Forty-nine rules of the end times

Chapter 181 Variety Talk Shows and Interrogations

The things that can be found in the box are all sorts of strange things, so it wouldn't be surprising if it contained some kind of martial arts manual.

However, compared to Shi Jingyi, Guan Tong wasn't as interested in this kind of thing.

Based on his own understanding over the past year, and after seeing various posts sharing different abilities on the Ascendant website, he believes that a simple truth has become a consensus among Ascendants.

That is, compared to the quality of abilities and tools, mental power itself is far more important. If mental power is not developed enough, even the best and most powerful abilities will not be able to be used effectively.

As a result, the academy's courses are extremely popular, with countless people watching online classes every day. Everyone hopes to be able to quickly restore and enhance their mental strength, just like Ouyang Shanyue or Shi Jingyi.

Guan Tong turned on her computer and entered the House of Ascended.

After the tenth rule ended, users who had regained their five senses flocked to the site to post, expressing how difficult it was to be alive.

Many people have mentioned seeing a lot of new faces in their shelters. Undoubtedly, many people died during the lockdown, and new people who previously lived in the settlements have joined the ranks.

Many people also posted that they had seen through the illusions of the world.

A user posted a thread titled "Truth and falsehood are intertwined".

He said that during the days he lost his sense of touch, he realized one thing: the entire material world might be fake, an illusion simulated by the brain.

Therefore, there's no need to take everything too seriously. Eat and drink as you please, without going to the point of living for the moment, but also without worrying about the pressure of rules every day. Just do what you feel like.

This post sparked many replies, and many people who had experienced it firsthand resonated with it.

After Guan Tong saw this, she realized that it was not surprising that many people would feel nihilistic after experiencing that kind of feeling.

He himself relied on his shadow to share his five senses, and had never experienced such a prolonged period. If he were to lose his five senses for more than ten days like the general public, he might experience similar psychological and emotional states.

He might not be able to escape directly into nothingness, but he would certainly suffer some psychological trauma, which is something he has always tried his best to avoid.

He believes that to go all the way, one cannot only rely on strength; mental health also needs constant attention. Once one embarks on a path of alienation and extremism, there will likely be no good ending.

For this reason, many people have posted that the authorities are actively conducting psychological intervention and therapy, organizing shelter residents to attend classes and share their experiences.

This is done to reduce suicides. In this environment, almost every rule's period or expiration results in some people taking their own lives, which will definitely be a big problem in the long run.

Guan Tong continued browsing, absorbing information about the outside world.

He saw a post saying that someone had circumvented the rules through medication and surgery, but the challenge failed and their mental strength had diminished.

This was within his expectations, but the next piece of information he came across surprised him.

A user posted: "You'd never dream: the official team is launching a large-scale 'Ascendants' entertainment program!"

Guan Tong initially thought it was a prank post, but after clicking in, she realized it wasn't.

The poster claimed to have been a variety show worker. Recently, some of them were approached by government departments and asked to organize and create a large-scale variety show. However, the main characters would not be past stars, but rather the current generation of "upgraded" individuals.

The post received many replies, and everyone seemed quite surprised by the incident.

"Really? In this day and age, they're still doing this kind of nonsense?"

"It's probably to provide some entertainment for the public."

"It's definitely time to come up with some new forms of entertainment. I feel like a lot of people are going crazy in the shelters. They can't get into playing games or watching movies anymore."

"Is this a push to idolize celebrities? It's starting to sound like a deification movement."

"I'm reminded of an old TV series that idolized superpowered individuals. They appeared upright on the surface, but were actually quite despicable behind the scenes."

"I'm still looking forward to it; something new is always better than nothing."

"I agree. It would be great to have some battles between Ascended Ones, even if it's just a script. I feel like we're always outsmarting the rules, but we rarely see battles between Ascended Ones."

"Upstairs, you're unlikely to see it while staying in the shelter... but you'd be more likely to run into it in the wild. In some places overseas, there's already a free-for-all between Ascended Ones!"

After reading the replies, Guan Tong felt that the planning of this "Ascended Person Variety Show" had hit the nail on the head for the ascensionists in China.

Because the authorities in Beixing are very powerful, they built a large number of shelters for people to live in early on and strictly prohibited private fights. Therefore, people living in the shelters usually have little opportunity to use their abilities and items in combat.

At this time, launching a variety show with combat elements would indeed attract a lot of attention.

Of course, Guan Tong is definitely not the target user. Although he can't be considered a veteran of countless battles, he is still a seasoned veteran with considerable combat experience. He has experienced both one-on-one duels and group battles, and his mentality alone surpasses that of most Ascended users who have never seriously fought.

In comparison, those Ascended who stayed in gathering points and shelters, under official protection, were practically no different from a flock of lambs in terms of combat strength.

