He paused and slowly voiced his conjecture, leaving behind a few meaningful words.
"I think, compared to those who are more eye-catching, the Anomaly might be more inclined to 'possess' someone who is more inconspicuous and quiet."
Having said that, Ren Yi smiled slightly, a gentle expression crossing his face as his tone lightened.
"Alright, I'm just providing a reference, a direction for thought. I'm not the main act today."
"Next, let's invite the others behind me to present their self-defense."
As he spoke, he made an elegant "please" gesture toward Player 5, who was seated one spot past an empty seat to his left, and then slowly raised his hand to extinguish the candle in front of him.
Player 5 took a deep breath, her face looking somewhat strained as she slowly stood up.
Being listed as a suspect really didn't feel good, especially in a life-or-death game like this. Once identified as an Anomaly, it meant death.
Moreover, the current situation was unfavorable for her. Ren Yi's analysis just now had undoubtedly increased the suspicion surrounding her.
"I am not the Anomaly."
She steadied her mind, suppressing the panic in her heart, and got straight to the point. "I have always been on the side of the good people. I have never done anything to harm anyone."
"The players before me—Player 1, Player 2, and Player 3—have already analyzed everything quite thoroughly. It's very clear who we should vote for today, so I won't say much more to avoid wasting everyone's time."
"Right now, the most important thing for me is to clear my name and make everyone believe that I am not the possessed Anomaly."
At this point, she couldn't help but sigh, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness and grievance.
"But everyone, to be honest, all the suspicion against me comes from the 'She is Within Her' clue."
"Other than that, I believe I haven't done anything harmful to the good side."
She paused, her gaze lingering on Zhang Qiuqiu for a moment as if recollecting something, before continuing.
"For example, I don't know if everyone remembers, but on the first day when we were choosing a leader, both Player 6 and I voted for Player 9, the real Lost Soul."
"Although I wasn't certain of Player 9's identity at the time and just voted based on my gut feeling, it seems my feeling was correct."
"No... that's not right."
She suddenly remembered something and gave a bitter smile, her face showing a touch of self-deprecation. "Sorry, it seems my defense just now isn't quite valid..."
"I almost forgot. Your current line of thinking is that the Anomaly among us has already replaced the original person."
"I still haven't fully accepted this logic. It's too shocking and terrifying. I'm sorry."
"But in any case, let me first solemnly declare that I have always been siding with the good people."
Player 5's tone became firm, her eyes full of sincerity, hoping to gain everyone's trust.
"Now, I will answer the questions Player 1 and Player 3 had about me to completely clear my suspicion."
She adjusted the glasses on the bridge of her nose, her tone becoming more rigorous.
"First, regarding what Player 1 said about me claiming Player 11 might be smearing Player 12 during yesterday's speaking phase."
"I already emphasized this repeatedly yesterday."
"That was just a possibility I proposed, a bit of divergent thinking. It wasn't that I was certain Player 11 was the Anomaly."
Player 5's tone grew urgent.
"After all, the current situation no longer allows us to think with simple logic."
"The Anomaly's methods are too numerous and cunning. We must consider all possibilities."
"I had no intention of falsely accusing Player 11. It was just an intuition, a wariness of the unknown danger,"
she added, her tone tinged with guilt.
"Looking at it now, my feeling was wrong. The words of Player 2 and Player 3 have basically proven that Player 11's actions on the first day were those of a good person, which essentially clears her of major suspicion."
"I'd also like to apologize to Player 11. I hope you don't mind."
"As for Player 3 saying I've become somewhat quiet these past two days, appearing like a completely different person from the first day, I will respond to that as well."
"First of all, I am just an 'Ordinary Civilian' without any special abilities."
"All I can do is try my best to protect myself, find the good side, and then vote correctly to cooperate with everyone. That is the greatest contribution I can make."
"The reason I was more proactive on the first day was that I felt the situation was unclear. Someone needed to step up, actively analyze the situation, and propose viewpoints to find the right side as quickly as possible, preventing everyone from falling into chaos and giving the Anomaly an opportunity,"
she continued to explain.
"Also, my dispute with Player 2 on the first day wasn't because I was targeting him, but because he took the keys without consulting anyone."
"Even now, I still stand by my view. He does act quite independently and is sometimes too subjective."
Player 5's tone was firm, without a hint of backing down.
"That is my explanation for all the questions. I've said all I can say. I hope everyone can believe me."
After finishing, Player 5 slowly sat down, her face showing a trace of exhaustion.
Her speech wasn't long, but it was sincere enough, making it seem as if she were trying to reduce the information load and not cause trouble.
Quite a few people would likely view her in a positive light.
Ren Yi sat in his seat, watching this scene and mentally calculating.
Next, just like Player 5, Player 6—who had voted correctly and sided with the right people from the start—slowly stood up.
Her style was completely different from Player 5's honest, sincere, and humble demeanor.
The moment she spoke, her words carried a resounding weight.
"Player 11, I believe you are the Anomaly."
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