The passenger ship sailed into international waters, gradually drifting from its original destination.

I spotted the island rising in the distance and squinted, thinking, this time, I got it right.

[Day One]

Sure enough, the passenger ship stopped at the island’s dock, and the staff hurried the tourists off the ship.

As I looked at the beach, my head suddenly began to ache. It felt like I’d been here a thousand times before. Impossible. I was sure this was my first time here. An illusion, perhaps. I shook my head.

“Didn’t I sign up for a Malaysia tour? How did I end up here?” someone complained.

“Keep your voice down…” another whispered, “Look at those people, they’re armed.”

The crowd was in an uproar.

“What’s going on?” someone asked, “Is this a movie? A reality show?”

“Welcome, everyone, to this island!” the Tour Guide announced through a loudspeaker, “From now on, you will all participate in a survival game. Survive on the island for ten days, and you will win one billion dollars!”

A loudspeaker blared through the camp.

“The first game, Hide and Seek!”

The Tour Guide sneered and announced the rules.

There are 200 tourists in total, divided into two groups, with 30 people armed. The armed ones are the “Seeker,” and the remaining 170 are Hider.

If the “hider” can hide for two days and one night and return to the camp safely after hearing the whistle, they win. If the “Seeker” capture three people, they win.

The “Seeker'” guns aren’t real. Probably to prevent the players from rebelling.

The game began, and the players rushed into the rainforest.

After running a few hundred meters, I broke away from the main group and headed towards the island center. Once I was sure I had run far enough, I consciously started looking for some special plants to aid my survival.

Soon, I found some “Mosquito-repellent Plants” and “Snake-repellent Plants.” After applying the juices of these two plants all over my body, I started to look for a water source.

Fortune favored me, and I soon found a Milk Tree. The sap of this tree is nutritionally similar to milk, making it ideal for quenching thirst and replenishing energy.

I also found a green box in the treetop. A supply box. Not bad luck.

I took the supplies, stepped on the tree roots, and reached the center of the banyan forest. Circling the main trunk, I found a suitable Tree Hollow to hide in.

For most people, the rainforest at night is very dangerous. But I have years of outdoor survival experience, allowing me to survive the perilous night.

My name is John, and I am a Special Police Officer.

A few years ago, people around the world started disappearing during their travels. Occasionally, someone would reappear after going missing, claiming their passenger ship had encountered a shipwreck, and they had survived on an island.

Strangely, these survivors would suddenly become wealthy upon their return.

To uncover the truth, the government decided to send Special Police, disguised as tourists, to investigate. My goal is to uncover the truth.

I walked through the rainforest under the moonlight, looking for isolated players. There was someone in the tree ahead.

“Hey, brother,” I called softly.

“Who!” the person looked wary, “Hider?”

“Need help?” I asked.

“Got water?” he said.

I tossed up a bottle filled with Milk Tree sap, and he caught it, drinking greedily. That night, I encountered four “Hider.” One of them had a snake bite on his leg, and I treated his wound.

[Day Two]

The whistle blew. That was the signal to end this round of the game. The most dangerous time had come.

If I were a “Seeker,” I would definitely ambush around, attacking the “Hider” as they returned to camp. I carefully approached the camp and heard a cry for help. I stealthily searched through the forest for the source.

A girl ran past me. Behind her, a “Seeker” with a gun charged forward. I sprang into action, taking him down in one swift move. The girl escaped successfully, glanced back at me, and expressed her gratitude, a mix of relief and fear in her eyes.

I kept an eye on my watch, returning to the camp at the last moment. The game was over. The mercenaries conducted a “settlement,” pulling out players with colored marks. Among them was the “Seeker” I had taken down.

A burst of gunfire. He was dead. Blood splattered on my face, a stark reminder of the stakes we were playing for.

[Day Three]

Only 107 people were left.

“The second game, Big Wind Blows,” the Tour Guide explained the rules.

Nine people sit in a circle, with nine chairs. One person stands in the middle and says, “Big Wind Blows.” The others ask, “Blows what?”

If the person in the middle answers, “Blows people wearing leather shoes,” then everyone wearing leather shoes must stand up and switch places with others. The person in the middle must also try to grab a seat. The one who fails to get a chair starts the next round. The game continues for five rounds, and the last person left is “OUT.” “OUT” means death.

