed for at the Draken Temple inside your wallet. Please don't lose it. I've heard it's potent and can fend off all evil."
Opening his wallet, Liu Xing indeed found an amulet, its design bearing a familiar symbol - the Elder Sign!