MTLNOVEL Chapter 7: chapter thirteen of fourteen
Chapter 13: Deception – The Ultimate Trial (Final The Game Begins Again)
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A Time of Peace and the Invitation to Play
The world had finally settled.
Shavalyoth had restored everything—the cities, the people, even time itself.
Villains and heroes alike were given a break.
But peace did not mean boredom.
Some felt lost without conflict.
Others were restless, missing the thrill of battle.
And so, Shavalyoth decided to stir things up once more.
One by one, the greatest warriors of this era—both noble and wicked—vanished.
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Summoned to the Ancient Spaceship
When their senses returned, they found themselves standing inside a colossal alien spaceship.
Metallic corridors stretched endlessly.
Neon blue lights pulsated with an eerie hum.
Giant observation windows revealed the abyss of space.
Heroes and villains alike stood together—stripped of their powers.
Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman.
Lex Luthor, Joker, Sinestro, Black Adam, Reverse-Flash.
And many more.
They were no longer gods or monsters.
They were equals.
And then—he appeared.
Shavalyoth.
His presence alone commanded silence. The swirling cosmos within his form radiated an overwhelming power.
"Welcome, my dear champions," he said, his voice dripping with amusement. "I see that some of you have grown quite restless. So I decided... why not let you play a game?"
His grin widened.
"No death. No destruction. Just pure deception."
The air grew tense.
A holographic display materialized, revealing the rules.
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The Rules of Deception
"This ship is your new battlefield. Among you are six impostors."
A murmur spread through the group.
Six?
That changed everything.
"The impostors will attempt to sabotage the ship and eliminate the workers. However, instead of death, any 'eliminated' players will be transported to an observation station, where they may watch but not interfere."
The screen shifted, displaying a separate spaceship, where the 'eliminated' would be sent.
"You may only vote out one person per emergency meeting."
Joker cackled. "Oh, now this is going to be fun."
Lex Luthor folded his arms. "So, how do we win?"
Shavalyoth's grin widened.
"Either the crew finds and ejects all six impostors... or the impostors take control of the ship."
He paused, looking over the crowd.
"Now then… let the game begin."
He snapped his fingers.
The doors unlocked.
The game had started.
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Phase One: The First Betrayal
Tension ran high as the players scattered.
Without their powers, without their weapons—only their wits remained.
Batman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman headed toward reactor control.
Flash, Reverse-Flash, and Black Adam worked on oxygen filtration.
Superman, Lex Luthor, and Joker handled navigation.
But paranoia lingered in the air.
Then—it happened.
A sudden power failure.
Red emergency lights flashed.
Sirens blared.
"Oxygen levels dropping!"
Workers rushed to fix the issue.
And then—a scream.
When they turned—Reverse-Flash was gone.
A message flashed on the main screen.
[Reverse-Flash has been removed.]
Shavalyoth's voice boomed over the intercom.
"A player has been eliminated. You may now discuss and vote out one suspect."
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The First Emergency Meeting
The gathered players stared at each other.
Joker's grin widened. "One down already? I love it."
Batman scanned the room. "Who was near Reverse-Flash before he vanished?"
Superman's expression darkened. "Flash. You were with him."
Flash raised his hands. "Hey! I was fixing the oxygen supply!"
Lex Luthor crossed his arms. "Convenient."
The accusations flew.
"It was Superman—he's acting too defensive."
"No, it's Joker! He's enjoying this way too much."
"Lex is the smartest here—he could be manipulating us."
The vote was cast.
The decision?
Black Adam was ejected.
As he faded away, he glared. "You'll regret this."
Then—the result flashed.
[BLACK ADAM WAS NOT AN IMPOSTOR.]
A cold silence filled the air.
The impostors were still hidden.
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Phase Two: The Hunt for the Traitors
The game continued.
The crew worked—repairing, monitoring, fixing.
But the impostors moved among them.
Joker and Lex Luthor sabotaged communications, delaying distress signals.
Flash and Sinestro worked in navigation—one watching, one waiting.
Batman, Superman, and Aquaman kept a close eye on reactor control.
Then—another disaster.
The ship lurched violently.
Alarms blared—"Reactor meltdown imminent!"
Workers rushed to stabilize the system.
But in the chaos—another player vanished.
[Aquaman has been removed.]
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Phase Three: The Great Deception
The crew gathered again.
Suspicion burned in their eyes.
"Joker has been laughing the whole time."
"Lex is too quiet."
"Flash was near Aquaman when he vanished."
Joker giggled. "Oh, I do love a good murder mystery."
Lex Luthor sighed. "Think logically. Who benefits from spreading chaos?"
Batman narrowed his eyes. "…You."
The votes were cast.
Lex Luthor was ejected.
