In Virtual Reality 82 ☆ The Hydrangea Park (6/33)

At least five players had assembled in the shadows, oblivious to each other's presence. Most players in this game had taken one look at their identity cards and immediately sought out others with unknown identities. With this purpose in mind, two individuals crossed paths at a fork in the road.

Beneath the ominous night sky that loomed over the park, shrouding it in mystery and danger, a woman garbed in a robe adorned with stars and a wide-brimmed hat stood under a massive flower-shaped sculpture. She gazed intently at the being that had just arrived, standing a short distance away. It could hardly be called a person, for it had already shed its human disguise, revealing itself as the werewolf that lurked amongst them in this game.

"Oh?" Madam Stargazer's lips curled up into a smile that did not reach her eyes as she placed her hand to her mouth. "It seems that I have found the first werewolf."

The accused monster made a gurgling noise in its throat, its sharp pupils scanning its surroundings. It then spoke with contempt, "Huh? Are all the participants in this game so dim-witted?"

The werewolf's words dripped with sarcasm, causing even Madam Stargazer's smile to falter momentarily. A sudden spark of fury ignited in her starry purple eyes. In an instant, a bolt of lightning as thick as an arm shot down from the heavens, striking the very spot where the werewolf had stood just a moment before. The deafening crackle of electricity echoed through the park, sending chills down the werewolf's spine.

"You!" The werewolf bared its fangs and claws, glinting menacingly in the dim light. It peered at the crackling purple lightning that still danced across the ground, its lupine features wild and feral. "How dare you make a move?!"

Madam Stargazer simply crossed her arms, exuding an air of mystique and languor. She arched an eyebrow, and a sinister glint flickered in her eyes. "What? Are you afraid? Then be a good boy and suckle on the honey of little bees. NOW Stow away that wolfish stench!" admonished Madam sharply, her eyes glinting with sly amusement.

Another lightning bolt sliced through the air, landing mere centimetres away from the werewolf's hulking form while illuminating the surrounding woods.

It growled in frustration at Madam Stargazer's warning, "In this game, only the werewolf may act. Are you playing tough chick?"

Madam Stargazer's eyes twinkled with mirth. "Oh, no need to be so grumpy. I'm simply celebrating our meeting." She gestured towards the werewolf's newly acquired statically fluffed-up fur. "Don't you look adorable?"

The werewolf remained silent, its fur bristling with annoyance.

"But you see," continued Madam Stargazer, her voice carrying a menacing undertone, "there are certain unspoken rules in this game. Have you not played 'Murphy's Amusement Park' before?"

The werewolf's brow furrowed. "What is that?"

Madam Stargazer was taken aback. "My goodness, I'm beginning to doubt you... Nevertheless, I'll take pity on you since you do look quite...cute." She jingled the small bell to her wizard hat, sending shivers down the werewolf's spine. "Allow me to explain, little puppy."

The werewolf snarled in protest, "Hey!"

"According to the game's rules," recited Madam Stargazer, "civilians cannot assassinate other civilians, judges cannot assassinate civilians or werewolves, and werewolves can only assassinate other werewolves." She paused for emphasis before continuing but was interrupted by another voice.

"This means that civilians, can kill judges and werewolfs, while also they may collaborate with judges to eliminate any participant, while werewolves may unknowingly kill their own kind."

Two figures emerged from the small grove nearby, their footsteps crunching on the fallen leaves beneath them. The man, sporting a pair of silver-framed glasses, looked the part of a cultured intellectual. He adjusted his frames with a polite smile, though there was something eerie about his expression that didn't sit well with the others. "Excuse me, did I explain it adequately?" he asked.

"Ha~" Madam Stargazer released a heavy sigh. "That's why I detest those who beat around the bush in this game the most."

The man chuckled lowly, the colours swirling in his slender phoenix eyes concealed by the reflective lenses. "Indubitably."

"Hmph." A cold huff escaped the other figure's lips as the two exchanged a glance.

The girl with pink animal ears fidgeted nervously, clutching the ancient tome. "Um, um," she stuttered, "Please, let's not argue..."

"It's still nighttime... the four of us met, so it's a good opportunity to exchange information," the bespectacled man interjected.

Rubbing her long ears, the younger-looking girl introduced herself, "I'm 【Fox Snap】, a management genre streamer. I was invited to participate in the game's closed beta."

Madam Stargazer's expression softened at the charm of the blushing animal-eared girl. She softly said, "Oh dear, it looks like your 【skin】 is that of a beastkin mage? But do you need a mage skin for a management game?"

Fox Snap's thick tome was likely her magical instrument, and though she appeared innocent and pure, who knew what lurked beneath the surface? Who knows if she'll prove a troublemaker in the games to come.

Furthermore, not only were the invited participants for this closed beta from the game website's internal streamers, but other streamers from other platforms also joined in the fun for their views.

Fox Snap clutched the ancient tome firmly and appeared a tad bashful. "I, uh, played management games before, and this skin has a 30% bonus for all races."

Madam Stargazer retracted her inquisitive gaze and replied, "Well, that's not a bad reason." She then extended her neatly painted nails, pointing towards the direction of the werewolf. "So, it's safe to assume he's a werewolf?"

