Countermeasures Research Office.
Gao Liangwei was looking over the statistical results for the latest Doomsday Rules sent over by the Data Department on his computer.
The casualties caused by this round of rules amounted to roughly one hundred thousand, with the majority being injuries, almost all of which resulted from failing to remove products containing electronic chips.
One survival-type rule, with casualties around one hundred thousand—all things considered, this result was acceptable.
In fact, it was more than acceptable; it was practically cause for celebration.
If every survival-type rule only required a hundred thousand casualties to pass, then even if the remaining twenty-plus rules were all survival-type, the total casualties would only reach a few million.
For a Beixing that still had a population of several hundred million, that was entirely bearable.
But Gao Liangwei knew that was just a fantasy.
The Dialoguer's limited-slot theory, the Fire Thief's real-time rule adjustments... all of these were swords hanging over humanity's heads. The moment humans let their guard down, they would surely be cut down.
Gao Liangwei continued to examine the detailed data and discovered that, within the casualty statistics, the academy's total casualties actually exceeded one hundred people.
This was undoubtedly abnormal. The academy's protection level was top-tier in Beixing, second only to the decision-making level and the Countermeasures Research Office itself, and it exceeded the standard of other official shelters by a whole tier. How could the casualties be so high?
He immediately looked into the specifics. According to the statistics, he found that nearly half of the hundred casualties were not caused by the rules but by the Practical Combat Class.
He was aware of the upgrade to the academy's Practical Combat Class this academic year and had supported the approach.
This kind of practice was very common in the military. Organizing a large-scale military exercise like a game of house, where everyone just wandered around, had no effect. Only by clearly announcing that the exercise had casualty quotas, that people might actually die, would soldiers take it seriously.
But the purpose of setting casualty quotas for exercises was twofold: first, because casualties from stray bullets and weapons were unavoidable, and second, to make soldiers straighten up their attitudes and take things seriously.
It was absolutely not meant to actually injure or kill soldiers.
Looking back at the academy's Practical Combat Class casualties, that number was already approaching the quota's upper limit.
Gao Liangwei furrowed his brow and pulled up the academy's casualty reports for the previous month and the month before that from the database. He found that, consistent with his suspicions, the casualties from the academy's Practical Combat Class were increasing month by month.
This was far too strange.
Keep in mind, in the military, as the number of actual combat exercises increased, the number of soldier casualties didn't go up—it went down.
Because soldiers weren't stupid. After going through a few combat exercises, they all became "seasoned" and learned how to be safer.
This also matched the pattern of a real battlefield. The survival rate of veterans who had survived one battle would shoot up, while the casualty rate of first-time recruits was terrifyingly high.
But looking back at the academy's Practical Combat Class, the casualties should have decreased each month as the course progressed. Instead, they were increasing monthly, and this month they had already pressed up against the indicator's upper limit. This completely defied the pattern.
Gao Liangwei pondered for a moment, then called for Zhang Minglu.
Zhang Minglu arrived at the office. After hearing what Gao Liangwei had to say, he immediately exploded.
"Something like this?! That absolutely won't do! Director, the academy students are the future pillars of society. Some of them will even join our base. These are all precious talents! How can we allow this many casualties?"
As the person with the most contact with Ascendants, Gao Liangwei valued every single Ascendant highly, believing that under proper cultivation, each one could achieve something.
Now, these promising saplings were being ruined by the Practical Combat Class before they could even leave the academy. In his view, that was completely unacceptable.
Although he had been consulted about the upgrade to the Practical Combat Class back then, and had approved it at the time—this was definitely not the cultivation method he had envisioned.
"So you agree there's a major problem here. The course instructor, Duanmu Feng, was transferred from the Countermeasures Research Office. If there's a problem, you have to take responsibility."
Gao Liangwei paused: "Send someone to investigate this matter and get me results as soon as possible."
"Alright, I'll arrange it immediately!"
Just as Zhang Minglu was about to leave, someone came in to report, placing a tablet on the table.
"Dr. Zhang, Head Gao. The Suroma government has issued a public announcement. It's related to 'Shadow,' Guan Tong."
