Mini World Game Console

On the morning of September 21st, inside the Mingzhu Square subway station on Line 2, near the Lianjiang Hotel, a tall girl with blue hair and pink cat ears walked into the subway, arm in arm with a girl dressed in a lacy, Gothic dress. They immediately caught the attention of countless onlookers.

They were anime fans heading to a comic exhibition for cosplay. Ideally, they should have changed at the venue. However, although their outfits were quite striking, they didn't push the boundaries of typical understanding. Wearing them in public was fine, especially since big cities had grown much more tolerant of such attire due to the popularity of Lolita and sailor outfits.

However, among the short sleeves and suits of the crowd, they still stood out with striking prominence—this was precisely why they had changed into their cosplay outfits ahead of time.

After all, cosplaying is fundamentally about gaining others' approval and attention. Getting recognized by fellow enthusiasts at the expo is one thing, but getting admired by the general public on the streets is quite another.

As they prepared to pass through the ticket gates to the subway entrance, the tall girl's outfit was suddenly tugged. She looked down, and her eyes instantly lit up. "So cute!"

A little white-haired girl with rosy lips and bright teeth, wearing a sleeveless white blouse, a small skirt, white stockings, and little shoes, her hands stylishly covered with smooth arm covers, was pulling at the tall girl's sleeve. Her large, watery Red Pupils melted the tall girl's heart.

"Little one, what's the matter?" The Gothic Girl also instantly took a liking to the little girl. "Did you get separated from your family?"

The little girl shook her head and asked, "Are you... are you going to... that... that... that..."

The little girl stammered "that, that, that..." for a while, unable to articulate her destination. The tall girl, observing the child's attire, ventured, "The Firefly Comic Exhibition?"

The little girl's outfit was in no way inferior to theirs. In fact, her twin white ponytails and red Cosmetic Contact Lens Power even looked more high-class, clearly marking her as a kindred spirit.

"Ah, yes, the comic exhibition!" The little girl clapped her hands. "Are there lots of people with ears like yours there, Big Sister?"

Saying this, the little girl made a 'V' sign with her small hands above her head, pretending she also had beast ears. Her cuteness made the tall girl unable to resist patting her head. "Yes, yes, there are."

Many people cosplay at comic exhibitions, and the Beast-eared Girl attribute had become very common in anime over the past few years, so there would definitely be many Beast-eared Girl cosplayers.

"Then, will there be lots of people there who are good at fighting?" The little girl then struck a boxing pose, punching the air with her tiny fists. Her form was quite standard—five punches a second, even!

"Of course," the Gothic Girl smiled. The comic exhibition would certainly have many cosplayers from action-packed anime, like the Xiao Organization from *Legend of the Eye*, the Seven Warlords of the Sea from *One Piece*, and the Grim Reapers from *Boundary*. The 'people who are good at fighting' the little girl mentioned must be characters from these series, right?

"Then I want to go!" The little girl grabbed the tall girl's hand, saying excitedly, "I want to go to the comic exhibition!"

The Gothic Girl asked, "But what about your family? Didn't your family bring you?"

The little girl's outfit clearly indicated her family had dressed her. Moreover, considering the skill evident in her attire, both young women subconsciously thought her parents must be veteran anime enthusiasts—only seasoned fans could dress a little girl to such a captivating degree!

"I'm looking for my family!" the little girl stated confidently. "Since there are many people there who are good at fighting and people with ears, my family should be there!"

The two young women understood immediately. Her parents must be fans of action-packed and cute anime series. Could it be that her parents were too careless and forgot to bring their child to the comic exhibition, so she ran off on her own to find them?

The two young women exchanged glances. At that moment, the little girl grabbed their sleeves, her eyes welling up with tears, and asked in a voice tinged with a sob, "Big Sisters..."

Just as moths are inevitably drawn to flames, helping a cute and beautiful little girl felt like a natural duty for young women. Instantly moved by the little girl's expression, they cast aside all concerns, bought subway tickets for her, and took her to the comic exhibition.

To prevent the little girl from getting lost, the two young women each held one of her hands. The little girl skipped and bounced all the way, drawing continuous gazes from passersby. Who said lesbians can't have children? Isn't this a family of three?

By the time Ren Suo walked out of the dormitory building, Zhao Huo was already growing impatient.

"You're ten minutes late," Zhao Huo tapped the steering wheel.

"My sister made breakfast. I had to finish it before coming down," Ren Suo said as he opened the car door and sat in the back seat.

"Showing off your sister..." Zhao Huo shook his head slightly. "You life-winners really deserve a terrible end..."

