Forty-nine rules of the end times

Chapter 23 Changes in the World Order
The world order is changing rapidly over the next month.

The effects of the first apocalyptic rule continue; instead of weakening, they are intensifying.

There was no way around it; the first apocalyptic rule was just too ruthless, reducing the world's population by far too much in one fell swoop.

Even in a relatively stable country like Beixing Kingdom, more than a quarter of the population has perished, let alone some smaller countries that are inherently unstable.

In many countries, the proportion of the population who die simply because of the rule of law exceeds 50%.

This is not over yet.

The power of the rules reduced the population by half or even more than half, and the various riots that followed further reduced the population significantly.

Many small countries even perished in this way.

Now, more than a month after the first apocalyptic rule ended, the world's格局 (geju, a term referring to the overall situation or structure) has begun to gradually reshape from chaos.

The Northern Star Kingdom was relatively stable because it was the first to issue policies that provided free food and free cultural entertainment. People had enough to eat, drink, and play, which played a significant role in maintaining order and prevented large-scale internal strife.

Another relatively stable country is the Soroma Empire in the southern part of the planet. The country also experienced a rebellion at first, but it was quickly quelled by the king's strong suppression.

In addition, a southern alliance called the "Tulip Federation" also emerged.

This alliance is a group pieced together from many collapsed small countries. When scattered, they are like sand on the ground; when united, they form a pyramid. Their combined strength should not be underestimated.

Apart from these three major powers, most other countries, large and small, have suffered heavy losses. Let alone rising again, they are struggling to survive.

Currently, the three major powers—North Star Kingdom, Soro Empire, and Tulip Federation—are all actively recruiting individuals with high mental strength through official channels.

They recruit from their own country, and they recruit from other countries too; as long as someone has high mental strength, they want them all.

In particular, it was previously impossible to verify whether someone's profile was high or low. Now, with the introduction of the "Friends" feature, as long as you've added each other as friends, you can show each other your personal profile.

That way, the other party can see their mental strength stat, title, and nickname.

It is precisely because of the emergence of this feature that a debate that had finally begun to die down has become lively again.

This refers to the conflict between the "order maintainers" and the "order disruptors".

This is not simply a matter of two different titles, but a conflict between the behaviors and values ​​that the titles represent.

Many people who call themselves "order keepers" believe that "order breakers" are all murderers.

Many people with the title of "Disruptor" believe that the "Order Keepers" are talking nonsense. Even if many knew the hidden rule at the time, they would still have to do it for their own survival.

One of the advantages of the "Disruptors" is that they are not officially defined.

That's right, the official statement has not been issued at all, saying that the "Disruptors" have violated the law or anything, not even a statement of condemnation.

Therefore, the "Disruptors" believe that since the authorities haven't investigated, what are the "Order Keepers" babbling about?

The two sides argued incessantly online, with a single post often generating tens of thousands of insulting messages.

Previously, neither side could determine the authenticity of their identities, and based solely on word of mouth, neither knew what the other's title actually was.

Now that the "Friends" feature is available, a verification method has been immediately provided.

I am a "Lawkeeper", and you are a "Lawkeeper" too. Come on, send your digital ID to add me as a friend on the terminal. You can tell if it's real or fake at a glance, since this thing can't be faked.

Many "order breakers" also post messages to form an "order breaker alliance," recruiting only "order breakers" and rejecting hypocritical "order keepers."

This kind of division within the group is certainly not something the authorities want to see, yet they can't say anything about it openly. Some rational analysts believe that the "Fire Stealers" may have chosen these two titles precisely to incite and divide humanity as a whole. Therefore, they urge everyone to think calmly.

Besides the debate between the "Order Keepers" and the "Order Breakers," the "Mind Power Development Academy" announced by the Countermeasures Research Office has also been hotly debated.

Many people are asking around about the college's location and admission requirements.

It is clear that the general public believes that as long as one enters the academy, one can receive national-level professional guidance, thus gaining a significant advantage over those outside the academy.

The Countermeasures Research Office also held a special Q&A session to answer the public's questions.

The academy's primary purpose is to develop and enhance the students' mental strength through all means, thereby enabling them to cope with the challenges brought about by the rules of the apocalypse.

The college is located within a university in the capital, and not only the university but also several nearby large stadiums and parks have been requisitioned for college-style renovation.

As for the admission requirements that the public is most concerned about, it's very simple. The only requirement is that you need to have a maximum of 80 points of mental strength.

In other words, only those whose overall information evaluation reaches the "normal" level are eligible to register.

I don't consider anything else, such as age, wealth, or background; I only look at spiritual strength.

If you don't meet the requirements, you can first refer to the white paper to improve yourself, and then enroll in school when you reach the required level.

This single requirement disappointed many people, as most people's mental capacity made admission impossible.

As a result, some non-governmental organizations have taken the opportunity to recruit members.

These NGOs have lower requirements than the official ones. The official threshold is 80, but they only need 70, or even 60 or 50. As long as it's not too low.

Although the requirements of non-governmental organizations are low, the benefits are not bad, and everyone who is willing to join can receive a good reward.

For example, the Green Plum Society secretly established an organization, promising substantial rewards to attract people with high spiritual power to join.

However, none of this had much to do with Guan Tong.

During this period, he essentially "turned a blind eye to online matters and focused solely on writing his wordless book."

What I do every day is write with my mental energy. When my mental energy recovers, I read novels or play games. Once I'm fully recovered, I continue writing.

He doesn't read much online news, feeling that the more he reads, the more confused he becomes, and he'd rather find something simple to do.

And so half a month passed in monotony.

When Guan Tong woke up the next day, he glanced at his phone and found that Fang Qian had sent him a message again.

He originally intended to delete it directly, but the content of the message surprised him.

"Guan Tong, I know you don't want to forgive me... but I want you to know that I didn't use that hidden rule back then. If you don't believe me, you can add my numerical ID to see my title; my title is [The Guardian]."

"I messaged you just to say thank you. After I left your house, I realized I almost caused a disaster. If I had actually done it, I probably would never have forgiven myself... Thank you for stopping me and preventing me from becoming a murderer."

After reading Fang Qian's message, Guan Tong didn't know what to say.

He had no intention of adding Fang Qian as a friend to verify his identity; it was pointless.

From the moment Fang Qian threatened to attack him with a water glass, he saw her as a hostile stranger.

Guan Tong pondered for a moment, then replied with a message: "I understand. You'd better take care of yourself."

(End of this chapter)