On the morning of the New Rule Release Day, the hungover Andrew was woken up by his constantly vibrating phone.
He rubbed his groggy, heavy head. He had been drinking with people until three or four in the morning before lying down, and he was still very dazed now.
He fumbled for his phone on the sofa and squinted to look at it.
There were quite a few messages on his phone, all sent by his friends.
These friends were all people he had made after becoming famous, and they often came to his new home to throw parties.
The content of the messages was surprisingly consistent. Andrew hadn't read much before he sobered up rapidly from fright, sitting up to check online.
Every social media homepage featured a large image. The image was exactly the photo Guan Tong had released of the "Your Holiness's" corpse.
A major media outlet in Suroma had captioned it: "The Ascendant 'Shadow' has eliminated the leader of the Fire Thief Worship Cult, the Your Holiness. This is undoubtedly a good thing for all of humanity.
But one must not ignore the fact that, considering 'Shadow's' hostility toward some people in our country, perhaps his revenge is far from over.
The Ascendant 'Shadow' has already done things like blowing up the Andai State Royal Palace and attacking Sakura Prayer Country's highest decision-making level. This forces us to wonder: will the cities of our Suroma face threats from 'Shadow'? What stance will the Beixing officials take on this?
Furthermore, right as the new rule is about to be released, what intention does 'Shadow' have in choosing this moment to release the photo? This channel will continue to track and report on this incident. Please stay tuned."
After Andrew finished reading the image and caption, his head was completely clear. The alcohol in his body seemed to have turned into cold sweat oozing from his forehead.
No wonder those friends had messaged him to be careful.
Without a doubt, if Shadow were to compile a list and carry out a series of revenge plans against everyone on it, then he, the array item holder who had talked nonsense at the press conference, would definitely have his name on that list.
Andrew sat in a daze for a while before hastily making a phone call.
It was only six in the morning now, but the phone was picked up after just one ring, showing that the person on the other end was also very alert at this time.
"Andrew, why are you calling me?"
The voice of Joiessen, the Dean of the First Research Institute, came through the phone, his tone laced with barely concealed indifference and irritation.
"Dean, don't you know yet? That post Shadow put up—he killed the Your Holiness of the Fire Thief Worship Cult!"
"Of course I know. What, are you scared?"
"No, it's just... What Suroma's officials have never been able to accomplish, Shadow actually did. If he could even kill the Your Holiness, how could he let us off who almost got him killed! He's definitely going to come for us!"
"So what?" Joiessen said coldly. "Didn't I tell you last time that the New Covenant has many settings specifically designed against Ascendants, with a safety level several orders of magnitude higher than other cities. It's not something a second-rate organization like the Fire Thief Worship Cult can compare to. If Shadow really dares to come, he can just wait to die here!"
"But..." Andrew still had trouble accepting this reasoning. "He's 'Shadow,' though! Probably the most powerful Ascendant in the whole world! I still think it's too dangerous to keep staying outside like this. What if he finds me...?"
Joiessen asked, "So what do you want? For me to assign you a group of elite Ascendants as personal bodyguards?"
"That's not necessary... But the officials must have some safe shelters, right? Or bases or something. I was thinking if I could go live there for a while, until..."
Before Andrew could finish, Joiessen cut him off: "What place could be safer than the Council and the Senate? Just go to work more often."
With that, the call ended. Joiessen stared at his phone for a few seconds, not expecting Andrew to be so impatient with him now. It was completely different from their earlier conversations, which had always been as pleasant as a spring breeze.
Joiessen's face was grim. "Go to work more often" was easy to say, but every council member in the Parliament ostracized him and treated him as if he didn't exist. Being in the Parliament was no different from being a transparent person.
Staying in a place like that wasn't work; it was more like serving a sentence. But for his own safety, after a moment of hesitation, Joiessen quickly packed up and left with a laptop.
He hadn't forgotten that today was New Rule Release Day. It was perfect timing to go to the Parliament for discussion. If the rule was difficult, the officials would send people to help the council members get through it.
As for being ignored, suppressed, and ostracized by the other council members, he would just ignore them.
Andrew had brought his laptop for that very reason. He planned to go to the Parliament office, play games, and watch TV series, not caring about anything else. He would let the others look at him however they wanted.
On the other end, Joiessen, who had hung up the phone, was also anxious.
He had spoken confidently to Andrew, but in reality, he himself had no certainty.
He said the Fire Thief Worship Cult was a second-rate cult organization, but even such a second-rate organization had caused Suroma a lot of trouble. Despite repeated bombings by the Human Consortium, they had failed to wipe out its leader.
