Ch 88: The World’s Number One Resort

“Dear tourist friends, welcome to [Stroke of the Brush]. [Stroke of the Brush] was developed by FillTech Company…” As Luo Liang pressed the start button, the scene before him changed, and he found himself standing on a massive white misty platform. The surroundings were shrouded in a white haze, and he held a black electronic pen in his hand, identical to the ones in the [Stroke of the Brush] hall.

“This really is high-tech…”

Luo Liang rotated the pen tip, muttering to himself. He had watched numerous videos of [Stroke of the Brush] before coming, aware of its high-tech features. Calming himself, he then turned his gaze to the white misty world before him.

Vampire Servant, originally named Vampire Fighter, was a highly popular manga drawn by Iguchi Sue and conceptualized by Kitayama Masako. Five years ago, it was adapted into an animated series and introduced to China. Vampire Servant mainly revolves around a vampire heir, Ishikawa, who attends Tokyo Imperial High School, where he encounters a high school girl named Ori. Together, they battle against Tokyo’s evil forces while navigating their romantic relationship, embodying the spirit of a passionate shonen manga.

Karoshu is Ishikawa’s rival—a fallen vampire antagonist known for his cold demeanor, elegance, and cunning intelligence. Handsome and richly characterized, Karoshu’s popularity even surpasses that of the protagonist, Ishikawa. Last year, Karoshu ranked as one of the Top 3 most popular characters in Japanese anime according to an Asian anime poll.

Karoshu has countless fans in China, both male and female.

Luo Liang is an ardent fan of Karoshu. Having previously drawn countless versions of Karoshu on his digital drawing board, the character’s image is ingrained in his mind.

Taking a deep breath, Luo Liang raised his hand and made his first, firm stroke.

He used the white void before him as a canvas. As the black electronic pen moved, Karoshu’s body frame, facial contour, and simple lines began to take shape. [Stroke of the Brush] included an eraser function, and Luo Liang had set a shortcut for it; his right hand wielded the pen while his left held the eraser. After a bit of familiarization, his strokes became increasingly smooth.

The cape, tousled hair, wine glass…

With the movement of his fingers, the details of Karoshu became more refined. Luo Liang had chosen the one-hour, 200-dollar option, giving him ample time.

While Luo Liang was engrossed in his creation within [Stroke of the Brush], the middle-aged man outside the oval table grew increasingly astonished. At first, he thought Luo Liang was merely doodling, but as the lines took shape, it was clearly a human figure.

Luo Liang’s confident and decisive strokes indicated he was undoubtedly a practiced artist.

“Wow, is this a character sketch? He’s a pro, definitely a pro.”

“Someone’s drawing a human figure? I wonder if it’ll succeed…”

“The cape and short hair look familiar. Where have I seen this before…?”

As the middle-aged man stood in shock, more and more tourists began to gather.

Luo Liang’s frame measured 3×8 meters, the largest in the [Stroke of the Brush] hall. The character’s appearance gradually came to life under Luo Liang’s pen, making it clear to everyone that this was a human figure.

There were many visitors on Sora Island, and quite a few had previously attempted to draw human figures. However, most of these figures ended up with incorrect body proportions and details, resulting in “distorted figures” that failed to take shape. Creating humans or animals, being “living beings,” required stringent artistic skills.

Amidst the growing astonishment, more and more onlookers gathered. At the oval table, Luo Liang had already sketched out Karoshu’s entire body, leaving only the eyes, facial expressions, and coloring. As the character took form, the crowd increasingly felt that Luo Liang’s depiction looked familiar.

“Karoshu! That’s Karoshu from Vampire Servant! Ahhh!”

Ten minutes later, a surprised female voice erupted from the crowd. Turning around, they saw a girl who looked about fifteen or sixteen, a high school student here with her parents.

She was in her second year of high school and had a fondness for action-packed anime. Having watched two episodes of Vampire Servant, she instantly recognized this iconic antagonist.

“Vampire Servant… This really is Karoshu!”

“Ahhh, is he trying to bring a 2D character to life in 3D?”

“I wonder if he’ll succeed…”

…

After the high school girl exclaimed, the surrounding tourists began to chatter excitedly. Most of them were in their twenties or thirties and had followed anime during their youth.

Vampire Servant aired in China five years ago. While not everyone had watched it, most had heard of its reputation. Some of the more curious tourists quickly searched for the name “Karoshu.”

