The Master Alpha stood on the stage with his chin held high. He believed with all his heart that his threat worked perfectly. He doesn't need to worry about other humans attempting to eliminate him just because they are ordered to do so by those 'hunters'.
Pweehh!! (A/N:spitting sound)
No one can touch him! Just let him see them try! He flashed a wide bright smile across the human players who will soon become his slave.
The first person in the row is the young woman who shouted earlier to stop the young man from attacking the Master Alpha. She shifted uncomfortably when when the eyes of the Master Alpha was focused on her.
What's wrong?
She looked behind her back and found out that they all step backward, as if they deliberately isolated her so she could go first in the game. When she realized the other's intention, her face became visibly white and she opened her mouth.
"I… I don't want to go first. You - you fat man should go first!" She immediately shrunk behind the fat man who was quietly standing behind her. The two of them immediately switch position.
The fat man's sweaty face drip to the side of his neck. He frowned at the young woman " Why me?"
He dumbly looked around him. "I don't want to go first. In monopoly games, everyone has the freedom to choose when should it be their turn. And I choose not to go first!" He accusingly looked at everyone. As if daring them to speak up and refute his resolute claim.
Indeed he was right, when it comes to deciding whose turn is it to play, everyone will agree on the order of who will go first, who will go next until who will be the last one. Usually, people like to be the first one to play, however, this game is unlike the usual monopoly game everyone played.
This game involved life and death.
No one wanted to go first in the same reason as they don't want to die.
What if the question the orb will give is not answerable, what should they do?
What if they indeed truthfully answered the question but the orb regarded it as false?
What if it will trick them to fall into the squares where punishment was issued and everyone will suffer a fate much worse than death?
In the face of death, everyone became a coward.
One of the men who stood by the sideline approached the center of the group and look at their faces. His expression extremely stoic and grim.
After he looked at them one by one, he sighed and said. "There must be an order. In this game, our game has a total of eighteen people to play. If everyone agrees, why don't we take our turns by making the first person who got caught by the Master Alpha as the first to play?"
"You mean we should follow the order of when each of us are caught?"
"Somebody protested. "But me and her are caught at the same time."
The exchange of their conversation did not escape the Master Alpha's ears. His pupil slit eyes glinted in the dark as he chuckled. "Why don't those who got caught at the same time decide who goes first by rock, paper scissors? Who wins will have the honor of being the first among the others?" The Master Alpha had one of the most mischievous at the same time creepy smile plastered on his face.
Everyone who involuntarily looked at him when he talk immediately tore their away and shivered in fright. Nobody spoke to dispute the Master Alpha. It was a silence of agreement. Not out of their own volition but they are just forced. Especially when it was not only the Master Alpha who was dangerous, the giant snake also who coiled around his feet keep staring at them with drooling mouth.
Nobody dared to act recklessly!
Since Peter and Cayden were caught at the same time, the two of them must play rock paper scissors against each other. Cayden felt someone's hand fell on his shoulders. He looked and find Peter staring at him intently.
"I go first before you."
"Huh?"
"It's much safer being the last. I know we will miss the rewards because there are sixteen others who came before us to claim them but… we could not risk taking the reward when in fact our lives is on the line."
Cayden smiled at Peter's words. He resolutely nodded and patted Peter's hand that was grasping his shoulders.
Indeed, being the last has its own advantage. But that's on the premise that the punishment present in the squares will disappear right when somebody experienced it.
If… If this Master Alpha has some card hidden on his sleeves like doubling the intensity of the punishment when the next person pick the same punishment square….
Cayden could not imagine how both of them will fare against it.
It seems everyone is done playing the rock paper scissors. The names of the eighteen humans appeared on the screen hovering right above the stage. On the second to the last is Pete's name and Cayden is the last person.
"All right! It seems everyone has decided so who goes first? Let me see… the first one was Lyn?" he paused. HIs purple slit eyes slid around the nervous faces.
"Who is Lyn? Come and step forward. The orb is already ready to give you its first question!"
Lyn is none other than the young woman who just got shoved first in the line earlier. Her face was dark and her shoulders shook. She did not dare move forward.
"Come on now Lyn don't be shy." The Master Alpha coaxed. She still did not respond. The Master Alpha grew impatient. He raised his hand slightly and the giatn snake who was quietly lying in his feet raised its upper body. The drool in its mouth pooled on the ground.
"We do not have all day. Lyn, do you want to play the game or be fed to my pet?"