"Here's the contract for the match, Mr. Zack. Take a look. If everything seems in order, just sign right here."
Zack didn't respond. He simply took the document and began to read silently.
> AGREEMENT FOR PARTICIPATION: ICE AND FIRE BATTLE ROYALE
> Party A agrees to provide the method of transit and a physical vessel for use within the world of Ice and Fire.
> Party B voluntarily agrees to enter the world of Ice and Fire to participate in the competition and assumes all associated legal liabilities.
> Rules & Regulations: [Attached]
> Prize Structure: [Attached]
The organizers of this game were a group of higher-dimensional entities who had descended upon Zack's world over a decade ago. They brought with them supernatural powers that defied physics.
Fortunately, their goal wasn't conquest. It was... entertainment.
Even better, they respected local laws. That's why Zack had to sign a waiver before the game could begin.
It took nearly half an hour for Zack to scrutinize the relatively short agreement, word for word. The core content boiled down to four points:
1. The Match: The setting is the world of A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones). There are 100 participants.
2. Victory Conditions: Victory is declared when all non-allied players are eliminated, OR when an alliance accumulates 10,000 points. All members of the alliance must unanimously vote to declare victory. If they cannot agree, the alliance is automatically dissolved.
(Note: Players can form alliances via the System after entering the game. Max 4 players per alliance.)
Once victory is declared, all survivors are transported back to their original world one hour after the match officially began (relative time).
3. The Prize Pool:
Solo Winner: Takes home $10 Billion.
Two Winners: Split $1 Billion ($500M each).
Three Winners: Split $10 Million ($3.3M each).
Four Winners: Split $1 Million ($250k each).
4. Risk Warning: Death in the game results in actual, physical death in the real world.
---
"So, Mr. Zack," the receptionist asked, seeing him lower the document. "Do you have any questions?"
"Yeah," Zack nodded. "I know you guys have run similar competitions before. Usually, the prize money is pretty standard. But this time? The pot is astronomical. Why?"
"Did you notice the title of this specific match?"
"Ice and Fire: Battle Royale?" Zack raised an eyebrow. "Honestly, I didn't really get that part. I've watched your previous seasons; they were always 'Empire Building' style strategy games. So..."
"So, the genre is completely different this time," the receptionist cut in smoothly. "In previous seasons, the focus was on players becoming lords and building armies. We gave them a lot of support early on to help them get established. Later in the game, the death rate actually dropped. If a player realized they couldn't win, they could just forfeit the competition, hide in some remote village, and wait out the clock until someone else won. Then they'd go home safely as a survivor."
"But this time is different?"
"Correct. This time, the competition is intense from start to finish. From the moment you land, you will be in a fight for survival. We are providing extremely limited resources to help you get started. You'll have to take massive risks just to secure basic supplies. In fact, I can tell you now: a large chunk of players won't get any resources from the System. They'll be too busy running for their lives due to a certain... mechanic."
The receptionist leaned forward slightly. "Because of this, the risk is higher than ever. It wouldn't be surprising if the number of survivors at the end is in the single digits."
"Can you be more specific? What is this 'mechanic' that's going to keep us running?" Zack interrupted.
"Of course not," the receptionist replied, maintaining a perfect, practiced smile. "Specific game mechanics can only be viewed after you enter the simulation."
She pushed a pen toward him. "Alright. I've warned you of the risks. Before the final roster is locked, you can choose to withdraw... or sign."
"You know I don't have a choice," Zack smiled grimly, shaking his head. He took the pen and signed his name.
He was terminally ill. Without a massive sum of money for experimental treatment, he had less than three months to live. No matter how high the risks were in the game, it was his only play. Worst case scenario? He dies in the game. But if he manages to survive even three months in that other world, he's already beaten his real-life expiration date. That's a profit in his book.
That was why he accepted the invitation immediately. He had gone through rounds of screening—written tests, situational analysis, and combat trials. Even though he had to skip the combat portion due to his health, his scores on the first two were high enough to beat out nearly ten thousand applicants and secure a spot in the main event.
"Excellent, Mr. Zack. Your spot is confirmed." The receptionist tapped away on her tablet. "Please relax for a moment. Once our team finishes processing the rest of the roster, I'll take you to the immersion pod."
Zack didn't speak. He just closed his eyes and waited.
A few minutes later, the receptionist spoke again. "Mr. Zack? A total of 27 qualified players decided to withdraw. We've already filled their spots from the waitlist."
"That few? Less than a third dropped out?" Zack was surprised.
"Haha, well, Mr. Zack, you have to remember that not all participants come from a peaceful country like yours. For people living in war zones, facing a 90% death rate for a shot at billions of dollars? That's an easy bet."
Zack gave a dry laugh.
"Also, I have some bad news. The two allies you arranged to team up with? They both withdrew. That means in the early stages of the game, you're likely going to be on your own."
Zack's heart sank.
He had a feeling this might happen. His two prospective allies were from his country—people with comfortable lives. It was completely logical that they wouldn't want to gamble their lives.
But hearing it confirmed still stung. It meant the difficulty setting of his game had just been cranked up another notch.
"Mr. Zack, if you're ready, please follow me."
"Let's go."