Chapter 64: I love it here
Wind was a very strange player.
Salty Little Meow thought this.
At first, she thought that she was one of those people who enjoyed leisure and scenery.
But soon, some of Wind's actions began to contradict her speculations.
Wind was neither very excited to look for beautiful landscapes to take photos with, nor did she ask her where the most beautiful places were.
Salty Little Meow was a player who was half into life skills. She therefore had many good spots to show but was unable to.
However, Wind seemed to have a soft spot for food in this world.
Along the way, whenever she saw food she was interested in, she would stop to taste it.
It was akin to a traveler who had not tasted food in a long time.
Besides, she seemed to be no stranger to this world. Although Salty Little Meow couldn't tell why she thought so, she felt that way.
Perhaps … It was the way in which Wind was freely and leisurely enjoying herself.
She had none of the restraint and excitement one should have when entering a new world, rather, it was as if she was strolling through her own back garden
... No, Salty Little Meow must be overthinking things.
She shook her head.
However, she became more and more curious about Wind.
Although strange, she was very gentle. She always had a smile on her face, especially when she saw players doing tasks with excitement plastered on their faces, upon which her smile seemed to become softer. In addition, she liked to walk very much.
Salty Little Meow had been with her for a while now, and they had been wandering non-stop.
It seemed … as if she enjoyed this kind of stroll.
"Do you happen to like walking?"
In the end, Salty Little Meow couldn't help but voice her curiosity.
Wind turned around, and her emerald pupils shone with a deep light.
She put a small red berry into her mouth, and said in a faint voice:
"I like this feeling of freedom."
Freedom... Salty Little Meow's heart skipped a beat, and somehow she suddenly thought of how she herself was in real life.
She faintly understood how Wind felt.
But at the same time, Wind seemed even more mysterious in Salty Little Meow's mind.
"She is like… like a princess who secretly snuck out from the castle…" Somehow, Salty Little Meow had this thought.
She must have read too many fairy tales! However, as soon as the thought came to her, she felt that Wind did fit into the role of a princess ... despite having the most basic appearance setings, she could not hide that mysterious, noble aura of hers ... although she was near her, Wind gave off the impression that she would leave in the next second and return to her rightful place ... as if she did not belong here.
It also seemed that she didn't intend on truly blending in here.
As if this place here was not her world nor her future.
She was like a lonely wanderer who had temporarily stopped by to take a rest.
Soon, she would set off again… She must be lonely, right? Thinking this, Salty Little Meow hesitated before inviting her.
"Tonight, we will hold a large bonfire party in the square to welcome the new players. Would ... you like to join?"
Listening to Salty Little Meow's words, Wind was somewhat startled.
A bright glint flashed in her eyes, and she nodded gently.
"Very well."
Night soon fell.
After being guided by the veterans, the second closed beta players have gradually become familiar with the gameplay in "Kingdom of Elves".
As they praised the game for living up to its reputation, they also accepted the veterans' invitations to the evening banquet.
At some point, having a bonfire party at night had become a traditional celebration in "Kingdom of Elves".
A four-metre-high pile of firewood had been set up in the middle of the square and was set alight amidst a chorus of cheers and whistles.
The roaring flames, which reached seven or eight metres high, illuminated the entire square.
The first closed beta veterans had set up a feast in the square that boasted a variety of berries from the Elven Forest, as well as some nice-tasting, unidentified nuts and delicious grilled meat from hunted magical beasts.
The meat, of course, had deliberately been placed in a concealed position to avoid the eyes of Alice and Berserker, who would inevitably have reprimanded them.
In addition, there were players who had obtained honey from the forest and had brewed honey tea using a plant that resembled chrysanthemums from Earth. This was served as a drink.
Players gathered in twos and threes, standing shoulder to shoulder.
Some players had specially created a board game. A group of people gathered together, playing and laughing happily.
Some internal beta players were exploring the PK system on the square. Their magic and sword skills were gorgeous, and attracted a crowd of players that watched and applauded them. The fight was reckless and merciless, which made the eyes of the second closed beta newbies shine.
There were also bigwig players who had created guitars out of wood and hair from magical beasts. They played and sung along, creating a crowd of players who whistled and applauded ... The whole square was immersed in a festival-like atmosphere.
Salty Little Meow and Wind were sitting on a square rug made out of rattan, tasting the mountainous delicacies while enjoying the spectacles on the square.
Wind had a very soft expression.
Her gaze shone like stars under the light of the fire, as if it was the surface of a sparkling lake in daylight.
Seeing her focused expression, the corners Salty Little Meow's mouth gradually curved upwards.
"The degree of freedom in this game is incredibly high, so… as long as we want to do something, we can almost certainly do it.
We've held these bonfire parties many times since the start of the game…" After Salty Little Meow said this, she stretched, took a sip of sweet honey tea, and smiled.
"That being said, it's also fascinating to see.
So many of us are actually not very social in real life… Yet we still fell in love with the bonfire parties in the game."
Wind did not speak, but sat beside her, eating fruit while listening to her in silence.
"Many of my guild members have told me that they are actually quite introverted in real life…" Salty Little Meow said as her expression gradually wandered.
"But…here, they're different."
Her expression gradually softened as she watched the happy, smiling faces.
"When they told me that, I was quite surprised at first.
Because in my eyes, everyone here is very outgoing and very warm.
I can't really imagine most of these people being dull and introverted in real life."
"In the past, someone told me that... although many people don't like socializing, it's not because they are actually introverted, but it's because they are able to see past the sophisticated and smooth reality and hate the hypocrisy, the useless interactions that only go surface level ... Instead, they prefer to stay in their real little world rather than live in a false world and blend in."
"But that doesn't mean they hate interacting with people, they just don't know the right people."
"People who are not on the same wavelength cannot talk with one another… People who are, even if they have to cross mountains, will eventually end up together. People who are incompatible, even if they spend much time together, are ultimately not the same."
"Before, I didn't know the meaning of these words, nor could I identify myself in it."
"But after coming to this game, I think…I finally understand the meaning of these words."
Salty Little Meow emptied the honey tea and the corners of her mouth melted into a sweet smile.
"Here, everyone has found their home … you don't have to hide yourself or conceal what's on your mind. It's as if everyone has started a new and reckless life."
"Perhaps…this is the charm and beauty of this game."
A few moments later, Salty Little Meow sighed.
"This game ... really has a different kind of magic to it. Sometimes, I find myself really wishing that this wasn't a game but a real world."
"I really want to give a big thank you to the people who developed this game."
"To thank them… for this different, beautiful life that they've shown us…"
"BOOM!"
"BOOM!"
"…" A loud noise interrupted Salty Little Meow.
The two raised their heads subconsciously and looked up at the sky.
Up in the skies, 'fireworks' created by magic were blossoming one after another… It was a colorful and beautiful display.
The glow of the magic fireworks was reflected in Salty Little Meow's pupils, shining brightly.
It accurately showed how she currently felt.
Wind turned her head to her and her gaze stopped at the side of Salty Little Meow's face. She smiled.
"You must really be enjoying this game."
Salty Little Meow nodded fiercely while watching the magical fireworks. Her voice was unwavering.
"Of course I do!"
"I truly enjoy it."
Wind smiled, then stood up gently.
Seeing Wind suddenly getting up, Salty Little Meow was slightly stunned.
"Where… where are you going?"
"It's getting late, I should go back."
Wind said.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