Chapter 50: Multiple Uses of Ability

Chapter 50: Versatile Applications of Abilities

"The difference between her and other NPCs (non-player characters)?"

Meng Siyou repeated softly, deep in thought. "She has her own thoughts and normal human emotions—"

"Which also means she can feel fear and react accordingly in the face of danger, such as running away," Chu Fu added leisurely.

Two gleams lit up in the corporate devotee's eyes as she eagerly proposed, "Why not leave it to me? In the name of the great Tree of Life, I shall reclaim their soulless husks."

"If we make all the fake red vests disappear, the one left who reacts with the most fear—the one who seems the most like a normal person—should be the receptionist we're looking for..."

Beside her, the bespectacled man shuddered at the fanaticism and conviction in her eyes, instinctively shrinking back.

Judging by Meng Siyou's expression, he clearly disapproved of the idea either.

But like the bespectacled man, he didn’t voice his disagreement outright. Instead, both instinctively turned to Chu Fu, awaiting his instruction.

Chu Fu cast a dismissive glance at the corporate devotee, his expression a mix of exasperation and disdain. At times, he carried himself like a noble from an ancient era, his tone diplomatic:

"That approach is rather crude, madam—and besides, we can’t be certain whether these NPCs in the ad possess true life and flesh."

"If their souls and bodies are false, impure… would they even be worthy of being reclaimed by you?"

"Would such counterfeit lives even deserve to grow in the cradle of the Tree of Life without tainting its soil?"

The corporate devotee was immediately convinced.

For a moment, she almost felt as though she were receiving the earnest teachings of the leader of the *Sacrament of Flesh and Spirit* sect—her mentor. These ancient elders all seemed adept at imparting wisdom in such a calm and enlightened manner.

"You're right," the corporate devotee nodded deferentially, unconsciously adopting reverent tones. "These counterfeit, mechanical husks are unworthy—and incapable—of returning to the mother’s embrace."

The bespectacled man cautiously asked, "Then what do you plan to do?"

Since his Ability was mostly used for dire emergencies, he had already mentally excluded himself as a viable option.

Yet, unexpectedly, Chu Fu turned his gaze toward him. "We could try your ability."

"Me?" The bespectacled man pointed at himself, dumbfounded.

"Yes, you," Chu Fu said. "Don’t limit your imagination when it comes to using your Ability. You can, as you’ve done before, transfer calamities like death—but you can also transfer something as fleeting as a sudden, stinging pain."

"From what we’ve observed, that receptionist doesn’t seem to have any special abilities. There’s no sign of training in her movements, and her steps even carry the wobble of a sedentary lifestyle..."

"If an ordinary person like her were suddenly struck by a sharp pain, she’d inevitably reveal some tell, wouldn’t she?"

"However, the only question now is," Chu Fu confirmed, "is the connection between you and the receptionist strong enough to allow the transfer of an invisible yet painful wound?"

The bespectacled man fell silent for a moment, observing the black scales that materialized in his mind.

Unbeknownst to the receptionist, she had already been placed on one side of the scales, awaiting the final outcome.

The two sides of the scales swayed under the weight of the counterbalance before finally tipping decisively in one direction.

After a pause, the bespectacled man relaxed his expression, satisfied with the result. "Originally, just the brief interaction when she guided us wouldn’t have been enough… but thankfully, she talked a lot. Those words added decisive mass to the scales."

Had the receptionist been present, she would have surely regretted her earlier chatter—never imagining it would become the key to exposing her identity and location.

"Good," Chu Fu smiled, clasping his hands together. "Then let’s begin."

……

Prepared for emergencies, the bespectacled man carried quite a few survival implements. After rummaging through them, he finally selected a silver needle a good four inches long.

The corporate devotee leaned in for a closer look and raised an eyebrow. "What do you usually carry this for? Testing your food and drinks for poison?"

"Actually, I originally wanted to mimic the poisoned needles from movies," the bespectacled man admitted awkwardly, scratching his head. "But before I could actually coat the tip with poison, I got pulled into this instance..."

Meng Siyou couldn’t help but chuckle.

Only Chu Fu compressed his lips, suppressing the urge to laugh for the sake of maintaining his mysterious image—though the corners of his mouth still twitched upward slightly.

Ignoring his companions’ teasing, the bespectacled man pinched the needle between his fingers, hovering its tip over his right index finger for a second before driving it down with full force!

At that moment, he activated the transaction through the Balance of Exchange.

The long needle suddenly turned translucent, its cold gleam passing straight through the bespectacled man’s fingertip and nail as though it no longer existed in this space—unable to harm him in any way.

—And this pain would be borne by the other party in the transaction.

"Ah!"

A sharp cry of pain suddenly erupted from among the mass of red vests diligently typing away at their desks.