A search on the Chinese internet revealed over thirty million pieces of information related to Karoshu.

Comparing the photos on their phones with the massive canvas, it was clear that Luo Liang’s rendition was incredibly accurate. The more they observed, the more excited they became. In the midst of this buzz, over seventy people had gathered around the oval table where Luo Liang was painting, and the number was still increasing.

Many tourists took out their phones to record the entire process of Luo Liang’s drawing. They didn’t know if he would succeed in the end, but based on the initial strokes alone, his work was undoubtedly the most remarkable so far.

Outside [Stroke of the Brush], tourists discussed eagerly, while inside, Luo Liang continued painting meticulously. He had already been at it for 30 minutes, and as the black electronic pen moved, Karoshu’s outline was fully formed.

Luo Liang looked up and saw a slender man, about 1.8 meters tall, standing silently amidst the white mist. The man was draped in a large cloak and held a wine glass, his expression both seductive and cold.

It was a presence that one couldn’t easily look away from.

Luo Liang paused, then opened the [Stroke of the Brush] palette to start coloring. While [Stroke of the Brush] had an automatic coloring feature, it was random. Karoshu was Luo Liang’s favorite anime character, and this was his first work in [Stroke of the Brush].

Luo Liang had a mild case of perfectionism, so he opted for manual coloring.

Gradually, chestnut shoulder-length hair, crimson lips, and a black-and-red cloak… The complete image of Karoshu took shape under his pen. Another twenty minutes passed, and Karoshu was fully colored, with only his eyes left to finish.

“Is this the final touch? I’m a bit nervous.”

“Impressive! This guy must be a professional artist. He hardly used the eraser.”

“I don’t know, but I just want to bow down to this master.”

…

Inside [Stroke of the Brush], Luo Liang contemplated how to color the eyes. Outside, tourists stared at the enormous canvas, chattering in excitement. They knew Luo Liang was skilled, but they hadn’t expected the final product to be so outstanding!

They compared Karoshu’s iconic photos with Luo Liang’s painting, and the resemblance in expression and aura was uncanny. Luo Liang’s art was undoubtedly top-notch!

“Hurry up!” Luo Liang pondered the color for the eyes as the tourists around the oval table couldn’t help but urge him on. By now, the 3×8-meter canvas was surrounded by layers of people. With each stroke Luo Liang made, the crowd’s anticipation grew.

Amidst this tense atmosphere, Luo Liang, sensing the tourists’ eagerness, slowly raised his head.

In Vampire Servant, Karoshu’s eyes turned bright blue when he became “corrupted.” Considering Karoshu’s current state, Luo Liang switched from the black base he had prepared to a vivid blue.

The tourists outside [Stroke of the Brush] watched Luo Liang’s movements, hardly daring to breathe. They felt like they were witnessing a miracle akin to the legendary “finishing touch” of Chinese folklore.

Amid the focused attention of everyone, Luo Liang gently placed his final stroke.

“It moved, it moved!”

A wave of excitement swept through the crowd. As Luo Liang completed the stroke, the 3×8-meter canvas emitted a faint glow. Karoshu’s image shone briefly and, just like in Chinese supernatural dramas, the two-dimensional painting slowly transformed into a three-dimensional form.

Karoshu’s fingers moved, and then he slowly opened his eyes.

The moment everyone met Karoshu’s gaze, they froze. The man in the frame stood before a gothic-style cliff, holding a wine glass in his hand. His tall, slender figure was cloaked in a black and red cape. As he opened his eyes, the corners of his mouth seemed to curl into a faint smirk, making him appear even more sinister.

Three seconds later, Karoshu reverted to his two-dimensional form. At the top of the image, a score of 92 appeared, the highest score so far.

In the introduction of Vampire Servant, Karoshu is described as perfect, cold, and powerful. Putting aside everything else, in terms of looks and demeanor, this version of Karoshu was spot-on.

This level of handsomeness utterly outshone domestic A-list actors!

The crowd was stunned into silence by this real-life version of Karoshu.

“This is the most incredible cosplay I’ve ever seen,” someone muttered in awe amid the stunned silence. The crowd nodded in agreement as the frame displaying Karoshu came to a standstill.

