Infinite Weird Game

Chapter 377: Holy City (III) Leader

Father Laci maintained a flawless smile and recited the rules in an aural tone: "The great holy Lord brings us light and life. We believe in Him devoutly and cannot allow evil pagans to tarnish His glory.

"However, the Holy Lord has always been merciful and loving. Although he hopes that the pagans will receive the punishment they deserve, he does not want the innocent to be implicated. The power of judgment will be delegated to you. Every morning, I will organize you to conduct a judgment.

"Each of you has one vote, and all decisions must be made by voting. You need to select the true pagan and execute him, appease the Lord's anger, and let Him rest in peace."

The copy mechanism is now clear. Players cannot use props or force to kill people. If they want to kill other players, they can only abide by the copy's own game rules: "Kill believers at night and execute pagans during the day."

This set of rules has many similarities with the Werewolf games on the market. The "Pagan" card is the "wolf" in Werewolf.

"Pagans" can kill "believers", and "believers" can execute "pagans" through judgment. If the judgment is right, they win; if the judgment is wrong, it will lead to the reduction of "believers".

But unlike the Werewolf game, there is no "god card" targeting "wolves" in this game, which seems to be very unfavorable to the "believers".

Asakura Yuko looked at the small [Pagan] card that appeared below the [Forbidden Scholar] card in the upper right corner of her vision and narrowed her eyes slightly.

A weird game cannot create a situation that is too obviously unfair. There must be some mechanism to weaken the [Pagan] camp. Could it be related to the [Holy Lord]?

Even if there were god-level NPCs in previous dungeons, they were mostly behind the scenes, and never in the same room with the players right from the start like in this dungeon. There's a good chance there's a story behind this...

Asakura Yuko looked again at Qi Si who was wrapped in a black robe sitting on the main seat.

The young man placed his hands flat on the table, the shadow of his hood covering most of his face, his scarlet eyes looking straight ahead, without reflecting anyone's shadow. At first glance, he looked like a replica of the statue behind him, eternal and heartless.

I just don't know - how much humanity does He, who was once born as a human, have left as a God? Can He still carry out simple communication and negotiations?

Qi Si felt Asakura Yuko's direct and undisguised gaze, and could almost imagine what the girl was thinking. He pondered the information he had seen on the revelation stele not long ago, thinking deeply.

[Forbidden Scholar] card holder? I wonder what interesting changes will happen to the Revelation Monument if I spontaneously recycle my identity card before the final dungeon begins...

Father Laci took out a cross pendant from his bosom, raised it high into the air, and continued: "In order to give you enough courage, one of you will become the Son of God who is protected by the Lord. He cannot be harmed by pagans, and any pagans he identifies will be put to death.

"Dear believers, I hope you can quickly determine the candidate for the Son of God, find all the pagans, and complete the Lord's instructions."

Qis silently memorized the setting of "Son of God". His face was expressionless and his body was motionless. He conscientiously played the role of a statue that did not participate in the game.

This copy gave him a [Pagan] identity card, incorporating him as a god into the faction game. The malicious intent was too obvious, and they simply wanted him to die from the "execution of pagans" mechanism left over from the rules.

Unfortunately, he could withdraw at any time by relying on his power, and the players probably didn't expect him to be a target for voting. So it seems like he is just here for a visit.

Asakura Yuko pondered for a moment and asked, "How is the Son of God created? Is he absolutely immortal? Once the candidate for the Son of God is determined, will it not change?"

Father Rach looked at her kindly and replied, "You can vote to choose the person you approve of to be the Son of God. If you do not make a decision within the limited time, the Lord will make the decision."

To put it simply, the second half of the sentence means selecting people randomly.

Only newcomers who are worried about gains and losses would like the approach of leaving everything to fate. The old players present basically acquiesced and decided to actively choose the so-called "Son of God".

Father Lachi paused and added: "In this world, no one is absolutely immortal. After the Son of God dies, a new Son of God will be chosen."

Out of the professional habit of journalists to get to the bottom of things, Asakura Yuko actually wanted to ask a further question: "Is it possible for a pagan to become the son of God?"

But rather than asking and arousing suspicion, it is better to say less.

Anyway, judging from the current situation, the players can either reach a consensus and give up the faction mission, or rely on their own abilities - she doesn't think she will be at a disadvantage in the game of intelligence.

The blond white man who called himself "William" then asked: "Father, can you tell us under what circumstances the Son of God will die?"

Father Rach said: "The acquisition of knowledge requires trial and error by those who have gone before. After the dead appear, you will know."

