The Storm is Coming

I don't know about others but fortunately, we were able to secure a hotspot in the early stages.

If we had to spend another night in the forest with no protection then I can't possibly think how we would have survived.

"Allen, what about the points we were supposed to get every eight hours?" Selene asked me.

"Hmm... that's right, you don't know how to check our points," I said. " Here let me show you." when I first received my first point Selene was not present at that time.

Slowly walking as I heard the sound of crickets, Selene and I approached the machine.

"Now, touch your right elbow."

"What?" it's natural for everyone would be confused. Who would think that that it's a mechanism to check your points.

"Just do it will you."

"... okay." she touched her elbow.

A status window pooped up on the screen.

[Welcome Selene]

[Status- Alive]

[Points- 200]

"Wha?" was my reaction the same as her? I wonder...

"So, now you know how to check your points right?"

"Yeah... Allen can you show me yours?"

"....." I don't want her to see my points because of various reasons.

First, she would notice that I have almost twice the number of points as her. She would become suspicious of how come I have so many points.

Second, she already knows that I have taken points from the others but even if we total the 200 common points plus the 210 points I have taken it would be only 400 but I have a total of 570 points.

"Is that... a no...?" I don't know how should I respond to that.

"... Argh... Selene why don't I show my points sometime later?" yes, sometime later at the right opportunity.

"... okay."

I know sooner or later I would have to her.

Now, what should we do? I don't have any lead and if I use points now most probably it would be in vain. Like they would let me have the information that easily.

"~GOOD MORNING TO ALL!" like before the sound echoed throughout the forest, where are the speakers?

"~I HOPE YOU HAD A PLEASANT FIRST DAY ON THE ISLAND, OH SORRY, IT'S YOUR SECOND DAY BUT FOR TASK IT'S THE FIRST DAY. ANYWAY DON'T WORRY ABOUT COUNTING THE DAYS SINCE YOU'LL AIN'T GONNA LEAVE THIS PLACE ANY TIME SOON~" every time I hear his voice why do I feel like I have heard it before.

"~SO, I ALREADY TOLD YOU MOST OF THE INFORMATION BEFORE BUT WE DECIDED TO ADD NEW RULES NOW," he continued, "BEFORE WE TOLD THAT YOU NEED TO COLLECT 100 POINTS BEFORE 72 HOURS BUT AFTER DISCUSSION THE TIME LIMIT HAS BEEN REDUCED TO 12 HOURS" what? It's not like I care but if they have reduced time something is definitively going to happen soon.

"ALSO EARLIER IT WAS ONLY 100 POINTS, RIGHT? BUT NOW WE CHANGED IT SINCE ALMOST MORE THAN 70% HAVE ALREADY REACHED 100 POINTS SO NOW YOU HAVE TO GAIN 350+ POINTS." yup, they are going to eliminate us sooner as I expected.

How did I know they would eliminate us? It's simple actually, first they abducted 50 students and threw them on this island also they have already killed a person. Second, wild beasts are roaming on this island where anyone can get killed at any moment. Third, he just said that more than 70% of people have already completed the first task maybe that's why they increased the points requirement so that fewer people will be able to advance further.

"~AH, HOW CAN I FORGET ABOUT THIS," he said, "I HAVE A ONE GOOD NEWS AND ONE BAD NEWS TO SHARE WITH YOU WHICH ONE YOU WANT TO HEAR FIRST?~"

".... LET'S GO WITH THE GOOD NEWS FIRST. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT SINCE I FEEL PITY TOWARDS YOU ALL SO... I AM GOING TO PROVIDE FOOD FOR THE FIRST 3 PEOPLE. BUT IT'S NOT FREE, NOTHING IS FOR FREE. I WILL NEED SOMETHING IN EXCHANGE. WHAT SHOULD I ASK FOR? HMM... AH! HOW ABOUT THIS, YOU'LL GO TO YOUR MACHINES IN THE HOTSPOT AND I WILL ASK THEM PERSONALLY WHAT I WANT IN EXCHANGE. NOW, WE GO FOR THE BAD NEWS..." he paused.

"~THE BAD NEWS IS THAT OUT OF 50, 13 HAVE ALREADY BEEN DISQUALIFIED. IT'S NOT EXACTLY A BAD NEWS BUT STILL, IT COULD BE CONSIDERED A SAD NEWS FOR YOU ALL RIGHT? YOUR FRIENDS HAD TO LEAVE BEFORE YOU~"

When he mentioned that 13 have been disqualified Liz and Peter came to my mind. I didn't want to imagine Peter but he just popped out when I thought about Liz maybe because they both went together, whatever.

"TOO BAD WE HAVE TO STOP HERE. DO WHATEVER YOU CAN PASS THE FIRST TASK~" with that he left us.

Even after he increased the number of points I am still safe but the problem is for Selene. She has 200 points at present and in the next 12 hours, it would turn 300 points at best, which means Selene is going to get disqualified.

"Selene what will you do now?" I could give her 50 points and I would still be safe but I don't want to waste my points yet.

"I don't know..." she also understands that in the next 12 hours she has to collect 350 points or else she is going to get disqualified.

While I was discussing with Selene I noticed that one of the girls is missing. I looked around to confirm but she was not in sight. It's not like I was worried, it will be the last thing I would be worried about. I just think it is suspicious. In the forest where beasts roam around and yesterday they were being chased by one so normally no one would dare to roam around alone in the forest. So where is she?

"Kurt, where is that girl?" he was sitting somewhat far from me so I had to say it louder.

"Who?"

"That girl who is useless." I haven't seen her doing anything yet.

"... oh, her. Her name is Ritzu. I don't know where she is." lie.

From what happened yesterday no one would go alone somewhere in the forest. They are hiding something.

"What do you mean by you don't know?" I walked towards him, "Wasn't it your group which got attacked by a beast at night, and now you are letting her roam around alone in the forest." after what happened last night even I would think twice to go alone.

"A-ah, o-oh, ..." he couldn't say anything.

"Hmm..."

"What'd going on?" from behind I heard a girl's voice different from Selene's.

"Oh, where did you go alone in the forest?" it was Ritzu.

"W-why do I have to tell you?" she seem sophisticated.

"That's right you don't have to tell me but... by what happened yesterday you still dared to go alone in the forest by yourself? Aren't you a little bit afraid of being attacked by a beast?"

"W-what are you getting at?" Kurt tried to intervene in between.

"Fine, I will leave it at that today. But if you do anything suspicious I might have to do something about it right?" I am sure they are plotting something but what?

"..." I walked away from them.

TO BE CONTINUED...