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Chapter 671 - 668 - [Thinking of My Hometown Tonight, A Thousand Miles Away.]

Chapter 671: Chapter 668 - [Thinking of My Hometown Tonight, A Thousand Miles Away.]

[Main God World · Dragon Country Region]

January 31, New Year’s Eve, 6:00 PM, heavy snow.

As night gradually fell, every household hung up lights and set off firecrackers.

Red lanterns hung everywhere on the streets, freshly pasted couplets and red paper-cuts on the glass. People walked the streets, discussing topics about the "new year."

Frost-covered branches were adorned with colorful lights, and casual players sold papercuts, blessing characters, smoked meat, fireworks, and other festive items.

"Come." On the street side, a young mother fed her child a bite of fish cake stew.

Colored lights shimmered over their small bodies, surrounded by an endless river of people strolling around. Plum drinks, lamb skewers, candied haws, date cakes... an array of snacks was splendidly displayed, their aromas filling the street.

"Ring toss! Ring toss!"

"Air rifle! Try shooting the air rifle, Adventurer Players halt!"

"Scoop goldfish, scoop goldfish—"

Calls of the vendors were endless, some even among the Adventurer Players. Since the time in the Ninth World overlapped with the New Year, many Adventurer Players from Dragon Country chose not to participate in activities of the Ninth World but to spend the New Year with their families.

The child, sharp-eyed, immediately spotted the live streaming screen: "Mommy, that’s the Spring Festival Gala! We can watch the Spring Festival Gala again, it’s New Year’s today, right? I can stay up late today, right?"

"Yes, today is the Spring Festival Gala and after today, we’ll be in the year 2022." The young mother revealed a somewhat forced smile, "Mom hopes that next year we can still spend the New Year together."

"Of course, we can, I’m not going anywhere," the child said.

"Okay, pinky promise." The mother and her child linked their pinky fingers.

"Mommy, why are we spending New Year here this year?" the child asked. "Where’s Daddy? I haven’t seen Grandpa and Grandma for a long time, where are they? Why... why did our family suddenly become rich these past few months, and I can have anything I want to eat? Why have game livestreams become so good looking, and why do those game scenes look so real? Can I play too?"

The mother didn’t speak but only stroked his head.

Tears shimmered in her eyes.

"Your dad is earning points for humanity and is currently sleeping in the hospital," the mother said. "In a little while, when there’s medicine, he’ll wake up. Grandpa and Grandma are still out there waiting for us; after eight more months, we’ll go back home together with Dad. Those game livestreams are very dangerous, so you shouldn’t play. It’s also fun to just watch others play at home, right?"

"Okay!"

The child bit into a slice of sausage, exclaiming, "Hot, hot, hot!"

"When eating, try the food with your mouth first, don’t just swallow it..." the mother instructed him.

This scene could be seen on all the Dragon Country servers.

The center of their view was a live stream screen.

Within the screen, the festive atmosphere was ablaze with red. Red peonies, red silk, and red lanterns formed a virtual set that seemed to rise up, and the people appeared as if they were in a bright red wonderland.

"—Saying goodbye to 2021, another year as fiery as ever," a magnetic male voice came from the screen.

"——Welcoming 2022, another year of passion has passed," came the melodious female voice.

Two male hosts and two female hosts welcomed the New Year during the event.

People sat in teahouses, parks, Fountain Plaza, and other places to watch the show. Some even set up large tables and had a lively New Year’s Eve dinner with their families.

They ate and talked, the atmosphere even more heated than during New Year’s Day.

"Looking back, the past year was unforgettable for everyone. A billion humans were pulled into the ’World Game,’ marking the start of a new Chapter in human civilization, with unknown journeys and discoveries waiting for us," the male host said.

"Looking ahead, each year surpasses the last, our journey will not stop here. The general progress bar for humanity’s points is doing well, and a bright future still awaits us!" the female host added.

"In the Apocalypse of Henggang, filled with crises, we searched the ruins for a vaccine to bring back blue skies and clear waters; in the high-tech White Sun Mechanical City, we traced the remnants of an old era amidst the Rebel Army and Bai Xiong’s forces; in Dragon Country’s unique instance of Terrily Town, we contemplated the truths of life between ’Eternal’ and ’Instantaneous’; in the Werewolf Village of Terrily Town, top players unveiled the secrets of Deities and Ghosts..."

Among the words of the four hosts, each instance world from the past four months was mentioned.

