Chapter 1: Confession, Death, and an Eerie Game
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"Senior Lin Yu... I like you!"
Late at night.
On the stage of the Drama Club at Jiangcheng Media University.
A shy junior girl stood there wearing a beautiful sailor-style uniform skirt, her square-toed leather shoes reflecting the dazzling stage lights.
Her makeup was exquisite, her hair tied up in cute and playful twin ponytails, holding a bouquet of bright and vibrant champagne roses in her hands.
Lin Yu was momentarily stunned as he looked at the adorable junior who had suddenly appeared before him.
At that moment, Lin Yu was dressed in British-style theatrical costume.
A deerstalker hat, double-breasted suit, white gloves...
He looked like the stereotypical image of a "detective"—after all, for tomorrow's official performance, he was to play the role of an elegant and wise detective.
This was Lin Yu's usual habit. The day before a performance, he would come alone to the Drama Club stage in costume to "find the right feel."
After all, Lin Yu was a very typical method actor.
And as the current "star performer" of Jiangcheng Media University's Drama Club, Lin Yu had this privilege—granted by both the club president and the faculty advisor.
Logically, no one should have disturbed him at this time.
So...
Looking at the beautiful junior who had just passionately confessed to him, Lin Yu frowned slightly.
"Right now is my rehearsal time. I'm sorry."
"My personal time is also dedicated to studying and practicing acting. I don't have plans for a relationship at the moment. My apologies."
Lin Yu spoke somewhat stiffly.
Yet, after hearing his words, the junior girl opposite him maintained her bright smile.
"Senior, don't misunderstand! My liking for you isn't romantic—it's the kind of admiration a fan has for their idol! I'm your die-hard fan!"
Lin Yu's frown deepened. "A fan... If you want to give gifts, take photos, or get an autograph, there will be an interactive session after tomorrow's performance."
Although he wasn't particularly fond of such interactions.
But the club president had said it was necessary to attract audiences.
The beautiful girl in the sailor uniform shook her head again.
"No, Senior, you're mistaken. I'm not the kind of fan who'd be satisfied with photos and autographs. I'm more like Mark David Chapman—a 'die-hard fan.'"
Hearing this, Lin Yu froze momentarily.
"Mark David Chapman?"
He searched his memory briefly before recalling.
"The man who shot John Lennon... and was also his obsessive fan..."
The beautiful girl beamed at Lin Yu's words.
"Correct, Senior Lin Yu! I knew you weren't just a great actor—you're also very knowledgeable!"
With her bright laughter, the bouquet of champagne roses in her hands burst open!
"Whoosh—"
The girl tore apart and discarded the bouquet.
Pale orange petals scattered like splashes of blood under the stage lights.
And from the ruined bouquet, the girl retrieved the object most emblematic of "violence."
Just as roses symbolize love, this was equally unmistakable.
A black, heavy piece of metal replaced the soft, bright flowers, now gripped in her slender, pale hand.
It was...
A gun.
"Beretta M9."
Seeing the gun barrel suddenly pointed at him, Lin Yu felt his entire body turn cold, his mind blank.
Instinctively, he identified the model of the pistol.
A prop? A prank?
In China, the appearance of a handgun was most likely a fake...
But Lin Yu wasn't feeling optimistic.
Not just because the gun looked unnervingly real.
But also because of the sharp, calm, unwavering gaze fixed on him.
As someone who had once studied "serial killers" extensively for a role, Lin Yu recognized this look all too well...
It was the gaze of someone viewing another as prey—a gaze that could only be described as "murderous intent."
"Bang!"
The gun fired, the bullet piercing through a falling petal before striking Lin Yu's beating heart with equal precision.
Iron and fire, blood and death—proof that the Beretta M9 in her hand and the killing intent in her eyes were both terrifyingly real.
Pain and coldness spread rapidly from the bullet wound in his heart. Lin Yu felt all strength leave his body as he collapsed weakly to the ground.
From above, the girl's voice reached him again—no longer playful or flippant, but now deadly serious.
Almost... reverent.
"May you be seen by the gods."
As her words faded, Lin Yu felt his consciousness slipping away.
"What kind of joke is this... How absurd..."
His initial confusion gave way to overwhelming bitterness as he realized death was imminent.
How could he die here—to some deranged stranger, some senseless shooting?
"I don't want to die!"
There was still tomorrow's performance...
And next week's, next month's—his whole life ahead, filled with performances!
His acting still needed refinement.
So far, he hadn't even delivered a single performance that fully satisfied him!
How could he die here, like this?
But no matter how bitterly Lin Yu resisted, how fiercely he raged...
In the end, everything faded into eternal silence.
...
An immeasurable time later, Lin Yu opened his eyes again.
The pain from his death still lingered in his chest, but now it felt like an illusion.
He instinctively touched his heart—no wound.
Looking around, he found himself in a dark, empty void.
"Is this hell? The underworld? Or am I just brain-dead, my consciousness trapped like this?"
Lin Yu gazed around in confusion, his mind racing with wild thoughts.
As if in response to his questions...
Blood-red text suddenly appeared in the void before him.
[Welcome to the Death Game!]
[Here, we offer the deceased who harbor a powerful will to live a chance to begin anew.]
[Participate in the game, and you shall be granted rebirth.]
[Do you choose to participate?]
Reading the crimson words, Lin Yu understood.
He had encountered... some kind of "supernatural phenomenon."
As a university student, Lin Yu was admittedly obsessed with acting, spending most of his time honing his craft—his life was simple, even monotonous.
But he wasn't a caveman.
He had read web novels and watched anime during his downtime.
Drawing from those, he grasped his current situation.
Some higher being had created this so-called "Death Game."
Selected deceased individuals could revive by participating.
And based on those stories, Lin Yu knew full well...
Games that offered "resurrection" were often brutal and deadly.
But even so...
"Do I even have a choice?"
Lin Yu sighed softly.
If he wanted to live, to keep performing, to continue his life... there was only one option.
"I'll participate."
As he answered, the blood-red text shifted again.
[Welcome to the "Death Game," Player Lin Yu!]
[Now drawing your initial class...]
[Congratulations! You have obtained the Unique Class: Fraudster!]
[Class Ability: When activated, any "deception" you perform will manifest to some degree if believed by others. The extent of manifestation depends on how strongly they believe you.]
Lin Yu read the new text.
But before he could fully process it, more crimson words appeared.
[Initial class generation complete!] This update ıs available on Nove1Fire.net
[Now entering the game—]
[Game Title: Who Is the Outsider?]
[Clear Condition: Eliminate all players of opposing factions or survive until the designated time.]
[Number of players in this game: 7.]
Chapter 2: The Game Begins, The Ancient Castle, The Eerie Blood Characters
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"Dong——"
A heavy bell toll sounded right beside Lin Yu's ear.
He was somewhat startled to realize that he was no longer in that "void" of darkness.
Instead, he found himself in a spacious but dimly lit room.
The entire room was decorated in a medieval Baroque style—luxurious yet dilapidated.
Thick carpets, exquisite oil paintings, crystal chandeliers, wrought iron candle holders...
Every item was covered in dust and cobwebs. Upon closer inspection, some even bore dark red stains that looked like dried blood.
On one side of the room was a massive floor-to-ceiling window. The wooden window frame was adorned with moon phase relief carvings as decoration.
Moonlight slanted through the window, barely illuminating the room.
From all this, Lin Yu deduced that this was likely a room inside an old, long-abandoned Western-style castle.
At the center of the room stood a wooden long table.
Lin Yu was currently sitting at the head of the table.
Beside him and in front of the table sat six other people.
Six people...
Including himself, that made seven in total.
Exactly the number of "players."
So these six must be the other players in this game!
Lin Yu quickly composed himself and calmly scanned the six people.
Four men and two women, with no obvious commonality in age or temperament.
The only thing they shared was a look of varying degrees of suspicion and confusion on their faces.
"It seems not only are they all 'players,' but none of them have any clue about this game."
As an "experiential" actor, Lin Yu had some knowledge of psychology to better understand his characters' minds.
He couldn't read minds at a glance, but judging by the expressions on their faces, he could roughly tell their states of mind without much difficulty.
At the same time, Lin Yu noticed a detail.
In front of each person, including himself, lay a brown envelope on the table.
However, Lin Yu didn't mention this out loud.
Since he wasn't clear on how this game was played yet, he didn't want to speak up and become the center of attention under such uncertain circumstances.
Especially since his ability was the "Fraudster"—a class that required deception to be effective.
A few seconds later, someone couldn't hold back and spoke up.
"Everyone, may I ask if you're like me? That after dying, you ended up in a pitch-black space and saw some strange things like words and games?"