"Sorry, I have another question. You said earlier that it would be up to all of us to choose the heretics through judgment, and you also said that it would be up to the Son of God to identify the heretics. So if the Son of God's judgment is different from that of others, whose judgment should be taken?"

Father Rach said: "The Son of God has the right to decide who is a heretic. The right to judge lies with the Son of God."

William had no more questions and pursed his lips in silence.

From this point of view, the vote is just a formality. The power of the Son of God is too great, and it can be said that he controls the life and death of the players, but no one knows what the price is.

Could it be that "everyone is a pagan" and the only "Son of God" becomes the target of public criticism?

Asakura Yuko thought for a moment and said, "How many pagans are there among the twelve of us?"

Father Larch smiled and said, "I don't know, son."

"So what are the characteristics of a pagan? How do we determine who is a pagan?"

Father Larch replied: "The pagans can walk in the dark."

The players still had many questions, but Father Laci waved his hand for everyone to be quiet.

He maintained a statue-like smile and said calmly, "Children, you can walk around the city. What you see and hear is the answer from the Lord. Remember, you must return here before dark. There will be danger at night."

He turned and walked away, leaving the players staring at each other in bewilderment.

They all thought of the record in the pages of history: [There is danger in the darkness, and the temple is not safe.]

Does hiding in the temple at night really work?

William broke the silence with a loud voice: "It seems that the first task on the first day is to explore the Holy City and collect clues. Let's first formulate a process and determine the rules of cooperation."

The muscular black man raised an objection when he heard this: "Isn't this a confrontation instance? We don't even know who our friends and enemies are, so how can we cooperate with confidence?"

"That's why we need to discuss the process and determine the rules." The short-haired girl from Sakura Mansion said unhappily, "Don't you understand? Although the camps are hostile, the main quest is the same, which is to 'explore the truth behind the destruction of the Holy City'.

"The main quest is more important than the faction quest. We can complete it more efficiently if we work together. Moreover, as long as we complete the main quest, we will have cleared the dungeon. What does it matter if the faction quest is completed or not, or if the evaluation level is high or low?" The tall woman named "Julie Margaret" chimed in, "That's true. We all only know our own faction, and we can't be sure whether a rash move will hurt players in the same faction. It's right to work together to solve the main quest as soon as possible."

"Who said that?" Frank Parker of Crystal County sneered, "How could anyone who dares to enter the dungeon at this time be willing to clear the level as a NE? As long as one person has other ideas, the others will be treated as fools!"

After he finished speaking, he glanced at Fu Jue sideways, wondering what he wanted to express.

"Yes, we cannot guarantee that no one will secretly attack us during the cooperation. Once someone dies, everyone will regard everyone else as an enemy and enter an indiscriminate melee to ensure that only they survive..."

The speaker was a middle-aged man named Giles Hunter, with an ordinary face and a calm voice: "I suggest that we first establish a leader among the twelve of us to preside over the situation and ensure a fair process by establishing appropriate rules."

In a voting game with an even number of participants, one vote per person is likely to lead to a tie, adding unnecessary trouble; in order to save process, it is absolutely necessary to arrange a leader seat who can make the final decision.

"Who will be the leader?" The mixed-blood boy sneered and asked, "You will come? What's your ranking?"

"What have I done to deserve this?" The middle-aged man was not angry, but looked at Fu Jue. "I want Fu Jue to lead us. No one should have any objection, right? First, he is the highest-ranked and most prestigious player among us. Second, his character is known to all. We all believe that he can be fair and just."

The representatives of the Weird Investigation Bureau did not react at first. They had always been dissatisfied with Fu Jue, so why would someone suddenly defect and rush to accept Fu Jue's leadership?

But in just a second, they realized that the leader was the open card and the pagan was the hidden card.

Whoever becomes the leader will be put under the spotlight, not to mention that he is the famous Fu Jue; any ambitious pagan will want to try to kill him.

However, this copy cannot bypass the rules of the game to attack each other, and all weapon props are in fact restricted. No matter how much experience Fu Jue has, he will be unable to do anything if his props are cut. He might really die here.

At that moment, the representatives responded one after another.

"If Fu Jue were to lead us, I would have no objection."

"With Fu Jue leading the team, our main mission is secure!"

"I only obey Fu Jue. As long as he leads the team, I am willing to publish all the clues I have obtained!"

This is flattery. It seems to be respect, but it is actually a drama of moral kidnapping.

