Chapter 393 - 359: Hidden Rule Sixteen

Chapter 393: Chapter 359: Hidden Rule Sixteen

Inside Yelena’s manor.

Guan Tong stayed in his room, silently listening to the rules.

’This new rule... just like its name implies, is truly a Death Race.’

This confirmed the guess he had shared with Shangyuan Zi—the sixteenth rule was indeed related to the second Ascender challenge.

He just hadn’t expected the rule to be so blatant.

Previous rules had mostly goaded humans into fighting each other subtly. This time, it was laid bare on the table—a life-or-death, zero-sum competition purely for the sake of rank-based rewards.

And unlike the first challenge on Holy Grail Island, the rules this time indicated that the entire Celestial Water Star was the competition ground. If a "Contestant" died, they were truly dead.

However, this rule had an opt-out mechanism.

Guan Tong raised his palm, and the challenge’s Invitation Letter appeared in his hand.

Simply discarding or destroying this item was equivalent to forfeiting. Those who forfeited would not receive the special "Contestant" title, nor could they gain points from kills, effectively withdrawing them from the competition.

But the price for quitting was a decay in their maximum Psychic Power.

’The rules mentioned that participants in this challenge, those with the "Contestant" title, can all see each other’s nicknames and points above their heads... just like "red-named" players in a PK game.’

This meant that anyone you could see a nickname and points above was a potential enemy. Even if you didn’t attack them, they might attack you to seize your points.

This mechanism also placed certain restrictions on the strong.

Once a powerful individual accumulated too many points, everyone else would see it and could band together to target them.

’...Under this new rule, the various national governments will definitely enforce strict controls,’ Guan Tong thought. ’Otherwise, letting the Contestants slaughter each other would only further reduce the population, which is detrimental to humanity as a whole.’

He pulled up his panel to check this event’s hidden rule.

[Hidden Rule 16: By Any Means Necessary]

[Under the current rule, Ascenders in a party can still attack each other to kill and seize points.]

[Note: Only those who rank in the top 10,000 will receive rewards; otherwise, all struggles are in vain. So, when your teammate becomes a stepping stone in the face of profit, are you willing to be an unscrupulous person and raise the butcher’s knife?]

’You can even kill teammates while in a party? They really mean "by any means necessary"...’

Ever since the party function was introduced, Psychic Power attacks between teammates had been ineffective; only physical weapons could cause harm.

Now, under this hidden rule, Psychic Power attacks would undoubtedly work. This meant that once many established teams learned of this, suspicion would inevitably grow. Even if you wouldn’t do it yourself, you’d be wary of your teammates.

And that wariness itself was the beginning of a shattered bond...

"Fire Thief..."

Guan Tong sighed.

He wondered, ’Does this guy really have to make humanity slaughter itself until only a handful are left?’

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

The knocking came from his door.

"Captain."

Guan Tong went to open the door. Shangyuan Zi and Yelena were standing outside.

Yelena’s eyes held a trace of curiosity, clearly sparked by Shangyuan Zi’s form of address for Guan Tong.

She didn’t hide her curiosity, asking directly out of her trust in Guan Tong, "Teacher, are you the captain of some sort of group?"

"Yes, the Origin-Tracing Expedition. It’s an organization I founded with the goal of investigating the Apocalypse Rules and the truth of the Fire Thief."

Guan Tong didn’t hide it. His organization wasn’t some shady, evil group like the Qingmei Association, so there was no harm in speaking of it.

"The Origin-Tracing Expedition... That sounds wonderful." A flash of longing crossed Yelena’s face before vanishing without a trace.

"Do you also wish to seek the truth?" Guan Tong asked.

"...In my current position, I’m afraid I don’t have that luxury."

Even Shangyuan Zi could hear the helplessness in her words.

It made sense. Yelena was now the Governor of Sisiya. As the supreme leader of such a large nation, the responsibility she carried was heavier than a mountain. What time did she have to pursue her own ideals?

Guan Tong didn’t press the matter, instead asking, "Yelena, regarding this new rule, aren’t you going to issue a decree as the Governor?"

"That’s why I came looking for you, Teacher." Yelena’s expression turned serious at the mention of the rule. "You’re one of the world’s top Ascenders, and this rule is a competition among Ascenders. I wanted to hear your opinion on my way to the meeting."

"Alright, let’s go then. Shangyuan, you come with us."

"Mm."

For the past few days, Guan Tong had been acting as Yelena’s driver and bodyguard. Besides driving her back and forth and resting in the cubicle in her office, he didn’t have much else to do.

After they got in the car and were on their way to the office, Guan Tong said, "The suggestion I have regarding this rule might be executed well in North Star, but its effectiveness will be greatly diminished in Sisiya."

"Please elaborate, Teacher." Yelena listened intently from the back seat, with Shangyuan Zi also listening silently beside her.

