Mini World Game Console

On the main stage of the Firefly Comic Exhibition, a colossal Steel God Spirit towered mightily, its presence sweeping through the venue with overwhelming force. Even though everyone knew it was fake, the terrifying sense of oppression still made all the spectators shiver!

However, at that moment, the dark universe blossomed forth, a wisp of blue flame piercing through the galaxy!

"Atomic Flame!"

Then, like the sun contracting and then exploding, a horrific white light illuminated the entire venue!

"Dawn Star!"

The stage was no longer just earth-shattering; it was a universe-collapsing scene. The audience couldn't take their eyes off it, not daring to blink!

"This is bad," Zhao Huo said through clenched teeth.

Ren Suo could totally empathize with Zhao Huo's feelings—it was like when he, as a kid, proudly brought a black-and-white game console to school, thinking he'd be the star of the class, only for that damn competitive little fatty to show up with a full-color handheld console and steal all his thunder.

The show staged by the Carp Anime Club was "Godslayer Shadow Troupe," which was basically all about fighting, something Ren Suo didn't quite understand. But through the Key Search System, he could sense that there were Awakeners performing spells on stage—only two of them, about the same number as in their group.

But the Awakening Abilities of these two seemed to be related to visual deception!

This type of Awakening Ability would definitely be very effective in actual combat, but these college students had clearly found an even more promising use for it: creating real-life special effects!

Regardless of the plot, the universe-scale combat scenes created by these two effects artists and that Steel God Spirit enemy, whose head nearly touched the ceiling, had already outdone all other stage plays.

This near-blockbuster-movie-level Transcendent stage play, coupled with the fact that it was a visual feast the audience could watch up close, was enough to plunge all the teams that hadn't performed yet into despair.

"Looks like first place is hopeless..." Zhao Huo sighed. He had planned to use the martial arts scenes of two Cultivators to attract the audience's attention and trounce other stage plays that lacked Transcendents and had weak, feeble combat scenes—after all, when Zhao Huo's team rehearsed, they went by the principle of "as long as it doesn't kill them, chop 'em with all you've got."

But things don't always go as planned. He hadn't expected another team to have Illusion Awakeners. They were probably aiming to make a name for themselves with this performance and then get hired by movie studios for a high price. After all, being a chief special effects artist for a film company certainly offered a brighter future than being a Cultivator.

Even if they weren't interested in money and were determined to control their own destinies, the authorities would most likely extend them an invitation to join the Heavenly Lotus Academy as new students to continue their studies.

After all, if you try to show off your power by just running around saying, "I'm so great, so great," people are more likely to look down on you. If you show off on TikTok or Kwai, people might suspect it's just scientific cultivation (using computer technology to pass themselves off as Transcendents). But demonstrating your abilities on a comic exhibition stage with a large audience has no such issues. It's seen by many, proving its authenticity, and fame is definitely made!

Sun Shu thought a layer deeper, "And they've raised the audience's expectations so much. We're up next..."

Zhao Huo's expression turned somewhat grim—comparisons were always the worst. Flowers need green leaves as a backdrop, but green leaves fear being overshadowed by the flowers, unable to hold their heads high.

Originally, everyone was at a 60-point level, and Zhao Huo's team could reach 80. But Carp Anime Club had suddenly shot up to 150 points—well, that settled it. Except for themselves, everyone else was essentially disqualified.

Moreover, Zhao Huo's team was scheduled to perform right after Carp, making the contrast even more stark. No matter how well they did, their performance might not seem much different from the ordinary stage plays that came before.

"We still have a chance," Zhao Huo said, trying to rally his spirits, then turned to Ren Suo. "It'll be up to you and me next!"

"As long as you highlight my handsomeness and let me gather a wave of female fans, then I still have a shot!" Zhao Huo patted Ren Suo on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I won't treat you unfairly afterward. I'll definitely introduce you to some pretty girls... Uh, on second thought, never mind. You can find your own girls."

Zhao Huo reconsidered. If Ren Suo spilled the beans about him introducing girls, Zhao Huo feared he might have to worry about Dong Chengling, that passing housewife, slitting his throat whenever he walked down the street.

