True Terror Chapter Fifteen: Werewolf Game, Live Broadcast

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The clown on the television appeared once more, and everyone followed its instructions, seeking out their assigned seats. The other five participants seemed a bit bewildered, but upon noticing how clean everything was and the backdrop, they assumed they were merely being featured on a television program.

They didn’t think much more about it; after all, this was just a round of Werewolf, wasn’t it?

Besides, it was being broadcast live on television. If they performed well, perhaps they’d even become famous among the Werewolf community.

“This round’s task is Werewolf, the standard version!”

“I’ll be the judge for this game, hee hee!”

“This game will be broadcast live in real time.”

Once more, the clown’s eerie, distorted voice echoed from the television.

The standard version of Werewolf usually consisted of twelve players: four villagers, four werewolves, and the special roles—Seer, Witch, Guard, and Hunter.

There were two victory conditions. First, the villagers could win by successfully identifying the werewolves, voting them out during the day, or using the Witch’s poison to eliminate one at night, or having the Hunter shoot one during the day. If a player was killed by the Witch’s poison, the Hunter could not retaliate.

Under these circumstances, the villagers claimed victory. Conversely, for the werewolves to win, they could use the methods of eliminating all villagers or targeting the special roles. However, this game’s rules forbade both strategies.

Werewolves could only win by voting during the day and killing at night.

Once the clown finished explaining the rules, it was clear that the role of judge was essential to the game, ensuring fairness—essentially, the judge was akin to a host, guiding the flow of the game. This time, the clown was the judge.

“Now, the game officially begins.”

“Please turn over the identity card in front of you.”

“Rest well, and don’t try to peek at anyone else’s card.”

“Otherwise, you’ll be punished... hahahaha…”

Originally, there were no cards on the table, but as soon as the clown finished speaking, a card bearing the clown’s face appeared before each player.

The seating was as follows: on the left side sat Mo Han, Mo Yan, Su Zheyuan, Sun Jing, Zhang Ling’er, and Du Lanxin. On the opposite side, facing Mo Han, were Wei Yi (number 7), an enthusiast of Werewolf, Xiao Zhang (8), Xiao Wang (9), Xiao Zhu (10), Xiao Yong (11), and Xiao Tian (12).

Mo Han was the first to flip over his identity card. To his surprise, he discovered he had drawn one of the most crucial roles for the villagers—the Seer. The Seer, Witch, Guard, Hunter, and Werewolves were all roles who could open their eyes at night.

The Seer could check a player’s identity each night. The Witch possessed one antidote and one poison—she could use the antidote to save the player attacked by the werewolves on the first night. However, many experienced Witches chose not to save the first-night victim, as some werewolves would feign an attack to bait the antidote. The Witch could use her poison at night to kill a player she suspected to be a werewolf.

The Guard could protect himself or another player but could not guard the same player two nights in a row. Lastly, the Hunter could shoot a player at night when he died.

Villagers possessed no special abilities. They had to listen to everyone’s statements and deduce who the werewolves were before casting their votes.

The others also turned over their identity cards, checking their assigned roles.

“As night falls, please close your eyes,” the clown intoned, and at once, darkness engulfed everyone.

Mo Yan, sitting closest to Mo Han, could no longer sense her brother’s presence at all. It was as if each person had been enveloped in their own individual darkness; though they all fell into darkness together, their positions no longer aligned.

The youngest, Su Zheyuan, grew tense. He opened his mouth to call out for Mo Han and Mo Yan, but no matter how hard he tried, he found himself utterly voiceless.

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"Werewolves, please open your eyes. Which player do you wish to kill?"

Only those with a werewolf identity card could hear the clown’s words.

"Seer, please open your eyes. Which player do you wish to check?"

The clown’s voice now sounded mechanical and emotionless.

As the clown spoke, Mo Han’s vision was suddenly restored. In Werewolf, players who could open their eyes at night never did so at the same time—otherwise, the werewolves would immediately know which of the villagers had special roles. The same logic applied in reverse: if the Seer or others discovered who the werewolves were, the game would lose its challenge.

Thus, all players who could open their eyes at night did so in turns.

Mo Han pondered and decided to check his sister’s identity. If he knew his sister’s role, it would be easier to coordinate and vote against the werewolves together.

