Midnight.
At the stroke of zero, every phone, television, and computer screen in the world flickered simultaneously, snow-like particles dancing chaotically across the displays. Then, a cold, emotionless mechanical voice sounded in everyone's ears, as if directly invading their minds—
[Global Rules Game Officially Activated!]
Just six words, yet they felt like a verdict descending from the depths of hell.
Chen Luo stared at the old phone in his hand. The screen was no longer the familiar apps of WeChat and short videos, but lines of crimson countdowns:
— 59:59:59.
Time mercilessly slipped away, as if reminding him: one hour from now, the real apocalypse would begin.
On the streets, screams of panic erupted.
Some shouted that it was a terrorist invasion alert; some smashed their phones in frenzy; others ran to the police station. Yet no one could deny the voice—it reached the soul: everyone heard it, and no one could escape.
[Player ID: CN-073981]
[Initial Identity: Civilian]
[Starting Equipment: Rusty Iron Knife ×1, Rations ×3]
[Beginner Level Dungeon will unlock in one hour]
[All player actions will be broadcast live to the world.]
These cold, clinical lines burned into Chen Luo's vision like an imprint on his pupils.
— Live broadcast?
— Worldwide?
In an instant, Chen Luo realized this was more than a "doomsday game." It was a blood-red spectacle with no blind spots.
All humanity was the audience.
And they, unwillingly, had become the "contestants" in an arena.
…
Chen Luo was twenty-two, freshly graduated for three months, and had yet to find a job. Four wasted years of university ended in unemployment, and his pockets held less than two hundred yuan. His bank account balance was so low that even his credit card was frozen.
Yet now, talk of the future, interviews, or jobs seemed utterly meaningless.
Because once the countdown hit zero, the world would no longer be the world.
[Beginner Dungeon Unlocking Soon: Ruined Supermarket]
[Mission Objective: Survive for 24 hours.]
[Clear Reward: Random Survival Talent ×1]
[Failure Penalty: Erasure.]
— Erasure.
These two words sent countless people into a frenzy of despair.
Chen Luo's palms were soaked with cold sweat, but his gaze gradually steadied.
He sensed that this so-called "Rules Game" was far more than a mere apocalypse.
Because the mechanical voice added one final line:
[Welcome to—The Global Survival Live Broadcast.]
…
[Scene Shift]
Meanwhile, in an unknown space, countless screens lit up simultaneously.
Each screen displayed live feeds of billions of players around the world: some crying and screaming, some laughing maniacally, some going mad.
Outside the screens, hundreds of millions of spectator accounts surged in.
"Whoa! The contestant I picked has entered room CN-073981!"
"Hahaha, it's finally live! The first dungeon is the Ruined Supermarket? The bloodiness must be off the charts!"
"Look, look, there's a young guy, ID CN-073981. He looks calm—I bet he'll survive."
"Ha! A civilian start? He won't last thirty minutes!"
The barrage of comments scrolled frantically.
The global live broadcast had officially begun.
And Chen Luo had no idea that, inside the "Ruined Supermarket" he was about to enter, hundreds of millions of spectators were fixated on his every move, waiting for blood, violence, and even despair to unfold.
…
As the countdown hit zero, the world abruptly twisted.
Chen Luo's vision went black. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a wasteland.
Broken shelves lay scattered across the floor, toppled in every direction. Food littered everywhere was stained with blood, the stench of rot heavy in the air.
Silence. Deadly silence.
In his hand was a rusty iron knife. In the other hand, a backpack containing only three rations and a half-empty bottle of mineral water.
"Ding!"
The cold notification sound rang out again.
[Dungeon Start: Ruined Supermarket]
[Rule 1: Each player may carry only starting supplies.]
[Rule 2: Players may acquire equipment by killing other players.]
[Rule 3: Unknown monsters exist within the dungeon. Explore at your own risk.]
The mechanical voice faded, and a scream erupted from behind a nearby shelf.
Chen Luo spun around. A frail man was being thrown down by a shadow, sharp claws tearing his throat. Blood gushed.
Before hitting the floor, the man's eyes were filled with terror, yet no sound escaped his lips.
— Player death!
The overhead screens lit up immediately, accompanied by a flood of comments:
[Hahaha! One down!]
[Three minutes in and he's ripped apart—so weak!]
[Bloodshot scene! Can the streamer show a close-up?]
Chen Luo shuddered.
At this moment, he finally understood: the so-called Global Survival Live Broadcast was not a virtual game.
It was a bloody, real killing show.
He lowered his eyes to the rusty knife in his hand, swallowing hard.
Then, his gaze gradually turned icy.
— If the world forced him into the Rules Arena,
then he must survive.
No matter the cost.