The real-life Karoshu had deep, defined features, elf-like ears, and thin lips. His eyes exuded an aura of detachment and aloofness. While Karoshu’s features leaned towards an Eastern aesthetic, his attractiveness scored a solid nine out of ten. What truly captivated people about this real-life Karoshu wasn’t just his appearance, but his overall aura.

This demeanor and elegance made him seem as though he had walked straight out of an anime.

In a strict sense, Karoshu was indeed brought to life from the world of anime.

The onlookers took a deep breath and began to snap pictures rapidly. Karoshu’s appearance had once again elevated the magic of [Stroke of the Brush] to new heights.

After taking photos, everyone eagerly looked at Luo Liang.

With Karoshu now completed and his score reaching 92, the next step was to authorize holographic interaction, right? Everyone was eager for the chance to interact with the real-life Karoshu.

…

Inside [Stroke of the Brush], Luo Liang stared at his masterpiece in a daze. He hadn’t expected Karoshu to truly “come to life,” just as he had imagined.

“Game time over, please name your work,” the system’s pleasant voice chimed in, interrupting his excitement.

“Karoshu, name it Karoshu,” Luo Liang replied, still in a daze.

“Naming successful. Work: ‘Karoshu,’ Category: Character Art. Please input the artist’s name.”

“Luo Liang.”

“Would you like to make it public?”

“Public.”

Luo Liang answered each of the system’s prompts. They continued the question-and-answer process.

“Would you like to authorize holographic interaction?” After a minute, the system reached the final step.

“Holographic interaction,” Luo Liang took a deep breath and replied resolutely. This was the reason he came—to interact with a real-life Karoshu.

With the artwork now complete, the only thing left was to initiate the interaction.

“Notification: The character ‘Karoshu’ is copyrighted by Japan’s Aoiseisha. Copyright discrepancies detected, holographic interaction authorization denied.” The system’s response in the next second was different from what Luo Liang had hoped for.

“Copyright?” Luo Liang was stunned for a moment.

“The character Karoshu belongs to Aoiseisha. [Stroke of the Brush] does not have authorization from Aoiseisha. The artwork ‘Karoshu’ can only be used for exhibition purposes and cannot be used for commercial gain.”

“I…”

“Time’s up. We wish you an enjoyable experience,” the system said, seemingly detecting his confusion and offering a detailed explanation. Luo Liang wanted to ask something else, but the one-hour time limit was up, and he was forcibly logged out of the game.

Luo Liang: !

“Huh, why wasn’t authorization granted?”

“Young man, I was ready to give a tip. Can’t you reopen it?”

“Ahhh, I wanted to see Karoshu!”

Outside [Stroke of the Brush], the crowd had assumed Luo Liang would enable holographic interaction. But when they saw the “Authorization Denied” notice, they were perplexed. Luo Liang’s artwork was vivid and had many fans, plus it scored highly—there was no reason not to authorize it.

The crowd began chattering away, then turned their puzzled gazes to Luo Liang.

“No copyright,” Luo Liang said, feeling a bit frustrated as he looked around.

After speaking, he glanced at his artwork. When the game ends, if no new player begins, the previous artwork has a five-minute display time.

Right now, in the 3×8 frame, Karoshu stood as he had painted: holding a wine glass and looking incredibly cool on the cliff. The real-life version of Karoshu was just as noble as he had imagined.

Luo Liang couldn’t help but reach out and touch the frame. The character he adored was right there in the frame, but he couldn’t interact with him. It was driving him mad!

Luo Liang was feeling dejected, while the visitors exchanged confused glances.

“No copyright?”

In this age where intellectual property is highly valued, it’s true that almost everything requires proper copyright.

“Ahem, young man. How about drawing the White Snake? The one from ‘Millennia of the Serpent’? I can fund you with a hundred dollars.”

“I want to see Emperor Qin! The one who built the Great Wall of China. Wait, let me find a few historical pictures for you.”

“The online images are all fan creations, so even if it came out, it wouldn’t be the real Emperor Qin. But the White Snake might be possible—though I’m not sure if it will be the one from ‘Millennia of the Serpent’…”

After exchanging glances, inspiration suddenly struck the crowd.

They might not be able to draw characters, but there was an expert right here! Why not let the expert create the ones they wanted to see? In no time, the visitors pulled out their phones. Within minutes, more than twenty different phones were laid out in front of Luo Liang.

Luo Liang: …On the verge of tears.

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