"Alright, that settles it. I and Tian Dao will lead the charge, followed by Akira Akashi covering Tina as she moves up." Liu Xing clapped his hands, making the final, summarizing statement.
"Mm, no problem on my end," Akira Akashi nodded and spoke up.
Tina also nodded, then picked up Nan Xiaoniao, "Mm, let's head out. We have only about half an hour left. We should return to the temple as soon as possible to present the offerings, lest KP Cao comes up with more tricks."
After ending their Private Room time, Liu Xing went over to Tian Dao and said, "Tian Dao, we have no choice but to force our way through now. This monster seems hell-bent on waiting for us, and we don't have the luxury of time to keep waiting. So, it's up to us men to lead the way and create time and space for them."
"Mm, let's get ready then. But I have a suggestion: we should attack from two different directions, one left and one right. This might just put the monster in a tough spot, increasing our chances of breaking through," Tian Dao nodded, but proposed his own idea.
However, Liu Xing knew that Tian Dao's suggestion was just a part of their role-play. After all, in the Cthulhu RPG Game, a Formless Offspring wouldn't be caught in such a dilemma since it could attack several people at once, with the outcome determined by the Dice Goddess.
Nevertheless, Liu Xing played along with Tian Dao's strategy. "You're right, Tian Dao. So, I'll take the left side, and you take the right, how about that?"
At this moment, Tina and Akira Akashi also came over and heard Liu Xing and Tian Dao's discussion.
"So, when that monster chooses to attack one of you, Akira Akashi and I will follow the other and rush forward. Is that okay?" Tina said with interest.
Akira Akashi just nodded indifferently. The specifics of their run didn't matter much, as the final outcome wouldn't be significantly affected as long as Tina and he could keep up with Liu Xing and Tian Dao without falling behind. This would prevent KP Cao from deciding that they should have separate battle checks.
Akira Akashi had experienced a similar situation in a previous gaming session. A teammate, fearing for his own safety, deliberately slowed down, letting Akira Akashi and the others take the lead. As he wished, he wasn't included in that attack check. But because of his slower pace, he faced a separate attack check and ended up tearing his card...
So, Akira Akashi decided to remind Tina, "Tina, we can't wait too long later on, lest the monster reacts and targets us specifically. After all, Nan Xiaoniao is in your hands, and that monster's primary target is definitely Nan Xiaoniao."
Tina nodded, showing she understood Akira Akashi's point.
Tian Dao then said with a smile, "Mm, let's decide on this. Everyone needs to put in their best effort. We must all return to the real world together."
Liu Xing felt that Tian Dao might have just set a significant flag.
"OK, everyone's ready, let's get moving. For now, we'll try to get close to the monster, leaving enough space for a sprint," Liu Xing once again took the lead, moving to the front. As Akira Akashi had hinted earlier, the order of approaching the Formless Offspring had little impact on the final check, provided Akira Akashi and the others didn't betray him.
Moreover, as a normal human, Liu Xing naturally had his own motives. After all, the players' performance in this Cthulhu RPG Game determined the MVP, and the benefits of being MVP were obvious. Thus, Liu Xing played his role as best as he could, striving to become an important figure, even a leader, within the team.
Akira Akashi and the others, of course, wouldn't betray their teammates. They followed Liu Xing's lead, stopping about ten meters from the Formless Offspring. The creature's tentacles had a reach of about five meters, so the remaining five meters served as a buffer zone. This distance allowed them to guard against sudden attacks from the Formless Offspring and also provided enough room to start their sprint.
"If everyone's ready, then shall we start?" Liu Xing looked at Tian Dao to his right, then at Tina and Akira Akashi behind him, and finally at Nan Xiaoniao in Tina's arms, asking seriously.
"We're ready," Tian Dao and the others replied softly.
Taking a deep breath, Liu Xing said, "Then, I'll count down from three, and we'll sprint. I wish everyone good luck, and I'll see you in the temple."
"Three."
"Two."
"One, charge!"
At Liu Xing's command, everyone charged towards the Formless Offspring.
Just as Liu Xing and Tian Dao took the lead and entered the Formless Offspring's attack range, Liu Xing suddenly felt the air around him stagnate, as if everything around him slowed down. It was like the bullet time seen in movies, where everything seemed incredibly slow.
Of course, in a different setting, like the Main God Space, Liu Xing might have thought he was experiencing a breakthrough in the face of danger, unlocking the legendary genetic lock, enabling him to overpower the Formless Offspring and send it back to where it belonged.
Usually, as lower servants, mythical creatures wouldn't die outright. They'd be sent back to their original place after sustaining certain damage, especially since Eldritch Gods protected these creatures, making it not so simple for mere humans to deal with them.
Unfortunately, Liu Xing was in a Cthulhu RPG Game setting, where no genetic lock existed. The reason for the current situation was that Liu Xing had entered the battle round.
In a typical Cthulhu RPG Game, battle rounds could be resolved sequentially with a few checks, but in this real version of the game, things were not that simple.
"Hehe, now players Liu Xing, Tina, Akira Akashi, Tian Dao, and NPC Nan Xiaoniao have all entered the battle round. Since some players haven't experienced a battle round before, I, KP Cao, will take this opportunity to explain how a real Cthulhu RPG Game battle round works," Liu Xing realized, hearing KP Cao's sleazy voice, that KP Cao was about to stir up trouble.