Now that Shadow had made a move, the result was crystal clear. Joiessen didn't think his own survival skills could surpass those of the Fire Thief Worship Cult's Your Holiness. That's why he hadn't slept all night after receiving the news yesterday. Of course, he wouldn't have kind words for Andrew, whose call had only further fueled his anxiety.
However, compared to someone like Andrew, who was a has-been "hero," his status as the Dean of the Research Institute carried much more weight. His value to the Suroma officials was incomparable to Andrew's.
After thinking for a moment, he checked the time. There were still over two hours until the new rule was released. He made another call.
"Hello, is this Mr. Dodge?"
As soon as the call connected, Joiessen's tone automatically turned ingratiating and flattering.
This was not for nothing—the person on the other end was one of the Senators of the Senate. Moreover, he was the leading Senator among them all, with power and prestige second only to King Bruce.
"Is that Joiessen?" A slightly aged but vigorous voice sounded. "Calling me for something?"
"I'm sorry to bother you, Mr. Dodge. It's like this. I don't know if you've seen the thing Shadow posted earlier? I think Suroma needs to prepare early to avoid any damage he might cause to our country..."
"Haha, Joiessen, you're worried that Shadow will come after you for revenge, aren't you?" Dodge hit the nail on the head, exposing Joiessen's little scheme. "What, don't you have that much confidence in the New Covenant's protective power?"
Joiessen felt a brief moment of embarrassment: "Mr. Dodge, you misunderstand. I was just..."
"Alright, stop worrying about things you shouldn't. As long as you stay at the Research Institute and don't go to some remote, deserted places, how could Shadow find an opportunity? Besides, the Senate won't let him run rampant."
Joiessen's eyes lit up at this: "Mr. Dodge, are you saying the Senate has a plan to deal with Shadow?"
"Of course there's a plan. And more than one. Actually, one of them happens to need your help."
"My help?"
"Aren't you close with that... what's his name? The figurehead council member with the array item?"
"You mean Andrew?"
"Yes, Andrew. Aren't you quite familiar with him? The Senate has arranged for someone. I want you to take them to see Andrew."
Joiessen asked, puzzled: "Mr. Dodge, who are you talking about?"
"A real tough customer." Senator Dodge said. "If Shadow is going to retaliate, he'll definitely come for Andrew first. Tell him this person will be staying nearby."
Joiessen finally understood: "You mean the Senate is sending someone to be Andrew's bodyguard."
"Bodyguard?" Dodge let out a light laugh tinged with contempt. "What's there to protect about a figurehead council member who's already useless? His item has too many limitations, and it's been made public worldwide. Everyone will be on guard against it. It's practically useless now."
"That's true."
Joiessen completely agreed with this.
The most troublesome thing about Andrew's item wasn't that it required a large number of people to unleash its destructive power. The most troublesome thing was that every time it was used, every Ascendant except him would die.
That was really speechless. It was essentially like treating a large number of Ascendants as disposable consumables every time it was used. The cost was simply too great.
If it wasn't a bodyguard, then combined with Dodge's mention of a "tough customer,"
Joiessen understood. That person was probably arranged to intercept Shadow when he appeared.
But there was still a hidden problem with this.
"Mr. Dodge, what if Shadow catches Andrew... and forces him to be a witness? Wouldn't that be detrimental to us?" Joiessen probed. "Or perhaps we should just..."
"Don't worry about that. The person the Senate sends will take care of everything."
"I see. When should I take them there?"
"Right now would be good. There are still over two hours until the new rule is released. That's enough time. Go to this address first to pick up the person."
"Alright, I understand."
After ending the call with Dodge, Joiessen immediately drove to the address Dodge had given him to pick up the person.
On the way, he also called Andrew back, telling him that for his safety, he had specially arranged a bodyguard to watch over him.
Naturally, Andrew was overjoyed. He kept thanking Joiessen over the phone, thinking it was the result of his earlier call.
"What an idiot."
Joiessen hung up and drove to the pickup location, which was a high-end restaurant.
He parked the car and was about to get out when the corner of his eye caught something in the rearview mirror. He screamed in fright: "Ah!"
At some point, a strange woman was sitting in his back seat, wiping her mouth with a red handkerchief.
This woman was dressed entirely in red tones. She had a head of vivid red hair, her lips were thickly coated in deep red lipstick, she wore a dark red tracksuit, and a hint of amusement flickered in her pair of red pupils.
"Who are you?! When did you get into my car?!"
Joiessen snapped out of his shock and demanded, also shocked that he hadn't noticed anyone getting into his car at all. His Mind Power wasn't low, and he still had some combat strength.
"Don't make such a fuss. I'm the person you're supposed to pick up," the woman said casually.
"You're the one Mr. Dodge mentioned..." Joiessen hadn't expected that the "tough customer" Dodge had talked about was her.
