Chapter 41: Kaleidoscope Advertising Company

Chapter 41 Kaleidoscope Advertising Company

After settling matters with his new followers, Yi Fengchu began studying the unexpected gains from this venture.

[Fragment of Fate: "The Prophet from the Twilight Apocalypse."]

"Description: This is a fragment of fate violently torn away for unknown reasons."

"So," Yi Fengchu mused, "the High Priest once worshipped by Kurt and his people has perished?"

The phone explained ambiguously, "For divine beings, death may merely be an extended sleep, but this High Priest..."

"He has been erased from existence completely—never having existed in the past, present, or future."

The phone spoke slowly and matter-of-factly, yet the implications sent chills down one's spine.

What kind of circumstance could utterly erase an existence once qualified to pursue divinity?

Still, Yi Fengchu didn’t consider this a bad thing for himself.

Had this High Priest still been alive, or had the possibility of revival, there would have been a potential threat to Yi Fengchu.

Though it might sound callous—only a corpse that was permanently dead could truly put him at ease.

Thus, Yi Fengchu clasped his hands together without any guilt and thought:

May you rest in peace, High Priest.

He would take care of his people and restore the glory they once held in the Amusement Park.

With that settled, Yi Fengchu turned his thoughts elsewhere: "If I use this fragment to fill the void of a false identity, does that mean that identity will permanently replace this priest?"

"—Seizing his title and identity, usurping his fate and past... even gaining access to his Ability?"

Recalling all his current personas, Bryce already had the enigmatic identity of an Apostle, so this wasn't needed.

Among the throwaway identities only used once or twice in real-life scenarios, Yi Fengchu ultimately chose the fire-based Ability user "Chu Fu."

Chu Fu’s Ability, "Undying Flame," had a potential rating as high as Rank 8. Yi Fengchu was curious whether the Fate Fragment could trigger some chain reaction with it.

Ideally, it would activate this potential, allowing it to grow once more.

So Yi Fengchu had the phone construct a virtual vessel for Chu Fu. In the closed-off room, a figure appeared from nowhere.

Yi Fengchu didn’t transfer his consciousness into the vessel, merely observing it with a glance.

The pale-skinned young man lowered his blue eyes, completely lifeless, like an exquisitely crafted doll.

The moment the Fate Fragment merged, a faint silhouette overlapped with Chu Fu—

This High Priest, emerging from the twilight apocalypse, had flowing white hair that exuded desolation, his eyes a golden-red like molten sunset, radiating a cold metallic detachment.

He wore a white ceremonial robe adorned with golden patterns, styled like an ancient Greek chiton, draped from shoulder to waist with intricate golden ornaments cascading down, mingling with the nearly meter-long snow-white peacock feathers trailing behind him.

At the tips of the feathers, golden threads outlined countless gleaming eyes, slowly opening and closing in a pulse-like rhythm, as if constantly observing their surroundings.

If Bryce had a gentle presence, akin to a lyrical folk song,

Then this High Priest was more like a satirical poem, sharp and cold, laced with biting mockery.

Yi Fengchu stared at the figure, inexplicably feeling a sense of familiarity.

"...Have I met him before?" Yi Fengchu asked uncertainly.

The phone hesitated momentarily, as if sighing. "He was once a respectable—"

"Friend?"

"No," the phone replied simply. "A respectable enemy."

At the same time, Chu Fu’s profile updated.

"Name: Chu Fu / True Name: ???

Gender: Male / Male White Peacock

Age: 26 / 510

Occupation: Unemployed / Once a renowned prophet in the Amusement Park, the High Priest of the White Peacock clan."

His gaze lingered over the occupation field, Yi Fengchu nodded thoughtfully. "As expected, a high-level Ability user who once neared divinity couldn’t have been unknown..."

"Having him 'return' to the Amusement Park under Chu Fu’s identity should cause quite a stir among those in the know, right?"

Perhaps Yi Fengchu could also gather more information about this High Priest from others’ memories and stories.

Yi Fengchu continued reading, most curious about the changes to Chu Fu’s Abilities.

"Current Ability: Undying Flame (Rank 2)

Domain: Fire"

"Innate Ability: Future Definition (Rank 8 · Locked)

Domain: Fate"

"Ability Description: To him, all future possibilities branch out like complex offshoots from a tree trunk. He can select a branch and guide fate toward his envisioned direction."

It seemed Bryce’s power primarily dealt with the past, while the High Priest’s directly reached into the future...

Unfortunately, it was temporarily locked, making Yi Fengchu sigh with mild disappointment.

"More concrete changes will require field testing," Yi Fengchu muttered to himself. "But can I even find a second real-world scenario near University A?"

The phone suddenly spoke up. "With the Fate Fragment as its foundation, Chu Fu is no longer just a fabricated identity in any sense."

"He has a complete past and will have a future... He can be considered real, except for lacking an independent soul."

