Chapter 11: Chapter 11: The Reward After Survival BANG!
After Fang Qian left, looking utterly dejected, Guan Tong shut the door and bolted it.
He wore a grim expression. He had thought Fang Qian had a decent personality, but her actions had been a bitter disappointment.
They say you should never test human nature, because more often than not, it can’t withstand the test.
If Fang Qian hadn’t known about the hidden rule, she probably wouldn’t have even considered harming someone.
True, her parents had told her it was for her own good, but that had also awakened the malice within her. In the end, the choice was hers to make, and she couldn’t blame anyone else.
Guan Tong sat on the stool. Though he hadn’t slept for dozens of hours, he felt exceptionally awake. It was as if some unknown power was sprouting within his body, but he didn’t notice.
Fang Qian’s actions only served to reaffirm his initial resolve.
He had known about the hidden rule since the disaster began. If he had wanted to use it, he could have acquired enough Sober Mint Candies to guarantee his survival long ago.
But from the very beginning, he had decided against it.
Guan Tong certainly didn’t want to die, but he was determined to rely solely on his own efforts to persevere.
If he failed in the end, he would feel regret, but not resentment. After all, he would have done his best.
As Guan Tong came to this realization, a strange sense of relief washed over his mind and body.
Even his recent frustration with Fang Qian now seemed trivial.
He walked to the window and glanced at the countdown in the sky.
24:16:28
’Twenty-four hours. I’ll just treat it as one more day to get through.’
With that optimistic thought, Guan Tong stopped worrying about the time or when the internet might be restored.
He drank his coffee, got up and went to the study, and turned on his computer to play a few single-player games.
Hour after hour passed, until the voice of the Fire Thief finally rang out.
[The rule period has ended.]
[Congratulations on passing the trial of the first Apocalypse Rule.]
’It’s over...?’
Guan Tong heard the voice in his mind and wondered if he was hallucinating.
He looked up and out the window. The red countdown in the sky had vanished without a trace.
[New features unlocked. Survival reward has been sent to your Storage Box. It can be viewed via your personal terminal.]
[The second Apocalypse Rule will be announced in fifteen days.]
The Fire Thief’s voice faded into silence.
...
When Guan Tong woke up, it was already 10:00 AM.
He rubbed his messy hair and squinted at the sunlight outside.
’Did I... sleep for a whole day and night?’
The rule period had ended at 9:00 AM, and it was now 10:00 AM. He had, without a doubt, enjoyed a deep sleep that lasted a full twenty-five hours.
After waking up, Guan Tong didn’t get out of bed immediately.
He just lay there, quietly savoring the satisfaction of having slept his fill.
He had never taken the time to appreciate this feeling before. Only now did he realize what a blissful thing it was to sleep until completely rested.
After lying there quietly for a moment, he mentally summoned his personal terminal.
[Name: Guan Tong]
[Nickname: Not Set]
[Title: None]
[Psychic Power: 96]
[Sublimation Coins: 100]
[Overall Biometric Assessment: Normal]
Guan Tong looked at the changes on the panel, slightly surprised.
First, he could now set a nickname. He recalled seeing a note before that this feature would unlock for anyone who survived the first Apocalypse Rule.
Guan Tong guessed the purpose of the nickname was to hide one’s real identity.
In his view, this meant the personal terminal might be getting a communication feature later on.
Next was the change to his Psychic Power.
He had previously thought Psychic Power might be a type of "skill," but now it was displayed as a numerical value.
’My Psychic Power is 96. Is that high or low? What exactly does it do?’