Chapter 86: The Masterpiece of a Knockoff Brand

I am deeply repentant.

I had only heard fragmented tales about the GM from friends who traverse the skies, and blindly, arrogantly assumed they were merely a group of extraordinarily powerful nobles. More than once, I secretly cursed and mocked them in my heart.

The Supreme God Darimos bears witness to me—I truly did not know that GM was another name for the divine. Had I known, with my devout heart, I would never have committed such a blasphemous sin.

Worse yet, the all-knowing, omnipotent Supreme God must be one of the GMs. Surely, every disparaging word I muttered about the GMs was fully known to him. Though I meant no offense, if by chance his mood turned sour and he took great offense at my words and deeds, then...

I nervously stole a glance at the descending deity—GM007, the Fallen Angel with Broken Wings—afraid to see a look of condemnation etched upon his face.

The Fallen Angel bore a kind expression, smiling gently at Fei Yin, only occasionally flicking a sidelong glance my way.

Hush... it seems the situation isn’t so dire. Perhaps the gods are too busy to care about my minor disrespect. I sighed with relief and comforted myself.

No, it cannot be so! Suddenly, my mind cleared sharply. How could an all-knowing, omnipotent deity be ignorant of the petty thoughts of a lowly mortal like me? Is there anything that could be hidden from the power of the gods? Surely, my small pride was no secret to him.

Then what is he doing? Why does he not expose me, criticize me, punish me? Why, with his omnipresent divine power, does he not mete out the punishment I deserve? Why stand aside, pretending indifference?

There is but one answer: he is waiting—waiting for me to repent, waiting for me to confess of my own accord. He has given me a chance to repent, to grasp a lifeline amidst the boundless sea of sins.

How merciful and magnificent! Truly the heart of a god is as vast as the sky, as boundless as the ocean...

Once again, I was deeply moved.

I stood silently aside, gazing upon the deity before me with reverence and gratitude. Without his wings, he looked like an ordinary human: tawny skin, black eyes, sparse eyebrows drooping listlessly over his forehead, giving him a frail and weary appearance. I dare say, were he to hide his wings among the crowd, he would vanish in an instant, just another unremarkable passerby. This, then, is the visage of a deity—revealing profound truths within the ordinary.

Though plain-featured, his attire adhered to some sacred, profound aesthetic beyond my comprehension:

On his feet were simple slippers—oh, let me marvel at how humble a god can be—each sole adorned with two sharp, flowing white hook-shaped patterns.

Though crafted from just soles and two broad straps, I could not discern the material. They gleamed like crystal, felt as light as feathers, and were as soft as cotton. My alchemical knowledge was utterly powerless before the infinite creative might of the gods. I realized that before a deity, I was but a lowly, ignorant ant.

“Branded slippers with ultra-fiber uppers, full-foot air cushions, durable soles, bringing you the exquisite sensation of walking on clouds. Movement speed +5000, defense +2400, health +1600; wearer’s movement speed increased by 2000%, with unlimited instant teleportation skill use.”

The Fallen Angel wore colorful shorts, their hems just past the knees, leaving his sacred calves exposed to our mortal eyes—have I mentioned that the god’s leg hair stood proud and firm, carrying an awe-inspiring dignity?

The shorts were gaudy beyond measure, looking like a painter’s rag used to clean a palette—indeed, every color I had ever seen on this earth found its counterpart in the stripes on these shorts. When the noble Fallen Angel moved, it was as if a rainbow glided before my eyes.

“Neck-dominating shorts, the second Chinese brand to enter the Louvre, designed by a master, with spectral creativity, bathing your lower body in perpetual sunlight. Strength +3000, defense +2600, health +5000; resistance to freezing, confusion, petrification, sleep, poisoning, and all abnormal statuses.”

If the materials of the slippers and shorts eluded me, the god’s upper garment was even more painfully simple—a pure cashmere fabric. Being familiar with cashmere from my alchemical experiments, I knew this was a common animal fiber.

The garment looked like a heavy armor, pulled on over the head—perhaps symbolizing the god’s warm embrace of humanity. Its sleeves were long enough to nearly cover the Fallen Angel’s fingers—perhaps signifying divine protection over those who labor with their hands. The hem was short, revealing his navel—perhaps symbolizing encouragement to endure life’s hardships. The left side was black, the right white—perhaps illustrating the god’s authority over day and night. Two crossed patterns adorned the chest—perhaps...

