Chapter 16 : The Killer

The house was huge—like a castle.

Everyone was gathered in what seemed to be the main hall on the first floor.

A thick red carpet ran straight from the front doors to a staircase leading up to the second floor.

The hall was very spacious—about the size of two basketball courts.

In the center stood a long rectangular dining table, covered with a variety of steaming hot foods and freshly rinsed fruits still wet with droplets.

Everyone merely looked at the food—no one dared to taste it.

Sixteen chairs were neatly arranged around the table.

Three people were seated, some were searching for an exit, others were chatting in small groups or standing in solitary contemplation.

On the right side of the hall hung a massive digital clock displaying: 10:41:55, or, in plain terms, 10:41 and 55 seconds.

Besides the clock, three decorative paintings hung on the wood-paneled wall, and further down was a door leading into the kitchen.

On the opposite (left) side of the hall, there was another door—this one leading to the first-floor bath.

No one had ventured upstairs yet, though it was obvious some people were tempted.

Something seemed to be holding them back, keeping them in the hall.

Our elegantly low-profile Lady Hua Ru had successfully blended into the crowd without drawing too much attention.

Others weren’t so discreet—like Lapis Lazuli.

Based on intel Hua Ru had purchased from piapiapia, the flamboyantly dressed young man in sight matched Lapis Lazuli’s description perfectly.

He had bright red-dyed hair slicked back with expert use of hair gel, far flashier than even Chow Yun-fat in God of Gamblers.

His hairstyle looked like it came straight from an anime—spiked and slightly suspended in the back, almost like a hedgehog.

He wore thick black-rimmed glasses, clearly for decoration rather than prescription use.

As for his outfit—it was an eye-blindingly flashy black gemstone ensemble.

Not in-game equipment, of course, but actual clothing: black slacks paired with a black jacket studded with black stones.

It was the peak of luxury and flashiness, like a custom set designed for maximum attention.

With this unforgettable and over-the-top appearance, Hua Ru had no doubt—this guy was definitely the same Lapis Lazuli from the QQ group.

Sweeping her gaze further, she quickly located Dark Sovereign An Xuewu—the oldest one here, though “oldest” only meant he looked about thirty-something.

He appeared rather rundown, with stubble still on his chin.

He sat at the edge of the dining table, smoking with vacant eyes.

He seemed lost in thought.

Despite his unthreatening appearance, if the intel was accurate, this guy was extremely dangerous—a high-intelligence type of player.

Good.

Two identified.

That just left Jiceng Wuyuan and Lin Yuexian, both of whom there was no data on.

Suddenly, a loud bang echoed from the front door.

A flashy young man was kicking at it, accompanied by a gaudily dressed woman.

They clearly looked like a pair.

“Hey! Where the hell is this place? Damn it, whoever did this better hope I don’t find you!” the young man cursed as he tried to force the door open. The woman beside him was just as foul-mouthed, cursing the other players in the room too.

A buzz-cut man in a black military uniform suddenly slapped the table, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Everyone stop. Just listen to me for a moment.”

Once those exploring near the kitchen had returned, the military man climbed onto a chair and continued, “There are no rules yet.

Some of you probably haven’t figured out what’s going on.

Why don’t we sit down and introduce ourselves?”

Interesting… Hua Ru sneered inwardly.

This military man was clearly trying to seize an early leadership position and win over the newbies.

And judging by those two at the door, there were newcomers.

Then again, maybe it was all an act—some veterans pretending to be clueless.

No one objected, so it was taken as a consensus.

The two at the door still looked confused and hesitated to join.

“Hey, what’s your problem? Are you the ones who set this up? What do you want from us?” the flashy young man accused.

“We’re just like you. We all got kidnapped by Ma Huaten.”

The military man cracked a joke, and everyone laughed.

He waved his hand to quiet them before continuing, “You’ll all see the numbered seats, one through sixteen. That’s us—sixteen people. Just pick any seat and sit down.”

Still hesitant, the pair at the door eventually gave in and picked seats when they saw everyone else had already sat and was staring their way.

Hua Ru originally aimed for Seat 8—it wasn’t too conspicuous—but a fat guy snatched it and shoved her into Seat 9 instead.

Looking up—what a coincidence! Sitting directly across in Seat 10 was An Xuewu, still puffing away on his cigarette.

The smoke was so strong it made Seat 11 reluctant to get too close.

