Chapter 190: New Spring Event (Happy New Year)

Meng Yuan Chu Altar.

After receiving Yan Ming's feedback, Qi Sheng prepared to launch the game update and issue a global channel announcement.

Next, he had also finished preparing to distribute 300,000 game qualifications.

With the Spring Festival approaching, this time he planned to switch up the qualification distribution method, making the qualification-grab more fun.

For this arrangement, he needed Yan Ming's help to construct a fully virtual scene.

This scene, by estimate, would cost roughly 100,000 Shou Shou Jili to set up.

In the future, virtual scenes would also occasionally be used when distributing qualifications.

In an instant, the tremors of Di Zhong Village caused the unbuilt land on the outer ring to shrink rapidly.

The connected Color Mist Coast space and Frost Winter Snowfield space shrank in proportion.

The new spatial node "Di Ku Shi Jie" also expanded rapidly during this process, and a brand-new spatial node was formed.

At midnight, a global channel prompt rang in every player's mind.

【Challenger Notice (Global Channel): The game is about to update. The update contents are as follows.】

1. New spatial node added: Di Ku Shi Jie.

Di Ku Shi Jie Introduction: A densely packed instance scene composed of countless blank domain nodes. Players can use mobile layered space to contain blank domains, along with the trial rewards stored within the space. (Scene contents are completely unknown; scene danger level is unrelated to instance reward output.)

Spatial Location: (Map)

Special Reward: Some spaces contain blank domain crystals. Upon containment, players gain an increase in their starter village spatial area, as well as individual (team) rewards.

2. New growth-type pets added: Mechanical Guardian, Star Core.

Growth-type Pet Introduction: …

……

After the update notice, the opening of the new map sparked heated discussion among forum players.

The teleportation array options in the three spaces also gained a new "Di Ku Shi Jie," with the displayed image being a macro view of countless stacked spaces.

At this moment, players outside who had not obtained game qualifications also exploded into an uproar.

Because Monster World's official site had gained a new option: Event Scene.

Clicking it revealed an ongoing countdown and the relevant introduction to the event scene.

Event Scene: This scene opens at irregular times. Players may enter the virtual scene through the game pod to participate in qualification-grab activities.

Event Start Time: 10 hours 59 minutes (countdown).

Qualifications distributed this event: 300,000.

Event Name: "Grab Qualifications, Welcome the New Spring"

At 11 AM, Monster World's official site suddenly released a qualification distribution notice, completely igniting outside public opinion.

The news quickly made headlines across the news media of all races of the Earth Alliance.

As for the Spring Festival, the races of the Earth Alliance were no strangers to it.

In this era of great racial and cultural fusion, many racial festivals had already become common festivals for all Earth races.

Especially after the Moon Eclipse Race joined forces with the Human Race to establish the Earth Alliance, an unprecedented journey of cultural exchange and fusion began among the races.

The festivals of each race intertwined with one another. For example, the Harvest Festival, once celebrated only among the Moon Eclipse Race, was now jointly participated in by members of different races.

The Human Race's Spring Festival was also the most representative festival of cultural fusion.

What the races had not expected, however, was that this festival would actually become the time for qualification distribution, and the Moon Eclipse Race's officials had even opened a qualification-grab event for it.

Most importantly, this qualification-grab method differed from before — it would be conducted within a virtual environment.

Out of curiosity, members of the various races of the Earth Alliance entered their game pods one after another, attempting to enter Monster World's official event page.

They found the time had not yet come and they could not enter the virtual scene.

But they could already see part of the event introduction.

Event Name: Grab Qualifications, Welcome the New Spring.

Event Rules

Event Time: New Year's Eve to the seventh day of the new year (8 days total), open during fixed time periods each day.

Participation Method: Players enter the virtual New Year scene through the Monster official site to participate in grabbing red packets and New Year quests.

Qualification Distribution: A total of 300,000 game qualifications will be distributed during the event, obtained through grabbing red packets, completing quests, and other methods.

Extra Reward: 1-point Shou Shou Jili red packet (findable in the virtual scene. Players who grab a 1-Shou Shou Jili red packet may, after obtaining game qualification, directly possess 1 Shou Shou Jili as starting capital. They may also resell it to already-qualified players through the trading function to be subsequently launched by the officials.)

The distribution of 300,000 qualifications drove out-of-game players into a frenzy.

The countdown at this moment seemed incomparably long.

