Balance

The bickering died down significantly after hearing that.

In times like these, it was better to fight alone than to huddle together for warmth. The team's trust was hanging by a thread, and Qin Shang intended to push it further.

After all, only by separating from these people could he uncover clues in Car No. 2.

Moreover, the assistant's information mentioned the team leader. If the real team leader heard this information, they might reveal a weakness!

He was almost 100% certain that "Don't Touch Me, I'll Turn Green" had abandoned the Sheriff during the hand-holding segment, and she must have her reasons and sources for this!

Those reasons were definitely related to Car No. 2...

There were still over thirty hours left, and he wasn't in a hurry to complete the exploration mission immediately.

Finding the traitors within the team was the most important thing.

Otherwise, continuing with this group would be like a headless chicken crashing around, and he might be the next one to die in a tunnel.

"I'm a passenger..."

"Passenger..."

"I'm also a passenger."

"Passenger."

After a brief moment of looking at each other, several people announced their identities.

A mocking smile immediately appeared on Qin Shang's face.

These people... were indeed all up to something.

Were there four passengers in front of him?

Then who were the God Slayer and the Accomplice? Was it him?

As his thoughts raced, Qin Shang observed everyone's expressions.

Unfortunately, everyone's faces were normal. They all knew that at least three people in the team were lying.

The team leader, the God Slayer, and the Accomplice were definitely still hidden among them.

In other words, at least three people lied when Qin Shang suggested they reveal their identities.

The meager trust between them had completely collapsed.

"The God Slayer and the Accomplice are hiding their identities to protect themselves. Anyone with a brain wouldn't admit it."

"But the reason the team leader won't admit it is intriguing. Are they afraid of being killed?"

"Or is it out of fear of the Con artist profession?"

"It's just unknown if there's a fourth person lying besides the three who did."

"That person would be the most terrifying, possibly the Accomplice, a passenger, or the assistant."

Neither good nor evil...

"Alright, 'Cockroach Jade Feet,' let's not increase the mutual suspicion any further!"

Just then, the Sheriff, who had been playing the role of leader, said with a frown.

Qin Shang curled his lips.

"I've been honest with you all, yet you're all hiding something. The team's trust is long gone."

"Since everyone is playing this game, I don't see the point in following the main group anymore. You guys go ahead."

With that, Qin Shang sat down on the ground.

"What are you doing? Exploration is the main quest. If you don't complete it, you'll be erased!"

"Complete it? Do you think it's possible to complete it like this? It's better to be erased by the game than to be killed by teammates I just met and who are already plotting against me."

"I don't want to black out and die inexplicably halfway through."

"With the God Slayer, Con artist, and Accomplice mixed into the team, who knows who is good and who is a trustworthy partner?"

Qin Shang said indignantly, seemingly to avenge the two deceased, and also mentioned the Con artist.

Inadvertently, he also cleared himself of suspicion as a Con artist.

After speaking, he pointed at the deceased Noblewoman and Thug, his voice filled with anger.

"Don't they trust everyone?"

"You asked them to hold hands, and they held hands. You asked them to report their numbers, and they reported their numbers. And what was the result?"

"I thought the Sheriff, as an old player, would have a solution, but they still died in the instance!"

He was like a startled bird, and no one could see through his performance.

Indeed, of the seven people who entered the instance together, two had died in less than half an hour.

The bodies were still warm...

This young man named 'Fiercely Licking Cockroach Jade Feet,' being an ordinary person with poor psychological resilience, losing control of his emotions seemed perfectly normal to the others.

The next moment, Qin Shang said coldly;

"Anyway, my mind is made up. You guys go ahead with your damn exploration mission. I'm staying in this carriage, and no one can make me leave!"

Hearing this, the Sheriff shot him a dark look.

The Elder Priest raised an eyebrow.

"If that's the case, you might be begging us to trust you later. We probably won't get any new background story prompts until we leave Carriage No. 2. Who knows what else is in here..."

Qin Shang didn't say anything more, as if he was determined to stay in Carriage No. 2.

The Elder Priest sighed and said no more, looking at Qin Shang with pity.

"Good luck. I hope we can meet again someday!"

As they were about to leave, the Sheriff suddenly stopped as if he had thought of something, turning back to give Qin Shang a deep look.

"If one of us four is killed later, you, acting alone, might be the prime suspect."

"After all, you're also a Priest, with the ability to see in the dark. The four of us can hold hands in a circle."

