Lanqi and Talia's Completion Prize

On a midsummer Saturday at ten o'clock, Golden Bee Amusement Park welcomed its most brilliant moment of the day. All at once, fireworks blossomed across the night sky, their vibrant sparks like the first drops of ink bleeding into the dark canvas. Moments later, even more bursts joined the display, their glittering glow reflecting against the silhouette of the castle on the park's north side. Beneath the fiery canopy of the sky, countless starlike glimmers seemed to blend into every corner of the park, submerging the entire grounds in an ethereal sea of light. The clamor of the crowd ebbed as all eyes turned toward the sky, the flickering radiance dancing over their faces. Yet at this very moment, sitting before the open-air theater in the central courtyard, Loren's hands were trembling. He finally understood. If he had carelessly taken part in that game and been the one sitting in that classroom holding a chalkboard... it would have been completely over for him! That was an inescapable execution ground—no path to life, no way to death. Even a tier 9 Shadow World didn't seem this terrifying to him. "Juliana, it's already ten before we knew it. Let me walk you back early," Loren said earnestly, looking at Juliana beside him, whose attention had been captivated by the fireworks. "Eh?" Juliana snapped back to reality and looked at Loren. Soon, realization dawned on her. For a single woman like her, staying out too late alone with a man would inevitably invite gossip if any students caught sight of them. As an instructor with the Aloran academic exchange delegation, she was currently residing on the grounds of Ikerite Academy. "All right then." Juliana replied with a smile, standing up from the crowd alongside Loren and making her way down the aisle away from the spectator stands. She had heard from Miss Antanas that an improper man would always try to prolong the date as late as possible at a spot far from home until the shuttles stopped running, potentially creating an excuse to head to a hotel or somewhere similar. Loren, clearly, was not that sort of man; he was thoroughly upright and honest. Although she wouldn't have minded spending a bit more time with Loren today, Miss Dating Assistant was probably due to clock off and rest soon as well; she couldn't keep dragging Miss Dating Assistant along and making her help all night. As the two stepped away from the bustling central courtyard, the stone hanging in Loren's heart finally dropped to the ground. Their pace was unhurried as they passed through the lively game zones of Golden Bee Amusement Park. The surrounding attractions and challenge booths were filled with the clatter of mechanical joysticks shifting, cheers upon scoring points, and the soft groans of players trying again and again. "What a pity. Time went by so quickly today," Juliana sighed. The lights along the path were even more dazzling than at the seating area before the stage. Yet the more she sensed the lively merriment around them and the faint reluctance in their hearts, the more acutely aware she became that today was drawing to a close. Setting aside official duties to spend time alone with Loren was a novel experience, one that had kept her heart racing at every turn. She had initially agreed to this date under an odd mix of misunderstandings, never expecting it would turn out so wonderful. Even though, as the teacher of those sacrificed students from the Aloran Royal Academy, having such thoughts felt a bit dark, she was truly glad she had taken this step. "I feel like today flew by too." To Loren, the entire day had vanished in a blur of eating, eating, and more eating. He hadn't imagined Juliana had such a big appetite. Eventually, they reached the exit of Golden Bee Amusement Park. The clamor around them seemed to drift away into the distance as they stepped out of the park. "Then next time, when you're not so busy with work, let's come out and have fun together like this again," Juliana suggested. "..." Loren glanced sideways at her. Higher in priority than any schedule was an instruction from the Dating Drillmaster: If, at the end of a date, the girl takes the initiative to invite you out again, accepting signifies a high likelihood of taking things further, while refusing is tantamount to telling her to draw a line between you. "All right," Loren replied with certainty after careful consideration. "Phew." Juliana breathed a sigh of relief, her heart fluttering. She had been worried Loren might turn her down. Miss Dating Assistant had told her that if she invited a guy out for another date at the end of the day, his acceptance meant he thought her appetite was just right, whereas a refusal meant he thought she had eaten far too much. The starlight in the night sky and the city lights in the distance wove into an expansive scenic panorama as the two strolled leisurely along the riverside avenue. Loren pondered over his schedule. Aside from his packed work routine, even if he managed to free up an entire day sometime, he would probably end up having to go on dates with Juliana, Almis, and Florence all at the same time. Loren had initially thought the drillmaster's multi-threading theory was borderline absurd, but now he was a true believer. The drillmaster had said victory was assured, so there was definitely nothing to worry about. ... The commotion in the central courtyard of Golden Bee Amusement Park continued unabated. Finally, when the event tallying concluded and the video game doodle space dissolved, Lanqi and Talia were sent back to the real world. The spotlights on the stage refocused and the pixelated elements dispersed as they stepped out of the Prismatic Void Gate and arrived at the prize collection area backstage in the central courtyard. Many spectators still hadn't dispersed; cheers could still be heard, making the two feel exceptionally awkward. Inside the prize center: "You are the first couple this year to successfully complete all fourteen rounds of questions! Wishing you a hundred years of harmony and happiness together," the female event manager wearing a golden bee mascot costume offered her heartfelt blessings. "..." Both of their expressions turned complicated. Is there a slight possibility that we aren't a couple? The event manager handed the two of them an Animal Forest Chocolate Gift Box along with two magic cards sealed inside immortal crystal cases. Avoiding each other's gaze, they hastily took the prizes. Unsurprisingly, Lanqi relinquished the Animal Forest Chocolate Gift Box to Tata—or rather, he had intended to give it to her to enjoy from the start. As for the pair of bracelets, both examined and appraised them upon receiving them. [Skywood Golden Bee Bracelet (Men's)] [Category: Equipment Card] [Rarity: Purple Rare] [Tier: 1] [Effect: Takes effect only after both parties bind. Decreases own Spirit attribute by 1.3%, and grants a bonus equal to 1.4% of the other party's Spirit attribute.] [Note: First-session limited commemorative grand prize of Love-Hurdle Corridors Academy!] Crafted from skywood gold, the bracelet displayed varying shades of golden green, reminiscent of layered foliage in a lush forest. Set upon its streamlined, minimalist design was an eye-catching golden bee gleaming with a warm luster, its wings delicately etched with lifelike veins, capturing the vivid motion of a bee fluttering its wings mid-flight. "Meow, meow, meow, it's so pretty!" Boss Cat had already scurried backstage, leaping onto Lanqi's head once more, staring down at the bracelet in his hands from the exact same angle of vision. Lanqi turned his head to look at Talia's bracelet. Apart from its appearance, the effect was identical. If considered purely as an equipment card, its stat boost was practically negligible—even if both parties possessed equal Spirit attributes, it offered only a 0.1% increase. It was primarily a decorative, commemorative magic card. Among the craftsmanship trending in this era, turning exquisite jewelry into magic cards for portability had become quite popular. "If I use this, my stats drop, and I'd just be handing you Spirit for nothing," Talia muttered to herself as she looked at her bracelet. As a tier 8, her Spirit attribute was in a completely different league compared to Lanqi's. For Lanqi, spending one cost for a substantial Spirit boost was well worth it, but for her, it wasted both a card slot and her own stats.