Chapter 166: The Country's Number One Last Wordsmith

Player 12 held the guarded-good card, making his stance crucial.

Chen Fan sat directly opposite Player 12. Seeing the thoughtful expression on the other man's face, he guessed that Prisoner's words had struck a chord.

"Hmm... That is indeed a possibility. The speaking demeanor of cards 6 and 7 doesn't seem like normal good guys; they look more like werewolf cards deliberately bussing each other to throw dirt," Player 12 muttered to himself, as if experiencing a sudden epiphany.

"Then, if we directly vote out card 4... is the risk involved within an acceptable range?"

Player 12 grew conflicted again. His previous logic was built on the premise that Prisoner was a good guy, but without a shred of suspicion, he felt a lingering sense of unease.

"If Prisoner is good, then cards 4, 6, and 7 are the three wolves, plus one bussing wolf."

"If Prisoner is bad, then cards 1, 11, 6, and 7 are the four wolves, or maybe cards 1, 4, 6, and 7... wait, no, that's not right." Player 12 ran through the two-sided logic and realized he seemed to have formed a preconceived notion.

"If 6 and 7 aren't wolves, and we replace those two wolves with 3 and 9 who strongly sided, the conclusion still holds. It's just that one of them must be a real power role, and a deep-water wolf is hiding among them."

Player 12 went in circles and eventually trapped himself in his own logic. "What should I do? I keep unconsciously following Prisoner's train of thought, and it's so easy to get led astray..."

Doubting until the very end, Player 12, the guarded-good player, even showed signs of turning traitor. "I gave you my vote because you issued me the guarded-good status, but now it seems I can't let this go. I don't want to vote out 4, but Prisoner spoke really well. Still, we have to vote someone out today."

A flash of inspiration gave Player 12 an idea. "How about this? I want to strike a balance. Today, let's vote Prisoner out, and tonight the witch can poison card 7. When day breaks, we'll let the two seers debate it out. What do you guys think?"

Finally, the guarded-good player even threatened the sheriff. "Striking a balance should be fine, right? If you're really not afraid of losing the debate, and you insist on pushing for 4 later, I might consider turning against you."

Sheriff 11 wore a look of utter astonishment. Had his guarded-good player been possessed? Despite having the advantage, they insisted on striking some bizarre balance. Just because card 4 looked cute and endearing, did he deserve to have his trust trampled on?

The sheriff shook his head and said, "That card 4 is a solidly confirmed wolf. If you were arguing that they are wolf-against-wolf, I might consider your opinion, but with the logic you just used, if I agreed with you, where would my dignity as a seer go?"

"I can accept Prisoner's good-guy identity. I can't control whether you, the guarded-good player, turn traitor. Later, I am definitely pushing the vote onto card 4. Who knows, perhaps with your hint, the wolves who were originally bussing will all jump back onto the wolf team and push the good guys out."

"The sheriff's investigation flow remains as Prisoner said: check 3 first, then 8. I refuse to believe power roles are running wild everywhere; there has to be a fake. Sheriff votes for 4." Sheriff 11 had effectively tied himself to Prisoner's chariot, forcibly dragging the rest of the players along for a high-speed ride.

Kim Rich, who had been silent for a long time, spoke up: "The thrilling moment is about to arrive! Are you all ready to take over my private beach? Three, two, one..."

Chen Fan had very little time to think. The guarded-good player had blundered in a critical round, and he had no idea how many votes could be salvaged. Unfortunately, he lacked telepathy and could not perceive the turbulent waves of emotion in the players' hearts at that moment.

One thing was certain: Xiao Yuhe had at least 2.5 votes against her, and if the wolf team all returned to their faction this round, it would most likely be enough to push Prisoner out of the game.

Chen Fan pondered further. Perhaps, as Player 11 suggested, the guarded-good player's remarks were merely fishing—meant to be heard by the wolves in order to shatter the wolf team's formation.

There was no time for hesitation. Chen Fan looked at his own palm, feeling deeply unsettled. After a series of hesitant bends and flexes, he finally cast his vote for teammate number 4.

"Oh, 4.5 votes to 5. Old fox number 1, congratulations on successfully being elected the manager of my private beach!" Kim Rich stepped forward and placed a woven beach wreath around Prisoner's neck.

Clenching his fists, Prisoner smiled aggrievedly and said, "You guys... seriously... in a game we could have won so easily, you just had to go messing with balance..."

He noted down the players who had cast votes and said, "Players 2, 5, and 8, who didn't vote, are safe to advance to the finals. The wolf team definitely went all-in on voting this round. I'm just surprised card 6 voted for 4 this time—it's possible my earlier judgment was wrong..."

"Card 7 is a confirmed wolf whose actions contradict their words. They sided with 11 during their speech, but their voting hand was very honest, wasn't it? Witch, don't hesitate—just deliver a bottle of poison tonight."

"Wait... then this game gets a bit strange. Could the wolf team be playing a whirlwind bussing strategy?" Prisoner was somewhat baffled by this; the voting pattern was rather perplexing. "Between 3 and 9, there can only be one real seer, and one of them is bluff-jumping."

"To be honest, apart from those who didn't vote and whom I can vouch for, I can't read anyone else at all. All I know now is that 4 and 7 are confirmed wolves. Maybe I've dyed my hair too many times lately, and my brain can't quite keep up."

Prisoner scratched his head. There were too many unexpected twists, overturning his original assumptions. "You, number 12, are just a clueless civilian. If we lose this game, you're taking at least half the blame. Sheriff, don't change your investigation flow. Since you can read the situation now, I hope you can lead the good guys to victory."

"Don't tell me you guys voted for me in the first round just because you hold a grudge, or because you wanted to hear a tear-jerking last words speech, and that's why you brutally murdered me?" Prisoner complained in a magnetic yet spoiled tone, shyly covering his face with his hand.

"The civilian is out. Blame me for not drawing a power role; off to do odd jobs on the private beach." Smiling and shaking his head, Prisoner got up and left his seat.

"Adventurers, go ahead and undergo your class advancement first. We'll see each other later." Kim Rich seemed to have been waiting impatiently; the moment he finished speaking, he chased after his dog and vanished from sight.

As a hardcore player of MapleStory, the familiar background music stirred emotions deep within Chen Fan, bringing back memories of those green years. While other kids were out chasing girls, Chen Fan had holed himself up at home playing video games.

To put it without exaggeration, Chen Fan had dedicated his entire youth to the cause of gaming.

Chen Fan boarded the bus to Amoria and arrived at the underground pub in Kerning City. Having no money to pay the fare, Chen Fan had mortgaged his short sword and leather boots to the driver.

"I want to become a thief."

The words slipped out of Chen Fan's mouth. Thieves—that was an era, an era belonging exclusively to faith.

The thief advancement instructor, Dark Lord, was dressed in a bat-like outfit, hanging upside down from the pub's chandelier, staring face-to-face with Chen Fan upside down. The visual impact was intense.

"You're saying? You want to become a thief?" Dark Lord confirmed.

"Yes, I want to become a glorious Hermit."

Thieves came in two varieties: dagger-wielding bandits with shields, and dart-throwing hermits. Chen Fan had always been partial to the dart-throwing thief; their skills were cool and their damage output was explosive. Aside from being a massive money sink, they had no other flaws.

"Oh? Then how much money do you have?" Dark Lord asked bluntly.

"Huh? Money?" Chen Fan reached into his pockets and felt around—not a single coin was there.

"I have no money, only faith." Hope ignited in Chen Fan's eyes.

"Heh, faith." Dark Lord chuckled softly. "Faith requires top-ups, too. If you don't have money..."