The only players left were me, Lucy, Kevin, and Player 4. We all gathered together; no one dared to act alone anymore. We decided to assemble on the second floor of the observation deck. After enduring four rounds of hardship, my spirit was on the verge of collapse, and my stamina was long exhausted.
I leaned against the wall and slowly sat down. Around me were the sounds of weary yet vigilant breathing. I closed my eyes,thinking to myself, "Just a short rest... just a little while is enough..."
Then, in that darkness, I suddenly heard a clear, crisp ringing sound.
Sunlight streamed down. Before my eyes was a grassy park lawn. A swing gently swayed, and Miao Miao's figure was silhouetted against it, her back to me, holding a pinwheel. I stood in the distance, watching her swing back and forth, laughing so carefree.
I wanted to get closer to her, but no matter how many steps I took, I couldn't get even half a step nearer. It was as if something was quietly stretching the distance between us. I ran anxiously,shouting her name, but my voice seemed swallowed by the wind. Yet, she suddenly turned her head and smiled at me.
"Today was really happy... because Dad said he would take me and Mom to see the ocean."
Her voice echoed in my ears, over and over, growing clearer and louder, as if she was using all her strength to remind me of something.
I stopped running, standing in that distant place, watching her gradually blur into a patch of light. Tears I hadn't even noticed began to fall, soaking my cheeks.
I snapped my eyes open. The ceiling was a dull gray-white, and the only sounds in my ears were the wind and breathing.
Tears had already traced paths down my cheeks, leaving cold trails. I raised my hand and gently wiped them away, only then realizing that it wasn't an illusory emotion from the dream, but genuine, existing grief and resolve.
That dream reminded me.
It turned out I had still been running away, never truly facing the meaning of this game.
I didn't stay for myself. Not for some honor or money.
I stayed for her—for my daughter, for her unfulfilled wish.
She's still waiting for me, waiting for me to fulfill the promise we once made.
I took a deep breath and stood up from the ground.
This game, I must win. For her.
I looked around. Night enveloped the observation deck. Player #4 was sleeping soundly against the railing, Lucy was curled up on a bench, her breathing steady. The brief tranquility here seemed to shut out the cruelty of the entire game.
Only Kevin was missing.
I frowned, slowly stood up, and tiptoed down from the observation deck. My footsteps echoed faintly on the stairs, each step making my heartbeat quicken.
There, in a corner below the observation deck, I saw him.
Kevin had his back to me, looking flustered, glancing around nervously. In his hand, he was holding a large bag of gold coins—an absurdly larger amount than any of us could possibly have together.
I held my breath, alarm bells ringing loudly in my mind.
These gold coins... an ordinary player simply couldn't have acquired this many.
The only explanation was—he had robbed them, or, taken them from others.
Or rather—they were simply the wolf's spoils.
Images from the past few rounds flashed through my mind. After every night, players were always eliminated, and resources disappeared. We thought all the wolves had been voted out, the situation gradually becoming clear. But now...
These coins had to be what the wolves left behind!
Suddenly, an extremely unsettling conjecture arose in my heart.
Kevin was not from the Good faction.
He... was the wolf!
Those gold coins were his "inheritance"—all the resources snatched by his wolf pack comrades in previous rounds, passed to the last wolf—Kevin—before they were eliminated!
My heart sank.
The trust and companionship we thought we had was perhaps just a facade he constructed.
I didn't hesitate any longer. I stepped directly out of the shadows, staring coldly at Kevin. "How did you get those gold coins in your hand?"
Kevin started, turned around, saw it was me, and his expression changed momentarily, but he quickly regained his composure.
"These coins... I found them by the ruins after the last round ended," he said calmly, as if he had prepared this excuse long ago.
"Who are you trying to fool?" I took a step closer, my eyes not missing a single change in his expression. "That amount of coins is impossible unless you're a wolf. Only wolves can accumulate resources that quickly by killing. You're not an ordinary player at all, are you?"
Kevin was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath, looked up at me, and said:
"I am the Magician."
He continued, "I exchanged roles with Player #11 last round."
I was completely stunned, then quickly came to my senses, furiously demanding, "Why would you exchange with a wolf? What exactly are you trying to do?"
Kevin's eyes dodged, but he remained defiant. "The wolves were about to win. Cooperating with them was my only chance to survive. Don't be so naive; loyalty is useless here."
I stepped closer to him. "You'd rather betray everyone just to cling to life? Are you even human?"
He snorted coldly. "I'm just more realistic than you. Haven't you been struggling to stay alive all this time too?"
At that moment, I could no longer suppress the rage in my heart. I rushed forward, grabbed him by the collar, and shoved him against the wall.
"You have no right to say the word 'realistic'," I growled through gritted teeth.
He shook off my arm and roared back, "None of your business!"
We almost struck simultaneously. Fists and shouts echoed in the empty space downstairs. Neither of us truly intended to kill the other, but emotions were out of control, as if we were venting all the fear, distrust, and anger.
I pushed him away, panting. He steadied himself, staring coldly at me. Neither of us spoke. The surroundings fell silent, except for the sound of gold coins falling to the ground, clear and piercing.