Among the group, a middle-aged woman wearing glasses whispered, "What exactly does all this mean?"
Hearing her, Lin Yu understood immediately.
Although he had quickly figured out the situation...
Lin Yu knew this wasn't just because he calmed down quickly.
More importantly, he was a contemporary university student who often surfed the internet and had seen many fictional works about battle royales and death games.
Among the seven people present, it was obvious that a few looked like they had never been exposed to this kind of fictional content.
Still, Lin Yu didn't intend to remind them at this moment.
Because someone else was already about to do so.
On the other side of the table, a chubby young man wearing thick glasses and a white printed crew neck shirt heard the middle-aged woman's question and couldn't help but speak up:
"I think this situation is very similar to some anime and novels I've seen... Basically, it's a group of people who died accidentally but were chosen by some god to play a brutal game, using their abilities to overcome the challenges and survive... Although cruel, it's also our chance to change our fate!"
"Bang!"
Suddenly, a muffled bang sounded as a man with a scar across his face, a fierce expression, and a lean build slammed his fist on the table.
"Damn it, what kind of bullshit god is this? I already died for no reason, and now after death, I have to suffer in this crazy place."
The scarred man seemed to be recalling the last scene before his death, his face extremely dark.
"I actually think this isn't a bad thing," a young woman with a gentle yet shy demeanor tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, blushing slightly and spoke softly, "Just like the glasses-wearing young man said, at least we still have a game to play now, instead of truly being dead."
"Hmph, you believe whatever that fatso says?" The scarred man sneered at her, "What if that so-called god is just messing with us?"
The young woman pursed her lips under the scarred man's stare, clearly unwilling to argue with this obviously dangerous guy.
Seeing her silence, the scarred man snorted coldly.
After just a few sentences of conversation among the four, Lin Yu had already made some judgments about their personalities.
The glasses-wearing chubby guy seemed a bit silly, looking like a naive high schooler who hadn't been exposed to society.
The scarred man was fierce, quick-tempered, and eager to send a clear message: "I'm not someone to mess with."
The two women... The middle-aged one appeared quite serious and earnest, while the younger was softer and more fragile.
Lin Yu used his psychology knowledge to analyze these personality traits because no matter what the game content was, he would definitely have to interact with these six people.
They could be opponents or teammates.
So the more he understood them, the better his chances of winning the game.
As for the two who hadn't spoken... New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on novel fire.net
Lin Yu looked at the last two who remained silent like himself.
One sat directly opposite him, a short young man around his own age in his early twenties, with shifty eyes, furtively observing the others.
He occasionally licked his lips, seemingly very nervous.
The other was the tall man who had been sitting beside Lin Yu all along.
Square-faced, stern-featured, well-built, and exuding power.
Like Lin Yu, he listened carefully to everyone's words.
After the scarred man finished speaking, this square-faced tall man knocked on the table and spoke.
"Alright, everyone, stop arguing. No matter what that 'god' wants, since we all appear in this game, it means we're all grasshoppers tied to the same string..."
After he finished, Lin Yu immediately rejected this thought in his mind.
Grasshoppers tied to the same string?
Not necessarily.
And just as Lin Yu had this thought, seemingly to prove the square-faced man wrong, a chilling rustling noise suddenly came from the wall beside them.
They turned to look and saw a large, glaring line of blood-red characters appearing on the wall.
Then one line after another of blood characters appeared, quickly covering the entire wall:
"Among you seven, two outsiders have infiltrated. Find them! Expel them!"
"Among you seven, two outsiders have infiltrated. Find them! Expel them!"
"Among you seven, two outsiders have infiltrated. Find them! Expel them!"
Chapter 3: Game Hints and the Mysterious Letter
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Accompanied by a strange rustling sound, lines of crimson text spread across the surrounding walls like countless vengeful spirits writing grievances with blood.
The seven people present were all startled. The delicate-looking girl turned deathly pale and screamed in fright.
After several seconds, the bloody words gradually faded away.
"It's the 'game hints'!" Lin Yu immediately understood.
He then glanced around and noticed the square-faced man had quickly composed himself.
"This guy really is professionally trained military," Lin Yu thought to himself.
The square-faced man spoke coldly: "Everyone calm down, this is nothing serious—the words appearing on the wall are likely hints about this game."
After speaking, he turned to the bespectacled chubby boy from earlier and asked: "You said you've seen similar animations and novels—any ideas?"
"Expelling the two outsiders hiding among us... sounds like some kind of spy-finding game," the bespectacled chubby boy cleared his throat. "But the game instructions are way too vague... Both the bloody words earlier and these on the wall are unclear."
Lin Yu chose this moment to speak up: "I think these envelopes on the table probably contain clues about the game. We should check what's written inside."
Earlier, Lin Yu had remained silent to avoid becoming the center of attention.
But staying quiet now would seem suspicious—he'd already noticed several people secretly eyeing him and the short youth who hadn't spoken at all.
Following Lin Yu's suggestion, the group collectively had an epiphany.
"Right, we almost forgot about these envelopes!"
The tall square-faced man spoke while opening the envelope before him.
The others followed suit. The scar-faced man hesitated briefly before also opening his envelope.
Lin Yu slowly opened his envelope but didn't immediately take out the contents, first observing how others reacted while reading their letters.
He noticed varied expressions—some frowned deeply, others looked tense, while a few... had unreadable expressions. Moreover, they weren't reading as quickly as expected.
"Seems the game won't be that simple," Lin Yu mused before opening his own envelope.
The letter's contents appeared before Lin Yu's eyes: Dıscover more novels at N0veI.Fiɾe.net
"Hello, my fellow human. Regardless of why you're here, I must tell you some things about this castle."
"We've left many chests throughout this castle containing useful items—open any you encounter."
"But beware of red chests—those belong to werewolves and contain their weapons. Humans can't open them, so be wary of anyone who can."
"To maintain the castle's normal operation, remember to complete daily tasks on the schedule, otherwise the castle's traps, poisonous fog, and extreme cold may kill everyone!"
"Every night at 7pm is meeting time—you can vote to banish anyone outside the castle. The meeting room is sacred—no violence is possible there—so use meetings to banish them. If two people tie in votes, no one gets banished."
"If you discover a corpse, you may immediately call an emergency meeting. Time will then jump to 7pm, and everyone must go directly to the meeting room—no free movement allowed."
"During nighttime rest hours, you must gather in the meeting room until 7am the next day—no violence can occur there during this time either."
"Beware—werewolves are cunning masters of disguise, appearing completely human during the day while harboring hatred and murderous intent."
"Even werewolves cannot directly identify each other."
"My fellow human, I hope you eliminate all hidden werewolves and survive!"
"If any humans survive seven days—even if werewolves remain—you may all leave!"
The handwriting appeared rushed, as if written in urgent circumstances.
Besides the letter, the envelope contained an identity card.
Lin Yu took out the card.
"Your identity is: Human."
Lin Yu silently looked up from the card in his hands.
Before he could observe the others' expressions while reading their letters and cards, a sudden "crackle" sound came from his hands.
Crimson flames erupted—though not burning his hands—startling Lin Yu into instinctively letting go.
Before the burning identity card, envelope, and letter could hit the ground, they completely burned away without leaving even ashes!
Flames flickered out as they fell.
This time, no one screamed.
Having read the letters, the group remained solemn.
Combined with the earlier bloody words, everyone now understood...
They weren't all on the same side.
This was a player-versus-player game!
Finally, the bespectacled middle-aged woman broke the silence:
"This letter... what do you all think?"
The bespectacled chubby boy adjusted his glasses and said quietly: "I've pretty much figured it out—this is like a Werewolf game!"
Everyone nodded slightly.
The oldest present was the bespectacled middle-aged woman, appearing in her thirties or forties.
While most might not know about "death game" fiction, they weren't completely offline—having at least heard of the wildly popular Werewolf game.
Seeing their understanding, the chubby boy continued: "We're divided into humans and werewolves—five humans, two werewolves."
"Humans must complete tasks and open chests to survive seven days while identifying the 'werewolves.' Werewolves must hide while finding werewolf chests to obtain weapons—then use them to kill humans before seven days end!"
No one objected to his explanation.
Clearly, it aligned with most people's understanding.
The scar-faced man scratched his head irritably: "Damn, making the rules so convoluted and writing this damn letter needing translation—who'd play this shit normally?"
The short youth finally spoke for the first time: "That's why that damn god kidnapped us dead people! Otherwise nobody would play this crap game!"
His joking tone, though ill-timed, lightened the mood slightly with some chuckles.
Lin Yu observed the short youth.
"This guy seems suspicious..."
Chapter 4: Self-Introductions and Professions
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Lin Yu understood that easing awkward and tense atmospheres came naturally to some people.
