Fasting Therapy...
Looking at the name of the third Apocalypse Rule, Guan Tong didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Fifteen days without food? This was a surefire way to starve people to death, to make their organs fail. What exactly was "therapeutic" about it?
It reminded him of the first rule, Sleep Deprivation. One forbade sleep, the other forbade food.
Guan Tong wasn't sure which was more difficult: going three days without sleep or fifteen days with only water. But in terms of the penalty for failure, the former was definitely more terrifying.
'The penalty for failing this Apocalypse Rule is the same as the second one: a reduction in Psychic Power.'
'This means that if someone doesn't plan on completing the challenge, they could just ignore the rule from day one and eat and drink as they please.'
However, Guan Tong's gaze fell upon the reward.
Besides the usual Sublimation Coin reward—this time an extra 50—there was also a "First Ascender Challenge Invitation Letter."
Although the Fire Thief hadn't specified the rules or rewards for the challenge, this Invitation Letter was undoubtedly important.
Guan Tong definitely wanted it. But even without it, he would still strive to complete the challenge just to prevent his Psychic Power from decreasing.
'Let's see what the hidden rule is...'
Just like the previous two times, Guan Tong opened the rule details on his personal terminal and stared at the screen.
Before long, the colored particles of the rule's text shifted and reassembled, forming new content.
[Hidden Rule 3: Pay to Avert Disaster]
[Hidden Rule Content: Spend Sublimation Coins to purchase Basic Food Boxes. You can use the food items from the boxes to help complete the challenge.]
[Note: The items sold in the Sublimation Store are limited in quantity. They may sell out if you do not purchase them in time.]
As Guan Tong read the hidden rule, he shot to his feet.
He never expected that the [Basic Food Box], which had been put on sale in the Sublimation Store after the end of the second Apocalypse Rule, could actually be used for the third one.
But what surprised him even more was that the items in the Sublimation Store were limited in quantity!
'I remember those boxes in the store didn't have any quantity limits marked on them... Could this also be part of the hidden rule?'
From a merchant's perspective, this discovery was absolutely crucial.
If people didn't know that a high-demand item was in limited supply, it wouldn't matter if they bought it sooner or later, as the price would remain unchanged.
But if they knew it was limited, everyone would worry it would be gone if they waited too long, so they would rush to buy it in advance.
So, if the public was unaware of the limit, but one person knew, that person could easily stock up in large quantities beforehand, hoarding the goods to drive up the price.
Once the limited item sold out, the person holding a large stock would undoubtedly be able to resell it for a huge profit.
'Wait, that's not right,' Guan Tong thought. 'I remember the boxes listed in the store are non-tradable.'
You could buy them for yourself, but you couldn't resell them to others.
This meant it was impossible to hoard them and sell them at a high price.
Nevertheless, as long as the supply was limited, a situation where many people couldn't buy them was bound to occur.
Although he didn't know the exact quantity, Guan Tong was sure that if the number was large, the hidden rule wouldn't have bothered to issue a specific warning in the notes.
'Assuming there's a limit of, say, ten million Basic Food Boxes... As long as the public finds out they can survive the rule by eating the All-Effect Vitality Pills from the boxes, those ten million boxes will sell out in no time!'
No, I can't wait!
The situation was urgent. Guan Tong immediately opened the Sublimation Store.
He currently had 120 Sublimation Coins: 100 Circulation Coins and 20 Binding Coins.
The [Basic Food Box] cost 20 coins each. With his funds, he could buy six at most.
'There's no need to buy six... The white paper mentioned a test where a single All-Effect Vitality Pill from the box could provide enough energy for a whole day.'
Guan Tong pondered.
'The rule requires a 15-day fast, but you can drink water. Under these conditions, an ordinary person wouldn't die from starving for three to five days, let alone a High Spirit User... If I replenish a full day's energy, going another five days without food should be no problem at all.'
'By that calculation, I only need to buy three boxes to definitely last through the rule's duration... To be safe, I'll buy four.'
Guan Tong spent 80 Sublimation Coins to purchase four [Basic Food Boxes].
He left himself with 40 Sublimation Coins. Partly to save them, but also because he knew the boxes were limited. As long as his own survival was secured, he wanted to leave some for others.
If everyone spent all their coins buying boxes, they might sell out quickly. Anyone who couldn't get a single box would then likely be unable to pass the challenge.
Although failing this challenge wasn't lethal, Guan Tong still hoped more people would pass.
After all, in the face of the irresistible Apocalypse Rules and the Fire Thief, all of humanity was essentially in the same boat.
If humanity couldn't unite in the face of such a crisis, and instead schemed and plotted against each other—you screw me, I screw you—then this backstabbing would likely lead to everyone's doom.
After making his purchase, Guan Tong considered whether he should publicize the fact that the boxes were limited. In the end, he decided against it.
He didn't need to announce that the food boxes could help with the challenge; someone would figure that out soon enough.
But the news about the limited quantity—if he kept quiet, almost no one would think of it before they sold out.
The problem was, if he announced this online, wouldn't it just accelerate the rush to snatch up the boxes?
If people didn't know about the limit, they would buy at a more relaxed pace. Or they might save their coins, waiting until they couldn't stand the hunger anymore before entering the Sublimation Store to make a purchase.
But the moment they knew, everyone would go on a buying spree on the very first day, terrified they'd miss out if they were too late.
So, after some thought, Guan Tong decided not to release the information. He believed doing so would cause more harm than good. It was better to let things take their natural course.
Meanwhile, on the internet, discussions about the third Apocalypse Rule were already causing a massive stir.
Many people's focus wasn't on the rule itself, but on the "First Ascender Challenge Invitation Letter" included in the challenge reward.
There were two main points of interest. The first was the term "Ascender," which seemed to be the Fire Thief's name for humanity—or more accurately, for Psychic Power Users.
Although some High Spirit Users had already begun calling themselves "Ascenders," their words carried a sense of superiority, as if they were "evolving faster than others."
Official departments had been suppressing such talk to avoid inciting conflict between High and Low Spirit Users, and they avoided making distinctions in terminology.
But now that "Ascender" had appeared in the Apocalypse Rules, the authorities couldn't suppress it even if they wanted to. As soon as the rule was announced, a huge number of people on the internet began calling themselves "Ascenders," quickly creating an unstoppable trend.
The second point of interest was the challenge itself.
People speculated about its content and purpose. Many felt it might be some kind of opportunity, posting online that they were determined to pass this rule's challenge and get an invitation to compete.