[Game will begin in 00:01:52]

His still-limp body, overwhelmed by fear, rendered his hands unable to support him as he fell heavily to the floor.

Pain filled Aditya's mind, but he had no time to complain, let alone curse, as the countdown continued ticking.

Aditya groped around, crawling in search of his smartphone. He tossed aside books, pillows, blankets, and scattered utensils with rough hands. He had to read the game rules before Pendant of War started.

[Game will begin in 00:00:52]

Frustration began to mount as he still hadn't found his smartphone. Cold sweat dripped down Aditya's forehead, his face paled, and his eyes trembled irregularly.

[Game will begin in 00:00:37]

Luckily, he found his smartphone hidden behind his bed.

Quickly, Aditya unlocked the screen and searched for the Pendant of War app. However, a loading screen appeared due to the shared Wi-Fi network used in his boarding house.

[Game will begin in 00:00:23]

"FUCK!" Aditya finally cursed.

[Game will begin in 00:00:17]

The previously frozen Pendant of War interface now displayed a new layout featuring the Pendant of War logo and three options: [Forum], [Shop], and [Rules].

[Game will begin in 00:00:10]

Swiftly, Aditya pressed the [Rules] button.

[Game will begin in 00:00:07]

The rule points began to appear, too fast for Aditya to read entirely, so he could only skim them. Fortunately, being a law student, he was accustomed to reading thousands of pages of legislation every day.

[Game will begin in 00:00:02]

A crucial point caught Aditya's attention: "death doesn't mean die but give up means."

[Game will begin in 00:00:01]

"Doesn't that mean I won't die even if I die in the game? Hahahaha... I was too scared. Death games only exist in manga and anime! Phew~~" A rosy hue returned to Aditya's pale face.

For a moment, he felt the fear dissipate.

Upon further reflection, he realized it was unlikely for a Death Game to exist in the real world.

With the advancement of information exchange due to the internet, anyone who created a Death Game would immediately go viral.

Their faces would be plastered across every social media platform, becoming memes mocked by users worldwide. Prison would not only be the end for the creators but also death penalty would be a significant possibility.

"If it's just about not giving up, then I'm the expert! This chad will show you how much of a sigma I am!" A cocky smile returned to Aditya's face.

[Game will begin in 00:00:00]

[Happy Gaming!]

"Hahaha, let's start this and make money!!" he cheered enthusiastically before consciousness slipped away once more.

Little did Aditya know, sometimes death was a sweet release from situations that demanded giving up.