Relax, I'm not some troublemaker from a role-playing game.

He raised his head, lifting it into the dark sky, gazing at the distant heavens.

Even a sliver of projection is enough to exude an aura that plunges people into eternal madness.

But I don't care about those pathetic creatures who would go crazy because of it. The stories of those ants are none of my concern.

He simply stared at a certain direction in the distance and let out an indescribable roar that was almost like rage.

Along with him roared the grief-stricken Bai Xi below.

"The old ones have all come out! Ghoul-level? This is a load of rubbish about a ghoul-level!"

"KP, I'm going to cut your head off and soak it in alcohol to drink!"

Oh dear, isn't the old Japanese style still out?

KP, however, remained quite calm, replying: "It's just a projection. The Old Ones haven't appeared yet. I'll let you know when they do..."

"If I had failed miserably just now, would I have turned into Cthulhu himself?"

Bai Xi glared, pointed at the overwhelming figure, and roared.

[Ahem, don't worry about the details]

Anyway, how about we collect a toll first?

KP rubbed his hands together, while Baek Hee rolled her eyes.

If you want me to go crazy permanently by tearing up the card, just say so.

【Oh, it's okay, it's just a projection. SC doesn't go that far. Just give us a 1D6/1D20 as a token gesture.】

"Thank you so much, but what's the difference? In the end, we're both going crazy, aren't we?"

Bai Xi sighed, but he had no choice in the matter. In an instant, the dice began to spin wildly.

[SAN check=3/49, great success, automatically take the lowest value, SAN value -1, remaining SAN value 48]

【?】

KP was stunned, and Baek Hee was also stunned.

What followed was a surge of ecstasy, and a feeling of refreshment.

【No, why?】

KP couldn't understand it; KP felt a sense of shock.

Is this even reasonable?!

"Don't you understand?"

Bai Xi laughed heartily and spoke in a cheeky tone:

"Aren't you angry? Aren't you angry? This is the luck I earned after a whole night of bad luck!"

[Fuck you!]

KP slammed his fist on the table in fury: "Don't you even know how many you activated during the battle round?!"

"That's none of my business! What can I do about the Dice Goddess's favor? Oh, relax."

Bai Xi gloated as he moved closer to the light screen, feeling refreshed and relaxed.

I love seeing you look so desperate and helpless.

After finishing this part, Bai Xi turned back to look at the wooden figure, only to see it twitching on the ground for a while...

Then, she stood up straight and gave him a gesture that she was okay.

"SC passed, but I lost 3 sanity points, which is no big deal."

Then, he looked up at the enormous projection and for a moment, a smirk appeared on his face:

"So, what should we do about this?"

Bai Xi also looked over at the same time, pondering to himself. Then, he looked down at the boat beneath his feet, as if he had some ideas.

"That thing didn't appear because of us."

Bai Xi's tone was resolute, yet carried an unbelievable calmness.

The wooden figure turned to look at him, somewhat puzzled. At that moment, Bai Xi's calm eyes were fixed on the surging dark clouds in the sky.

It's raining.

As the storm brewed, rain began to fall and thunder rumbled.

Raindrops dampened Bai Xi's hair. He continued to stare at the phantom before him, as if it were something he knew all too well.

There wasn't even a trace of the awe that ants should have for such a great being.

He simply observed calmly, analyzing everything before him with equanimity, as if he were already accustomed to it.

But then he looked up and stared in the direction the phantom of Cthulhu was looking.

That was the direction where Aldebaran once shone.

"It's Hastur. The secret struggle between the two Great Old Ones has caused Him to temporarily release a wisp of his phantom, which appears on the surface of the water."

"After all, the old rulers wouldn't care about two ants swimming by the roadside; we were just caught in the crossfire."

Bai Xi spoke, a hint of helplessness in his voice. The wooden man, upon hearing this, hesitated, unsure of what to do.

"So what should we do next?"

"Uh, well, I do have an immature idea."

Bai Xi pondered for a moment, then revealed a somewhat shy smile. His previous state of mind vanished like a bubble.

He pointed to the distant Cthulhu phantom and said with unbelievable firmness:

"Create the past!"

Bai Xi spoke with such certainty, tinged with a hint of smugness. But the wooden man, upon hearing this, felt a sense of bewilderment.

who am I? where am I?

The storm is coming, can't a bolt of lightning strike this person right in front of us?

Create a trail? Am I supposed to create one while rowing a famous boat?!

Why don't you listen to whether you're even speaking human language!

Seeing the wooden figure's obviously "what nonsense are you talking about" look, Bai Xi smiled, and then pondered for a moment.

I've decided to tell the wooden figure a story.

"Don't look at me like that," Bai Xi said. "I have a reason for doing this."

"What's your basis? Tell me!"

"Ahem, well, that requires starting from the beginning."

Bai Xi was clearly energized. He cleared his throat and said loudly:

"A long, long time ago, there was a love story that was both beautiful and moving."

"Cthulhu, dressed in a sexy white stockings and a short skirt, met Hastur, a pure-looking little boy in a yellow outfit. And so, the story of the older sister meeting the little boy began."

Bai Xi said in a very serious tone:

"How could Hastur resist the temptation of Cthulhu back then? He eventually fell into Cthulhu's arms, and the two enjoyed a long honeymoon period."

Unfortunately, the good times didn't last long.

Bai Xi looked heartbroken.

"Hastur discovered that Cthulhu was approaching him, but it was just a mission. He wanted Hastur to help him align the seven stars so that he could break free from his seal."

"Most importantly, Cthulhu, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, is actually a genderless hook seller, and he even has a family! He even has a daughter!"

"Hastur could not bear such a blow and finally turned against Cthulhu, determined to make Cthulhu pay the price. Thus, from then on, Cthulhu and Hastur, as well as their respective Familiars, became mortal enemies."

"Later, someone sailed to R'lyeh and discovered Cthulhu breaking free of his seal! Hastur saw this and was furious. He immediately bestowed the Yellow Seal, ordering the boatmen to sail onto Cthulhu's projection and personally send his former lover back to the seal..."

"This is the origin of the legend of the weak ship of the Khrushchev. It is a historical record in folklore. Later, I discovered these things in my own family's academic records."

Bai Xi said with a sigh:

"Alas, what a tragic couple!"

At that moment, Bai Xi's face seemed to radiate compassion, as if she were about to burst into tears, deeply moved by her own story.

Only the wooden figure stared at him, completely bewildered.

What the hell is this anecdotal history?

What the hell is this "family tradition" thing?!

I must have been blind to think you could come up with anything normal!

"In short," Bai Xi instantly regained his composure, pointing a finger into the distance, "Once we get past this, everything will be fine!"

"He is a weak ship!"