The noise continued until there was movement on the ceiling.
Something was descending slowly.
It was a suspended large white light orb, roughly the size of a human head, perfectly smooth and without any seams or markings.
It emerged silently from a point in the ceiling, like a bubble rising out of water, and drifted down to a height of about two meters above the crowd before coming to a stop.
Everyone noticed it.
The noisy room instantly fell into a dead silence.
The people who had been crying, cursing, and pounding on the walls just moments ago were now all looking up, staring at the white orb.
An emotionless, mechanical voice projected from within the orb: “Welcome, everyone, to the game.”
As soon as the words were spoken, the room erupted into chaos.
“What game? I never said I’d join any game!”
“Waaah, let me out! I can't be late for my baby Yaozu's feeding!”
“Who’s your boss? Tell him to come out and see me!”
A cacophony of curses and roars rang out again, even more intense than before.
Some people rushed toward the white orb, reaching out to strike it, but they couldn't touch it no matter how they tried.
However, a small group of people seemed to have lost their minds, appearing exceptionally excited.
“System! This is a system, right?”
“Bring up the status panel! I need to assign points right now!”
“It’s definitely one of those games—kill monsters, level up, and get loot drops.”
“Where are the quests? What’s the quest? Any veterans here? I’m super obedient; I don't even mind if it's a Farming Team!”
Several young men were shouting, their eyes gleaming with a strange light.
They seemed to think they had transmigrated into an Infinite World story, and their faces were full of eagerness.
But the shouting of these individuals clearly didn't affect the operation of the white orb.
In the noisy environment, it continued to perform its duties, announcing emotionlessly: “The rules of the game will now be announced.”
The noise of the crowd lessened slightly as everyone pricked up their ears.
Whether they wanted to be here or not, they knew that the words to follow might determine their life or death.
The white orb's voice echoed through the enclosed space:
【Rule 1: During the game, participants must not disclose any content of the game to anyone outside of it in any form. This includes, but is not limited to, verbal descriptions, written records, hints, metaphors, or any other means of dissemination. Violators will die.】
【Rule 2: Once the game begins, participants will be randomly assigned to different zones. Participants in each zone must complete assigned tasks within a specified time. Those who fail will die.】
【Rule 3: Attacking other participants is permitted. Killing other participants will grant extra rewards.】
【Rule 4: No items from outside the game may be used. All necessary supplies must be obtained within the game.】
After the rules were broadcast, the room fell into a deathly silence.
Aside from the first secrecy clause, the rest were constraints regarding combat within the game.
However, they only concerned the participants themselves; there was no mention of constraints regarding the destruction of combat sites or innocent casualties.
If the rules didn't mention it, that meant there were no restrictions.
Kraken’s brow furrowed deeply as he scanned the people around him.
The people who had entered this place didn't seem to be fools; they had already realized that in the upcoming game, they could destroy and kill with reckless abandon without facing any rule-based punishment.
The white orb's voice continued to broadcast.
【Victory Condition: The final survivor of each zone will be the winner of that zone. Winners from all zones will proceed to the next round until only one person remains. That final person will be the overall champion of this game.】
“Until only one person remains.” These five words drifted out of the white orb with a terrifying lightness.
Everyone present understood exactly what that meant.
Everyone was an enemy.
A slight unrest rippled through the crowd. Some were secretly sizing up those around them, while others quietly shifted their feet, trying to distance themselves from those who looked stronger.
Some lowered their heads, their eyes flickering with unknown thoughts.
The only comfort seemed to be the rewards for victory.
The white orb announced:
【Victory Rewards: The overall champion will receive: 1. Gold worth one hundred million in the local currency. 2. The fulfillment of any one wish. 3. Become a permanent VIP of this game, with exclusive privileges.】
The moment the rewards were announced, Kraken clearly heard the heavy, instinctive gasps from the crowd around him.
Gold.
A wish.
Permanent VIP status.
If the rewards were real, they were incredibly tempting.
How many people would this game drive mad?
Kraken’s gaze swept across the crowd. The people who had been shouting earlier now wore complex expressions on their faces.
The anxiety was still there, but alongside it, something else had emerged.
Everyone knew that the rewards for winning might not be honored. But the game organizers were powerful enough to forcibly drag them here, so they had to be beyond powerful.
They could only hope for the best; what else could they do?
The round-faced, bearded middle-aged man seemed to have discovered something in the crowd. An admiring expression appeared on his face, and with a slight curl of his lips, he began to push his way through the crowd in a certain direction.
A bald youth with sharp eyes seemed to have already picked out his targets, ready to go on a rampage.
A woman was whispering to several other women around her; from her lip movements, she was likely trying to recruit allies.
Greed, desire, calculation, and killing intent quickly germinated within this enclosed space.
Before the people in the room could break out into conflict, crimson text suddenly flashed across the white orb.
Countdown.
The numbers pulsed on the surface of the white orb like a drumbeat of doom.
Kraken took a deep breath and clenched his fists.
The moment the numbers hit zero, the white orb erupted with a blinding light.
Everyone instinctively closed their eyes.
When Kraken opened his eyes again, the surrounding environment had completely changed.
Rate on N.U.
