"This is the contract for the upcoming competition, Mr. Alex. Please review it carefully. If everything looks fine, just sign here."
Alex said nothing. He silently accepted the document from the receptionist and began flipping through it.
> Participation Agreement for "A Song of Ice and Fire: Royal Battle"
– Party A agrees to provide Party B with a method of transmigration and a usable body within the world of Ice and Fire.
– Party B voluntarily agrees to participate in the competition and accept full legal responsibility.
– Detailed Rules
– Prize Breakdown
The game was organized by a higher-dimensional group that had descended upon Alex's world over a decade ago. They brought with them extraordinary powers unimaginable to this mundane reality.
Fortunately, they weren't here to conquer. Their goal… was entertainment.
Even more surprising, they actually respected local laws. For example, before participating in the game, players were required to sign a formal contract.
It took Alex nearly half an hour to read through the entire document word by word. It wasn't long, but it was dense.
The main points were summarized as follows:
1. Game Overview: A competition set in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, featuring 100 players.
2. Victory Conditions: A player—or alliance—could claim victory by eliminating all non-allied participants or accumulating over 10,000 alliance points. All remaining alliance members had to agree to declare victory, or the alliance would automatically dissolve.
(Alliances could be formed in-game via the system, with a maximum of four players per alliance.)
Once victory was declared, surviving players would be returned to their original world exactly one hour after the match began.
3. Prize Breakdown:
Solo Victory: $10 billion
Two Winners: $1 billion each
Three Winners: $10 million each
Four Winners: $1 million each
4. Risk Disclaimer: Death in the game equals real, permanent death.
"Any questions, Mr. Alex?" the receptionist asked as he noticed Alex put the contract down.
"Of course," Alex nodded. "If I'm not mistaken, you've held similar competitions before. The prizes were never this generous. Why the sudden increase?"
"Have you paid attention to the name of this competition?"
"Royal Battle of Ice and Fire?" Alex raised a brow. "To be honest, I don't quite get it. I've watched the previous games—they were all lordship-style, conquest-focused competitions. So…"
"So this game is nothing like the previous ones," the receptionist cut in with a polite smile. "Our past matches focused on players developing territory and eventually vying for dominance. To that end, players were given ample resources early on to get them past the vulnerable phase.
"By late game, the death rate dropped significantly. A player who saw no hope of winning could just find some remote village, hide out, and wait for others to fulfill the win conditions—then return safely as a survivor."
"But this time... it's different?"
"Yes. This time, the competition spans the entire duration of the match. From the moment players drop in, they'll be thrust into immediate, high-stakes conflict. Bloodshed and betrayal will begin on Day One.
"Resource distribution will be extremely limited. Players will have to risk their lives to obtain anything of value. Frankly speaking, many of them may go the entire game without earning a single point from the system. Worse still, some will be kept constantly on the run due to certain... in-game mechanics."
Alex narrowed his eyes. "Can you tell me more about those mechanics?"
"Of course... not," the receptionist said, still smiling that customer-service smile. "All specific mechanics must be discovered after entering the game."
He held out a pen. "Now then, Mr. Alex, I've done my duty in explaining the risks. Until the final player list is confirmed, you're free to withdraw—or... sign?"
"You know I don't have a choice," Alex said with a half-smile, accepting the pen and signing the contract.
He was terminally ill. Without a miracle—or a fortune—he had less than three months to live. No matter how deadly the competition, this was his only shot. At worst, if he died in the game but managed to survive three more months in another world… that would still be a win.
So the moment he received the invitation, he didn't hesitate. He signed up immediately and passed multiple rounds of preliminary exams—written tests, scenario simulations, and mock battles.
Due to his condition, he skipped the combat round, but his high scores in the first two stages earned him a spot among thousands of applicants.
"Alright, Mr. Alex," the receptionist tapped a few keys on his tablet. "Your spot in the competition has been officially confirmed. Please rest for a while. Once we've finalized the full list, I'll escort you to the transfer chamber."
Alex said nothing. He simply closed his eyes and waited.
Not long after, the receptionist spoke again.
"Mr. Alex, 27 players have withdrawn. We've already filled those slots with alternates from the lower-ranked applicants."
"Only 27?" Alex looked surprised. "Barely a third?"
The receptionist chuckled. "Not every participant comes from a peaceful nation like yours. For those living in war-torn regions, a one-in-ten chance at surviving for a billion-dollar prize? That's more than worth it."
Alex let out a wry laugh.
"One more thing," the receptionist added, "I have some unfortunate news. The two allies you previously arranged to team up with—they've both withdrawn. You'll be starting this game... solo."
Alex's heart sank.
He'd suspected this might happen. His two allies were also from Huaguo—comfortable lives, stable careers. Risking everything in a literal death game wasn't a gamble they were willing to take.
Still, hearing it confirmed hit hard. His odds had just taken another sharp dip.
"If you're ready, Mr. Alex," the receptionist said, "please come with me."
"…Alright."