บท 13: BLUE OR RED II

Yeah, that's it," Rian said with a smirk. "Our heads would be blown off at the end of each wrong guess."

(Your opponent, the second pawn Moses, is here. The second game begins now.)

A little boy dressed in a red scrub suddenly appeared. He had a beautiful smile and a cute round face.

"Darn it! That's the second pawn?" Livi asked, her mouth wide open in shock.

"Is the system insane? Why is a little boy like that playing in such a deadly game?" Rosa asked angrily, glaring at the system.

(All players should line up according to their number and start coming forward one after the other to take a guess of which box contains the blue ball.)

"I am number one, so if I guess wrong, my head will be blown off," a man said fearfully, his voice trembling.

(No, there won't be any head blowing off.)

"Really? That's a relief then," the man said excitedly, moving forward to take a guess.

Axel and his teammates exchanged confused glances but decided not to speak and see how the game goes.

(You have two hours to play the second game, all players. I wish you the best of luck.)

(Number one, please take a guess of which box contains a blue ball.)

The man took a heavy sigh before stepping forward and stood in front of the millions of boxes.

"I choose that," he replied after a long wait, pointing towards a box located at his left.

(Are you sure that's the box you want to choose? You have five minutes to decide, so you may reconsider your answer.)

"It doesn't need, I'm damn sure that box contains the blue ball," he replied confidently with a bright smile on his face.

Suddenly, the spot where the man had been standing split open, making him fall inside the ground before closing back up.

Fear and terror could be seen on all players' faces as they stared at the spot where the man had been standing and then turned their gazes back to the system.

"Hey! Where did he go? Why did the ground open?" asked the second player, fear and terror evident in his voice.

(Number one took a wrong guess and therefore has been punished according to this game's rules.)

"What? I thought there would be no head blowing off? So what kind of punishment did number one receive?" another player asked.

(Hydrochloric acid.)

"Hydrochloric acid??? What do you mean?" Livi asked, her eyebrows raised, demanding an answer.

(The spot where each player would be standing is an opening to the underground, which already contains hydrochloric acid filled to the brim. Any wrong guesses made would make the ground open, and the player would be met with death.)

"Damn! This system is insane," Rian said with a frustrated expression. "How can it plan such a brutal game?"

"I told you this is more like a death game," Rosa said angrily.

(I'm not the one responsible for every game planned. The kudos goes to every member of the chess game.)

"What? You mean that tiny boy planned this game?" Livi asked, pointing at the boy who was seated on a chair.

(Exactly. Every member of the chess game is responsible for planning every game you players would be playing. The system's work is just to tell you when the game is going to start, allocate different rewards, and be your guide for all game sessions.)

"Hey! You!" Livi yelled at the little boy. "Are you stupid? Where is your mom? How come you're one of the pawns?"

"Are you scared of death?" the little boy asked with a grin on his face. "So unbelievable. How can an adult like you be afraid of death when I, a little boy, am not?"

"What the hell?" Livi yelled, ready to attack the boy but was held back by Axel, who grabbed her by the waist.

"Let it go, Livi," Axel said before releasing her and directing his gaze back to the system.

(Player number two, please step forward and take a guess on which box contains the blue ball.)

There was an awkward silence as player number two stayed rooted on the line, unwilling to move forward.

"Hey, go and take your guess now, would you?" yelled the other participants, growing impatient.

"I don't want to play anymore. I give up," player number two said with a trembling voice.

(Failure to participate in a game results in death.)

"And you can still die if you guess wrong. What kind of law is that? Why do I have to die if I said I'm not interested in playing?" player number two asked angrily, demanding an answer from the system before shifting his gaze back to the other players, who were shaking with fear themselves.

"Can you all see that? The system is insane. Everything about this game world is insane," player number two yelled, anger evident in his voice and seriousness in his eyes.

(You have five minutes more to stand in the square shape and take a guess.)

"I said I'm not playing. I give up, you damn system," player number two yelled, panting for breath with tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Can others take a guess if player number two isn't willing to take a guess now?" asked the beautiful lady Axel and his teammates had encountered earlier. "Can I just take my guess now? I'm already tired of this fucking world, so I might as well end it all now."

(You have to go according to your number to take a guess, dear players.)

(Once the two hours given for every player runs out, and there are still players left who haven't taken their guesses, that will definitely result in death for them.)

"Will you go ahead and take your guess now, you fucking bastard?" Rian yelled, running out of patience. "Or do you need some help? I can push you forward, you asshole," Rian added, frustrated.

"I don't want to play anymore. I give up," player number two said as he stormed towards the exit.

A loud explosion sound was heard, making all the players shift their gaze to the door exit, only to be faced with the headless, lifeless body of player number two lying in a pool of blood.

"Failure to participate means your head is gonna get blown off," Rian said, placing his hand on his chin. "We are all fucking dead then."

"There has to be a way. I can't die like this. There must be a way," Axel thought to himself.

Every player stood rooted in one position, unwilling to move forward and take their guesses.

"What would happen if the two hours time runs out?" Livi asked as she settled down on the floor.

(Like I said earlier, the only result is death.)

"Maybe we should all say our last prayers then," Rian said with a heavy sigh, settling down beside Livi on the tiled floor.

(Every player now has five minutes to take a guess. Once you're not able to take a guess within five minutes, then your head will be blown off.)

"Sounds good! You will eventually die if you refuse to take a guess after five minutes, as long as you're the next number to play," Rian said with a sigh of relief.

A loud explosion sound was heard by all players making them cover their ears with their hands.

(Player number three eliminated.)

"We will all be pronounced dead in no time then," Livi said, shutting her eyes tightly, trembling in fear as she listened to the system's announcements.

(Player number ten eliminated.)

(Player number fifteen eliminated.)

(Player number twenty eliminated.)

(Player number nineteen, please step forward and take a guess.)

Axel stood up, knowing that this moment would come. He walked forward and stood in the square shape on the floor, facing the millions of boxes placed in front of him.

His team members stared at him, their expressions full of sadness and despair.

(Please make a guess. You have only five minutes to do so.)