Chapter 52: 182

Everyone turned their confused eyes on Lin Kuo, and some instinctively took a step away from him. Lin Kuo suppressed the unease rising in his chest, allowing just the right amount of irritation to show on his face—perfectly matching his cold “ice block” persona when faced with false accusations.

Just as he had reasoned earlier, he didn’t believe that the Main System would hand out a few meager clues that could so easily expose his identity to both dungeon participants. Whether he was the “Demon” or the “Escaper” was still unclear. What really worried him was being exposed by the other hidden participant—not as an NPC, but as a fellow player.

After all, he had been the one to suggest everyone come downstairs to read the Demon clue, showing far too much enthusiasm about it. If the other participant figured out he wasn’t an NPC, then regardless of whether he was the “Demon” or the “Escaper,” he’d already be at a disadvantage.

Keeping this in mind, Lin Kuo countered with reverse logic:
  “If I were the Demon, I wouldn’t have asked everyone to come see the Demon clue together.”

The short-haired man suddenly brightened as if struck by inspiration.
  “That makes sense. So you’re the Escaper?”

Lin Kuo almost wanted to kick him but didn’t bother denying it outright. He maintained the principle of reverse logic, letting a flicker of hesitation cross his face. His gaze darted—ever so subtly—toward the bespectacled man.
  “…Anyway, I’m not the Demon.”

This maneuver was what players of Werewolf would call “taking the bullet.” A good player pretending to be a valuable role to draw the wolf’s attention, thus protecting the real target.

By doing this now, Lin Kuo aimed to make the other participant lurking among the NPCs suspicious—an anomaly that would keep them guessing about his true identity.

“‘Tsk, tsk, tsk… I’m suspicious of you!’” Long Hair #1 glared at the short-haired man. “From the start, you were pushing to find both the Escaper and the Demon, and now you’re outright pointing fingers at Sheng Kuo. You’re definitely not a good guy.”

The short-haired man rolled his eyes.
  “You guys are the perfect example of over-schooled idiots. If we’ve found the Escaper, shouldn’t we just protect him?”

Lin Kuo gave a thoughtful pause, then said:
  “That’s fine. Tonight, I’ll stay with him.”

He gestured toward the bespectacled man.

The glasses-wearing man had been hoping to room with Lin Kuo, and now he nearly teared up with joy.
  “Sure, sure!” he said eagerly, nodding rapidly.

“Then you better keep him safe,” the short-haired man added.

Lin Kuo made a noncommittal grunt of acknowledgment. The bespectacled man, completely oblivious, grinned warmly at him.
  “Sheng Kuo, my brother, sorry for doubting you before.”

Lin Kuo merely grunted again.

Meanwhile, the boy with the backpack tossed the rabbit back into the sink, sending water splashing onto a few of the long-haired men, who quickly jumped away with disgusted yelps.

“Relax,” the boy sneered. “It’s just a rabbit, not a grenade.”

“You… you’re so rude!” Long Hair #2 shouted, and soon all six long-haired men were loudly arguing with the boy. The whole topic of the Demon clue was effectively buried under the noise. The argument ended with the high schooler’s sharp tongue overwhelming them, leaving the long-haired men storming off in frustration.

In the living room, the Pillow Woman clutched her pillow and raised her voice.
  “Huh? That’s it? Who’s the Demon, then?”

No one answered her. She tried asking the bespectacled man, but he ignored her too, trailing Lin Kuo closely with excitement still in his voice.
  “Sheng Kuo, my brother! Really, thank you so much!”

Lin Kuo stayed silent as he slowly headed upstairs. His mind churned with thoughts: All three Escaper clues pointed to him. Even the Demon clue matched him. It seemed increasingly clear that the Main System was deliberately sowing confusion, throwing out red herrings. That would also explain why Fatal Villa was rated a three-star dungeon.

First, the rules themselves made it clear only one of the two participants would survive—an effective 50% survival rate. Second, both participants’ identities were shrouded in ambiguity; no matter whether one was the Demon or the Escaper, all clues could apply to either role. Without certainty, neither participant dared act rashly.

They couldn’t risk searching for the code too openly, lest they hand victory to the other player. They also couldn’t kill anyone—the rules stated clearly that only the Demon could kill, and anyone else attempting murder would trigger the “attacking NPC” or “killing a participant” penalties.

The only safe option was to wait for the Main System to release more clues, little by little.

With this passive conclusion in mind, Lin Kuo climbed the stairs. Behind him, a heavy gaze followed him, scrutinizing him carefully before turning to the bespectacled man. This time, that sharp stare lingered on the bespectacled man, watching until Lin Kuo led him into their room and closed the door.

Lin Kuo let the door shut slowly, catching a final glimpse of the others: the long-haired men still arguing, the boy with the backpack lounging indifferently, the Pillow Woman clutching her pillow in thought.