We were divided into several small groups. In my group was the girl I had saved yesterday. She was watching me too. She had calluses on the connecting area between her thumb and index finger, and on both sides of her index finger. Those were marks left from holding a gun for a long time. A teammate?

“John, Number 0713, outward identity is Outdoor Survival Enthusiast,” I said.

“Annie, Number 2286, outward identity is Sprinter,” she replied.

The game began. The middle-aged man in the center stammered, “Big Wind Blows.”

We asked, “Blows what?”

The middle-aged man looked around. His gaze fell on a small child. The child looked about seven or eight, probably traveling with parents. He blinked his innocent eyes.

Sure enough, the middle-aged man said, “Blows children!”

I quickly grabbed the child’s arm and swapped places with him in a leap. The child realized what had happened only after sitting down.

The middle-aged man glared at me, “You’re not a child, you stood up, that’s against the rules!”

I calmly said, “I’m three months shy of sixteen, so I am a child.”

Let’s see if my young face can fool the mercenaries. The mercenaries didn’t move. The middle-aged man glared at me, as if blaming me for meddling.

A gunshot. Someone in the next group was “OUT.” The players panicked. Our game continued.

Suddenly, the middle-aged man shouted, “Blows black-eyes men!”

I quickly stood up and ran towards a seat, but a strong Russian woman knocked me away. I was left standing.

“Blows blue-eyed women,” I said calmly.

She glared at me and quickly stood up. I dashed forward, just about to sit down, when the middle-aged man tried to push me away. In a critical moment, Annie swiftly pushed him aside. I sat down steadily.

The middle-aged man was judged to have broken the rules for leaving his seat while pushing me. OUT. Blood stained the beach red. When the game ended, only 91 people were left.

[Day Four]

This round’s game: drop the handkerchief. Each round, the Tour Guide selects someone to drop the handkerchief. The slow runner is OUT. Drop the Handkerchief is a game filled with childhood memories, but now, it’s shrouded in blood.

91 people formed a circle, sitting cross-legged. The one with the handkerchief was a pale middle-aged woman. There was a bloodstain on her pants. Everyone tensed, ready to sprint at any moment.

When she passed by a slender young girl, the woman suddenly dropped the handkerchief. The girl immediately reacted, picking up the handkerchief and chasing after the woman. The bloodstain on the woman’s pants rapidly expanded. Seeing the bloodstain, the girl hesitated. Suddenly, the woman collapsed, a large amount of blood spreading from under her. She stopped moving.

I deduced that it was luteal rupture caused by excessive exercise during menstruation. The mercenary shot the woman: “OUT.”

Next up was a young man. His leg muscles were well-developed, indicating regular exercise. The man dropped the handkerchief behind a bald old man. The old man panted heavily as he chased. As he ran, he suddenly burst into tears, “Please let me go, I have a young daughter, she’s only four…”

The man ignored him, quickly running halfway around the circle. The old man knelt, constantly kowtowing, “Please, please…”

A gunshot, the old man fell backward.

Next up was a weak man. He was very frail, silently observing all the players. Trying to find someone weaker than himself. He dropped the handkerchief behind a girl. He was wrong. The girl’s leg muscles were well-developed, clearly indicating regular exercise. Sure enough, the man lost.

Next up was a Mexican. He passed behind me, walked a few steps, suddenly—turned back! He dropped the handkerchief behind me! I immediately sprang up and pinned him down.

“Fuck!” he shouted, “Fuck you!”

Next round, another man dropped the handkerchief behind me… This time, I had to run nearly thirty meters to catch him. In the following rounds, the selected ones were all strong men. They all dropped the handkerchief behind me. I was targeted. My stamina was rapidly depleting.

When I sat down after the ninth round, I was already panting heavily. The tenth round. The person this time was fit and had long legs. I was very nervous, sweating profusely, and couldn’t hold on much longer… But he didn’t target me. I looked at him in surprise, noticing that he had some difficulty walking.

I remembered I had saved him. This was the person bitten by a snake in the Hide and Seek game. He limped and dropped the handkerchief behind a girl. But he was quickly caught. A gunshot, and the black brother fell.

When the game ended, Annie walked past me. She pointed to a man in the distance.

“Li,” she said, “And there’s another one, Tim, they’re our teammates.”

Hearing these two names, that strange sense of familiarity from when I first arrived on the island resurfaced. My head started to ache again. It felt like something in my memory was breaking out…

[Day Five]

This round’s game: Werewolf Game. Each group has nine people, three Gods, three Villagers, three Wolves. I looked at my Identity Card: Witch.

