The facade of a lavish, symmetrical palace stood before the seven remaining participants as the helicopter landed. Moonlight shone upon the cream-colored, ornament-filled surface, while golden pillars elegantly held the roof in place.

  Tall arched windows were framed by decorative moldings, the glass reflecting the night sky like a dark ocean. Broad stone stairs rose to the main entrance, underscoring the majesty of this large building.

  Everyone’s eyes widened at the sight of the palace; the air filled with silence. A figure stepped out of the main entrance, the footsteps echoing in everyone’s ears. “Welcome, sinners. This is where the second trial will take place. Please, come in.” The figure stepped to the side and made an inviting gesture.

  They all stood there, waiting for someone to take the first step. Every single one of them hoped for it to be over, but that illusion was shattered the moment they heard him speak.

  Just as Rikou was about to step forward, Satoi began walking towards the entrance. She confidently walked, unbothered by the many eyes on her back.

  ‘The way she’s holding herself... is she unfazed by what happened just a few hours ago?’ Kenzou gulped, tightly gripping his own arm.

  Soon, they entered the palace, with Noroma being last. The inside was even more magnificent. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and vast staircases led to many different hallways. They stepped onto the marble floor as they looked around in awe.

  The figure followed suit as the door behind them closed. This person wore a golden masquerade mask and a black suit. “You may call me Midas. Please follow me.” He walked up the central stairway, with everyone following along.

  “We want you to be at your best for the upcoming trial. You may rest in your rooms until we call you. If you need anything, please let us know via the wristband.” They checked their wristbands. It had lost its GPS function, and two new icons appeared. One resembled a bell, the other looked like money.

  “If you press the bell icon, a ‘servant’ will appear to help you out. The money icon will be used in the upcoming trial. You’ll understand soon enough. We’ve arrived.” Midas stood before a great hallway with eight rooms and continued, “Please assign yourselves a room using your wristband."

  Rikou, Tenkai, Hana, and Kenzou chose the four rooms on the left, while Satoi, Noroma, and Hakaku chose three rooms on the right. “We’ll inform you once the time is ripe. Good night.” Midas turned around and left them alone, for the time being.

  They hoped this was nothing more than a dream, but they knew that wasn’t the case. One by one, they all unlocked and entered their rooms. However, just as Rikou was about to close the door, a voice called out to him. “Rikku.” A soft hand grabbed his arm, stopping him halfway through.

  Hana’s hair slightly covered her eyes, but he could tell they were locked with his as she spoke, “Thank you.. for saving us. If it weren’t for you, we would’ve been in last place. And then..” Her body shivered as she looked to the side for a moment. “And then.. one of us would’ve had to face that fate..”

  “It’s no problem. It’s not like I didn’t earn anything from it. I did get my wristband back.” He smiled at her, scratching his head as he looked to the side.

  Noticing the change, Hana couldn’t help but smile slightly. “I see.. Well then, do you mind if I come in?” She leaned forward, taking the initiative.

  Rikou seemed to be taken aback, taking a moment before replying. “Well.. I wouldn’t mind..” Hana slowly set one foot in, but he continued, “But I’m really tired right now, so maybe another time?” She stepped back. “..No worries, see you tomorrow then, Rikku!”

  He closed the door behind him and jumped onto the bed. “Finally, some sleep..” He closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep. After all, he had been awake for a long time on the island, fighting for his survival.

  His eyelids slowly opened as he turned over. He was about to close them again, but he forced himself to get up from the bed. Still half asleep, he glanced at the pendulum clock on the wall.

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  It was already ten a.m., though he hadn’t been woken up yet. That meant that he still had time to prepare for whatever was next. His stomach grumbled aggressively, and his eyes felt heavy.

  Rikou looked at his wristband and decided to tap the bell icon. A few moments later, he heard a knock on his door, to which he responded without delay. Just as Midas said, a ‘servant’ appeared.

  “Can I get a change of clothes?” He asked, unsure about his current situation. To his surprise, the female maid simply nodded and left. She then came back and brought him a white suit with a black shirt.

  “Thank you.” Rikou gladly accepted the change of clothes, took a shower, and put on the suit. ‘How formal..’ he thought as he glanced at the pendulum clock once more, it was exactly noon.

  Just then, a voice could be heard within the building. “All participants, please make way to the dining hall.” Rikou finished preparing and left the room, taking a bit longer than he had initially expected.