As he faded, his voice was calm.
"You're all fools."
Then—the reveal.
[LEX LUTHOR WAS AN IMPOSTOR.]
For the first time—the crew had struck back.
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Phase Four: The Final Betrayal
Only a few players remained.
The impostors had grown bolder.
Sinestro and Flash sabotaged life support.
Joker manipulated the remaining crew.
Wonder Woman and Batman fought to restore order.
Then—Superman vanished.
The room fell silent.
It was time for the final vote.
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The Last Vote – A Game of Words
Only six players remained.
Three impostors. Three workers.
Batman took a deep breath. "…It's Flash, Sinestro, and Joker."
Flash smirked. "And what if it's you?"
Joker grinned. "Oh, I'd never lie. Would I?"
The tension snapped.
Voices were raised.
Accusations flew.
The vote was cast.
Joker was ejected.
The message flashed.
[JOKER WAS AN IMPOSTOR.]
Then—the lights flickered.
Sinestro and Flash made their move.
Before Batman and Wonder Woman could react—they were gone.
The game was over.
The final message flashed.
[IMPOSTORS WIN.]
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Epilogue: The Next Round Begins
As the game ended, the players returned.
Shavalyoth laughed.
"Magnificent. I do love a game well played."
Then—he smirked.
"But tell me… would you like to go again?"
The screen flickered.
[New Game?]
A new challenge had begun.
Chapter 13: The Ultimate Deception – Round Two
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After the first intense match, the heroes and villains barely had time to process their loss before Shavalyoth's voice echoed once more.
"Well, well! That was quite entertaining! But did you all learn anything? Let's find out—Round Two begins now. Good luck!"
The rules remained the same, with one important detail:
1. No powers.
2. Complete tasks to win.
3. Four impostors among them.
4. Only one person can be voted out per meeting.
5. Workers win by eliminating all impostors or completing tasks.
6. Impostors win by outnumbering the workers.
The lights flickered. The game began.
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Early Moves – Who Can You Trust?
The players split up immediately.
Batman went straight to security. Superman decided to move carefully, sticking with Wonder Woman and Green Lantern.
Joker, Lex Luthor, and Sinestro whispered among themselves, already plotting.
Meanwhile, Zatanna sighed. "This game again? Let's just get it over with."
Then—the first strike.
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First Meeting
The emergency button was slammed.
Everyone gathered in the cafeteria.
Batman's voice was sharp. "Who found the body?"
Reverse-Flash smirked. "Oh, I found Martian Manhunter in electrical."
Wonder Woman frowned. "Who was near him?"
Sinestro crossed his arms. "I saw Green Lantern enter that room earlier."
Green Lantern's eyes narrowed. "Are you serious? I left before it happened."
Joker grinned. "Ooooh, do we have our first traitor?"
The debate raged on. Some defended Green Lantern, others hesitated.
The votes came in.
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[No One Voted Out]
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The Next Strike
The ship was silent. Too silent.
In a dimly lit hallway, Zatanna was aligning alien symbols when a shadow approached.
Before she could react—a sharp touch. She vanished.
Another emergency meeting was called.
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Second Meeting
Superman slammed the table. "That's two of us gone. Who was near Zatanna?"
Lex Luthor smirked. "I saw Joker running away from that direction."
Joker giggled. "Oh, please, if I were the impostor, I'd make a show out of it."
Batman sighed. "We need to make a choice."
Votes came in.
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[Joker Voted Out]
[NOT AN IMPOSTOR.]
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Groans filled the room.
The impostors were still hidden.
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A Clever Trap
Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman started working as a team.
But in the shadows, the impostors moved quickly.
One by one, they took down their targets.
Lex Luthor? Gone.
Sinestro? Gone.
Another emergency meeting.
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Final Meeting
The remaining players stared at each other.
Superman narrowed his eyes. "It's either Batman, Reverse-Flash, or Green Lantern."
Batman stayed silent.
Reverse-Flash smirked. "Or maybe… it's you, Superman?"
The votes came in.
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[Reverse-Flash Voted Out]
[IMPOSTOR.]
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Cheers erupted.
One down. Three more to go.
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The Final Moments
As Batman was about to finish his task, the lights went out.
A sudden movement.
When the lights returned, Superman was gone.
And standing before Wonder Woman were two figures.
Lex Luthor and Green Lantern.
The impostors had won.
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[GAME OVER. IMPOSTORS WIN.]
Shavalyoth's laughter filled the air.
"Villains win again! My, my, heroes—you're making this too easy."
Superman sighed. "This is ridiculous."
Batman clenched his jaw. "We go again. One more round."
Shavalyoth smiled.
"Oh? Are you ready for Round Three?"
The lights flickered.
The third game was about to begin.