Of course, Ren Suo didn't know about all the thoughts racing through Zhao Huo's mind. He just blinked at Zhao Huo and glanced at the cheerfully smiling Sun Shu beside him, thinking to himself how every woman this guy got involved with was so adept at hiding her emotions; not a single one was ordinary.

However, thanks to Zhao Huo's good fortune, Ren Suo was about to help him avert this particular disaster.

"Don't worry, no one will notice you," Ren Suo, already recalling what was about to happen, said in a calm and unconcerned tone. "Everyone will only notice me."

"You?" Zhao Huo twitched the corner of his mouth. "While twin ponytails are indeed charming, that usually refers to a beautiful girl with twin ponytails. You're not even close to being a handsome boy..."

Meanwhile, the performance on stage had concluded. A universe-collapsing attack had completely shattered the Steel God Spirit. The two Awakeners behind the scenes dispelled the illusions on stage and stood with the actors to bow.

These two Awakeners were young girls. The actors consciously let them stand in the center, indicating that these two were the main contributors to the stage play's success.

It was clear that pulling off such a grand visual feast hadn't been easy for the two Awakeners. Their faces were deathly pale, and their steps were unsteady. However, receiving such thunderous applause, wave after wave, their efforts hadn't been in vain.

"Xiao Yan, we did it!" the long-haired girl said, letting out a long sigh of relief as she walked off stage.

"Yes, Bingbing." The mushroom-haired girl took out a tissue for the long-haired girl, then took another to wipe the sweat from her own forehead—they hadn't undergone much cultivation, and using awakened spells consumed not only their Energy but also their mental and physical strength.

At that moment, the host came on stage and began to speak, "Thank you to the Carp Anime Club for their incredibly vivid and fantastical performance! I truly didn't dare to blink, afraid I'd miss even a second of their exciting show. The Carp Anime Club had two Transcendents performing this time, a lineup most ordinary clubs can't match. However, the upcoming performance will also feature two Transcendents on stage! Let us welcome the Remnant Soldiers, presenting their stage play based on the game 'Unparalleled'—'Brave Fight Before the Formation, Blood Paints the Bridge'!"

"Oh!?" The members of the Carp Anime Club all turned their heads toward the stage. "The Remnant Soldiers have Transcendents participating too?" one of them exclaimed.

The Carp Anime Club was no stranger to the Remnant Soldiers. After all, in Lianjiang, there were only a few clubs that could gather people to perform stage plays. Besides a few university clubs, the Remnant Soldiers were quite famous among community clubs.

The stage plays performed by the Remnant Soldiers primarily featured ancient warfare as their selling point. Many of their members were enthusiasts of real combat. Not to mention, the armor and weapons they displayed were quite intimidating. In previous years' comic exhibition stage plays, they had won gold and silver awards.

This time, the Carp Anime Club hadn't even considered the Remnant Soldiers a threat at this comic exhibition. After all, Xiao Yan and Bingbing, who were helping them, were Awakeners they had found by sampling tens of thousands of students from several universities.

Compared to community clubs, this was the advantage of university clubs—more people, hence a higher probability of finding Awakeners.

Community clubs, on the other hand, consisted mostly of adults who generally had more money and could therefore afford better equipment.

"This is trouble. The Remnant Soldiers have Transcendents, and their equipment is better than ours..." the female leader of the Carp Anime Club worried slightly.

Bingbing immediately said, "Don't worry. Even if they are Transcendents, it might not be useful. Xiao Yan's and my Awakening Abilities are perfectly suited for stage plays."

Xiao Yan clasped Bingbing's hand and nodded emphatically. "When it comes to special effects, if our combined work is rated at five cents, no one else would dare claim a dollar!"

The female leader chuckled. "Alright, alright, your five-cent effects are the best."

Indeed, just as they expected, although the Remnant Soldiers' combat was excellent, it still fell short when compared to their visual spectacle.

