Chapter 2 The Liar

• The woman's shrieking ceased, bringing everyone's thoughts to an abrupt halt.
• The men who were just loudly hurling insults moments ago had now fallen silent as well.
• At this point, it was no longer a matter of committing a crime. The strange individual standing before them was truly capable of murder.
• After a full minute of silence, Goat Head finally gave a slight nod. “Excellent. It seems all nine of you have finally calmed down.”
• The expressions on everyone's faces changed dramatically, yet no one dared to utter a word. Just as he had stated, there were indeed nine of them now.
• Skyler extended a trembling hand, removing a pale yellow object from his face.
• The shattered fragment of the brain, still warm, faintly pulsed. But within a few seconds, it lost its vitality, falling limp like a deflated ball.
• “Allow me to introduce myself...” Goat Head extended a blood-soaked finger, pointing to himself, and said, “I am Man Goat, and you are 'The Participants'.”
• Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback, immediately followed by a hint of confusion.
• “The purpose of gathering you all here today is for you to partake in a game, with the ultimate goal of creating a 'God',” Goat Head continued in a nonchalant tone.
• These consecutive statements caused everyone to furrow their brows.
• After spending these few minutes together, everyone had generally come to understand that the man before them was mad. Yet, this madman claimed he was going to create a 'God'?
• “What... what kind of god are you trying to create?” the muscular young man asked with a hint of nervousness.
• “A God akin to Gaia!” Goat Head exclaimed, his body animated with excitement. A pungent odor radiated from him, his voice filled with savage intensity as he went on, “How magnificent! You all will bear witness to history with me. The ancient Gaia, who once created humanity, transformed into a rainbow when she mended the sky... We cannot afford to lose Gaia, so we must create a new one! A grand task awaits this God!”
• His voice gradually grew louder and more passionate, as if he was invigorated by an unseen force.
• “Gaia...” The robust young man furrowed his brows, finding it hard to accept what was happening. He paused for a moment before asking, “Are you part of some religious group?”
• “Religion?” Goat Head paused slightly and turned toward the young man before replying, “We are much more grandiose than a mere religion. We have a world!”
• After hearing these words, everyone fell silent once again.
• The muscular man's question was quite pointed. After all, Goat Head's every move and demeanor were akin to a cult, yet most cults tended to fabricate a new deity, not use a heroic figure like Gaia.
• “Given that...” the muscular man continued to inquire, “what exactly do you want us to participate in by bringing us here?”
• “As I said earlier, it's just a game,” Goat Head answered without hesitation. “If you win, one of you will become a God.”
• “D*mn it all...” The tattooed man seemed to have cooled down, his words laced with curses and frustration. “This is basically Game of Gods, right? What if we can't win?”
• “If you don't win...” Goat Head looked at the blood on his hands, expressing with a hint of disappointment, “Then it would truly be a shame...”
• Even though he didn't explicitly state it, everyone understood his meaning.
• If they didn't win, they would die.
• The options he presented did not include one for getting out alive.
• Either become his so-called God, or die here like that young man whose head was smashed open.
• “If everyone is clear... then let this round of games officially begin. You will now be playing a game called 'The Liar'.” Goat Head slowly pulled out a stack of papers from his jacket, then casually walked over to each person, placing a sheet down.
• Subsequently, he pulled out several pens and distributed them among the group.
• The table was stained with more than a few traces of blood. Each person's white paper would pick up a tinge of red as it was set down on the table. When they flipped the paper over and wiped their hands, the crimson hue spread like paint, turning the white paper even redder.
• “Next, I want each of you to recount the last incident that took place before you arrived here,” Goat Head continued to speak. “But bear in mind, among all the storytellers, one person will be lying. Once all nine of you have finished telling your stories, you'll need to start voting. If all eight of you correctly identify the liar, they will be eliminated, and everyone else will survive. However, if even one of you makes the wrong choice, the liar will survive, and everyone else will be eliminated.”
• “A liar...?”
• The crowd was slightly puzzled. Would anyone really lie at this critical moment of life and death?
• “Hold on, can we discuss tactics?” the muscular man suddenly asked.
• “Up to you.” Goat Head gave a nod. “Before the game begins, you have a minute to discuss your tactics. Would you like to use it now... or later?”
• “I want to use it right now,” the muscular man said without hesitation.
• “Suit yourself.”
• Goat Head retreated a step, distancing himself from the table.
• The muscular man pressed his lips together, then glanced around at the crowd. He deliberately avoided the dead body sprawled on the table as he began to speak. “I don't know who among you is planning to lie, but this 'rule' sounds far too arbitrary. If just one person casts the wrong vote, we would all die. And even if we choose correctly, the liar would die. It seems that no matter what, there will be a casualty. However, I've thought of a way for all of us to survive...”
• Upon hearing those words, everyone turned their attention toward him.
• Was it even possible to ensure everyone survived?
• “And that is none of us lie.” The muscular man revealed the answer before anyone could figure it out. “All nine of us tell the truth, and at the end, we write 'No one lied' on this paper. In this way, we don't break any rules, and we can also all survive.”
• The man in the white coat lightly drummed his fingers on the table. After a moment, he said, “Your plan is solid, but it hinges on one assumption - that you are not the liar. But how can we trust you? If you are indeed the liar, and we all write down 'No one lied', in the end, you will be the only one left standing.”
• “How could you say that?” The muscular man's face showed a hint of anger. “If I were the liar, why would I possibly suggest such a thing? All I need is to protect myself.”
• Goat Head gave a slight wave of his hand, saying, “One minute has passed; please stop communicating.”
• Both men simultaneously let out a cold huff but fell silent.
• “Next, everyone please draw a card.” Goat Head pulled out a small stack of cards from his pants pocket. The cards, about the size of a poker deck, had “Gaia Game” written on the back.
• The muscular man paused, then asked, “What is this?”
• “This is your identity card,” Goat Head declared with a hearty laugh. “If you draw the card with 'the liar' on it, you must lie.”
• The muscular man gritted his teeth fiercely. “Are you messing with us? Why didn't you mention these rules earlier!”
• “This was meant to teach you a lesson,” Goat Head said with a cold sneer. “I hadn't even finished explaining the rules, and you were already asking me about discussing tactics. It's your own fault for wasting that precious minute, not mine for not speaking up sooner.”
• The muscular man's expression was rather unsightly, but considering Goat Head's ruthless methods, he swallowed his anger.
• Within the span of a minute, all nine individuals had drawn a card from Goat Head's hand, yet none dared to flip it over to see what was on it.
• If the card read “the liar,” it then became a matter of who would survive—themself or the others.
• All four women's hands were trembling slightly, while the men's expressions were grim.
• The card wasn't their identity; it signified their life or death.
• Skyler took a deep breath, casually grabbed his card with his fingers, then moved it in front of his eyes.
• Gently, he turned the card to take a look.
• Emblazoned across the top were the words “the liar.”