Fasting Ends

The news that the Ascension Shop had a limited supply of boxes triggered a buying frenzy among the Ascendants.

Some even bought one or two to store, even if they didn't need them temporarily.

Part of the reason for this was anxiety.

What would happen if the boxes sold out? Would the shop restock? If they were permanently removed after selling out, what would they do if the Fire Thief released similar "Fasting" rules later?

Driven by this anxiety and fear, the food boxes sold out at an extremely rapid pace. After three hours, only a little over six million remained in the shop, selling at an average rate of over a million per hour!

This frenzy even prompted the Apocalypse Rules Countermeasure Research Office to issue a statement on their official account.

The office's statement advised Ascendants to adopt a "buy as needed" approach for the food boxes. They urged them not to buy out of excessive fear or herd mentality.

This would not only waste hard-earned Ascension Coins but might also prevent Ascendants with genuine life-saving needs from purchasing them later. They hoped all Ascendants would remain rational and think calmly.

The Apocalypse Rules Countermeasure Research Office, being officially led by the Beixing Nation, meant that any statement or suggestion it published was essentially an official call to action.

However, how one spent their own Ascension Coins was ultimately their own business. The authorities could only offer suggestions; they had neither the right nor the ability to enforce them.

By evening, only three million food boxes remained.

Guan Tong paid no further attention to this and went to bed early to conserve energy.

He had bought a total of 4 food boxes earlier, used 3 by today, and had no intention of using the last one.

Therefore, for the remaining duration of the rule, he adopted a lifestyle that minimized energy consumption.

He stayed indoors, did nothing, didn't think much, and slept whenever he had nothing else to do.

During this time, only Xu Xiaotian came to find him once, asking if he wanted to voluntarily go to the Public Security Bureau to give a statement, as they hadn't contacted him.

Guan Tong told him to make his own decision.

After considering it, Xu Xiaotian decided it was better to be safe than sorry. Since the Public Security Bureau wasn't looking for him, he didn't want to go out.

The terrifying experience of being kidnapped had left him with a significant psychological scar that would likely take time to heal.

The final period of this rule passed quietly amidst Guan Tong's idleness.

At 9 AM on May 29th, the third Apocalypse Rule's effective period officially ended.

The Fire Thief's voice arrived once more, precisely on time.

[Rule Time has ended]

[Congratulations on passing the trial of the third Apocalypse Rule]

[Rewards have been distributed to your Storage Box]

[More items have been added to the Ascension Shop, viewable via your Personal Terminal]

[The fourth Apocalypse Rule will be released in three days]

Guan Tong opened his eyes and sat up in bed, picking up a carton of milk from his nightstand and starting to drink.

Having not eaten for days, he was undoubtedly very hungry. However, immediately indulging in a feast could potentially harm his body.

So, he had prepared high-energy foods like milk and chocolate on his nightstand beforehand to sustain himself after the rule ended.

"A new rule in three days? The interval between these two rules is surprisingly short this time."

Guan Tong mused over the information provided by the Fire Thief as he drank his milk with a straw.

He recalled that after the first rule ended, it took fifteen days before the second rule was released.

After the second rule ended, it took thirty days, a full month, before the third rule was released.

It seemed that the interval between rule releases did not always increase after passing each rule. This previously speculated pattern had undoubtedly been broken by the Fire Thief.

"Personal Terminal."

Guan Tong silently chanted, and the terminal interface appeared before him.

[Name: Guan Tong]
[Nickname: Shadow]
[Title: Order Keeper]
[Mind Power: 119]
[Ascension Coins: 190]
[Comprehensive Biological Information Evaluation: Excellent]

His personal information had not changed much. During the third rule, he hadn't "minted" much, so his Ascension Coins remained at 40, bringing the total to 190 with the 150 reward from this round.

The only thing worth noting was his Mind Power Cap of 119.

After the second rule ended, Guan Tong's Mind Power Cap was 114.

Then, with a month's interval before the third rule was released, a month being 30 days plus the 15-day effective period of the third rule, totaling 45 days.

In those 45 days, his Mind Power Cap had increased by a full 5 points, an average of 1 point every 9 days.

This rate was significantly faster than at the beginning. Guan Tong remembered that previously, even when he completely exhausted his Mind Power every day, leaving nothing behind, it still took over ten days to increase the cap by 1 point.

However, during this period, he hadn't "squeezed" his Mind Power as intensely. In fact, during the last few days of the rule's effectiveness, to reduce his body's energy consumption, he hadn't even used 1 point of Mind Power.

Even so, the average number of days to increase the cap was less than before. It was clear that if he had pushed himself as hard as before during this period, the average number of days to increase the cap could have been narrowed even further.

In extreme cases, it might even be possible to increase the Mind Power Cap by 1 point in just 7 or 8 days!

"The effect of that [Gene Optimization Fluid] is likely slowly taking hold."

Guan Tong thought to himself, truly worthy of being a precious item obtained from a [Glory-tier Treasure Chest]. It seemed it wasn't a simple one-time transaction, but rather a good item that would optimize the body over time after consumption.

He opened his Storage Box. Besides a remaining [Basic Food Box - Bronze Tier] and the [Wordless Book] that he hadn't used yet, there was a new ticket with a black background, featuring a burning chalice.

[First Ascendant Challenge Invitation]: Ascendants holding this invitation can participate in the First Ascendant Challenge, which will commence after the end of the Fifth Apocalypse Rule.

Guan Tong's mind stirred, and the invitation appeared in his hand. It had the texture of gold foil.

This was the special item, besides Ascension Coins, that was given as a reward during the release of the Third Rule.

"From the description, this 'First Ascendant Challenge' will begin after the Fifth Apocalypse Rule ends... I wonder what kind of challenge it will be?"

If it were a one-on-one live PK, Guan Tong felt he would have a slight advantage.

After all, he could summon Shadow to help him fight, which could be considered a two-on-one situation.

However, Guan Tong had not undergone any combat training and was essentially a blank slate when it came to fighting techniques.

It might be good to find an opportunity to hire a professional combat master for training.

Guan Tong had considered this issue before; becoming stronger himself would also make Shadow stronger. If he could find an Excellent and diligent combat instructor, learning would be beneficial.

But he wasn't overly fixated on it. His main focus currently still had to be on increasing his Mind Power Cap and dealing with the challenges brought about by the Apocalypse Rules.

With a wave of his right hand, the invitation was returned to the Storage Box.

Guan Tong then opened the Ascension Shop function on his Terminal to check the new items stocked after this Rule.

He was now holding a "fortune" of 190 Ascension Coins. If any good items were newly added, he could definitely spend some.

The protagonist's profile card has been updated. Readers, please give it a little heart if you have time. Thank you!