"Serve as royal guards in a corrupt kingdom."
A beat.
Then—
"Wow… lucky," she added, almost impressed, tilting her head slightly as if she'd stumbled onto something unexpectedly boring. "Honestly, the most lucky one so far. You just… serve. Follow orders. Don't mess up. Nothing much happens there, so… yeah. That's it."
The contrast hit harder than anything she could have said.
No monsters. Probably.
No hunting. Probably…
No being torn apart in corridors or dragged into the dark. Maybe…
Just… live.
A girl from Team Three hesitantly raised her hand, her voice careful, like she didn't trust how simple it sounded. "Uh… so… we just need to play it safe?"
The announcer looked at her.
Paused.
Then nodded, completely serious.
"Yep. That's it. Live a good life, and you survive."
Simple.
Clean.
Unfair.
And that—
That was what broke something in the others.