Fu Jue's expression was indistinguishable. He looked around at everyone and said calmly, "I have objections. It is known that there are two camps among the players. My position belongs to one of the camps. I cannot 100% represent the interests of everyone.

"When my decision goes against your opinion, a chain of suspicion will form, even for players in the same camp. The resulting internal friction will cause unnecessary waste.

"In summary, I propose that we elect another leader. The probability of two leaders belonging to the same camp will be reduced to one-half, which is within a controllable range."

After Fu Jue finished speaking, he stopped talking and stared at the players quietly, as if he was sure that they would not refuse. After all, his logic was reasonable and no normal person could find a reason to refuse.

"Let's establish three leaders. This way, the probability of the leaders being in the same camp is reduced to one in four." The tall woman said with a smile, "You should have seen the map. There are three locations that need to be explored, and we just divide into three teams. All decisions are made through voting. The leader has two votes, and the others have one vote. This way, the total number of votes will be an odd number, so there is no need to worry about ties."

"That sounds like a good idea." William nodded, paused, and said with a wry smile, "I think I can take on a leadership position. I'm ranked 127th on the list, and I have ten years of gaming experience, so I should be a more suitable choice."

Being able to survive in the weird game for ten years is admirable even if his ranking is not as dazzling as Fu Jue's; plus, he is not too strong among this group of players, so he will not be eliminated by the pagans first, which gives him an extra advantage over Fu Jue.

Therefore, no one raised any objection.

"There is still one leadership seat left. Who wants to take it?" asked the short-haired girl with a frown.

The leader's seat is like a flashlight in a dangerous night, a target standing alone in an open space in the square, and it is indeed a hot potato.

In this copy, killing is nothing more than relying on some mechanism. It is unreasonable and cannot be resisted.

When there are few known clues, if someone must be killed, the Pagans will definitely choose a lucky person from the leader seat.

"I recommend Asakura Yuko." Fu Jue said, his eyes under the gold-rimmed glasses swept across Qi Si, then turned to Asakura Yuko at the end of the long table, and it was difficult to make out the meaning.

"First, she entered the Weird Game relatively late and belongs to the Listening Wind Guild. She has no grudge against any of us, so it is less likely that she would interfere with the situation out of selfish motives. Second, she is ranked last and poses no threat to most of us, so the probability of her being targeted because of her leadership is relatively low. Third, I have analyzed her data, and her intelligence and wisdom are above the average level among the twelve of us."

These words were apparently directed at Asakura Yuko, but Qi Si sensed a different meaning from the fleeting glance just now.

The three reasons for recommending Asakura Yuko as the leader also apply to him. For a moment, it seemed that Fu Jue was planning to recommend him.

Was it to find out that he was also a player and could be voted in? Or was it to test his current status?

Qi Si guessed with interest and continued...expressionless.

Asakura Yuko, who was sitting in the corner, was suddenly called out. She was not surprised. As the holder of the [Forbidden Scholar] identity card, she was destined to be unable to maintain a low sense of presence after her identity was recognized.

She also saw the ill will of some people towards Fu Jue, and knew that Fu Jue's move was intended to muddy the waters and draw more people into the game.

"Everything has not yet been settled, but the power of the group is being dissipated by endless internal strife. It is wishful thinking to expect most people to have a sense of the overall situation."

She made a mental assessment and said with empty eyes, "Master Fu has high hopes for me, so I have to obey. But I want to make it clear that I am a civilian. I may be good at analyzing clues, but I am useless in other aspects. I hope you don't have too high expectations of me."

As a pagan, she faces less risk in taking on leadership than others, unless other pagans are blind enough to kill her.

Simply put, assuming there are three pagans in total, and they don't know each other's identities, the believers will receive three death threats, while the pagans will only receive two - no one wants to kill themselves.

William looked at Asakura Yuko and smiled, "In this copy, we can't attack each other. All we can do is analyze the clues. Let's just leave it at that. Don't waste too much time."

The seat allocation was made without consulting the parties involved. Asakura Yuko knew that under the influence of the "diffusion of responsibility effect", the individual's will was bound to be obliterated by the group's thoughts.

She said calmly, "Since it has been confirmed, I suggest that we form a team first, and then explore this sacred city separately to collect clues that may be helpful to the main mission."

"That's right." Fu Jue glanced at her and said in a flat voice, "It has been preliminarily determined that there are six locations that need to be explored, the four areas of southeast, northwest, cemetery, and the square in front of the temple. Two people are appropriate for each location. Please tell us about your exploration intentions."

(End of this chapter)