  He did not know where the dining hall was, but it seemed that some signs had been prepared beforehand. He followed them and finally arrived in a grand hall with a circular table at its center, which had more than enough space for the seven of them.

  A variety of foods had been prepared, none below the quality of a five-star restaurant. However, what was even more outstanding were the people who sat around the table.

  The men wore classy suits, while the women wore elegant dresses. As Rikou stepped into the dining hall, Midas came from another entrance. “Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope you all had a good rest. I assume you’re all very hungry, so please eat as much as you want.”

  The atmosphere in the hall quickly filled with anxiety. The lingering fear of the upcoming trial overwhelmed them. However, three individuals stood out. Satoi, Hakaku, and Kenzou were already filling themselves, enjoying their delicious meal.

  “Why aren’t you guys eating? It’ll get cold.” Kenzou spoke with a full mouth, which only intensified everyone’s hunger. “..I can’t get that image out of my mind.” Tenkai replied, looking downwards.

  Rikou sat down and didn’t hesitate, taking a plate filled with rice and crispy chicken teriyaki. “Tenkai, eat up. You’ll need the energy for the next trial. Mourn not the dead and live in the moment.”

  Tenkai sighed heavily before finally taking a plate. Rikou sometimes glanced at the others, noticing a few changes as he ate. Hana’s hair was no longer ruined, while Satoi’s attire was brimming with elegance.

  Soon after they finished eating, Midas spoke out, standing behind a tall Sicilian pedestal. “The second trial is called ‘Wealth Conflict’. You will be split into two teams.

  Each team will start with a grand total of one hundred million vita, which will be distributed evenly among its members. Vita is the digital currency of this game, and you may buy whatever you’d like with it.

  The winner is the team with the most vita in 48 hours. The person with the least vita on the losing team will bear the blame for the loss and will be eliminated. Satoi Hokori and Noroma Kanzaki will definitely be in the team of four, as they won the previous trial.”

  Rikou’s eyes widened. ‘I see.. This means that the chance of elimination is only 1/4 for them, and that’s only if their team loses. That’s a great advantage in this trial.’

  “The teams are as follows: Satoi Hokori, Noroma Kanzaki, Kenzou Tenma, and Hakaku Mikamoto will be the Persians, while Rikou Fukanou, Hana Yukina, and Tenkai Shinichi will be the Romans. Let the second trial begin.” Midas ended his speech and left the dining hall.

  Everyone was quiet. They had to undergo yet another trial. The mood was heavy, but Satoi stood up and left without a word. It was not her elegant attire that attracted the many gazes, but the ice-breaking motion.

  At the same time, Tenkai clicked on the money icon on his wristband. At the top of the interface stood: “Romans, 100 million vita”, whilst right below it was “Tenkai Shinichi, 33 million vita.”

  “So, the money icon is our current balance.” Tenkai spoke out, trying to break the awkward silence. “It seems so. Well, since we need to earn money, the only way would be through games, wouldn’t it?” Rikou responded, trying to lift the mood. “How about we start with a simple game of Poker?”

  At the same time, he checked his account. ‘34 million vita, huh. I must’ve gotten lucky, they rounded it up for me.’

  Hearing such a proposal, many people’s eyes lit up. Playing games to earn money seemed to be the fairest way to go through this trial. “Sure, let’s do that.” Kenzou replied. “But how would we get the cards to play?”

  Rikou smiled, as if he had already expected this question. “Simple, like this.” He pressed the bell button on his wristband and requested a pack of playing cards from a servant. She then came back and offered to be the dealer, overseeing this match.

  The servant cleared the table and calmly stated the rules. “You will be playing Texas Hold’em Poker. To make the game easier, everyone will have to pay an ante of one million vita for every round they play. The winner with the best five-card hand will get all the vita in the pot, which is what everyone has bet for the current round. I’ll be automatically updating your accounts.

  The possible hands, from lowest to highest, are: High Card, Pair (two cards of the same rank), Two Pair, Three of a Kind, Straight (five cards in numerical sequence), Flush (five cards of the same suit), Full House (three of a kind plus a pair), Four of a Kind, and Straight Flush.

  During the game, you may fold to give up, check to pass your turn, raise to increase the stakes, or call to match a raise.” She spoke as she skillfully shuffled the cards. “You will bet four times during each game. Everyone will get two cards at the start, then I’ll put three cards on the table, one more, and one final one, followed by the last round of betting.