Three Man Value [IDV]

Spectator

Apparently, when other matches were going on, there was a place in the manor where you could spectate the game from each person's point of view. Usually one match happened at a time, so the rest of the survivors and hunters sometimes watched to see how their friends were doing or new ideas for game strategies.

Not all the hunters were terrible. The Geisha, who's real name was Michiko, Andrew learned, was actually kind of like a mom figure to the other hunters and survivors, even if she destroyed everyone in matches. The Photographer- Joseph Desaulnier- actually was very forgiving and liked the survivors; just don't make him mad, and you were fine.

Andrew also noticed that the survivor's pets seemed to get along with each other. Elis' owl Brooklyn Rose, Murro's boar, Victor's dog Wick, and even The Disciple's- Ann's- cat. It was probably better than getting chased and sacrificed in a match, anyway.

"Hey, it's about to start!" Someone exclaimed excitedly. Andrew and the others in the room went over to the spectating station to observe the game. It consisted of "Seer" Eli, "Coordinator" Martha, "The Mind's Eyes" Helena, and "Enchantress" Patricia. It was actually a pretty tough team to beat, given that Helena was the fasted decoder, Patricia could kite, and Eli and Martha could rescue if necessary.

The team of four was against Dream Witch, also known as Yidra. This was probably going to be a tough match. Yidra could spawn her follower right next to decoding survivors like Helena and they might not even realize until it is too late. And, if the followers camp next to someone who is incapacitated and not actually carry them in a balloon but instead leave them to bleed out, you can't get near the incapacitated survivor, because you'd just get either terror shocked or at least hit once.

"You guys really put a lot of thought into these matches, huh?" Andrew asked. Some of the group nodded as the match started. It was kind of weird watching the match instead of playing in it. Yidra's main body was invisible to survivors, so she could sneak up behind you and control her follower to leach onto you before you can even blink.

"I mean," Victor said, "there's not really too many other things we can do here, so might as well wish the others luck, right?"

Andrew nodded then paused. "Hey, uh, has anyone actually... escaped this place before?"

Victor hesitated. "U-Um, no, I don't think so. Sure, you can 'escape' once you get through the exit gate, but then the path takes you right back to the manor."

Andrew tilted his head. That didn't sound like the invitation to the manor had promised. "But didn't the invitation say if you 'won' the game, you'd get the reward?"

"Well, yeah, but they never said exactly how you could win, did they?" Victor asked.

"So, the proposed reward for winning was just to draw people into this place. It was the bait, and we all fell for it?"

Victor and a few of the other survivors nodded. Andrew looked down a bit. He didn't want to be stuck here forever and keep being forced to play the game over and over again. He just wanted the answer to the question the invitation had promised to give him, and then he'd be gone.

"You at least get to meet new people!" the guy who everyone nicknamed Lucky said. A few "yeahs" went around the room.

One of the smaller hunters went up to Andrew and Victor. He looked like a child. He was "Axe Boy" or Robbie, if Andrew could remember right. "Yeah, we get to meet new people and play games with each other and everything!" The young hunter smiled, but it was hidden by the brown bag-like thing over his head.

Andrew nodded. "Yeah, I guess so."

He felt a bit uncomfortable in the room of all the people he didn't really know. Sure, maybe he'd be fine if he was alone with a friend of his, but he was surrounded by strangers and all of them seemed to really like talking, which he wasn't a big fan of. If he had the choice, he'd rather just stay in his room isolated from the others often. He knew Aesop usually did that, so they wouldn't notice if another person just slipped out of the room, right?

He slowly made his way to the back of the crowd and then slipped out of the room, making his way back to his room without anyone even noticing he was gone. Quick and easy. Done and over with. He clutched his shovel as he opened his room's door and stepped in, laying down on the bed and looking up at the ceiling. He felt better when alone. He was used to it anyway, so he could chill out in his room alone instead of being around bubbly extroverted people.

At least, for a little bit. Dinner was going to be ready soon.