But...
This was a "Werewolf" game—one where people actually died.
Did this kind of game really need someone to "lighten the mood"?
Moreover, this short young man had remained silent until now, his eyes shifty, only to suddenly spout such slick, joking words.
Lin Yu instinctively felt something was off about him.
However, this was just Lin Yu's intuition.
He wouldn't jump to conclusions based solely on intuition that this short young man was the werewolf.
After all, the guy might just be a plain idiot.
Regardless, this overly harmonious atmosphere was something Lin Yu wanted to disrupt.
So he cleared his throat: "But since we're stuck playing this damn game now, let's discuss some actual 'strategies' for playing it."
The gentle, fragile woman spoke softly after hearing Lin Yu: "Earlier, someone mentioned boxes... I remember the letter said only werewolves can open red boxes. So if we see who opens a red box, wouldn't we know who the werewolf is?"
The scar-faced man snorted coldly: "The werewolf knows that too! They wouldn't be stupid enough to open a box in front of everyone!"
"We could secretly watch them!" the woman retorted quietly.
The scar-faced man's expression darkened. "What nonsense is this bitch muttering about?"
Lin Yu quickly mediated and changed the subject: "Alright, no need to argue. In games like Werewolf, you can't expose hidden roles during the first discussion—only as the game progresses can we gradually identify the werewolf based on everyone's actions."
The middle-aged woman froze, then said: "But that would likely mean people dying."
As the game continues, the werewolf would indeed be exposed...
But at the cost of lives!
Hearing this, Lin Yu slowly said: "That's why it's called the 'Death Game'—we have nothing left except our lives."
"Even these lives are merely 'borrowed' for now!"
Everyone at the round table fell silent at Lin Yu's words.
The slightly eased atmosphere grew heavy again.
Right...
Though called a "game," this was no child's play.
They were dead people competing for a chance to "live again"!
This might be the cruelest competition in the world.
An uneasy atmosphere spread.
Lin Yu maintained a grave expression, but inwardly, he felt completely calm.
"Good. This atmosphere should make them realize they have more than just their 'lives' to rely on."
Lin Yu's earlier words were deliberate.
He didn't want this overly harmonious mood.
Lin Yu needed to guide everyone to think seriously in this tense environment!
To achieve this, he'd even employed some acting techniques to make his words more impactful.
As expected, in this heavy atmosphere, the previously cheerful chubby guy suddenly remembered something and exclaimed excitedly:
"Wait! It might not be so hopeless—we have our 'professions' besides our lives!"
"Before coming here, I got a profession. That auntie earlier also mentioned seeing 'professions' in the blood-written letter."
"So you all must have your own professions! These must help in the game!" The chubby guy spoke enthusiastically.
The square-jawed man nodded slightly: "We can take turns introducing our professions and abilities. Then, based on everyone's skills, we might devise better strategies."
Hearing this, Lin Yu relaxed internally.
Things were developing exactly as he'd anticipated.
After obtaining the Fraudster profession and arriving here, Lin Yu had pondered how to utilize his "ability."
After brief consideration, he'd reached a conclusion:
He needed to disguise himself as another profession! Googlᴇ search novel⸺fire.net
But first, he needed to hear others' professions and abilities.
The others also seemed thoughtful upon hearing this.
Indeed, they still had their professions as hidden cards!
The square-jawed man, seeing no objections, went first: "I'll start. I'm Yu Longguo, profession 『Soldier』. Ability: Fivefold physical enhancement." His confident tone showed this straightforward ability was indeed powerful.
The scar-faced man looked surprised at Yu Longguo, then smiled: "Didn't expect such a profession... very practical. But is giving your name necessary?"
"Absolutely," Yu Longguo said coldly. "In a game where werewolves must 'lie,' providing basic information helps me detect deception."
The scar-faced man shrugged at Yu Longguo's attitude: "Fine, no harm introducing this stuff. I'm Bao Liu, profession 『Ruffian』. Ability: Can break one rule. Though not as simple as Soldier's, don't provoke me—I can ignore rules." He gave everyone a sinister look.
Lin Yu observed these two, noticing their professions strongly correlated with their real selves.
Yu Longguo—strong, resolute-faced, with a soldierly demeanor—had the "Soldier" profession.
Bao Liu, exuding delinquency from the start, was a "Ruffian"...
Next was the bespectacled middle-aged woman. Adjusting her glasses, she said:
"I'm Xu Xiumei, profession 『Teacher』. My ability grants me game-related information."
Others nodded slightly.
While "Teacher" didn't sound powerful, it was somewhat useful.
Everyone pondered each ability's potential.
But only Lin Yu, hearing Xu Xiumei's profession, reached a quiet realization.
"Just as I thought..."
Though less obvious than Yu Longguo or Bao Liu, Lin Yu's keen observation noticed:
Her plain clothing, throat-clearing habit when speaking, thick calluses on thumb and forefinger.
She likely was a real "teacher."
In other words...
The game's professions probably closely correlated with players' real-life occupations!
Chapter 5: Now, The Performance Begins
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While Lin Yu was analyzing, the conversation among the other participants continued.
Upon hearing Xu Xiumei's introduction, Bao Liu immediately asked, "What information did you get? Is it extra intel about this game? Tell us."
Xu Xiumei hesitated.
Beside her, the "Soldier" Yu Longguo raised a hand to stop Bao Liu. "Don't rush her. She has no obligation to share what she learned. Right now, none of us know who the werewolves are. Revealing crucial information recklessly might backfire on us humans."
Bao Liu, the "Ruffian," retorted defiantly, "What if she's the wolf herself?"
At that moment, the gentle-looking woman shot Bao Liu another glance before speaking softly again, "You're so eager to pry information from Xu Xiumei. If anything, that makes me suspect you're the real wolf here."
Those words made Lin Yu reevaluate his impression of the seemingly delicate woman.
Though she appeared fragile… there were needles hidden in that cotton.
From the start of the game, Bao Liu had likely been targeting her to assert dominance and showcase his aggression.
But no one expected her to strike back during the self-introduction phase!
Bao Liu's eyes bulged with anger. He slammed the table and pointed at her, shouting, "Don't you fucking slander me! You accusing me now?"
Seeing the situation spiral, Yu Longguo stood up and said sternly, "Enough. Arguing like this is pointless. Let's wait until everyone has introduced themselves before discussing further."
The imposing stature and authoritative presence of the "Soldier" cowed Bao Liu into submission. With a cold snort, he crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.
He jerked his chin at the bespectacled chubby boy. "Your turn."
The chubby boy cleared his throat and spoke:
"My name is Chen Zhuo, and my profession is 'Otaku.' As for my ability… it's a secret."
"A secret?" The others were taken aback.
Bao Liu snarled, "We all shared ours, and now you're playing mysterious? Think you're special or something?"
Chen Zhuo flinched slightly but put on a mysterious air, shaking his head and whispering,
"N-No… my ability is just too unique to describe in words. You'll understand once you see it."
Though Chen Zhuo chose to conceal his ability, his profession—"Otaku"—made the others ponder.
What kind of ability would an otaku have? Otakus usually stay indoors reading manga and novels. What could such a profession offer?
Chen Zhuo's vague explanation left everyone baffled about the "Otaku" role.
But given his demeanor, no one bothered pressing further.
Deep down, everyone had a hunch—even if Chen Zhuo were on the opposing side, this chubby kid likely posed little threat!
Sure, he had been providing useful information earlier, but…
The fact that he had blurted out everything he knew only reinforced the impression that he was naive and harmless.
If he were a werewolf, he'd have probably given himself away already!
Even Lin Yu thought the guy seemed a bit too simple.
If this was an act, then he'd have no trouble becoming an award-winning actor in the future!
Next, it was the turn of the short, scrawny man.
He hesitated before saying, "My name is Yao Zhengye. My profession is 'Thief.' My ability… I won't say."
This time, the others frowned slightly.
Bao Liu clicked his tongue. "Tch, another one playing mysterious? You copying him?"
He shot Chen Zhuo a glare. "Look at the precedent you set!"
Chen Zhuo shrunk further into himself, too afraid to speak.
Yu Longguo remained silent, deep in thought.
Though Yao Zhengye also hid his ability, the "Thief" profession spoke for itself—his skills were likely related to stealing.
Given that, there was no need to press further. Everyone had already formed their own guesses.
Then came the gentle-looking woman's turn. She said:
"My name is Xia Yue. My profession is 'Veterinarian,' and my ability is… healing small animals."
"Pfft, what the hell's the point of healing animals? You think there are pets in this castle?" Bao Liu sneered.
Still smarting from Xia Yue's earlier counter, Bao Liu was clearly itching for a fight.
