Forty-nine rules of the end times

Chapter 38 The Terrifying Truth

Upon opening the Ascension Shop, Guan Tong immediately discovered that the item 【Basic Food Box - Bronze Level】 was missing.

"Did it sell out and get taken off the shelves?"

Three days ago, there was a notification that there were 10 million units remaining. Today, three days later, they are all sold out and removed from the shelves... It's truly astonishing.

However, considering the number of Ascendants worldwide, as long as one percent, or even one-thousandth, of them have Ascendant Coins and a certain purchasing power, they could buy up all ten million boxes.

Guan Tong had previously thought that she could buy food boxes to eat when she had enough coins, but now it seems that it is not very realistic.

However, he cannot say for sure now, because there is a possibility that some products that have been taken down may be put back on the shelves after a period of time.

He turned his attention back to the new products that had been added to the shelves after the new rules were implemented; there were three in total.

【Multi-terrain marching boots】: Long boots suitable for movement in various complex terrain environments, with customizable appearance.

Price: 100 Ascension Coins

……

[Thermostatic Technology Underwear - Basic Model]: Maintains a constant and comfortable body temperature for up to 6 hours after wearing, with a cooling time of 24 hours. Customizable appearance.

Price: 120 Ascension Coins

……

[Gene Optimization Liquid - Inferior Quality]: May improve some genetic defects after consumption.
Price: 150 Ascension Coins

……

After looking at the three newly listed products, Guan Tong was most surprised by the gene optimization fluid.

This [Gene Optimization Fluid - Inferior Quality] is undoubtedly the same type of product as the [Gene Optimization Essence] he previously obtained from the Glory-level box.

The only difference is that one is an optimized original solution, and the other is an inferior optimized solution; there should be a huge difference in quality.

"If I hadn't gotten the original solution from the box, I would definitely have bought this enhancement solution first," Guan Tong thought. "But since I've already taken the original solution, taking this inferior enhancement solution probably won't be very effective."

After making his judgment, he decisively abandoned his purchase plan.

The other two items, a multi-terrain boot and underwear that can maintain a constant body temperature for a fixed period of time, are both excellent props.

But Guan Tong felt that he didn't need these two things right now. If it were before, he would definitely have saved the Ascension Coins and bought them when he needed them.

But the experience with the food boxes made him wonder: were all the items limited in quantity?

If each item is like a food box, with no limit displayed at the beginning, and the remaining quantity is only displayed when the quantity is below a certain threshold, it would be very disadvantageous for Guan Tong.

Unlike many people who spend more than ten hours a day online, Guan Tong spends most of his time developing his mental strength and resting.

The advantage of this is that his emotions are relatively stable and his daily biological clock is relatively normal. However, the disadvantage is that he is not very timely in receiving the latest news.

In this scenario, if a new product quickly reaches a critical quantity and starts displaying a limited supply, Guan Tong might find herself in the awkward situation of not receiving the information in time, only to discover that the product is sold out when she tries to buy it again.

Moreover, the store doesn't have a "limited quantity reminder" function, and Guan Tong doesn't want to open the terminal to check every few days.

After a moment's consideration, he decided to spend 120 Ascension Coins to buy the more expensive [Constant Temperature Technology Underwear - Basic Model].

After buying the first item, he has 70 coins left, which isn't enough to buy another 100 of the [Multifunctional Marching Boots]. However, he can create his own bound coins, so he can make up the 30-coin shortfall without relying on rewards.

Guan Tong then shut down her personal terminal, got up, and went out to get something to eat. After being hungry for three or four days, a little milk and a piece of chocolate wouldn't be enough to fill her stomach.

……

On the internet, which Guan Tong doesn't often follow, after the third apocalyptic rule ended, a major discussion inevitably broke out regarding the three-day rule interval.

"The fourth rule will be released in three days?! Are you kidding me?!" "Why so fast...wasn't it a month later last time?"

"The fire-stealers have no intention of letting humans rest at all! They're torturing us in all sorts of ways!"

"The interval can be as long as a month or as short as three days. It seems that the interval is completely unpredictable."

"What are the new items that have just arrived in the store? What are you planning to buy?"

"No need to ask, it's definitely the gene optimization fluid!"

"I also think this is the most important thing; it can improve genes!"

"Let's wait and see the results of the countermeasures research lab's experiments..."

"I'm not waiting. I don't want to miss out on the sale. This stuff will definitely be the most sought-after!"

A poll was launched to determine which product to purchase, and over 95% of respondents chose the "Gene Optimization Fluid," indicating that the general consensus was largely aligned.

It is generally believed that improving genetic defects is a long-term beneficial action for one's body. However, the other two items are ultimately external products.

However, the discussion forum was quickly flooded with a single post.

The post is titled: "Why is my personal terminal bugged? Am I the chosen one?!"

The poster wrote in the thread: "After the rules ended, I tried to say 'personal terminal' but it didn't work; the terminal interface didn't even show up. Has anyone else encountered this? Or is it a bug on my end? Or maybe the Firebringers will send me a huge compensation package later, making me invincible?"

The post received numerous replies as soon as it was published.

"?????"

"Personal terminals can malfunction? This is the first time I've ever seen that."

"OP, could you share your numeric ID so I can add you as a friend and see if that works?"

"Hey, if you get the big compensation package, remember to kick me!"

"If I become rich and powerful, don't forget me, OP!!!"

The first few replies were mostly filled with questions and requests for help, but when the thread reached over a thousand posts, a reply that appeared shocked many people.

"What are you fantasizing about? I guess it's because your mental energy has decreased to 0 and your personal terminal has automatically shut down."

This reply has been followed by hundreds or even thousands of nested replies.

"What the hell! Is this true?!"

"When mental energy decreases to 0, the personal terminal will automatically shut down?!"

"Is there a reliable source? Urgent!!!"

"Don't scare me, you son of a bitch! My mental energy has already dropped to single digits after this failed challenge. If it drops again, I won't be able to open the terminal either, will I?!"

Soon, the reply posted by the original poster sparked heated discussions across the internet.

As more and more people who failed the challenge revealed that they couldn't open the terminal, this claim was finally confirmed by multiple sources.

Three hours later, the Post-Apocalyptic Rules Countermeasures Research Lab officially issued a statement confirming that the claim was correct, based on their experiments.

Once mental energy decreases to 0, the personal terminal will automatically shut down.

Once this alarming fact was confirmed, it immediately caused a huge stir around the world.

Those who had failed to challenge the rules twice in a row and whose spiritual power had dwindled to almost nothing were especially gripped by unspeakable fear.

In this post-apocalyptic world, if you can't use your personal terminal, wouldn't that mean you'll be abandoned and eliminated by this era?
(End of this chapter)