The "angel," whose truth Lin Jie had exposed, finally dropped the act.
"Haha, hahahaha!!!!"
The angel laughed maniacally, removing the black mask with an exaggerated flourish and flinging it to the floor.
Beneath the mask was a hideous, bloodied face!
The face was twisted, covered in scars and stitches.
More importantly, it was not a human face at all!
It was a fox's head, with a pointed muzzle and long fur!
"That's right! I'm not an angel!"
"Let's get acquainted again. My name is ⟨Fox⟩, and what I do best is deceive newcomers like you who have just arrived!"
Fox grinned and continued:
"This is neither heaven nor hell. This is a world ten thousand times more terrifying than hell!"
"Too bad I couldn't trick you out of your ring."
"But this is only the beginning!"
"Fox" grabbed Lin Jie, pushed open the door ahead, and threw him inside.
Lin Jie felt the astonishing strength in Fox's arms.
"Hahahaha! Enjoy this killing game to your heart's content!"
After throwing Lin Jie inside, Fox shut the door with a click.
"Hey! Wait!"
"What is this ring?"
"What do you mean by a killing game?"
Lin Jie banged on the door, but there was no response.
With no other choice, Lin Jie had to face the world beyond the door.
He turned around, only to catch a shocking sight.
A werewolf-like figure was gnawing on a corpse's entrails!
Blood flowed, and scraps of flesh flew everywhere.
When the "werewolf" saw Lin Jie enter, he stopped and rose to his feet.
"Welcome. Now the final player has arrived."
Lin Jie forced himself to calm down and surveyed his surroundings again.
The room was decorated in a Western religious style.
Murals covered the walls. Unlike ordinary murals, these depicted scene after scene of werewolves hunting humans!
Sharp claws, blood, terrified and feeble humans.
And what was happening in the room was a true reflection of those murals.
Eight people, their faces filled with terror, sat around a round table.
At the center of that table stood the living werewolf!
At his feet lay a mangled, partially eaten corpse.
Seeing Lin Jie enter, the werewolf waved toward his feet, and the human remains on the table abruptly vanished.
He waved at Lin Jie next.
Lin Jie felt his body fly uncontrollably toward an empty seat at the round table, where he was forced to sit.
"My apologies for making everyone witness such a scene." The werewolf abandoned his earlier savage demeanor and sat upright at the head of the round table.
With a slight movement, he transformed from a werewolf into a human wearing a "werewolf" mask.
"The wait was too long. I was simply too hungry."
"Fortunately, everyone is finally here."
"The game can begin."
The people around the round table exchanged glances, not understanding what the werewolf meant, but none dared ask.
"Everyone here should understand that you are already dead. This is the world of the deceased."
"However, each of you harbors a powerful obsession, hoping for a chance to live again."
"And this game is precisely that chance."
"Only the winners can return to the real world and regain their lives."
"The losers will have their souls scattered and die for good."
"Is there anything you don't understand?"
The werewolf swept his gaze across them, and everyone he looked at felt a chill of dread.
No one dared speak. They all shook their heads.
"Very good." Seeing their response, the werewolf nodded in satisfaction. "Anyone who refuses to cooperate will end up just like the person in my stomach."
He smacked his lips, seemingly savoring the taste from earlier.
Everyone was too terrified to speak.
Lin Jie, however, grew excited instead.
If what this person said was true, he would have a chance to start over!
"This game is very simple," the werewolf continued.
"The game is called-'Werewolf.'"
The name drew different reactions from those present.
Some nodded, while others looked puzzled.
Lin Jie had already calmed down.
He was not merely listening to the werewolf's explanation; he was even observing the other players' reactions.
The younger players wore looks of realization, while the older ones looked puzzled and bewildered.
This was a tabletop game popular among young people, but middle-aged and elderly people might well never have heard of it.
For Lin Jie, it was more than something he had heard of.
He was the president of his school's tabletop gaming club and had played no fewer than a hundred tabletop games.
He was very good at Werewolf.
Lin Jie recalled what the werewolf had just said.
The winners could return to the real world and gain a second life.
The bizarre shooting, the banknotes scattered across the ground, and his own bright future...
Lin Jie secretly clenched his fists.
Since this game had given him such a chance, he had to seize it.
He had to win this game!
The werewolf cleared his throat and continued, "Everyone, please pay attention. I will now explain the rules."
With a sweep of his hand, the murals on the walls began to move.
As the werewolf spoke, the murals displayed the corresponding scenes.
"Nine villagers lived in a small village."
"They lived and worked in peace and harmony, until-"
"Someone died a gruesome death at home!"
"Sharp claws had ripped this person's belly open, and sharp fangs had bitten through their neck!"
"Everyone discovered a large number written in blood on the wall-'3.'"
"And so they realized-"
"Three werewolves had infiltrated the village!"
As the werewolf spoke, the murals displayed the corresponding scene:
A group of villagers gathered around a corpse and the bloody writing on the wall, discussing it anxiously.
"During the day, werewolves are exactly like ordinary people. They cannot be distinguished."
"At night, they reveal their true faces. They choose one villager and brutally kill them!"
"However, the villagers will not sit idly by and wait to die."
"During the day, they hold a meeting, discuss matters, then vote to select one person they believe is a werewolf and execute them!"
The mural changed accordingly: a group of people bound someone tightly and brought them to a guillotine, and the blade fell.
The werewolf continued his explanation.
"Not only that, some brave villagers found ways to counter the werewolves!"
"One villager picked up a crystal ball and became the ⟨Seer⟩."
"⟨Seer⟩: each night, they can check one person's identity to see whether they are good or a werewolf."
"Another villager concocted two potions and became the village's ⟨Witch⟩."
"⟨Witch⟩: she has one antidote and one poison."
"Each night, she can choose to use the antidote to save the player killed that night."
"Or she can use the poison to kill someone she believes is a werewolf."
"A healer cannot heal herself. The Witch cannot use her antidote to save herself."
"Also, please note that the antidote can only save a player [attacked by werewolves]. Otherwise, it will have [the opposite effect]."
"Another villager picked up a shield and became the ⟨Guard⟩."
"⟨Guard⟩: each night, they can protect one villager, preventing that villager from being killed by werewolves."
"But because of the Guard's noble character of sacrificing themselves for others, the Guard cannot protect themselves."
"The Seer, Witch, and Guard are the three ⟨Power Roles⟩ among the good players."
"The remaining good players are ordinary villagers, known as ⟨Villagers⟩."
"If either all the ⟨Power Roles⟩ or all the ⟨Villagers⟩ die, the werewolves win."
"If all the werewolves die, the good players win."
"I will serve as ⟨God⟩ for this game and oversee its progress."
"Those are all the rules for this game of Werewolf."
"Now, are there any questions?"
Having finished reading the rules, ⟨God⟩ swept his gaze across them once more.
"Since there are no questions, then..." God cleared his throat, preparing to proceed to the next step.
"I have a question!" A voice rang out among the players.