Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 33: Conclusion (2)

Liu Xing had always considered himself a fan of mature beauty, with a particular penchant for black stockings and long white legs, which he thought were the pinnacle of appeal. However, today, Liu Xing felt as though he had awakened a startling new predilection—a fondness for younger, doll-like girls!

At this thought, Liu Xing couldn't help but steal another glance at Isabella, then started to repeatedly convince himself internally that he wasn't really into younger girls. It was just that Isabella was exceptionally beautiful... Um, why did that make him feel even more like a beast?

Liu Xing shook his head fiercely, casting all those muddled thoughts to the back of his mind. He then said to Isabella, "Miss Isabella, I will go and inform my friends, and then we can all leave together."

Isabella nodded with a smile, replying, "Mhm, I will wait here for Mr. Liu Xing. But I hope you can do me another favor. There is a photograph of me in the lobby on the first floor. I would be grateful if Mr. Liu Xing could bring it to me on your return."

"That's no problem at all. I'll make sure of it," Liu Xing assured with a smile, then rose and left Isabella's room.

Though unsure of where Gary had gone, Liu Xing knew there was no time to waste; they had to make a swift escape from EinsCastle, from Eins Town, and ultimately, accomplish their mission! So, without a moment's hesitation, Liu Xing bypassed the stairs altogether, jumping directly from the second floor to the first. The noise of his landing alerted Bai Hecheng and the others, who emerged from their rooms with concern etched on their faces.

"Everyone, Mr. Gary seems to have discovered that we've taken his sheepskin scroll. He was furious, brandishing a handgun at my head. I have no idea where he's gone now, but I feel that we need to devise a way to leave this castle as soon as possible, to avoid a fatal encounter with an enraged Mr. Gary," Liu Xing earnestly played his part.

Wang Qi immediately nodded in agreement, "Yes, since Mr. Gary has already drawn his gun, it shows that he's truly angered. If he finds out it was us who took the scroll, he might actually kill us. We should make our move. It's best to flee this remote place. If we were to die here, it would probably just be chalked up to a disappearance. I'll go and open the castle's main gate now. If I'm not mistaken, there should be a garage next to the main building. Chen Ling, go and see if you can find a suitable car."

After hearing Wang Qi's words, Chen Ling promptly nodded and left with Wang Qi—one to open the castle gate and the other to search the garage for vehicles.

Wang Siyi pondered for a moment before speaking, "I'll go and help Chen Ling. After all, there are five of us, and the vintage cars in the castle seem to be two-seaters. We might need to drive two cars."

"Right, I still need to go upstairs to escort Miss Isabella down. She has agreed to leave the castle with us. After all, Mr. Gary has placed the blame for our wrongdoings on Miss Isabella, and we can't just leave her behind," Liu Xing nodded, then turned to Bai Hecheng, "Bai Hecheng, wait for me in the room. After I bring Isabella down, I'll take you to the garage. By the way, how are you feeling now?"

Bai Hecheng responded with his usual jovial demeanor, "The numbness in my body has subsided, but my vision isn't completely restored. I can barely make out shapes and objects, though."

"Well then, please don't wander off and get into more trouble. I'll be back shortly," Liu Xing said with a trace of concern, then left the room with Wang Siyi, heading for the living room.

"Come now, you may proceed with a reconnaissance," KP004 said somewhat listlessly after Wang Siyi had left.

Reconnaissance, 23/60, success.

The moment the reconnaissance succeeded, Liu Xing sensed a flash of light in the southwest corner of the living room. He immediately walked over and spotted an upside-down photo frame on a small table.

Liu Xing picked up the frame, and sure enough, it contained a picture of Isabella. KP004's voice echoed once more, "Liu Xing, you are now permitted to undertake an inspiration check."

Liu Xing's brow arched; if KP004 had prompted any other kind of check, he would have proceeded without hesitation. However, this was an inspiration check.

Nevertheless, after examining the photo and finding nothing amiss, Liu Xing decided to go ahead with the inspiration check.

Inspiration, 42/90, success.

"The photo frame is heavier than you anticipated," KP004 said with a sardonic chuckle. "You may choose to open this frame, but I must warn you, once opened, it cannot be restored to its original state."

A trap, indeed, it was a trap! Liu Xing realized he had fallen for KP004's successive schemes, and now faced a dilemma—whether to open the frame or not. Clearly, something was concealed within.

Yet, opening the frame would likely mean losing Isabella's trust—an outcome Liu Xing didn't wish to see. He feared that losing her trust might lead Isabella to betray him to Gary, complicating his departure from EinsCastle.

Therefore, Liu Xing decided to return the frame intact to Isabella on the second floor.

Isabella received the frame joyously and opened it in front of Liu Xing, retrieving a necklace.

Evidently, retrieving the necklace had been her purpose all along.

Isabella put on the necklace and said with a smile, "Thank you, Mr. Liu Xing. This necklace was left to me by my mother, so I must take it with me."

Although puzzled why Isabella didn't fetch the necklace herself, Liu Xing didn't dwell on it, seeing her happy expression.

"Miss Isabella, let us depart; my friends have already initiated their move," Liu Xing said, hearing the roar of an engine from the direction of the Castle's gate, knowing that Wang Qi had activated the electric gate opener.

Isabella nodded and followed Liu Xing downstairs.

To Liu Xing's surprise, Bai Hecheng was already sitting in the living room.

"Bai Hecheng, why didn't you wait for me in your room?" Liu Xing asked, frowning and somewhat displeased.

"Heh, didn't I hear that Wang Qi had opened the door? Plus, I've regained some mobility, so I decided to come down and wait for you here. It saves time," Bai Hecheng said, standing up with a smile.

With a resigned shake of his head, Liu Xing realized this wasn't the time to squabble with Bai Hecheng. Time was of the essence, so without further ado, he led Bai Hecheng and Isabella out to the car parked outside the main building.