It was common for Seers to check the players seated next to them, unless they were seated at position seven, in which case some Seers might skip checking six and opt to check eight or twelve.

"Her identity is... villager."

Hearing that his sister was a villager, Mo Han breathed a sigh of relief.

In this game, it was clear: if you lost, you would truly disappear.

Mo Han dreaded the possibility that he and his sister would end up on opposing teams.

"Witch, please open your eyes. Player six was attacked. Do you want to save them?"

"Will you use your poison?"

The Witch could see which player the werewolves attacked on the first night. Of course, only the Witch was privy to this information, and only the Witch heard the clown’s message.

"Guard, please open your eyes. Who do you want to protect?"

"Hunter, please open your eyes. Will you fire your shot?"

"Day has broken. The campaign for Sheriff begins now."

No one knew how much time had passed in the darkness. Each person tried to speak or reach out to those beside them, but inevitably failed—everyone seemed trapped in their own sealed, dark space.

The Sheriff held 1.5 votes, crucial in the final round of voting.

On the left, only Mo Han and Zhang Ling’er (player five) raised their signs to campaign for Sheriff. On the right, more joined: Wei Yi (seven), as well as players ten, eleven, and twelve.

“Player seven, your statement please. You have sixty seconds.”

The television had now descended to just thirty centimeters above the table. To the right of the clown’s image, a countdown began. The unplugged television glowed on its own—an eerie spectacle.

"I'm a villager here, and I simply don't trust anyone. I will not drop out of the Sheriff campaign." Dropping out meant withdrawing from the election.

Player seven’s statement mirrored the feelings of Mo Han’s group. Knowing that failure meant annihilation, their caution was understandable. In Werewolf, you could trust no one—especially when your life was at stake. However, the five newcomers who weren't part of the original group didn't find anything odd in player seven’s words.

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"Pass..."

"Like player seven, I pass..."

"Pass..."

"Pass..."

Meanwhile, viewers were entering the live stream room via the platform. In their perspective, the clown was actually seated at the table, just wearing garish makeup.

Finally, it was Zhang Ling’er’s (player five) turn to speak.

“None of us are revealing our identities, for the same reasons, haha…”

“My role is a villager, or perhaps one of the special roles.”

“I won’t drop out of the Sheriff campaign unless the Seer speaks up.”

“That’s all, I pass.”

At last, it was Mo Han’s turn. Having just checked a villager, he decided not to reveal his role directly out of caution.

If this had been a regular game of Werewolf, perhaps Mo Han would have outed himself. But with everyone’s lives on the line, he couldn’t afford to be reckless.

“My current role is a villager. If you trust me, I’ll lead everyone to the end. Give me the badge of Sheriff, and I guarantee you’ll all ‘survive’ until the conclusion.”

Mo Han began canvassing for votes, his eyes sweeping over the participants, pausing meaningfully on those involved in the mission.

He believed his message was clear enough; his only uncertainty was whether any of the mission’s participants were secretly werewolves.

Mo Han wasn’t just campaigning; he was also testing the others. They were all newcomers and would need his help to clear the event. If they were on the side of the villagers, they’d surely vote for him.

If not, they might hesitate. Mo Han was determined to win the Sheriff’s badge; in addition, their reactions would reveal much—a win-win strategy.

The newcomers understood the hidden message in Mo Han’s speech. Having survived three missions, he was the most experienced among them. His final words—leading everyone to “survive” to the end—spoke volumes. Normally, players would say they’d lead the villagers to victory; Mo Han deliberately emphasized survival, and the others caught his meaning.

Players five and seven, both newcomers to the event, hesitated, weighing the pros and cons, and finally decided to drop out and trust Mo Han.

After all, as rookies, they needed Mo Han’s guidance to complete the mission.

"Now, let’s vote. Player one, player ten, player eleven, and player twelve, please pick up the sign for the player you wish to vote for."

In the end, Mo Han won the Sheriff’s badge by an overwhelming majority—just as he’d anticipated. His sister and Su Zheyuan were certain to vote for him, and the newcomers had an eighty percent chance of doing the same. From the very beginning, his victory had been all but assured.