"Who knows? Maybe the castle's owner keeps pets here," Chen Zhuo chimed in.
"Even if there were animals, what good would healing them do?" Bao Liu turned to glare at Xia Yue. "You expecting them to sniff out the outsiders for you?"
This time, Xia Yue simply turned her head away, ignoring him.
With her introduction done, only Lin Yu remained.
All eyes shifted to him.
"Your turn, kid," Yu Longguo said. "What's your profession?"
"Yeah, my turn."
Lin Yu rested his hands on the table, fingers lightly interlaced.
His moment had come.
Having listened to everyone's professions and introductions, Lin Yu knew his own role—'Fraudster.' Chapters fırst released on Nove1Fire.net
Without a doubt, revealing his profession and ability would render them useless.
So…
True to the name of his profession, this was a role that demanded "deception."
Lin Yu pinched the bridge of his nose before meeting their gazes again, his eyes sharp and composed.
"Before I introduce myself, I think most of you have noticed something… The professions you drew are somewhat connected to your real-life identities, right?"
"Brother Yu here gives off military vibes. Chen Zhuo, you're the spitting image of an otaku. Xia Yue… you're even wearing a white coat."
"Ms. Xu Xiumei, you're probably a teacher in real life too, aren't you?"
Xu Xiumei nodded faintly. "That's right… I'm a middle school teacher."
Lin Yu snapped his fingers. "Exactly. My deduction's spot-on."
Was fraud just about lying?
Lin Yu believed… it included lying, but wasn't limited to it.
At the very least, everything he'd just said was based on his earlier analysis—truth.
But after finishing his analysis, Lin Yu had pondered something else…
If this pattern held true, what did the "Fraudster" profession have to do with him, a college student?
He'd never committed fraud, nor was he even good at lying!
Then he recalled something his professor had once said in class:
"At its core, acting is 'deception.' You must deceive yourself, deceive the audience, make everyone believe you truly are the 'role' you're playing!"
Lin Yu might not be skilled at lying, but…
He was skilled at acting.
A far more advanced, far more effective form of "fraud"!
Now, the performance would begin.
Chapter 6: Performance Success, Ability Activated!
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In the castle room, all eyes at the long table turned toward Lin Yu.
It was like a spotlight on stage.
Lin Yu sat at the table with crossed hands, his expression brimming with confidence.
"If you trust me, this game isn't actually hard to win."
Bao Liu frowned at Lin Yu. "Why should we believe you? Just because you analyzed our professions being related to our real-life occupations?"
"All this roundabout talk just means you're saying I'm a hoodlum in real life, and this Yao Zhengye is a thief, right?" Bao Liu pointed at Yao Zhengye, speaking unhappily.
Yao Zhengye nearby indeed looked rather displeased.
"So you're saying since we're bad people in real life, we should just vote us out, huh?"
As expected, the two reacted intensely after Lin Yu's words.
The others also regarded them with increased wariness.
Lin Yu shook his head. "Gentlemen, I deliberately avoided mentioning your professions earlier to prevent misunderstandings."
"I only said this to convince you that I truly have the ability to lead us to victory—not just through my deductive skills, but also my 'professional ability'."
Hmm... good tone, excellent lines—all thanks to his persistent improv practice.
Lin Yu's gaze swept across them as he adjusted his "costume".
His British-style attire was elegant and proper, giving an immediate impression of "wisdom".
"My name is Lin Yu, and my profession is... 'Detective'."
"My ability is to verify the identities of everyone present." Lin Yu spoke calmly, spreading his hands.
"What?"
Hearing this, the other six all showed shocked expressions!
Verify identities?!
Chen Zhuo was the first to exclaim: "Holy shit, a Seer!"
"No way! That's such a broken ability!" Bao Liu slammed the table. "You're just spouting nonsense to sow discord!"
Xia Yue, the "Veterinarian", immediately spoke up:
"You claim your ability is to verify identities?"
"But this game is called [Who Is the Outsider], an identity-based game. Your ability perfectly matches it... I think you're lying."
Xu Xiumei, the "Teacher", nodded slightly. "Our professions were assigned before this game started. Logically, professional abilities shouldn't directly relate to the game's content."
Yu Longguo watched Lin Yu silently, his gaze somewhat scrutinizing.
Initially, they were indeed startled by Lin Yu's claim.
This was already an identity game, and now he says his ability is verifying identities? What a coincidence.
Only Chen Zhuo seemed somewhat convinced.
"But in Werewolf games, there usually is a Seer role..." the chubby boy muttered.
Seeing their varied reactions, Lin Yu felt some tension internally.
He was testing whether he'd gained the "identity verification" ability he'd just claimed.
According to the Fraudster's ability, if they all believed him, he should have obtained the 'Detective' ability now.
Yet Lin Yu didn't feel anything—no ability to verify identities at all.
Clearly, the players present didn't believe his words.
Or rather, their belief fell far short of granting him that ability.
Still, though nervous, Lin Yu remained composed.
Somewhat unexpected, yet within expectations.
"These guys aren't that easy to fool after all."
He exhaled.
Before speaking, he'd known his statement had loopholes.
But having half disbelieve him immediately still surprised Lin Yu.
That ruffian wasn't stupid.
And those two women plus the "Soldier" were all smart.
Lin Yu rapidly analyzed the situation.
Fortunately...
his performance had been exquisite enough.
His earlier demeanor, subtle mannerisms—all conveyed the aura of a true "Detective"!
Now, he just needed to patch the loopholes in his story.
Lin Yu's mind raced, but his expression remained unchanged.
He adjusted his deerstalker cap, appearing utterly unflappable.
"Correct, my ability isn't exactly verifying identities. But the reason I said that... is because my ability can achieve the same effect." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ N0veI.Fiɾe.net
"What do you mean?"
"My actual ability is knowing one hidden secret about someone. Applied to this game, doesn't that equate to verifying identities?"
Lin Yu's tone remained measured, exuding calm confidence.
Their expressions varied upon hearing this.
Xu Xiumei frowned slightly. "Then why didn't you say so initially?"
Lin Yu was prepared.
"Because stating I can peek at people's secrets would make everyone uncomfortable, no?"
His calm reasoning proved convincing.
"I see..." Xia Yue mused. "No wonder you phrased it that way initially."
"Knowing someone's secret does suit the 'Detective' profession," Yu Longguo nodded slightly. "This version sounds much more plausible."
"In an identity game like this, the Detective role seems overpowered..." Bao Liu clicked his tongue, suddenly feeling his own profession rather useless here.
Compared to Lin Yu, at least.
Chen Zhuo chuckled. "Obviously! The Seer role always leads in Werewolf! Follow him and we'll win easily!"
The others nodded slightly.
The "Detective's" ability indeed held innate advantages in an identity-based game.
Yet observing the five's expressions (excluding Chen Zhuo), Lin Yu inwardly sighed.
"Indeed, no one likes having their secrets exposed."
Even if his ability greatly benefited the team...
Apart from Chen Zhuo, the other five all regarded him with varying degrees of wariness.
Some gazes even held outright disgust!
Nobody enjoys feeling their secrets are vulnerable.
However, their disgust and wariness meant...
They believed Lin Yu's claims!
Now bathed in their collective gaze, Lin Yu clearly sensed... a new innate "ability" awakening within him.
As if he could peer into others' minds!
If he wished, he could now choose any present individual and directly probe their deepest hidden secret.
It could be this game's "identity", or other secrets—he could select the general direction.
The Fraudster's ability had officially taken effect!
Lin Yu's performance had fooled them all.
Chapter 7: Group Actions
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After gaining his ability, Lin Yu felt slightly more at ease.
Yet he remained vigilant.
Indeed, the ability to "verify identities" was incredibly powerful in games like Werewolf.
As Chen Zhuo had pointed out, if the human faction centered their strategy around Lin Yu, victory would come relatively easily.
But the werewolves would realize this too.
In other words, Lin Yu had now placed himself in a highly dangerous position.
Given the chance, the werewolves would spare no effort to eliminate him.
Unless he stuck closely with the others, leaving no opening for the werewolves.
But Lin Yu knew this game wouldn't allow such a scenario!
"Beep—beep—"
An urgent alarm sounded above everyone in the room.
Lin Yu looked up and realized the noise seemed to come from the floor above.
"That sounds like it's coming from the second floor," he alerted the group.
Chen Zhuo, the otaku, panicked: "What does this alarm mean? Are the werewolves starting to kill?"
Before Lin Yu could reassure him, Yu Longguo, the soldier, spoke firmly.
"Don't panic. This isn't the signal for werewolf killings... Remember what the letter said—this castle has a schedule listing daily tasks. If we fail to complete them, deadly mechanisms will activate."
