Great Anomaly

"Listen closely as I explain it to you."

Player 1 didn't seem to mind the others' reactions at all, looking very much like the only sober person in a room full of drunks.

"I believe the rules provided this time are very strange; one could even say their intentions are contradictory."

"You might think the rooms are there to make it easier for the Anomaly to catch and kill people who are alone."

"But if the rooms existed purely to separate us, the rules could have simply stated that the doors lock automatically every night. Why go through the extra trouble of providing keys?"

"Therefore, I believe the rooms themselves actually offer a certain level of protection."

"After all, the rules state that the rooms cannot be destroyed."

"In fact, I think the reason there are fewer rooms than people is to serve as a compensation measure, preventing a situation where the Anomaly can't kill anyone at all."

"According to the theory that rooms are safe, as long as none of us look for keys, the Anomaly naturally won't have a key and won't be able to open doors."

"As for those clues, if we follow this plan, they become optional."

"In that case, the only chance they have to kill is when they are assigned to a double room—namely, their roommate."

"This would help us quickly narrow down the scope of the Anomaly. After all, if one person dies, the other is most likely the Anomaly."

Just then, two of the three candles on the candelabra in front of him suddenly went out, as if reminding him that his time was almost up.

Player 1 was taken aback, and his speaking speed immediately picked up.

"Uh... also, let's analyze the 'Leader' rules."

"This rule is very different from the one I've played before. If this 'Leader' dies at night, they probably can't pass on information by transferring their identity."

"I don't know if you've played it, but this game is a bit different from previous ones; the Leader is chosen blindly at the start."

"On the first day, the Peeper has no information, so they definitely can't come forward to lead the team."

"But this position certainly shouldn't be chosen randomly, so I think the 'Lost Soul' should be the one to lead."

"I suggest the 'Lost Soul' shouldn't be too afraid of death. You need to be brave."

"I don't see an option to reveal identities. Even if the Anomaly gets the 'Leader' position, it still has to pass it on when it's voted out. Then we can see..."

Before Player 1 could finish, the last candle in front of him suddenly flickered out.

His voice vanished instantly, as if it had been thrown into a vacuum.

Immediately after, the candelabra in front of Player 2 suddenly lit up.

Player 2—at least his disguise—looked like a young boy still in middle school.

Wearing glasses, he naturally exuded the aura of a top student.

He was clearly itching to speak, his mind full of rebuttals with no way to express them until now. As soon as the candelabra lit up, he spoke.

"I say, old man, I don't know if I should say this or not."

"I'm starting to wonder if you're an Anomaly sent to play us."

"You're right that if none of us look for keys during the day, then none of the humans or the Anomaly can get a key during the day."

"But is there a possibility that the Anomaly can act at night and look for keys then?"

The kid's tone was blunt and tactless; more likely, he was intentionally provoking Player 1.

As Player 2 spoke, he kept his eyes fixed on Player 1's expression. Since they were neighbors, the candlelight still illuminated Player 1's face.

As soon as those words left his mouth, Player 1's expression froze.

He opened his mouth to speak, but not a single sound came out.

"Fine, I'll assume for now that you're just genuinely stupid."

Player 2 withdrew his gaze, his previously mocking expression fading.

"Aside from that, I also support his earlier point about the 'Lost Soul' coming forward."

"Of course, since I'm saying this, I'm definitely not the Lost Soul."

"To the Lost Soul: you're the one among us least likely to die, so don't be upset about being asked to take the risk and step up."

The kid's tone was somewhat earnest.

"Also, about the rooms," he continued.

"Some parts of Player 1's analysis were correct—the rooms should provide a certain level of protection."

"I believe this protection can be divided into three levels, from dangerous to safe."

"The most dangerous, Level 1: a room without a key. Once a key is found, it can be opened from the outside."

"The better Level 2: after finding a key and taking it into the room, theoretically, the room cannot be opened."

"Note that I said 'theoretically'."

"Level 3 is a room sealed by the 'Locksmith.' This needs no explanation; the rules are set in stone, so there's absolutely no need to worry."

At this point, the boy paused and scanned the room.

"Having said all this, I think everyone should have noticed some issues."

"Why are there three levels?"

"Logically, there should only be two levels: 'Anomaly can kill' and 'Anomaly cannot kill'."

"That's what I wanted to get at. I suspect there's a level in the middle: 'Some Anomalies can kill, some cannot'."

"In short, I believe there are 'Great Anomalies' among the Anomalies who possess special abilities."

The boy's words were powerful and resonant.

"When I say 'Great Anomaly,' I don't mean their killing methods are particularly bizarre or cruel. I mean they can do 'things that affect the game other than killing'."

"In the games I've played before, there were abilities like taking someone down with you when you're eliminated, ignoring shields when killing, or copying a Special's abilities."

"I have a few reasons to prove this."

"First, the requirement for this game is for the Anomaly to kill everyone."

"Although I'm definitely on the side of humanity, from a balance perspective, the Anomaly faction is actually a bit weak right now."

"Therefore, I think it's very reasonable for the Anomaly to have special abilities."

"Second, in the rules, there are indeed parts that seem redundant."

"For example, the last one: 'Clues pointing to the identities and abilities of the Anomalies exist within the manor'."

"If there were no special rules, what use would we have for the Anomaly's abilities? We'd be dead either way."

"Third is what I just mentioned—the design of these safe rooms is a bit unusual, though I haven't figured out exactly why."

This kid seemed like a pro player.

His deductions were extremely well-founded.

At that moment, a message appeared on the Anomaly Web from Lord Cha.

【What is this brat talking about? I don't quite follow.】

【Great Anomaly? Where would we get a Great Anomaly here?】

Ren Yi felt a bit helpless.

Lord Cha, do you really like playing board games?

Why do I get the feeling that you're just a scrub who loves to play?

Before Ren Yi could reply, another message appeared.

Ren Yi looked closely; it was from Lu Zihan.

【Lord Cha, we do indeed have a Great Anomaly here.】

【Huh? Who? Aren't you all first-semester students?】

Lu Zihan was silent for a second.

【Lord Cha, according to that kid's explanation, 'Great Anomaly' here means 'an Anomaly whose abilities can influence the game'.】

【Oh, oh,】 Lord Cha replied immediately. 【So who is it?】

【Is it because some of us can enter rooms through other methods?】

Ren Yi finally organized his thoughts and sent a message.

【Lord Cha, we haven't seen a safe room yet, so we can't be sure if our abilities can 'break down doors.' I don't know if that counts.】

【But the 'Great Anomaly' with the most unique ability here is our class monitor, Zhang Qiuqiu.】

【Her ability is to seize the surface identity of her target at the same time she kills them.】