Chapter 38: Return to Reality

Isabella, however, was no fool. With an intelligence that had reached the human pinnacle of 99, she was well aware that if she manipulated the Ghoul to kill Gary, she would be trapped in the room due to Gary's sealing spell, ultimately facing a grim fate of starvation.

Thus, Isabella decided to employ seduction against Gary. After all, her charm surpassed human limits, her every word and gesture naturally imbued with an enthralling effect. Coupled with her seduction skills, also at the height of 99, beguiling an ordinary human like Liu Xing was a trifle, not even requiring a check to automatically succeed.

But Gary was no ordinary human; he was a Wizard. And he had always been on guard against Isabella's charms. Hence, whenever he went to see Isabella, he would choose to wear sunglasses. By not gazing directly upon Isabella's visage, her seduction became futile (in the setting of the Cthulhu RPG Game, many spells require face-to-face interaction to succeed, a point much worthy of critique). Stripped of her seductive powers, Isabella was powerless before Gary.

Therefore, the only option left for Isabella was to lay low, feign weakness, and by doing so, Gary, always mindful of their sibling relationship, sustained Isabella with the blood of eternal life.

Of course, Isabella never revealed her ability to control Ghouls. Gary had always believed that the Ghoul was drawn by his charismatic charm, opting to serve him, thus keeping this ticking time bomb at his side, which eventually led to his downfall.

Finally, Isabella's opportunity came when Liu Xing and his group arrived at EinsCastle. With a listening skill at 99 points, Isabella could discern the movements of Liu Xing's party by sound alone, which was why Gary said to Isabella, "I know you have excellent hearing; you must know who has been to the second floor."

Hence, the sound of Liu Xing ascending to the second floor did not escape Isabella. As Liu Xing approached her door, Isabella had already devised a plan, a plan to break free from her shackles!

And so, Liu Xing was greeted by a pitiable figure, Isabella playing the part of a little girl, which, combined with her bewitching potion, ensnared Liu Xing the moment he laid eyes upon her in the room. Isabella's words led him to believe she was Gary's daughter, and his own mind conjured up numerous details to persuade himself of this narrative.

Isabella's plan proceeded smoothly. She had Liu Xing fetch a necklace that could lift the seal, and upon leaving EinsCastle, she commanded the Ghoul to kill both Gary and Old Wayne. She then successfully shifted the blame for the deaths of foreign travelers onto Gary, clearing her own name and attaining her freedom.

Liu Xing, upon reflection, felt his conjectures were near the mark. Yet now he felt a stifling frustration, realizing he had been merely a tool for Isabella's use, which explained why her favorability towards him was a mere 20. After all, who would feel grateful towards an instrument of their own manipulation?

Liu Xing felt an immense pressure as he thought back on how he had been proudly convinced of his heroic act, saving a lovely little girl, only to realize he had been taken for a ride by an old witch over a century old. Overwhelmed, he found himself at a loss for words.

Indeed, the truth is always more brutal than a lie.

Liu Xing let out a resigned sigh, deciding to ask KP004 his final question, "KP004, may I take a look at Bai Hecheng's character card?"

Liu Xing had always sensed that something was off with Bai Hecheng. After all, in a life-or-death Cthulhu RPG Game, Bai Hecheng acted carefree to the point of recklessness, causing trouble everywhere without any concern for his own survival. His behavior went beyond optimistic to the point of suspicion. Liu Xing was convinced there had to be an issue!

Moreover, if Liu Xing remembered correctly, Bai Hecheng's inspiration was also quite high, reaching 70. It is well-known within the Cthulhu RPG Game community that players have developed a strategy which suggests that, unless you're extremely unlucky, an attribute or skill around 70 points almost guarantees success in checks.

However, KP004 shook his head and replied, "I'm sorry, but you can only choose to view two pieces of information from another player's character card."

Liu Xing nodded in understanding, aware that character cards were a player's trump card, and nobody would be willing to lay theirs bare for all to see.

"Then, KP, please tell me Bai Hecheng's SAN value and identity." After thinking it over, Liu Xing concluded these two details about Bai Hecheng were what he wanted to know the most.

KP004 smiled and nodded, "Good thinking. I'll tell you, Bai Hecheng's SAN value is currently 5, and his identity is that of a zealot. Moreover, I can offer you an additional piece of intelligence - Bai Hecheng has already begun the process of ghoulish transformation!"

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow in surprise; Bai Hecheng was even more deranged than he had imagined—a zealot with a single-digit SAN value undergoing ghoulish transformation! Who knows what Bai Hecheng had been through.

Yet Liu Xing reckoned he probably would not see Bai Hecheng again (the flag was already raised), because he had heard from an administrator named Du Liu within the club that the team wipeout and mortality rates in the Cthulhu RPG Game were extremely high. Furthermore, with a vast player base in the Cthulhu Role-Playing Game Hall, it was nearly impossible to meet again with players you've previously adventured with.

Therefore, Liu Xing figured that, given Bai Hecheng's current state, it was likely that in the next Cthulhu RPG Game, he would either die or go mad, especially since Bai Hecheng, with only 5 points of SAN left, was hardly distinguishable from a madman.

What surprised Liu Xing, however, was that after he had lost a point of SAN value himself, he had felt a certain loss, yet Bai Hecheng, who joined this Cthulhu RPG Game with just over ten SAN points, managed to act almost like a normal person. Could it be that Bai Hecheng was acting purely on instinct?

Since he could not continue to question KP004, Liu Xing could only bury his doubts deep within his heart.

"Well then, let me tell you the questions and answers of the other players, and then you can return to the real world," KP004 stood up, stretching lazily, "Bai Hecheng's question was about what happens if a player's SAN value drops to zero, the answer is they will go mad permanently and remain in the Cthulhu RPG Game; Wang Qi asked if there would be any penalty for attacking or even killing a teammate, the answer is there are no real 'teammates' in the Cthulhu RPG Game, and as long as you have a valid reason, you can attack or even kill other players without penalty; Chen Ling asked if it's possible to modify a character's background, the answer is that a character's background will change with each Cthulhu RPG Game's setting; as for Wang Siyi, she had no questions."

Once KP004 finished speaking, Liu Xing's vision blurred, and he found himself once again back in reality.