Ngl my interest declined after the "it's a game" thing
I feel the same. The moment they stated "it's all a game", the stakes dropped by half.
Add to it that the outcome doesn't matter (whether she dies or kills all of humanity, the result is the same), and another part of the stakes dropped.
That said, there apparently are real lives in jeopardy, so there is still something of value at play here.
But still, as long this part is not reminded too often, it can still be fun to read.
Aside from this horrible plot point, the story had a good start, so I'm still willing to give it a chance.