In Zhao Huo's mind, having a sister almost amounted to setting one foot through the door of the anime fandom. And if that sister was close to you, it wasn't just stepping into the anime fandom; it was stepping into the world of late-night anime (which is often unsuitable for children).

Ren Suo glanced at him. Is this guy getting too cocky? Your fiancée and housekeeper openly vie against each other; did I say anything? That club junior who shares your interests, always plays with you, and eagerly watches from the sidelines, is already designated by everyone in your circle as your perfect match. Did I say anything? Right, I didn't say a thing. I'm just quietly waiting to see when you'll meet your end.

A thousand forms of malice, ten thousand expectations, all condensed into a light, airy sentence: "I can't vibe with your anime world."

The journey was uneventful. Ren Suo, idle and bored, took out his phone to browse the news—it had been a long time since he last read any.

He specifically searched for the attack on Heavenly Lotus Academy and found that the incident had been mostly suppressed. There was only a brief mention of *Criminals Infiltrated Heavenly Lotus Academy, Repelled by Supernatural Teacher*, which completely concealed the assassins' nationalities and the arduous battle, instead lavishing praise on the leadership at the academy.

The other sensational news stories were mostly about supernatural incidents. For example, a haunted house somewhere was said to frequently host ghosts, frightening people to death with no liability. Another story told of how a major thoroughfare in Shenhai City would have Grudge Spirits entangling drivers at night, thankfully dispelled by a high monk from Gaode. Then there was Wuyi Mountain, which had reopened; news that Peach Blossom Land had once appeared there spread widely, attracting tens of thousands of visitors daily. The Wuyi Mountain Scenic Area, however, strictly banned the burning of incense and offerings.

An hour and a half later, they arrived at the parking lot of the Pazhou International Convention and Exhibition Center. Zhao Huo led Ren Suo to meet up with other club members outside McDonald's.

Today, Sun Shu was dressed in a sailor suit, her hair in a single ponytail, looking youthful and beautiful. Seeing Zhao Huo approach, her eyes sparkled like stars. "You guys are here."

"We're here," Zhao Huo chuckled. "Today we're going to rock the whole place... Let's do this!"

"Let's do this!"

"Brother Huo, I have some bad news," Sun Shu said. "I heard that Carp also has Transcendents acting, and their stage slot is right before ours."

"Carp?" Zhao Huo frowned slightly, then his expression relaxed. "...A couple of low-level Transcendents shouldn't affect the big picture. Both Ren Suo and I are Second Stage Cultivators!"

"What's Carp?" Ren Suo asked.

"It's a university anime club. They produce high-quality stage plays and participate in most comic exhibitions," Zhao Huo explained. He clicked his tongue. "But with you and me, our performance will definitely crush them. Not to mention our performance slots are back-to-back. Let's show them what true skill is and annihilate them!"

A man in his twenties, a Transcendent from society, still bothering to compete with a bunch of college students? Ren Suo couldn't be bothered to respond. After all, he was just here to have fun and, incidentally, get a free meal out of Zhao Huo, so he felt no pressure and was quite relaxed.

They had purchased their entry tickets long ago. This comic exhibition was called the Firefly Anime and Games Carnival. Upon entering, Ren Suo saw booths for the Light Novel Library, Hell Game, and others. It was his first time at a comic exhibition, so he found it quite novel and wanted to stroll around. However, Zhao Huo held him back.

"Let's go to the changing room first; you can stroll around the comic exhibition after the performance. There will be plenty of time for that," Zhao Huo urged. "I've been to this comic exhibition more than a dozen times, and almost every time the mobile signal is very poor. I don't know if it's because of the crowds or if it's just this place. Don't go off on your own. Otherwise, if we can't find you when the play starts—I will—"

"You'll do what?" Ren Suo looked at him with interest.

"I'll openly declare at school that I like you," Zhao Huo said sternly, "and cling to you every day."

"Damn, that's harsh," Ren Suo conceded. "You're basically willing to sacrifice eight hundred of your own to hurt the enemy by a thousand!"

"What sacrifice for myself? I have a fiancée; what do I have to fear?" Zhao Huo scoffed. "But hurting the enemy by a thousand? That's true. I'll see if you still dare to find a girlfriend at school then."

"What do I have to fear?" Ren Suo was baffled.

"If a girl still dares to be with you after hearing I like you, do you think she actually likes you, or—" Zhao Huo looked at Ren Suo, "—does she just want to see us duel?"

Ren Suo shuddered. "Hard to say. Maybe true love will help me beat you up."

Ren Suo was quite self-aware—compared to Zhao Huo, a Martial Artist who had killed four enemies on the night of the attack, Ren Suo figured he could escape, but fighting Zhao Huo would be a challenge.

