7: Chapter 7 Nightfall Town, Eight-Player Card Game

A cold notification sound echoed in his mind, carrying a murderous intent unlike anything before:

[Mandatory Team Quest Triggered]

Quest World: Mist Town (Approximate modern European setting)

Quest Name: Real Werewolf Kill

Quest Difficulty: Normal

Number of Participants: 8

Quest Duration: One Night (20:00 today to 08:00 tomorrow)

Faction Division:

Werewolf Faction: Kill all Civilians.

Civilian Faction: Kill all werewolves, or survive until dawn (08:00).

Hidden Quest: Use the [conversion card] to transform any [Werewolf] into a [Civilian], and ultimately ensure all members (all surviving players) welcome the dawn as Civilians.

Hint: Identity cards have been randomly distributed; please act with caution. Death is real.

The light faded, and the feeling of weightlessness vanished. Zhang Hao found himself standing on a cold, damp cobblestone street shrouded in a light mist. It was dusk, and the setting sun's afterglow barely pierced the thick fog, casting long shadows from the Gothic-style buildings. The air was thick with coal smoke, damp wood, and a faint, lingering... scent of blood.

He immediately felt his hoodie pocket. The cold metallic touch of Silver Star brought him a slight sense of relief. Simultaneously, he sensed a message from Silver Star: "Environmental scanning restricted. The mist contains unknown energy interference, reducing precise scanning range to a fifty-meter radius. Multiple high-energy life signatures detected approaching; identified as other players."

Zhang Hao looked around. Soon, seven other figures appeared from different directions on the street. Men and women, dressed differently, but all wearing expressions of caution, bewilderment, and a subtle scrutiny similar to his own.

Temporary Team, Eight Assembled:

Zhang Hao: College student, Talent [Logical Connection], Dream Spirit [Silver Star] (metallic hamster).

Scarred Brute: A man nearly 1.9 meters tall with a hideous scar across his face, fierce eyes, and bulging muscles; he introduced himself by the codename "Iron Fist." A black eagle spirit with sharp eyes and feathers like iron plates perched on his shoulder.

Cold Beauty: Dressed in tight-fitting leather, with a hot figure and an exquisite but ice-cold face; she called herself "Bing Li." A small, translucent ice-crystal snake spirit emitting a cold aura was coiled around her wrist.

Bespectacled Youth: Looking somewhat frail, wearing black-rimmed glasses and subconsciously clutching the hem of his clothes, he appeared quite nervous. Codename "Scholar." His spirit was a thick ancient tome floating beside him, its pages flipping automatically.

Lively Girl: With twin ponytails and large eyes, she looked around curiously. Codename "Rabbit." Her spirit was a fluffy, winged pink lop-eared rabbit, affectionately rubbing against her cheek.

Steady Middle-aged Man: Around forty years old, wearing a casual jacket with a steady temperament, he calmly scanned the environment and everyone. Codename "Old Gun." His spirit was an old-fashioned yet metallic-glinting revolver-style lighter, flipping nimbly between his fingers.

Silent Youth: Seemingly the youngest, possibly just started college, he kept his head down and avoided eye contact, having a very low presence. Codename "Shadow." His spirit almost completely blended into the shadows beneath his feet, making its specific form hard to discern.

Professional Woman: Wearing a well-fitted business suit, she maintained a certain poise even in this environment, her eyes sharp and capable. Codename "Manager." Her spirit was a device in the form of a miniature microphone floating by her ear.

Eight people, eight different temperaments, and eight Dream Spirits of various forms. A silent tension filled the air. Everyone understood that from this moment on, anyone beside them could be an enemy they must kill.

"It seems everyone is here," the steady man, "Old Gun," spoke first. His voice was calm but carried an unquestionable power. "Everyone is clear on the quest. This is my second time participating in a team quest, so I have some experience. Since identities are unknown, I suggest that, at least in the Early Stage, we share the information gathered from environmental scouting to avoid being wiped out by this world's 'native dangers.' As for each other's identities... that will depend on our own skills and insight. What do you think?"

His proposal was pragmatic. Before the werewolves revealed themselves, the unknown environment itself was a massive threat. The group remained silent for a moment before nodding in agreement one by one.

Just then, a notification rang in everyone's minds simultaneously:

[Identity cards have been distributed; please check yours.]

[Faction quest officially begins. Current time: 19:55.]

Zhang Hao's heart stirred, and he immediately pulled up his personal panel, visible only to him. Below the quest log, a shimmering card icon had appeared.

[Your identity is: Civilian]

Civilian... Zhang Hao breathed a sigh of relief. At least his initial stance was on the side of the majority. But his heart quickly tightened again—who were the werewolves? How many were there? According to classic Werewolf game ratios, an eight-player game would likely have three werewolves and five Civilians, or... worse?

He subconsciously activated his [Logical Connection] Talent, his gaze slowly scanning the faces of the other seven.

Scar-faced Iron Fist's eyes were fierce, appearing fearless; Bing Li was expressionless, hard to read; Scholar's eyes darted around, looking even more nervous; Rabbit was still curious, but her grip on her spirit tightened slightly; Old Gun remained steady, showing no flaws; Shadow almost buried his face in his collar; Manager's gaze was sharp, also observing everyone.

Everyone was a suspect; everyone could be wearing a mask.

"Awooo—!"

A shrill, long howl of a wolf came from the mountain forests in the distance, piercing through the thick fog and striking everyone's hearts. Night had officially fallen. The fog seemed even thicker, and the old gas lamps along the street lit up one by one, casting a dim, flickering yellow light. Instead of dispelling the darkness, they cast even more distorted, swaying shadows.

The Real Werewolf Kill game, a high-stakes match where lives were on the line, had raised its bloody curtain in this eerie town shrouded in mist.