A Chinese person sat opposite me. He smiled at me. I remembered, he was Li. Li subtly tapped his card, communicating with me in Morse Code. He is a Wolf.

The Tour Guide played the role of the God, he said: “The night falls, please close your eyes. Werewolves, please open your eyes—Werewolves, who do you want to kill tonight?”

“Werewolves, please close your eyes. Seer, please open your eyes—Seer, who do you want to check?”

“His identity is this… Seer, please close your eyes. Witch, please open your eyes.”

I opened my eyes.

“The person who died last night is…” The God showed the number: 72. It was a young boy.

“Do you want to use the antidote?” the God asked.

I shook my head. If I use the antidote now, I won’t be able to save our Seer when he reveals himself.

“Do you want to use the poison?”

I shook my head again.

“Witch, please close your eyes. Hunter, please open your eyes… Hunter, please close your eyes—day breaks.”

Everyone opened their eyes.

“Number 72 is dead,” the God said, “Number 72, give your last words.”

Number 72: “I am a Villager or above. The Witch did right by not using the antidote. The Seer should not reveal themselves in the first round, at least wait until they find a Wolf…”

A Villager or above is a term in Werewolf Game, meaning the identity is either a Villager or a God. Li subtly shook his finger, passing information to me.

“—I am a Wolf. But the other two Chinese people are good. I will let the Wolf camp be eliminated.”

“—But you will die,” I reminded him.

“——It’s fine, six people can still be safe with the elimination of the Wolf Camp,” Li looked at me, a slight smile on his lips.

“——You must survive, you are the hope of our Resistance,” he said.

“Begin the speeches,” the Game Organizer said, “Share your deductions.”

Number 66: “I’m a Villager or God Role. Number 72’s identity is uncertain; God Role players should not reveal themselves prematurely, lest the wolves exploit it.”

Number 87: “I’m a good person, I kept my eyes closed the whole time, I know nothing.”

Then it was my turn, Number 62: “I’m a Villager or God Role. 72 and 66 are right, God Role players should not reveal themselves lightly. If the Seer doesn’t reveal themselves, the Witch should keep the antidote.”

Number 187: “I’m also a Villager or God Role, I think Number 87 is slacking off, I’ll slightly step on him for now. When voting later, pay attention to his choice.”

Then it was 35, Li’s turn.

Li: “I’ll be straightforward, I’m the Witch.”

What?

I was stunned.

Li: “I didn’t use the antidote the first night because I wanted to save it for the Seer. Seer, you can reveal yourself later, I’ll protect you—62, I don’t understand why you specifically mentioned the antidote, can I suspect you are guiding the Witch? Now everyone claims to be a good person, and with me being the Witch, all the good roles are taken. Does this mean the remaining ones are all wolves?—In short, I suspect 62, trust me, let’s vote him out together.”

It’s over.

I clenched my fists.

Li was overdoing it.

Sure enough, Number 78 retorted: “35, everyone says Gods should hide well, but you insist on revealing yourself as the Witch and urging the Seer to reveal too, isn’t that too hasty? Fine—since you claim to be the Witch, let the Seer check you tonight, to see if it’s true. 87 is indeed slacking, we can vote him out first.”

Number 78 is obviously a high-level player, very good at leading the rhythm.

Next was Number 63: “I don’t quite understand, 35 says he is the Witch, and no one counterclaims, why can’t we trust him? I think we can trust Number 35 for now. I’m also an Eyes-Closed Player, so I’ll follow the only God Role, no problem with that, right?”

After hearing Number 63’s speech, I guessed he was also a wolf.

This person might be a newbie, as a wolf teammate, trying to speak for Li.

But his speech had no substance, instead, it exposed him.

As long as the Seer detects that Li is a wolf, Number 63 will be doomed too.

The last to speak was Number 73: “Number 78 is right, since Number 35 claims to be the Witch, whether it’s true or not, we’ll find out by checking him.”

The Game Organizer nodded: “Vote.”

Li, Number 63, and Number 87 voted for me.

I, Number 66, Number 187, Number 78, and Number 73 voted for Number 87.

Number 87 was out.

Number 87: “I don’t know how to play, I got a Hunter Card right from the start. Since I was voted out, I have nothing to say, but I have to take someone with me—Number 187 was the first to step on me, so let’s die together.”