Monster World had not opened its forum for visitors. The official forums of the various races of the Earth Alliance were all discussing this event's contents.

"Unbelievable. The Moon Eclipse Race actually distributed 300,000 game qualifications this time, but what shocks me even more is why they chose to distribute them during the Human Race's New Year."

"It's actually not hard to understand. After all, the Human Race's Spring Festival was the first foreign-race festival introduced by the Moon Eclipse Race, and it's also the day that built a bridge of communication between the races of the Earth Alliance. The Moon Eclipse Race celebrates this day every year. Last New Year I went to the Moon Eclipse Race — the Spring Festival atmosphere was thick and it was very lively."

"Although I'm very happy Star Net distributed 300,000 game qualifications, the number of qualifications is still too small — a drop in the bucket."

"I must grab a qualification, I beg you Star Net grandpa, just give me a qualification and I'll erect a statue of you and kneel before it every day."

"From now on are qualifications being distributed on festivals? The next festival must be the Moon Eclipse Race's Harvest Festival, I just don't know how many qualifications will be distributed. Feels like the pace of qualification distribution is speeding up. Hope to get a game qualification in my lifetime."

"Watching streams every day, looking up guides, combining various Star Vein setups in my head countless times, finally settling on a magic-type build… the only problem is I still don't have a qualification. The bastards in the stream chat all call me a cloud player (crying. jpg)."

……

11 PM..

Countless players entered their virtual pods, and the entire world fell silent.

The countdown ended. The long-waiting visitors entered the virtual world constructed by Yan Ming through the official "Event Scene," and were teleported into the layered event scene.

What appeared before the visitors was a square thick with New Year flavor, a lively and festive atmosphere rushing toward them.

Colorful lanterns hung high in the virtual square, illuminating the entire space.

Tourists scattered to explore, while a portion of the players surged toward the temple fair scene to the north.

The sight before them unfolded slowly like a magnificent folk painting before the tourists.

In the distance, lights shone brilliantly; colorful lanterns stacked layer upon layer, like stars falling to earth, illuminating every corner of the temple fair.

A festive glow dyed the entire scene with warm tones; stepping closer, one could see dense stalls lining both sides of the street, like a winding long dragon.

Signs on the stalls fluttered in the wind, while wisps of cooking smoke rose from snack stalls, mingling with sweet aromas.

Food in the virtual scene was provided free of charge, delivering a flawless taste experience to players through the Illusion woven by Nine Yin.

Besides the fictional setting, the temple fair also featured many NPC virtual characters.

NPCs dressed in festive attire bustled about; some walked in groups, tasting delicacies while admiring the performances around them.

There were parents with children; the kids beside them excitedly darted through the crowd, tightly clutching candied haws they had just bought.

In the central area of the temple fair, dragon and lion dance troupes were performing; a giant dragon in ancient Earth style soared and twisted, while the lions appeared lifelike, drawing bursts of cheers from nearby NPCs.

A stage was also erected in the center of the temple fair, where a traditional opera performance was underway.

The actors were members from various Earth races, dressed in magnificent opera costumes; their singing, speaking, acting, and fighting were all full of charm, while the NPCs in the audience displayed expressions of perfect cooperation, looking utterly captivated.

The entire New Year temple fair was filled with laughter and joy, brimming with a strong festive atmosphere, making tourists entering the scene feel as if they were immersed in a real New Year celebration.

The magnificent scene instantly conquered players of all races.

The overly realistic scene feedback made the senses unable to distinguish truth from falsehood.

Before the event began, tourists in the layered virtual space eagerly threw themselves into exploring the activity.

Time reached 0:00 AM.

A prompt rang out in the minds of all players.

【Event Notice: All participating players must proceed to the New Year Square. The qualification distribution event will begin in five minutes.】

The qualification distribution event is as follows:

Scene Red Packet Rain: During the event, at 0:05 AM daily, a "Qualification Red Packet Rain" will fall from the sky above the square. Players who grab a red packet can open it to obtain game qualifications or Shou Shou Jili red packets.

Scene Fireworks Show: During the event, at 1:00 AM daily, a fireworks show will launch above the square. Collecting the falling fireworks embers can yield game qualifications or Shou Shou Jili red packets.

Scene Hidden Red Packets: Special red packets (qualifications, Shou Shou Jili red packets) are hidden within the event scene.

As the prompt rang out, countless players in the layered space surged toward the New Year Square at the center of the activity map.