The first half of the stage play featured Zhao Yun carrying A Dou in 'Brave Fight Before the Formation.' The plot began with Lady Mi and A Dou getting separated in the chaos at Changban Slope. Zhao Yun went searching and discovered they had been captured by assassins sent by Cao's Army. Fearing Zhao Yun's martial prowess, the assassin held them hostage, waiting for Cao's Army to encircle them.

Seeing that Lady Mi could not be easily rescued, Zhao Yun disregarded the assassin's threats, killed both Lady Mi and the assassin, buried Lady Mi in a deep well, and then broke through Cao's Army's encirclement alone with A Dou.

Due to the nature of the stage play, all combat was depicted on foot. One by one, named generals from Cao's Army appeared on stage, along with a dozen small soldiers forming a spear phalanx to block the way. All enemies attacked Zhao Yun fiercely—the clang of steel on steel was undeniably real.

This was one of the most exciting parts of the play: a genuine life-and-death battle with real weapons. While Xiao Yan and Bingbing created Illusions from behind the scenes, the Transcendent playing Zhao Yun was the star. With his extraordinary strength, he staunchly defended against attacks from all directions and even managed to effortlessly repulse the ordinary actors playing his enemies, fully showcasing Zhao Yun's lone heroism.

Moreover, the movements were flawlessly executed, at least to the ordinary audience. The Carp Anime Club members believed that while Zhao Yun was holding back, the actors playing Cao's Army were likely giving their all—ordinary people shouldn't have been able to harm the Transcendent portraying Zhao Yun.

"But that's about it." Bingbing was no longer worried; instead, she watched the stage with an audience member's detachment. There might be some die-hard fans who really like them, but most people will think our stage play is better.

The Remnant Soldiers' martial arts scenes utterly dominated those of the Carp Anime Club's play, but so what?

Not everyone could appreciate the visceral thrill of martial arts, but exaggerated visual effects that filled one's entire field of vision could definitely excite and stimulate the audience—that was why popcorn blockbuster movies were so incredibly popular.

However, at that moment, Xiao Yan poked Bingbing, gesturing for her to look towards the front of the stage. Bingbing glanced over and was instantly dumbfounded: the crowd gathered around the stage was even larger than when Carp Anime Club had performed!

How was that possible!?

Could this performance of pretty boys dashing around with babies really be more captivating than their 'Dawn of Creation, Cosmic Genesis' visual feast!?

Are all these people below fans of shows like 'Run, Brothers' or something?

Bingbing, refusing to believe it, walked over and randomly approached a shy-looking chubby otaku. "Do you think this stage play is better than the previous one?"

"Huh?" The chubby otaku, seeing the beautiful Bingbing, instantly became flustered, lowered his head, and mumbled at the ground, "No, I don't think so…"

"Then do you like watching this kind of stage play?"

"It's so-so. I've only played 'Unparalleled' a little."

"Then why are you still here watching?"

"That… that's because…"

The chubby otaku stammered, unsure how to answer. Suddenly, he looked up, pointed excitedly at the stage, and shouted, "Zhang Fei is so cool!"

Bingbing turned her head. The stage play had entered its second half. Zhao Yun killed Xiahou En, seized the Qinggang Sword, and fought his way through the encirclement. He almost escaped but was then entangled by Zhang Liao. Just as Zhang Liao knocked Zhao Yun's sword away, they both reached a bridge over a river. Suddenly, a burly man with twin ponytails and a painted face rushed over, his spear sending Zhang Liao flying off the stage!

Bingbing blinked. The Painted Face Person—was that the guy in black clothes, with a Beijing opera mask and twin ponytails... Zhang Fei!?

"Look, his face is all painted, how can you tell he's handsome?" Bingbing couldn't help but say to the chubby otaku.

"He's devastatingly handsome! If you can't see it, that's your loss," the chubby otaku retorted disdainfully, having completely shaken off the social awkwardness he felt upon seeing a beautiful girl.

Bingbing was stunned. If even a chubby otaku admitted he was handsome, just how terrifyingly attractive was he?

But she looked closely at the Painted Face Person and couldn't associate that face with the word 'handsome' in any way, figuring the chubby otaku might just be an enthusiast of muscular, philosophical types.