After his explanation, Chen Zhuo froze momentarily before exclaiming: "Doesn't that still mean we'll die?! Where's the schedule?"
Lin Yu pointed to the nearby wall—right beside where the bloody text had appeared earlier, near the doorway, hung an unconcealed schedule.
Chen Zhuo rushed over, with the others following closely.
The schedule was densely packed with text.
"Day 1 Tasks:"
"Repair generator - Location: Second-floor engineering room. Estimated time: 10 minutes. Countdown: 15:49..."
"Refuel equipment - Location: Third-floor machinery room. Estimated time: 3 minutes. Countdown: 17:22..."
"Clean library - Location: First-floor study. Estimated time: 15 minutes. Countdown: 21:06..."
"..."
Rows of tasks were clearly listed.
Just the tasks with countdowns under three hours already numbered over ten.
Each task included its location and a steadily decreasing timer.
Though no one knew what consequences awaited failed tasks or what mechanisms would trigger...
No one wanted to gamble with their lives!
"This many tasks?! What the hell! I didn't even work this hard in real life, and now I'm clocking in for this damn game?!" Bao Liu couldn't help but curse under his breath.
His words echoed the group's sentiments.
Lin Yu understood clearly.
There were simply too many tasks, scattered across different locations!
Sticking together would make completion impossible.
The fastest way to clear the tasks was to split into groups.
This was undoubtedly the game's method to prevent the human faction from clustering together!
After tallying the tasks, Lin Yu did quick mental calculations.
"If we split into two groups—three and four people respectively—and plan routes carefully, we might barely finish..." ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ NoveI[F]ire.net
Lin Yu silently contemplated how to complete the tasks with minimal group splitting.
But before he could finalize routes, Bao Liu spoke up first.
"I say we split up immediately to handle these tasks. I'll take the generator repair!"
He made as if to leave.
The others seemed inclined to agree.
Lin Yu frowned slightly and stopped him: "Wait, you can't just leave like that."
Bao Liu turned back, glaring: "What's your problem, kid? Can't you see the timers ticking down—are you trying to get us all killed?!"
"Don't think your so-called detective title makes you special!"
Facing Bao Liu's aggression, Lin Yu remained calm: "Do you really want to go alone—aren't you afraid the werewolves will pick you off?
"These tasks are urgent, but having all seven of us go solo would gift the werewolves perfect opportunities! Even if we split up, we must form groups!"
After Lin Yu spoke, Chen Zhuo quickly nodded: "Exactly! Splitting up is the worst move in Werewolf!"
Bao Liu hesitated, about to retort.
But Yu Longguo interjected firmly: "I agree with grouping. With seven people, we'll pair up!"
Lin Yu looked at Yu Longguo, preparing to speak.
But...
Yu Longguo continued: "I know your concern—if a human gets paired with a werewolf, that human would be in danger.
"But remember, if anything happens to someone, their partner becomes the prime suspect.
"So from this perspective, grouped partners are actually safe."
Cutting off any objections, Yu Longguo declared: "Time's short. We'll proceed with paired groups."
Xia Yue hesitated: "But with seven people, pairing up means one group will..."
Seven players divided into pairs would create three teams of two, leaving one person alone.
Yu Longguo cut her off decisively: "I'll go solo—I'm confident in my abilities. Even against an armed werewolf, I can hold my own!"
Chen Zhuo rubbed his chin thoughtfully: "I agree. Brother Yu's skills can handle solo action!"
Yu Longguo's plan seemed to have gained unanimous approval.
Lin Yu didn't object either.
Yet he found it all increasingly strange...
Yu Longguo's reasoning sounded logical: in real-life Werewolf variants, pairing up was indeed a common strategy.
This grouping method would accelerate the game, revealing identities faster.
But...
Smaller groups meant greater risk for humans.
This essentially used "lives" to determine identities.
Though they were in a "Death Game," this wasn't just a game!
Rather than focusing on "winning" or "faction victory," shouldn't everyone's priority be...
Survival?
So why was no one objecting?
Lin Yu's thoughts swirled chaotically, but the urgency of the countdown left no room for contemplation.
Simultaneously, a vague sense of unease told him not to voice these doubts now.
Just then, someone tugged his sleeve.
Lin Yu turned to see Xia Yue standing beside him, biting her lip.
"Detective... may I partner with you?" she asked softly.
Chapter 8: Alone Time
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Lin Yu had no reason to refuse Xia Yue's request. Check latest chapters at novel⚑fire.net
The two naturally formed the first team.
Among the remaining four, Chen Zhuo and Xu Xiumei didn't want to team up with Bao Liu and Yao Zhengye.
Thus, after Xia Yue invited Lin Yu, the seven-person grouping was effectively complete.
First team: "Detective" Lin Yu and "Veterinarian" Xia Yue.
Second team: "Ruffian" Bao Liu and "Thief" Yao Zhengye.
Third team: "Otaku" Chen Zhuo and "Teacher" Xu Xiumei.
Fourth team: "Soldier" Yu Longguo operating alone.
After grouping up, everyone took turns selecting tasks from the schedule.
Once tasks were confirmed, all four groups quickly left the conference room.
After all, they didn't have much time to complete their first assignments.
Lin Yu and Xia Yue hurried to find the "engineering room" mentioned in their first task.
The corridor outside the conference room continued the slightly extravagant decor - iron candelabras with wolf-head carvings, deep red carpets woven with golden threads.
Through the corridor's damaged windows, they could see exterior walls of stacked stone - likely part of an ancient castle.
The conference room was at the far end of the castle's first floor. After leaving it, they soon encountered a spiral staircase.
Lin Yu and Xia Yue quickly ascended to the second-floor corridor.
Right beside the staircase, Lin Yu spotted a wooden door with a metal plaque.
"Engineering Room."
Lin Yu read the plaque aloud.
From behind the door came the source of the alarm they'd heard downstairs - sharp, incessant beeping.
"We found it so quickly... we still have plenty of time."
Xia Yue sighed in relief, then reached for the doorknob and turned it gently.
The unlocked door opened easily, admitting them into the engineering room.
Inside the spacious room, an old-fashioned generator hummed slowly, surrounded by numerous halogen lamps.
One lamp had turned red, emitting loud beeping alarms.
The generator connected to other equipment, all functioning normally without apparent need for repair.
Lin Yu and Xia Yue approached the generator.
As a gentle woman whose profession was veterinarian, Xia Yue clearly knew little about machinery.
"How do we fix this?" she asked worriedly. "Isn't there an instruction manual or something?"
Though called a "game," the Death Game didn't let players progress by holding buttons - the "repair generator" task required actual troubleshooting!
But Lin Yu remained calm.
"The estimated completion time is 10 minutes, meaning it's not a major malfunction... probably just a minor issue..."
"Besides, this is essentially a werewolf-style game. These 'tasks' are likely just ways to separate us - they shouldn't be too difficult."
As he spoke, Lin Yu's gaze fell on a storage cabinet beside the generator.
A toolbox sat atop the cabinet containing wrenches and screwdrivers.
Beneath the toolbox lay a booklet.
Lin Yu lifted the toolbox and pulled out the booklet.
The thin manual's pages were dog-eared, its cover stained black with oil, bearing the title "Wolf III Generator Instruction Manual."
"Here's our lead."
Lin Yu flicked the booklet confidently with his fingers.
Xia Yue sighed in relief, looking at Lin Yu with admiration. "No wonder you're a real detective. Even without special abilities, you're incredibly sharp."
Lin Yu shrugged noncommittally and opened the manual.
"Three indicator lights... if this light turns red, it means insufficient engine lubrication - requires adding oil stored in the first-floor storage room."
As Lin Yu expected, the manual straightforwardly identified both problem and solution.
"So we need lubricant from the first-floor storage room? I'll go get it," Xia Yue offered. "I saw where that room was on our way here."
Lin Yu frowned slightly at her suggestion, his expression turning stern. "But the whole point of pairing up is to avoid solo movement."
Xia Yue smiled. "But time's limited. You stay here studying the machine - what if we get the oil but can't find where to pour it, failing the task?"
"Don't worry about me. This is a dangerous game anyway... and like I said, this life is already borrowed."
She tilted her head playfully, hands behind her back, her tone light.
Hearing this, Lin Yu nodded. "Fine. According to task assignments, only the otaku and teacher team should be on the first floor. Be quick and you should be safe."
"Try to return within five minutes thirty seconds. Beyond that, you'll be in greater danger."
Lin Yu spoke calmly.
He didn't explain why five and a half minutes specifically.
"Of course I'll hurry! There's a countdown after all!"
Xia Yue laughed as she left the engineering room, closing the door behind her.
