"How harsh…?"
"What's the penalty going to be?"
"Twenty-five points?"
"No, too light, maybe fifty?"
"I think ten makes more sense!"
The speculation piled up quickly as people wrestled with the idea. Losing members wasn't uncommon in dangerous zones; in fact, it was the norm, but enforcing punishment for deaths? That was unprecedented.
And then, answering the crowd's frantic guessing, the screen flickered.
A new line faded into existence beneath the point tiers, written in stark red lettering that stood out on the display:
Death = -10,000
A cold chill slammed through the staging hall.
Dozens of people stiffened.
Hundreds inhaled sharply.
Several outright cursed.
"Ten thousand?!"
"He's insane…"
"That's… that's brutal."
Magnus didn't need to explain it further.
The message was clear.
Crystal clear.
This wasn't a game.
This wasn't entertainment.
This wasn't for glory.
This was a national-strengthening initiative, and if you lost your people, you lost massively.
