Zed lay in the coffin, at a loss for words.
Or even thoughts.
He reviewed the words on mission again and agian, and silently asked himself.
"Should I really go out?"
Perhaps the answer was no.
In the narrow space of the coffin, although uncomfortable, Zed could hear the conversations of those outside with perfect clarity.
The green flames within the coffin even considerately revealed the expressions on each person's face. To Zed, this task was like watching an intense movie, like "And Then There Were None."
However, the countdown continued. As the information they had was about four players, Zed decided to listen to how those outside were planning to identify the "vampire."
So, he adjusted his position, trying not to make any sound, and listened.
Firstly, the priest spoke up.
"Hello, since no one has any ideas, let me guide you through the requirements of this one."
Snapping his fingers. His white robe appeared, lending credibility to his words.
"We've all been assigned a task to capture a vampire. During this time, we can only interact within this ancient castle. There are four awakened among us, and one of us is the vampire," the priest said, throwing out a questioning expression.
Seeing no doubt face, he continued:
"Okay, we all have grounds to suspect one another. However, since I know I'm not the vampire, I have some thoughts. First, this is a time-limited task, meaning we should make a decision before the countdown ends. Let me check the task description again... If three awakens vote for the remaining one, the guy will be deemed as the vampire and expulsion... Well, this doesn't seem very fair to us. May the gods with us."
He paused for a moment before continuing:
"We should keep talking since time is limited, and we can't let the vampire slip through. What ideas do you all have?"
"Question."
The magician raised her hand. She was short, but her voice was sweet. "Never mind fair or unfair, what if there's a tie? The tower has yet to provide an answer."
The priest nodded in agreement,"Good question."
He then turned to the remaining two, the druid and the qi master.
"What about you? Any questions?"
The qi master slowly shook his head, not saying a word.
The druid sneered at the priest, muttered:
"You've done all the talking, but you still haven't cleared your own crap... I have a simple guess. Since we're here with different path, there must be some unique information or abilities we possess which can help us complete this task, just like before. Don't tell me you've never done a task before?"
As he spoke, the magician's eyes lit up, saying, "I've never had a task before, but you have a good point. It make more sense to me now."
The druid crossed his arms.
"Thank you, I am sure it's better than repeat the tower's hints."
The priest smiled in response, not taking offense at the comment. then he continued:
"Well then, let's all share our abilities. I will do it first this time. My own ability is to bless our allies, and in this task, I've gained the ability to see through a lie once. So, I can guarantee to clear one's suspicion."The druid furrowed his brow.
"So, you can make someone repeat 'I'm not a vampire' and then eliminate their suspicion? Do you have any evidence?"
The priest suddenly closed his eyes.
The vibe in the ancient castle grew heavy and silent for a minute. When his eyes reopened, it seemed as though the candlelight in the hall brightened slightly. His lips moved almost imperceptibly as he said:
"I've already used it. You're clear."
The druid shrugged, shaking his head helplessly.
"Dude, tho that raises my standing, it doesn't really prove anything. I still have my doubts about you, and it's possible you aren't being truthful about your ability."
The priest maintained his nonchalant demeanor, nodding amiably. "Praise the gods."
It was clear that he was losing his influence within the group.
It was the magician's turn. She raised her hand again, seemingly her signature pose before speaking. Then, she spoke softly.
"My original ability... is a bit complicated to share. You could consider it a form of mind-reading. My current ability allows me to determine if someone is a vampire."
She pointed at the priest and continued:
"Unlike him, I don't need any conditions, only five minutes of time."
Just as she finished speaking, the priest interjected.
"Five minutes, right? If you all don't mind, I'm willing to act as a timer. So, we actually have 35 minutes remaining."
The druid waved his hand dismissively.
"Oh, thank you, Mr. Timer, but the key point of her ability isn't how long it takes at all, but when to use it. Since you've already said I'm not a vampire, that only leaves the three of you."
Seeing the puzzled look from the girl, the druid shook his head. "Sorry, dear, again, a single ability doesn't prove anything."
The priest suddenly nodded and clapped in agreement. The druid stared at him, wide-eyed, as if sprouting horns from his head.
"Are you always this polite?"
"I am a priest."
"The druid is a priest too."
He turned to the Qi Master and asked, "Alright, your turn, bro. You've been ghosting all time, so let's chat."
The Qi Master slowly shook his head.
"Come on, bro. You've got to have a reason for being here."
The Qi Master seemed somewhat regretful, sighing before speaking.
"You all freshers, giving out ability just as someone asking. Me, foresee the future. Less speak, clearer visions. Task, any judgment that sees me will reveal the vampire outcome."
The druid gaped, then said:
"What you're trying to say is that you can see the future outside, but in this task their abilities would only reveal the vampire outcome when used on you."
The Qi Master didn't speak, only nodding.
"WTF, so you're still ghosting, or vampire-ing?"
The priest interrupted at this point.
"He might genuinely not be a vampire."
As everyone turned to look at him, he flicked his almost floor-length sleeves.
"If what he said is true, then he's willing to sacrifice his ability to predict the future just to give out information. It seems more plausible. By the way, can you foresee the future in this round?"
The priest shared his opinion before turning to the Qi Master.
The Qi Master sighed and shook his head.
"That doesn't mean anything!"
The Druid interrupted him, and continued,:
"But I don't intend to waste any more time on this matter. I already have a rough idea of what to do. Since you've vouched for me that I'm not a vampire, it doesn't really matter if I reveal my ability. Now, do as I say."
He spoke really fast without any breath, showing no intention of stopping:
"The magician will use her ability to verify the priest in the last five minutes, and then we'll vote."
After he finished speaking, the air was silent for a few minutes. If not for their suspicious faces flickering in the candlelight, Zed might have thought they'd already left.
Zed wasn't sure what to do either. He could tell that these people were no fools.
If he recklessly stepped out and said 'the priest is bad guy', it would definitely provoke other reactions. In any case, the Druid seemed to be carrying the game.
Yes, a game. Zed was convinced that it must be a game designed by some supreme being or god. The entire tower, including the Awakened, seemed like a part of it.
Even the apocalypse.
The priest is the wolf. Within the allotted time, do your best to help the other awakened ones escape from wolf.
He pushed aside his complex thoughts and checked the rules he'd received once more. "Help the other awakened ones escape from wolf.... so I'm actually competing against the wolf? For food?" He pondered, "It seems too easy if I can pass by just being AFK. And if the wolf doesn't have any abilities, it might be a bit unfair..."
"Even more, does the aim for wolf is to vote out a vampire???"
His eyelids twitched slightly, then his eyes gradually brightened. "Since the rules don't mention failure or punishment if voted out, could it be...?"
At that moment, a loud sound came from outside the coffin, startling Zed and nearly making him jump out and say F words.
"Alright, I don't know what your logic is, but under the premise that neither of them have cleared their suspicions, you just said that..."
The priest's voice cut through the silence like a stone thrown into a calm lake.
"Praise the gods, I am the vampire. Vote for me."