Chapter 321: Chapter 274: If There’s Any Issue, Take It Out on the Substitute Chapter 321: Chapter 274: If There’s Any Issue, Take It Out on the Substitute May 10th, Kingdom of Gospel, Funeral Service Office’s bathhouse.
At 7 in the morning, the sky had already brightened, and Ash came over in his swim trunks. Hearing voices from the bathhouse, he peeked in and found that someone had already claimed a spot.
Ash dove in, splashing water all around, which Igula promptly blew back with a Technique Spirit, grimacing with disdain, “(*-<-)Ash, how old are you this year? Have you graduated from the senior class at the orphanage?" On the other side, Harvey was lying on a massage lounger in the bath, puffing on cat grass smoke, while bubbles rhythmically drummed against his muscles. The Necromancer had even turned on the sun lamps on the ceiling, bathing himself in warm, golden rays that screamed the epitome of comfort--fully embodying the sentiment 'any place can be a seaside resort if you set your mind to it.' Speaking of which, Harvey was quite normal compared to Ash and Igula. With his dark skin, he looked like a bricklayer, and he spoke straightforwardly. Though he had low moral standards, his desires weren't high either, fitting the type who was content with whatever came his way. Had Harvey arrived in the Kingdom of Gospel on his own, he probably would have been considered a godsend for cougars, waiting to be picked up by some wealthy woman--to do housework by day and tomb raiding by night, living a flavorful life. Even considering his necrophilia and sweet tooth, these quirks harmed no one but corpses and himself, and upon reflection, they weren't utterly unacceptable... Ash suddenly slapped water on his face, immersing himself fully in the bath. This is terrible, thought Ash. After mingling with this crowd for too long, Harvey, who appeared slightly less reprehensible than Igula and Hanna, started to seem refined and handsome. "What were you guys talking about just now?" Ash relaxed in the bath, and his stiff muscles responded to his coaxing with soreness, "Igula, have you been recommending another show?" "I recommend them, but you guys never watch, so what's the point?" Igula responded coldly, "The 'Wife's Redemption' I suggested last time is the Kingdom of Gospel's must-watch classic of the decade." "It's not that I don't want to watch, but when do I have the time--" "Just watch it at 32x speed." "If I had a gun right now, I would shoot you first and then ask why you didn't dodge." "We were discussing artistic creation," Harvey exhaled a wisp of greenish cat grass smoke and said, "How to craft a compelling character." Although it felt odd to Ash they were discussing this, he didn't dwell on it and offhandedly said, "Well, you've come to the right person. Character creation is my forte. Keep your ears peeled for the pearls of wisdom I'm about to drop." "Oh, what, were you a novelist before? Have you written any masterpieces? I read in my spare time, maybe I've come across your great works," Igula said with a sneer. "I'm not a writer, but my profession requires even more character crafting than writing does," Ash elaborated, "Our line of work relies on creating characters to scam kids out of their money." Igula instinctively wanted to refute him but then nodded thoughtfully after a pause, "Right, you were a former cult leader, so you're definitely a professional." Ash figured Igula must have misunderstood the scope of a cult leader's business, but he was too lazy to explain and continued, "There are many dimensions to crafting a great character: appearance, personality, abilities, background, dreams and aspirations... But it all boils down to two things: sexual function and functionality." Igula and Harvey blinked, evidently taken aback by Ash's crude but straightforward approach. "Beauties in distress, crazy beauties, haughty air conditioners, earthly riches--all these character images that resonate deeply and become popular do so because they fulfill the dual needs of sexual function and functionality. When you create a character, consider whether this character can arouse your desires. Can this character solve your sufferings? If the answer is yes to both, then you've created a successful character." "Whether a character becomes a timeless classic is up to flashes of inspiration and the course of history, which can't be forced." As a mobile game company's operational planner, although Ash wasn't directly involved in character creation, he had attended internal training sessions and thoroughly understood how character planners step by step swindled money from middle and high school students. If individual creation was the chance product of genius, then the game company's creation was the assembly line of industry, filling 'sexual function' and 'functionality' with a mix and match of trendy elements to the point where one couldn't help but want to unlock their digital wallets at first sight. Harvey, apparently greatly inspired, pinched out the cat grass smoke and climbed out of the bath, casually draping a towel over his shoulders, "You're a true former cult leader, indeed the right person for this kind of thing. I can't hold back the surge of inspiration any longer, I'm going to my room to create." Watching Harvey leave in a hurry, Ash scratched his head, "Strange, Harvey doesn't seem like someone who enjoys writing novels..." Igula also stepped out of the bath, shaking his long, drip-laden hair, casually slinging a towel over himself, and combed his soggy bangs back with his hands, giving Ash a sidelong glance. "Who told you he was writing novels?" Ash stiffened, suddenly realizing a possibility. He looked intently at Igula, "He asked about character creation techniques, he wants to use them on virtual characters, doesn't he?" Igula, without a word, simply left the bathhouse.