Soon after they finished eating, someone entered the hall.
"Attention, all Regulars!" Lero Ro's voice rang out.
Everyone turned to face him.
"I bring wonderful news," he announced.
"Good news?" someone muttered in the crowd.
Lero Ro smiled. "Yes. You've been granted the opportunity to take part in a Bonus Test."
Shibisu groaned under his breath, "How is more testing wonderful…"
Lero Ro continued, "This is no ordinary test. First, participation is completely voluntary. You won't be penalized for declining."
That caught their interest.
"Second," he added, "the team that wins this test will be considered to have cleared all remaining tests and will be allowed to ascend to the next floor."
A hush fell over the hall. Everyone was listening now.
---
The Regulars followed Lero Ro into the testing chamber—a large, circular room painted in rich gold. At its center stood a throne, surrounded by several holding cells where teams would wait.
Lero Ro hovered in his Lighthouse and began the explanation.
"This game is called the Crown Game. It's simple: steal the crown and keep it."
"Each round lasts five minutes. Five teams will participate per round. A member of the team that obtains the crown must wear it and remain seated on the throne for the duration."
"If they succeed, four new teams will enter and a new round will begin. If the crown wearer is forced off the throne, the current round ends, and all five teams are replaced."
"The team in possession of the crown at the end of the final round wins the entire game."
Khun leaned toward Baam and muttered, "So winning early puts a target on your back."
Lero Ro's voice responded directly from above. "Correct. But if you wait too long, the game may end before you even get a chance."
Khun was caught off guard. "He can hear us?"
Lero Ro smiled faintly. "Also, a single team from another testing area will be joining the match."
He raised his hand. "The first round will now begin. If you wish to participate, press the buzzer in your waiting room before I count to five."
Back in their room, Khun turned to Baam and Rak. "Let's observe the first round. No need to rush in."
They read over the rules posted on the wall:
Time limit: five minutes per round
Five teams per round
Game spans five rounds
Leaving your waiting room or retreating mid-game results in disqualification
Entering another team's room is forbidden
The crown wearer must stay seated on the throne until the round ends
---
Elsewhere, in another team's waiting room—
"If we join, it should be in the third round or later," Shibisu began.
But Anaak had already pressed the buzzer.
"…Seriously?" Shibisu sighed.
Hatz crossed his arms. "It doesn't matter when we go in. We win, no matter what."
"Right, right…" Shibisu relented.
Their team stepped into the arena.
Anaak marched ahead. "I've got this. Stay out of my way."
One of the opposing Regulars scoffed. "Is this girl for real?"
Anaak didn't look back. "Weak or strong, I always go all out."
The enemy charged her—
Bam!
With a casual backhand, she sent him flying.
She then shot her hook forward, wrapped it around the airborne Regular mid-flight, and flung him across the arena.
The other two charged at once.
Anaak smirked. With a flick of her wrist, the green hook elongated into a whip.
Whip!
Smash!
She lashed both opponents, launching them into the air before slamming them to the ground.
One survivor took advantage of the chaos, closing in and landing a punch on her head.
Thud!
Anaak turned her gaze to him, completely unfazed. She caught his arm.
"My hand—!" he screamed as she twisted it. Then, with a quick flick of her hook, he was thrown back.
The other three struggled to their feet and dashed toward the throne.
But Anaak was already ahead of them.
With a single graceful leap, she landed on the throne and swung her whip outward.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
All three were blasted back, crashing into the floor unconscious.
From the sidelines, Shibisu called out, "Great job, Anaak! Hand me the crown. With you and Hatz protecting me, we're set—"
Before he could finish, Anaak calmly sat on the throne and placed the crown on her own head, like royalty.
Shibisu shouted, "Y-you idiot! Why are you wearing it?"
Anaak replied coolly, "Don't worry. I won't let anyone take it."
And with that, Anaak—the lizard girl—sat proudly on the throne as the first round of the Crown Game came to a close.
---
Shibisu pointed at Anaak, exasperated. "Anaak, get off the throne! I'm the weakest member—I should be sitting there. You're the strongest, so you should be defending me!"
Lero Ro's voice cut in calmly, "If the person who first wore the crown leaves the throne for any reason, their team loses."
"What? You never told us that!" Shibisu protested.
"It was written in detail on the wall of your waiting room," Lero Ro replied.
Reclining lazily on the throne, Anaak said, "Enough talking. Let's start."
Hatz spoke calmly, "What are you worried about, Shibisu? With my sword and your… killing arts, we'll be fine."
"Killing arts? That was just me bluffing!" Shibisu groaned.
Hatz said without hesitation, "It's only natural to trust your teammates."
Then, Lero Ro's voice echoed across the room. "The next round will now begin. If you'd like to participate, press your buzzer before I finish counting to five!"
"Five!"
"Four!"
"Three!"
No one moved to press their buzzers.
---
In another waiting room—
Rak stood. "Move, Black Turtle. It's time to hunt the lizard."
But Khun blocked his path. "Not yet, Gator. Timing is everything."
Rak crossed his arms. "Ten chocolate bars, and I wait."
"Done," Khun said without missing a beat, tossing him a handful.
He continued, "In this game, the team on the throne is at a disadvantage early on. More teams enter every round, making it harder to hold the crown. In the worst case, another team snatches it while you're distracted."
"So why not go now and fight?" Rak asked.
Baam answered quietly, "Because Anaak is on the throne."
---
"Two!"
"One!"
Bzzzzzz!
A loud buzzer echoed as the doors slid open.
Four new teams stepped into the arena—each more bizarre than the last. One had a stone head with a single red eye, another had bat-like wings. One was still asleep on a mattress, and another had four arms.
The battle began immediately.
Hatz clashed with two weapon users while Shibisu struggled against Serena, who wielded a knife, and Hoh, a martial artist. Within seconds, Shibisu was overwhelmed, on the verge of being stabbed—
Clang!
Hatz appeared just in time, knocking the blade aside.
But then, something strange happened.
The sleeping man, Lauroe, slowly sat up. In his palm, a glowing ball of energy began to form.
It swelled with power.
Shaaaaa!
A wave of energy surged toward the throne.
Anaak, lounging on it, opened her eyes at the last second and leapt into the air, narrowly avoiding the blast. She landed lightly back on the throne, still wearing the crown.
She turned to glare at the attacker—
Shaaaa!
Another blast hit her dead on.
"Anaak!" Shibisu shouted, running toward the throne alongside two enemy Regulars racing for the crown.
But Anaak emerged from the blast mostly unharmed. She ducked under a kick, flipped past a knife slash, and landed back atop the throne with ease.
"I was having such a nice nap…" she muttered, annoyed.
Lauroe looked up at her. "Being woken up is the worst. Give up—I can hit that throne from anywhere."
Anaak's eyes lit up with a dangerous gleam. "You can attack from anywhere? Then I'll just kill all of you from here."
She raised her weapon.
"Ignition!"
Suddenly, her green hook expanded—from three meters to over fifty. The massive, serpentine blade towered over the field.
With a grin, Anaak slammed it down toward Lauroe's mattress.
Boom!
Crash!
She struck again and again, each impact shaking the arena as Lauroe leapt into the air, barely dodging. His sleepy face now showed a mix of fear and focus—one hit would be fatal.
Then the weapon changed again.
The monstrous hook unraveled, splitting into dozens of whiplike tendrils that surged out in every direction.
They snapped through the air, hurtling toward the three remaining Regulars still on the battlefield.