The military man in Seat 1 stood up and introduced himself.

“My name’s Zhou Wei. I’m a freelance writer. Used to make a living writing pieces for media outlets. I just entered this world two weeks ago. This is my third time in the Dark World.”

After sitting down, his eyes turned toward Seat 2—a clear sign it was their turn.

That seat belonged to a woman—tall and delicate-looking, probably about 1.7 to 1.8 meters in height.

She was strikingly beautiful, though beauty was common in the Dark World, where avatars could be crafted freely.

Her outfit was revealing, and her choice to sit next to Seat 1 made her motives clear: she was trying to curry favor with the leader.

However, her acting was a bit over-the-top.

Clearly, not every Oscar-winning actor walks the streets.

She was trying to seem weak and fragile—but it came off as theatrical and forced.

As a seasoned actor, Hua Ru could instantly tell she was faking it.

This made her thoughtful.

The woman’s revealing outfit—clearly meant to attract men—felt out of place.

If she also tried to come off as fragile while dressed like that, it just seemed fake.

Not only would Hua Ru not believe it, even that clueless “emo couple” at the door wouldn’t buy it.

So, to make her outfit seem “justified,” she needed an identity to serve as a cover.

“I… I’m… Zhang Huiran. I’m a model. I was… doing an outdoor photoshoot just now, and then… I suddenly ended up here. This is my second time entering.”

Alright—definitely a noob.

Hua Ru lost all interest in this kind of “opponent” whose thoughts were this easy to read.

Zhang Huiran, seated at No. 2, was trying to use her “model” identity to explain her revealing clothes.

She even emphasized she was in the middle of a shoot when she was pulled in—suggesting she didn’t hear the system’s 30-minute battlefield entry warning, so she didn’t have time to change.

Or perhaps she was just trying to highlight that she had made no preparations before entering.

In either case, it was a double-edged excuse.

Finally, she dropped the line: “This is my second time entering.”

Believe it or not—Lady Hua Ru wasn’t buying it.

After No. 2 sat down, No. 3 was just about to stand when suddenly, a cold, emotionless voice rang out from the air—its source untraceable.

Floating text began to appear mid-air, signaling the announcement of the rules.

…

Special Notice: This game consists of 16 players:

4 Killers.

4 Police.

8 Civilians.

…

Only Killers and Police can see the identities of their teammates.

…

Victory Condition 1: All 4 Killers are eliminated → Police & Civilians win.

Victory Condition 2: All 4 Police are eliminated → Killers win, Civilians are forcibly eliminated.

Victory Condition 3: All 8 Civilians are eliminated → Killers win, Police are forcibly eliminated.

…

Special Mechanic 1: Killers may kill during the night.

Detail: Killing is only allowed from 00:00 to 06:00

…

Special Mechanic 2: Police may investigate identities during the night.

Detail: Investigation is only allowed from 00:00 to 06:00

…

Special Mechanic 3: From 00:00 to 06:00, all players except Killers cannot leave their rooms.

…

Special Mechanic 4: Starting from Day 2, a voting feature will activate at 20:00 daily. The player with the most votes will be forcibly eliminated.

Detail 1: Voting panel can only be opened in the main hall.

Detail 2: Each player has one vote.

Detail 3: Votes are private during the voting phase but become visible afterward.

Detail 4: In case of a tie, a second round of voting will occur among the tied players.

Detail 5: A maximum of one player can be eliminated per day via voting.

…

Special Mechanic 5: During non-night hours, players are not allowed to kill or restrain others.

Detail 1: “Non-night hours” refer to all times outside 00:00–06:00

Detail 2: If multiple attackers are involved, the killer will be identified based on physical damage dealt.

…

The game will begin in 600 seconds. Countdown: 600, 599, 598…

While Hua Ru was still staring up at the projected rules, a cold system voice suddenly echoed in her mind.

Simultaneously, new text in bold red began to overlay the existing rules in the sky—clearly visible due to its special formatting.

…

You are Player No. 9. You have been assigned the role of: Killer.

You may freely leave your room between 00:00 and 06:00

You may attack up to 1 player per night with your teammates.

You may not attack more than one player

A kill is judged by brain death, and the time of death must not exceed 06:00

No punishment will be given for successfully killing a player during allowed hours.

Your teammates will be marked with the 【Kill】 symbol above their heads.