Number 87 turned out to be a good person!

Having voted out one of our own, I couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous.

“Number 87 and Number 187 are out.” the Game Organizer said, “The game continues… Seer, please close your eyes, Witch, please open your eyes.”

The Game Organizer made a gesture indicating Number 78.

“Tonight’s target is him, you have one antidote, do you want to use it?”

I thought for a while.

Number 72’s identity was unclear, Number 87 was the Hunter, and the Hunter could take one person with them before dying.

He took away the unclear identity of Number 187.

The worst-case scenario is that the Seer is also out.

If I’m the only Witch left, I must protect myself.

It’s also possible that two Villagers are out, so another Villager must be protected.

Although I don’t know whether Number 78 is good or bad…

I have to save him.

I nodded.

“You have one poison, do you want to use it?”

I shook my head.

The Game Organizer: “No one died last night. Everyone, please speak.”

Number 73: “I’m the Seer. The first night I checked Number 62, he is good. The second night I checked Number 35, he is a wolf. There are now three people out, one of whom is the Hunter. Last night the Witch saved someone, so the Witch is still alive. This means there are two God Roles left. Number 72 must be a Villager, Number 187’s identity is unclear. So, there are at most three wolves, at least two wolves. Number 35 is definitely a wolf, the other two wolves need to be identified. Next, the Witch should reveal themselves and report who they saved last night to narrow down the suspects.”

Number 63: “Number 73 revealed as the Seer, I think we can observe a bit longer. I’m a Confirmed Villager, so I can only follow the Gods. Number 73 and Number 35 are opposing each other, I’ll listen to Number 35 before deciding whom to trust.”

It seems everyone believes Number 35, Li, is a wolf.

Number 78 glared at Number 63: “You trusted Number 35 when he claimed to be the Witch, but you want to observe when Number 73 claims to be the Seer? What are you thinking? Number 35 is an obvious wolf, and you still stick to him, are you a wolf too?”

Number 35, Li’s tone was also harsh: “Number 78, you are the wolf! You led the rhythm last round to vote out Number 87, and what happened? Number 87 was the Hunter.—Yes, I’m not the Witch, I’m just a Villager blocking the gun for the God Roles. Now that a Hunter is out, if Number 72 and Number 187 are both Villagers, it means I’m the only Villager left, who else should I protect but myself? Trust me, Number 73 and Number 78 are wolves, vote one during the day, the Witch can poison another at night, and we can take them out in one go.”

Li was determined to sacrifice himself.

Because, the next to speak was me.

——And I would overturn all his statements.

“I am the Witch. Last night’s target was Number 78, I saved him. I believe the chance of Number 78 being a wolf who self-stabbed to trick the antidote is very low; after all, I mentioned in my first speech that I would be careful of wolves self-stabbing. Moreover, the Seer didn’t reveal themselves in the first round, and whether I would use the antidote in the second round was unknown, so the wolves wouldn’t recklessly sacrifice a teammate.”

I continued: “Number 72 is a Villager, Number 87 is the Hunter, Number 73 is the Seer, I am the Witch, Number 78 is a Villager, Number 35 is an obvious wolf, Number 63 might be a wolf. This means Number 187 and Number 66 are one wolf and one Villager respectively, the situation is clear. We vote Number 35 during the day, and I poison Number 63 at night, then we win.”

Number 66 immediately agreed: “I’m a Villager, if we arrange it this way, Number 187 is a definite wolf, there are only two wolves left on the field!”

The Game Organizer nodded: “Vote.”

Number 35, Li, and Number 63 voted for Number 78.

The rest of us, including me, voted for Li.

“Number 35 is out.” the Game Organizer said, “The game continues. Night falls, please close your eyes… Witch, please open your eyes, tonight’s target is…”

The Game Organizer pointed at Number 73—the wolves killed the Seer.

“Do you want to use your poison?”

If Number 187 is a wolf, then I poison Number 63, and the game ends.

Even if Number 187 isn’t a wolf, and Number 66 is a wolf, after the Seer’s death, I, as a God Role, with one Villager, can still take down Number 66.

Victory will be decided tonight.

I nodded and poisoned Number 63.

“The game is over.” the Game Organizer said, “Good people win. Number 187, Number 35, and Number 63 are wolves, OUT.”

Number 187 indeed turned out to be a wolf.

Li smiled at me, then got his head blown off by a mercenary.

