Chapter 240: Chapter 207: Twenty-Sided Dice_2 Chapter 240: Chapter 207: Twenty-Sided Dice_2 “Eat up, you just need to take care of their dinner.”
Banjee nodded, opening the Gospel Book to order takeout.
Yes, the Gospel Rings they provided to Ash and the others were in fact castrated versions, or you might say, ‘collector’s editions’.
The real Gospel gadgets had long been integrated with multimedia functions: accessing the Veil, instant messaging, watching videos, forum discussions, ordering takeout, and so on. In contrast, something like the Gospel Ring which could only open the Gospel Book was more a luxurious accessory meant to flaunt one’s status.
It’s like how some people would buy a clock to know the time, even when they could just open the Gospel Book—Banjee was such a person; he thought pocket watches were cool—so naturally, many wealthy folks liked to purchase these Gospel Rings, Gospel Bracelets, or even Gospel Glasses that only had the capability to open the Gospel Book.
As for why Ash and the others were only allowed to open the Gospel Book… it was of course to prevent them from having any contact with the outside world, while also letting them experience the allure of the Gospel Book.
Humans are social creatures, and communication is an extension of boundaries. When you read news from a thousand miles away, you’re there; when you interact with someone over the Veil, you’re not alone; and when you see the tens of thousands of real person feeds from the Kingdom of Gospel, your room becomes the entire nation.
Conversely, when they couldn’t leave or communicate with the outside world, this house became their entire world.
Their vision limited to four walls, their ambitions unable to reach a wider world, naturally, they could only focus inward.
Just like how ancient courts often bred conspiracies and banquets were rife with treachery, Hanna had long anticipated that Ash and the others would scheme to rebel against her—or rather, that was exactly the outcome she was hoping for.
The more they stirred things up in secret, the more compliant they appeared on the surface.
With the constraints of the Paper Weaving Contract, Hanna wasn’t the least bit worried about their rebellion; on the contrary, the more they obsessed over how to deal with her, the happier she became, as it meant they were wasting their energy on futile efforts.
Conspiracy and suspicion are twins, and the shadow of revenge is called shortsightedness.
When each of them was consumed by negative emotions, Hanna only needed to find ways to stir discord, favor some, suppress others, and she could easily divide and tighten her control over them, using palace intrigue to drain their spirit.
Although they had initially seen through her schemes, Hanna had never given up on dominating these people from the Exotic Realm. She simply made her plans longer, more secretive, and harder to resist.
But regardless, the first step was to fill their hearts with negative energy.
Hanna’s visit to the Mermaid Palace today was also deliberate, leaving them room to act freely. She had considered that when she returned home, these new staff might not show her a good face, or perhaps they would welcome her with smiles, or even someone might defect to her side.
She had prepared for all eventualities, yet still, she was thrown off by this group’s actions.
Why are you all playing with building blocks so happily together!
All of you combined are over a hundred years old!
Aren’t you worried about your futures? Don’t you crave the Divine Lord’s wish? Don’t you want to fight against the restraints of the Paper Weaving Contract? I gave you such a good opportunity to connect, and here you are playing with blocks and even dragging Banjee into it!
Hanna looked down at the photo on the Gospel Book: five people standing in front of Heavenly Curtain City, Banjee standing upright, Harvey holding a cigarette, Igula acting coy, Ash squatting and flashing a V-sign, and Liss, though not understanding, also followed by flashing a V-sign…
Who brought this stagnant water back to life?
Purple Moth scanned the faces of the new employees, eventually resting her gaze on Ash and Liss.
The takeout arrived quickly, and the drone considerately placed a steaming hot dish of lala meat on the table. Ash had just sat down when he stood up again: “Keep some spicy lala meat for me, I’m going—”
“Stop, don’t say it, just go, no one’s fighting you for it,” Igula decisively interrupted Ash’s curse-casting.
With an empty stomach, Liss couldn’t wait to grab a piece of cake from the takeout and stuff it in her mouth, getting cream all over her face. Igula said gently, “Liss, you should eat dessert after the main course, come on, eat the lala meat first.”
Igula took the initiative to pick up knife and fork, dividing the fattest portion of the food: one for Harvey, one for himself, one for Banjee, one for Liss, and then it was all gone.
“Aunt Bokin, you’re always picking on Dad…”
“Well, if you don’t want it, give it to me; I’ll suffer through it,” Igula looked around with a threatening gaze at Harvey and Banjee.
Harvey didn’t mind and ate heartily.
Banjee seemed to lack an appetite but politely licked the lala fat.
Liss pondered for a moment and decided that instead of feeding Igula, she might as well enjoy it herself, so she tucked in with gusto.
Liss paused, turned her head, and saw the Observer sitting in Ash’s seat. Just as she was about to speak, the Observer raised a finger, “Speak in your mind, I can hear you.”
‘Happy!’ Liss thought to herself: ‘Observer brother, you’re amazing! Can no one else see you?’
“Just like Diya, no one but you can see me.” The Observer leaned in to smell the aroma of the lala fat, “Speaking of which, where’s the Witch?”
‘The Princess sister? She’s in my mind, fussing about switching.’ Liss thought: ‘But I’ll talk about it after I’ve eaten.’
“Um, indeed, it’s time to switch, especially since the activity coming up is rather violent and gory, not suitable for you, Liss.”
“Before that, let’s settle the score for your entertainment today!”
The Observer flipped his hand and pulled out a twenty-sided die.
He tossed it lightly, and the die rolled a few times on the dining table, finally landing on an eight.
“Today’s entertainment activity is rated as extraordinary, +7 points; Liss, you’re in a good mood, +5 points; Liss, you have a luck check +10 and can roll an additional ten-sided die for extra points…”
With a light tap from the Observer, the twenty-sided die instantly turned into a ten-sided die, which rolled and settled on a three.
“Today’s points for you are 7+5+3=15 points. The Prince of Pleasure only has 8 points, so Liss, you’ve won the Prince’s admiration for today and earned 150% Fist Claw Faction experience.”
As soon as the Observer finished speaking, Liss felt as if an ice cream had melted in her mind, with the sweet knowledge flowing continuously into her thoughts.
She stared in surprise and then picked up a stainless steel spoon to look at her own reflection in it.
Then she put on a serious face and stared intently at the Observer: ‘Why do I feel like I’m absorbing knowledge in the Void Realm? Observer, who are you?’
“Are you the Witch? Actually, I prefer chatting with the little witch.” The Observer mused, “In any case, I arranged for you to play for your benefit. After all, with your current state, you can’t perform normal cultivation. It’s not simply about toying with you – at least, not entirely.”
‘Not entirely—what percentage then?’
“About 76.85%… But that’s not the point.” The Observer clapped his hands, “Entertainment is over. The next event is the main show, which happens to be a task that’s just right for you, Witch.”
Diya felt nervous: ‘What task?’
“Battle.” The Observer uttered a harsh word.
‘Observer, you should know that in my current state, I have no combat ability—’
“But I want you to fight,” the Observer said coldly. “You know, it’s not an order, but you can’t refuse.”
Diya took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to argue: ‘Who’s the target?’
The Observer raised his hand.
Pointing towards the restroom currently in use.