"In Ming Hui, we explored a dazzling and colorful magical Otherworld, pursuing the mark of the Evil Dragon; White Sand Paradise, we reminisced the beautiful love story between Yang Xia and Dong Xue; at the Pulaya Maritime Banquet, we partook in the race war between the Soul Clan and the Soul Hunters, glimpsing the splendid legends of the Sea Monsters and Yun Shang City; in Qiongdi, top players competed in the Silver Star Replica, witnessing the reincarnation history of Bai Shen and Jiu Shen..."

"And now, still ongoing, the Ninth World—City of Measurement, Acto. With eighteen million Adventurer Players fighting within, let us give the warmest applause and convey our heartfelt thanks to them!"

Accompanied by the host’s call, the applause rose ceaselessly, like a surging ocean.

In the Spring Festival Gala’s camera shots, many familiar faces flashed by, and people saw quite a few who had been very active over the past four months, even able to call out their names.

United Group members Liu Jiahe and Lu Changshen; World Independent Association’s Xu Bowen and Xu Changying; Human Salvation Research Group’s Dragon Country Division’s Li Jianyi and Lu Chunjiang; Ancient Martial Families’ Lin Luohe and Liu Xiling; Yangtze River System’s Bai Division’s Deng Lin; Kunlun Faction’s Meng Lu; Kunpeng Faction’s Qin Qihui; Chang Ying Faction’s Wu Qiao; Wan Li Troops’ Wu Mintao, Yang Changxu; Dong Feng Faction’s Jiang Lin...

For a moment, the scene looked just like any other year’s gala.

The camera then shifted to a section with more young people, the area specially reserved for the renowned Adventurer Players of this Spring Festival Gala.

"..." Dressed in an evening gown, Su Ming’an raised her head and glanced at the camera moving in front of her, ignoring it and continued to work on the Dragon Country Knot in her hands.

In front of her, bright red peonies and tulips were bundled in a vase, its surface patterned like shattered glass. Both the seat and the tabletop were adorned with red silk, signifying a high standard of reception.

Su Ming’an’s fingers picked up the intact red knot as the bells "jingled," and she smiled faintly.

Previously, she had seen a livestream from the Ninth World, where someone called "Xi" had given Su Ming’an a red cord. So, she also wanted to make such a handcrafted knot.

If she could personally deliver it to him, that would be even better...

A black-haired woman beside her glanced at her and said, "You are Su Ming’an, the one who blew up her own house?"

The camera immediately moved away, preventing their conversation from being recorded.

"Yes." Su Ming’an did not want to deal with this woman. In her eyes, this woman was nothing but a shameless traitor.

"I..." Yu Ruohuo said.

"I don’t want to hear you speak!" Su Ming’an glanced at her.

Yu Ruohuo opened her mouth but said nothing further, only lowering her head again.

Upon learning that Yu Ruohuo was invited to the Spring Festival Gala, Yu Ruohuo’s father happily held a banquet, claiming that she was bringing honor to the family. Yu Ruohuo did not want the scene of her arguing with Su Ming’an to be captured by the camera.

Yu Ruohuo and Su Ming’an were sitting with over a hundred Dragon Country adventurer players. Among them, a blue-haired boy pushed his glasses up; next to him was a girl with black hair.

They were Xiao Xiao and Wang Zhenzhen, who had fought alongside Su Ming’an in the Third World. However, those days seemed very distant to them now.

"Xiao Xiao, when I think back to the Third World..." Wang Zhenzhen said, "I heard that Su Ming’an has been in a bad way recently. If we could say a few comforting words to him, could he perhaps feel a bit better? After all, we did fight alongside him, even though it was only for a few days..."

"It’s all in the past," Xiao Xiao shook her head. "He’s too far from us now..."

"Hmm." Wang Zhenzhen blinked, leaning on his shoulder.

Xiao Xiao glanced at the Ninth World live stream floating in front of his right hand. Su Ming’an was covered in blood on a cold night, utterly alone.

Meanwhile, people were singing and dancing at the Spring Festival celebration, radiantly welcoming 2022, celebrating the new year.

—Where, one wonders, does humanity’s optimism come from that they can revel thus even in an apocalypse?

Perhaps, humans also know they have nowhere else to go.

...

—"As the bell tolls bidding farewell to the old year resounds across the land, we carry the rewards of 2021, singing and dancing, and gather joyously."

—"As festive fireworks burst upon the night sky, undaunted by the challenges of 2022, we ride against the waves, and fight against the currents!"