Zhao Huo thought about it too. Even with his strong Defense, quick reactions, and high Attack power, he couldn't withstand Dong Chengling's Teleport and her merciless iron fists.

But conceding here was not an option. Zhao Huo said, "Pfft, this is a matter between us men. What right do those girls—those Demons and Ghosts—have to object? Yes, that's right, I'll use this to refute them: 'You walk your wide, sunny avenue; I'll walk my single-plank bridge.'

"Then she'll definitely have no reason to stop me. I'll cling to you every day until your true love sadly walks away.

"Unless you can find a man who can beat me *and* truly loves you. Of course, if that's the case, I would wish you both lifelong happiness and let bygones be bygones..."

"Alright, alright, I get it," Ren Suo waved his hand. "I won't wander off. Take me to change."

Seeing Ren Suo finally agree to behave, Zhao Huo breathed a sigh of relief and led him to the comic exhibition's restroom. "If you're very confident about your underwear, you can change outside without any problem..."

As Ren Suo walked into the restroom, he saw Zhao Huo still standing outside and asked curiously, "Aren't you coming in to change?"

"Why would I need to?" Zhao Huo rolled his eyes.

"Oh? So, you're pretty confident about your underwear, huh?" Ren Suo retorted.

At that moment, several club members opened Zhao Huo's bag and pulled out a shiny set of silver armor.

"Brother Huo is wearing armor; he just needs to slip it on," Sun Shu said as she made Zhao Huo sit on the ground. She took a comb, helped him with his hair, and tied a small ponytail with a rubber band. "Brother Ren, yours are ordinary clothes. Besides, the script requires Zhang Fei to show a bit of muscle, so..."

"Alright." Ren Suo glanced at Zhao Huo. The seafood buffet still seems like a bit of a loss, he thought.

Entering the restroom, Ren Suo prepared to find a stall to change. However, as soon as he walked in, he was met with an eye-popping scene:

A blonde Spirit with long ears and a green skirt was standing there peeing!

When Ren Suo entered, the Spirit seemed to have just finished and even gave a little shake. Perhaps because of the skirt, the shake wasn't quite right—a few droplets sprayed outside the urinal.

He turned around, revealing a rather delicate face. Noticing Ren Suo's odd stare, the Spirit opened his mouth, speaking in a deep baritone, "What's up? Never seen a Spirit pee before?"

Pee...

Though there are many expressions for urination, the childish term "pee" was something Ren Suo had rarely heard since he was old enough to go to the bathroom by himself. Yet, it was this very term, like a dragonfly skimming the water's surface, that caused a slight ripple in Ren Suo's heart—as if it had touched a sealed memory.

Hmm? Ren Suo frowned in thought, trying to grasp that fleeting spark of Spiritual Light.

The Spirit washed his hands and left, followed intermittently by three other anime fans in bizarre attire.

Trying to catch the elusive inspiration, Ren Suo inadvertently blocked the path of one of them. This cosplayer was wearing a very large robe embellished with colorful gems, a realistic skeletal torso design on his chest, and a skull mask, looking like a Skeleton Mage.

"Bro, don't block the way," the Skeleton Mage said huskily, squeezing past Ren Suo as if in a great hurry.

Ren Suo blinked and walked over to tap a man with green hair, a scar over his left eye, and three swords hanging at his waist.

"Huh?" The man turned his head to look at Ren Suo and said, "If you want a photo, let's talk outside."

The seemingly straightforward, yet unsettlingly off-key, nature of the dialogue was as elusive as flickering Spiritual Light.

Suddenly, he stopped a blonde girl in a thick, blue cloak who was about to remove her trousers. She looked puzzled at first, then comprehension dawned, and she said to him in a coarse, duck-like voice,

"...I don't know you, and no, I'm not in the wrong place."

Ren Suo's heart sank. He felt as if he were floating as he walked to the washbasin. Supporting himself on the countertop, he stared at his reflection, trying to deceive himself: It can't be happening this fast... Not today...

"Ren Suo, haven't you changed your clothes yet!?"

A familiar voice sounded from behind him. Ren Suo turned to see Zhao Huo, dressed in silver armor like an ancient Flying General, impatiently urging him on.

Ren Suo couldn't help but cover his face. "Zhao Huo..."

"Hmm?" Zhao Huo crossed his arms, looking at Ren Suo.

"This outfit of yours..."

"Ah, I know. Wearing this armor, I do look a bit too handsome," Zhao Huo sighed, a hint of apology in his tone. "Sorry for making you my foil tonight. Make sure you eat more."

"You... you Friend Z!"

Zhao Huo looked at him, puzzled. "...?"