Psychology vs.

If you were to ask a player participating in a Cthulhu Mythos tabletop RPG what they least wished to see succeed with a Critical Success, they would definitely tell you: Inspiration.

In most cases, succeeding on an Inspiration roll is equivalent to waiting to lose SAN Value, especially when it's a Critical Success. That's when the real fun begins.

To put it another way, if Inspiration is a Critical Success, the player might see a normal eyeball model and perceive it as Yog-Sothoth (because its appearance resembles a large eyeball, and it's also like a bubble, earning it the affectionate nickname "Yog Bubble" among domestic Cthulhu enthusiasts. It's one of the Three Pillar Gods, ranked even higher than Cthulhu, representing space and time) and go mad.

Therefore, Bai He Cheng, with a Critical Success on Inspiration, was undoubtedly about to encounter big trouble. Or rather, Liu Xing and the others would have to face big trouble along with Bai He Cheng...

However, just then, Liu Xing, thinking quickly, suddenly remembered something and immediately said to KP004, "KP, isn't Bai He Cheng still in a state of pseudo-disability? So, Bai He Cheng shouldn't be able to see the Castle Lord right now, right?"

KP004 was silent for a moment before saying somewhat awkwardly, "Uh, it seems that way. Bai He Cheng really can't see the Castle Lord's eyes right now, so Bai He Cheng doesn't need to make this check. It's an automatic failure..."

Upon hearing this outcome, everyone silently breathed a sigh of relief. After all, Bai He Cheng was already an unstable factor. If Bai He Cheng's Inspiration roll had succeeded with a Critical Success, he could have evolved into a time bomb.

Fortunately, Bai He Cheng was blind.

Liu Xing glanced at Bai He Cheng. Bai He Cheng was still sitting there with a smile, but he gave off a mocking vibe, looking like he deserved a beating.

Although the situation became quite awkward due to KP004's mistake, KP004 did not forget to deduct SAN Value from Liu Xing and the others. "Alright, except for Bai He Cheng and Wang Si Yi, when the other players saw the Castle Lord, they felt that the Castle Lord's eyes were like a pool of blood, making them feel very disgusted. Therefore, your SAN Value has decreased by one point. However, you did not gain any Cthulhu Mythos Knowledge this time."

When Liu Xing heard that he had lost SAN Value without gaining Cthulhu Mythos Knowledge, he knew that his previous guesses were likely correct. This Castle Lord was indeed a Magician, not a Mythical Creature.

Perhaps it was because he had lost SAN Value too many times, but Liu Xing didn't experience any discomfort this time. It truly proved the saying – the more SAN Value you lose, the more you get used to it. Of course, you might also go mad.

"Esteemed friends from afar, I am the master of this Ains Castle, Gary Raphael. You may simply address me as Gary." The Castle Lord, no, he should be called Gary now.

As Gary spoke, he took his seat at the head of the dining table. "I assume you have all been waiting. Wayne Butler, you may now serve the dishes."

Liu Xing's eyebrows shot up. Isabella hadn't arrived yet, and Gary was already announcing the start of the banquet. It was clear that Gary didn't want Isabella to be present on such an occasion.

Connecting this with what he had seen and heard in Isabella's room, Liu Xing was certain that Gary must have done something to Isabella. For example... Isabella might very well be some kind of medium!

For a Magician to cast spells or perform rituals, inanimate objects like parchment and Evil God Statues could serve as spellcasting mediums. However, in most cases, humans themselves are excellent mediums. They can be used as sacrifices to summon evil gods, or as vessels to seal certain powers. In short, under the Cthulhu Mythos System, humans are the best mediums (big stretch).

Therefore, Liu Xing now suspected that Isabella was a medium cultivated by Gary. That's why Gary was so indifferent to Isabella, not having seen her for years and forbidding her from meeting outsiders!

Although Liu Xing felt immense anger about this, he didn't let his emotions get the better of him. After all, hot-headed youths in Cthulhu Mythos tabletop RPGs generally don't live to see the finale.

Old Wayne silently served the dishes. Fortunately, this banquet did not feature any Stargazy Pies or other English specialty dishes, which made Liu Xing breathe a sigh of relief. Seeing too much of such dark cuisine could also cause SAN Value loss.

"My esteemed friends from afar, you must have heard from Wayne Butler that due to various reasons, I can only remain in Ains Castle and rarely have the opportunity to travel. Therefore, I always enjoy inviting passing travelers to visit and rest at the castle, and to hear about their adventures. So, if you don't mind, after the banquet, please follow Wayne Butler upstairs to my study, one by one, and tell me your stories, alright?"

As the chosen Spokesperson, Liu Hao Nan—no, Liu Xing—smiled and said, "Lord, of course. You are willing to invite us to visit your castle and provide us with delicious food, so we are naturally very willing to share our travel experiences with you."

Gary chuckled and nodded. "That's good. However, I hope you won't address me as Lord. Although I am still the owner of Ains Castle, my ancestor was stripped of his title due to some accident a hundred years ago. So, I am no longer considered a lord. Therefore, I hope my friends will simply call me Gary."

Liu Xing knew what "accident" Gary was referring to that happened a hundred years ago. This also allowed Liu Xing to understand the follow-up situation of that Soldier Collective Disappearance Case from a hundred years ago. Although the case was ultimately dropped, the Queen of England still stripped the then Castle Lord of his title. After all, so many soldiers disappearing overnight from Ains Castle, and you, the Castle Lord, remaining unharmed, clearly indicated a problem. Punishment was warranted, no matter what.

Just as Liu Xing was about to reply, Gary's gaze suddenly fell upon Bai He Cheng. Liu Xing knew that Gary had noticed Bai He Cheng's unusual state.

"Uh, speaking of which, what's wrong with your friend's eyes? I think his eyes should be fine, right?" Gary looked at Bai He Cheng and asked doubtfully.

Liu Xing immediately nodded with a smile and said, "My friend has a strange hereditary illness. He occasionally experiences blindness, but it automatically recovers within a few hours."

"Oh, really?" Gary shifted his gaze to Liu Xing.

"Gary has used Psychology on you. Do you want to engage in a Psychology contest with Gary? This check will be a hidden roll." kp004 said to Liu Xing.

PS: Officially changed status. Still asking for collections and recommendations. If possible, please also give a reward.