Bang—

The door clicked shut.

Inside, the lights flickered intermittently, and the faint buzz of electricity was enough to put anyone on edge. Lin Kuo turned and saw the bespectacled man standing at the window, glancing between his watch and the moonlit sky.

Lin Kuo followed his gaze. The rain had stopped, revealing a sliver of moon through thick clouds. The damp night air wafted into the room, carrying a chill. Lin Kuo shivered. His clothes were still wet from earlier, and he sneezed softly.

The sneeze didn’t draw the man’s attention. Lin Kuo mentally crossed him off his list of suspects. The reasoning was simple: after carefully listening to his footsteps earlier, it was clear this man’s steps were deliberate but not silent.

Besides, he was dressed in a tailored suit and crocodile leather shoes. No man in such shoes could possibly move in perfect silence.

If anything, his suspicious behavior made Lin Kuo think he might be linked to the code rather than being the other player. Like a wolf silently studying its prey, Lin Kuo’s eyes swept him from head to toe, but after gaining nothing new, he finally asked:
  “What are you doing?”

The man gave no reply.

Lin Kuo repeated the question twice more, but the man seemed lost in thought, staring blankly at the cracked ceiling.

Lin Kuo hated being passive, hated being led by the Main System like this. The feeling of powerlessness gnawed at him.

There were no pillows or blankets on the bed, so Lin Kuo lay back with one arm under his head, deep in thought.

Both he and the other participant still had no idea which role they held. If he wanted to gain the upper hand, he needed to determine his identity first—faster than the other player.

There were only two ways to get new information: entering the wrong code three times, which would prompt an Escaper clue; or waiting until midnight, when a Demon clue would appear.

But after three failed attempts, the lock would reset for three days. If he wanted certainty quickly, he had to secure the Demon clues before the other participant—and destroy them.

With that thought, Lin Kuo opened his eyes sharply and glanced at the bespectacled man. He tested him with a soft call:
  “Liu Yuanque.”

That was the man’s name, but he didn’t react. Perfect.

Having confirmed his plan, Lin Kuo decided to rest. He had prepared meticulously for this three-star dungeon, keeping a strict routine before entering. Closing his eyes again, he drifted off before long.

At 4:48 a.m., he was jolted awake by a rooster’s crow. Sitting up, he peered out the window. The man was asleep on the floor, not blocking his view. Lin Kuo spotted a plump rooster perched on the villa’s wall, crowing loudly as if with a built-in megaphone. Angry shouts and window slams echoed from all around.

The rooster paid no mind, crowing louder, prouder, and three times in a row, taunting its captive audience.

Lin Kuo sat with his head bowed, waiting for his brain to catch up.

“Shut up already!” the short-haired man’s voice called out.
  “Chicken brother, that’s really rude!” Long Hair #1 complained.

Lin Kuo expected Pillow Woman’s loud voice to follow next. Sure enough, she bellowed—not at the rooster, but at the group:
  “The rooster’s crowing, and you’re all still in bed? Lazy pigs!”

The bespectacled man startled awake at her voice, embarrassed when he met Lin Kuo’s gaze.
  “She’s crazy. Ignore her,” he muttered.

Bang, bang, bang!

A knock on their door. Pillow Woman’s voice came sharp from outside.
  “Who are you calling crazy? I slaved away making breakfast for you people, and you dare insult me?”

Lin Kuo got up to open the door. Pillow Woman glared past him into the room, scowling at the bespectacled man.
  “No breakfast for you,” she snapped, storming off to knock on other doors.

Ten minutes later, everyone gathered around the dining table. Eleven chairs for eleven people. Pillow Woman emerged with a pot of congee, followed by bowls, serving each one while chattering:
  “It’s early, I know, but none of us ate last night. Aren’t you hungry? Since the rooster says it’s morning, we might as well get up. Eat, eat—try my cooking!”

Everyone murmured polite thanks.

“There’s not much left in the fridge,” she went on. “But I did see a rabbit in the sink. We can have spicy rabbit stir-fry for lunch—there’s green pepper in the fridge.”

She had no idea the rabbit was a Demon clue.

The group, nervous but trying to stay positive, agreed.

Lin Kuo remained silent.

As they ate, people chattered nervously. They were all alive; the Demon hadn’t killed anyone overnight. Someone expressed relief seeing Lin Kuo and the bespectacled man unharmed. Others admitted they’d barely slept, terrified they’d wake up dead, only to be roused early by a rooster’s crow.

Lin Kuo put down his chopsticks and said flatly,
  “We could…”

He left the thought hanging, but others understood.

The short-haired man slapped his thigh.
  “Right! Since we’re all so worried, let’s pair up tonight.”

