Then he sat against the wall, finally allowing himself a moment to rest.

A notification icon blinked in the corner of his vision.

King opened his message interface. One new message.

From Pantheon.

King selected the name, and the message expanded.

[Pantheon: King. How are you holding up?]

King stared at the message for a moment, then typed his response.

[King: I’m scaling through how best I can. You?]

The reply came within seconds.

[Pantheon: Same. This bounty has complicated things.]

[King: I can agree. Where are you?]

Another brief pause.

[Pantheon: Zone 2.]

[King: Okay. Prepare yourself.]

[Pantheon: Prepare for what?]

King didn’t respond. He closed the message interface and scanned the interior of the ruined structure, searching for a stable surface. Most of the floor was littered with debris, broken stone, rotted wood, fragments of what might have once been furniture.

But near the back wall, he spotted a large stone box, probably an old storage chest or altar base. The surface looked solid enough.

He walked over and placed Maya on top of the box, lifting her gently. The child settled onto the stone surface, dangling her legs over the edge as she watched him with those same observant eyes.

King stepped back, studying her for a moment. The question wouldn’t leave his mind. How was she so lethal? A seven-year-old mute child who moved like a trained assassin, cutting through a fully armored tank’s wrist in one clean strike.

She rarely acted, but when she did, it was so precise and efficient. She never wasted a motion, nor did she hesitate to execute an act.

He picked a guess.

She had to have maxed out her Speed stat. That was the only explanation that made sense. With her small frame and low body weight, a high Speed stat would make her absurdly fast, capable of closing distances before opponents could react.

And with that black-and-gold dagger, whatever grade it was, she didn’t need much else. Speed and a sharp blade. Simple, but devastatingly effective.

Still, it didn’t account for her immunity to the poison, her intelligence, or her skill in actual combat, he was going to find out, when it all settled.

Maya sat in front of him, watching quietly.

Well, till then.

King opened his stat screen, checking his pruning points total.

[PRUNING POINTS: 155]

One hundred and fifty five. More than enough for a new rule.

King exited the screen, navigating through the menus until he found the search function. He typed in "rules addition protocol" and hit enter.

The system processed the query for a moment, then redirected him to a new tab labeled

[PLAYER RULE ADDITION FUNCTION].

King tapped on it.

The interface expanded, filling his vision with a detailed explanation of the rule creation process. Text scrolled across the screen, outlining the requirements, limitations, and submission procedures.

[PLAYER RULE ADDITION FUNCTION]

Requirements:

- Minimum 100 Pruning Points

- Rule must not contradict the 10 rules.

- Rule must pass system vetting process (minimum 50% acceptance threshold)

- Rules are permanent unless given fixed duration , or overturned by subsequent rules

Process:

1. Submit 100 Pruning Points

2. Input proposed rule

3. System vets rule for balance and feasibility

4. If acceptance threshold is met, rule is implemented globally

5. All players are notified via global announcement

Limitations:

- One rule per player

- Rules cannot target specific players by name

- Rules cannot grant invincibility or remove core game functions

- System may suggest modifications to increase acceptance rate

King read through the entire explanation twice, absorbing every detail. Then he scrolled to the bottom of the interface.

A single button glowed faintly at the base of the screen.

[ADD RULE]

King tapped it.

A new prompt appeared immediately.

[SUBMIT 100 PRUNING POINTS TO PROCEED]

[CURRENT PRUNING POINTS: 155]

[CONFIRM?]

King selected yes without hesitation.

[PRUNING POINTS DEDUCTED: 100]

[REMAINING PRUNING POINTS: 55]

The interface shifted, replacing the confirmation prompt with a blank text input field. A blinking cursor waited at the top left corner.

King thought carefully, considering his words. The rule needed to be specific enough to serve its purpose but broad enough to pass the system’s vetting process. He couldn’t afford to have it rejected.

After several seconds, King began typing.

PROPOSED RULE:

Players of the null alignment are granted access to a designated Null Alignment Territory. Entry to this territory is voluntary and can be selected by any null-aligned player at any time.

King reviewed the text, then tapped [SUBMIT].

The interface went blank for a moment, replaced by a loading icon. The system was vetting his proposal, running it through whatever algorithmic checks governed rule acceptance.

King waited.

And after twenty seconds, the result appeared.

[RULE ACCEPTANCE: 70%]

[SYSTEM ANALYSIS: PROPOSED RULE MEETS MINIMUM THRESHOLD BUT CONTAINS POTENTIAL EXPLOITS]

[SUGGESTED MODIFICATION:]

[A limited time window is placed for null alignment players to decide if they want to enter the territory. Once a player selects entry, the decision cannot be changed or reused for the duration of the Second Woe. Acceptance Into the territory will result in a pruning points reset]

King read the suggested modification carefully, his mind working through the implications. The system was flagging the "at any time" clause as exploitable. Players could theoretically use the territory as a safe haven, jumping in and out whenever they faced danger. That would break the intended tension of the pruning games.

The time restriction made sense. It also aligned with the broader mechanic of zone restrictions, travel between zones was locked until certain conditions were met. The system was making sure this wasn’t a luxury.

King tapped [AGREE].

The interface flashed green.

[RULE ACCEPTANCE: 100%]

[PROCESSING NEW RULE...]

[NEW RULE CREATED]

[RULE 12: THE NULL ALIGNMENT TERRITORY]

Effect: A designated territory has been established exclusively for null-aligned players. All null-aligned players will receive a one-time prompt to enter this territory. Entry is voluntary and will result in a pruning points reset. Once a player selects entry or declines, the decision is permanent and cannot be reversed for the duration of the Second Woe.

[SELECTING TERRITORY LOCATION...]

King watched as the system processed the final details. A map interface appeared briefly, highlighting the three zones. One zone began to glow with a faint white light.

[TERRITORY LOCATION: ZONE 1]

King gave a faint smile.

Zone 1. The same zone where Vi and Eli had spawned. That was convenient for them.

The interface closed abruptly, replaced by a massive notification that filled his entire vision.

[GLOBAL ANNOUNCEMENT]

[PLAYER KING HAS ADDED A NEW RULE]

[RULE 12: THE NULL ALIGNMENT TERRITORY]

[EFFECT: A DESIGNATED TERRITORY HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED EXCLUSIVELY FOR NULL-ALIGNED PLAYERS. ALL NULL-ALIGNED PLAYERS WILL RECEIVE A ONE-TIME PROMPT TO ENTER THIS TERRITORY. ENTRY IS VOLUNTARY AND WILL RESULT IN A PRUNING POINT RESET. ONCE A PLAYER SELECTS ENTRY OR DECLINES, THE DECISION IS PERMANENT AND CANNOT BE REVERSED FOR THE DURATION OF THE SECOND WOE.]

[TERRITORY LOCATION: ZONE 1]

The announcement hung in the air for several seconds before fading.

King frowned a bit, the global announcement was something he didn’t really like, especially when it was about him. His next position was basically broadcasted, but on a second thought, everyone who used the link could find him.

He was just glad, It was done.

Then, the messages started flooding in.

Three notifications appeared simultaneously in the corner of his vision.

King opened the message interface and saw the names.

Vi. Eli. Pantheon.