Trapped in a Deadly Survival Show

Chapter 010

The man's words infuriated Anthony. The slaughter of so many on this deserted island was just a game in his eyes!

Such a heartless game! It was like the Roman Colosseum. They were slaves trapped in the Colosseum, the entire island their arena, and the man on the other end of the communicator, a spectator in the high stands.

Anger flared in Anthony's eyes as he looked up through the gaps in the tree branches. "Screw your game, I’m going to kill you!" He clenched the communicator, roaring at the person on the other end. Sandra shrank back in fear, her mind in turmoil.

But aside from the sound of the wind, there were only two corpses nearby, and it was unclear what the man’s “gift” was. Sandra was so scared that she almost started crying.

Just then, a loud broadcast sound came from the corner rocks, audible from all directions on the island. "Congratulations Anthony Dumas, you've earned a prize of $30,000. Keep it up. For others, kill him, and you win his prize."

The two of them realized what the man's "gift" was—it was to put them in mortal danger!

Anthony was furious. He clutched the communicator and cursed, "You bastard, you better pray I don't find you, or else, I will kill you!"

Quickly, the communicator fell silent. With a $30,000 bounty on his back, Anthony couldn't help but fear how many desperadoes might come after him. The pair continued on their way, moving cautiously.

Anthony held Sandra's hand as they moved in the direction they had come from. They passed through a thicket and suddenly encountered five towering trees. The trees, centuries old perhaps, stood tall. Their roots were as thick as a big man. They blocked the sunlight and dominated the landscape where only wild grass grew.

Approaching one of the trees, Anthony pulled out his knife and plunged it into the trunk. As the cracked bark fell away, he shook his clothes clear and continued to chop. "This tree will make a good shelter," he remarked.

Sandra's eyes widened. "How is that possible?"

Anthony smiled, "This tree is actually dead." He began to hack away with his knife, revealing the rotten core. After creating an opening, he prodded around with a couple of thick branches. The interior collapsed into a room-sized treehouse.

A simple shelter was ready. Anthony built a fire, and they sat around it. The two shared a small handful of berries they had brought. The sweet and sour fruit intensified their hunger.

However, with a $30,000 bounty, Anthony dared not venture out carelessly. Although he was skilled in combat, he couldn't withstand an attack by multiple people. They decided it was better to regain strength first and search for food the next day.

It was dusk, and Anthony had begun to doze off. Sandra, sitting by the fire, suddenly screamed, jolting him awake.

He looked up to see a dense swarm of snakes slithering towards their cave. Fortunately, they had set a barrier with bushes and thorns at the entrance of the treehouse.

Sandra had never seen so many snakes before. She was terrified by the sight and exclaimed, "Anthony, so many snakes! What do we do? Are they poisonous?" It seemed yesterday's snakebite had left her with a psychological scar; now, the sight of any snake frightened her. In fact, most snakes in nature are non-venomous or only mildly venomous, and truly deadly snakes are rare.

Anthony, however, was relaxed. "Don't worry, we should actually be happy."

Sandra looked puzzled. "Are you crazy? Happy about what?"

"Snake meat is delicious!" Anthony said, as he moved the firewood to the entrance and threw burning branches into it. The flames, fed by the fire, lit up the entrance. The snakes, hissing with their red tongues, climbed over each other. The roaring flames quickly engulfed them. More and more snakes tried to leap in from outside but fell into the fire.

Sandra let out a sigh of relief. She watched the snakes fall at the entrance and broke into a triumphant laugh. "Haha, it looks like we don't have to worry anymore. Once these snakes are cooked, we can have a great meal."

The scent of meat filled the air. Sandra involuntarily swallowed her saliva.

Half an hour later, the campfire died down, but the swarm of snakes continued to crawl towards their tree hole. They even began to devour the bodies of their own kind.

Anthony acted quickly. He collected many of the cooked snakes and brought them inside. He skinned and sliced the meat, the charred flesh releasing a fragrant aroma into the air. 

Honestly, it wasn't delicious, and it was quite troublesome to eat. It even had a slight gamey taste. But right now, it was their only source of protein, and eating it would fill their stomachs and help restore their strength.

The two ate until they were half full and found the meat too rich to continue.

Anthony looked thoughtfully at the snakes at the entrance. He decided to dig a small trench to stockpile the snakes. This also had its benefits; they could kill a snake for meat whenever they were hungry. If they covered it with some branches to camouflage it, it could even serve as a trap. If someone accidentally stepped on it, they would be immediately attacked by the snakes.