The players immediately turned toward the sound, their heightened senses zeroing in on the location of the "special red vest."

Realizing her cover was blown after the needle’s sting, the receptionist sent her chair flying backward and bolted, sprinting toward the other end of the floor without hesitation.

But no matter how fast she ran, how could she outmatch the endless tricks of these Ability users?

The corporate devotee remained rooted in place, but her feet dissolved into countless fleshy roots that spread rapidly across the ground like invasive vines, chasing after the fleeing receptionist.

In the blink of an eye, the roots had already caught up, coiling around her ankles and pinning her firmly in place.

The receptionist twisted and struggled, but under the corporate devotee’s control, these roots were far from lifeless—they adjusted their grip in real time, tightening relentlessly around her legs until bruises bloomed beneath the pressure.

Her feet grew cold and numb from the lack of circulation.

After a few futile attempts, the receptionist gave up, slumping to the ground in defeat.

By the time the players approached, she was clutching her injured finger, trying in vain to stem the bleeding from the tiny puncture wound. Crimson droplets dripped from her fingertip.

The wound itself wasn’t severe, but fingertips were among the most nerve-dense areas of the body—even a minor injury was enough to leave her hissing through clenched teeth.

"You… stay back," the receptionist inhaled sharply as the players’ shadows closed in on her, raising her hands in surrender. "Let’s talk this out. What do you want?"

Her eyes darted warily between them—

Aside from the white-collar woman who had restrained her, the receptionist was most wary of the blue-eyed young man who seemed the most relaxed of the group.

She noticed how the others instinctively looked to him, as if gauging his reaction or awaiting his decision.

What struck her most was his unshakable composure—so unlike the countless "challengers" from other worlds she’d encountered before at the ad agency.

He didn't even seem like someone here to complete challenges, but rather as if he were on a whimsical trip.

All these details further convinced the receptionist that this curly-haired, blue-eyed young man was likely the only one calling the shots among this group of people with weird-ass powers.

The office worker's feet were still shaped like roots, as if she were being carried forward by them. She smiled and said, "Cut the act. Of course, we came to you to complete the final review of this advertisement."

"...So you've already figured it out. Well, the setting of this ad isn't very realistic, especially the parts about 'people.'"

The receptionist sighed, cunningly spinning the story: "Honestly, you could've just talked to me properly from the start. Why jump straight to roughing me up? Ugh—it hurts so much."

"And these weird root restraints—can you let me go already? My feet are numb! I promise I won’t run again..."

Complaining that they relied too much on force?

As if she would have been willing to "talk properly" if they hadn’t forced her out aggressively!

The office worker barked a laugh, raising a thick, meaty root-tendril threateningly. "Seems like you're not in enough pain yet, if you still have the energy to ramble like this."

The root swayed in front of the receptionist, instantly making her compliant: "S-stay back! I can put in to terminate this ad right now..."

After some thought, the office worker didn’t retract all the roots, leaving a few loosely coiled around the receptionist’s ankles as a precaution.

"Wait, you said you can directly request to terminate the ad?" The bespectacled man seized the key point in her words, incredulous. "How is that different from how we inspect ads?"

The receptionist smirked. "Because you're contract workers, of course."

"Meanwhile, I'm an officially employed Advertising Inspector at the Kaleidoscope Advertising Company—the real one, in reality."

With that, she pulled out a comm unit from her vest pocket, turned it on, and cleared her throat. "Inspector No. 121, requesting ad inspection completion."

Static crackled from the other end before a response came: "Request received. Please briefly describe the inspection results."

"The ad copy is high-energy and attention-grabbing, with killer opening impact. The company setting is pristine and well-organized, and the staff are diligent and professional, effectively showcasing our company's positive image..."

Pausing, the receptionist glanced at the nearby players and reluctantly added, "Uh, the inspector retention stats in the ad are also solid, demonstrating outstanding professionalism, which reflects our company's emphasis on employee safety."

Hearing this, Meng Siyou's mouth twisted wryly.

Emphasis on employee safety? What a bullshit.

After a brief silence, the voice on the other end continued, "Request approved."

As the words faded, the advertising company in Chu Fu's vision shattered into countless fragments.

The white walls, the dark floors, and the sea of red vests in the distance—all of it crumbled, raining down into the void below.

One by one, the figures of Meng Siyou, the office worker, and the others disappeared from the space, leaving only Chu Fu behind in the expanding void.

After waiting idly for a while, Chu Fu finally felt a force gently hook into his awareness, as if pulling him toward another space—

Another, real world.

So he closed his eyes and offered no resistance.

The force tugged desperately, and through its effort and Chu Fu's acquiescence, it slowly hauled his leaden spirit from beneath his skin, creeping him away from the world of the ad.