"Thanks for your hard work." Power Bull chewed on the trees from the mountain and nodded at the Sturgeon Crocodile returning from the trial, then turned back to the cards before him. "A pair of threes."
The Sturgeon Crocodile looked slightly confused by Power Bull's words. "What are you doing?"
"Playing a game," explained a Red Carp sitting diagonally across from Power Bull. "We were bored out of our minds, so Power Bull taught us some human card game called 'Fight the Divine Lord.' A pair of fours."
Another Sturgeon Crocodile at the card table said, "You really do have a lousy brain, carp. Even after evolving into a god, your memory's still terrible. It's Fight the Landlord. A pair of tens."
The newly returned Sturgeon Crocodile spun in the river beside them, then shot up out of the water. "Brother, I worked my tail off conducting their Domain Master's trial, and you're all just sitting here playing cards?"
The card-playing Sturgeon Crocodile waved a tail. "What else are we supposed to do? Go into the Safe Zone and kill all the outsiders?"
"But aren't we supposed to be betting on this Eighth Domain's Domain Master? How did you end up placing bets at a card table instead?"
Power Bull spread his hands. "If we're betting on him, he needs something to work with, doesn't he? What good is one lousy origin sequence? Getting anxious won't help."
The card-playing Sturgeon Crocodile nodded. "Fifth Brother, it's not as though we drew the clan's suicide lot and have to stake everything on helping him win on Earth. Do too much, and the Succession Envoy might kill you right here! If you die here, your family won't even get compensation."
Red Carp added, "Don't forget, we haven't earned a thing yet. Do too