"At this moment, as we bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, the ’World Game’ Spring Festival Gala Organizing Committee, Yangtze System Chang Ying Division, and the United Group Temporary Planning Division for New Year affairs wish all players—Happy New Year!"

"—Wishing everyone a happy new year, and may all your wishes come true!"

The screen was a bright red. Accompanied by the annoucer’s voice, the background of Yun Shang City, created by the "Main God World Virtual Architecture System", slowly rose, and thirty dancers covered in blue gauze ascended to Yun Shang City, their figures swaying, waving blue and white silks that streamed like clouds.

Compared to the awkward stage play at the ’World Game Cultural Exhibition’ before, this Spring Festival Gala was several levels higher. Along with various super-modern visual systems, fusing the background stories of world instances and crafting various skits and dance songs, it was a feast for the eyes.

In these four months, humanity’s artistic field was flourishing, offering a feast for both the eyes and the ears with its current programming.

In the camera’s view, people were dancing and celebrating the new year.

Outside the camera’s view, the big snow was swirling, fireworks competed in brilliance, forming a colorful garden. The sound of firecrackers, shouting, music, and laughter intermixed like a passionately played symphony.

Flakes of snow landed on people’s shoulders like catkins, dressing them in new clothes for the New Year.

For a moment, people were immersed in a joy isolated from the outside world, drunkenly dancing among humanity, sharing the current joyful life, as if they could carry their joy and delight smoothly into a long and enduring future.

Only some people, who weren’t immersed in the festival, stared at the Ninth World’s scene of war and the human overall progress bar, their expressions tinged with worry.

...

New World Guild server, Blue Sky Kindergarten.

"—Teacher, teacher, it’s New Year’s! Happy New Year, teacher! May all your wishes come true!"

The girl with braided pigtails hopped to the front, reaching out her hand toward a female teacher.

Behind the girl with braids, a line of children arrayed like a train; they wore new cotton-padded jackets and rushed en masse to the female teacher.

They were all children from Dragon Country, whose parents were either not selected for the World Game or were too insane to take care of them.

The young female teacher patted their heads and handed them red packets: "Here, keep it safe, don’t lose it, okay?"

The red packets from the female teacher were filled with hundred-yuan bills, which were now just pieces of paper. But the children didn’t understand; they were well-protected and thought they were still living in the past.

They happily stuffed the red packets into their pockets, jumping and hopping around the female teacher, clamoring to play games.

"Teacher, it’s New Year’s, my mom and dad haven’t come back yet?" the girl with the braided pigtails tugged at the teacher’s clothes.

The female teacher smiled gently: "I’ve said before, your parents have gone on a trip, and in eight months, you can see them..."

"But I miss them so much..." the girl with braided pigtails said gloomily: "I don’t want them to travel, I want to spend New Year’s with them ..."

The female teacher stood still, the spectacular fireworks bursting into the air.

For a moment, the fireworks lit the kindergarten as bright as day. The swings and slides were bathed in a reddish-purple glow.

"They’ll come back..." the teacher said softly.

"Teacher, where did Mr. Noel go?" the boy next to her exclaimed excitedly: "The headmaster is the best, and he always plays with us. When he comes back, we’ll set off fireworks together ..."

"..." The smile slowly faded from the female teacher’s lips.

She remembered the screen, the golden-haired youth with those crimson eyes.

"The headmaster...he’ll come back." After a moment, that was all the female teacher could say.

She knew, Noel, the guild leader of the New World...was now incredibly far from them and even caught in an invasion crisis by Ta Wei.

...Could he come back?

...In the Ninth World, so complex and dangerous, could Noel come back?

If he couldn’t...

...

[Ninth World · Caius Tower]

48th year of the Catastrophe, December 30, Seventh City, dusk.

Under the blood sun, the vast red soil seemed like flowing blood, merging with the sunset.

The God’s faction, Holy Tribunal, Heretic’s Tribunal, Believer’s Alliance, and Mechanical Legion formed four lines of defense here to jointly face the Freedom Faction. A million soldiers and civilians stood dauntingly below the city wall, guns and swords shimmering with a cold light under the setting sun.

Field, Luther, Izier, Aifori, Edmond, and other leaders of the God’s faction waited on the city walls. Now, as the Freedom Faction’s million soldiers and civilians approached the city, this was to be their final battle.

The city lord of Seventh City, Ming, walked to the forefront of the Legion, turning around.

The emblem of the God’s faction shone brightly on his shoulder as he held his hand on the red-shelled Book of Revelations on his chest, facing his million soldiers and civilians.

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