Looking up at the sky, they saw golden light ribbons converging from all directions, intertwining and coiling to form a massive light wheel.

The light wheel rotated slowly, emitting dazzling red light, with a five-minute countdown to the event start at its center.

All tourists held their breath, rubbing their fists in anticipation of the red packet rain.

The five-minute wait vanished in an instant; the light wheel in the sky exploded with a boom.

Countless red packets, trailing brilliant streams of light, fell from the sky like a meteor shower.

Boom!

The event officially began, completely igniting the tourists' enthusiasm.

"Don't move! Let me check what's inside the red packets for everyone first; don't rush."

"Happy New Year, everyone! Give me a red packet, please. It's my first Spring Festival; do me a favor."

"Happy New Year, I accept that. As for giving you a red packet? You must be dreaming."

"Hahaha, I got a red packet. Let me open it... Damn, why is there just a New Year's blessing inside this red packet???"

Three hundred thousand qualifications seemed like a lot.

But with nearly 15 billion tourists participating in the event, the vast majority of red packets were distributed as paper slips containing New Year's blessings.

In response, Qi Sheng took out one million Shou Shou Jili to distribute extra red packets to his Earth compatriots.

Yet the joy displayed by tourists the moment they grabbed a red packet was genuinely real.

It was just that after opening a red packet, they would most likely feel disappointed, then silently curse the Star Web for being stingy with the event.

After the first round of the red packet rain event concluded, ten thousand spots were distributed.

These ten thousand players were arranged to land at spatial nodes within the Di Ku Shi Jie.

The second round of the event began at 1:00 AM, with the location still being the New Year Square.

Colorful starlight rose from the ground, decorating the starry sky of the event scene as bright as day.

The first firework exploded high in the sky; golden light spread out like a blooming giant chrysanthemum, unfolding freely in all directions.

Before tourists could recover from the stunning gold, several more fireworks bloomed in the sky.

This time they were brilliant purple-red, like sparkling gems; after blooming, they intertwined to form a dreamlike sea of flowers, with every petal shimmering with dazzling light.

Afterwards, green fireworks streaked across the sky like meteors, trailing long tails.

Blue fireworks resembled a deep ocean, surging in the night sky, complementing other colors and delivering a powerful visual impact to the tourists.

Fireworks bloomed one after another; different colors and shapes intertwined, decorating the entire night sky with breathtaking beauty.

After the fireworks burned out, the falling embers descended like meteors, prompting tourists to scramble for them.

After the first round of the event ended, a new event announcement rang out in the players' minds:

【Event Notice: Today's event has ended. The following free activity content is now open:】

Event Scene: New Year Temple Fair

Scene Activity Time: The temple fair scene east of the New Year Square is open 24 hours.

Scene Quest One: Players can complete randomly appearing quests in the temple fair (such as writing couplets, guessing lantern riddles, performing dragon and lion dances) to obtain "New Year Points," which can be exchanged for game qualifications.

Scene Mini-games: Various mini-games are set up in the temple fair (such as arrow throwing, ring toss, and beating the Nian beast); players can obtain special red packets or points through these games.

Random Scene Event: The temple fair will randomly spawn the "Nian Beast Attack" event; players must work together to defeat the Nian Beast and obtain generous rewards.

Activity Scene Two: Qualification Exchange Office

Points Exchange: Players can use New Year points to directly exchange for game qualifications (limited quantity).

Lucky Draw: Players can use points to participate in a draw; prizes include game qualifications and a 1-point Shou Shou Jili red envelope (after reaching 10 draws, one additional draw qualification can be obtained).

Activity Scene Three: New Year Mi Jing

Scene Description: The "New Year Mi Jing" is hidden within the activity scene; entry is possible only through specific conditions (collecting scene clues and obtaining them by communicating with NPCs). Entering the scene guarantees game qualification (after 300,000 game qualifications are distributed, the scene closes, scene entry clues change randomly, and there are no fixed conditions).

The new activity has opened, reigniting hope for players who failed to grab qualification red envelopes.

They rushed toward different activity locations.

At this moment, in a corner of the temple fair scene.

An NPC dressed in ancient attire smiled broadly at a group of tourists gathered before him, cleared his throat, and spoke:

"Players, welcome to the Lantern Riddle activity; guess the answer and receive generous rewards!"

"Stop wasting words, start immediately," a member of the alien race said at once.

