Gaining the Upper Hand in the Game of Wits, and Motive Puzzles

For Lin Yu, he couldn't be 100% certain that Jue was the "Liar."

But based on Jue's current behavior, Lin Yu felt there was at least a 98% chance she was a "Liar."

At least compared to a "hunter," she seems more like someone who makes Profession by deceiving people.

From the moment they met, she had a knack for filling in the gaps in her "past"—why she became a hunter, where she learned her weapon-handling skills...

She didn't need to "explain" anything; life isn't a drama, and there's no need to explain things to an audience.

Unless, of course, all of this was actually a script and a pre-written plan.

But if that's all there is to it, Lin Yu can't be sure the other party is a "Liar"—after all, in Lin Yu's view, it's just a bit strange, not evidence that the other party is Liar or lying.

Perhaps she simply has a people-pleasing personality due to some kind of trauma from her family of origin, which is why she habitually explains everything she does to others?

In fact, because the other party was the first Player Lin Yu encountered, Lin Yu would actually consider the probability and statistics to be that she was less likely to be a "Liar".

But as time went on and the two spent more time together, Lin Yu increasingly felt that the other person was "lying".

First, she did not use the "Hunter" ability.

Although she used a precise crossbow shot, that doesn't necessarily mean it was due to a "hunter's" ability... it could simply be a skill that the other person mastered through rigorous training.

She identifies herself as "Tier 2".

Even if they lied about this part, to get into this Instance, they should at least be at "Tier 1"!

One of the two [Profession Item] obtainable by a Hunter at Tier 1 is a [trap].

If she had this [Item], she should have tried using it when she suggested taking action. Lin Yu had read about [traps]; this thing has an incredibly fast cooldown among [Profession Item], refreshing every two hours.

He had seen posts within the "Order" community complaining that many "hunters" who chose [Trap] were like obsessive-compulsive disorder patients, placing a [Trap] on the ground every two steps, as if they would suffer a great loss if they didn't use it when the cooldown was over.

Lin Yu had been with her for almost half a day, and this girl hadn't used a single [trap]... If she really did have a [trap] as a [Profession Item], then her willpower was simply astonishing!

As for the other [Profession Item], the [Partner] that Lin Yu had seen "Mosin-Nagant" use, it's even more impossible.

If there were any, they would have been called out much earlier during yesterday's hunt... Even if I didn't have time because I killed too quickly, I shouldn't have done that while traveling today!

While [Partner] does have a cooldown, it's still not as valuable as a semi-consumable Item that can only be used twice per Game!

[Profession Item] are like a cripple's cane or a blind man's guide dog to Player. They're not essential, but if someone has them and refuses to use them, there's definitely something wrong with them.

Just like Lin Yu's two [Profession Item], he's almost overly reliant on them!

Moreover, what truly made Lin Yu go from being suspicious to seriously considering the possibility that "Jue is a 'Liar'" was the appearance of that Crow's head Item.

From the moment that Crow's head appeared, Lin Yu realized that this thing was definitely Item strongly related to the God of Change.

While most Player have little experience interacting with Deity, Lin Yu is quite unique in this regard.

He even has two Deity he can use as examples for reference.

Whether it's the God of Change or the God of Banquets, Item that seem to be directly related to these Deity, such as [Tooth of Prophecy], [Tongue of Deception], and [Carnival Pendant], all carry the will of the Deity themselves, which is why they appear in [Item Rewards].

While it's possible that Fern obtained the Crow's head purely by chance, Lin Yu is more inclined to believe that she genuinely gained the Crow's favor.

Crow will not favor a skilled hunter.

Judging from its full name and the appreciation it expressed for Li Nian and itself, this Crow has a particular fondness for those who are good at "deceiving."

Given that there really is a "Liar" Profession in this Instance, Lin Yu easily prioritizes the possibility that the guy possessing the [Item] related to the God of Change might be...

That "Liar".

Examining Fern's behavior based on this assumption, her initial persona was that of a carefree "hunter," but as she became increasingly aware that Lin Yu seemed to be an "NPC pretending to be Player," her disguise became more and more perfunctory.

She began to show her ability to manipulate human nature, although she was still deliberately acting foolish and naive, but those parts were becoming increasingly perfunctory.

It was as simple as her pretending not to know how to properly use the Crow's head Item to ask two questions in order to get a confirmed answer, but then she asked the questions in a very rigorous way later.

These are two almost contradictory actions.

It's difficult for a carefree person to suddenly become meticulous, but it's quite possible for a meticulous and cautious person to pretend to be careless.

"So, patience is also part of the deception, even for a true Profession 'Liar' certified and self-acknowledged by this Game, even if they've reached 'Tier 2'," Lin Yu gently closed his eyes, "It's nothing special."

Judging from the final outcome of their half-day together, Lin Yu was the clear winner in the "Fraud" contest.

Both of them are concealing their identities... while Lin Yu is still in the shadows, and Jue has already exposed her identity.

In fact, what Fern believed was exactly what Lin Yu wanted her to believe.

This wasn't part of Lin Yu's plan; he hadn't anticipated the possibility that the first person he encountered would be a "Liar."

However, the result was exactly as Lin Yu had predicted.

Ultimately... it's because the part where Fern did the worst was also the part where he did the best.

Because he never slacked off in his "Fraud" using "performance" as a means.

Even when facing the most foolish NPCs, or even when alone, Lin Yu will always stick to his persona.

Therefore, after gaining control of the situation in his battle with the fern, Lin Yu couldn't help but have new questions.

"I concealed my identity because of the 'Fraudster' ability; I disguised myself as an NPC because of the requirements of the 'Rank Advancement Mission'..."

"But despite Liar name, 'Liar,' he doesn't have any abilities that he needs to hide... So why is this guy concealing his identity?"

"It can't be Profession habit!"