118. Investigator Chen Shang Makes His Entrance!

Pushing open the heavy doors of the bar, Chen Shang was greeted by an expanse of endless fog.

Everything here seemed to have been stripped of color, leaving behind nothing but countless shades of gray. Even Chen Shang felt his own colors slowly being drained by the environment, transforming him into a monochrome humanoid figure. The occasional sight of withered trees and the wretched cries of crows served as constant reminders that this place was inextricably linked to death.

Out of habit, Chen Shang decisively activated his sedative hormones, preventing himself from losing the ability to think in such an oppressive atmosphere.

[New map detected... Loading new plugin templates...]

Suddenly, a string of distorted, dark purple text flashed before his eyes.

"Plugin templates?" Chen Shang realized his game system had undergone a change.

[The "Abyss Plugin" has been updated to version 2.0.]
[Sanity system installed...]
[Abyss Rules plugin installed...]
[Abyss Commentary system installed...]
[Have a pleasant adventure.]

Chen Shang opened the system menu and found a new entry labeled "Abyss Plugin 2.0," which contained a character profile:

[Character: Chen Shang]
[Race: Homo Sapiens]
[Age: 16 (?)]
[Sanity: 45/70]
[Base Attributes: Strength 2.5, Constitution 2.5, Dexterity 2.5, Intelligence 2.5, Inspiration 2.5, Charisma 2.5]
[Civilization Attributes: Eloquence 3, Knowledge 2, Talent 1, Social 2, Etiquette 2, Leadership 1.5]
[Note: All your attribute values will provide a x5 base bonus during checks.]

"Something's not right... this game has really started heading in a horror direction, hasn't it?" Chen Shang muttered to himself, looking at the changes in his attribute panel.

The moment Chen Shang stepped out of the bar, the door behind him slammed shut automatically. He tried to push it from the outside, but it wouldn't budge, as if it had been locked from within. This reminded him of a classic horror movie trope: once the protagonist walks through a door, it closes behind them, preventing them from changing their mind and turning back.

Chen Shang had no choice but to slowly walk into the fog, as his primary goal here was exploration. He held a light crossbow in one hand, and in the other, he gripped the bottle he had swiped from the bartender, taking a swig to bolster his courage.

"Damn, that tastes awful!"

The flavor, reminiscent of industrial alcohol with a hint of gasoline, bloomed in his mouth. Checking the label on the bottle, he saw it read "Android Special Brew," with an ingredient list of 70% alcohol and 20% motor oil. Chen Shang hurriedly spat it out and sheepishly stashed the bottle back in his inventory.

To be honest, he didn't know where he was going, but a mysterious force seemed to be pulling him along. Perhaps this was the "Witch's Invitation" the mechanical bartender had mentioned?

The fog grew thicker, and putrid, chilling winds swept past him. Guided by that mysterious force, he entered a graveyard, where gravestones could be vaguely seen scattered like weeds.

Regarding Lovecraftian games, Chen Shang had some knowledge but little practical experience, as his professional background was in galgames. However, the eerie atmosphere and the persistent psychological pressure convinced him that he absolutely could not continue exploring alone. In horror movies, the protagonist who insists on exploring a clearly dangerous place without backup inevitably dies—it was the most classic way to commit suicide.

"Time to bail. I'll head back and hire some teammates to act as meat shields." Chen Shang decided he needed to be more cautious.

Just then, he heard the sound of barking nearby, sharp and piercing. Three hunting hounds with matted fur burst from the fog, snarling as they surrounded him, their blood-red eyes unsettling to behold. The chests and abdomens of these hounds were hollow, exposing masses of rotting flesh and ribs, while their fur showed signs of decay and shedding. They didn't look like radiation-mutated creatures; they looked like zombies dug up from the grave.

Chen Shang frowned and turned to flee.

But the moment the thought of "escaping" crossed his mind, time seemed to freeze. The swirling fog stopped in its tracks; the hounds hung suspended in mid-air, never landing. Even Chen Shang himself was unable to move, save for his right fingers, which could barely twitch.

Simultaneously, a pitch-black, hundred-sided die appeared in the palm of his right hand.

"Where did this die come from? And why is time frozen?" Chen Shang frowned nervously, unable to stop himself from swallowing hard.

Immediately after, strings of explanatory text from the system appeared before his eyes:

[You have encountered a special event. The Abyss Commentary plugin is running...]
[To assist you in exploring the Abyss, this core function will explain your current situation whenever you encounter special events.]
[First, an explanation of the die's purpose...]
["Fate Dice" are one of the fundamental laws of this world. In your original world, the development of all things relied on individual effort and a small amount of luck. Conversely, in this world, the development of all things relies on a large amount of luck and a small amount of effort.]
[When encountering unexpected events, a Fate Die will appear in your hand. You must cast it yourself, and the outcome of the event will be determined by the number rolled.]
[For those from your original world, "Sanity" is one of the most critical metrics for exploring the Abyss. When you encounter things beyond your understanding, or suffer fright and injury, your Sanity will fluctuate. If your Sanity reaches zero, you will go completely insane... and you wouldn't want to know what the world looks like after that.]

Reading the series of explanations, Chen Shang couldn't help but mutter, "Damn, this really is a CoC tabletop campaign, isn't it?"

The subtitles gradually faded. In their place, a string of distorted, eerie blood-red text appeared in his mind:

[Escape Speed Check: 1d100 = ???. If > 48 (60 - 12.5), escape is successful. 60 is the speed of the Ghoul Hounds, and 12.5 is your agility bonus.]

This text clearly didn't come from the game system, but rather felt like a special ability he had acquired since arriving in this world, as instinctual as breathing.

*So, the success rate of everything I do is determined by a die roll?*

Chen Shang had grasped the rules of this world; it was exactly like a tabletop RPG. He even suspected that the creator of this world was a hardcore tabletop enthusiast.

Gently stroking the die of unknown material in his hand, he suddenly remembered the item he had acquired a few days ago.

*Could that be how the "Dice Glove" is supposed to be used?!*

Chen Shang had an epiphany. That glove, for which he had been given no instructions, was likely intended for use when rolling dice in this world.

But it was too late now. His body was in a state of absolute stasis, with only his right fingers capable of minimal movement. Retrieving the glove from his inventory in this state was impossible.

With no other choice, he had to bite the bullet and cast the die. He twitched his finger, and the die clattered out of his palm. It spun a few times on the ground before coming to a stop. The number on top was "46."

A new line of blood-red text appeared in his mind:

[1d100 = 46. Escape check failed. Engaging combat.]
[Since similar creatures exist in your original world and you have used sedatives on yourself, no Sanity Check (SAN Check) is required for this monster encounter.]

"You've got to be kidding me? I couldn't even pass a 50% chance?" Chen Shang cursed in frustration.

At the same time, time resumed its flow. Chen Shang regained full control of his body, but his legs felt as heavy as lead. The three zombie hounds recovered from their frozen state, sprinting toward him at high speed, snarling as they closed in from three directions.

"Damn it, a pure luck-based game, is it?"

He had truly believed he could escape, only to be sabotaged by the die. The zombie hounds looked incredibly agile, and they were less than five meters away. Using a ranged weapon in such close quarters would only put him at a disadvantage.

After a quick mental calculation, Chen Shang decisively pressed the X+A buttons on his light crossbow, activating its chainsaw mode.