Chapter 308 The Accusation Begins

Chapter 308: The Identification Begins

The administrator's voice echoed in the ears of the new players, including Wen Wen, startling them profoundly.

Their initial shock stemmed from the administrator actually adopting their suggestion. Allowing them to identify the killer early was tantamount to prematurely ending the game. Although Sha Linghai was affiliated with the authorities, he was, after all, a novice who had only attended two training sessions. When he shouted those words at the administrator earlier, he had done so with considerable trepidation.

Their second shock was the realization that all players had assumed the identification phase marked the game's conclusion. They believed that once the killer was confirmed, the so-called identification process would merely be a brief, perfunctory interlude.

However, judging by the administrator's voice they had just heard, this identification phase appeared to be more like the second half of the nightmare game. In this latter half, they would assume the role of judges on the "judgment seat," yet be completely unable to discern the identities of the suspects below.

While the administrator stated they could identify the killer through sound, even in the real world, skilled impersonators could mimic voices with uncanny accuracy. How much more so in this nightmare realm, where conventional logic held no sway?

It was precisely because sound alone was unreliable that the administrator specifically instructed them to gather clues through questioning and listening. They had to wait for the true killer to betray themselves during interrogation, especially when distinguishing voices proved challenging.

This was the second half of the nightmare game.

Shortly after Wen Wen and the others grasped the rules of this second half, their surroundings were swiftly enveloped by a dense fog within seconds.

"So we're not actually blinded?" Wen Wen had initially expected their vision to turn completely black, but she hadn't anticipated the administrator would employ this method to obscure their effective sight.

Even though the players' legs and feet were now immobilized, and everything around them was consumed by the thick fog, those who had been standing together could still catch glimpses of each other from the corners of their eyes. This significantly mitigated the feelings of loneliness, helplessness, and fear that blindness might otherwise have induced.

"If those ghosts are also immobilized, are they still in their original positions?"

Upon hearing Lin Wenhua's remark, the players began to search for the eerie entities within the dense fog. However, through the heavy white mist, all they could perceive were several shifting shadows. Their heights and forms flowed like smoke, rendering identification impossible.

The players even noticed one flowing shadow standing right beside them, as if they could reach out and touch the eerie entity concealed within the fog.

"Sister Bride..."

Wen Wen meticulously observed the shifting shadows around her. Beyond barely being able to count four distinct forms, her only recourse was to diligently eliminate incorrect options. Just as the administrator's voice had hinted, they had to employ every possible means to interrogate these "suspects" and strive to elicit as many responses as possible. Only then could they acquire sufficient clues to identify the killer!

At this juncture, even Wen Wen, who had consistently maintained her composure, grew tense. After all, they had only one opportunity to identify the killer.

If they failed...

Wen Wen gasped, unwilling to contemplate the consequences of failure.

Compounding their predicament, according to the administrator, even though they had entered the identification phase early and their original game time had not yet elapsed, they had only twenty minutes to identify the killer.

"Don't panic, don't panic." Being young, Wen Wen had to take deep breaths to calm herself at such a critical moment. Then, raising her voice, she called out, "Sister Bride, can you hear me?"

"I am here." The voice of the East Courtyard "Bride" resonated beside the players. The sound emanated from the shifting shadow closest to them.

The "Bride's" voice was highly distinctive. Moreover, given that the "Bride" had assisted them multiple times, her voice alone instilled a sense of reassurance.

However, while the players felt a degree of comfort, Su Bai, enveloped in the thick fog, experienced a complex mix of emotions.

Because...

He hadn't spoken just now.

Through the sound, Su Bai, whose vision was obstructed by the fog, could confirm he was standing directly in front of the players. Yet, a voice identical to his own had just come from beside him.

Su Bai was certain that the eerie entity mimicking his voice must be the Ghost Lady—the killer the players needed to identify.

"Don't be fooled. The one who spoke just now was the Ghost Lady," Su Bai immediately declared. "She's imitating my voice."

Su Bai could not reveal much more, as he also had a special mission to fulfill.

After Su Bai spoke, the players, who had previously felt somewhat reassured, grew tense once more. Clearly, they had not anticipated the Ghost Lady would choose to imitate the voice of the East Courtyard "Bride."

By doing so, the Ghost Lady effectively reduced the number of suspects before the players from four to two. While this seemingly narrowed their choices, it also plunged them into a life-or-death dilemma.

Which of the shadows beside them and the shadow directly in front of them was the Ghost Lady? And which was the East Courtyard "Bride"?