Then, the system's cold voice sounded:
"The fourth night has ended. All players please proceed to the main hall immediately."
Kevin looked at me. There was no trace of warmth left in his eyes, only a cold gleam of triumph.
"Don't get in the way of my path to freedom and becoming a millionaire." He said it lightly,but his words felt like a knife stabbing into my chest.
I roared, "How can you be so selfish! What do you take us for... what do you take us all for?"
Kevin didn't answer. He just put the gold coins in his hand into his pocket and walked towards the main hall without looking back.
The scene shifted. All four of us were now gathered in the center of the main hall. The atmosphere was so heavy it was almost suffocating. Lucy and Player 4 stood by my side. My fists were still clenched, and the tear stains from waking from the dream still lingered at the corners of my eyes.
The system continued broadcasting:
"Last night was a peaceful night. No one was eliminated." "We will now enter—the final round."
The hall was terrifyingly quiet. We looked at each other.
This was the final round. Everything would finally be revealed.
The hall was eerily silent, the atmosphere seemingly frozen.
Kevin stepped forward, his eyes sweeping over everyone, his tone calm but carrying a hint of smugness:
"Everyone, I'm laying my cards on the table. I am the Magician. Last round, I exchanged roles with Player 15, which means I am now the Seer."
He paused, a smirk tugging at his lips:
"Guess who I checked?"
He slowly turned, his finger pointing directly at me.
"Him."
"The one you trust the most."
"I found out—he is the last wolf!"
The hall erupted in murmurs. Lucy's face turned pale, and Player 4 looked at me with disbelief.
"Vote him out," Kevin said firmly. "And we win."
I slammed the table and stood up, my voice exploding in the empty hall, startling Lucy.
"Don't listen to his nonsense!" I roared, my eyes fixed fiercely on Kevin.
"He didn't exchange with 15 at all! I—I saw him sneaking around in the middle of the night hiding in a corner, holding a huge bag of gold coins!"
I scanned the group, enunciating each word clearly:
"That number of coins is impossible for an ordinary person to have! He is the wolf! The wolves left those coins for him as part of their deal!"
"He exchanged roles with a wolf; he is not the Seer! Wake up, please!"
Kevin, however, just laughed coldly, not yielding an inch:
"Ha, you got exposed as the wolf, and now you're trying to frame me?"
I glared at him, my voice almost trembling. "To win, you'd actually betray everyone, collude with the wolves... Do you even deserve to live?"
The atmosphere in the hall plummeted to freezing point. Everyone fell silent. Two stories, completely opposite—yet neither could be verified.
This was the cruel truth of the "wolf game": the final victory depended on this one vote.
After a moment of silence, Player 4 suddenly spoke up slowly, breaking the deadlock.
"...So, that means the last wolf must be between the two of you, right?"
I nodded vigorously, looking at him with a hint of expectation.
Player 4 curled her lips into a relaxed smile. "Then it's much simpler."
She straightened up and announced with certainty:
"I am the Knight."
The whole room shuddered.
"I just need to choose one of you to use my skill and verify your identity," he spread his hands, his voice full of confidence. "Even if I'm unlucky and check the wrong one, and get eliminated myself, there will still be three players left. The remaining two can definitely work together to vote the wolf out."
She looked at the two of us, his tone suggesting the victory was already assured. "We, the Good faction, are definitely winning."
I stared at Player 4 and said without hesitation:
"Then check Kevin. If he doesn't dare to be checked, it means he has a problem. Don't waste time."
I spoke decisively, but my heart was pounding with tension.
Kevin, however, smiled lightly, his tone so calm it was chilling:
"Whatever, go ahead and check."
He shrugged, not panicking at all, as if everything was under his control.
Player 4 narrowed her eyes slightly, looked at him, then at me, seeming to weigh something. But finally, she nodded and said to the system:
"I challenge Player 3 to a duel."
The hall fell silent. I could almost hear the sound of my own heartbeat.
I sat in my seat, holding my breath, waiting for the words that would declare my victory.
Yet, the next second, the system's indifferent voice sounded:
"Knight verification failed. Player 4 has been eliminated."
I was stunned, my whole body rigid. How was this possible?
Kevin slowly turned his head and gave me a smirk.
I stood up abruptly and shouted:
"Impossible!"
In that moment, countless possibilities flashed through my mind, until one identity struck me like lightning:
The Alpha Wolf. (Note: The Alpha Wolf is often translated as Alpha Wolf or Blood Wolf in Werewolf contexts, implying a powerful wolf role, sometimes with immunity to detection).
My pupils contracted, and I muttered under my breath:
"Yes... the Alpha Wolf... the Alpha Wolf's identity can't be exposed... Whether checked by the Seer or challenged by the Knight... they will be recognized as Good..."
After a dazed few seconds, I suddenly yelled at them:
"I miscalculated! He's the Alpha Wolf! He's the Alpha Wolf! Believe me! Kevin is the Alpha Wolf!"
The hall was dead silent.
My voice echoed around the room, but no one responded.
Lucy looked down without speaking. Kevin's lips curled slightly, as if victory was assured.
I frantically scanned them, trying to see a hint of hesitation on Lucy's face, even the smallest bit would do.
