'...So that's what was going on.'
Guan Tong went online, only to discover that savvy netizens had already figured out the very things that had been puzzling him.
There were quite a few analyses online about Psychic Power, the Sublimation Store, and the titles.
But even more prevalent was the fierce criticism being leveled against the officials.
A post titled "The Hidden Rule Concealed by the Officials" had already amassed millions of views.
Its main content was a condemnation of the authorities.
"You all might not know this yet, but the first Apocalypse Rule had a hidden rule: knocking someone unconscious gets you an item called a [Sober Mint Candy]. Using this item allows you to maintain three hours of absolute wakefulness.
Here's the problem: the officials, likely for the sake of maintaining stability, suppressed this information. However, some people still knew this rule existed and used it, which is why so many people have the 'Disorder Breaker' title.
Think about it, isn't this a form of injustice? If people who knew about this hidden rule made a premeditated attack on those who didn't, the latter would certainly fall victim! This is undoubtedly a major policy error on the part of the officials. All citizens should have the right to know any and all information regarding the Apocalypse Rules!"
This post attracted a great deal of attention and replies. The general consensus was a demand for shared information.
Furthermore, some called for the officials to prosecute those with the "Disorder Breaker" title for "premeditated murder."
However, there were also many who refuted this argument.
"What's the difference between them and murderers? During the time the rule was active, being knocked out was the same as being dead!"
"You can't really say that. After all, some people discovered the rule by chance; they didn't do it on purpose."
"The person above is right. If they're going to be prosecuted, it should be split into two types: first, those who didn't know about the hidden rule, and second, those who knew and still knocked people out. The latter are the real premeditated murderers!"
"Here's the problem, how do you tell the difference? Besides, will the officials really do anything about it? Enough people have already died because of the rule..."
"Whatever, I survived on my own! Sublimation Coins can be traded, right? From now on, I'm only trading with people who have the 'Orderkeeper' title. I'm never trading with 'Disorder Breakers'!"
"+1 to the person above."
"If you guys keep this up, are you going to split humanity into Orderkeeper and Disorder Breaker factions?"
"This is getting more and more chaotic..."
"Everyone, stop arguing. Have you seen the Apocalypse Rules White Paper released by the officials? It's pretty comprehensive. You should all go check it out."
As Guan Tong read up to this point, he felt that many of the netizens in the thread had a point.
The officials' concealment of the hidden rule had clearly struck a nerve with the public.
This would create problems with public trust and would also lead to a situation where everyone felt endangered when subsequent Apocalypse Rules arrived.
As for the information about Orderkeepers and Disorder Breakers, it couldn't help but make Guan Tong think of Fang Qian.
'I wonder if her title is Orderkeeper or Disorder Breaker? Forget it... it's none of my business.'
Guan Tong had no intention of getting any more involved with Fang Qian. Whatever happened to her had nothing to do with him.
He opened a new web page and searched for the official white paper mentioned by the netizens.
The search results showed that the white paper was published by the "Apocalypse Rules Strategy Research Room." It seemed to be a newly established department.
Guan Tong downloaded the white paper to view it locally.
Apocalypse Rules White Paper Version 1.0
Author: Apocalypse Rules Strategy Research Room
Introduction: This white paper aims to help readers understand information related to the Apocalypse Rules, so that they may better cope with the challenges brought by said rules.
'Let's see if there's any real substance to this.'
Guan Tong scrolled down, jumping to the [Key Terms] list.
[Sublimation Coin]
1. Can be used to purchase items in the Sublimation Store. Multiple tests have currently shown that each person can only purchase one item. This item is often related to the individual's personality, desires, and inner emotions, and can only be revealed through searching.
2. The personal terminal indicates that Sublimation Coins can be traded with others. However, tests have so far revealed no tradeable items. Note: The only special item at present, the [Sober Mint Candy], is a non-tradeable item.
'...So for now, you can only buy one thing from the store, it's related to your personality, and you can only find it by searching. No wonder I could only find the [Wordless Book]. It seems other people are in the same boat.'
Guan Tong thought to himself that this gave it the feel of a "personal exclusive weapon."
It was just that his [Wordless Book] didn't seem like it could be used as a "weapon" at all right now.
However, the white paper did answer another one of his questions.
The [Sober Mint Candy] was non-tradeable. He had previously thought that if this item could be traded, it would probably become the hardest of hard currencies.
But being non-tradeable, its value was greatly diminished.
Especially now that the first Apocalypse Rule was over, there was no telling if it would ever be useful again.
He continued to read.
[Psychic Power]
1. According to research, items purchased in the Sublimation Store can be used by consuming Psychic Power, which is infused into them as a form of energy.
2. Psychic Power regenerates automatically after being consumed. The regeneration time varies; tests have shown some individuals recovering 1 point in as little as ten-odd minutes, while others require as long as 1-2 hours to recover 1 point.
3. No method has yet been discovered to increase one's Psychic Power maximum, and the maximum value varies from person to person. It is currently known that individuals who used the [Sober Mint Candy] have a lower maximum; the more they used, the lower it is. From this, it can be roughly inferred that this maximum may be related to an individual's willpower.
4. The Comprehensive Bio-Information Evaluation seems to be related to the Psychic Power maximum. It has been verified through multiple sources that a score of 80 is rated as "Ordinary," below 80 is "Inferior," and 100 is "Excellent."
Guan Tong was already aware of the first two pieces of information about Psychic Power, but the last two were new to him.
'In that case, my Psychic Power maximum of 96 should be considered high, right? And it looks like some people have reached 100... Reaching the "Excellent" level must be pretty incredible.'
Below the key terms was a collection of specific Apocalypse Rules. Currently, only one was listed.
[Apocalypse Rule 1: Sleep Deprivation]
[Rule Content: From the moment the rule is announced, you cannot enter a state of sleep in any form for 72 hours.]
[Survival Reward: 100 Sublimation Coins, Psychic Power]
[Failure Penalty: If you enter a state of sleep while the rule is in effect, you will never wake up again.]
[Note: A known record among the Celestial Water Star Intelligent People is 297 consecutive hours of wakefulness. 72 hours is far from the limit. We encourage everyone to strive to pass.]
[Hidden Rule: Knocking another person unconscious in any way will grant one "Sober Mint Candy." Using it maintains three hours of absolute wakefulness.]
The content was basically all information already known to the public. The only difference was that the officials had now formally included the hidden rule in the white paper.
'It looks like the white paper will be updated every time a new rule comes out... That's good, I suppose. It gives the public a channel to get the latest information.'
'But... if there's a hidden rule next time, I wonder if the officials will conceal it again?'
Guan Tong thought, 'I wonder if next time, just like this time, I'll be able to see the content of the hidden rule directly?'