149: Chapter 149 Hiding the True Name and... ALL!

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"What the hell was that instant noodle bit?! What the hell was that monotone reading?! Are these two doing a comedy skit?!"

"Help! This acting is so awkward it's making my toes curl! Hahahaha!"

Gu Yi's utterly shameless, completely uninhibited "monotone awkward drama" performance didn't make players look down on him; instead, it instantly shattered the fourth wall between the official team and the players.

That unique ACG-style atmosphere of "the official leads the way in playing dumb" instantly dissolved the resentment built up from the tragic plot points into a sea of joyful "hahahahaha"s.

As the joking subsided, he gave a signal. The cheap green screen behind him receded like a tide, and the entire holographic stream studio transformed through an interplay of light and shadow into the high-tech and epic [Chaldea Central Control Room].

Gu Yi pulled over a high stool and sat down. His gaze pierced through the holographic lens as if he were looking directly at the millions of players who had accompanied him on this journey.

"Alright, alright, enough fooling around. Let's talk business."

"Good evening, Masters. I am the producer of 'FGO', Gu Yi."

"This is the first time we've met in this manner."

Gu Yi folded his hands, his voice steady and magnetic. "I know many of you might be confused by this thing I'm calling a 'Preview Stream'. After all, in the traditional gaming industry, officials usually just post an announcement when a version updates—they don't even bother to include a picture."

"But I didn't want to do that."

Gu Yi took a deep breath, his tone carrying a soul-piercing sincerity:

"Because I feel that ours is not just a cold business relationship."

"'FGO' has made it this far because every single one of you has truly struggled with us in the fires of Fuyuki City, charged under the scorching sun of Camelot, stood firm amidst the despair of Babylonia, and even... experienced a farewell beyond imagination in the Temple of Time."

"You are not just data; you are the heroes who saved Pan-Human History."

"So, I felt I had to sit here, face-to-face, and have a good talk with you about the future belonging to our Chaldea."

As soon as this affectionate and highly provocative opening monologue was delivered, the atmosphere in the stream—which had been filled with "hahahaha" and "Old Thief"—instantly shifted.

That sense of "emotional value" from being respected and even cherished by the official team made countless Blue Star players feel a tingling sensation of emotion.

"Holy crap... Old Thief Gu's words make me want to cry."

"Is this what it feels like to be treated as comrades-in-arms? Compared to those trash developers who only treat us like leeks to be harvested, Father Gu is practically a god!"

"Based on this opening alone, I declare that Chaldea is my home for life!"

Watching the "Moved" and "Adoration" emotional points skyrocket in the system's backend, Gu Yi chuckled inwardly while maintaining his composed producer persona on the surface.

"Alright, let's save the sentimental talk for later and get down to business."

Gu Yi swiped his finger, and a visually striking poster appeared on the holographic screen behind him.

"As you all just saw in the PV, although the crisis of the Incineration of Humanity has been resolved, the escape of the Demon God Pillars has caused several minor Singularities to appear in human history."

"This is our brand-new project following the conclusion of the first main story arc—[Sub-Singularity]!"

Players across the entire internet immediately pricked up their ears.

Gu Yi waved his hand again, enlarging the first visual:

"First is Sub-Singularity I: [Quarantined Territory of Malice — Shinjuku]! You will join new friends in Shinjuku to delve deep into a modern city filled with yakuza and crime."

"Furthermore, this chapter has a special restriction—only Servants with the [Evil] alignment will be able to exert their full strength in this city!"

"Holy crap! Modern city street racing and brawling?! And an all-villain cast? That's so cool!" The chat instantly became excited.

"To fit Shinjuku's themes of a 'Crime City' and 'Mystery Detective', we've also added a novel mechanism."

"That is—the [True Name Concealment System]!"

"Until the main story progresses or the plot is fully revealed, all Bosses and key enemy Heroic Spirits in the Shinjuku chapter will appear in a '???' Phantasm form!"

"You won't be able to see their true faces, you won't see their true names, and even their Noble Phantasm animations will be deliberately obscured and disguised!"

Gu Yi held up a finger, a hint of mischief flashing in his eyes:

"As Masters who have experienced Part 1 and 'FSN', you should know very well what a 'true name' means to a Heroic Spirit in the 'Fate' worldview. It is a symbol of their glory, but also their most fatal weakness!"

"In this chapter, you will become true detectives! Through their snippets of dialogue, the characteristics of their weapons during battle, or even a subtle casting habit, you will peel back the layers to guess who they really are before the plot reveals it!"

As soon as he said this, three seconds later, the entire stream's comment section was completely flooded with dense exclamations!

"Holy crap?! Guessing true names?! This immersion is insane!"

"Lore buffs rejoice! This is what a real Holy Grail War is supposed to be! Not knowing the opponent's background and relying entirely on information warfare!"

"The suspense is through the roof! I'm already looking forward to the days of frantically flipping through books for clues against a black shadow!"

"Old Thief Gu understands story-driven players too well! The thrill of being a detective and unveiling a Heroic Spirit is even more exciting than clearing stages!"

Looking at the dense exclamations and fanatical anticipation filling the screen, Gu Yi smiled with satisfaction.

Compared to simple stat-stacking, this desire for players to explore an unknown plot was the gaming ecosystem he most wanted to see.

"It seems everyone can't wait to go to Shinjuku and play detective."

Gu Yi nodded, then changed his tone to something more relaxed and cheerful:

"However, facing these unknown powerful enemies requires you to have a deep enough foundation. So, to help everyone better prepare for the upcoming Sub-Singularities, why don't we play a little game and give out some anniversary rewards?"

As he spoke, a giant virtual spinning wheel appeared on the holographic screen.

The wheel was divided into various sections, each containing rewards such as [saint quartz x3], [Summon Ticket x1], [1 Million QP], [Black Tallow x2], and other various items.

And in an extremely narrow area, barely more than a thin line, was written: [All of the Above—ALL]!