At this moment, Ren Yi couldn't help but feel a bit suspicious.
He wondered if Player 9—who had almost no presence and did nothing but shout that he was the Lost Soul—and Player 10—who was rapidly becoming the stereotype of a grumpy old-timer relying on his seniority—were both newbies.
Otherwise, he was truly curious how they had survived previous games with their current intelligence and mindset.
However, it was hard to say for sure.
In these cooperative death games, there was never a shortage of people being carried by experts, nor was there a lack of those who were brilliant in one round and an absolute disaster in the next.
Player 10 was still rambling.
“...If I were an Anomaly, would I have reacted so strongly to those keys? Would I be so anxious to grab a key to protect myself?”
“Anomalies don't need keys at all; they can move through walls freely. Only good people like us need keys to protect ourselves!”
Ren Yi nodded silently in his heart. Player 10 had spent so much time talking nonsense and hurling insults, yet none of it was as persuasive as this single point.
This statement indeed hit the mark and managed to clear at least a portion of the suspicion surrounding him.
Unfortunately, Player 10 continued to drag out his speaking time until the very end, making Ren Yi feel a bit drowsy.
Finally, Player 10's speech ended, and the candle flame moved slowly, settling before the final speaker, Player 11—Zhang Qiuqiu.
Zhang Qiuqiu stood up slowly. Unlike the green and determined aura she had as Player 7, she now possessed a sense of composure and calm, appearing much more mature and confident.
From her current expression, she was handling the persona of the original Player 11 very well.
She first stated her identity frankly, her tone calm.
“My identity is also that of an Ordinary Civilian. I’m just a normal person who wants to survive and win the game together with everyone.”
This was what she and Ren Yi had agreed upon from the start.
Ren Yi was disguised as the Poison Apprentice to continue deceiving Player 2, the Peeper; therefore, Zhang Qiuqiu needed to pose as an Ordinary Civilian and could not reveal her original identity as Player 7.
Currently, Players 5, 6, and 10 had all claimed to be civilians.
Player 1... likely because he was the first to speak, he hadn't caught on to this trend of self-claiming roles.
Player 2 was the Peeper, Player 3—Ren Yi himself—was an Anomaly masquerading as the Poison Apprentice, and Player 9 was the Lost Soul. As for Player 10... well, he didn't quite fit any of those.
Therefore, someone among these people was likely lying, and that person was the Locksmith.
Zhang Qiuqiu's explanation continued. She looked up, her gaze warm as she turned toward Player 5, her tone sincere.
“Player 5, you mentioned earlier that I might be framing Player 12, and that my account of his death was just my side of the story...”
“Your perspective is perfectly understandable.”
“After all, I was the only one who saw Player 12 transform into an Anomaly. It’s only natural for you to have doubts.”
She sighed softly, her eyes drifting slightly as if recalling the terrifying scene from that night, her voice carrying a faint, subtle trace of lingering fear.
“It’s just that... you haven’t seen an Anomaly with your own eyes. You don’t know how terrifying they are.”
“That fear that chills you to the bone, that despair of knowing you could be killed at any second—only those who have experienced it can truly understand.”
She paused and looked at Ren Yi.
“On this matter, Player 3 should be the one who understands me best.”
“After all, he has also encountered an Anomaly personally and faced one head-on. He knows that fear.”
Ren Yi immediately sat up straight and nodded solemnly in cooperation.
Oh, he understood all right.
On the night of his Awakening, he was so “scared” that he ended up devouring an entire table of food.
Zhang Qiuqiu retracted her gaze and continued her slow explanation.
“Everyone should remember that on the first day, I didn't ask to share a double room with Player 12. That was the result of a ‘random’ assignment.”
“If I were an Anomaly, with their abilities, how could I fail to get a key? Why would I be randomly assigned to a double room and forced to live with someone else?”
“Also, on the first night, when Player 3 was attacked, the Anomaly moved very quickly.”
“According to the descriptions from Player 2 and Player 3, the Anomaly teleported back in just a few seconds.”
She analyzed the situation calmly.
“I suspect that’s because the Anomaly was staying in the same room as me. It was afraid its identity would be exposed, which is why it acted so fast.”
“Of course, if everyone still suspects me, that's fine.”
Her tone was open and honest, without the slightest hint of defensive urgency.
“We still have a margin for error. I’m just an Ordinary Civilian; even if I’m suspected, it won't affect the big picture.”
“As long as we can find the real Anomaly and win the game, my personal suspicion is nothing.”
Finally, she said firmly, “Regarding today's vote, I also support dealing with Player 9. That is all I have to say.”
After speaking, she gave a slight nod and sat down composedly.
With that, every person present had finished speaking.
The candle flames in front of everyone flickered simultaneously, the dancing fire casting shifting shadows across their faces, revealing a variety of expressions.
Without the slightest hesitation, Ren Yi tapped the candle flame in front of him with his fingertip. The flickering flame seemed to possess a will of its own as it followed an invisible path, slowly drifting toward Player 9.
It settled steadily on the candle stand in front of Player 9, igniting a small spark that seemed to pronounce his fate.
Player 9's fate had been sealed even before he spoke; everyone considered him an absolute Anomaly.
Immediately after, the others began to cast their votes one by one.
Without any surprises, all the flames swarmed toward Player 9's position like moths to a flame.
At this moment, Player 9 actually grew calm.
He slowly sat up from the floor and patted the dust and stains off his clothes. His movements were slow and stiff, his face devoid of any expression.
He looked up, his gaze slowly sweeping across everyone present, his eyes eerie and hollow.
He opened his mouth, his lips moving slightly as if speaking, but no sound came out.
Most of the others instinctively avoided his gaze, not daring to look him in the eye.
Only Ren Yi remained in his seat, a faint smile on his face, his eyes calmly meeting Player 9's without any sign of flinching.
He watched Player 9's moving lips and the endless resentment in the depths of his eyes, instantly reading the meaning behind them.
“You will regret this.”
Rate on N.U.
