Forty-nine rules of the end times

Chapter 13 The White Paper on the Rules of the Apocalypse

"...I can't believe such a thing exists."

Guan Tong only discovered after going online that the clever netizens had already figured out the answers to the questions he had been pondering.

There have been many analyses online regarding the issues of mental power, the Ascension Shop, and titles.

But more often than not, there were verbal attacks against the authorities.

A post titled "Hidden Rules Concealed by the Officials" has garnered millions of views.

The main content is to accuse the authorities.

"Many of you may not know this, but there's a hidden rule in the first post-apocalyptic rule: knocking someone out will give you an item called 'Sobering Peppermint Candy.' This item will keep you completely sober for 3 hours after use."

The problem is that, perhaps for stability reasons, the official channels blocked this message. However, some people still knew about the rule and used it, which is why many people are called 'disruptors'.

Think about it, isn't this unfair? Those who know this hidden rule, if they intentionally or unintentionally attack those who are unaware, will definitely fall victim! This is undoubtedly a major policy error by the authorities. All citizens have the right to know any information regarding the rules of the apocalypse!

This post has attracted a lot of attention and replies, with most people agreeing on the same point: they are all demanding that information be shared.

Furthermore, some have called for the authorities to prosecute and convict those labeled "disruptors" for "murder."

However, there are also many who refute this statement.

"What's the difference between these people and murderers? Within the allotted time, if someone faints, they're dead!"

"That's not entirely true. After all, some people discover the rules by chance, not on purpose."

"The person upstairs is right. If we're really going to punish someone, we should divide them into two categories: one is those who were unaware of this hidden rule, and the other is those who knowingly knocked someone unconscious despite knowing the rule. The latter is the real intentional homicide!"

"The problem is, how do we distinguish between them? And will the authorities really handle this? Because enough people have already been ruined by the rules..."

"Anyway, I survived on my own! Since Ascension Coins can be used for trading, from now on I will only trade with people whose title is 'Lawkeeper,' and never with 'Disruptor'!"

“+1 upstairs”

"If you keep doing this, won't you split humanity into two camps: lawful and disorderly?"

"This is getting more and more chaotic..."

"Stop arguing. Have you all seen the official post-apocalyptic rules white paper? It's quite comprehensive; you can all take a look."

Guan Tong browsed this far and felt that many of the comments in the post were correct.

The fact that the authorities concealed the hidden rules has indeed touched a nerve with the public.

This will create problems with public trust and will also lead to a situation where everyone feels insecure when other apocalyptic rules are introduced in the future.

As for the information about the lawkeepers and the lawbreakers, Guan Tong couldn't help but think of Fang Qian.

"I wonder if her title is 'Order Keeper' or 'Order Breaker'? Oh well... it's none of my business."

Guan Tong no longer intended to have any further interaction with Fang Qian; what happened to her was none of his business.

He opened a new webpage and searched for the white paper officially released by the government, which was mentioned by netizens.

Search results show that the white paper was published by the "Apocalypse Rules Countermeasures Research Office," which appears to be a newly established department.

Guan Tong downloaded the white paper to her local computer to view it.

The End-of-the-World Rules White Paper, Version 1.0

Author: Post-Apocalyptic Rules and Countermeasures Research Lab

Introduction: This white paper aims to help readers understand information about the rules of the apocalypse, enabling them to better cope with the challenges they present. "Let's see if there's anything useful."

Guan Tong scrolled down to the list of "Technical Terms".

[Ascended Coin]

1. This item can be used to purchase items in the Ascension Shop. Currently, after multiple tests, each person can only purchase one item. The item is often related to the user's personality, desires, and inner feelings, and can only be displayed through a search function.

2. The personal terminal displays that Ascension Coins can be traded with others. However, based on testing, no items are currently tradable. Note: The only special item currently available, [Clarity Peppermint Candy], is not tradable.
"...Now you can only buy one item at a time, and it depends on your personality and other factors. It can only be displayed through search. No wonder I could only find the [Wordless Book]. It seems everyone else is in the same situation."

Guan Tong thought to himself that this gave him the feeling of having a "personal weapon".

However, it's not yet clear where his "wordless book" can be used as a "weapon".

However, this white paper also answered another question he had.

That is, the [Clarity Peppermint Candy] is not tradable. He had thought before that if this thing could be traded, it would probably become the hardest currency among hard currencies.

However, if it cannot be traded, its value is greatly reduced.

Especially after the first apocalyptic rule ends, it's uncertain whether it will still be applicable.

He continued to look down.

[Mental Power]

1. According to research, items purchased in the Ascendant Shop can be consumed by injecting mental energy as a form of power.

2. Mental energy can be automatically restored after it is consumed. The automatic restoration time varies. According to tests, some people can restore 1 point in as little as ten minutes, while others need as long as 1-2 hours to restore 1 point.

3. There is currently no known way to increase the upper limit of mental strength, and the upper limit varies from person to person. It is known that people who use [Clarity Peppermints] have a lower upper limit, and the more they use, the lower it becomes. Based on this, it can be roughly inferred that this upper limit may be related to individual willpower.

4. The comprehensive bio-information evaluation seems to be related to the upper limit of mental power. According to multiple verifications, reaching 80 points will be rated as "ordinary", below 80 points will be rated as "inferior", and reaching 100 points will be rated as "excellent".

Guan Tong knew the first two of the four pieces of information about mental power, but he didn't know the last two.

"So it seems my mental strength cap of 96 points is quite high? And it looks like some people have reached 100 points... That's excellent, they must be pretty amazing."

Below the proper nouns are the specific rules for the apocalypse, currently only one of them is included.

[Apocalyptic Rule 1: Sleep Deprivation]

[Rule details: You may not enter a state of sleep in any form for 72 hours from the date this rule is published.]

[Survival Reward: 100 Ascendant Coins, Mental Power]

[Failure Penalty: Once you fall asleep during the rule's effective period, you will never be able to wake up again.]

[Note: It is known that some Homo sapiens on the planet Mercury have remained conscious for 297 consecutive hours. 72 hours is far from the limit. Please try your best to pass.]

[Hidden Rule: Knocking someone unconscious in any way will grant you a "Clarity Peppermint," which will keep you completely conscious for 3 hours after use.]

The content is mostly things that the public already knows. The only difference is that the official version summarizes the hidden rules and includes them in the white paper.

"It seems that the white paper will be updated every time a new rule is introduced... This is good, as it gives the public a channel to understand the latest information."

"But... if there are hidden rules again next time, I wonder if the authorities will still keep them hidden?"

Guan Tong thought to herself: I wonder if I'll be able to see the hidden rules directly next time, just like this time?

(End of this chapter)