Elf Kingdom: Game of the World Tree

Recently, players of "Elf Kingdom" were drawn to two events.

One was the new version update of "Elf Kingdom," scheduled for noon on October 1, which would introduce silver class transitions for some lucky players.

The other was the first large-scale in-person gathering of "Elf Kingdom" players, spearheaded by Little Xian Miao of the Mengmeng Committee and co-hosted by several major guilds at the Tianchen Hotel in Demon City!

Reportedly, Little Xian Miao had specially booked the hotel's venue for the event, and the number of registered attendees had exceeded 500, with nearly all the top executives from various guilds attending.

The meet-and-greet event was set to last from the evening of September 30 to the evening of October 1, spanning one full day and night.

On the first evening, all players would enjoy a banquet dinner together, followed by karaoke and entertainment, providing opportunities to mingle and socialize.

The next day, after the "Elf Kingdom" update, everyone would enter the game using the in-room pods to experience the new version, followed by a second carnival inside the game's Chosen City!

...

"Is this the Tianchen Hotel? One of the few five-star hotels in Demon City where every room is equipped with a pod?"

Li Mu looked at the luxurious European-style grand hotel before him, glancing at the parking lot filled with luxury cars that practically begged one to speculate their prices, and he gulped slightly.

He took a deep breath, tidied himself up slightly, and walked into the hotel.

In the hotel lobby, signs and banners for the "Elf Kingdom" large-scale meet-and-greet event were already up, with hotel staff dedicated to guiding attendees.

At the registration desk at the entrance, Li Mu signed his name and was given a tote bag containing the event schedule, an "Elf Kingdom" commemorative booklet, a Goddess figurine, and a room key card.

The commemorative booklet was a collaboration by several of the game's artists, featuring classic screenshots from the game as well as various illustrations—truly exquisite.

As for the Goddess figurine, it was identical to the cheer animation of the Goddess from the game, adorable and pleasing. It was said to be a custom order from the event organizers, with one for each participant, showing great thoughtfulness.

Having stored away the tote bag, Li Mu handed his luggage to the hotel service lad, who, under the guidance of a young and beautiful female attendant, led him to the event venue.

At this moment, the venue was brightly lit, already filled with many people.

The banquet was in a buffet format, resembling more of a high-end cocktail party, making Li Mu feel a bit awkward, wondering if wearing jeans was inappropriate.

However, upon noticing that most of the players were dressed similarly to him, he breathed a sigh of relief.

*Looks like everyone's more or less the same.*

*Makes sense, most players are ordinary people, it's just a gathering for fun, not a real cocktail party, though the scale is a bit beyond my expectations...*

The aroma of delicious food filled the air, laughter echoed all around.

Groups of players gathered in twos and threes, with many already finding their circles.

However, Li Mu felt a bit nervous instead.

*Although I'm an experienced streamer, I neither show my face nor attend in-person meetups, and this is my first time joining an offline gaming event.*

Just then, a surprised voice suddenly called out from behind him:

"Brother Mu, is that Brother Mu?! Blue jeans, white sweatshirt, just like you mentioned in the guild chat! It must be Brother Mu!"

Upon hearing this voice, Li Mu perked up, with an inexplicable excitement rising in his heart.

*That familiar voice...*

*That slightly flirtatious tone...*

*Demacia!*

He turned around in surprise and saw a very handsome guy, at least 1.8 meters tall, with slicked-back hair, fair skin, a refreshing smile, and dressed in a casual suit appearing in his sight...

Li Mu: ???

*Could it be I'm seeing things wrong?*

"Demacia?"

His voice carried a hint of uncertainty.

"That's right! It's me! Haha! Brother Mu, after playing together in the game for so long, I finally get to meet you!"

Demacia laughed heartily.

Li Mu: ...

He took a deep breath, pinched his temple lightly, smiled first, then sighed and said:

"Didn't expect, really didn't expect how different you are from what I imagined. You're really handsome in person."

*If you're so handsome, why create a red, frizzy-haired character in-game that ranks lowest in terms of looks among the elves!*

"Haha, you're the same, Brother Mu! Your in-game character looks delicate and feminine, so I always thought you were quite frail in real life. I didn't expect you to be so sturdy! Haha, it's such a surprising contrast!"

Demacia laughed.

Li Mu: ...

*His chatting skills... It's definitely Demacia, without a doubt.*

*Kind of want to punch him and then hide in a hole.*

*What should I do?*

He let out an awkward laugh and changed the topic:

"Who else from our guild is here?"

"Uh... I just got here too, so I'm not sure, but from the glance I got at the signature logs, it seems like all the regulars are here."

Demacia replied.

"Brother Mu! Is that Brother Mu?!"

While they were chatting, another surprised voice sounded from behind Li Mu.

This time, it was a female voice.

Li Mu turned around to see two girls, one tall and the other short.

They looked to be about his age and were probably college students. The tall girl was slender and pretty, while the short one was very cute, with a mischievous vibe.

"Who are you two?"

Li Mu asked suspiciously.

"Brother Mu, I'm Meng Zhihan! In real life, my name is Zhou Menghan! Haha, it's great to finally see you in person! I really love watching your videos!"

The tall girl said happily.

"Oh, it's you! Miss Forging Master!"

Li Mu realized.

He looked at Zhou Menghan and smiled:

"You give off a similar vibe to your in-game character."

"Is that a compliment?"

Zhou Menghan chuckled, her eyes curving into crescents.

Li Mu let out a hearty laugh.

He then glanced at the shorter girl, recalling a certain player who always tagged along with Meng Zhihan and was famous for their highly customized character in the game. He asked:

"Are you... Dongdong?"

"Yep, that's her! Doesn't she look completely different from in game, like a little sprout?"

Zhou Menghan said.

Su Su glared at her, then looked at Li Mu, giggling and greeting:

"Hi, Brother Mu, I'm Su Su, ID: Dongdong."

Li Mu nodded with a smile:

"Hello!"

After Su Su greeted Li Mu, her gaze quickly settled on the noticeable handsome guy beside him.

Her eyes lit up slightly, and her face flushed, asking with excitement and anticipation:

"Who is this...?"

Demacia chuckled:

"Haha, beauty, didn't recognize me? I'm Demacia!"

Demacia?

The two girls paused slightly.

Then, Demacia noticed that Dongdong, who had been looking at him with excitement, quickly returned to calm.

"Oh."

She nodded lightly.

Demacia: ...