The players had cleared obstacle after obstacle—hospitals consumed, checks stolen, stories written, readers pacified. Now they faced the final challenge: the Monkey Crazy for Ball game.
Each team stood in formation, two pairs throwing the ball while the "monkey" pair tried to catch it.
- Dransart used his Lucky Looter skill, snatching the ball mid-flight.
- Shanmu activated her shield skill, compressing the entire 40-foot playground so the ball was forced toward her.
- Light mocked one pair of throwers, baiting them into lowering their guard, then seized the ball.
- Blue calculated wind currents, gravity, and timing, guiding Riden to catch the ball precisely.
- Protogonaist prepared to catch, but Palate tripped—then opened his mouth in pain and swallowed the ball whole.
The stadium fell silent.
The Sovereign raised her hand. "I have decided who will be eliminated from this realm."
Every player braced themselves, knowing that one mistake—whether swallowing the ball, slicing hospitals, or distracting readers—could mean death.
The Tension
Protogonaist glared at Palate. "You swallowed the ball. That's sabotage, not skill."
Blue muttered, "But the Sovereign said obstacles can be cleared in any way. Even swallowing counts."
Terbol whispered to Dransart, "She's going to judge based on entertainment. Whoever bored her will be erased."
Dransart thought, This game isn't about fairness. It's about spectacle. The Sovereign decides who amuses her, not who plays correctly.
The Sovereign's Verdict
The Sovereign's eyes gleamed. "One of you turned the game into a farce. One of you made me laugh, but also made me bored. And boredom is death in my realm."
She pointed her finger.
"Palate Player—eliminated."
Palate's body dissolved into mist, leaving only silence. The other players exhaled in relief, though their eyes hardened. Nine remained.
Thus, the first elimination of the three-legged race is complete.
The Sovereign has shown her hand: amusement and spectacle matter more than rules. Dransart, Terbol, and the others now understand—the path to becoming Catastrophic Hero is not about skill alone, but about surviving the Sovereign's whims.