My aesthetic sense should be fine, Bingbing reassured herself. She turned her head, saw a very cute blonde Quilt King, and asked, "Do you think…"

"Zhang Fei, I want to have your babies! I don't mind that you're a man; we can cross swords every night!" the blonde Quilt King boomed in an earth-shattering baritone typical of someone from the Northeast, startling Bingbing.

At that moment, Bingbing also heard the audience suddenly burst into enthusiastic discussion:

"Zhang Fei? Is Zhang Fei really that good-looking?"

"He is quite handsome! No wonder he has so many fans!"

"Yeah, yeah! Hey, you in front, move a bit! I want to get closer for a better look," Bingbing heard a cute gothic girl next to her say.

Bingbing returned to the Carp Anime Club group, utterly dazed. Xiao Yan asked, "Did you find out the reason? Are there really that many people who like this kind of realistic martial arts drama?"

"It's not that…" Bingbing looked towards the stage. "The reason the audience stayed to watch this play is… because Zhang Fei is handsome."

"What?" Xiao Yan was stunned.

However, as Bingbing looked at the painted-face Zhang Fei on stage, for some reason, she too began to feel that Zhang Fei actually seemed rather handsome, with refined features.

「 」

"He doesn't look that great, though," the Gothic Girl said as she moved closer to the stage, staring intently at Zhang Fei, but she still couldn't see what made him so remarkably handsome.

"Could it be that the fans like Zhang Fei's Peking opera face paint?" the tall girl speculated.

There were many people around the stage. The little girl in the tall girl's arms was squeezed by the crowd in front and could only snuggle tightly against her, whimpering and rubbing. The tall girl gently stroked the little girl's twitching beast ears and asked, "Little Jiu, why don't we go outside and look for your family instead?"

So far, they only knew the little girl was called Little Jiu, though they weren't certain of the exact Chinese characters that formed her name.

They had searched throughout the comic exhibition, but no one had come forward to claim this adorable little girl. Instead, a large number of people had asked them if they had adopted her.

Little Jiu couldn't say where her family was. The tall girl figured this wasn't getting them anywhere and planned to take her to the police station to register her as missing.

Little Jiu didn't object to the tall girl's suggestion, so her silence was taken as agreement. Thus, the tall girl carried her, and along with the Gothic Girl, they began to leave the main stage area, heading towards the exit.

However, just as they were about to break free from the crowd surrounding the stage, Zhang Fei on stage let out a loud shout. Suddenly, Little Jiu lifted her head, her white hair brushing against the tall girl's chin, tickling her.

The tall girl felt her arms suddenly go light. She saw the white-haired little girl land softly on the ground and bow deeply to both of them.

"I found my family! Thank you, big sisters, for bringing me here!"

The Gothic Girl and the tall girl were startled. "You found your family?"

"Yes! I'm going to find her now!" the white-haired little girl nodded her small head.

"Do you want us to come with you?"

The white-haired little girl shook her head and pouted. "No! I promised I would find her by myself!"

What kind of parents would make a little girl find them all by herself? Even Wolf Mothers weren't like that, were they?

The Gothic Girl asked, "Do you want to take off your ears and tail first? Wouldn't it be bad if your family saw them?"

The little girl touched her ears, her head shaking like a wind chime. "No, no! I transformed specifically so she could recognize me!"

These parents were really something else, only able to recognize their daughter when she was in cosplay?

"I will repay you in the future!" the little girl said earnestly, "Do you have any wishes?"

Seeing the little girl's serious expression, both older girls couldn't help but laugh. The Gothic Girl, feigning seriousness, pointed at the tall girl and said, "Then help her find a good man. She's been single for a long time."

"Okay! You can count on me!" the little girl said, patting her small chest.

"Don't talk nonsense!" the tall girl thumped the Gothic Girl lightly, then turned back to Little Jiu. "We should still accompany you. It's too crowded and chaotic at the comic exhibition..."

However, the white-haired little girl who had been standing in front of them just a moment ago had already vanished without a trace.