Leaving Lin Yu completely alone.
His composed, confident expression instantly vanished.
He rubbed his face vigorously.
Even during those private moments with Xia Yue, he'd still been "acting" - playing the role of a smug, intelligent "detective" who liked controlling situations.
Why five and a half minutes?
Complete nonsense - he just wanted Xia Yue back as soon as possible.
"If only pretending to be a 'famous detective' could actually give me super observation and analytical skills..."
Lin Yu massaged his temples in frustration.
He considered himself reasonably smart - after all, Jiangcheng University's acting program ranked top three nationally with high admission scores.
He'd always found acting courses and self-studied psychology relatively easy.
Frequent stage performances with the drama club had also strengthened his mental resilience, enabling quick calm under pressure.
In fact, Lin Yu believed he had some talent for "analyzing people."
But in this lethal game, he keenly felt his intelligence and composure... were woefully inadequate!
Lin Yu was just a sophomore acting major whose greatest asset was theatrical experience.
He couldn't track everyone's movements, couldn't truly see through people's minds to identify the werewolf, and certainly couldn't remain completely calm facing life-or-death situations!
Since earlier, Lin Yu had vaguely sensed something "off" about this game - from its rules to other players' reactions, numerous details seemed abnormal!
Yet he couldn't decipher what these anomalies meant.
But...
Even without sufficient cleverness, he had to keep playing desperately.
Lin Yu adjusted his mindset.
"Unsolved problems can wait."
"I should make good use of these five minutes alone..."
With this thought, Lin Yu began carefully examining the room.
Chapter 9: The Eerie Kitchen and the Instant Method Actor
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Compared to the others, Lin Yu trusted Xia Yue more.
To be precise, among the current six people, the person Lin Yu thought least likely to be a Werewolf was obviously the somewhat silly-looking Chen Zhuo.
Xia Yue, with her delicate appearance, probably ranked second!
Still, Lin Yu couldn't completely trust Xia Yue either. This update ıs available on novèlfire.net
Just as Xia Yue didn't seem to fully trust him either.
Moreover, to maintain his "confident and arrogant detective" persona, it wouldn't be appropriate for him to start rummaging around in front of Xia Yue.
Yet Lin Yu actually had something specific he wanted to find!
"The letter mentioned there are chests in the castle, divided into human chests and werewolf chests..."
Lin Yu began searching the engineering room, hoping to find any chests there.
Besides the generator, the engineering room contained various other equipment and facilities, appearing rather cluttered.
According to the letter, human chests should contain "supplies" and "items" that would greatly assist the human faction.
If he could find a chest and obtain something useful from it, Lin Yu would feel much more confident.
After a quick search around, Lin Yu found that while the engineering room looked messy with scattered items...
Those random objects were completely useless.
But Lin Yu couldn't say he found nothing at all.
The smell of incomplete diesel combustion from the generator permeating the air, the constantly blaring alarm ringing in his ears, and the choking clouds of ancient dust stirred up from rummaging through the piles gave Lin Yu a thoroughly dizzying and unpleasant experience.
"Already wasted two minutes... No, can't keep wasting time in this room!"
Lin Yu opened the engineering room door.
Stepping outside, he immediately felt refreshed.
Then he focused on the room opposite the stairwell.
"That door looks pretty big," Lin Yu muttered to himself.
The castle had two staircases in total - one was a spiral staircase in the center spanning all three floors, the other was a zigzag staircase at the edge.
With the castle's enormous size, the second floor alone had over a dozen different rooms or hidden chambers.
Pushed for time, Lin Yu could only choose the nearest option.
This was also why they had to split up - the castle was simply too large. If they all stuck together running back and forth, even with planned routes, it would inevitably become too hectic and leave little room for error.
Approaching the large door, Lin Yu could now read the room name on the placard:
"Kitchen."
Without hesitation, Lin Yu pushed open the kitchen door.
Upon entering, he immediately caught a faint whiff of something foul.
"Damn, how long has this kitchen gone without cleaning?" Lin Yu wrinkled his nose involuntarily. "No wonder there's a 'clean the kitchen' task later on the schedule."
"But who knows what traps might trigger or dangers might appear if we don't clean it..."
The kitchen walls bore dark red stains that looked like long-dried blood.
The floor had even more bloodstains and was extremely filthy.
The countertops held not just chunks of raw meat but even hanging severed limbs!
Seeing this, Lin Yu felt a chill run down his spine.
Especially those withered, twisted limbs - somewhat human-like but not quite enough.
It was enough to give him the "Happy Valley Effect" (a Chinese internet term for extreme disgust).
"Why's the kitchen like this? Nobody dealing with these severed limbs and flesh? The castle owner must have some seriously twisted tastes..."
"Living in such a huge place but can't afford a cleaner? At least hire a hygienic chef then."
Suppressing his nausea, Lin Yu moved closer to examine the limbs.
Covered in bloodstains and partially decomposed, it was hard for Lin Yu to determine what creature they came from.
From afar they looked somewhat humanoid, but up close the resemblance faded.
Not wanting to linger, Lin Yu quickly left the kitchen.
However, upon exiting he discovered a brown chest placed in an alcove right next to the kitchen.
"A chest! A brown chest!" Lin Yu felt a surge of excitement.
The letter had mentioned that red chests belonged to werewolves...
As a human, he probably couldn't open werewolf chests.
But this brown chest meant it was one humans could open!
Lin Yu approached and flipped the chest's latch. As if recognizing him, the latch clicked open.
Inside was a neatly packaged loaf of bread and a bottle of water.
"Food... Seems whoever left the chest knew that after seeing that disgusting kitchen, there'd be no edible food in this castle."
Lin Yu took the bread, tore open the packaging, and quickly devoured it with the water.
After eating his fill, he returned to the engineering room.
He didn't want to reveal to Xia Yue that he'd opened a human chest. Even though human was the good identity... There was one crucial point - the two werewolves likely didn't know each other's identities.
The letter had hinted at this too:
"A werewolf's disguise can often fool even their own kind."
In other words, in this game, werewolves wouldn't know who their teammate was either.
Thus, Lin Yu had no need to prove his "human" identity by opening chests.
It wouldn't benefit him - if Xia Yue was a werewolf, she wouldn't make a move before confirming whether he was her teammate or not.
"But why hasn't Xia Yue returned yet?"
Time was running dangerously short.
Lin Yu had been mentally counting the time - Xia Yue had now been gone for about eight minutes, over two minutes longer than his estimated five and a half.
This made completing their tasks even more urgent.
If Xia Yue didn't return soon, they might not finish in time.
"Did something happen to her?"
Lin Yu was starting to debate whether he should go downstairs to look for her.
But before he could decide...
BANG!
The engineering room door swung open.
A breathless Xia Yue appeared in the doorway, holding a small bucket of lubricating oil.
Her hair was disheveled, sweat beaded on her forehead, and her white coat was dirty.
Xia Yue quickly approached, apologizing profusely: "Sorry... The lubricant was placed quite high up. It took some effort to retrieve it."
As she got closer, Lin Yu noticed her flushed cheeks and how she kept fanning herself by pulling at her round-necked shirt beneath the white coat - a rather pitiable sight.
Lin Yu instinctively wanted to comfort her, but immediately remembered...
His current persona was that of a cold, arrogant "detective."
Thus, method actor Lin Yu instantly slipped into character, merely snorting coldly.
"Fine, didn't take too long."
With that, he took the lubricant, expertly located the generator's lubrication point, and easily completed the task.
Chapter 10: The Suspicious Duo! A Terrifying Human Head Offering!
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After completing the task, Lin Yu and Xia Yue immediately left the engineering room without delay.
Their next assigned task was still on the second floor—specifically in the "prayer room" on the opposite side. The objective was to arrange offerings and light candles.
Although they had ample time before the next task deadline, neither Lin Yu nor Xia Yue wanted to waste any extra time.
However, having just completed a task together, the two seemed to have grown more familiar with each other.
Especially Xia Yue—this delicate, pretty girl seemed to have developed some dependent feelings toward Lin Yu, likely due to the suspension bridge effect of being trapped in the Death Game combined with witnessing his efficiency and reliability during the task...
Even though Lin Yu had treated her somewhat coldly and harshly earlier, she didn't seem to mind.
On their way to the next task location, Xia Yue even took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Lin Yu.
"Lin Yu, speaking of which... have you used your [Detective] ability yet?"
Xia Yue walked briskly ahead of Lin Yu with her hands clasped behind her back, completely exposing her back to him.
Hearing her question, Lin Yu grew slightly wary.
But seeing her completely unguarded posture, he hesitated before answering truthfully: Dıscover more novels at novel fire.net
"I haven't used it yet."
