Chapter 399
Recently, the players of Elven Kingdom have been enamored by two major events.
The first is the announcement that the Elven Kingdom will implement a new version update precisely at noon on October 1st, during which a select group of lucky players will have the opportunity to advance their jobclass to Silver-rank.
The second one is an offline meetup event organized by Little Salty Cat from Moe Moe Committee, featuring the participation of many high-ranking players from various major guilds.
This meetup will take place at the Tianchen Grand Hotel in Yaodu City, marking it as the very first large-scale Elven Kingdom offline gathering back in the real world.
Rumor has it that Salty Cat has booked the entire hotel for the meetup, with over 500 players already signed up to attend, as nearly all the high rankers of various guilds are expected to appear and be there.
This offline event will run from the evening of September 30th through to the evening of October 1st, lasting a full day and night.
On the evening of the first day, all players are expected to gather for a banquet, followed by karaoke and entertainment, which could provide an opportunity for everyone to interact and connect with one another.
And on the second day, after the Elven Kingdom's new update finally goes live, every participant will enter the game using the VR pods provided by the hotel so that everyone can experience the new version altogether.
Then, a second celebration will be held within the game, on the city square of Chosen City!
Li Mu swallowed nervously as he looked at the opulent European-style hotel right before him, while also noting the parking lot beside it, which was filled to the brim with high-end luxury cars.
Looking at each one of them, any average person like him would involuntarily ponder how much they cost.
"...So this is Tianchen Hotel? The only five-star hotel in Yaodu that's supposed to have a VR pod in every room?"
After taking a deep breath to psych himself up, Li Mu straightened his appearance and finally walked into the hotel entrance.
Inside the hotel lobby, banners and signs announcing the Elven Kingdom large-scale meetup were prominently displayed, and there were even some hotel staff available to guide any confused attendees.
After signing in at the registration desk, Li Mu was promptly handed a gift bag containing his room key, a pamphlet with the event schedule, a commemorative illustration album of some sort and an Elven Kingdom cute chibi goddess figurine.
The commemorative album is actually a collaborative works made by several top artists within the game, which featured stunning fan-made art illustrations and iconic in-game screenshots.
As for the goddess figurine, it was an exact replica of the interactive chibi goddess that's displayed within the game menu, which is also quite adorable and charming.
It seemed the event organizers had specially commissioned it, ensuring that every participant would receive one, which, in Li Mu's opinion, is quite a thoughtful gesture indeed.
After securing his gift bag, Li Mu handed his luggage to a bellboy and was then guided by a young, attractive female staff member to the event venue.
The even venue was brightly lit, and many attendees were already there by the time Li Mu arrived.
As he surveyed his surroundings, he noticed that the banquet was set up in a buffet style, resembling a high-end cocktail party.
Seeing such a luxurious ballroom, Li Mu suddenly felt a bit self-conscious as he inwardly began to wonder if his casual jeans were not the best choice to wear for this occasion.
However, upon noticing that most of the other players were also dressed similarly like him, he eventually breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed everyone was on the same page.
After all, most players were just regular people like him and are simply there to have some fun, not to attend some formal event.
Though, admittedly, the scale of this meetup went far beyond his initial expectations...
A delectable aroma filled the air, mingling with the sound of laughter and conversation as players gathered in small groups here and there, with many already having found their respective cliques.
Li Mu began to feel a bit nervous.
Despite being a seasoned streamer, he'd never shown his face nor attended an offline event like this before.
In fact, this was actually his first very time participating in such a gathering.
Just then, when he was feeling out of place, a familiar, excited voice called out from behind him:
"Bro, is that you? A guy wearing blue denim jacket and a white hoodie, just like you mentioned in the guild chat! Surely it must be you, Brother Mu!"
Hearing this, Li Mu immediately perked up as a strange sense of relief welled up inside him.
That familiar tone...
And that slightly playful voice...
Demacia!
He quickly turned around in surprise and was met with the sight of a tall, at least 1.8 meters, handsome young man with neatly combed-back hair, fair skin, a bright smile, and dressed in a casual suit.
Li Mu: "....?"
T-This...
W-Wait a minute...
Did I perhaps mistook a wrong person?
"D-Demacia?"
Li Mu tentatively asked in a voice tinged with uncertainty.
"That's right! It's me! Haha! Bro, after all this time playing together, we finally meet in person!"
Demacia laughed heartily.
Li Mu: "..."
He took a deep breath, pinched his temples for a moment, and then chuckled as he said, "Wow, I didn't expect this. You look so different from what I imagined. You're actually quite handsome in person."
What the hell, you look so handsome, yet why did you tailor your game character to have an explosive red afro and make its appearance the least attractive avatar in the entire playerbase!?
"Haha, Bro, you're the one to talk! Your in-game avatar looks so delicate and feminine—I always thought you were also frail in real life too. Who knew you'd be so buff! Haha, what a surprising contrast!"
Demacia laughed heartily.
Li Mu: "..."
This conversational style...there's no doubt about it.
It's definitely Demacia.
He suddenly had the urge to punch him, or maybe just find a hole to crawl into.
What should I do?
Whilst letting out an awkward laugh, Li Mu decided to change the subject:
"Who else from our guild is already here?"
"Uh...dunno, I just got here myself, so I'm not sure yet. But I did take a quick glance at the sign-in sheet at the entrance, and it looks like most of the regulars are here," Demacia replied.
Just as the two were chatting, another excited voice called out from behind them.
"Brother Mu! Is that really you?!"
This time, it was a female voice.
Li Mu turned around to see who had called him and noticed two girls, one tall and the other short, approaching him.
They appeared to be about the same age as him—likely college students as well.
The tall girl had a slender figure and a delicate appearance, while the shorter one was rather cute and gave off a mischievous vibe.
"And you are?" Li Mu asked, puzzled.
"Brother Mu, I'm Meng Zhihan! My real name is Zhou Menghan! Haha, I'm so excited to finally meet you in person! I love watching your videos!" the tall girl said happily.
"So it's you! Miss Blacksmith!"
Li Mu suddenly realized.
He then looked at Zhou Menghan and politely smiled.
"You look just like how you are in the game."
"Is that a compliment?"
Zhou Menghan asked, her eyes curving into a smile.
Li Mu laughed heartily.
Then, he glanced at the shorter girl beside her, whilst also recalling a certain player who was always by Meng Zhihan's side, whose known for her skill in creating the most beautiful avatar in the game.
"And you must be... Yuanjuan?"
He tentatively asked.
"That's right, it's her! Doesn't she look totally different from her in-game avatar? Like a little bean sprout?"
Zhou Menghan teased.
Su Yuan gave her friend a playful glare, then turned to Li Mu with a cheerful smile and properly greeted him.
"Hello, Brother Mu! I'm Su Yuan, and my username is Yuanjuan."
Li Mu smiled and nodded.
"Nice to meet you!"
After greeting Li Mu, Su Yuan's gaze quickly shifted to the strikingly handsome guy standing beside him.
Her eyes brightened slightly, and with a blush on her cheeks, she asked excitedly, "And this is...?"
Demacia grinned.
"Haha, hey there my beautiful lady, don't you recognize me? I'm actually Demacia!"
The two girls blinked in surprise.
Demacia?
At that moment, Demacia noticed the excited look Su Yuan had given him just moments before quickly turn to indifference.
"Oh."
She nodded lightly.
Demacia: "..."
— 399 —
[ OFFLINE MEETUP (PART TWO) ]
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