Whether this is good or bad is hard to say. But for those who dislike conflict, living in a safe and orderly environment is always better than chaos and disorder.

Guan Tong closed the post and opened her private messages.

He saw that the original being had sent him a new reply.

He had previously sent a message hoping to obtain the two fragments that the latter possessed.

The Primordial One: "Although the fragment is with me, many people contributed to obtaining it, so I cannot make a decision on my own. However, I can ask the person with the authority to decide for the Shadow." The Primordial One: "Oh, by the way, what is the content of the mural on Fragment 5?"

Guan Tong had a good impression of this person; the exchange of fragments between them had been a pleasant collaboration.

He sent his interpretation of fragment 5, and the other party replied quickly.

The Primal Man: "The artist isn't a native species of Qimo Star, but rather a Fire Stealer? That's rather strange. Could the Fire Stealers be some kind of 'civilization collectors,' specifically collecting information about the destruction of civilizations?"

Station manager: "We can't make any inferences without enough information."

The Primordial One: "That's true. Speaking of which, how did Shadow get the fifth fragment? He did it so quickly."

Station manager: "It was just good luck."

He didn't mention that the fragment was given directly by the holder of the Cherry Blossom Kingdom, because he doubted the other party would believe him if he did.

The Primordial One: "Is that so? The Shadow has 3 pieces now, and I have 2. Hmm... Although I really want those 3 pieces, the Shadow certainly won't give them up, right?"

Station Master: "Yes."

The Primal Man: "Then I'll contact the person with the power to decide on the fragments later, and see what conditions they might propose."

Station manager: "Have you given up on collecting them?"

The Primal Man: "It's because Shadow got Fragment 5 first. If it were 3:2, I might have tried to fight for it. Now it's 2:3, I'm a bit too lazy to bother—anyway, if Shadow completes the puzzle and gets any new information, he should tell me, right? I think we're already friends."

Station manager: "Probably."

Guan Tong didn't mind. He thought the person had a good personality, and their communication had gone smoothly so far that becoming online friends wouldn't be a problem.

The Primordial One: "Then let the shadow wait for my message~"

……

Meanwhile, at the Renaru Island Shrine in Sakuragi Country.

When Mu Tiancheng learned that Yamata no Yukari had given the fragment in her hand to the Shadow, he was completely stunned.

He stared at the person in front of him in disbelief, and asked in astonishment, "You... Orochi Yukari... Why did you do this?"

Yamata no Yukari's two teammates and subordinates, Tsukimitsu and Mugen, were also quite surprised. However, after exchanging a glance, they lowered their eyes, seemingly understanding.

“I don’t want him to kill people on the island,” Yagi Murasaki said.

Mu Tiancheng said urgently, "You're confused! This island is our territory, and there are several hundred soldiers stationed there—although most of them couldn't fight before because of the rule of eliminating the five senses, with you, Yueming, and Wuyan, plus the guards who can fight, are we afraid of him alone?!"

Yamata no Yukari shook her head slightly: "We can't stop him."

"You..." Mu Tiancheng's face showed a hint of anger, "How can you reach the top of the world's number one throne with such a weak mentality!"

Yamata no Yukari retorted, "Is being number one in the world really that important?"

"Of course! This is a symbol of our Sakura Kingdom becoming the strongest nation in the world!" Mu Tiancheng exclaimed excitedly. "We didn't have this opportunity in the past, but after entering the era of apocalyptic rules, anything is possible. With proper planning, the Sakura Kingdom can completely surpass Soroma and Beixing and become the world's number one power!"

Compared to Kitenjo's fervor, Yagi no Yukari remained completely expressionless.

Mu Tiancheng gradually calmed down, looked at Yamata no Yukari, and said in a deep voice, "Fine, even if you have no interest in becoming the world's number one, have you ever thought about whether what you're doing is worthy of the kindness that the Divine Child has shown you?"

"never thought about."

"...Never mind! I will report this matter truthfully. Orochi Yukari, don't think that just because your bloodline is special you can act recklessly. If the Divine Child is angered, he can have someone else replace you at any time!"

“I can accept that.”

"You... hum!"

Mu Tiancheng angrily turned and left. Yueming and Wuyanshi exchanged a glance, and the former said, "Team leader, although the instructor didn't think of it for the time being because of his anger, we know that you did this to protect everyone."

Wu Yan also said, "Shadow dared to cross the sea alone to come to this island, so he must be very confident in his strength. If you don't give him the fragment, he will definitely kill many people on the island."

Yukari knew her two teammates were trying to cover for her, so she said, "Do you also think it's important to become the world's number one?"

Yueming shook his head: "I think survival is the most important thing."

Wu Yanshi said, "For me, no matter the outcome, I'm content as long as I can fight alongside the team leader."

"if……"

Yagi no Yukari didn't continue, and shook her head.

"Let's talk about it later."

(End of this chapter)