After completing the task, Lin Yu and Xia Yue immediately left the engineering room without delay.
Their next assigned task was still on the second floor—specifically in the "prayer room" on the opposite side. The objective was to arrange offerings and light candles.
Although they had ample time before the next task deadline, neither Lin Yu nor Xia Yue wanted to waste any extra time.
However, having just completed a task together, the two seemed to have grown more familiar with each other.
Especially Xia Yue—this delicate, pretty girl seemed to have developed some dependent feelings toward Lin Yu, likely due to the suspension bridge effect of being trapped in the Death Game combined with witnessing his efficiency and reliability during the task...
Even though Lin Yu had treated her somewhat coldly and harshly earlier, she didn't seem to mind.
On their way to the next task location, Xia Yue even took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Lin Yu.
"Lin Yu, speaking of which... have you used your [Detective] ability yet?"
Xia Yue walked briskly ahead of Lin Yu with her hands clasped behind her back, completely exposing her back to him.
But seeing her completely unguarded posture, he hesitated before answering truthfully:
"I haven't used it yet."
Xia Yue turned around, continuing to walk backward while curiously asking:
"Eh? Why not... how do you plan to use it?"
Lin Yu pondered for a moment before explaining:
"To be honest, as the 'Detective'—an information role that can determine the game's outcome—I'm inevitably the werewolves' primary target."
"For you civilians, even if I identify a good person on the first day, it still helps eliminate a suspect..."
"But for me, if I can't find and vote out a werewolf on the first day... if there are two werewolves remaining who've had time to 'recognize' each other by the second day, my situation becomes extremely dangerous—even yours would be too."
Xia Yue looked slightly confused by Lin Yu's thorough analysis. She tilted her head in thought before giving up with a wave of her hand.
"Alright... so how do you plan to use it then?"
"For the first day's investigation, I'll save it until the final 'meeting phase.' I'll carefully analyze everyone's statements and then identify the most suspicious person to reveal their identity."
Lin Yu spoke earnestly.
Xia Yue smiled, her eyes curving like crescent moons.
"You're amazing, Detective. With you here, this game feels much easier."
As they talked and walked, they had already covered most of the distance, passing by the spiral staircase at the center of the castle.
Then, footsteps and voices came from the staircase:
"Damn it, this task is so fucking annoying—I even scraped my hand!"
"Yeah, Brother Liu, this task is seriously messed up..."
"Where's our next task again? Whatever, let's go find the others first!"
The voices clearly belonged to Bao Liu and Yao Zhengye!
As the voices and footsteps grew closer, Lin Yu quickly pulled Xia Yue aside, hiding behind a corner of the staircase.
Startled by being suddenly grabbed, Xia Yue almost cried out, but Lin Yu covered her mouth.
"Be careful—they might be the two werewolves!"
Lin Yu whispered urgently.
Xia Yue looked at Lin Yu with confusion and shock.
"This damn castle is way too big!"
"Yeah, imagine the owner getting up to pee at night—they'd probably shit themselves before making it..."
"Seriously, do you think anyone actually lived in this creepy place?"
Bao Liu and Yao Zhengye's voices gradually faded as they seemed to head toward the first floor.
Only then did Lin Yu remove his hand from Xia Yue's mouth.
Xia Yue quickly extricated herself from Lin Yu's grasp, nervously clutching her sleeves.
She said shyly, resuming their walk.
After walking together in silence for a while, Xia Yue finally whispered:
"Um... Detective, why do you think they're werewolves?"
"Bao Liu and Yao Zhengye's first task was adding fuel in the machinery room on the third floor. Their second task was in the cleaning supplies room on the opposite side—both tasks had estimated completion times over fifteen minutes."
"It's unlikely they finished both tasks in the time we took for one. So if they didn't complete both third-floor tasks... why would they be going to the first floor?"
Lin Yu analyzed calmly.
Recalling Bao Liu and Yao Zhengye's words, Xia Yue instinctively replied:
"I think they said they were looking for people..."
"Do humans need to go searching for others?"
Xia Yue's expression finally changed slightly.
"So... those two are probably werewolves?"
Lin Yu didn't deny it: "At the very least, their behavior is suspicious in my eyes."
However, Lin Yu's current certainty was partly due to maintaining his "Detective" persona.
In reality, he had some doubts.
What were the odds of both werewolves being assigned to the same group?
Moreover, the werewolves in this game didn't initially know each other's identities...
Even if they were grouped together, could they really confirm each other's roles so quickly?
Putting himself in their shoes, Lin Yu couldn't imagine how they'd quickly determine if their partner was a "teammate."
His sense of unease grew stronger.
As Lin Yu wrestled with these thoughts, Xia Yue's voice brought him back:
"Detective, we're here."
Lin Yu looked up, realizing he'd nearly walked past the prayer room's entrance.
"Sorry, I was distracted earlier."
Lin Yu said before pushing open the prayer room door.
Unlike the castle's other dirty, dilapidated rooms, the prayer room was surprisingly clean.
The small room had heavy curtains completely blocking the windows, leaving only the dim glow of wall-mounted candelabras for illumination.
On the wall opposite the door stood a waist-high shrine carved with lunar phase reliefs.
Inside the shrine was a tall humanoid statue—its powerfully muscular body exuding both strength and wildness—but the head was missing.
Below the shrine was a circular altar filled with offerings, flanked by two kneeling cushions.
When Xia Yue saw the altar, she suddenly gasped.
She pointed fearfully at an irregular, shriveled spherical object placed at the altar's center—something Lin Yu had initially mistaken for fruit.
But upon closer inspection, his heart skipped a beat.
It was a horrifying human head with its facial features carved off.