Yi Fengchu considered briefly before understanding. "You mean this vessel no longer relies entirely on your power to sustain it, so it can act more freely, unbound by distance limitations?"

At this, Yi Fengchu brightened with excitement.

"Then let’s pick any scenario and test it out..."

***

Passing through a gate woven from shimmering cosmic clouds, the moment Meng Siyou stepped into the instance, he heard a booming announcement:

"Welcome to the Kaleidoscope Advertising Company!"

"Here, we pursue more authentic and exciting advertising designs, providing users with everything they want..."

At the same time, the system's task panel appeared before Meng Siyou—

「You have entered the C+ level mission "Kaleidoscope Advertising Company." Good luck.」

「Mission Introduction: Kaleidoscope Advertising Company is a fast-growing newcomer in the industry, offering services including advertising design, filming, and distribution, ensuring it meets brands' diverse needs... However, the company recently faces a major issue—there aren’t enough Advertising Inspectors.」

「Task: As temporary inspectors, the five players must collectively screen five ads.」

Seeing the mission's low difficulty, Meng Siyou let out a small sigh of relief and turned his gaze to the other players beside him.

Meng Siyou had entered the mission last, and the other four players had already gathered. Their appearances were quite distinctive.

The first player was a burly bald man with thick, dark eyebrows and deep frown lines between them, making him look perpetually angry.

Even from a distance, an acrid smell of tobacco wafted into Meng Siyou’s nose, making him reluctant to approach the bald man.

The second player was frail, wearing a white shirt and thick-rimmed glasses. He cowered behind the bald man, likely acting as a lackey.

The bespectacled man nervously glanced around, and when his eyes met Meng Siyou’s, he jerked his head away as if startled and quickly looked away.

—The pairing of the bald man and the bespectacled man sent a chill down Meng Siyou's spine. He suddenly felt this mission might not go smoothly.

Meng Siyou had encountered many similar players before.

Hotheads like the bald man were prone to impulsive actions, and some even enjoyed bullying weaker players or forming gangs, often adding unnecessary complications to the mission.

Meanwhile, those like the bespectacled man were overly sensitive and fragile, lacking independent judgment, easily panicking in dangerous situations—their survival rates were just as poor.

With these thoughts, Meng Siyou observed the remaining two players.

The third player was a young woman dressed like an office worker, with dark circles under her eyes and dry, split ends in her ponytail, suggesting limited rest in her daily life.

Her world-weary air reminded Meng Siyou of a certain colleague, but her clear eyes and calm expression made her seem reliable.

Good—finally, a player who didn’t seem like a liability!

Feeling slightly relieved, Meng Siyou turned his gaze to the last player—then froze for a few seconds.

A mixed-race young man with black hair and blue eyes noticed his stare and looked up, nodding casually in greeting.

Chu Fu...?

Meng Siyou returned a polite smile on the surface, but his mind reeled.

After his colleague Wen Sheng emerged from the Coastal Station mission, he had given a detailed report about this mysterious player—an alleged former High-level ability user with some connection to the "Narrator."

Through collaboration with a professional sketch artist, the Anomalous Affairs Bureau had created a portrait of Chu Fu, which Meng Siyou had reviewed and memorized.

Thus, he recognized Chu Fu at a glance!

A flood of questions flooded Meng Siyou’s mind. He couldn’t help but wonder:

Was Chu Fu’s appearance in this mission a coincidence or inevitable?

Was this another directive from the "Narrator" behind it?

Though Meng Siyou had only been glanced at by "Him" once, he couldn’t escape the unsettling feeling—as if the Narrator had never left, His shadow still hanging over them all, His gaze silently observing everything from behind a veil.

The thought sent a chill running down Meng Siyou’s spine.

"You must be the substitute Advertising Inspectors, right?"

Just then, a staff member in a red vest approached to greet them, ushering them enthusiastically into the advertising company. "You must be tired from your trip! This way, follow me..."

The red vest led the five players through two doors into a long corridor. The floor was hard concrete, stained with faint, what looked like bloodstains, while overhead, harsh fluorescent lights cast flickering shadows on the players’ faces.

Their footsteps echoed in the silent hallway, accompanied only by the red vest’s nonstop prattling:

"Ah, it’s been tough. Finally, we found people willing to inspect ads again. The last ten only lasted two days before they were out of commission..."

"Even now, dozens of ads remain unchecked and can’t be released. The company’s desperate."

Grumbling under his breath, the red vest brought the players to several viewing rooms. With a strange mix of pity and regret, he looked them up and down before asking a bizarre question: "You’re brave enough, right?"

The bespectacled man flinched at this, while the other four showed no reaction.

The bald man even let out a contemptuous snort. "Pfft, I’ve never been afraid of anything in my whole damn life!"

The red vest glanced at him, his mouth twisting into a smirk. "Good, that’s good..."

"May you be bold, lucky, and live long."

Before the bald man could snap back, the red vest had already turned away, waving hastily as he left, throwing over his shoulder one last remark:

"—Good luck."