Xia Yue turned around, continuing to walk backward while curiously asking:
"Eh? Why not... how do you plan to use it?"
Lin Yu pondered for a moment before explaining:
"To be honest, as the 'Detective'—an information role that can determine the game's outcome—I'm inevitably the werewolves' primary target."
"For you civilians, even if I identify a good person on the first day, it still helps eliminate a suspect..."
"But for me, if I can't find and vote out a werewolf on the first day... if there are two werewolves remaining who've had time to 'recognize' each other by the second day, my situation becomes extremely dangerous—even yours would be too."
Xia Yue looked slightly confused by Lin Yu's thorough analysis. She tilted her head in thought before giving up with a wave of her hand.
"Alright... so how do you plan to use it then?"
"For the first day's investigation, I'll save it until the final 'meeting phase.' I'll carefully analyze everyone's statements and then identify the most suspicious person to reveal their identity."
Lin Yu spoke earnestly.
Xia Yue smiled, her eyes curving like crescent moons.
"You're amazing, Detective. With you here, this game feels much easier."
She said sincerely.
As they talked and walked, they had already covered most of the distance, passing by the spiral staircase at the center of the castle.
Then, footsteps and voices came from the staircase:
"Damn it, this task is so fucking annoying—I even scraped my hand!"
"Yeah, Brother Liu, this task is seriously messed up..."
"Where's our next task again? Whatever, let's go find the others first!"
The voices clearly belonged to Bao Liu and Yao Zhengye!
As the voices and footsteps grew closer, Lin Yu quickly pulled Xia Yue aside, hiding behind a corner of the staircase.
Startled by being suddenly grabbed, Xia Yue almost cried out, but Lin Yu covered her mouth.
"Be careful—they might be the two werewolves!"
Lin Yu whispered urgently.
Xia Yue looked at Lin Yu with confusion and shock.
"This damn castle is way too big!"
"Yeah, imagine the owner getting up to pee at night—they'd probably shit themselves before making it..."
"Seriously, do you think anyone actually lived in this creepy place?"
Bao Liu and Yao Zhengye's voices gradually faded as they seemed to head toward the first floor.
Only then did Lin Yu remove his hand from Xia Yue's mouth.
Xia Yue quickly extricated herself from Lin Yu's grasp, nervously clutching her sleeves.
"Let's hurry!"
She said shyly, resuming their walk.
After walking together in silence for a while, Xia Yue finally whispered:
"Um... Detective, why do you think they're werewolves?"
"Bao Liu and Yao Zhengye's first task was adding fuel in the machinery room on the third floor. Their second task was in the cleaning supplies room on the opposite side—both tasks had estimated completion times over fifteen minutes."
"It's unlikely they finished both tasks in the time we took for one. So if they didn't complete both third-floor tasks... why would they be going to the first floor?"
Lin Yu analyzed calmly.
Recalling Bao Liu and Yao Zhengye's words, Xia Yue instinctively replied:
"I think they said they were looking for people..."
"Do humans need to go searching for others?"
Lin Yu interrupted.
Xia Yue's expression finally changed slightly.
"So... those two are probably werewolves?"
Lin Yu didn't deny it: "At the very least, their behavior is suspicious in my eyes."
However, Lin Yu's current certainty was partly due to maintaining his "Detective" persona.
In reality, he had some doubts.
What were the odds of both werewolves being assigned to the same group?
Moreover, the werewolves in this game didn't initially know each other's identities...
Even if they were grouped together, could they really confirm each other's roles so quickly?
Putting himself in their shoes, Lin Yu couldn't imagine how they'd quickly determine if their partner was a "teammate."
His sense of unease grew stronger.
As Lin Yu wrestled with these thoughts, Xia Yue's voice brought him back:
"Detective, we're here."
Lin Yu looked up, realizing he'd nearly walked past the prayer room's entrance.
"Sorry, I was distracted earlier."
Lin Yu said before pushing open the prayer room door.
Unlike the castle's other dirty, dilapidated rooms, the prayer room was surprisingly clean.
The small room had heavy curtains completely blocking the windows, leaving only the dim glow of wall-mounted candelabras for illumination.
On the wall opposite the door stood a waist-high shrine carved with lunar phase reliefs.
Inside the shrine was a tall humanoid statue—its powerfully muscular body exuding both strength and wildness—but the head was missing.
Below the shrine was a circular altar filled with offerings, flanked by two kneeling cushions.
When Xia Yue saw the altar, she suddenly gasped.
"Ah...!"
She pointed fearfully at an irregular, shriveled spherical object placed at the altar's center—something Lin Yu had initially mistaken for fruit.
But upon closer inspection, his heart skipped a beat.
It was a horrifying human head with its facial features carved off.
Chapter 11: The Meeting Begins, Lin Yu Becomes the Center of Attention!
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After clearly seeing that the sacrificial offering was a shriveled human head, Xia Yue was naturally terrified out of her wits.
She stood leaning against the wall with a pale face, clearly unable to complete the tasks of arranging the sacrifice and lighting the candles.
In contrast, although Lin Yu was also startled, he remained much calmer than Xia Yue.
On one hand, it was because Lin Yu had already been frightened in the kitchen earlier and had a general understanding of this game's nature.
On the other hand, although Lin Yu was also somewhat afraid, someone still needed to complete this task, so he deliberately maintained a composed demeanor.
Sometimes, "acting" can bring positive psychological suggestions to oneself.
By the end, Lin Yu genuinely didn't feel as scared anymore.
Soon, Lin Yu finished the task.
All he needed to do was move the head to a new position, placing it directly in front of the shrine, then use the matches on both sides of the shrine to relight the two extinguished candles.
Fear and physical discomfort were essentially the only challenges of this task.
After easily completing it, Lin Yu quickly led Xia Yue out of that unsettling room.
In the corridor, Xia Yue felt immense gratitude toward Lin Yu for completing the task alone.
"Thank you so much, Detective..."
"No problem, it was nothing. After all, if we didn't finish it, we'd both be in danger," Lin Yu said casually. "You can contribute more for the next task."
"That makes sense. As they say, men and women working together gets the job done easier."
Xia Yue smiled by the corridor window as crows perched on the withered tree outside cawed incessantly.
But compared to before, her smile seemed somewhat forced now.
That shriveled head had undoubtedly reminded her once again...
This was a game themed around "death."
That was definitely not some fake "prop," but the remains of a real life that had passed away.
The two reached the end of the corridor, preparing to head to the third floor for their next task.
Just then, footsteps suddenly echoed from the stairs below.
Xia Yue and Lin Yu immediately became alert again.
However, this time, before they could hide, they came face-to-face with the people ascending from downstairs.
It was the pair of Chen Zhuo and Xu Xiumei.
The chubby Chen Zhuo stopped in his tracks upon seeing Lin Yu and Xia Yue.
"Be careful, Teacher Xu! These two seem to be lying in wait for us!"
Chen Zhuo bravely positioned Xu Xiumei in front of himself protectively.
Xu Xiumei also looked at Lin Yu and Xia Yue warily.
Lin Yu felt exasperated.
"Who's lying in wait here? We're just going upstairs too..."
"More importantly—if I remember correctly, your assigned tasks aren't upstairs. What are you trying to do up there?"
He turned the question back on them.
Cornered by Lin Yu's question, Chen Zhuo immediately retorted, "We have no obligation to tell you what we're doing!"
With that, Chen Zhuo pulled Xu Xiumei back downstairs.
Observing their movements and combining it with his earlier observations of the castle's layout, Lin Yu guessed they were likely trying to reach the second floor via another staircase.
"Not just the thief and the ruffian, but even the otaku and teacher pair... are acting suspicious too."
Lin Yu couldn't help but mutter.
Encountering two suspicious pairs in succession made him wonder if there was something wrong with the game itself. Latest content publıshed on novel⦿fire.net
Xia Yue asked curiously, "What was suspicious about those two we just met? Was it also because they were going somewhere unrelated to their tasks?"
"Yes, and the strangest part is that they were going together to places unrelated to their tasks," Lin Yu said seriously. "Put yourself in their shoes—if I told you I wanted to go somewhere unrelated to our tasks right now, would you agree?"
Xia Yue paused, then thought carefully before answering, "I'm not sure. It would probably depend on your reason—if it was convincing enough, I might agree."
Lin Yu nodded and countered, "Then look at it from another angle—suppose you needed to convince me to go somewhere unrelated to our tasks. What compelling reason could you give that would not only make me go but also make me trust you completely?"
Lin Yu's question stumped Xia Yue. After a long silence, she gave a bitter smile. "Now that you mention it, it does seem very strange."
