A Core Ship From The Start
Chapter 660 - Chapter 660 Chapter 489 The Gloom of Innsmouth_1

Chapter 660: Chapter 489 The Gloom of Innsmouth_1 Chapter 660: Chapter 489 The Gloom of Innsmouth_1 Innsmouth.

A town that isn’t even recorded on a map, filled to the brim with ominous legends and tales.

However, for Duanmu Huai, he could only feel pity for this place… Yes, pitiful.

As we all know, this is a world linked to a mission. When the game first launched this mission, a horde of players naturally rushed in. As they figured things out and began to enjoy the entertainment this mission world could offer, the more adventurous players inevitably appeared.

There were quite a number of these adventurous players, and soon they embarked on a grand pilgrimage around this world.

According to the posts these players made in the forum, they even had ‘achievement missions’ among them.

For example, going fishing in Innsmouth, feeding dogs at Miskatonic University, or enjoying the moonlight in Dunwich…

The latter two were not too serious; Miskatonic University, as an institution of higher learning, wouldn’t just allow anyone willy-nilly to trample in. The residents of Dunwich were generally good-natured and, although they could be eccentric at times, the players visiting Dunwich usually preferred mountaineering and stargazing rather than wreaking havoc in the town, so no major events occurred.

Innsmouth, on the other hand, bore the brunt of the onslaught.

After all, being a significant location in the Cthulhu Mythos, the place was turned upside down by the players. Everyone knew that the inhabitants of Innsmouth were Deep Divers – cultists who worshipped Cthulhu, and so the players were pretty audacious, ready to do anything.

Anyway, the Deep Divers had no rights.

Some dared to fish off the cliffs, some dared to set fire to the Church of Dagon, and some even picked locks and infiltrated every corner they could find.

Of course, some players would pat the shoulders of the people of Innsmouth, “invite” them aside very amiably, and say with a friendly smile:

“I hear that Cthulhu is quite fun. Why not summon one for us to see?”

Heaven save us! The Innsmouth folks were just a group of secluded Deep Divers – cultists who kept to themselves. They had never encountered such audacious players, who were crazier than their own holy masters. And these players were even competing to see who could unearth the deepest secrets. Unearthing the Deep Divers was no big deal; if they didn’t at least summon Dagon or Cthulhu to the surface, it would be an embarrassment to their name as players.

There was even a player who promised to the Deep Diver families that they would help, only to later kick them away saying, “What kind of summoning is this?! Let me show you how it’s done!” and then proceed to carry out the summoning ceremony of Cthulhu themselves.

By the end, Innsmouth was in complete chaos as players trying to summon Cthulhu and those trying to stop them fought fiercely among themselves. Meanwhile, the original inhabitants of Innsmouth hid trembling in their houses, too scared to step out…

As a consequence, the players who arrived afterwards kept complaining that the earlier ones had spoilt Innsmouth. There wasn’t the slightest hint of the local customs left. It was like some tourist spot during the November sales, only investigators in sight, no administrative NPCs to be seen.

Still, people loved to visit Innsmouth. After all… anything from there could potentially trigger an event and be used to accumulate points.

Unless every single person in Innsmouth was dead.

So, Duanmu Huai also planned to follow the footsteps of those who came before him and try his luck in Innsmouth. He hadn’t visited in the game; partially because he had more important missions at the time, and partially because the number of investigators in Innsmouth back then was overwhelming. Not a single Deep Diver could be found even if you ventured to do something as simple as buying a pack of cigarettes. Under such conditions, going to Innsmouth would simply be madness.

Fortunately, due to the players who’d turned Innsmouth upside down, Duanmu Huai might even know more about Innsmouth than the locals themselves.

For instance, there were four major families in Innsmouth.

The Flint Family, which founded Innsmouth, the Fulson Family which controlled the town’s manufacturing and alchemy industry, the zealous and aggressive Spock Association and the Toluomini Family which managed the only hospital in town.

These four families cooperated and competed against each other, each one hoping to appease the Evil God they worshipped and bring glory to themselves — it seemed that the human greed was universal, even among the cultists.

Within the game, the fates of these four powers were quite pathetic. The Flint Family was targeted because of its stature and wiped out by investigators who’d heard of them.

The Fulson Family didn’t fare any better. Being wealthy and a group of cultists was like a cash cow to the players. Facing an influx of investigators, their miserable end was comparable to a high-profile dismemberment in the market – a sight too horrific to behold.

The Spock Association was in an even worse state. Being the most zealous and aggressive cultists, they were the least tolerant of the swarms of investigators. So, they were the first to bravely protest, shouting “Down with human tyranny, the world belongs to Dagon…”

And then there was no more… Did they truly think they could mess around with investigators?

