Chapter 563: The Hilarious Host
[I’m honestly not surprised by this outcome. Put Erebus aside for a moment—I really miss Silvanus.]
[Oh God, this damned show isn’t going to do anything to him, is it? They’re always a bunch of bastards.]
[Don’t worry. Silvanus has Erebus protecting him.]
[Don’t say things like that! Do you have any idea how much that makes me love them?!]
The viewers were just as noisy as the artists. After all, whether they were people completely unrelated to the matter or mere spectators watching out of curiosity, everyone’s attention was now focused on the upcoming livestream.
After browsing through all kinds of discussions on the forum, Silvanus had begun to grasp how this program operated.
In short, he was about to participate in a killing game...
Silvanus: "..."
That bastard Nine hadn’t bothered to mention any of this, but Silvanus wasn’t particularly surprised.
What occupied his thoughts even more were Nine’s words.
Kill a god... Kill the gods that were supposedly protecting those artists?
How could Nine possibly believe that he would help Happy TV Network continue spreading its nightmares while the artists had no assistance whatsoever?
Still, Silvanus felt there was more to Nine’s words than met the eye. Guessing any further now would be pointless. He might as well prepare a few scenarios for tonight first.
And when people weren’t particularly looking forward to something, time always seemed to fly by at a terrifying pace.
...
"Oh, my, my, my! Greetings, my dear viewers! You’ve all heard the news, haven’t you? You’ve all heard the news, haven’t you?!"
"Goodness! The viewer count is skyrocketing! It makes me so happy—so incredibly happy!"
"Will this episode break all previous viewership records?"
"I’m so curious—I’m dying of curiosity!!!"
The screen was still covered in static, with nothing but the host’s excited voice echoing through the broadcast. He kept talking to himself over and over again, sounding as though he was so exhilarated he might explode from excitement.
Meanwhile, the actual set was nothing more than a recording studio of about sixteen square meters. Two chairs were placed opposite each other, facing a camera and a massive screen where comments streamed past at a dizzying speed.
Then, a beam of light flashed, bringing today’s guest onto the program.
The moment Silvanus was teleported in, he landed on a chair as soft as a cloud.
Instinctively, he looked at the person sitting across from him first, then paused.
The host was practically a giant standing right before him.
He had iron arms so long they nearly reached the floor, along with equally elongated iron legs, making him seem almost three meters tall.
His torso was strangely round, though it didn’t look like obesity—it seemed to be the way he had been designed from the very beginning.
Even so, he wore an impeccably tailored black suit. Perched atop what appeared to be a completely bald head was a magician’s top hat. Beneath it, his face was hidden behind a crying mask, with painted streams flowing from its eyes like tears. The corners of the mask’s mouth drooped downward, giving it an oddly pitiful expression.
Yet his voice was overflowing with excitement.
"Here he is! Here he is! The star of today’s show! You’re incredibly handsome! Come on, say hello to all the dear viewers who’ve been eagerly waiting for your arrival!"
As he spoke, he raised one of his arms slightly, producing a series of creaks and squeals, like a pile of rusted scrap metal that had long since fallen into disrepair.
Following the direction of the host’s hand, Silvanus looked toward the giant screen on the other side.
Instantly, the comments—which had already been flying by like mad—accelerated even further, so fast that the words blurred into streaks of white.
Silvanus couldn’t help but curl his lips into a faint smile, momentarily at a loss for words. However, the helpless smile on his face was soon replaced by a flawlessly warm and approachable expression.
He raised a hand in greeting to all the viewers and artists watching the program.
"Hello, I’m Silvanus, Erebus’s Number One Priest."
"And for those who don’t know about Erebus, he is—"
Before Silvanus could finish speaking, the host’s two long iron hands grabbed him by both shoulders and turned him around to face him.
"Now, now, now, you little fanatic. We haven’t even introduced ourselves to each other yet, and you’re already introducing the god you worship? What, do you think this is a promotional program?"
[...]
[If it’s Silvanus, I’m sure that’s exactly what he was thinking.]
[But he’s so handsome todayyyyyyyyyyy.]
[That white suit belongs in a museum!]
The viewers continued flooding the screen with comments. Usually, they were the ones providing entertainment for others. Now that it was finally their turn to be entertained, they proved they were no less enthusiastic in the comment section.
[So this is Silvanus?]
[Damn it... are all of God’s believers this good-looking?]
[At least every high-ranking believer I’ve met has been attractive.]
[Does this count as discrimination?]
[Hahaha. Why don’t you compare your ranks first before talking about discrimination?]
Meanwhile, Silvanus frowned ever so slightly at the hand resting on his shoulder.
The host immediately let go, waving his open palm back and forth as he laughed merrily.
"Hahaha! What’s with that look? Goodness, I’m actually very clean!"
There really wasn’t a speck of dirt left on Silvanus’s shoulder, but he still lifted a hand and casually brushed it off. He could almost immediately hear the host let out an unmistakably loud snort of displeasure.
Raising his gaze, Silvanus’s jade-green eyes met those of the towering giant before him.
"Very well. You already know everything about me."
"If we’re introducing ourselves, shouldn’t you be the one to go first?"
As soon as Silvanus finished speaking, the crying mask lunged forward until it was right in front of his face.
Silvanus couldn’t help but frown. Raising one hand, he pressed his palm against the forehead of the bizarre mechanical creature. Extending his index finger, he slowly pushed its head away, his voice icy cold.
"I’ve already told you—keep your distance. Are you this overly friendly with everyone?"
The host merely chuckled, but before he could say anything, Silvanus continued,
"Don’t you think your enthusiasm is far too cheap?"
"It does nothing but make people disgusted with you."