Gao Liangwei and Zhang Minglu exchanged a glance and looked over together.
On the tablet was a video. The Suroma government's official spokesperson announced with a grave expression:
"...During the term of this rule, the Ascendant Guan Tong attacked and destroyed a total of over forty of our nation's official facilities, including no small number of key energy facilities affecting the people's livelihood."
"Such terrorist acts have, without a doubt, severely damaged Suroma's national security. In response to this matter, King Bruce formally signed and issued a Level Five Warrant for Guan Tong on December 16, 2042."
As the spokesperson finished speaking, a wave of exclamations erupted from the scene.
Zhang Minglu and Gao Liangwei, watching the video, also showed expressions of surprise. They clearly knew what a Level Five Warrant meant.
This was the highest-level global warrant in Suroma. Since its establishment, in the entire history of Suroma's founding, it had only been issued twice before. The last time was a hundred years ago.
And previously, whether it was for the publicly defected murderer Lucifer, or for Adam, Suroma had only issued ordinary international warrants.
The difference between a Level Five Warrant and an ordinary international warrant was not just in the name, but in its scope.
An ordinary international warrant usually targeted only the wanted individual themselves.
A Level Five Warrant, however, meant that anyone who knew the target's whereabouts or had any connection to them would be "guilty by association" and placed on the Suroma intelligence department's priority surveillance or even arrest list.
This time, the Suroma government issuing a Level Five Warrant for Guan Tong showed that Bruce had no more scruples left. He was determined to see Guan Tong dead with no place to be buried.
"A Level Five Warrant, huh... It seems the intelligence we received before was all true..."
Zhang Minglu's expression turned grim. He felt that this matter was—no, it had already spiraled out of control.
The Level Five Warrant's pursuit requirements for the target were "dead or alive." Whether it was providing leads, capturing the target, or killing the target, anyone could collect a hefty fee.
With this, there was no longer any room for de-escalation between the two sides.
"Director, in that case..."
Before Zhang Minglu could finish, another person entered the office.
"Director, Guan Tong has posted on the Ascendant Home in response to Suroma's warrant announcement!"
"What? What did he post?"
Zhang Minglu hurriedly grabbed the tablet and logged into the website. He didn't need to search; the post had been pinned to the top by Guan Tong.
The title was only three words: "Shadow Kill Order."
At first glance, it looked like something out of a martial arts novel, but the content shocked Zhang Minglu and Gao Liangwei even more.
"In response to the Level Five Warrant issued against me by Suroma, I am hereby issuing my own 'Shadow Kill Order' in return. From the moment this post is published, I will include Bruce himself, as well as all key individuals working for him, on the Shadow Kill List. I will hunt down everyone on this list to the bitter end and show no mercy whatsoever."
The content of the post was so explosive that the number of comments below had already reached millions.
"Is this a single Ascendant declaring war on an entire country? This is insane!"
"I knew this day would come... Teacher Ouyang at the academy said it long ago. As Ascendants keep elevating their own strength, sooner or later they'll feel that an individual can stand above the collective..."
"I remember there was a case of an Ascendant group overthrowing a country's government before, right? But that was a small country, nothing compared to a powerhouse like Suroma."
"Good, good, good! Support the Shadow God! Bruce has done so many things that enrage both heaven and man, and no one dared to stop him. It takes the Shadow God to bring him to heel!"
"It's a bit iffy, though. No matter how powerful the Shadow God is, can he really stand against an entire country...?"
"Why hasn't the Beixing government issued any statement? This is a huge deal, right?"
"I hope both sides can calm down a little. In this era of Doomsday Rules, with humanity already on the brink, is it really good for us to be slaughtering each other on a massive scale..."
After reading the post, Zhang Minglu looked up and found that Gao Liangwei's face was already ashen.
"Director, about this..."
"Dr. Zhang, the Research Office needs to contact Guan Tong as soon as possible. He's already walking on the edge of a cliff right now."
Zhang Minglu's face showed difficulty: "Even if we can reach him, can we persuade him to stand down? It was Suroma who first issued a 'dead or alive' Level Five Warrant... I don't see any room for negotiation unless the Suroma government retracts it first."