In short, I firmly believe the god’s attire is never crude or careless; every detail carries profound meaning, deserving our humble and foolish selves to ponder and feel.

“Eternal circle auspicious cashmere sweater—amazing! Internationally renowned brand, embodying avant-garde advertising art, warming your winter with black humor and futuristic symbols. Strength +2300, defense +8000, agility +1500, health +1400; wearer may use the Holy Light Protection skill without limit.”

Looking further upward, the god’s neck was tied with a red cord—perhaps a symbol of divine self-discipline and constant self-reflection.

“Silver Profit tie, a man’s world, bringing you captivating masculine charm. Wisdom +8000, defense +1300, health +3400; wearer may use the Death Finger skill without limit.”

Besides these, the great Fallen Angel also wore accessories such as “GUCGI men’s tasteful felt hat,” a “Platinum Fragrance eight-heart eight-arrow spirit diamond ring,” and held a divine weapon of world-destroying power, the “iPhone Wireless Mobile Communicator.” A “Forever 28-inch bicycle” awaited him in a magical space reserved for mounts, ready to launch at supersonic speeds...

Well then, let us reconsider this revered deity: stepping on branded slippers, clad in neck-dominating shorts, wearing eternal circle auspicious cashmere, neck adorned with a Silver Profit tie, head crowned with a GUCGI felt hat, finger adorned with an eight-heart eight-arrow diamond ring, hand gripping an iPhone mobile communicator, straddling a forever 28-inch dual-wheeled magical war chariot...

I must admit, his ensemble made me feel quite awkward. He reminded me of a quail half-plucked of its feathers—and freshly scalded with boiling water, no less.

Yet I also understood that my so-called “ugliness” was merely the limited aesthetic sense of a mortal’s eyes. Our judgment of disorder and ugliness stems from our base tastes. For the omniscient, omnipotent gods, perhaps only such an ensemble truly suits the noble and sacred aesthetic.

Beneath this garb, the Fallen Angel perfectly embodied the elegant and pure image of a celestial deity. Whether among humans, elves, minotaurs, dwarves, gnomes, or across the myriad races of the Falwei Continent, a striking figure like him would always shine like a star in darkness, guiding souls forward...

“Lord GM, what on earth are you wearing...” Indeed, the solemn and dignified attire greatly enhanced the divine aura he emitted, so much so that even the fearless Fei Yin was deeply awed, gazing at him with admiration and exclaiming:

“...All these are representative pieces from cheap domestic knockoff brands...”

The Fallen Angel’s cheeks flushed slightly; he lowered his head, mumbling softly:

“Well... um... our company is expanding advertising business. Since GM gear always attracts attention, the naming rights for various equipment have all been sold... so we just...” He shrugged helplessly, glancing down at his outfit. Perhaps feeling it beneath a god’s dignity to answer a mortal’s question so casually, he cleared his throat and asked seriously:

“Where did you say the bug is?”

Fei Yin’s eyes gleamed slyly: “I saw on the homepage that players get rewards for reporting bugs, right? So... what are the rewards? Can you tell me first?”

“According to Article 32 of the Work Manual, the first player to report a bug will definitely receive a reward. But the content of the reward varies...” Our venerable deity showed ample patience despite Fei Yin’s near-impertinent questioning. “Generally, rewards depend on the severity of the bug’s impact on the system—the more serious, the richer the reward.”

“Can you tell me what kinds of rewards there are?” Fei Yin’s face bore an innocent smile, like a sweet, harmless girl—knowing her as I do, whenever she made this expression, she was surely plotting some extortion.

“According to Article 54 of the Work Manual, rewards can only be chosen from gold coins, point cards, and experience points...” The Fallen Angel answered earnestly. “So, what exactly is the bug you found?”

“Could we get a powerful piece of equipment, like a divine artifact or something?” Fei Yin’s eyes sparkled with pure excitement, ignoring his question entirely.

“Sorry, no such thing exists. Fixing bugs is meant to maintain game balance. According to Article 79 of the Work Manual, we cannot give players equipment that would affect game balance...” The Fallen Angel patiently lectured.

Suddenly, Fei Yin boldly grabbed the god’s arm, shaking it coquettishly, her eyes flowing with innocent, heartbreaking cuteness like a kitten’s: “Then could you secretly give me just one... just one, I won’t tell anyone, pinky promise...” She extended her right pinky.

