Chapter 278: Art Ranking |
Gospel time, May 10th at 23:59:59!
The first future Ranking List is announced!
The six people in the living room all flipped to their bookmarked pages, only to see the pages swiftly transform into images and text—no, into a video player!
“Video?”
“The last edition was still in the form of images.” Butler Youth commented, “But with each Weaving Festival, the method of announcement evolves with the era, and recently, video has indeed become the main medium.”
As they spoke, the scenes within the Gospel rapidly changed, featuring young men, Elves, Orcs, and Goblins. Some appeared handsome and dashing, others ancient and stodgy, some fierce and robust, and some elegantly aloof. Without exception, all were painting.
With a stroke of vivid ink, the title of the first Ranking List was grandly announced—
Art Ranking
“No me this time.” Harvey yawned.
“I’m not even as good as you at painting, Banjeet,” Annan smiled.
Igor pondered, “I do like painting quite a bit, but I’m not interested in pursuing it further…”
Con Artist looked at Ashe, who cleared his throat, ready to say something, but Igor’s gaze skipped over him to a young girl with white hair: “Lise, do you like painting?”
“Um—” Lise checked her Little Magic Mirror before answering: “I love it!”
Ashe: “Why not ask me?”
Igor said, “Look, they’re about to release the painting ranked tenth.”
“Don’t dodge my question, hey!”
The scene in the book began to shift, showing a meticulously dressed male Elf bent over his desk. He seemed to be in a basement, his clothing somewhat dirty, and on the Holographic Screen in front of him, a comic was rapidly taking shape with each stroke of his pen.
Art Ranking, 10th Place: “From the Old Era”
“A comic that portrays the transition from the old Gospel era to the new Wasteland era, the creator integrates his own experiences to depict the personal, social, and Destiny changes under historical shifts. This comic visualizes the transformations of history…”
“Lanbeisi Dongbei”
“Dongbei Family!” Annan immediately exclaimed, “He’s a member of the Elves’ Dongbei Family!”
More than the creator’s identity, everyone was captivated by the description of the artwork—Old Gospel era? New Wasteland era? What do these terms mean?
Moreover, as a descendant of the Elves Family, why would Lanbeisi live in a dirty basement, wearing tattered clothes stuffed with cotton, creating in such harsh conditions?
Even the poorest commoners could afford a Mechanical Spider, so why would he live a life that seems akin to dwelling in a Sewer?
Beyond the artwork and the creator himself, the historical context of his creations is even more intriguing.
“Lanbeisi Dongbei receives the reward ‘Pen of Dialogue’.”
“Pen of Dialogue: Any character created with this pen can converse with the creator, and only the creator can hear their Inner Voice. Treat your fictional characters well, or they might curse you out!”
“‘From the Old Era’ receives the reward ‘Must-See’.”
“Must-See: The moment this work is completed, every Family will receive a set of this work, and at the same time, the creator will receive an equivalent amount in royalties. The royalty funds will be drawn from the top ten offenders on the Slaughter Ranking.”
What a scheme!
Everyone present couldn’t help but internally criticize.
While the Pen of Dialogue indeed seems magical and could certainly become a useful tool for a cartoonist, for this group who never planned to contribute to cultural pursuits, the Pen of Dialogue holds little allure.
Ashe could not think of any other use for the Pen of Dialogue—drawing a Paper person and then falling in love with it?
Moreover, there are many simpler alternatives for chatting with virtual characters: consulting Igor for hypnosis, seeking Harvey for sweets, or asking Ashe for video games—there are plenty of virtual characters in online games.
But the latter reward is truly insane.
It’s one thing to have rewards for the artworks, but to have them instantly distributed nationwide, requiring every Family to own a copy; and not just nationwide distribution, but having the royalties drawn from the top ten murderers on the Slaughter Ranking!
When the people of the Gospel unexpectedly receive a deluxe set of the comic book, should they say ‘thanks to the number one on the Slaughter Ranking’?
“Not right,” Annan suddenly said. “While it makes sense to draw from the Slaughter Ranking, typically such cash rewards are deducted from the national treasury. There has never been a precedent for demanding money from the Slaughter Ranking, unless…”
“Unless there is no treasury left,” Igor finished for Annan, voicing what Annan had only hinted at. “It’s even possible that the Gospel Kingdom no longer exists.”
The three migrant workers were naturally indifferent to this. Whether it’s the destruction of the Gospel Kingdom or even the Blood Moon Kingdom, they would simply comment, ‘Isn’t that fortunate.’
However, Banjeet and Annan’s expressions turned quite grim. After all, this was their homeland, and unlike the orphans of the Blood Moon, they still held deep feelings for their nation.
But unnoticed by all, Lise, hiding in the corner, had a slight smile playing at her lips.
At that moment, the video from the Gospel continued. The scene showed the Elves painter Lanbeisi suddenly picking up a photo frame from his desk. The frame contained an image of a diminutive Goblin Sorcerer painting beneath an Obelisk. The scene then transitioned from the basement to the Obelisk Square.
The Goblin Sorcerer painted swiftly and fiercely—each stroke was incredibly bold and forceful. Just watching his painting process, one could feel as if they were witnessing life burning brightly.
As the Goblin Sorcerer made the final brushstroke, the tip of the Spire emitted a brilliant glow. A visible energy shield quickly unfolded, enveloping the entire city. At the city’s edge, one could faintly see rolling waves of darkness…
However, upon completing his work, the body of the Goblin Sorcerer disintegrated into ash—this turned out to be a Ritual Miracle that demanded life as its price!
Art Ranking, 9th Place: “Monument of Guardianship”
“A Sorcerer has inscribed their wisdom, soul, and arcane energy into the Obelisk through painting, leveraging the power of the Virtual Realm to protect the city from calamities.”
“Mantos Cheno”
“That Spire is a landmark of Hemera…” Annan murmured. “Hemera is a plains city, also known as ‘Land Blessed by the Gods.’ It’s the second major urban area in the Gospel Kingdom, and it has never faced any disasters for thousands of years…”
There’s no need for further discussion—If once could be a coincidence, twice confirms that in the future depicted by the Gospel, this Kingdom will face catastrophic changes.
Art is merely a shadow of this heavy history.