But in the end, they all cast their votes.
For me.
The system coldly announced:
"The final vote is complete. Before announcing the final result—all eliminated players will return to the main hall."
The hall lights slowly brightened. All the eliminated players filed into the hall. Minghao, Player 7, Player 4, Player 11, Ron... every familiar yet strange face gathered together again at this moment.
Kevin stood next to me, a victor's smile on his face. He held his head high, chest out, like a newly crowned king, unable to hide his smugness.
And the members of the Wolf faction—Shura, Ron, Player 12, and Player 11—laughed even more wildly. They stood together, like spectators who had foreseen the outcome long ago, their eyes relaxed, even teasing. Their smiles weren't because the victory was fair and square, but because this game was shrouded in shadows from the start; they had long laid the groundwork, waiting to reap the rewards of this feast.
Player 6 and Player 10 stood at opposite ends of the crowd. Player 6 was still glaring hatefully at 10, while 10 looked ashamed, even afraid to meet his gaze.
Only Player 15, standing at the back of the crowd, wasn't smiling. He just looked at me meaningfully, his gaze so calm it seemed to see through the entire game. He didn't speak, just slowly shook his head, as if saying goodbye, or perhaps sighing.
In that moment, I understood—he knew everything, but was powerless to change it.
The system's voice sounded slowly in the hall:
"The final winner is the Jester faction."
After a moment of silence, the system added:
"Congratulations to Player 3, Aaron. You will receive the entire prize money and ultimate freedom."
I was stunned for a second, then the corners of my mouth slowly turned upwards. In that moment, I finally smiled, even laughed out loud. It started softly but grew louder and louder, as if emotions suppressed for too long had finally found an outlet.
I slowly raised my head and looked at Kevin, looked at Shura and them, then looked at those players who had mistakenly thought they had won.
Their smiles froze instantly.
Kevin's face turned deathly pale, the triumph gone from his lips; Shura's mouth twitched, as if still trying to process what had happened; the others also shifted from ecstasy to astonishment, looking at me in disbelief, as if I were the true demon king.
At that very moment, the guards standing around raised their guns abruptly, without any warning, without any hesitation—
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Dense gunshots reverberated through the hall, like a cold, ruthless final chapter.
One by one, the players collapsed. No screams, no chance to escape. Blood splattered on the pure white floor, like a meticulously arranged ritual, shockingly crimson.
They looked around in terror, their eyes filled with question—why?
And the system's voice calmly announced amidst this deadly silence:
"Congratulations, Aaron, on your victory."
I stood there, dumbfounded.
Standing in the pool of blood, watching those people who just moments ago had been smiling, filled with hope, fall one by one, their eyes filled with horror, confusion, and even lingering desire for victory.
I turned around, facing the row of cold, machine-like guards, and yelled out of control:
"On what grounds?! How can you just randomly shoot like this? They were completely innocent!!!"
My voice was hoarse, my chest heaving violently as if I was shouting my lungs out. But those guards just stood there, watching me coldly, not a trace of expression on their faces, no one responding to my anger.
The system's voice sounded slowly, icy, calm:
"This is the price of participating in the game—the price of freedom is death."
"—This is... the Gambit of Freedom."
I stood rooted to the spot, as if my soul had been drained away.
Yet, in that moment, my daughter's face flashed through my mind. She was swinging in the sunlight, smiling and saying, "Today was really happy because Daddy promised to take me and Mom to see the ocean..."
I lowered my head. Tears, unbeknownst to me, had welled up in my eyes again.
Was this the so-called freedom? Was this the so-called victory?
A few seconds later, I heard the sound of chains.
Several guards walked up to me, held me down, and put a restraint collar and handcuffs on me, without saying a word.
I didn't struggle, just stared blankly at that bloodstained hall until my view was blocked.
The door slowly opened.
Free.
But—at what cost?
I was escorted out of the hall. Beneath my feet were pools of blood and remnants. The echo of gunshots still lingered in my ears. Those players who should have left together lay fallen on the cold ground,their eyes frozen with unwillingness and confusion. They had fought with all their might for so-called freedom, yet in the end, they didn't even get the chance to live on as "losers."
Freedom should be a synonym for hope. But everything before me showed me its cruelest side. In this cage,freedom was not salvation, but sacrifice, calculation, an illusion paved with blood. I won,but what exactly did I win?
Could it be that so-called "victory" is merely becoming the survivor, forced to carry the bones of everyone else and live on? Could it be that so-called "freedom" is walking out of this hell alone, at the cost of blood and lies?
I remembered Miao Miao's smiling face. She asked me to take her to see the ocean. But now,even if I truly walk out of this door, can I, burdened with sin and blood debt, fulfill that promise?
Perhaps what I obtained was never freedom. Just another cage—a cage built from remorse,betrayal, and death.
And the so-called "Gambit of Freedom" was nothing more than a trap people willingly walked into, willingly betting their lives, only to be coldly harvested in the end.
I lowered my head. Tears blurred my vision once more.
It turns out, the cruelest thing isn't death. It's—the me who survived,forced to bear the entire truth, walking alone into the rest of my life.