Student Activity Center of D University.

"Xiaoxue, you really can't go to Arkham!"

Chen Qiang's anxious voice echoed in the activity room of the board game club.

Not far away, a beautiful girl with long black hair showed a confused expression. She didn't understand why Chen Qiang was suddenly so excited when he heard that her summer school visit was changed to Arkham Town.

Even the large bookshelf stuffed with various board games on the side seemed to be trembling slightly by Chen Qiang's loud voice at this moment.

"Xiaoxue," as if worried that his girlfriend hadn't heard clearly, Chen Qiang repeated the words again, "You can't go to Arkham." I knew that this opportunity to go to Maskatonic University in Arkham Town was precious, but ......"

Xiaoxue rubbed her ears. In her eyes, her boyfriend is a rational and taciturn man, and this is the first time she has seen Chen Qiang anxious.

"I know you don't want to be separated from me," she said gently, "but it doesn't matter. I've only been there for two months, and we can video every day. ”

"You were going to the University of Massachusetts," Chen Qiang protested, "the school suddenly changed the place for you, and they defaulted first, which is dangerous-"

Dangerous?

The girl blinked.

"The school also has its problems," Xiaoxue said patiently, "maybe you have a little misunderstanding about Arkham Town and Mitsu. I've just checked it online and Arkham is a nice place with a simple people......"

Chen Qiang: "......"

“…… The local University of Micao is also very academic, and they are also ranked higher in the world. The school helped me change the place for my sake. How can I be willful? ”

Chen Qiang smiled bitterly.

It's because they have a "long style of study" that you can't go, okay?

And that's Arkham, Arkham!

Arkham the Great!

Gotham City Madhouse in the American comic DC world, and the town name in the Cthulhu world.

The moment he heard that his girlfriend's visiting location had been changed to "Arkham", Chen Qiang's hairs stood on end.

It has been 20 years since Chen Qiang was reborn. At first, he just saw this as an opportunity God gave him. He made the impoverished family feel free of food and clothing, was admitted to the top D university in China with excellent results, and fell in love with Qin Lingxue, the goddess of the college, I don't know how many boys were red with envy.

But today, when he heard the word "Arkham" from his girlfriend, Chen Qiang finally understood......

This earth is fundamentally different from the earth in the previous life!

The real earth before he was reborn did not have a place like "Arkham Town, Miskatonik University".

The town of Arkham is one of the hallmarks of the Cthulhu Mythos novel. Arkham is the hardest hit area of mythical monsters, and if you go to Arkham, you may one day be turned to ashes by a terrifying creature summoned by a madman, or worse.

I, Chen Qiang, were fired, jumped from the building, and were torn to pieces by unspeakable creatures, and it was absolutely impossible for Xiaoxue to go to Arkham!

"I won't let you go to Arkham alone." Chen Qiang said.

Looking at Chen Qiang's expression of not hitting the south wall and not looking back, Qin Lingxue shook her head helplessly.

"I really don't want to miss this opportunity," Qin Lingxue said, "but I will apply to the school to see if I can change the place of summer study back." ”

"Okay." Chen Qiang nodded. He knew that Xiaoxue was a stubborn girl, and if he wanted to convince her, he might not be able to do it in a day.

……

Chen Qiang sighed in his heart.

In fact, Chen Qiang had already discovered that this world after his rebirth was different from the previous earth. As a Cthulhu Mythos lover, he has long discovered that Lovecraft, the original author of the Cthulhu Mythos, does not seem to exist in this world, and there are no novels or spin-offs related to the Cthulhu Mythos.

However, at that time, Chen Qiang did not think about "this world is the world of the Cthulhu Mythos" at all, but was thinking about making money, and in the future he would have the opportunity to recreate the master's works and his favorite "Cthulhu Run Group Game" in the world.

It was only to this day that "Arkham Town, Miskatonic University" made him understand what was going on......

"Seriously, ignorance is bliss." Chen Qiang lamented in his heart.

"Huh?"

The sudden sound of a mobile phone text message distracted Chen Qiang's attention. He nodded to his smiling girlfriend, then pulled out his phone.

"It's ......"

Chen Qiang's pupils shrank.

"Xiaoxue, I'll go out first." Chen Qiang said.

……

Chen Qiang rushed into the men's toilet at the end of the hallway, ran into the last cubicle, and locked the door.

After discovering that there are no Cthulhu Mythos novels and games in this world, Chen Qiang has been worried that he will forget those settings one day, so he wrote down all the Cthulhu Mythos settings that he could remember, and also put a folder on his mobile phone desktop to store these settings.

The Cthulhu set in the real world of Cthulhu - maybe it's even better than the legendary Book of the Necrokoon, right? Looking at it this way, my mobile phone is the ultimate mythological classic, Chen Qiang thought.

"It's ......"

On his phone's desktop, the folder "Cthulhu's Keeper", which is usually used to store Cthulhu's settings, has changed from the default icon to an octopus-shaped icon representing Cthulhu.

