Escape

Liu Xing, Isabella, and Bai He Cheng arrived at the garage outside the Castle Main Building... Of course, calling it a garage was a stretch; it was more like a shed, housing two Vintage Cars and a Minibus. The Vintage Cars were two-seaters with no trunks, and the Minibus was a compact model, seemingly for cargo.

With Isabella's addition, the Escape Squad now numbered six. In theory, the three vehicles were more than enough. However, there was a significant issue: only Chen Ling had the Driving Skill.

As mentioned, this was a Cthulhu Mythos tabletop RPG. Even if Liu Xing had a driver's license and was a Veteran Driver in the Real World, his Character Card lacked the Driving Skill. Attempting to drive without it was practically a guarantee of a Crash, just like Wang Qi in the Imported Plot, who crashed the moment the game began due to not having the Driving Skill.

Therefore, Chen Ling was the only one who could drive. He and Wang Si Yi chose the Minibus, the vehicle with the highest passenger capacity. Using the Lockpicking skill, they forcefully broke the Minibus's window to open the door. Chen Ling then passed a Luck Check, and the Minibus keys were found on the driver's seat.

Wang Si Yi also made sure to check the Minibus's Gasoline level, lest KP004's malicious sense of humor kick in and declare them out of fuel halfway through. Chen Ling, meanwhile, punctured the tires of the other two Vintage Cars. Once everything was ready, Chen Ling and Wang Si Yi took the driver and co-driver seats, awaiting Liu Xing and Bai He Cheng.

Liu Xing, supporting Bai He Cheng with one hand and holding Isabella's hand with the other, sprinted to the Minibus. Just then, KP004 reappeared, seeking attention. "Heh heh, this Minibus has a Rated Passenger Capacity of four, so only four of you can get in."

Everyone was speechless.

This was another "feature" of the Cthulhu Mythos tabletop RPG: its rigidity in certain aspects. For instance, the Minibus's Rated Passenger Capacity was four. Even if a similar Minibus could fit ten people in reality, it could only hold four in the game.

That was the rule.

However, the Cthulhu Mythos tabletop RPG had another characteristic: the rules were set by the KP. As long as you could convince the KP, changing the rules wasn't impossible.

So, Liu Xing grinned and said to KP004, "Brother KP, look, Isabella is so small. If Sister Wang holds her, she'll only take up one seat, right? What do you think, Brother KP?"

Whether Liu Xing convinced KP004 or flattered him, KP004 reluctantly agreed. "Sigh, fine. We'll do as you say. If you hold Isabella, she'll count as just one person."

Liu Xing and the others breathed a sigh of relief. But Liu Xing quickly thought of another problem: Wang Qi was still at the castle gate. That still left them one seat short.

Still, Liu Xing figured they'd cross that bridge when they came to it and didn't have time to ponder further. He quickly signaled Wang Si Yi to pick up Isabella, then shoved Bai He Cheng into the Minibus before getting in himself.

Seeing everyone was on board, Chen Ling started the Minibus and drove towards the castle gate.

Thanks to Liu Xing's group's swift actions, by the time the Minibus reached the castle gate, it was only about three minutes before Wang Qi activated the Electric Door Opener. This meant Liu Xing's group would have to wait five minutes at the castle gate.

As for the distraction tactic they had planned initially, since no one knew where Gary had gone, there was no point in executing it. Moreover, given the current situation, no one dared to distract Gary, as it might provoke him directly, leading to a Headshot.

Wang Qi was already waiting at the gate for Liu Xing's group. However, as the Minibus pulled up to him, Wang Qi received a Hint from KP004, informing him that there was no longer a seat for him in the vehicle.

Wang Qi's expression changed. No one wanted to be abandoned, especially in such a Life and Death Situation.

"Wang Qi, don't worry. We won't leave you behind. We're good friends. If we go, we go together," Liu Xing said, seeing Wang Qi's expression shift. He knew Wang Qi might be unstable and immediately tried to comfort him.

Liu Xing's comfort worked. Wang Qi's expression finally returned to normal, though his voice remained tense. "Then what should I do now? The gate opens in five minutes."

Liu Xing frowned. He knew it was impossible to ask KP004 to let Wang Qi squeeze into the back now. They needed a new plan.

Just then, Bai He Cheng pulled a Hemp Rope from under the seat and said with a smile, "Isn't this simple? We can just tie Wang Qi to the Car Roof with the rope."

Everyone was...

A moment later, everyone stood outside the vehicle. If Gary pursued them, staying inside the car would be like being trapped in a jar. It was better to be outside, where they could escape more easily.

Of course, Bai He Cheng was arranged a Special Seat – the car roof – because (he) proposed extremely constructive opinions, and KP004 also stated that this was perfectly fine.

Of course, Bai He Cheng strongly condemned this, but it was utterly useless.

Although Bai He Cheng was still tied to the car roof and making a huge fuss, Liu Xing and the others clearly had no mood to pay attention to Bai He Cheng, because everyone except Bai He Cheng was nervously watching the Main Building of the castle, hoping that Gary's figure would not appear.

Just like that, as everyone waited anxiously, five minutes passed, and the gate finally began to open slowly. Liu Xing and Wang Qi decisively rushed forward, pushing the gate from both sides to create a path wide enough for the Minibus to pass through.

Meanwhile, Chen Ling had already started the car, and Wang Si Yi once again hugged Isabella and sat in the passenger seat. Bai He Cheng on the car roof was still muttering about random things.

Another three minutes passed. With the efforts of Wang Qi and Liu Xing, the Minibus could finally pass through the gate. Liu Xing and Wang Qi, without bothering to stretch their somewhat numb hands, immediately got into the Minibus.

The moment the Minibus left Ains Castle, Liu Xing couldn't help but look back. Gary's figure still hadn't appeared.

"Main Quest Step One, successfully escaped Ains Castle. Please continue to work hard and leave Ains Town as soon as possible." KP004 said in a tone of regret.

PS: The next chapter will be out before 4 AM.