Hidden Rule One

71:05:33

Guan Tong glanced at the countdown in the sky and carried a large bag of food into the apartment building.

He did not go fight others for coffee, black tea, or other stimulating drinks. First, they would be hard to get. Second, he did not think they were indispensable.

Just as the rules' "remarks" explained, staying awake for seventy-two hours was not absolutely impossible. With enough determination, coupled with the immense pressure brought by the threat of death, quite a few people should be able to make it through.

Guan Tong returned home, went into the study, and turned on his computer. The internet was flooded with news about the Apocalypse Rules.

It was not just the Beixing Nation. Massive numbers of deaths had appeared in other countries around the world as well.

Countries whose local time was in the middle of the night had suffered especially enormous casualty rates. Some areas had even nearly lost contact with the outside world.

Officials in every country had issued nationwide announcements at the First Time, warning their citizens never to fall asleep during Rule Time.

Online, the matter was already being discussed feverishly, with every possible theory being thrown around.

Some believed the Fire Thief was an alien, some believed it was a super artificial intelligence, and others believed it was God incarnate, here to destroy the world...

"Bzz, bzz."

The phone on the desk vibrated. Guan Tong picked it up and saw that it was the latest official notice from his carrier.

[Emergency Notice: Attention, all citizens. The voice that sounded in your minds is real! The Apocalypse Rules have been confirmed to be in effect. Please do not fall asleep at any point during the next seventy-two hours!

As for how to remain awake for an extended period, we currently offer the following suggestions:

1. Avoid being alone whenever possible! Staying in the same room as others and maintaining a conversation is one of the best ways to stay awake. You can also supervise each other and promptly remind someone if you notice them becoming drowsy or losing clarity of consciousness!

2. Keep your surroundings noisy. When tired, use various devices to play songs or other sounds at high volume.

3. You may appropriately consume caffeinated stimulating beverages, but take care not to drink too much.

4. Reduce energy consumption and do not exercise excessively. You may reduce food intake in moderation; hunger can effectively fight off drowsiness.

5. Keep your surroundings well-lit. At the same time, stay away from sofas and soft beds to avoid unconsciously falling asleep because your body is too comfortable.

Finally, do not give up, do not despair, and hold on for seventy-two hours!]

Guan Tong found the suggestions listed in the message fairly reasonable.

After all, with such a sudden and unprecedented global catastrophe, the authorities had no way of immediately finding a perfect solution.

Moreover, the Beixing Nation's official response had been fairly swift.

Guan Tong saw online that major riots had already broken out in urban areas of some countries. If they could not be controlled in time, the secondary disasters caused by the riots would likely be no less destructive than the "rules" themselves.

"Residents, please return home as soon as possible. Do not remain outdoors."

Outside the window, patrol vehicles equipped with loudspeakers began broadcasting announcements.

Guan Tong looked outside. Several uniformed Police Officers were already patrolling the streets, guarding against criminals taking advantage of the chaos to smash, loot, rob, and commit other crimes.

No matter what, this supernatural disaster had already happened.

The cruel reality of massive deaths across the globe lay before them. Anyone who did not want to die to the power of the rules had to obey them.

Recalling what the Fire Thief had said, Guan Tong silently recited, "Personal Terminal."

A translucent virtual panel immediately appeared.

Looking at the panel, Guan Tong felt as though he had become some sort of game character.

The text displayed on the virtual panel listed his personal information.

[Name: Guan Tong]

[Nickname: Function not enabled] (This function will be enabled after the effective period of the first Apocalypse Rule ends.)

[Title: None]

[Mind Power: None]

[Ascension Coins: 0]

[Comprehensive Biological Information Evaluation: Inferior]

After reading through his personal panel, Guan Tong checked the reward for Rule One again.

[Survival Reward: 100 Ascension Coins, Mind Power]

"If this is a game, then Ascension Coins are like in-game currency. What is 'Mind Power,' then? Something like a skill?"

Guan Tong could not figure it out. He would probably have to wait until he successfully survived the Rule Period to find out.

"Even if I die, I'll still love!"

"Boom boom boom! Boom boom boom boom! Thump-cha, thump-cha!"

Noise began coming through the walls. Guan Tong guessed that his upstairs and downstairs neighbors had already followed the official advice and turned their players, speakers, and other devices up to maximum volume, blasting all kinds of high-energy dance music to stay awake.

Guan Tong thought, Isn't it a little early to be playing this stuff now?

It was still morning, when most people were full of energy. If they already had to rely on external stimulation at this hour, what would they do when they were truly exhausted at night?

With nothing else to do, Guan Tong simply used the Personal Terminal to go over the details of the Apocalypse Rules again.

[Test Content: Forty-nine Apocalypse Rules]

[Test Objective: Those who pass the test may participate in the Apocalypse Operation and win a chance at survival.]

"It looks like there are forty-nine Apocalypse Rules in total. Only Rule One has been released, yet who knows how many people have already died? After all forty-nine, how many people will be left in the world?"

"No, that's not right. I can't jump to conclusions. Not every rule will necessarily be this harsh, and not every Failure Penalty will necessarily be death."

"'Those who pass the test may participate in the Apocalypse Operation and win a chance at survival.' What is the Apocalypse Operation? Judging from the name alone, it definitely doesn't sound like anything good..."

Guan Tong continued reading.

[Apocalypse Rule One: Sleep Deprivation]

[Rule Details: From the moment the rule is announced, you may not enter a sleeping state in any form within seventy-two hours.]

As he stared at Rule One, something suddenly began to change.

Just like the four jumping words, "Test Begins," that he had seen in the sky outside the classroom window.

This rule also began to flicker slowly before his eyes.

The flickering colored particles gradually rearranged themselves into different words.

Very soon, the first line of reconstructed text took shape.

[Hidden Rule One]

Guan Tong shot to his feet from the chair and rubbed his eyes hard.

When he opened them again, the words were still there.

This was not an illusion!

The colored particles continued gathering into words.

[Hidden Rule One: Plunder Wakefulness]

[Hidden Rule Details: After Rule One is announced, if you use violence to make another person enter a sleeping state, you can obtain one "Sobering Mint Candy." Using this item allows you to remain absolutely awake for three hours.]

[Remarks: To increase your own chances of survival, will you choose to plunder another person's right to survive?]

"I can see the Hidden Rules...?"

With a shocked and doubtful expression, Guan Tong rushed into the study and turned on the computer.

He tried searching for keywords, but the results were all unrelated content.

Apparently, no one online had mentioned the Hidden Rules yet. This might mean that only he could see this rule.

This should have been something worth celebrating.

But the contents of this Hidden Rule, and the behavioral inclination it encouraged, made it impossible for Guan Tong to feel happy...