Soon after, the woman in uniform reappeared on the screen, her expression grim.
“Those killed by this person will truly die. Therefore, I implore you, do not engage in such acts for merely a small sum of money.”
“Furthermore, you, you only have one chance. Please do not risk everything for a mere 1-in-11 probability! Also, I suggest, wouldn’t it be better if everyone ended the game?”
However, the expressions of everyone present remained unchanged. Evidently, under the allure of generous rewards, the lives of others were deemed insignificant.
Seeing that no one made a move, the woman in uniform’s expression turned helpless as she continued.
“Finally, the Infected’s victory condition is to find and eliminate the three Gatekeepers. Furthermore, to eliminate someone, you merely need to discover their death condition within the game.”
“Additionally, each day, you may mark one person for execution. The person with the most marks will be eliminated. I advise our assassin friend, resorting to murder for money…”
The woman in uniform had lost her previous vigor, clearly detesting a game where lives were truly at stake.
The Legendary Showdown would be broadcast entirely online, thus everyone’s appearance had been altered.
As the Moe God, I greatly appreciated this, for, by some unknown means, I now appeared to be at least 166cm tall. Though my face remained youthful, I finally experienced the sensation of being ‘tall.’
“Next, each of you will have your own designated activity period. As for the Reporter, they not only have their own activity time but can also leave their room at any moment. Return to your rooms now; I hope you discover any clues regarding your identities within them.”
“Aside from the Reporter, everyone else will find their room doors locked and impassable when it is not their designated time. Please remember this.”
Her tone, devoid of its earlier passion, had become purely mechanical.
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately turned and headed towards their rooms. At that moment, the person beside me leaned in and spoke.
“Tell me, do you think we might be the assassin’s target?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. There’s a 1-in-12 chance, so it’s all up to luck.”
Despite my words, a faint sense of foreboding lingered within me. I felt that something was definitely amiss.
The group of twelve individuals dispersed, each returning to their own room and closing the door. I began to meticulously examine my room.
At first glance, it appeared utterly ordinary. A bed, a desk, a chair, a poster affixed to the wall, and a window.
After circling the room once, I found no clues whatsoever.
I ceased my pacing and sat on the edge of the bed, beginning to ponder. First, there were the Gatekeepers. This role seemed akin to that of mere Bystanders.
The girl in uniform hadn’t mentioned any victory conditions for them, so I assumed their goal was simply to survive. Once the others had fought it out and a victor emerged, the Gatekeepers would likely win by default.
While it appeared easy to win, this was far from the truth.
Firstly, the Rivals’ victory condition was to eliminate the Reporter and then escape. This implied they would also need to eliminate the Gatekeepers.
Therefore, the Infected and the Rivals essentially shared the same victory conditions, making an alliance between them perfectly logical.
Then there were the Infected. Judging by their name, they surely possessed some unique privileges beyond ordinary people. And the Quarantine Officer should also have some distinct inspection process…
‘What, then, was my own identity?’ Pondering this question intently, I resumed my search for clues within the room.
Soon, during my thorough search, I discovered a note affixed to the outside of the window.
[Equipment on the third floor. Retrieve quickly.]
After reading it, I swiftly tossed the note outside, destroying the evidence.
In the room, a display panel had inexplicably appeared, bearing the words: [8:00-9:00 Actor].
A glance at the time showed 7:58, meaning my turn was imminent. It seemed I was likely the second player to receive a period of free activity.
I exited my room and proceeded directly towards the third floor. The door was locked, unyielding to any attempt.
I approached, examining it closely for a long while, but still found no way to open it.
‘Was this… a dead end?’
Retreating from the third-floor entrance, I returned to the second floor where my room was located. After wandering around for a bit, I discovered no further clues.
Entering the main hall, I settled onto a sofa and pondered briefly. At this point, I could only verify if I was the Reporter; other identities remained unverifiable.
After pacing a few more times, I returned to my room, contemplating whether to leave the door ajar. I merely pulled it gently shut.
If the door remained unlocked, it would signify that I was the Reporter. I considered not locking it and then opening it later, but if I did, and someone outside happened to catch me, my identity would be exposed, and that would surely be the end.
As the time slot was about to change, I fixed my gaze intently upon the door.