The Toluomini Family was in the same boat. Although their control over the hospital allowed them to hide quite effectively, they weren’t immediately wiped out by investigators. But when they were finally discovered by an investigator who tried to blackmail them into doing his bidding – to quickly summon Cthulhu – the Toluomini Family thought they could use the situation to their advantage and agreed.

However, the investigators were displeased with the slow progress made by the hesitant Toluomini Family and tried to stir up a bigger fuss, which the Toluomini Family did not agree with. Both sides ended up falling out, leading to a bout of infighting — what the Toluomini Family didn’t anticipate was that the investigators worshipped Dagon, and with the power bestowed upon them by Dagon, they obliterated the Toluomini Family!

Could anything be more tragic than being wiped out by the deity they worshipped themselves?

I’m afraid it’s gone.

According to the player who collaborated with the Toluomini family then betrayed them, all four influential families in Innsmouth act similarly. They would kidnap local residents as well as outsiders. The local residents would be brainwashed to become devout believers after their abduction. The outsiders, on the other hand, were mostly used as sacrifices to Dagon.

He had a disagreement with the Toluomini family on this matter. The player suggested organizing an event to entice a bunch of onlookers ignorant of the truth, and then sacrifice them all to Dagon, rather than slowly kidnapping individuals one by one.

Of course, the Toluomini family disagreed. Occasional disappearances of outsiders might be tolerated, but mass disappearances from an event would attract unwanted attention.

The player didn’t understand their hesitation. Was their God unable to handle the human army? If their God was so weak, why bother worshipping it at all?

And so, a conflict ensued between them.

As for optimizing the points earned from Innsmouth, Duanmu Huai had already formed an idea based on the information on the forum.

In addition to their caution, a major reason Innsmouth had not been wiped out was the secret collusion between the leaders of Innsmouth and government officials. Gathering evidence of such collusion would surely add to his points.

Regarding the locals in Innsmouth — no good person was to be found here. Every single Innsmouthian was of hybrid ancestry, part Deep Diver, part human, definitely categorized as alien creatures. If it were up to Duanmu Huai of the Tribunal, he would have performed a total massacre there, sparing no one, not men, not women, not the old, not the young. These mutants, who worshiped the Evil God and turned into chaotic creatures, deserved death.

In the game, players could also earn more points by killing more of these hybrid mutants of Innsmouth.

This had its internal logic.

In the famous tale “The Shadow over Innsmouth,” it was only after the investigator had escaped and reported everything to the government did they send in the army to suppress Innsmouth.

But that was in the 1920s, an era when people were obedient and information could be easily controlled.

If it happened in the year 2000, which government would dare send an army to suppress a village?

It would be all over the live news!

This gave Duanmu Huai a brilliant idea.

He guaranteed it would turn the whole of Innsmouth into a real nightmare.

So this time, Duanmu Huai left Lorena at home and walked to Innsmouth with only Tutu and the black cat. He didn’t take a car, but ventured on foot, crossing the salt flats surrounding Innsmouth.

By the time the lights of the homes in Innsmouth appeared before Duanmu Huai’s eyes, it was already dusk on the third day.

All was quiet in Innsmouth except for sparse lights indicating inhabitants. The dark clouds blanketed the sky, forecasting an incoming storm.

Standing on the hilltop, Duanmu Huai looked down at the fishing village. He was dressed in a black vest and suit, with a black trench coat on top and a wide-brimmed hat on his head. In his hand, he held a jet-black cane — looking like an ordinary gentleman admiring the scenery.

Provided, that is, if you didn’t count the dilapidated car, almost a toy, parked beside him.

“Finally, we’ve arrived. That there is Innsmouth.”

Duanmu Huai squinted at the preventative measures on the horizon, clutching his cane. He could see the dark Church of Dagon on the edge of the coastline and the fishermen unloading their catches from the boats at the docks. The town streets seemed deserted except for a few tourists.

The roaring wind swept past Duanmu Huai who reached out to catch a piece of trash blown by the wind. It turned out to be a travel poster advertising Innsmouth.

In the poster, Innsmouth was hailed as a relaxing holiday paradise where “the sea can make people forget all their worries.”

Well, yes, death will make you forget everything.

“Meow….”

The black cat wriggled out of Duanmu Huai’s collar and licked his face while Duanmu Huai reached out to tease its little head.

“Alright, don’t rush, the real fun is only just beginning.”

With these words, Duanmu Huai gripped his cane, turned around, and faded into the darkness.

Simultaneously, a downpour began.