Chapter 56: Old Man: Let us bet

Rahul thought to himself, "I didn't kidnap your kid, old man, so stop staring at me." But he wouldn't dare say it out loud. It might sound cowardly, but Rahul knew better than to speak up in situations like this. This wasn't some storybook; this is real life.

….

On the other side

The old man, who had been staring at Rahul, nodded in approval. "Sharp eye," he said, then shifted his posture, "Didn't that guy leave behind a good heir?"

Critical Damage*

"Father, didn't we come here to—" Before he could finish, the old man raised his hand, signaling him to be quiet.

A voice entered his ear, "Just watch. He's going to surprise you."

....

"Alright, since everyone is here," the speaker continued with a pause, "let's announce the rules for the final stage." With that, a bunch of data appeared on the screen.

Here are the rules:

1. The simulation area will shrink at regular intervals.

2. The time ratio between the real world and the simulation world is 1:6.

3. Killing other players, whether directly or indirectly, earns 100 points.

4. Killing monsters of F/E/D/C/B rank earns 10/20/40/80/160 points, respectively.

5. Occupying F/E/D/C/B-rank monster nests for five minutes earns 20/40/80/160/320 points, respectively. Once a nest has been occupied, it can't be used again.

6. No rules apply within the simulation capsule.

.....

"Isn't this the same as the old rules?" someone asked.

"Yeah, except for the addition of the B-rank monster."

"I thought the final stage would be more intense."

"The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment."

"Such a letdown!"

Even one of the family heads was puzzled, "Is that it?"

The federation head gave a faint smile, "You'll be surprised by the final stage rules."

"Oh! I can't wait," someone exclaimed, and everyone focused on the speaker again.

The speaker kept a slight smile as he noticed the audience's reaction. "Don't worry," he said. Then, turning to the participants, he added, "The operator forgot to add the new rules." With a sly grin, he looked at the operator and said, "Please upload the rules right below."

The operator glanced at the participants with a sympathetic look and said, "Okay," before turning back to his work. Soon, new data appeared on the screen, causing the participants' eyes to widen in surprise.

"Isn't this too unfavorable for us?" one of the listed players asked, while the players who had qualified breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "All our hard work paid off." Whispers spread throughout the audience.

"Wow, I didn't expect that," someone said.

"This round is a great opportunity for the qualified players to beat the top-ranked players."

"It's not going to be easy, though. Just look at Ashish, who's at the peak of C rank."

"But the qualified players still have a chance to win if they use the rules to their advantage," another replied.

Seeing the reactions from the players and the audience, the speaker smiled with satisfaction and said, "Okay, let's focus on the new rules. Let me explain." With that, he looked at the screen.

Here are the rules:

1. The simulation area will shrink at regular intervals.

2. The time ratio between the real world and the simulation world is 1:6.

3. Killing other players, whether directly or indirectly, earns 100 points.

4. Killing monsters of F/E/D/C/B rank earns 10/20/40/80/160 points, respectively.

5. Occupying F/E/D/C/B-rank monster nests for five minutes earns 20/40/80/160/320 points, respectively. Once a nest has been occupied, it can't be used again.

6. No rules apply within the simulation capsule.

Rules [+]:

[Rules for Players Defeating Other Players]

Qualified Players: If a qualified player defeats any listed player, they will gain all of their opponent's points, regardless of rank. Meanwhile, if a listed player defeats any qualified player, the listed player will receive half of the qualified player's points.

Points: If any player defeats someone from their own group, they will only get half of the opponent's points.

Disqualified Players: Disqualified players will also join the final stage with some additional rules. They cannot attack or initiate battles against qualified players. However, they can attack listed players. If a disqualified player defeats a listed player, they can take their slot along with all their points. After this, the disqualified player becomes a full participant in the final stage.

Defeated Listed Players: If a listed player is defeated by a disqualified player, they are disqualified but can still compete in the simulation to regain their slot. They can do this by defeating other listed players.

Location Rules: The locations of listed players will be revealed when the second circle zone shrinks. The locations of qualified and disqualified players will be revealed when the fourth circle zone shrinks.

The speaker looked at the rules, and even he was a bit stunned by the huge disadvantage the listed players had. He glanced at the event organizer, who nodded in approval.

"Alright, everyone, get ready for the final stage," he announced, then looked at the disqualified players, who were grinning from ear to ear.

"Should I get breakfast ready? Come on, hurry up!"

The disqualified players, all smiling brightly, rushed to the competition field.

Sometime later

Everyone was now standing in front of their capsule, waiting for the speaker to begin. The speaker took a moment to gather his thoughts before saying, "I'll keep this short and focus on the key points."

"First, in the simulation, you'll be assigned a slot number, which is your unique ID. Don't lose it."

"Second, disqualified players may have the same or more advantages than qualified ones, but the listed players don't have any advantage in the simulation."

"And now, the final point," he said, looking at the listed players before pausing to continue in one breath, "You have a special advantage because of your quota, but if you don't perform well, someone else can take that spot. This is how it works here, and it's also true in real life. If you fail, you fail. If you succeed, the world will celebrate you. This is a hard truth that has been passed down through generations, so don't make any excuses," he told the audience. "This also applies to you all."

Taking a deep breath, he addressed the participants, "Now, go into the simulation and give it your all, as if your life depended on it."

The powerful speech stirred up a commotion among the audience—applause and murmurs of excitement spread throughout the crowd. Even the head of the family looked a bit impressed.

....

Meanwhile, the old man nodded with a hint of approval but then glanced at a specific simulation capsule and asked, "What's your opinion of him?"

"Father, I don't think he has any chance..." he began, but before he could finish, he heard a word: "Okay, let's bet."