Outside the building, a storm raged; lightning and thunder clashed while the wind howled menacingly. Ming sat in his chair, flipping through Janice's initial draft of "The Apocalypse Descends Game."

[Open World Survival Game]

[Game's Core Principles: Fairness, Justice, Transparency]

[Game Setting: The apocalypse game unfolds, survival of the fittest.]

[…]

[Gameplay Mechanics: Survival, Hidden Missions, Evolutionary Mutation, Factions…]

"No wonder," Ming mused.

When he saw the game's core principles, he was reminded of the consistent emphasis on fairness, justice, and transparency in the rules.

Perhaps this had something to do with Janice's own experiences. Through his logs, it was evident that he had often suffered from unfair treatment; he yearned for fairness.

[Faction Classification:

. The Factionless: Individuals relying on their own skills to survive and grow...

. The Fallen: Players, when faced with death, can choose to continue living. The cost is joining the Fallen faction, undertaking various destructive missions to add intrigue to the game. Their identity must remain secret... Upon completing the stage missions, they will automatically advance to the Demon faction and be transported to a designated location, where they become the bosses for subsequent chapters.

. The Sovereign Faction: Activated under specific conditions, or randomly initiated by a certain player. This faction aims to establish a new order—taking into account the apocalyptic setting—which might be a combination of slavery, serfdom, and feudalism, adapted to the game's circumstances, while also allowing players considerable freedom. The objective of this faction is to enrich the gameplay.]

. The Divine Faction: During the preparation phase of the apocalypse game, players are randomly chosen. Upon completing specific tasks, they can ascend to 'Deity' status. The objective is to allow players, after their growth, to decide the type of deity they wish to become... Note: Deities aren't limited to human players; options for zombies or animals as deities should be considered.

. Introducing Multiple World Elements: This would make the game more diverse, incorporating global mythologies, eerie tales, and renowned cinematic universes, among others. Details to be added.

. BOSS Design: Incorporate sociocultural characteristics. For instance, scammers, habitual defaulters, thieves, etc.

[…]

[Chapter One: Three Days of Survival. The theme of this chapter is adaptation, offering players assistance... Hidden tasks won't be limited to defeating monsters. They'll be more varied, encompassing activities like gatherings, trivia, competitions, etc.]

…Upon reading this, Ming remembered his initial days in the first chapter. It was an accurate reflection.

He continued reading.

[Chapter Two: Seven Days of Defense. The theme here is construction... Ensure that each zombie BOSS possesses unique social abilities from their previous lives. Players can acquire these skills, moving away from traditional combat. The core values of fairness, justice, and transparency must be embedded... Hidden missions include: 1. Be a good person; 2. Turn to evil; 3. Rob other survivors.]

"A good man..."

Ming chuckled. This was the beginning of his journey as Gutman.

[Chapter Three: Thirty Days of Coexistence. This chapter's theme centers on cohabitation, joining forces against shared monstrous threats... Mutual resource exchange... Personal instance settings should introduce specific regional events:

. Village Zombies; 2. Texas Chainsaw; 3. Lonely Manor; 4. Haunted Hospital; 5. Abandoned Orphanage; 6. Ancient Monastery...]

…

Ming realized that among these personal instances, he had experienced two: the chainsaw and the potion abilities, both originating from this list.

He continued reading.

[Chapter Four: Thirty Days of Faith. This chapter's theme is belief, testing one's decisions when confronted with despair... touching on friendship, love, and empathy.]

[Chapter Five: Pending Choices > 1. Frozen World; 2. Vast Ocean.]

[Frozen World: The globe is blanketed in snow, with temperatures plummeting rapidly, ranging from -25° to 50°. Elements of accelerated physical and mental exhaustion are introduced...]

[Vast Ocean: Global glaciers melt, transforming the world into an ocean...]I think you should take a look at

[…]

[The above represents my game planning proposal. Thank you, leadership, for your attention. I am truly grateful. If you find merit in my ideas, I will strive to refine them further.]

"~~"

After reading, Ming leaned back in his chair. Frankly, the last thing he wanted to see was the apocalypse related to Janice's A and B.

How could intelligence created by a human surpass mankind and craft such an immense apocalypse game? Behind this, there must be events even more inconceivable.The current progress of the apocalypse aligns with the planning document. The fifth chapter is not complete. The terrifying part is that after this chapter, everything will be controlled by A and B. What will the apocalypse look like then? It's unimaginable.

[The black-haired pig demon sits in a corner, munching on snacks, ignoring the red horse knight sitting beside him...]

[In the mind of the red horse knight, the thought persisted: the boss is amazing... It nudged the black-haired pig demon. The person the boss is searching for surprisingly has Euryale's photograph, evidently from before she transformed into the snake woman. This matter feels quite convoluted~]

[The black-haired pig demon tore open a bag of chips, pouring them into its mouth. It glanced at you, then at Euryale, and slapped the red horse knight on the head. "You think I'm unaware that the boss can know our every move? Trying to set me up again, huh? A word of advice: Stay out of the business of the streets!"]

"~~"

After reflecting, Ming's next destination was clear: Janice's new residence, where he hoped to find something fruitful.

"Boss~"

At that moment, Euryale swam over, still cradling that picture frame, and inquired, "Boss, why are you searching for him?"

"Answer my question first," Ming replied, eyeing the newcomer. "How much money did you deceive him out of?"

"…"

Caught off guard by this abrupt question, Euryale looked somewhat stunned. After a moment, she firmly responded, "I didn't swindle any money from him."

"Are you sure?"

ραΠdαsΝοvel.cοm Ming was skeptical. A scammer who didn't take money? Was that some sort of joke?

"of course!" Euryale insisted, nodding emphatically. She then continued, "I admit that initially, I engaged him in conversation with the intent to profit, as a part of testing our new scheme."

"A new scheme? You certainly have quite a range of tactics," Ming observed.

"Yes… I confess," she admitted, "we constantly innovate in order to swindle more money."

"..."

Ming turned his head and leaned back in his chair, eyes closed. "Tell me your story," he invited.

Euryale settled beside him and began, "Our new scheme doesn't involve having the 'targets' install apps, initiate video calls, engage in extensive chats, and then steal their personal information to blackmail them for money anymore. Instead, our manager devised a more consistent and enduring way to profit."

As she spoke, her eyes drifted toward the window. "We offer genuine romance," she continued, "earning the target's trust and then having them continually give. This approach has been very effective. I've used the same script with 200 people, and the income has been substantial. However, everything changed when I met 'A Drop in the Ocean.' He was different. Through his words, I could sense both his sadness and determination."

"..."

Ming found it hard to believe that a scam artist could utter such words. To feel someone's sadness— was astonishing and nearly impossible to accept.

Determination… What bitter irony.

"..."

With his eyes still closed, Ming could scarcely believe that a female swindler would utter such words. Indeed, Janice was a romantic at heart.

A scammer and a sentimentalist— what a peculiar match!