“You must survive.” he murmured, “You are the hope of the Resistance.”

[Day Six]

This is the final round of the game, a five-day Battle Royale.

Everyone was given a pack of supplies.

In my pack, there was a gun.

A real gun.

The Tour Guide showed a photo of a helipad built on a mountainside platform.

“Within five days, the first person to board the helicopter will win! They will take all the prize money!”

“What about the others?” I asked.

“The others——” he smiled, “all OUT!”

In the rainforest, Annie was already waiting for me.

“Strange.” she said.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I can’t reach Tim.”

It turned out, Annie and Tim had agreed to share information here and escape the island together.

But starting from yesterday, he lost contact.

My head started to hurt again.

If Annie and Tim both came with a purpose, then what about me?

What am I supposed to do?

I recalled Li’s last words before he died: Survive——you are the hope of the Resistance.

Whom should I resist?

The Tour Guide? Or the Mastermind?

I thought about it while leading Annie towards the island center.

Since the photo showed a mountainside platform, it must be the mountain at the island center.

The deeper we went, the stronger the eerie familiarity in my heart grew.

Yes, I have definitely been here before.

While applying mosquito-repellent plant juice, I turned my back, but Annie suddenly asked for help.

“I can’t reach my back, can you help me?” she said.

I took a deep breath, nervously turned around, and saw Annie’s bare back.

Looking at Annie’s honey-colored skin and attractive back lines, my face instantly turned red.

“What are you standing there for?” Annie urged, “Hurry up.”

I squeezed out the juice and gently applied it to Annie’s back.

After Annie put on her clothes, she turned around and said, “Now let me help you.”

My face, which had just cooled down, turned red again.

Suddenly, Annie put on her clothes quickly and said, “Someone’s here.”

Annie circled half the way around a big banyan tree, then suddenly exerted force, instantly pinning the person down: “Don’t move!”

“Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me!”

Seeing me, the person said joyfully: “Brother! It’s me!”

I looked, he seemed familiar.

It was the person I had given Milk Tree juice to during the Hide and Seek game.

Annie took a knife from the man’s arms and nodded to me.

I released the man: “Your weapon will be kept by us for now.”

The man nodded repeatedly: “Okay.”

Annie asked: “Is there any suitable place to stay nearby?”

I shook my head: “On the first night, I walked a few hundred meters around the big banyan tree and found no other places to rest.”

Annie pondered for a moment, then said: “In that case, we’ll stay here tonight.”

As it got darker, the man took out compressed biscuits and started eating.

Annie and I agreed that I would keep watch for the first half of the night and she would take the second half.

Without saying much, she wrapped herself tightly in her clothes, nestled between the thick roots, and closed her eyes.

As the night deepened.

“Brother,” the man approached: “What did you do before? Your skills are so good?”

“I specialize in wilderness survival.” I said.

The man nodded and continued: “You are really amazing, no wonder you could find water and food. I can’t do it, I’m just a language teacher, I can’t do anything except teaching.”

I didn’t respond.

The man didn’t mind, continuing: “Who could have thought we’d end up in this situation, you two can take turns keeping watch, but I don’t even dare to sleep alone, fearing that if I close my eyes, I might never open them again.”

His tone became somber: “To be honest, I have no hope of surviving. I know I can’t survive to the end, yet I still want to live. Do you think this is the instinct to survive?”

The man forced a bitter smile: “Back home, my eldest daughter is only eight, and my youngest is just a few months old, she can’t even call me dad yet. It might be better if she can’t, so when my wife remarries, the kids won’t have as much baggage.”

He made a gesture as if wiping tears: “But, in my heart…sigh. Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet, I’m Jack.”

The man reached out his hand to me as if wanting to shake hands: “Brother, what’s your name?”

I was about to reach out when Annie suddenly flipped over and pinned Jack down with her knee.

“What are you holding?” she said coldly.

Annie deftly twisted his wrist and pulled out a silver needle from his fingers.

A tranquilizer dart.

I was stunned.

“Why?” Annie asked, “It’s one thing to target others, but John saved you, didn’t he? Without him, you wouldn’t have survived the Hide and Seek game.”

“So what!” Jack’s neck stiffened: “I’m not dying here!”

I delivered a sharp, decisive blow to Jack’s head, knocking him out cold.

Annie turned him over and searched him.

She found a map.

I found a set of Tranquilizer Dart on him.