Chapter 2: Today, I Am the Seer

Host: Chen Fan
Role: Seer
Abilities: Limited foresight, unstable mind-reading
Duration: 24 hours, refreshes daily at midnight
Note: Self-proclaimed master of logic, yet king of a hundred consecutive defeats—it's time to grasp the ultimate secret of Werewolf.

"Who’s muttering so early in the morning?"

Chen Fan felt a bit dazed as he rubbed his throbbing head. He threw off the quilt he’d curled into, drew open the curtains, and let the morning sunlight flood the room—still, he couldn’t locate the source of the voice.

The room was utterly silent, not a sound to be heard.

"Could I be hearing things? Chen Fan, you’ve been playing Werewolf even in your dreams lately. This can’t go on, something big is bound to happen."

With lingering reluctance, Chen Fan opened his drawer, scanning through the deck of cards as if checking his spoils. He chuckled to himself, "When will I ever become the top Werewolf King in the country, like the Buddha himself? What a distant dream. For now, I just need to break this winless streak."

Beep~beep~beep.

[Wanna meet for a game today? It’s been ages since we played face-to-face. Online games just don’t cut it.]

The invitation came from Li Peijun, another Werewolf enthusiast who’d even gotten into the same university as Chen Fan. But Li Peijun hated the heat and was notoriously lazy, preferring to hunker down at home for his games.

"At least you have a conscience and are finally willing to come out," Chen Fan muttered, straightening his back and quickly typing a reply. They settled on the time and place—the city’s only Werewolf club.

"Let me draw a god-card today, please. Best if it’s the Witch—whoever annoys me gets a vial of poison."

Chen Fan grabbed some snacks from the fridge, stuffed a bit of change in his pocket, and headed out. The neighborhood was right next to the school, and there were plenty of shared bikes available nearby.

...

Spotting Li Peijun waving from afar, Chen Fan wore a look of exasperation and checked his watch, grumbling, "Late again, Li Peijun."

Li Peijun grinned, "The subway was packed. Took me a few tries to get on. Come on, bro, don’t look so grim. I’ll buy you a drink—consider it an apology."

"That’s more like it." Chen Fan’s mood shifted as they walked into the club together.

Drinks at the club were pricier than outside. Even though Li Peijun was paying, Chen Fan didn’t go overboard, ordering just a symbolic lemonade.

"You’re unbelievable, still drinking soda in here," Li Peijun joked, glancing at the menu again. "I’ll have a ‘Wisdom in Disguise,’ light on the ice."

Chen Fan stole a glance at the price—over forty! For what he usually spent on salted soda, he could drink for half a month.

"We mostly played online before; this is only my third in-person game. Gotta show some presence—who knows, maybe some girl will fall for me," Li Peijun said, waggling his brows and nudging Chen Fan with his elbow.

Chen Fan rolled his eyes. "Don’t flatter yourself. Less than 20% of registered players here are women. And this is the first time I’ve heard ‘presence’ tied to your drink order. Why not just lay your car keys on the table?"

Li Peijun shrugged, "That’d make me look shallow. Relax, Chen Fan—if we end up on the same team, I’ll carry you to victory."

"Yeah, right. Let’s find a table. I actually want to win today."

Chen Fan had no time for Li Peijun’s boasting. Their skills were about the same, but Li Peijun was luckier, racking up wins by coasting along—his win rate sat right at the 46% average.

"Seat 6, Chen Fan. Seat 7, Li Peijun. Please keep valuables with you and clean up your trash."

Seat 6 was Chen Fan’s favorite—except for the one time he was late and had to take seat 12, the other 99 losses had all been from seat 6.

No matter how good the situation, as soon as Chen Fan’s reasoning veered off track, disaster struck. Those who knew him well had given him the nickname "Slippery Fish."

"Hey, Chen Fan, you’re early today. Just hope I’m not on your team—I want to up my ranking," said Gu Kai, adjusting his hair. "Let me give you some heartfelt advice: if you’re a wolf, stop trying to claim Seer. Just lay low and play it sneaky. Last time, you self-destructed on the first day and forced your teammates to duel in broad daylight. Villagers can slack off, but if you draw a god-card, you’ll lead the team astray."

"That won’t happen again. I’ve played VR Werewolf, you know. Gu Kai, you need to step up your game," Chen Fan retorted.

Gu Kai laughed. "You know, last night Zhou Ji was complaining in the group chat that you, as the Witch, helped the wolves vote off two villagers. You turned a sure-win into a trainwreck. Maybe watch some tutorial videos, your logic is suspect."

"Just wait. I’ll win today," Chen Fan said defensively. In truth, he said that every game—and every time, he left defeated.

Players started to take their seats. Before the roles were drawn, Li Peijun leaned in and whispered, "Is that Gu Kai guy any good?"

Though Gu Kai wasn’t exactly likable and had a thing for targeting others, his skill was undeniable. Chen Fan answered honestly, "He’s not bad—top 15%. He’s been rising fast. If I hadn’t cost him two games last month, he’d be July’s rookie star."

"Better cozy up to him then," Li Peijun snickered, returning to his seat.

"Standard Werewolf: roles are Seer, Witch, Hunter, Fool, Werewolf, and Villager. Edge-killing rules apply. Players, please draw your roles."

The moderator shuffled the cards and placed them in front of each seat. Chen Fan carefully pulled his card closer, shielding it from view, and peered at the edge—a long, furry paw.

His role: Werewolf.

"Winning as the villain is even more satisfying," Chen Fan thought, slipping his card under his hand and keeping his face as expressionless as possible, wary of the seasoned players spotting any hint of malice.

"Night falls—eyes closed."

Chen Fan donned his special Peking opera mask, waiting for the moderator to announce, "Wolves, open your eyes."

"Wolves, open your eyes and choose your target."

Chen Fan removed his mask, first scanning the table to identify his teammates.

Suppressing a laugh, Li Peijun met his gaze—he, too, was a wolf. The wolf team’s overall skill wasn’t high; the best players were on the good side. As for Gu Kai, Chen Fan couldn’t guess his role.

His eyes lingered on Gu Kai—a face that hinted at hidden depths, likely someone with a special role. Yet there was a heaviness to his demeanor, more than just the intent to kill—almost a sense of righteous judgment.

Chen Fan didn’t understand why these thoughts crossed his mind. Normally, he’d just pick someone at random to attack, saving logic for the daytime.

"Let’s kill number 1. Isn’t he supposed to be tough? Send him packing," Li Peijun signaled with elaborate gestures, running his hand across his neck to indicate their target.

"Agreed," Chen Fan nodded, holding up a finger and signaling back.

"I’m going to claim Seer."