The Locksmith

"This clue seems ambiguous, carrying a certain prophetic vagueness, but in reality, once you strip away its horrific exterior, its direction is very clear."

"It is simply telling us that among the remaining three women—Player 5, Player 6, and myself, Player 11—there is bound to be an Anomaly lurking."

Zhang Qiuqiu’s tone was soothing, as if she were delivering a rigorous academic report.

Ren Yi sat in the shadows, watching her composed and self-assured manner. He marveled inwardly at how exceptionally clever the class monitor truly was.

The truth behind this clue targeted Zhang Qiuqiu’s act of 'possessing' Player 11.

The original intent of that clue was to strike at the logic of Zhang Qiuqiu taking over Player 11's body; it was a killing blow to her true identity.

But Zhang Qiuqiu immediately took the initiative to deconstruct the clue, deliberately emphasizing the shallow label of 'gender.'

In doing so, everyone’s logic would follow her lead, falling into the trap of 'catching the ghost among the three women,' thereby ignoring the deeper logic of why 'She' would be within 'Her.'

She had successfully transformed a complex problem of identity replacement into a blind draw with a one-in-three probability.

"According to the logic of the rules, since I am standing in this position, I should naturally defend myself."

Zhang Qiuqiu continued, her eyes hiding an indescribable sense of helplessness. "But I do not intend to recklessly accuse the other two ladies here."

"First, I am certain that I am absolutely not an Anomaly."

"However, based on my previous observations, the performances of Player 5 and Player 6 have also been very normal. At least from my perspective, I haven't found any obvious flaws."

At this point, her tone shifted, becoming heavy.

"Therefore... this means that the thing lurking among us is an extremely terrifying 'deep-water hook' Anomaly."

The moment the term 'deep-water hook' was mentioned, the expressions of several veteran players in the room shifted slightly.

This was a common term used in such games of strategy, describing a killer who hides extremely deep, showing no flaws and instead disguising themselves as an active contributor who earns the trust of the good players.

This kind of killer, who disguises themselves as part of the good faction and even actively leads the narrative, was the most headache-inducing existence in this game.

Zhang Qiuqiu gave a bitter smile, her gaze falling not far from her.

There, in the spot that originally belonged to Lord Cha as Player 12, stood a dull, gray statue with a twisted face. It looked particularly gruesome under the dismal candlelight.

"As for yesterday, Player 5 once questioned me, saying I was smearing Player 12 and deliberately framing a companion."

Zhang Qiuqiu glanced at the stone statue. A flicker of lingering palpitations and fear appropriately crossed her eyes, as if it were the most terrifying nightmare she had ever experienced.

"But I can state once again that everything I said was indeed seen with my own two eyes."

"Player 12's behavior and the strange movements that night were not fabricated in any way."

She took a deep breath and looked around the room with a gaze that was almost hopeful, even humble.

"I know that what happened in the room was my experience alone, and I lack secondary evidence."

"But I can swear in any way possible, even swear upon the rules of this Instance... Player 12 was absolutely an Anomaly."

Her words were forceful and resonant, carrying a sincerity capable of piercing through doubt.

Watching from his seat, Ren Yi almost wanted to give her a round of applause.

Indeed, there was nothing wrong with those words.

Lord Cha was indeed an Anomaly, and Zhang Qiuqiu certainly wasn't lying.

One Anomaly pointing at another eliminated Anomaly and swearing—this was an unassailable truth on every level.

"Everyone saw the situation yesterday. Player 9's state after being eliminated confirms he was a 'Lost Soul.' We did indeed vote out a good person."

Zhang Qiuqiu sighed, her brow tinged with a bit of dejection. "It was a painful lesson. But it's alright; there are still seven of us left."

"According to our current survival slots and the revival rules, we still have a chance for everyone to survive."

She pulled herself together, her gaze becoming sharp.

"As for why we voted wrong on Player 9, from my perspective, it’s highly likely that someone went wrong during that counter-claim regarding the 'Lost Soul.'"

"As the first speaker, the information I have is simply too limited. For now, I can only wait for the Locksmith to come forward and correct our perspective."

She took one last look in the direction of Player 2.

"Our current luck isn't too bad. Both the Locksmith and the Peeper, our two key Specials, are present. Our chances of winning are still very high."

"Good luck, everyone. Stay alive."

Having finished, Zhang Qiuqiu calmly sat down. She reached out with her slender fingers and gently extinguished the candle in front of her that symbolized the right to speak.

The hall fell into a moment of darkness once again. Then, another flame suddenly flared up at the other end of the table.

The candle in front of Player 1 lit up.

Ren Yi instinctively sat up straight and looked toward Player 1.

During the first few days of this Instance, Player 1 had given off a very mediocre impression.

He always hung back in the crowd, hesitant when he spoke, appearing like a typical civilian who just went with the flow to stay under the radar.

Aside from being scolded to his face by that brat, Player 2, on the first day for being too cowardly, Player 1 had almost no presence at all.

But now, standing under the candlelight, Player 1 exuded a completely different aura.

His previously slightly hunched back was now ramrod straight, and the hesitation in his eyes had been replaced by a razor-sharp edge.

Those eyes, flickering in the shadows, revealed a calmness born of long experience in battle.

Ren Yi felt a chill in his heart. Good, there really are no pushovers in this game.

He had thought Zhang Qiuqiu was the only Best Actress, but he hadn't expected an acting king to be hiding here as well.

Player 1 stood up, bracing both hands on the table as he looked down at everyone.

"I've heard Player 11's speech," Player 1 began. His voice was deep and resonant, a far cry from his previous submissive tone.

"The logic is sound, and the emotion is full. For now, I can grant her a good person status."

"But the reason I say this is because now is not the time to settle accounts with them."

He scanned the room, the corners of his mouth curling into an inscrutable arc.

"I want to tell everyone here, especially the three ladies pointed out by the clue: your turn is not today."

"Regarding that 'She is Within Her' clue, we can spend time deconstructing it tomorrow. Today, we have a more urgent matter to handle."

Player 1 paused. Seeing everyone's confused and tense expressions, his tone became extremely cold.

"I think, by now, the smart ones should have already guessed it."

He raised his hand and pointed at himself.

"That's right, no need to guess. I am the 'Locksmith' who has been hiding for a long time."

As soon as these words were spoken, a rustling sound filled the hall. It seemed many people sat up straight and began to listen intently because of this statement.

Player 1 let out a cold laugh, his tone carrying the confidence of someone in total control.

"Last night, I exercised my power to lock a room. And the room I chose to lock belonged to none other than Player 10."

He stared intently at Player 10's face. Under the ghastly green candlelight, Player 10's face instantly turned deathly pale.

"Since last night was a peaceful night and the Anomaly failed to get a kill..."

"Then, according to the logic of the 'Locksmith,' Player 10, shouldn't you stand up and give everyone a reasonable explanation?"