NOVPUBOn a warm summer Saturday, ten o’clock saw Gold Bee Amusement Park at its most resplendent moment of the day.
Suddenly, fireworks burst forth magnificently in the night sky, the colored sparks like the first drop of ink on the night’s canvas, followed by more fireworks joining in, reflections of their light playing on the contours of the castle to the north of the park.
Under the fiery vault of heaven, it seemed as if every star had infused itself into every nook of this space, casting the entire amusement park into a sea of fantastical light.
The noise of the crowd diminished, as everyone’s gaze focused on the sky, their cheeks flickering with light and shadow.
And at this moment, Loren sat in front of the outdoor theater in the central courtyard, his hands trembling.
He had finally understood.
If he had carelessly participated in this game, he would have been the one sitting in the classroom, wielding the chalkboard.
All would likely have been lost!
It was an inescapable execution ground—with neither a path to rebirth nor a route to death.
Even the Ninth-order Shadow World didn’t seem as terrifying to him.
"Juliana, before we knew it, it’s already ten. I should take you back early," Loren said seriously, looking at Juliana, whose attention had already been captured by the fireworks.
"Eh."
Juliana came back to her senses and looked at Loren.
She quickly realized.
As a single woman, if she stayed out playing too late with a man, and students saw her, it could lead to wild speculation.
As a teacher with the Yarolan Academic Visit Team, she had been living inside Ichrite Academy during this time.
"Alright then," Juliana replied with a smile, standing up from the crowd along with Loren and starting to walk down the aisle away from the spectator seats.
She had heard from Miss Antanas that if it were an improper man, he would definitely try to extend the date until late, picking a location far from her residence, and then, with the buses having stopped running, he might take the chance to suggest going to a hotel or someplace similar. Loren, however, was clearly not that kind of person; he was too upright and honest.
Although she wouldn’t have minded staying with Loren a bit longer today, the Love Guru also needed her rest, and Juliana couldn’t keep her working overtime just to assist her.
Having left the noisy area of the central courtyard, Loren’s anxious heart finally settled.
Their pace was steady, making their way through the lively game area of Gold Bee Amusement Park.
The sounds of mechanical controls moving, cheers during scoring, and the light complaints of continuously trying players filled the area around various game attractions and challenge courses.
"It’s such a shame, today went by so fast," Juliana sighed.
The lights along the way were even more dazzling than those by the spectator seats by the stage, and the more they felt the liveliness of others and the subtle reluctance in their own hearts, the clearer it became that today was nearing its end.
Her novel experience with Loren, setting aside official duties and just spending time together, had her heart racing every moment.
She had agreed to this date through an odd twist of fate, never expecting it to be so delightful in reality.
Though as a teacher of the sacrificial students at Royal Arolan Academy her thoughts were a bit morbid, she was truly grateful for having taken this step.
"I also feel that today went by very quickly," said Loren, who felt like the day had passed with nothing but eating.
But he hadn’t expected Juliana to be such a good eater.
Finally, they reached the exit of Gold Bee Amusement Park.
The bustle around them seemed to fade as they stepped out of the amusement park.
"Then next time, when you’re not so busy with work, let’s go out like this again," Juliana suggested.
"..."
Loren glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.
According to the Love Guru, there was a priority command higher than the schedule: if, at the end of a date, the girl actively invites you for another one, accepting means a likely possibility of progressing further in the future, while declining is equivalent to telling her that boundaries are needed henceforth.
"Yes," Loren answered after careful thought, affirmatively.
"Sigh."
Juliana let out a breath of relief, her heart still racing.
She had been worried that Loren would reject her.
The Love Guru had told her that if you invited a guy out again at the end of a date and he accepted, it meant he thought you ate just the right amount; a refusal meant he thought you ate too much today.
The starlight in the night sky interwove with the distant city lights into a panoramic scene as they strolled leisurely along the riverside boulevard.
Loren was thinking over his schedule.
Besides his packed work calendar, even if he could clear out an entire day, he’d probably end up having to go on dates with Juliana, Almis, and Florence all at the same time.
At first, Loren had found the instructor’s multi-threading theory almost absurd, but now he was a believer.
If the instructor said it would be a win, then there definitely wouldn’t be a problem.
...
The bustle in the central courtyard of Gold Bee Amusement Park continued.
Finally, when the event settlement completed and the video game graffiti space dissolved, Lanci and Talia were sent back to the real world.
The stage lights refocused, the pixel elements dispersed, and they walked out from the glistening Void Gate into the award-receiving area behind the central courtyard of Gold Bee Amusement Park.
Many spectators had not left yet and some cheers could be heard, which made the two of them particularly embarrassed.
Inside the award center.
"You are the first couple this year to have successfully completed fourteen rounds of questions. I wish you a lifetime of happiness together," said the event administrator, dressed in a golden bee mascot costume, sincerely.
"..."
Their gazes were both complicated.
Is there a chance, we are not a couple?
The event administrator handed them a box of Animal Forest chocolate gift box and two magic cards encased in Immortal Crystal sealed boxes.
They avoided each other’s eyes and quickly accepted the prizes.
Not surprisingly, Lanci gave the Animal Forest chocolate gift box to Tata, or rather he had intended to give it to Tata anyhow.
As for the bracelets, both of them took a moment to identify them.
[Skywood Golden Bee Bracelet (Men)]
[Category: Equipment Card]
[Grade: Purple Rarity]
[Order: 1]
[Effect: Must be bound by both parties to take effect, reduces one’s own Spirit Attribute by 1.3%, and gains a 1.4% increase in the other’s Spirit Attribute.]
[Remark: First edition commemorative top prize from Love Obstacle Corridor College!]
The bracelet made of skywood was varying shades of gold and green, much like the layered leaves in the forest. The streamlined, simple style featured a prominent golden bee with a warm luster. Its wings were meticulously crafted, with lines that emulated real textures, resembling the dynamic form of a bee in flight.
"Meow meow meow, it’s so pretty,"
Cat Boss had already dashed backstage in a flash, once again landed on Lanci’s head, and stared at the bracelet in his hand, in line with Lanci’s gaze.
Lanci turned his head to look at Talia’s bracelet.
Apart from the appearance, the effects were no different.
If considered as an Equipment Card, its attribute was almost negligible. Even if both parties had the same Spirit Attribute, it would only yield a 0.1% improvement.
It was mainly for ornamental and commemorative purposes as a magic card.
In this era’s crafting trend, it became popular to also make nice-looking jewelry into magic cards for convenience.
"Using this, I’d have to lower my attributes and just give you Spirit for free,"
Talia muttered to herself, looking at the bracelet.
At eighth-order, her Spirit Attribute was not on the same level as Lanci’s.
To Lanci, this trick could add quite a bit of Spirit Attribute and was worth it, but for her, it would be a loss both in terms of card slot and attribute.
