Chapter 234: Tricking Players
"White players aren't necessarily non-cannibals either," Ni Tian suddenly said. "To be honest, judging a player's morality based solely on their number is completely unreliable. Some people become red players because they ate someone unknowingly during their initial chaotic evolution. After regaining their senses, they can survive by eating the dead. But I've seen black players who eat people hanging out with cannibal players."
"Why do they eat people?" Xie Man asked incredulously. "Ordinary players have evolution agents. There's no need to use that method to increase their evolution rate!"
"Maybe they think eating people helps evolution more, or they're just mentally unstable," Xu Huo added from the side. "Wasn't Pan Siming's blood drained dry?"
"That means anyone could be suspicious!" Li Weiran looked around at everyone.
"Don't stretch it that far," the gloomy man said. "I trust my judgment. The murderer is among the three people in the left corridor."
"Then aren't you accusing me!" Fan Shiji shouted. "There was clearly a door opening sound, and I didn't lock my door. Why should it be me?"
"Sounds are easier to fake," Xie Man said hesitantly.
"If they can be faked, why can't it be someone else?" Fan Shiji argued indignantly. "Are you going to kill me just based on that?"
The gloomy man was about to step forward, but Li Weiran blocked him. "Without solid evidence, it's better not to act rashly. More people means better mutual restraint. If any of us is hiding their strength, fewer people means higher risk."
"Besides, the sound might not have been made by Fan Shiji," she said, turning to Gao Jun. "Last night, he left his room, and it was right around the time of the first notification."
Everyone's gaze shifted to Gao Jun, who said calmly, "I never left."
"You did," Li Weiran said. "My profession is a hairdresser, so I can manipulate hair with ease."
She pulled out two strands of hair, lightly twisted the ends together, and they joined seamlessly.
"Before I returned to my room yesterday, I tied a hair to your door. I know exactly when you opened and closed it."
Li Weiran let go of the long hair and looked at Gao Jun. "Either you killed Pan Siming and created a diversion, or you're the first clearance player, the 'Hidden One.' Pick one."
Gao Jun curled his lips. "That doesn't mean you saw me leave my room. What's strange about opening the door? I just wanted to check the commotion. Pan Siming is dead, but Big Bear is missing. Why couldn't he be the first clearance player?"
Players who hadn't completed the first task could use that excuse to brush things off, but Xu Huo, who had also passed the first round, knew in his heart that Gao Jun was the player 'Hidden One.' Big Bear had entered the painting and been taken by him. And if Pan Siming had been the first to get the painting, he could have left the game when attacked. The fabricated door-opening sound actually exposed a flaw, indirectly proving that Pan Siming hadn't made it to the exhibition hall. So the one who cleared was Gao Jun, and the timing matched.
"Big Bear and Deng Yu are both missing. They might have died at the hands of monsters. With no evidence, you can say whatever you want, but you left your room, so you're the most suspicious," Li Weiran said.
"Fine, let's say your suspicion is reasonable. But Xu San left his room last night too. Why don't you suspect him?" Gao Jun pointed at Xu Huo.
"I never left my room," Xu Huo said.
"I can vouch for him," Ni Tian immediately added.
"You've already teamed up. Can your mutual testimony be trusted?" Gao Jun changed his tune. "Anyway, you're in the same room. If it's not Xu San, then it's you!"
"You!" Ni Tian was furious.
"You have no proof I left, but Li Weiran has evidence you did," Xu Huo said, glancing at him. "Dragging others into this won't help you."
"Is what she says necessarily true?" Gao Jun retorted. "A few strands of hair? She stayed alone in the corner. Only she knows if she went out or not!"
"No," Xie Man said. "Why couldn't Pan Siming be the one who cleared? He might have been killed after clearing."
The gloomy man glanced at her. "As long as he wasn't killed instantly, Pan Siming could have chosen to leave the game. At the time, the monster was chasing them. Big Bear, who was also fleeing, had no time to kill. And the interval between the door-opening sound and the monster's knock was very short. If the fabricated sound was meant to frame someone, that person would have to be in the left corridor or the exhibition hall."
"But I'm leaning toward Pan Siming not having left the left corridor."
"No matter what you say, you still suspect me," Fan Shiji said. "Since the sound was faked, why couldn't it be you?"
He pointed at the gloomy man. "You've been hiding in the corner the whole time. You're in the first room on the right, closest to the exhibition hall. It's entirely possible you created a false impression and then killed Pan Siming. I think you're the first clearance player!"
"And you!"
Fan Shiji turned and pointed at Xie Man. "You're not far either. Don't play dumb and act innocent."
The group argued back and forth, each accusing the other. It seemed anyone could be Pan Siming's killer, and anyone could be the first clearance player.
"Enough!" The gloomy man suddenly raised his voice. "We won't get anywhere arguing like this. But one thing is certain."
"Even if Big Bear cleared and left the instance, at least one clearance player remains in the art gallery. No one knows who that is right now."
"Mutual accusations won't convince anyone. Let's set aside Pan Siming's murder for now. No one targets anyone else. Let's find the painting first. Does anyone object?"
The group looked at each other and eventually agreed.
"Then let's each search for the painting," Li Weiran said, glaring at Gao Jun.
The players dispersed. Li Weiran and Fan Shiji grouped together. The gloomy man went alone. Lu Gang and Gao Jun paired up. The remaining Xie Man had no partner, so she approached Xu Huo and Ni Tian.
"Have you figured out the connection between the two missing paintings?" she asked quietly.
Xu Huo looked at her. "Not yet. Do you have a clue?"
Xie Man thought for a moment. "I only know both paintings were damaged. But the group photo is already gone, so I don't know if it was actually torn. If it was, then it's possible that a damaged painting during the day becomes a fake painting at night."
"You also know that fake paintings can't be found during the day."
"Other than that, I have no leads."
"According to your theory, if we tear a painting during the day, we'll have a fake painting at night?" Ni Tian said with a half-smile. "You're quite clever. But what if tearing the painting doesn't work and instead attracts the monster?"
Xie Man smiled back. "Tearing the painting might not be the right move. We'll find out tonight."
She pointed at Li Weiran and Fan Shiji in the distance. "They've already damaged a painting. If we can't find the key to clearing, this is the only method to try."
Xu Huo glanced over. Li Weiran and Fan Shiji were looking at the painting "Still Time."
"Still Time" and a sketch were the paintings they had damaged.