Everyone turned their attention to Tian Dao, surprised by his streak of bad luck. Since entering the mirror world, Tian Dao had failed both of his SAN (Sanity) checks.
Tian Dao's roll: 1d6+1 = 2+1 = 3.
Sighing in relief, Tian Dao was glad to have avoided a temporary descent into madness.
"This time, Tian Dao loses 3 SAN points, and Akira Akashi loses 1," announced KP Cao, somewhat regretfully. His regret seemed to stem from Tian Dao not going insane this round.
"Damn, that monster has completely blocked our way back," KP Cao said. Liu Xing, continuing his role-play, added, "The creature looks creepy, and it might have long-range attack abilities, so we should get out of its sight first."
After all, staring down a Formless Offspring wasn't a solution. Liu Xing felt a discussion was necessary, hence he reminded his teammates with his words.
Understanding Liu Xing's hint, Tina spoke up, "Liu Xing is right. Since the creature can turn into a liquid to slip through narrow cracks, it might throw or spit its bodily fluids at us, like slimes in video games. Let's hide first and discuss how to get past this blockade and return to the temple."
Nodding, Tian Dao said, "Okay, I'll keep watch. If the creature does anything unusual, I'll alert you immediately. But you need to discuss quickly; I feel like delaying might cause problems."
So, leaving Tian Dao to watch the Formless Offspring, Liu Xing and the others retreated to the grape arbor, beginning their 'Private Room' time.
"Tough situation, this Formless Offspring is playing a waiting game. We might have to force our way through," Tina said, setting down Nan Xiaoniao. After all, Nan Xiaoniao wasn't a toddler and weighed quite a bit. Plus, Tina had to keep covering Nan Xiaoniao's eyes to prevent a panic upon seeing the Formless Offspring. Her arms were starting to go numb.
Liu Xing nodded, feeling helpless, "You're right, Tina. The Formless Offspring has totally blocked the path. If it doesn't move, our only option to return to the temple is a risky push. But logically, the Cthulhu RPG Game shouldn't set such a deadly trap, forcing us into a death march. There must be another way."
"Exactly, my thoughts align with yours, Liu Xing," Akira Akashi chimed in. "Aside from the path blocked by the Formless Offspring, there must be another way to the temple, like a side path or tunnel. After all, the Crane Temple couldn't have relied on just one path."
"Right, right, Akira Akashi makes sense. I recall a temple on a mountain back home with four paths leading up to it," Tina agreed, then contacted KP Cao, "KP, can we maybe perform a reconnaissance or inspiration check now to find a small path leading to the temple?"
KP Cao paused for a moment, then said, "Well, it's not really possible under normal circumstances unless you cancel your Private Room time. However, since the plot has now reached its final stage, and you still have two Private Room sessions left, I'll make an exception. You can either opt for a difficult investigation or try your luck. But remember, this leaves you with only one last Private Room session."
Liu Xing and his two companions exchanged silent glances. Tina then addressed KP Cao, "Okay, let's roll the dice. I'm going for luck."
Liu Xing and Akira Akashi simultaneously declared, "Me too."
After all, Tina's investigation skill was 50, while both Liu Xing and Akira Akashi's were 40. Therefore, if they were to undertake a challenging investigation check, their chances of success wouldn't exceed 30%.
Meanwhile, Tian Dao, keeping watch, overheard their conversation and shouted, "Then I'll go for an investigation."
The results were as follows:
- Liu Xing, Luck, 46/40, Failed.
- Tina, 84/35, Failed.
- Akira Akashi, Luck, 62/30, Failed.
- Tian Dao, Investigation, 76/35, Failed.
Liu Xing and his companions looked at each other in dismay, not expecting that all three would fail the Luck Check. Tian Dao was equally unlucky, failing even in his strongest skill, investigation.
"Hahaha, you've all discovered nothing, so you haven't found the path to the Crane Temple," KP Cao said, taking pleasure in their misfortune.
"Well, it seems we have no choice but to find another way," Liu Xing sighed in resignation. "Our only option now is to charge through. After all, the Formless Offspring can only attack 1d3 individuals at a time, and its success rate is only 60%. Plus, with our agility advantage, we might be able to further reduce the success rate of the Formless Offspring. We also have the option to dodge, so our chances of getting through successfully are quite high."
Akira Akashi and Tina nodded reluctantly in agreement with Liu Xing's plan. However, Liu Xing could tell they were still very worried, given the immense pressure exerted by the Formless Offspring. Getting caught by it would certainly spell doom.
But, they had no other alternatives.
Tina clenched her teeth and said, "It seems we have to take a gamble today. But I hope you guys can go first to draw the Formless Offspring's attention. After all, its first target is surely Nan Xiaoniao. Now that I'm holding Nan Xiaoniao, the Formless Offspring will definitely switch its target to me. Holding Nan Xiaoniao will surely reduce my agility. Moreover, charging uphill will likely decrease it further, so my request isn't too much, is it?"
Liu Xing and Akira Akashi exchanged glances, then nodded in agreement. As Tina said, holding Nan Xiaoniao would significantly reduce her agility, making her highly vulnerable in a swift confrontation with the Formless Offspring.