Chapter 159: Where's My Gun?

“Esteemed soldiers of the Empire, we have arrived at this dreaded sea where danger lurks at every turn. We must remain vigilant at all times.”

The captain at the helm wore a sharply peaked hat adorned with intricate golden acanthus patterns. Coupled with his splendid crimson robe, he looked more like a guest attending a grand ball than a ship’s commander.

“The Empire has enacted the Maritime Act, equating unauthorized plundering with piracy. Yet, some aboard this vessel continue to flout these laws, colluding with pirates. According to recent intelligence, there are traitors among you.”

“Bang!”

The captain slammed his fist on the table, his voice commanding: “Starting tomorrow, each of you will have a chance to speak once per day. After the speeches, a vote will be held to select a suspected traitor. The honor of the Empire shall never be tarnished. The ocean floor of the Atlantic is the only fitting resting place for the Skull Flag.”

“This NPC is a bit intense, tsk tsk,” Chen Fan muttered as he returned to his quarters and locked the door behind him. Outside the porthole, fierce winds whipped the waves, some even crashing into the room. The splattered water didn’t pool but quickly seeped through the wooden floorboards.

“By the looks of it, this must be the late age of sailing ships, with the steam era just around the corner.”

Chen Fan lifted his military coat and noticed a flintlock pistol hanging at his waist—an archaic weapon requiring powder loading and lacking rapid fire capability. Its range was comparable to that of a bow and arrow, hardly practical in combat.

“Tonight, you are afflicted by fear; its source lies to your right.”

Suddenly, the system’s alert tone rang in his mind.

“Damn, I thought there’d be no action on the first night of the Nightmare phase... Why me?” Chen Fan steadied himself and quickly calculated that those to his right were players numbered 7 through 12.

“This could be trouble if someone decides to take me out.”

He grew anxious. With all his skills disabled, if the Nightmare teamed up with the Wolf pack and targeted him, and the Witch failed to use her healing, he’d be a hunter robbed of his gun—only able to reveal the approximate location of the Nightmare, utterly useless otherwise.

“No, no, the Witch should heal on the first night. Otherwise, the Wolves will have an easy time targeting us later,” Chen Fan hoped, wishing for a safe and peaceful night.

The sun slowly rose over the horizon as Chen Fan stepped out of his room.

“First, select a first mate to speak on your behalf,” the captain said coldly.

“Three, two, one...”

Without hesitation, Chen Fan raised his hand decisively. Glancing over, player JY also had their hand raised high.

“Player 10, you speak first,” the captain announced after scanning the room. Five candidates had volunteered, and he pointed randomly.

Player 10 appeared to be a middle-aged man, likely a family man. He was the same player who had earlier claimed to enjoy playing the Witch and casually spreading poison.

“Ah, first up, feeling a bit nervous,” player 10 said in a deep, resonant voice. “On alert for the first kill, but hey, if I die, I still have my final words. No rush.”

He continued, “We have a marker for the Nightmare. The Wolves will likely try to mimic a Seer to confuse us. Civilians, don’t just hide at the bottom—stand brave when it’s time to block a knife. For example, I’m playing a good role. I’ll reveal a strong role to get some attention. You can debate the counterclaims later. Over.”

When it was player 12’s turn, he said, “I’m the only Seer here. Last night, I verified that player 11 is a ‘golden water’ card—good alignment. Player 10’s speech seems fine. Regarding the badge flow, players 1 and 2 have been checked with no notable findings.”

“Since the Nightmare is marked, the Wolves will definitely send someone to counterclaim. Good players should actively align themselves; otherwise, it’ll be tough to fight,” player 12 added before raising his hand to end his turn.

Player 2 didn’t reveal his role but said casually, “Only players 6 and 7 haven’t spoken yet. So far, only player 12 has claimed Seer. Let’s see if the later players can verify kills. I’m a good role. Feel free to assign water cards to players 1 and 3 on either side. Over.”

Chen Fan pondered. Generally, the Nightmare wouldn’t bluff as a Seer given the fear alert, but with JY involved, anything was possible...

The key point was, whether player 7 claimed Seer or not, both JY and player 12 were within the fear’s range, making Chen Fan uneasy.

He also debated whether to reveal the fear information himself, weighing the potential benefits.

“I’m not Seer, just a civilian or better,” Chen Fan thought. “If I die, I still have final words. No rush.”

“Player 10’s performance is decent. Player 12’s Seer claim supports the lower badge, though not strongly. Let’s see if player 7 will counterclaim. For now, ignore that,” Chen Fan briefly reviewed before focusing on player 2’s odd speech.

“You said you want to see if players 6 or 7 will reveal kills. Unless you misspoke, that means you have some inside info,” Chen Fan said.

“Because verification often happens on both sides. You know your Wolf teammates are among players 5 and 7. If player 7 and I are Seers, there’s a chance we’ll detect surprises nearby.”

After analyzing, Chen Fan concluded, “Let’s wait to see what identity player 7 claims before deciding. Player 2’s behavior doesn’t sit well with me.”

JY clasped his hands, smiling: “Let me get to the point—I’m not Seer. But with a Nightmare in play, this can’t be a cowardly Wolf game.”

“I have a bold guess: the Seer might have been terrified by the Nightmare and, fearing they lack verification info to counter a bluff, chose not to claim Seer upfront or hid their claim below the badge.”

JY’s words were always a mix of truth and trickery. He continued, “It’s fine. If things are as I suspect, your Seer can still claim the badge or hide until day two. Even if they die, we can deduce identities through speeches and kill patterns.”

“You Seers can strategize as you wish. Logically, everyone on the badge side has accepted player 10’s good status too quickly. His speech wasn’t outstanding, only mildly favorable.”

“Player 2’s issue is significant. As player 6 mentioned, he has revealed too much information—likely a role that consumes identities. Player 6’s assessment aligns with this. I, too, am a good role.”

JY rested his chin on his hand and said, “The badge side is probably multi-Wolf. If any Wolves are among the badge holders, it must be player 2. When the Seer gets the badge, they must diligently manage badge flow to prevent Wolves from delivering surprise kills.”

“Speeches concluded. Stand down,” JY said, his smile fading as he scrutinized the players.

“Standing down.”

Chen Fan felt a flicker of relief—no counterclaims this round?

But as JY said, with a Nightmare in play, that should not happen. Plus, since the Nightmare’s fear is on him, the Seer has no reason to hide.

Since player 12 was the only one left on the badge side, he automatically became the sheriff.

“Last night, player 9 died.”