After completing the task, Lin Yu and Xia Yue left the equipment room without stopping.
Their next assigned task was still on the second floor—only this time, it was in the "Prayer room" on the other side of the floor. They had to arrange the sacrifices and light the candles.
Although they had plenty of time before the next task was due, neither Lin Yu nor Xia Yue wanted to waste any extra time.
However, after completing a task together, the two seemed to have grown considerably more familiar with each other.
This was especially true for Xia Yue. This delicate, beautiful girl seemed to have developed a kind of dependence on Lin Yu due to the bridge effect caused by being in the "Death game," along with his efficiency and reliability while completing the task...
Lin Yu felt that she seemed to have developed some sort of dependent feelings toward him.
Even though Lin Yu had been rather cold and harsh toward her earlier, she did not seem to take it to heart.
As they hurried toward their next task, Xia Yue even took the initiative to speak to Lin Yu.
"Lin Yu, come to think of it... have you used the [Detective] ability yet?"
As Xia Yue spoke, she walked lightly ahead of Lin Yu with her hands behind her back, completely exposing her back to him.
Lin Yu grew somewhat wary when he heard Xia Yue's question.
However, seeing how defenseless Xia Yue looked, Lin Yu hesitated for a moment before answering her.
"I haven't used it yet."
Lin Yu answered truthfully.
Xia Yue turned around and continued walking backward without slowing down, asking curiously, "Huh? Why not...? How are you planning to use it?"
Lin Yu pondered for a moment before saying, "To be honest, an information role like the 'Detective,' which can determine the direction of the Game, is bound to be the Werewolves' primary target."
"Maybe to you all, it wouldn't matter if I investigated a villager on the first day. Either way, I'd have helped you eliminate one suspect..."
"But for me, if I can't find a Werewolf and vote him out on the first day... then if there are two Werewolves still in the game on the second day, and they've 'recognized' each other after a day, my situation will become extremely dangerous—even yours will become extremely dangerous."
Lin Yu analyzed the situation methodically, but Xia Yue looked a little confused as she listened.
She tilted her head and thought for a moment before waving her hand in apparent surrender.
"Fine... then how are you planning to use it?"
"For the first day's investigation, I plan to save it for the final 'meeting phase.' At that point, I'll carefully deduce their identities based on what they say, then lock onto the most suspicious person."
Lin Yu spoke seriously.
Upon hearing this, Xia Yue smiled, her eyes curving like crescent moons.
"That's amazing, Detective. I feel like this Game will be much easier with you around."
Xia Yue spoke earnestly.
The two chatted as they walked, and they had already covered most of the distance. They passed the spiral staircase in the middle of the Ancient castle.
Footsteps and voices came from the staircase.
"Damn it, this task is way too damn ridiculous! I even knocked my hand against something!"
"Exactly, Sixth Brother. This task is seriously damn twisted..."
"Where's the next task again? Forget it, never mind. Let's find the others first!"
Judging by the voices, it was clearly Bao Liu and Yao Zhengye!
As their voices and footsteps drew closer, Lin Yu hurriedly grabbed Xia Yue and pulled her behind the corner of the staircase.
Xia Yue was startled when Lin Yu grabbed her.
She was just about to cry out instinctively when Lin Yu clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Be careful. The two of them might be Werewolves!"
Lin Yu spoke in a lowered voice.
Xia Yue looked at Lin Yu with a hint of confusion and surprise.
"This Ancient castle is really damn huge!"
"Yeah. If the owner lived here and got up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, wouldn't he end up shitting his pants?"
"I'm telling you, did anyone really live in this creepy place?"
Bao Liu and Yao Zhengye's voices gradually faded, seemingly heading toward the first floor.
Only then did Lin Yu remove his hand from Xia Yue's mouth.
Xia Yue quickly slipped out of Lin Yu's arms, somewhat flustered as she nervously tugged at the corner of her clothes.
"Let's go!"
Looking a little bashful, she continued walking.
After walking alongside Lin Yu for a while longer, Xia Yue finally spoke again in a low voice. "Um... Detective, why did you say those two were Werewolves?"
"Bao Liu and Yao Zhengye's first task was to add fuel in the equipment room on the third floor. Their second task was in the washroom on the other side of the third floor, and both tasks had estimated completion times of over fifteen minutes."
"It would be impossible for them to finish two tasks in the time it took us to complete one. But if they didn't finish both tasks on the third floor... what would they be going to the first floor for?"
Lin Yu spoke calmly.
Xia Yue recalled what Bao Liu and Yao Zhengye had said and answered instinctively, "I think they said they were going to find someone..."
"Do humans need to find people?"
Lin Yu interrupted her.
Xia Yue's expression finally changed slightly.
"So, those two are very likely Werewolves?"
Lin Yu did not deny it. "At least from my perspective, their behavior is suspicious."
However, the reason Lin Yu appeared so certain was simply because that was how the "Detective" persona should act.
In reality, Lin Yu still had some doubts.
What were the chances of two Werewolves being assigned to the same group right away? How could something like that be such a coincidence?
Moreover, the Werewolves in this Game did not know each other's identities from the start...
So even if they were assigned to the same group, could they really confirm each other's identities so quickly?
If I were a Werewolf...
Lin Yu tried putting himself in their shoes, but he could not imagine how he could determine in such a short time whether the person assigned to his group was his "teammate."
The doubts and sense of incongruity in his heart grew even stronger.
While Lin Yu was pondering, Xia Yue's voice sounded again.
"Detective, we're here."
Lin Yu abruptly raised his head and realized he had nearly walked past the entrance to the "Prayer room."
"Sorry, I was distracted just now."
As he spoke, Lin Yu pushed open the door to the Prayer room.
Compared with the dilapidated, filthy rooms elsewhere in the Ancient castle, this Prayer room was unexpectedly spotless.
The room was not large. Heavy curtains completely covered the windows, allowing barely any light through. Only the candleholders on the walls burned with a dim, eerie glow, leaving the entire room shrouded in darkness.
On the wall directly opposite the entrance stood a shrine slightly taller than a person, carved with reliefs depicting the phases of the moon.
Inside the shrine was a tall humanoid statue. Its naked body was covered in muscles that conveyed both strength and wildness, but its head was missing.
Directly beneath the shrine stood a circular altar covered with sacrifices, along with two kneeling cushions.
When Xia Yue saw the altar, she suddenly cried out.
"Ah...!"
With a horrified expression, she pointed at one of the sacrifices in the center of the altar—a somewhat shriveled, irregular sphere.
Lin Yu had originally thought it was some kind of melon or fruit. But when Xia Yue cried out and he finally saw what the offering looked like, his heart jolted as well.
It was a terrifying human head with all its facial features carved away!
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