Long Hair #1 hesitated.
  “Not a good idea… what if we end up sharing a room with the Demon? Isn’t that like asking for death?”

The short-haired man sneered.
  “You guys are idiots. You read so many books but can’t think beyond them? There are eleven of us, four double rooms, and one triple. That’s a one-in-five chance of being with the Demon. If the Demon dares attack, that’s a sacrifice well made—we’d at least expose him.”

He continued, voice rising with conviction.
  “And if the Demon wants to stay hidden and not attack their roommate, the rest of the rooms still have two people each. Two-on-one—we can overpower him.”

His reasoning won over the others.

“Then let’s assign rooms,” he said, excited. “I’ll say this upfront: I’m not a participant. I’m neither Demon nor Escaper. Staying with me is the safest choice—but I’m not bunking with those six Qing Dynasty fanboys.”

The long-haired men bristled.
  “As if anyone wants to stay with you,” Long Hair #1 shot back. “Half of what comes out of your mouth is vulgar nonsense. Why should we trust you? I won’t share a room with you either!”

The others agreed, splintering their group of six.

That left Lin Kuo, the bespectacled man, the short-haired man, the boy with the backpack, and Pillow Woman.

The bespectacled man quickly set his bowl down.
  “I’ll bunk with Sheng Kuo. We shared last night, and it went fine!”

“Okay,” said the short-haired man. “I’ll take him,” nodding toward the boy.

The boy shrugged.
  “Whatever.”

Now only Pillow Woman remained. The bespectacled man spoke quickly, panicked.
  “Not her. I’m not sharing with that crazy woman.”

Pillow Woman yanked his ear, yelling,
  “You think I want to share a room with you?”

“Ma’am, join us,” the short-haired man offered. “Three in a room is safer.”

Pillow Woman shot the bespectacled man a triumphant glare.
  “See? Plenty of people want to room with me. You think you’re all that?”

The man winced in pain.
  “Fine! Let go!”

Amid the chaos, Lin Kuo remained expressionless, silently relieved. This arrangement suited him perfectly: the bespectacled man was clearly an NPC, while the other participant couldn’t be sure about their roommate’s identity. That uncertainty would make sneaking out for the Demon clue much harder.

For Lin Kuo, it was the opposite. He only needed to wait for his oblivious roommate to zone out to slip away.

At lunch, Pillow Woman actually served the rabbit as stir-fry. Everyone was horrified but admitted it tasted good, some even going for seconds.

By evening, everyone returned to their assigned rooms.

The bespectacled man paced excitedly. Lin Kuo called his name a few times; when he got no response, he pulled out his phone.

His livestream chat was active:

[Viewer]: SweetWind’s still missing.
 [Viewer]: S-God hasn’t appeared either.
 [Viewer]: Could SweetWind still be stuck in the Gu Duel dungeon?
 [Viewer]: Didn’t she say she’d wait for Ah Qi and Yu Ting before challenging again?
 [Viewer]: Yeah, she has to wait for their Gu insects to mature.

Lin Kuo read the comments silently, then tucked his phone away.

His stream moderator, Guan Miao, was on duty, ready to cut the feed if Lin Kuo moved toward the bathroom or acted suspicious. Guan Miao felt like all the fun belonged to others, while all the stress was his, but he kept working diligently for the promised reward points. He messaged Sheng Wen:

[Guan Miao]: He’s doing well. I think he’s close to confirming his identity.
 [Sheng Wen]: Okay.
 [Sheng Wen]: What are the clues?
 [Guan Miao]: Escaper: male, wood, type B blood. Demon: rabbit.
 [Guan Miao]: Want me to analyze?
 [Sheng Wen]: Haven’t been watching, can’t analyze.
 [Guan Miao]: True… but based on his personality, if he’s the Demon, would he kill?
 [Sheng Wen]: Don’t know.
 [Guan Miao]: Fair. I hope he’s the Escaper.
 [Sheng Wen]: Tell me the moment the second Demon clue drops.
 [Guan Miao]: Will do.

Soon after, midnight came.

The mechanical voice echoed through the villa again, cold and emotionless:
  “Midnight. Per the rules, the second Demon clue is now available. It is located in the study on the third floor. Escaper, you may check it. Good luck.”

The announcement faded. Lin Kuo tried calling softly,
  “Liu Yuanque.”

No reaction. The man stared blankly at the window.

Two minutes later, Lin Kuo murmured,
  “I’m going to the bathroom.”

Still no reply.

Satisfied that his roommate was zoned out, Lin Kuo slipped quietly out the door. He’d scouted the villa earlier and knew exactly where the study was.

Sure enough, its door stood open. On the wall, gouged into the plaster by sharp nails, were three numbers:

182.

Lin Kuo—height: 182 cm.

Among this group, he was the tallest. The clue pointed unmistakably to him.