Hearing “Werewolf Village” naturally called to mind the social deduction game, but the rules sounded quite different.

In the classic game, the most important element is the daytime voting phase — without a voting phase, wouldn’t the villagers simply be at the mercy of slaughter?

Bai Youwei asked, “What do villagers do during the day?”

The clown glanced at her. “There are certain secrets about the werewolves within the village. Villagers may explore during the day. When one of the two Kings is killed by a werewolf, the other side wins automatically.”

Hans asked, “Can villagers attack other villagers?”

The clown’s mouth curved into a sinister grin. “Villagers who display violent tendencies will be perceived by other villagers as potential werewolves who might transform at night — and such villagers are often seized and publicly burned at the stake.”

Hans fell silent.

Attacking people during the day results in being burned alive; at night, one cannot leave the house. In other words, villagers could not attack other villagers at any time.

At that moment, as though struck by inspiration, Bai Youwei asked the supervisor, “If a villager who is destined to transform into a werewolf is caught and burned to death by the villagers during the day, would a werewolf still appear that night?”

“In that case…” the clown half-closed its eyes, watching Bai Youwei, “…it would be a peaceful night.”

Bai Youwei understood. Villagers who were fated to transform must have some kind of distinguishing sign during the day — identify them, eliminate them preemptively, and the night would pass safely.

But the objective of this game was certainly not to secure total victory for the village as in the classic game — it was to find a way to eliminate the opposing King first.

If villagers destined to become werewolves showed certain signs during the day, would the target they intended to attack also carry some kind of hint visible in daylight?

Bai Youwei opened her mouth to ask more, but the supervisor cut her off:

“The rules briefing is concluded. Players may now enter Werewolf Village.

“This game operates on a 10-hour cycle: 8 hours of daylight, 2 hours of night. Please mind the game time.

“Then — best of luck to all, and farewell~”

The clown stepped back. The ground beneath its feet suddenly flipped up at a ninety-degree angle, like a box’s lid folding closed again — and the box grew smaller and smaller until it vanished entirely.

On the hillside, only six people remained.

Bai Youwei, Shen Mo, Hans, Dim, Molin, and Breil.

Hans led his three subjects down first.

Bai Youwei stayed where she was and thought things over for a while.

The night lasted only two hours — if it was solely for the werewolf to act, two hours would be sufficient. But considering the full game cycle, the players would have no adequate time to rest.

In other words, sleep was impossible during the night.

Bai Youwei did the math — this game could last at most four “days,” otherwise it would inevitably affect everyone’s condition.

She had to eliminate the opposing side within those four “days.”

Bai Youwei watched Hans’s gradually receding silhouette, and for some reason she felt a vague, inexplicable sense of wrongness in the rules…

Never mind — enter the village first and have a look.

She took Shen Mo’s arm, lifted her skirt in her other hand, and walked lightly down the hillside.

…

They walked along a winding path. On both sides grew green grass and wildflowers, charming little mushrooms, and trees bearing unripe and half-ripe wild fruit.

The signpost at the village entrance bore three characters: Werewolf Village.

Most of the houses in the village had red roofs and white walls, colorful and lively like a fairy-tale town. Someone in the street was playing a cheerful accordion. The smell of tempting freshly baked bread drifted from a bakery. Small birds perched on branches and chirped merrily.

A scene of perfect peace and harmony — with a name that was utterly terrifying.

Not far ahead, an old man who resembled the clown by at least eighty percent hurried toward them, greeting them warmly:

“Welcome, welcome! I am the village chief of Werewolf Village — welcome, brave warriors, who have come to help us!”

—