49 Apocalypse Rules

But that wasn’t the extent of his gains.

"Terminal Panel."

Guan Tong summoned the Terminal Panel.

[Name: Guan Tong]

[Nickname: Shadow]

[Title: Orderkeeper]

[Psychic Power: 134 (134) (3120)]

[Sublimation Coins: 387]

[Overall Biometric Evaluation: Excellent]

His Psychic Power cap had increased by 2 points over the course of the roughly eight-hour match. This was an incredible leap compared to his previous average of gaining one point every seven or eight days.

Guan Tong knew this was related to the frequency of combat—something he had suspected before. The more intense and frequent the battles, the faster his Psychic Power cap increased.

But that wasn’t the highlight. The real kicker was that he had used the Holy Grail’s buff to store over three thousand points of Psychic Power!

This staggering reserve was enough for him to use freely for a good while. In a true crisis, he could use it to turn the tables or even briefly become a one-man army, suppressing multiple foes.

In addition to his Psychic Power reserve, he had also stockpiled plenty of bullets for his Silver Hunter. Guan Tong glanced at the digital display; the numbers shown were incredibly reassuring.

Ammo No. 1: 97; Ammo No. 2: 58; Ammo No. 3: 215; Ammo No. 4: 136; Ammo No. 5: 61

Creating these bullets with his own Psychic Power would have taken an eternity. Now, thanks to the Holy Grail’s buff, he figured this supply would last him for at least half a year.

If his future battles weren’t too frequent, they could easily last a year or two.

Aside from what he had generated himself, Guan Tong had some real rewards waiting to be claimed.

He opened his inventory on the terminal, where two new chests had appeared.

[First Ascender Challenge Champion’s Chest - Glory Level]: Open to receive a random reward.

[Holy Grail Entitlement Chest - Unique]: Open to receive a random reward. Items from a chest of this quality possess the Unique property.

’Finally, another Glory-Level chest...’

Guan Tong recalled that the last time he received a Glory-Level chest was also when he’d taken first place, back in the Marla event.

The [Genetic Optimization Base Liquid] he had gotten from that chest had not only given his Psychic Power cap a massive one-time boost, but he could also feel his body being continuously optimized afterward. He had been very pleased with it.

’I wonder what I’ll get this time.’

Moreover, the second chest was "Unique" quality, something he had never seen before.

’According to the description, the item inside has a Unique property. Does that mean that whatever I get, no one else will ever be able to obtain it...?’

’One at a time.’

Guan Tong opened the champion’s chest first.

[Acquired Title: Victor]

’A title?’

Guan Tong was a little surprised. This was the first time he’d received a title as a reward since opening the survival chest after the very first Apocalypse Rules.

But unlike the "Orderkeeper" or "Disorder Breaker" titles, this one was more than just a name—it came with an added effect.

[Victor]: While equipped, natural Psychic Power recovery speed is increased by 100%.

It doubled his Psychic Power recovery speed!

Guan Tong was very satisfied when he saw the title’s effect.

For a lone wolf like him, Psychic Power recovery speed was crucial. At a critical moment, recovering even one extra point could determine the outcome of a battle.

Although he currently had over three thousand points of reserve Psychic Power, meaning he had no pressing short-term need for faster recovery, it was obvious this title would prove its worth in the long run.

Without a second thought, Guan Tong equipped it.

The "Orderkeeper" title had been on his panel for several months; it was about time for a change.

After swapping titles, Guan Tong opened the Unique-quality chest.

He was eager to see what sort of item with the Unique property lay inside.

[Acquired Ability: Body Shifting]

’I got an ability?’

This was the first time Guan Tong had ever gotten an ability from a chest.

He took a sharp breath after reading the ability’s details.

[Body Shifting]: Consumes 10% of your maximum Psychic Power to swap positions with an object infused with your Psychic Power. Cooldown: 10 seconds. This ability is Unique.

’This... is just perfect.’

The moment Guan Tong saw the skill’s description, he immediately realized he could use this ability to swap places with his "Shadow" at critical moments! It could be used to dodge enemy attacks, launch a surprise assault, or even cover long distances in a flash.

And the cost wasn’t even high. Trading 10% of his maximum Psychic Power for a life-saving maneuver in a pinch was an absolute bargain by any measure.

’As expected of a Unique ability. It’s just too powerful.’

The more Guan Tong studied the ability, the more he liked it. He wished he could get his hands on a few more Unique chests to open.

’Since this was the "First Ascender Challenge," there must be a "Second," a "Third," and so on, right? Next time, I have to win the hidden reward and get another Unique item.’

Although the next challenge seemed a long way off, Guan Tong had already made his resolve.

After a while, his excitement faded, and he gradually calmed down.

He had taken first place and won the hidden reward, but that was all in the past now.

In half a month, the new Apocalypse Rules would be announced. He had to prepare before then and couldn’t afford to get arrogant or complacent just because he’d won this one challenge.

’More importantly, I need to test out the "All-In-One Sanctuary" I wrote on the fourth page of the Wordless Book.’

Back then, after writing it, he had successfully materialized it, but he had only managed a quick glance at its exterior before retracting it into the book.

He’d been holding the Holy Grail at the time, so simply confirming that it could be materialized was enough. He hadn’t had time to go inside, let alone study just what made the sanctuary "all-in-one."

Now that he was back from Holy Grail Island, the most urgent task was to examine the sanctuary. Then he had to figure out where to put it.

Although it could be summoned from the [Wordless Book] and retracted at any time, the process consumed Psychic Power. Based on his tests on the island, a single summoning cost him his entire maximum Psychic Power pool.

Therefore, unless he needed to relocate, it was best to keep it fixed in one location.

He could worry about its placement later. For now, he just wanted to summon it and take a look inside.

With that thought, Guan Tong went outside. His neighborhood was completely deserted, so he decided to summon the sanctuary in the open space between two collapsed buildings.

The moment the sanctuary appeared, Guan Tong’s 134 points of Psychic Power plummeted to just 2. Materializing it had consumed a full 132 points.

’...I’m really not used to being without the Holy Grail’s buff.’

Guan Tong shook his head, forcing himself not to dwell on how amazing that "infinite firepower" had felt, and strode toward his sanctuary.