It has become a sort of tradition at this point. It is bad luck for anyone to participate in the same game with the Baron. They have to bow their heads to him in respect or fail.
Not that there aren't people who have managed to defy the Baron. Many people have defied him and succeeded. But a hundred people defy him and fail for each person that succeeds in defying him.
Even though his fans expected his behavior and were looking forward to it, they were uncertain about his chances after it happened. They would have been very disappointed if he had decided to bend the knee, so to speak, but now that he has decided not to, they will abandon him en masse if he fails.
The spectators were happy to see his reaction. Sasha, the amplifier, was also glad. Even the moderator was glad to see it.
The golden man clapped merrily at the sight and said, "It seems someone has decided to defy the old stick that refuses to die. I think it is safe to say that Augustus is the most hated player in this game. I like this very much."
The Baron didn't like what the moderator said. He didn't like being called an old stick that refuses to die, and he also doesn't like the moderator announcing that he likes Augustus' behavior.
Most of the other players didn't like it either. Sasha was even frowning. Many others were frowning too, and others were sneering.
They know that it couldn't be stopped for the moderator to like Augustus, as what he is doing is what should be done if someone wants to earn the best player award.
Boring players can't win the best player title. Players have to take risks, and then they have to succeed in pulling off their risky plan. Only then can they have a shot at earning the title.
They knew that. Unfortunately, they were unlucky or lucky enough to put together with the Baron. It is a good chance to earn that title, but they don't want to take the risk.
They just have too much to lose. Besides, it is not even certain that they will get the title even if they succeed in defying him. Someone else might just outplay them.
But even though they can't risk defying the Baron and they can stop the moderator from appreciating the only person to defy the Baron, they can make sure that that single person fails and fails miserably.
Many of them promised themselves to achieve that, but only if they would be facing Augustus together with others. Their promise won't come in the way of running away from him as soon as they identify him.
Only a few of them were hell bent on killing Augustus. The Baron was one of them. In all his 50 years of playing destiny games, he has become a force to be reckoned with.
As he is, if someone defies him or defeats him, he won't lose any fans. It is because the people like him. But moderators don't like him, so he has never won the title of best player.
It is because he is stale and also a bully. It is not fun or impressive when he defeats someone. But he has become a whetstone that many people want to use to look impressive and gain the title.
He said to himself, "You are just another one in a long line of people who want to use me to make a name for yourself. I have stepped on too many of them to count. By the end of the hour, you will regret this decision."
He was thinking it to himself, but his angry eyes showed everyone what he was thinking about. The fact that he was glaring at Augustus only made it certain.
Kelvin, on the other hand, was smiling back at the old man. Unlike what most people think of him, he is not rash with his actions. He has done his research and believes that he has what it takes to defy the Baron and succeed.
The moderator went around all of them, introducing them while the competitors themselves spoke amongst each other, making alliances or making threats.
Some of the alliances were real, and some were for show. The threats were the same too. They could just be for the fans to see. At the end of the day, those who rely on their fan count are performers. They have to do what their fans like or face the negative consequences.
One of the things they have to do is not go about killing everyone, even though it will make them stronger. They also have to take a stance in public about how they feel about those who kill people.
Either way, everything that was going on right now before a game shouldn't be believed completely. It is just superficial. Besides that, a lot has happened in the real world that is more real.
Before the game, many of the competitors had contacted each other for alliances or for promises of neutrality. Those are more concrete because anything can happen in a game in the pursuit of success, but when the game is over, they have to deal with the consequences in real life.
Someone can lie and cheat in the game without worry. But they can't do that to someone who knows them in real life and can create real-life troubles for them.
The only thing he could believe was real about their actions was the fact that most of them lined up to bow to the Baron. Their act of paying respect to him in front of everyone is the only thing he can believe that they did with sincerity.
It is worth noting that the competitors that showed up for the game aren't up to 100. It is also straightforward to guess the reason why they would be absent.
It made him say with disdain, "And they call me the villain."