"You're talking out of your hat!" the werewolf snarled, shooting a reproachful look at Madam Stargazer. His gaze then shifted to the other two with a cautious expression, understanding that he needed to explain himself lest he be voted out next round. "In my last game, a survival game, this form reduces consumption rate by 40%, increases attack and critical hit by 130%, and augments defence and speed by 200%," the werewolf elucidated. "While I can change to a human form, doing so will reset all my buffs. Therefore, I cannot revert from this form." He paused for a moment before continuing, his tone monotone. "The mist over there is making me feel uneasy."

The mist, a murky blend of black and grey, enveloped them, swirling around but never approaching too close. It encircled the group, obscuring the world beyond their little bubble.

"My ID is the 【Lone Wolf of the Apocalypse】," Lone Wolf stated matter-of-factly, his tone devoid of any hint of pride or shame, "Hey, perhaps we'll have the chance to add each other as friends."

A chuckle escaped Madam Stargazer's lips before she could suppress it.

"What's so funny?" the werewolf turned to face her, his furry ears betraying his annoyance.

"Oh, nothing," Madam retracted her delicate hand, regaining her air of elegance and mystery. "But, let me remind you, referring to an unknown woman as 'hey' is not proper. You can call her 'madam' or 'miss', but never 'hey', understood, Puppy~?"

"I'll bite you!!"

With a crack of lightning, Madam Stargazer disappeared from view. While the others searched for her, the werewolf's wet nose twitched. He quickly turned his attention elsewhere.

"Oh my, we have one of the less intelligent participants in this internal test," Madam Stargazer drawled, leaning on a rustic yellow-brown broomstick. "Why are there always such brainless ones~? My ID is 【Madam】," she pursed her lips, her eyes flickering as she turned to the shy beast-eared girl standing nearby. "But you can call me Yes Madam if you'd like~!"

Fox Snap: "!"

The beast ear girl trembled as she was suddenly stared at, clutching the ancient tome tightly as she pitifully stepped back, standing in the shadow of the bespectacled man.

Three of the four players had already introduced themselves, leaving the curious gaze fixed on the bespectacled man, who had been just observing.

"I go by 【Asmodeus】, just a small-time streamer from an external site," he said calmly.

The woman sneered, "Small-time? Old Q wouldn't bother with small-time streamers."

Asmodeus smiled without uttering a word.

"Now that there are four of us here, six others are scattered elsewhere on the field," Fox Snap interjected, eager to showcase her willingness to play along. "The game hasn't disclosed how many of these ten players are werewolves. We need to be open and honest, as Madam said."

Lone Wolf scoffed, "Open and honest? Who would believe that? This is Werewolf Kill! Even in the tabletop game, it's not played like this. Who in their right mind would choose to be open and honest?"

The woman grew impatient, "Then leave."

Only the three of them, who had played the internal test game of "Murphy's Playground," appeared on the same page.

"You haven't played the internal test game of 'Murphy's Playground,' so you wouldn't understand," Fox Snap explained, "In this game, if the civilians and the Judge want to win, they can only be open and honest. Otherwise, there's a possibility that a civilian will kill all the other civilians and judges."

"Don't you understand?" With a heavy sigh, Asmodeus explained to his companions, "You see, the Judge holds such a title because their role allows them to pass judgments. If a commoner claims to be a mere mortal in front of the Judge, but the Judge deems them a werewolf, then lightning will strike from the heavens above. If the Judge's verdict is correct, the wolf will be eliminated. But, if the Judge's judgment is incorrect, nothing occurs, so the commoner is proven inocent."

Silently, Fox Snap raised her hand, interrupting Asmodeus's monologue. "Typically, there is only one Judge in a game. I am the Judge," she declared.

Lone Wolf was utterly taken aback by the revelation.

"With this game, I can pass judgment on three players," Fox Snap revealed modestly. "I have two more opportunities compared to the protagonist in 'Murphy's Playground.' Now, there are three players besides myself, which leaves four others. So, out of the remaining six, there are at most four werewolves."

At the start of the game, the number of werewolves could not surpass that of the commoners.

"What? That does not entirely eliminate the possibility!" Lone Wolf interjected.

"Towards the end of the game, the total number of commoners and Judges must exceed that of the werewolves," Asmodeus explained as he stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Ideally, there will be no werewolves, meaning the initial count will be four. As for the other six... Well, if we eliminate all six..." With a gentle smile, he concluded, "We only need to eliminate three werewolfs at random, and then we'll have victory in our grasp."

Lone Wolf was speechless. How could he be so ruthless?

"But what if there are werewolves among us?" it persisted, "One? Two? Or even three?"

"Killing one person recoups our investment," Madam Stargazer spoke slowly, "Killing two is worth it, killing three is unbeatable."

Asmodeus chuckled in agreement, "Absolutely. If we're fortunate enough to take out three, we win the game outright."

"Killing one person means we still have three of us left to find six players and kill three of them. The odds are fifty-fifty. And even in the worst-case scenario, three versus three, we'll just slay the remaining players."

"Killing two people leaves two of us to seek out six players and eliminate two based on their remarks. If we still can't finish the game, it's still one simple phrase - kill them all."

Lone Wolf: "..."

What sort of psychopath gathering was this??

——— Translator's Notes ———

Madam Stargazer "占星女士" (zhān xīng nǚ shì) means "astrologer-lady".

Fox Snap "Hu-tu-tu" (狐图图) literally means "Fox Picture Picture"

"末日生存の孤狼" means "Lone Wolf of the Apocalypse".

Asmodeus (阿鲁科玛) Alu-Komar - a name with no meaning (?)