Speak of the Devil

"Don't think I'm being harsh," Ren Yi said, rubbing his nose.

"Player 2 already rattled off so many possibilities. If you really want to analyze the Great Anomaly's abilities, you'll be at it forever."

"Is its ability active or passive? Can it be used from the start, or is it only unlocked after all the Lesser Anomalies are dead?"

"It's even possible there is no Great Anomaly at the start, and one of the Anomalies automatically becomes the Great Anomaly once their numbers drop to one."

"So, on the first day, there's really no need for everyone to stress over these imaginary scenarios."

"Cheer up, everyone. Give us a smile."

"When it's time to die, you'll die. If you keep a long face, you won't even look good when the time comes~"

Ren Yi found himself speaking more and more fluently. By the end, he didn't even have to try to act; once he leaned into the persona, talking like this felt surprisingly comfortable.

Unfortunately, he still had a small plan, which required a few serious words.

"Oh... one more thing." Ren Yi tapped his head as if suddenly remembering something.

"To the Peeper, I have a small suggestion."

"Tonight, don't choose your target from among us 'Lost Souls.'"

"I know you might want to say I'm acting out of a guilty conscience, but, well... I have to give you the honest truth, whether it sounds good or not."

Ren Yi's tone took on a hint of deliberate grievance.

"You have to understand, we can't beat the Anomalies, whether it's one or four of them."

"To kill someone, they don't necessarily need to move out in full force."

"The Anomaly who stepped up to play the 'good guy' likely expects to be watched by you. They almost certainly won't make a move."

"So, rather than wasting an opportunity obsessing over one target, you'd be better off looking for some other lucky soul, right?"

"Alright, that's all I have to say... oh, almost forgot. Everyone, remember to vote for me!"

"I'll try my best to live until tomorrow to see you all again. If I don't make it, I'll be floating in the sky watching over you. Jie jie jie..."

With a thud, Ren Yi sat down and slumped lazily into his chair.

He had said everything he needed to. Now, it was up to whether the plan would proceed smoothly.

As he sat, the cluster of small green flames in front of him suddenly dimmed, yet stubbornly refused to go out.

He hadn't expected this thing to be a 'smart' candle.

The moment Ren Yi sat down, Player 4 immediately stood up, looking visibly nervous.

"This... I don't think Player 3 is the Lost Soul, but I mean, he doesn't seem like an Anomaly either."

"I think he's just an Ordinary Human stirring the pot, just like the first two speakers said—afraid the real Lost Souls wouldn't dare to step up later and let an Anomaly steal the leadership position."

"He spent half the time playing with the candle at first. It looked like he suddenly changed his mind."

"He probably just wanted to probe our expressions to see if he could catch something, and only decided to fully claim the Lost Soul role after he was done playing with the candle."

"Of course, I'm not sure... after all, he does seem pretty unhinged."

As he spoke, he stole a glance at Ren Yi, but Ren Yi ignored him entirely, staring up at the pitch-black ceiling as if lost in thought.

Player 4's gaze was flickering, and his speech was timid, constantly qualifying his statements within just a few sentences.

It was clear he just wanted to coast, avoid leading the narrative, and avoid making mistakes.

"I'll just summarize what the others said."

"I think the consensus so far is that the rooms might be somewhat useful, but there's a high probability they can be breached by the Great Anomaly's special ability."

"However, the Anomaly's special ability is still up for debate. It's very likely they can't just kill whoever they want."

"But that's more for the Anomalies and the Locksmith to worry about. It doesn't have much to do with us Ordinary Humans."

"Uh... that's all I'll say. I'll vote depending on how things go. I don't think Number 3 is the Lost Soul. I'm done."

As soon as Player 4 sat down, Player 5 stood up. She was a middle-aged woman, dressed properly and exuding a scholarly air; her features somewhat resembled their homeroom teacher, Ms. Zhang.

"Listen, everyone. Aren't you all getting a bit sidetracked with all this discussion?"

"We still have the most critical issue to resolve!"

"Ten rooms, twelve people. How are we supposed to stay tonight?"

"Leaving two people without a room is absolutely out of the question."

"Setting aside how many the Anomalies can kill, if that actually happens, there will be zero trust left between us. This deadly game wouldn't even be worth playing anymore."

"If you ask me, I think we should draw lots." She paused before continuing.

"Let me say this: those who end up in a double room shouldn't feel resentful. In fact, I'd personally prefer to stay in a double room."

"Theoretically, three scenarios can occur in a double room: two humans, one human and one Anomaly, or two Anomalies."

"The cases of two humans or two Anomalies speak for themselves. What I want to address is that one human and one Anomaly isn't necessarily unsafe."

"As someone analyzed earlier, if an Anomaly kills someone in the same room, they are basically preparing to expose their identity. The cost outweighs the gain."

"I believe that at least in the early stages, this scenario is extremely disadvantageous for the Anomalies."

"Secondly, you must realize that among the Special abilities this time, both the Locksmith and the Peeper operate on a 'per room' basis."

"In a double room, the probability of being selected and protected by them is higher."

"Anyway, if you ask me, I'm willing to stay in a double room."

She truly lived up to her appearance as a teacher; her speech was logically sound and carried a natural, convincing authority.

"There's one more thing. I want to talk about 'trust.'" She adjusted her glasses, her tone becoming serious.

"Aside from the Lost Soul, every other Survivor can revive one teammate..."

"This..." She hesitated, as if feeling some things shouldn't be said.

"It would be a lie to say I don't want to be revived, but I still believe we shouldn't discuss this for the first two days to avoid demoralizing everyone."

Seeming to realize she had said too much, Player 5 sighed and didn't continue the topic.

"In short, I haven't seen any bad actors yet."

"Number 3 doesn't look like the Lost Soul and seems a bit abnormal, but I agree with what he said: the Peeper shouldn't look for targets among the 'Lost Souls' today."

"That's all." Having finished, she blew out the candle in front of her, ending her turn.

Up until now, Ren Yi still couldn't tell if any of the previous speakers had a hidden role.

Player 1 was thinking seriously, but his brain didn't seem very sharp. Player 2 looked like a pro player, but would someone with a role be so proactive in showing off?

Player 4 was coasting, which could mean he was hiding something. Player 5, the female teacher, spoke on topics that were... full of humanitarian concern.

With nearly half the players having spoken, besides Ren Yi—the 'Lost Soul' who had come out to join the fun—not a single person had stepped up to claim a role.

Just as Ren Yi was boredly twirling his hair, he felt a piercing gaze.

He looked down and happened to lock eyes with Player 6, who was slowly standing up.

Player 6 was also a girl, with her hair in a neat ponytail and wearing tight fitness gear. Her posture was upright, and she looked exceptionally capable.

It seemed that in this Anomaly world themed around a "game," the gender ratio of the participants was remarkably balanced.

She tilted her chin up and spoke with a resonant voice: "Everyone, the Lost Soul is right here."

Speak of the devil.