"Murderer...?"

"Did he just say murderer?"

"Wait, him? The guy with the black jacket?"

The old man’s fingers remained pointed at him, trembling as if he was using every ounce of courage he had to keep it raised.

What wasted potential...that old fox should’ve gone to Holliwood instead.

Martin looked around at the others, clearly noticing how much attention he had gathered. His face, which had been pale only a second ago, suddenly twisted into a small grin.

"I saw it," he said, voice cracking. "I saw what he did!"

Joshua’s brows furrowed. "Mr. Wells, calm down first. What exactly are you talking about?"

Martin swallowed loudly. "We landed in the same supermarket during the First Game. There were others with us, scared and just trying to survive."

"When the Hounds rushed in and everyone scattered," he continued. "I thought...I thought we could still help each other...but then I saw him—saw him kill someone! That’s who Deon Day is...a murderer!"

Hana stepped forward immediately. "That’s not true, you old fox! You were the one—!"

But Deon put a hand out to stop her, shaking his head. He knew that if Hana spoke up to defend him now, it’d look way worse. Instead of actually defending him, it’d just make her look like someone who’s been manipulated.

She turned toward him, eyes wide. "But Deon—"

"Not now."

Martin saw that and immediately pushed forward.

"He killed a contestant who was already injured," Martin said, voice shaking. "The man had fought off one of those monsters. He was bleeding, but he was alive. And Deon..."

Martin’s voice broke into tears. "He took his Card and spat on the man’s corpse like it was nothing!"

"Then, when I tried to join him, he only humoured me and used me like a human meat shield! It was absolutely despicable! He only kept me around to use me as bait!"

"But I couldn’t do anything..." he spoke softly, looking at the ground. "If I didn’t rely on him, I would’ve died. It was lucky that I didn’t have any Points, or he would’ve killed me too!"

The woman in the tracksuit gasped and covered her mouth while the spear user’s grip tightened around his Card, ready to summon it once again.

Someone whispered, "That’s why he’s in first place..."

Martin seized onto it immediately.

"Yes!" he shouted, turning toward them. "Exactly! Don’t you understand? That’s the only reason he’s so high on the Leaderboard!"

"Maybe he didn’t just kill one," Martin continued, growing louder now that fear had become momentum. "Maybe he murdered others too, taking both their Cards and Points! How else could someone like him reach first place?"

Dozens of eyes snapped onto him, yet Deon simply sighed. His plan of laying low and trying to figure out the Game was completely out the window.

Beside the wall, Vivian also let out a quiet sigh before speaking softly so that only Deon and Hana could hear. "Not a very good lie..."

She folded her arms, red eyes fixed on the growing crowd. "Rule Two was active during the First Game. Direct violence against contestants caused point penalties."

She glanced toward Martin. "If you were running around murdering people, there would be consequences. And if there weren’t consequences, everyone would already know killing was allowed before Mimi announced the rule change."

Hana’s eyes lit up, already turning to face the crowd. "Right! That’s—"

"It doesn’t matter."

Deon shook his head, staring at the crowd. "They don’t really need to believe everything the man said. They just need to hear the word enough times."

Vivian nodded. "He’s right. In a game that suddenly allows killing like this one, anyone or anything even slightly associated with it will instantly become the suspect."

Right...even if they did figure out that Martin was exaggerating and knew that the logic didn’t hold. The word "murderer" had already done its job.

But that was when the man of the hour, Joshua Birkin, stepped up at last. "Everyone, calm down."

"We are not going to condemn anyone based solely on one man’s accusation."

Martin looked at Joshua in shock. "But Mr. Birkin—"

Joshua raised a hand gently. "Mr. Wells. I understand you are afraid. I understand you feel wronged. But if we let fear decide who is guilty, this mansion has already won."

Several contestants nodded, but Deon watched the politician closely. Joshua finally turned toward him, expression calm and pained in just the right amount.

"Deon Day," he continued. "Whether Mr. Wells’ accusation is true or false, one fact remains..."

"You are currently the highest-ranked contestant here," Joshua added. "You have the most Points and likely the most combat experience as well."

"And in this mansion," he said softly, looking around at the crowd. "Points are not the only measure of rank anymore. They are food, water, medicine...our way of survival."

Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me. I knew politicians were low, but this bastard is digging through the bottom of the barrel with both hands.

Several contestants glanced at their own panels, expressions twisting before their gazes landed back on Deon again.

Joshua looked back at Deon. "So I am asking you, not as an enemy, but as someone who wants all of us to survive."

"As the strongest among us, you have a responsibility to contribute to everyone’s survival."

...

...

...

"He does have the most..."

"We need food...I haven’t eaten anything since the first game..."

"He probably got all those Points because of other people anyway."

The murmurs continued, and through it all, Joshua simply stood with his hands open, as if he had made the most reasonable request in the world.

But all it did was make Deon laugh. "Ha...hahaha!"

"You feared me just a second ago and now you’re telling me to help you out?"

But Joshua didn’t budge, simply stating. "I’m saying those with more should carry more responsibility."

"Even for a politician, that level of gaslighting is absurd."

"You misunderstand me," Joshua started.

"No, I understand you perfectly." Deon pointed toward him. "If that’s how it works, why don’t you share your Points first?"

"A strong leader leads by example, doesn’t he?"