"When?" Chen Qiang muttered to himself.

When did you realize that "the Cthulhu Mythos is real"?

I chose to believe, so I caused some kind of supernatural mutation?

At the top of the screen, the scrolling message that the app "Cthulhu's Keeper of Cthulhu" has been installed] shocked him.

Restraining the chaotic thoughts in his heart, Chen Qiang touched the icon with his trembling fingers.

As he expected, it wasn't a folder anymore...... It's an APP.

……

A welcome page with white on a black background comes into view.

【Welcome to Cthulhu's Keeper】

[Respectful one who goes against the times, even if a curtain is pulled up in the heart to cover up those unbearable memories, the indescribable truth will still erode people's minds again. 】

[In the face of ancient existence, human beings are so small and powerless. 】

What about you? When the stars return to their positions, will the fortress you have built with reason be able to protect your beloved? 】

……

"Is this a provocation?"

Chen Qiang clenched his fists.

In the setting of the Cthulhu Mythos, the entire universe is ruled by many powerful beings. At the apex are the Outer Gods, and then the Old Dominators. In the eyes of humans, they are all monsters that are difficult to describe in words.

The most famous of the Old Days is none other than Cthulhu, the evil god of the ocean who is said to have reappeared on Earth "when the stars return to their thrones" and ruled the world with a clan of deep divers who adore him.

"I hate threats," Chen Qiang said to himself, "but I won't let anything hurt Xiaoxue." ”

He restrained, wanting to see what other amazing welcome words were spoken in the next APP, but the screen flashed, and the software directly entered the main interface.

It's also white on a black background, with only two big buttons, and the whole interface is extremely simple.

[Click here to use the investigator function (currently active number of investigators: 0)]

[Click here to use the Secret Keeper function (lock)]

"Actually, the system of the running group game ......?"

Chen Qiang narrowed his eyes. This was not quite what he had predicted.

The running group game is a game in which players interact with each other through verbal descriptions and play their respective roles to explore, negotiate and fight under the constraints of the rules, hosted by a specific host. The moderator acts as a storyteller and judge in the event, and is responsible for describing the state of the story world and what happened to the players.

Players of the Cthulhu Run game are also commonly referred to as investigators. The host, on the other hand, is called the Keeper of Secrets.

In his previous life, Chen Qiang often served as a secret keeper.

"It's a trap...... Is it? Chen Qiang muttered to himself.

The original folder contained a list of evil gods that he had memorized from an avid enthusiast, from A to Z, as well as the names and characteristics of the mythical races that served them, as well as many anecdotes related to the gods.

It doesn't matter if the settings are gone, most of the settings are still remembered and can be reproduced.

This app is unique.

Chen Qiang took a deep breath and reminded himself not to lose his mind because of the words of the welcome interface.

Chen Qiang did not select the list of investigators, but clicked [Click here to use the secret keeper function (lock)] on the main page, and a help jumped out.

[Complete a solo mission or mod as an investigator (random difficulty) and unlock it automatically.] Is it accepted immediately? YES/NO】

“…… Boring ruse. ”

Chen Qiang laughed.

Leave this APP alone, and don't think about unlocking this function, maybe it's a good idea to "protect yourself".

As the welcome message says, the world is too dangerous.

What if Xiaoxue avoids Arkham Town this time? With a lifetime of caution, can he and Xiaoxue avoid the unspeakable evil forces of the Cthulhu world forever? What about his parents? What about the rest of my friends?

Could the truth of his own rebirth also have something to do with the existence of some myth in the world of Cthulhu?

Stopping here is by no means a one-and-done one.

Maybe you will push yourself into an even deeper abyss.

"Knowledge is dangerous, but it is also power – and the absence of power is far more dangerous than knowledge." Chen Qiang muttered to himself.

Now, I have some "knowledge".

And this software may have the ability to help you turn knowledge into power.

Whether the whole event is a great race that can travel through time, the plan of the Isis, or the conspiracy of the only outer god who pays more attention to humanity, Nyaratotip, you must challenge it!

"Go for it." Chen Qiang thought secretly.

You must unlock the system's "Secret Keeper Function"!

"Complete a task or mod as an investigator......" Chen Qiang pondered.

Mods, that is, the script of the running group game.

Needless to say, this mission is definitely not for him to play the "Cthulhu Run game" that he liked in his previous life, but to come into contact with supernatural forces in the real world.

"But before you do that, you have to do some preparation. Maybe you can even take this opportunity to get Xiaoxue to avoid Arkham. ”

But just as Chen Qiang stretched out his hand to the back button, the prompt on the screen changed again.

[The appearance of a myth has been detected within a radius of 500 meters from you. 】

The game will start automatically.] 】

[Module Name: The King of Yellow in the Board Game Club]

[Number of investigators: 1]

[DIFFICULTY: THE GREAT OLD ONES]