"Everyone calls me 'Black Widow.'" The woman chuckled. "Want to know why?"
"...No, I don't." Joiessen said coldly.
He had no good feelings toward this seemingly neurotic woman. The fact that she could get into his back seat without a sound meant she could also kill him without a sound. How could that not terrify him?
"I'll take you to Andrew right now. Remember, your identity is his bodyguard. At least, that's what I'm going to tell him."
Black Widow nodded with a smile. Her thick red lips made her smile look somewhat eerie. Joiessen quickly started the car, eager to get this done as fast as possible.
...
Guan Tong glanced at his watch, shut down his computer, stood up, and went downstairs to the entrance of the shelter.
Coal Ball was lying outside, basking in the sun. It had been a while since he last saw it, and its body had grown a lot bigger. It seemed the effects of that [Demon Monster Flesh] were still ongoing.
After all, it was an item unboxed from a Glory Grade chest. The effect was bound to be good.
"Coal Ball, come here."
Guan Tong called out. Hearing this, Coal Ball first stretched its body and yawned before slowly and lazily making its way over.
"You big black cat, you're getting lazier and lazier."
"Meow."
Coal Ball used its head, which had already grown to the size of a basketball, to nuzzle against Guan Tong's leg before lying down beside him.
Guan Tong looked at its glossy, soft fur: "Looks like this whole mountain range has become your personal backyard. Growing this fast means you've definitely been doing a lot of hunting and eating."
At Coal Ball's current size and physical condition, it had no natural predators in the mountains. What's more, its head had grown so much that its brain development and intelligence had increased significantly. It was no longer a purely instinctive cat whose behavior was entirely dictated by "base code."
Looking at Coal Ball, whose eyes were half-closed with a blissful expression, Guan Tong sighed, "Seeing you so carefree and worry-free, I'm actually a bit envious. I wonder when I'll get to live a life where I don't have to pay attention to anything."
"Meow?" Coal Ball turned its head in confusion, its big eyes fixed on Guan Tong as if trying to figure out what he was expressing.
Guan Tong said nothing more, just thinking about the events of this Interval Period.
Although he and Ye Dang had only found the fake Your Holiness, Iri, with the loss of this perfect stand-in, the True Your Holiness probably wouldn't dare to show his face again in the short term.
As for Scarface, although he had sent Guan Tong a few private messages, he still hadn't been able to see Han Qiu again. The situation was somewhat murky and unclear.
But there were also two pieces of good news that comforted Guan Tong.
First, the effect of the [Impermanent Tax] Authority was excellent. From the moment it was activated, within just a few days, it had provided him with over ten thousand Ascension Coins in extra income.
And this was only the result of the low trading frequency during the Rule Interval. Once the new rule was released, more Ascendants would be trading every day, and his Authority's commission would be even greater.
As long as the trading volume was large enough, or a single transaction amount was sufficiently high, then with the accumulation, earning hundreds of thousands of Ascension Coins per month from his Authority's commission alone should be well within his reach.
Second, Adam had sent word yesterday that he had obtained the personnel list for the block where Iri's cathedral was located before the Doomsday Rules appeared. He would be checking them one by one. If the True Your Holiness was among them, he would definitely be found.
If the True Your Holiness's identity could be confirmed, then even if this bastard continued to hide, finding him would surely be much easier.
While Guan Tong was thinking about these "half-good, half-bad" matters, time slowly crept toward nine in the morning. After this brief Interval Period ended, a new Doomsday Rule was officially released.
The moment the Fire Thief's voice sounded, everyone knew a new challenge had begun.
[The Twenty-Second Doomsday Rule has been released]
[Doomsday Rule 22: Green Hell]
[Rule Content: After the rule is released, all plant life on Tianshui Star—including grasses, woody plants, vines, algae, and more—will enter a phase of explosive growth. Different types of plants will exhibit different forms of growth. The duration of this rule is 30 days.]
[Success Reward: 2,000 Ascension Coins, Survival Chest · Glory Grade]
[Failure Penalty: None]
[Note: In the universe, gold can be found everywhere, but plants are exceedingly rare.]
A survival-type rule. A true, authentic survival-type rule!
As soon as the new rule was released, everyone inexplicably felt a sense of "it's back, it's all back."
Although several of the previous rules were also survival-type, they were somewhat abstract, even a bit nonsensical, and didn't belong to the "fundamentalist" survival-type rules.
Now, with the release of the Twenty-Second Doomsday Rule, people felt as if they had been transported back to the year 2040, involuntarily thinking of survival-type rules like [Snow in June].
However, this feeling was hardly something worth reminiscing about.
Because after a "fundamentalist" survival-type rule was released, a lot of people died every single time!
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