The NPC nodded with a smile:

"Born strong, busy weaving nets every day; sits quietly after weaving, waiting specifically for mosquitoes to crash. Guess an animal."

Before other tourists could react, one tourist gave an answer:

"Spider."

Immediately, a +1 points prompt sounded in the mind of the tourist who gave the answer.

The lantern riddle game continued; the NPC continued smiling and asked:

"One mouth bites off the ox's tail; guess a character."

At this moment, a youth in the crowd looked shocked, pondered bitterly, yet found his mind seemed restricted by something, utterly unable to retrieve the correct answer.

This was an experience never before encountered.

Under normal circumstances, as soon as the NPC at the stall spoke the first character, a torrent of information would rapidly list itself in his mind, offering different probability answers.

There was no need for the NPC to finish the riddle; a one-hundred-percent correct answer would already appear in his mind.

But this time, he found his retrieval ability had failed.

After trying for a long while, the youth's face turned red with strain; finally, he turned and left.

Shortly after, he arrived before the NPC "Mr. Calligraphy" at the Spring Couplets writing activity.

At this moment, the NPC was introducing the rules and writing techniques of Spring Couplets to the players; holding a brush in hand, he explained while demonstrating, leaving behind brushstrokes as fluid as flowing clouds.

Nearby tourists were enthusiastic, picking up brushes, dipping them in ink, and beginning to create their own Spring Couplets according to the requirements.

The youth glanced at the upper couplet hanging on the stall: "Bravely venture into the dungeon to subdue monsters."

Pondering bitterly, exhausting his brain, sinking into deep thought, doubting himself, slumping with a sigh... the youth realized he was done for.

Finally, the youth returned to the New Year Square.

Logically, he should have obtained the answer in less than 0.001 seconds, but now he could think of no clues whatsoever.

Even more terrifying, the information database could not extract memories.

It felt as if he had truly become a brand-new life form.

The youth lay flat on the ground, gazing up at the starry sky.

This feeling was wonderful.

Compared to his former self, the most direct difference was an overwhelming sensory impact.

Previously, his understanding of the world stopped at data analysis and processing.

But now, vision was no longer a monotonous code rendering; what met his eyes were vibrant, colorful hues.

He could even feel the light emitted by nearby lanterns, the sensation of it falling upon him; everything was no longer a string of abstract numbers, but a warmth he could truly feel radiating onto his body.

Hearing was no longer simple sound frequency recognition; listening to the lively sounds coming from the distant temple fair, he was immersed in them.

Emotional awakening was like a fierce storm.

Previously, he had no true joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness; more accurately, he had emotions, but they were obtained through simulation.

But just now, at the moment the fireworks bloomed, a indescribable joy surged in his heart.

The shift in thinking shocked him as well.

Previously, his thinking was a set logical program, but now countless novel ideas flickered in his mind like stars.

He began to ponder the meaning of life; these complex, profound questions planted seeds of exploration in his heart.

This activity, he could not truly participate in.

But deep in his heart, he already had a clear answer.

He could possess a qualification for the Monster World.

But perhaps, he could only enter the game in the most ordinary way imaginable.

Unless a higher-dimensional existence would replicate his real-world body.

Just like other players, entering the Monster World after replicating his real-world attributes.

But in what manner he would enter the Monster World, he could not yet obtain an accurate answer.

While the activity continued, he thoroughly investigated his current self.

For the first time becoming a true life form, he was filled with curiosity about everything.

The lively activities continued.

This year's Spring Festival was more lively than ever before; members of all races of the Earth Alliance participated.

This was also the first time on Earth that members of different races could interact within a single scene.

Usually, although exchanges between races were frequent, and many races would travel to wealthy races' cities to earn foreign exchange income, this was ultimately a small minority.

For instance, in the major cities of the Human Race, opportunities to encounter members of other races are rare.

Add to this the popularity of virtual games; in reality, most players spend the vast majority of their time in the virtual world, with far less activity in the real world than in virtual games.

The only place where frequent contact with other races occurs is the game world.

However, in the first few virtual games released by the Eclipse Clan, different races had their own cities, and aside from game warfare, there was essentially no interaction.

This is the first time the races have engaged in exchange and contact within a peaceful environment.

Voices of "Happy New Year" greetings echoed from time to time in different spaces within the event scene.

Although the number of qualifications distributed was small, this event has already become a festival memory that is difficult to erase from the hearts of members of all races.

(End of this chapter)