Game Of Life: Volume 2

10. The Challenge

Sage

Patago at pasimple akong sumipol habang pinapanood ang mga kasama ko. Looks like someone is mad.

Well, I already expected that Kid will mess up, I mean, I'm not blaming him tho. Mukha nga naman talagang si Mario ang maliit na lalaking kaharap namin ngayon. From his height and appearance, his voice is really different from his looks. 

Kaya ngayon, sang-ayon ako kay Kid.

Habang nagtatalo sila at nag-uusap gamit ang mga mata at pagtitig, nalipat ang tingin ko sa paligid. Nililipat-lipat ko ang lollipop na subo-subo ko ngayon habang pinagmamasdan ang kabuoan nito.

We're inside of a circus.

Well, it quite fits the theme well, but I'm kinda looking forward to the queen of hearts' kingdom or something. But still, impressive as always.

Mabilis kong napansin ang tahimik at walang kalaman-laman na circus na ito. Sa laki nito, wala akong nakikitang ibang NPCs katulad ng pinanggalingan namin kanina. Just like when we entered this district, the only that we can see are the designs and the district itself.

Does that mean that the only NPCs here are the ones we encountered at the tea party?

It's really different from the two first districts that went to. Ni hindi ko nga nakabisado ang lahat ng mga NPCs na nakita ko, which is lagi kong ginagawa incase na malaki ang part nila sa game. Pero rito, ni wala pa sa sampu ang mga nakita at naka-interact namin.

The door, the guests, and lastly, the Mad Hatter himself.

Kung meron pa kaming makikitang mga NPCs, I'm pretty sure that, hindi lalagpas sa sampu ang makikita pa namin o makaka-interact. Why?

Because we've already met the Game General, the main character in this district or one of the boss in the game kumbaga. Putting more NPCs will make his character not that important at all, mawawala ang stage na para sa kaniya kung dadamihan pa ng ibang karakter sa laro.

So... it only means that compare to the two districts that we first went to, and to the two Game Generals that we first met, the challenge here is on a complete level.

Is the game telling us that it's harder than the Sphinx? 

But that's impossible, because the game itself appointed the Sphynx as the smartest Game General, which means, hindi patalinuhan ang nandito...

Pero kung tinitipid nila kami sa mga challenges... kung hindi nila kami gano'n pinapaisip...

Anong klaseng challenge-

"H-Ha? Mad Hatter?" Hindi makapaniwalang sambit ni Kid bago muling tapunan ng tingin ang maliit a lalaking nasa harapan nila.

Muling nalipat ang atensyon ko sa kanilang tatlo. Parang nagbago ang ikot ng mundo ni Kid sa nalaman.

Marahang napahawak sa mukha si Eivel habang napapailing. Habang ang mukha naman ng matabang hamster ay nakatupi at hindi maipinta, well he's a guinea pig.

"Tsk," Iritadong pag-ismid ni Eivel. "Ikaw-"

"Hayayayay," Pagputol ng Mad Hatter. Halata sa mukha niya na hindi niya rin nagustuhan ang sinabi ng kasama namin pero pinili niya 'tong ipasawalang bahala. Walang ekspresyon niyang tinignan si Kid. I saw Kid flinched.

"Be thankful that I'm also a fan of Mario." He clicked his tongue.

Inalis niya ang tingin niya rito at huminga nang malalim. "Still, since you're our first challengers, we will treat you well."

Mabilis na nagbago ang ihip ng hangin at kusang lumiwanag ang ekpresyon ng Game General. For the second time, he showed us his energetic and lively side.

"Welcome, players! I am the Game General, Mad Hatter! Once again, do you wish to challenge me?" Umalingawngaw ang boses niya sa buong circus.

Nagkatinginan kami ng mga kasama ko, pare-parehong iisa ang nasa isip... I'm not sure with Kid tho.

"Yes, we, the challengers, would like to challenge you." Pangunguna ni Eivel.

The Game General flashed a grin. "Very well."

Mabilis na naagaw ang mga pansin namin ang bumukas ang iilang parte ng malaking tent ng circus. Napako ang tingin namin sa tatlong pumasok sa loob.

A woman with a tiger skin, a fat clown with a mask, and lastly, a ringmaster.

"You're going to play with them." Sambit ng Mad Hatter.

Mabilis niyang nakuha ang atensyon ko. With them? Not with him?

"Introduce your selves!" Muli niyang sambit.

Isa-isang humakbang paharap sa amin ang tatlong bagong dating upang magpakilala.

"Grr, welcome, players! I'm Gia!" Pag-uumpisa ng babae.

"Teetsi! Yehee!" Sunod ng Clown.

"I'm Mason, let's play a fair game." Pagtapos ng ringmaster.

They all introduced themselves, but not like what I've expected, it's not the same as the guests at the tea party. Hindi lumabas ang kahit anong impormasyon na meron sila. Tanging ang mga pangalan lamang nila ang ipinaalam ng laro sa amin.

"Now, let's go to the Challenge area!" Muling sambit ng Mad Hatter. Nauna siyang maglakad sa amin kasunod ang mga NPCs.

"A game with 6 players?" Biglaang sambit ni Eivel habang naglalakad kami.

Nanatiling parehong nasa harap ang mga tingin namin habang nag-uusap.

"And he's not one of the players who's playing." Dagdag niya.

I'm slightly confuse as well. But still, hindi sinabi sa laro na kailangan na kasama ang Game General sa paglalaro. All we need to do is to challenge them and win the challenge that they will give.

Every Game Generals have different kinds of Challenges, but I honestly didn't expected that he's not the one who's going to play with us.

Habang naglalakad ay unti-unti na naming nakikita ang Challenge Area na tinutukoy ng Mad Hatter. Just from afar, I'd already knew what kind of game we're going to play. I'm sure that Eivel also noticed it.

Ngayon, alam ko na kung ano ang tinutukoy ng mga guests sa Tea Party kanina. Medyo naguluhan ako no'ng una pero pumasok na ang posibilidad na 'to sa isipan ko.

Now, it all made sense.

"Here we are! To the Challenge area!" Pangunguna ng Game General.

"And today, we're going to play... none other than,"

"A board game, Monopoly."

✘✘✘