Rules
* * *
Jake cautiously approached me, eyes wide with disbelief. "Is he dead?" he asked, his voice a mix of relief and trepidation.
I glanced down at Jack's lifeless body, noting the stillness that had overtaken him. "Yeah," I replied, exhaling slowly. "I think so."
We both stood there for a moment, staring at the body of the formidable opponent who had terrorized the left corridor. The silence was suddenly interrupted by the familiar chime of a system notification. A translucent window appeared before me, displaying the details of my latest achievement.
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[System Notification]
You have defeated a player with a high Karma count. You are awarded 100 Karma.
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Another window appeared, capturing my attention with its authoritative presence.
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[King System]
Name: Erebus
Number of Subjects: 218
Current Territory: Floor 2 of Server 05-a3
---
The windows blinked out of existence, leaving us once again in the dimly lit corridor. I turned to Jake, who was staring at me with a newfound respect.
"Let's head back," I said, nodding toward the classrooms where our allies were regrouping. "We've got a lot to discuss and prepare for."
Jake nodded, falling into step beside me as we made our way back to the classrooms. The corridors felt different now—emptier, quieter, and yet somehow filled with a sense of anticipation.
Before the fight, I had split my subjects into two groups.
The first group was the combat team, which I led to face Jack. The second group was made up of non-combat members, responsible for handling logistics, gathering supplies, and maintaining our defenses. They took care of most of the non-combat stuff while we fought.
As we made our way back to the classrooms, I led Jake and the 24 other surviving combat members down the hall. My mind raced with thoughts of what was to come, but I pushed them aside for now. We reached Class 2-1, where most of the non-combat subjects and Yunji were waiting.
Sliding open the door, I stepped inside. Yunji rushed toward me, relief evident on her face as she hugged me tightly.
"Erebus!" she exclaimed, her voice muffled against my shoulder.
I hugged her back, feeling a sense of comfort in her presence. "I told you I'd come back," I reassured her.
After a moment, we let go of each other, and I looked at her seriously. "Tell everyone to meet up at the middle hallway. I have things to discuss with everyone."
Yunji had kind of become my right-hand person, always reliable and supportive. She nodded, understanding the urgency in my request.
"Got it," she said, a determined look in her eyes.
I gave her another glance, grateful for her steadfastness, then turned and made my way toward the middle hallway, ready to address my subjects and plan our next move.
* * *
As everyone gathered in the middle hallway, a palpable tension filled the air. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation, uncertainty, and a hint of fear.
I stood before my subjects, feeling the weight of their eyes on me, their trust, and their doubts.
Suddenly, a timer appeared in the air, the system window floating ominously above us:
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[System Notification]
Round 3 will begin in 3 hours
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I cleared my throat, looking out over the crowd. I knew what I needed to say, even if it wasn't what everyone wanted to hear.
"By now, you all understand what's going on," I began, my voice steady but intense. "This world isn't the same as the one we knew before. We've been thrown into a game of survival, and only the strong will make it out alive."
I paused, scanning their faces, seeing the mix of determination and fear. "I know some of you don't like me, maybe even resent me for the choices I've made. But know this: my actions are for our survival. We need a leader, and right now, that's me. Whether you like it or not."
Taking a deep breath, I continued, letting a bit of my cockiness seep into my words.
"I'm not here to make friends. I'm here to win. If you get in my way, I won't hesitate to kill you. But if you choose to stand by my side, if you choose to be under my protection, I promise I will do everything in my power to keep you safe."
I could feel the energy in the room shift, a ripple of uncertainty but also a growing resolve.
"I'm not asking for blind loyalty. I'm asking for your trust in my strength, in my vision. Together, we can conquer this game. Together, we can survive."
My words hung in the air, a mix of inspiration and intimidation. It was a gamble, but I needed them to understand that I meant business, that I was committed to winning, and that their best chance was with me.
"Forget everything you knew about the old world," I continued, my tone firm and unyielding. "Countries don't exist anymore. Borders, governments, laws—none of it matters here. Right now, there are only multiple groups, tens of millions of people, each with their own leaders, each trying to survive."
I let that reality settle over them, watching as the truth of it shifted in their eyes. "There's no more America, no more Japan, Korea, no more anything. There's just us, our group, and the countless others out there trying to do the same thing we are."
"We have two hours until the next round," I said, pointing to the timer. "Use that time wisely. Prepare yourselves, strategize, and remember: we're all in this together, whether you like it or not."
With that, I stepped back, letting my words sink in. The room buzzed with a new energy, the reality of our situation settling over everyone as they began to talk, plan, and prepare for what lay ahead.
* * *
I sat on a table in the blood-soaked classroom of 2-8, where Jack had originally been. The floor was slick with crimson, a grim reminder of the violence that had unfolded here. I opened my King window to take stock of the situation.
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[King System]
Name: Erebus
Number of Subjects: 218
Current Territory: Floor 2 of Server 05-a3
[Rules] (Current Loyalty: 56)
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A little after the second round, a new feature had appeared: Rules. I clicked on it to see what it offered.
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[Rules]
A king can add a rule, but it is limited by the loyalty of its subjects.
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My current loyalty was 56. Understandably low, given the circumstances.
If I remembered correctly, Hiroko, the REAL main character of this world, had around 500 loyalty after the second round.
In the novel, kings could make as many rules as they wanted, but the severity of those rules determined how much loyalty was needed.
For example, a rule like "you can't eat apples" would require far less loyalty than one stating "you must kill yourself when the king commands."
I tsked in frustration and stood up. With such a small amount of loyalty, I couldn't make any rule, no matter how trivial it was.
My thoughts drifted to the next round.
'Round 3...'
It was probably going to be a territory dispute between floors. So, floors 1 and 2 would open to each other, and 3 and 4 would fight among themselves.
I hoped to take control of the first floor peacefully. 'However, if they were anything like Jack...', I thought.
My eyes glowed with a menacing red hue. "I'll kill them all."