"It's too obvious if someone lets go at a time like this. And with our arms linked, even if the God Slayer and the Accomplice tried to cooperate, the other two would notice."

"So if anyone dies, it definitely won't be one of us."

"Then, you would be the killer..."

At these words, Qin Shang narrowed his eyes.

The Sheriff wasn't stupid!

He thought these guys were still planning to line up single file like before, holding hands to clear the instance.

If they continued like this, the team would suffer casualties every time they entered a tunnel.

However, the Sheriff was clever. The four of them stood in a square, holding hands in a cross.

This way, their arms would be touching. To give a simple example, A's hands would be holding B and C, while also resting on D and B's hands, and so on for everyone else...

It was like drawing a diagonal line, an 'X', across a square.

If one person let go, the other three would feel it. Even if the God Slayer and the Accomplice were covering for each other, any attempt to act would be immediately noticed by the other two.

So, among the four of them, there should be at least one Leader and one Passenger at this moment.

Qin Shang had figured some things out after inheriting the 'Don't Touch Me, I'll Turn Green' talent skill from the Con artist.

The Path of the Gods game had some kind of balancing mechanism.

Yes, balance.

In terms of professions, the Con artist, while receiving hints from deceased teammates, also had to complete their quests.

This meant that Qin Shang couldn't be a traitor and ruthlessly kill everyone in the team to get all the independent clues and clear the instance, because inheriting six people's side quests meant there would always be some that couldn't be completed.

This indirectly protected the game's balance.

There was a moment just now.

A crazy thought flashed through Qin Shang's mind, and he actually considered it.

That is...

If he killed everyone, wouldn't the threat from the God Slayer and the Accomplice be removed?

If the God Slayer and the Accomplice were dead, who else could threaten his exploration of the instance?

In other words, he could achieve a perfect clear!

But it was clear that the game developers seemed to know that this was too overpowered and shameless, even disrupting the balance.

That's why they made the Con artist profession inherit the side quests of deceased players when inheriting their clues.

Qin Shang also began to understand why the Sheriff was so scared when he first heard about the Con artist, but wasn't particularly panicked.

The Sheriff was an old player, and it was highly likely he knew about this.

So he understood that as long as the Con artist wasn't the [Accomplice], the Con artist might not be the biggest threat!

From the way he could easily mention the Priest's and Teacher's skills, Qin Shang knew.

Then, to maintain balance, the existence of the God Slayer was the biggest threat to players. With an Accomplice, they could easily kill people. In other words, if the number of Accomplices exceeded two, then the three of them could directly kill three passengers and one leader at the start of the game.

This would be too much of a disruption to the balance!

So Qin Shang was almost 100% sure that among those four, besides the Leader, there was also a Passenger.

'Buddha Saves the Predestined', 'Grandpa Niu Cosplays Maid to Seduce Zhuang Zhuang's Mom', 'Heart-to-Heart Sister', 'Eagle of Justice'...

Among the four, there was a Passenger, a Leader, a God Slayer, and an Accomplice!

The Sheriff's cross-hand-holding method could clear the instance...

Qin Shang had three reasons for wanting to stay. First, to find clues in Carriage No. 2.

The other was to give them a chance to survive. Of course, his real intention was the opposite. If a man doesn't look out for himself, heaven and earth will destroy him. With his wife still missing, Qin Shang didn't want to die without knowing why.

Since he wasn't the God Slayer or the Accomplice, the culprit had to be among those four. Acting alone would allow him to avoid all risks.

Third, naturally, there's the consideration of whether to inherit the thug's clues and mission. Of course, that's pending.

If any breakthrough clues were discovered, Qin Shang naturally wouldn't want to take on an extra side quest.

His reasons for wanting to be a lone wolf in the team were well-founded.

It's just that he overlooked one point: he suspected others, and they suspected him as well.

Yes, if anyone else were to die next.

Then he, acting alone as the 'Priest,' would become the biggest suspect in everyone's eyes…

However, using the method mentioned by the Sheriff would absolutely prevent the God Slayer and the Accomplice from having a chance to kill!

As soon as they made a move, they would be discovered.

The God Slayer shouldn't be stupid!

So, in other words, if anyone else dies next, it means that 'I,' someone outside of those four, committed the act.

This deduction is sound, but I won't make a move.

I'm neither the God Slayer nor the Accomplice, so I have no reason to kill!

As long as those four stick together, there shouldn't be any casualties.