Faced with such a girl’s pleading, the Fallen Angel looked mortified. He quickly shrugged off her grasp: “Ahem... really no. According to Article 120 of the Work Manual, I cannot agree to such requests. Please just tell me where the bug is.”

Realizing the god would never grant a divine artifact, Fei Yin pouted disappointedly: “Hey, you wouldn’t report the bug to the company and then pocket our reward, would you? I’ve heard of such things.”

“That would never happen. Our company has always upheld the principle of serving players and giving back to society, wholeheartedly protecting players’ interests and achievements. We have a good reputation in the industry.” The Fallen Angel hurriedly explained with righteous earnestness.

Fei Yin sneered: “Hmph, they all talk sweet before tearing down a house. After the demolition, we’re left calling on heaven and earth in vain. Real estate developers are all like that...”

The god muttered aggrievedly: “We’re not real estate developers...”

“The principle is the same anyway...” Fei Yin eyed the Fallen Angel distrustfully. “Your words sound so suspicious, I don’t think my interests will be protected...”

Embarrassed by the accusation of “suspicious,” the god’s face turned beet red. His thin face flushed, his voice trembling: “It really isn’t so. Article 166 of the Work Manual states that if you don’t receive your reward, you can call the Customer Service Department directly. Their number is on the homepage; mine is 007...” He pointed to the name above his head. “Feel free to supervise my work.”

“Hmph, but what if you pocket half the reward? If we don’t know how much we’re owed, won’t we suffer silently?”

“Uh...” Apparently, the god had never encountered such a stubborn heretic before. His face turned redder still, his voice almost breaking into tears, “I really, really wouldn’t do that. Article 172 of the Work Manual says GM’s ID numbers are locked; no alternate accounts can enter Falwei Continent. What use would I have for your rewards?”

“Hmph, I don’t believe it. This is like real estate developers hoarding inventory. They say the ID numbers are registered by owners, but a little money to a laborer gets you one, fifteen yuan each, buy three get one free...”

“We are not real estate developers!” The Fallen Angel cried out loudly, now red-faced and furious, on the verge of collapse. I feared he might, in a fit of anger, reduce this delicate girl to shards. Yet admirable was his patience—he bore the mortal’s insolence and continued to explain. Oh, such magnanimity...

“Alright, alright, I’m scared of you. Maybe I can invoke Article 250 of the Work Manual: in special circumstances, to protect the company’s reputation and interests, special measures may be flexibly employed...”

The sheer number of articles in the gods’ Work Manual was astonishing. That someone could recite them backwards amazed me, and that he could flexibly apply these laws in different situations—surely only a divine mind could possess such wisdom...

“...However, this information is confidential, only the three of you may know it. Absolutely no one else...” He reminded us carefully. We nodded quickly.

“...Even if you accidentally tell someone else, don’t say it came from me...” Just as we expected him to reveal divine secrets, he added another clause.

Nodding.

“Um... even if someone finds out it was me who told you, don’t say I told you intentionally...” Though I have always revered the words of gods, he... oh no, no buts—I revere, I revere, I revere...

“...Even if it’s known I intentionally told you, don’t say I told you during the report processing period...”

“...Even if...”

The god took scrupulous caution to the utmost. Yet soon I realized that by extending his disclaimers thus, it seemed no great harm if the whole world learned he had shared these divine secrets with us—he always seemed to have a way out.

“Enough, enough, enough!” Fei Yin seemed very impatient with his careful admonitions and blessings—though this was improper, for hearing divine teachings is a great blessing—despite his rambling on about trivialities.

“I promise I won’t tell anyone, no more ‘even ifs,’ okay?” Fei Yin assured repeatedly. She glanced at me and Fo Xiao, and we nodded resolutely.

“Good... then I will tell you...” Seeing our solemn determination, the Fallen Angel relaxed and spoke.

As he was about to reveal the secrets of the divine realm, Fei Yin leaned in eagerly, straining to catch every word.

“...You really mustn’t tell anyone else...” Hesitating long, the god still could not help but say.

“Are you done yet?!” A shrill scream nearly pierced my eardrums. Had I not held her back, our President Fei Yin might have committed the colossal sin of godslaying on the spot.

It was terrifying beyond words...