"Exactly. Especially that otaku—he clearly heard about my detective identity and abilities earlier and seemed to trust me somewhat... But this is actually good. It's precisely these 'abnormal' behaviors that will help me better identify who the werewolves are."
Seeing Xia Yue growing worried again, Lin Yu changed his tone to comfort her.
"You're right! With you here, Detective, there's nothing to worry about!"
Xia Yue regained her composure and said, "Let's continue with our tasks—then you can showcase your skills during tonight's meeting!"
Lin Yu nodded and proceeded with Xia Yue to complete the remaining tasks.
However, after encountering two suspicious pairs earlier, both Xia Yue and Lin Yu couldn't help but become more cautious.
Coupled with the inherently tedious nature of the tasks, by the end of the day, both were utterly exhausted.
"I'm completely exhausted—this is even more tiring than work!"
Xia Yue sighed after finishing the final task on their daily schedule.
By then, the already dim sky outside had darkened completely.
"Dong—"
A heavy bell tolled, signaling that it was almost 7 PM—time to return to the meeting room.
"Let's go."
Lin Yu was also worn out, feeling like he was back in the hellish final exam week where he had to rehearse plays after studying all day.
The two dragged their weary feet back to the initial meeting room. When they opened the door, they discovered that the other five participants were already seated inside.
Yu Longguo raised an eyebrow when he saw Lin Yu and Xia Yue enter.
"What a surprise—not a single death today."
At his words, Bao Liu looked at Yu Longguo and asked, "Hey, Soldier, what do you mean by that?"
Xia Yue also frowned. After sitting down with Lin Yu, she stared at Yu Longguo and said, "Isn't it good that no one died?"
"Of course it's good," Yu Longguo said coldly. "But it also means the werewolves are more patient than I imagined... If they had killed someone today, we'd have a breakthrough by now—isn't that the whole point of pairing up?"
"But that's such a cruel way to think!"
Xia Yue said indignantly.
Yu Longguo sighed. "Don't be so naive, girl. Haven't you realized this is a 'Death Game'? Even if the werewolves don't kill anyone, humans still need to eliminate at least two werewolves to survive—and elimination means death!"
"This is a game where at least two people will die no matter what!"
As Yu Longguo spoke, Xia Yue fell silent.
Not just Xia Yue—the others in the room also grew quiet.
Finally, Chen Zhuo broke the silence.
"Alright, alright. I actually think the humans have a strong advantage now... Although the werewolves might have held back because they couldn't find a good opportunity, in Werewolf game terms, this is equivalent to wasting a werewolf's 'turn'!"
"With the detective here, the good guys can confirm one person's identity every day. So as long as the detective uses his ability... the werewolves are actually at a disadvantage now!"
After Chen Zhuo finished speaking, everyone's gaze naturally turned toward Lin Yu, who had remained silent all this time.
Chapter 12: Investigation Result - Werewolf! Lin Yu's Doubts!
Restore scroll position
Lin Yu's initial strategy had indeed been exactly what Xia Yue described - find the most suspicious person and immediately use his ability on them.
But now, after two daytime encounters and listening to everyone's statements during the meeting...
Lin Yu found every single person suspicious!
Yao Zhengye and Bao Liu had suspiciously teamed up and seemed to be actively searching for people!
Chen Zhuo's attitude toward him had suddenly changed, though he didn't know what Xu Xiumei might have told him.
Then there was the lone "Soldier" Yu Longguo.
From the moment he proposed "pairing up" during team assignments and aggressively pushed for it, this guy had already seemed extremely suspicious in Lin Yu's eyes.
Especially when the last group could have easily been three people, yet he insisted on going alone...
What exactly was he planning?!
Lin Yu didn't even fully trust Xia Yue, despite having worked with her all day!
When they later went to the first floor to handle tasks, Lin Yu estimated...
The storage room was simply too close - no matter how much they delayed, there was no way it should have taken that long!
Moreover, even if they genuinely "couldn't find the item"... would searching really have exhausted Xia Yue that much?
Everyone seemed suspicious!
Lin Yu felt his thoughts tangled like a ball of yarn.
"Forget it, I can't just not use my ability."
Thinking this, Lin Yu decided to randomly pick someone to investigate first.
"Let's try Bao Liu!"
As Lin Yu focused, he activated his ability—ever since gaining the Detective's skills, using it felt almost instinctive.
Mentally reciting Bao Liu's name while visualizing his appearance, Lin Yu experienced a mystical sensation, as if Bao Liu's very soul was laid bare before him.
With just a thought, he could uncover any secret the man concealed—whether related to this game or otherwise.
"I want to know Bao Liu's identity in this game."
As Lin Yu focused his intent, a memory fragment appeared before his eyes—Bao Liu's first-person perspective.
The image showed Bao Liu sneakily using stationery to shield his identity card while carefully checking it.
The words on the card read:
"Your identity is: Werewolf."
Then the vision dissipated.
Lin Yu was stunned.
Bao Liu actually was the Werewolf... which likely meant he and Yao Zhengye were both wolves?
"Hey Detective, who'd you investigate? Hurry up and share the results!" Bao Liu's impatient voice rang out.
Lin Yu looked up at the group and opened his mouth.
The optimal strategy would be to immediately reveal "Bao Liu is the Werewolf" and have everyone vote him out.
But...
Was that truly the best move?
Lin Yu exhaled and made his decision.
"I've used my ability to verify someone's identity, but... sorry everyone, I can't disclose the results right now."
The moment these words left his mouth, everyone's expressions subtly changed.
The most transparent of them, Otaku Chen Zhuo, immediately panicked: "Dude what? You checked someone but won't say? What's with the mystery? Trying to be some kinda riddler?"
Lin Yu remained silent, simply giving Chen Zhuo a calm look.
After Chen Zhuo spoke, Yu Longguo also voiced his displeasure: "Detective, what's the meaning of this? Whether you found a Werewolf or human, revealing it would be the optimal play, no?"
Bao Liu spoke up with a dark expression, though his words weren't aimed at supporting the others:
"Mr. Detective over here can't even share his findings properly—doesn't seem like a good guy to me. And you damn otaku, you're the one who started this riddle crap by being vague about your ability, giving the detective an excuse to hold back now."
"And you Soldier, acting all high and mighty after going solo all day. I can't stand pretentious assholes like you!"
Bao Liu's indiscriminate insults targeted all three men simultaneously.
Only after Bao Liu finished did Lin Yu leisurely respond:
"Do you honestly think revealing everything I find would be beneficial?"
"Think carefully, fools. What if the person I checked turns out to be human?"
Leveraging his arrogant detective persona, Lin Yu counterattacked while insulting everyone equally.
Hearing this, Xia Yue froze momentarily before recalling Lin Yu's daytime comment about "Werewolves not knowing each other's identities."
A realization dawned on her: "He's right! If the checked person is human... revealing that might not actually help much!"
Chen Zhuo looked confused: "How? That'd be like confirming someone's innocence—giving us good guys more information by eliminating a suspect. How's that not useful?"
Xia Yue patiently explained on Lin Yu's behalf: "But there's a key difference from regular Werewolf games you might've missed—the Werewolves don't know who their teammates are."
Chen Zhuo blinked: "So what?"
Lin Yu leaned back slightly, adopting a lazy tone: "The Werewolves didn't kill anyone on the first night. Could part of the reason be they feared accidentally killing their own teammate?"
This finally made Chen Zhuo understand.
"Ohhh! So not only do we good guys have limited vision... the Werewolves are in the same boat!"
"So Detective, you're not telling us because you don't want to give the Werewolves a safe 'kill' target while also helping them narrow down their search for teammates, right?"
Lin Yu chuckled: "Not completely hopeless after all."
"Then what do we do today?" Xu Xiumei asked with a frown.
"My suggestion is we nominate no one," Lin Yu naturally took the lead again. "A peaceful day and night—let's wait for my investigation results tomorrow before deciding, okay?"
As Lin Yu spoke, the meeting room fell silent again.
Yu Longguo coldly interjected: "And if tomorrow you check another human?"
"If it's human I'll reveal it then. With five humans remaining to hide two Werewolves, the odds are better—plus if you trust my results, you're basically confirming I'm a good guy," Lin Yu said casually. "Who knows? Maybe tomorrow I'll catch a Werewolf right away."
He said this with optimistic laughter.
Xu Xiumei poured cold water on his optimism: "Two in five chance isn't low, but still more likely to be human."
Lin Yu shrugged noncommittally.
Statistically, he'd only had a one in three chance of finding a Werewolf today, yet he'd immediately caught Bao Liu.
But this realization sparked a sudden insight.
"Wait... was this really just luck?"
Such nebulous concepts were precisely what Lin Yu trusted least!
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