"The best way to protect oneself might seem to be forfeiting by discarding the Invitation Letter, but doing so leads to failing the rule and a decay in one’s maximum Psychic Power. Therefore, I believe the best outcome would be to have all Ascenders keep their Invitation Letters but strictly prohibit them from slaughtering each other for points."

Yelena frowned slightly upon hearing this.

She knew why Guan Tong said this suggestion would be well-executed in North Star but greatly diminished in Sisiya.

The reason was that North Star had a large number of fully constructed and operational official shelters, making the population easier to manage. Once everyone in the shelters became a "Contestant," anyone who dared to randomly kill for points would be immediately and severely punished by the authorities.

In other words, North Star could use its powerful social control to suppress the Ascenders, making them too afraid to kill each other for points.

However, Sisiya’s official departments didn’t have that level of control over the nation’s Ascenders. Encouraging all Ascenders not to forfeit would inevitably lead to vicious killing sprees.

Moreover...

A thought occurred to Yelena, and she asked, "But a complete ban would also incite resistance, wouldn’t it? Some Ascenders who are confident in their strength will definitely kill others for points to get the top 10,000 rewards... How should we handle that?"

"I have an idea," Shangyuan Zi suddenly said.

"What is it?"

"The government could designate specific venues for Ascenders who want to fight for points and rankings. It would be like an officially established arena. Only fighting within this arena would be legal; any killing outside of it would be treated as murder."

As Shangyuan Zi laid out her idea, both Guan Tong and Yelena fell silent.

At first glance, the idea was undoubtedly absurd. An officially designated, legal "Slaughter Field"? Was that really something a government could do?

But upon further reflection, it was indeed an effective way to reduce private killings.

Want to seize someone’s points and climb the ranks? Fine! But you have to do it in the designated arena! Both parties sign a death waiver beforehand, so the loser has no one to blame but themselves for showing up.

But fighting outside the arena? Not a chance! Anyone caught doing so would be prosecuted for murder. This would maintain general order and prevent a situation where lower-level Ascenders lived in constant fear.

"Shangyuan’s idea has merit."

After the silence, it was Guan Tong who spoke first.

"An outright ban would be impossible to enforce. It’s better to open a valve and let those who are confident and willing to risk death compete."

"..."

Yelena pondered this, unsure of the consequences such an action would bring. As Governor, she had to consider every angle as thoroughly as possible.

She still hadn’t made up her mind by the time they reached the office building. "I’ll take your suggestions to the meeting and see what everyone has to say."

She then went to attend the meeting with various government departments and think tanks, while Guan Tong and Shangyuan Zi waited in a room next to the conference hall. To ensure Yelena’s safety, Guan Tong usually stayed close by.

"Half an hour has passed," Guan Tong said, checking the time. "In another two and a half hours, anyone who hasn’t discarded their Invitation Letter will become a Contestant. Shangyuan, will you discard yours?"

"No," Shangyuan Zi replied without hesitation. "I don’t want my Psychic Power to decay."

"Me neither," Guan Tong said.

Shangyuan Zi asked, "With your strength, Captain, securing a high rank shouldn’t be difficult. Are you planning to?"

"Maybe. It’s just..."

Guan Tong sighed. Competing for rank meant having to kill other Contestants, and he was not a bloodthirsty person.

"If you don’t want to kill the innocent, you can go to the designated arena. Anyone who goes there will have already prepared themselves to kill or be killed."

Guan Tong gave a wry smile. "Shangyuan, do you think I enjoy killing?"

"...No. I just think it would be a shame for someone with your strength, Captain, not to go for the high-ranking rewards."

Guan Tong shook his head.

He had snatched first place from others before, but that was a completely different concept from killing. Besides, these kinds of rules always filled him with a nameless rage.

He knew full well that the Fire Thief was manipulating people into killing each other, yet to gain rewards and avoid punishment, people had no choice but to follow the cruel rules the Fire Thief laid out... This unavoidable fact left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Are you angry?"

Seeing Guan Tong’s lips pressed into a thin line and his eyes turn cold, Shangyuan Zi thought her words were the cause.

"It has nothing to do with you, Shangyuan. I just despise the Fire Thief."

Shangyuan Zi was silent for a moment before saying in a low voice, "...Sometimes I think the Fire Thief’s appearance has shattered countless lives. Those who survived only did so out of an animalistic instinct to live, with little other meaning."

Hearing this, Guan Tong looked at Shangyuan Zi’s vacant gaze and knew her nihilistic mood was surfacing again.

"Life doesn’t need meaning; meaning needs life. It’s like the truth—its purpose for existing is to one day be uncovered by us."

Shangyuan Zi’s heart stirred at his words, and a faint light returned to her eyes. "Meaning needs life... I understand, Captain."

"I’ve made my decision, Shangyuan," Guan Tong said. "I will become a Contestant for this rule, but I won’t actively kill people for points. However, if anyone is foolish enough to provoke us, I will show no mercy."