Chapter 19: To Win at Werewolf, Learn to Draw Circles Effectively

"I don't know Player 12, and I am a good guy. Therefore, the only one who could fit into the wolf pack with Player 4 is Player 12. However, I am somewhat familiar with Player 12, and based on my initial read before the cards were revealed, she doesn't strike me as a werewolf, though I'll listen to her statement in a moment."

"Right now, Player 12 could be a wolf or a good guy, but if she is a good guy, then I am a good guy too. As for Player 4... listening to his speech and observing his demeanor, I feel he also comes across as a good guy."

Player 2’s gaze shifted to Player 5.

"Actually, I find Player 5’s speech very strange. He attacked Players 6, 7, and 9, yet he also thinks Player 9 might be a good guy. Since Player 7 protected Player 9, he concludes Player 7 is a wolf. So, if we aren't voting out 9 this round, should we vote out 7?"

Player 2 paused, frowning as he continued: "I didn't quite follow that. If you think Player 9 is a good guy, and Player 7 dared to protect Player 9, shouldn't you be arguing that 7 and 9 are definitely a wolf pair? You also believe Player 6 protected Player 7, so you think Player 6 is bad too. Why not vote out Player 6, who has the lowest standing? Is it because she’s in the Seer’s investigation queue?"

"But once the Seer has finished his round of checks, he'll likely change his plans, right? So there's no need to get hung up on that. We’ll just listen to the Seer’s report later. Why not just vote out Player 6 and have the Seer investigate you, Player 5?"

"If you are a good guy, then Player 7 and Player 9 can be bundled together and taken out. It’s actually quite simple."

Listening to Player 2’s speech, Wang Changsheng almost burst out laughing.

It was fortunate that the system was suppressing their voices; otherwise, Wang Changsheng might have truly laughed out loud.

There were strict rules within the virtual space. Aside from the player currently speaking, everyone else was automatically muted. They didn't even need traditional microphones; the entire process was governed by the game system.

When Player 5 heard Player 2 speaking like this, he also nearly lost his composure, though he managed to hold it together. Still, one's emotions inevitably leak to the surface to some extent.

Wang Changsheng kept a close eye on Player 5’s expression. He noticed that the "flat-top" player’s face was several shades darker than it had been during his own turn.

He likely felt that by subtly claiming a power role, he had hoped to keep the Seer from putting him in the investigation queue. As long as he and Player 6 weren't voted out this round, even if they had to sacrifice Player 6 the following day, he could stay hidden and potentially keep playing.

And yet, this hot-headed Player 2 wanted to vote out 6 and investigate 5 right out of the gate.

Damn it! If the wolves don't show some teeth, do they think we're sick cats? Dammit!

Player 5 really wanted to self-destruct right now and take a stab at Players 7, 2, 10, and 11 during the night!

However, that was impossible. With the Wolf King already out, the remaining wolves could only make one kill per night. Furthermore, they still had to outmaneuver the Bodyguard.

The most critical part was that the Witch still had a bottle of antidote!

Dammit... The more Player 5 thought about it, the less he could contain himself. He had been forcing himself not to think about the Witch, but those two words were like a curse, running in one ear and out the other, filling his mind.

Why didn't the Witch just self-destruct? She didn't save anyone, but she used her poison. And she had taken out two wolves, one of whom was the Wolf King who got poisoned into silence!

Vocals! Damn the Witch, just get yourself disqualified!

Player 5 really wanted to concede. No matter how you calculated the turns, winning was difficult. But for the sake of his faction’s victory, they wouldn't surrender to the good guys until the very last moment.

They would push a good guy out today, find the Witch at night, and kill her! Ideally, they would push the Witch out during the day!

Player 5 didn't even want to listen to Player 2 anymore. His gaze swept across the table, trying to deduce the positions of the Bodyguard and the Witch.

"If Player 5 is investigated and turns out to be a wolf, the wolf-pit theory will have to be revised. Player 5 attacked 6, 7, and 9 as a group, so I don't think they can all be good guys; there’s likely a wolf in there."

"So, if Player 3 is a wolf and Player 5 is a wolf, we look for one in 6, 7, and 9, and one in 4, 8, and 12. That’s the wolf-pit logic if the Seer finds Player 5 to be a wolf."

"Looking at it that way, there should be one wolf among 6, 7, and 9. I think it’s likely Player 6, who has the lowest standing. So, voting out Player 6 this round makes sense. Even though her speech during the police phase sounded like a good guy, now that the other roles have been squeezed out, she has to be in the wolf pit. That’s ironclad logic."

In truth, Player 2 wanted to say that he didn't think there were any wolves among 4, 8, and 12. But if he said that, the wolf-pit math wouldn't work. He also didn't think 7 and 9 looked much like wolves. If he cleared everyone on the outside, his wolf-pit theory would collapse, and the Seer would surely target him.

So, even though Player 2 felt most of the outsiders were good, he had to point them into the pit. As for who was a good guy and who was a wolf, that was for the Seer to decide when it came time to cast the deciding vote. If he rambled on too much here, it wouldn't be a good look.

"Good guys, keep crawling out. Seriously, who is the last wolf among 4, 7, 8, 9, and 12? Are they that good at hiding? Could it be 12? But my gut tells me she really seems like a good guy..."

Player 2 expressed his admiration for the final werewolf. He had to admit that the opponent’s acting and skills were top-tier. He only felt Player 5 sounded like a wolf, and if there was a wolf among 7, 8, and 9, he felt Player 6’s tone was the worst.

Perhaps Player 5 attacked Player 6 as a teammate to get ahead of the curve, sacrificing her to boost his own status. That was entirely possible.

However, he still hadn't heard Player 12’s speech. What if she was just playing on their familiarity to trick him? What if he thought she was a good guy, but she was actually a wolf, and she backhanded him into the wolf pit later? He would explode on the spot.

Therefore, Player 2 didn't commit to clearing Player 12 completely, saying: "I read Player 12 as a good guy at the start. As for whether I’m wrong, I still need to hear her speak. After all, I can’t rely solely on my gut to decide someone’s identity."

If a speech could be misinterpreted, how much more so could a gut feeling? Player 2 left himself some wiggle room with everyone—himself, Player 5, Player 12, and the others. This was his usual tactic, whether he was a wolf or a good guy.

As a good guy, it was genuinely hard to determine someone’s true colors most of the time; if he accused the wrong person and the wolves and good guys both ganged up on him, that would be miserable. As a wolf, being too certain about clearing or accusing someone didn't look good to the good guys and often got you thrown into the wolf pit.

So, mastering the art of "drawing circles" was essential. But there was a technique to it. Someone like Player 9 was too clumsy with it. You had to learn to draw circles effectively—accusing without fully accusing, protecting without fully protecting. By leaving everything open-ended, others wouldn't be able to pin you down either.

Life is much the same way.