Magic Farm 116

Chapter 116: Why Didn’t You Mention That Authoritative Face of Yours Sooner?

Such a slender waist. The moment he wrapped his arms around his friend, this was the first thought that crossed Dan Xingyu’s mind.

His fingers couldn’t help but twitch, and then he suddenly realized: Ew! Isn’t this kind of perverted?

The two of them separated after only a brief embrace.

But even that brief moment was eye-catching enough, set against a backdrop of players who all kept a safe distance from each other, each on guard.

Some players who happened to stumble into their livestream took notice:

【That handsome guy and the mysterious cloak dude—do they know each other?】

【Damn, talk about luck! I just scrolled through a bunch of streams, and even though the backgrounds all look similar, judging by the number of people and their outfits, it’s obvious the contestants have been split up. To end up in the same plaza, that’s seriously rare.】

【Let me see what’s going on here.】

Just then, a notification from the survival game popped up:

[In this “Speed Carnival” event, to ensure fair competition among contestants, the matchmaking system will select a thousand players with similar regional rankings to appear in the same arena.]

【Wow, this survival game is pretty considerate! Even knows how to match players of the same rank.】

【I’m dead, even a survival game event knows to match opponents of similar strength, but the dumb game I played before this couldn’t even get that right.】

【This is great. I was worried about regular players running into leaderboard pros, but now this could get interesting.】

【So, does this mean the lower-ranked players will be fighting among themselves, while the top-ranked livestreamers have a battle of the gods?】

Qi Yu and Dan Xingyu both had a sudden realization, understanding why the two of them could appear together.

They were each the number one in their respective regions—Qi Yu for District 01, Dan Xingyu for District 88. If the arenas were divided by strength, it made perfect sense for them to end up in the same place.

Which meant…

Their gazes slowly swept across the other people in the plaza.

If nothing unexpected had happened, these people were probably the number ones from other regions as well…

The others clearly realized this too.

Some looked even more wary, while others couldn’t hide their excitement.

Qi Yu spotted that lively player from District 108, who was already grinning widely and greeting those around him.

Qi Yu quickly said, “Just like in the resource zone, we can use our backpacks, but all other functions on the survival panel are disabled.”

Dan Xingyu added, “Same here. Thanks to last time, I made sure to stock up on plenty of supplies in my backpack.”

The two exchanged a look of perfect understanding… well, Qi Yu looked at Dan Xingyu, at least.

Dan Xingyu raised his eyebrows in annoyance, his face showing no hint of shyness as he leaned in, getting very close.

Qi Yu instinctively wanted to back away, but immediately remembered this wasn’t an enemy, nor a stranger, so he forced himself to stay put.

“Wow! I’ve been meaning to say, your cloak is seriously cool.” Dan Xingyu’s eyes were nearly brushing the edge of the cloak, his beautiful, almond-shaped eyes just inches away. “Even from this close, I can’t see a single bit of your face.”

He offered a comparison: “It’s like when I watched ‘XX King’ as a kid—the Nazgûl’s cloak. I never understood how, with all those dramatic movements, you still couldn’t see their faces at all.”

Back then, he’d thought that was just the coolest thing ever.

His taste hadn’t changed from childhood to now.

The curious big kid finally backed off, and Qi Yu quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

“Is it a mage’s exclusive cloak?” Dan Xingyu leaned in again and whispered.

Qi Yu: “Mm.”

【??? What are you two doing?】

【Why does the vibe feel a little weird… Wait! Another model freak!】

Viewers watching the stream saw Qi Yu raise his hand and lower his hood.

Qi Yu said, “If you want to see what I look like, you can just say so. If I don’t take off the hood, you won’t see my face even if you try to peek.”

No response.

Qi Yu looked over in confusion, only to see Dan Xingyu staring at him in a daze.

“Dan Xingyu?”

“Damn! Why didn’t you say you had such an authoritative face?” Dan Xingyu clicked his tongue in admiration. “If I were you, I wouldn’t let that stupid hood stay on my head for even a minute.”

Qi Yu: .

The friend who was so chatty on the survival panel seemed even chattier in person.

Suddenly, a pale blue wristband appeared on both their wrists.

[This Speed Carnival event is team mode. Now, please choose a companion to be your teammate. Touch your wristbands together to form a team.]

【Where’s the mic, streamer? I can’t hear anything!】

【Survival game, can you hear the audience feedback? There’s only video, no sound—I want to hear what they’re saying.】

【It’s actually a team event? Most people here are probably strangers, right? This should be interesting.】

Qi Yu lifted his right hand and lightly tapped his wristband against Dan Xingyu’s.

A voice only the two of them could hear sounded in their ears:

[Player “I Love Survival Game” and player “The Divine Has No Form” have successfully teamed up. Next, please choose a team name. Note: When Speed Carnival begins, the commentary will refer to you by your team name.]

“There’s even commentary? That’s pretty professional.”

Dan Xingyu asked, “What do you think our team name should be?”

Qi Yu: “You pick.”

He wasn’t good at this sort of thing.

Dan Xingyu didn’t stand on ceremony. Propping his chin on one hand, he pondered, “It definitely has to include our names. Divine’s Game? Game of the Gods? God Loves the World?”

Qi Yu: “Anything’s fine.”

“Then it’s Game of the Gods!” Dan Xingyu made the decision with a fist to his palm. “Fits my skill level.”

He shot Qi Yu a look: “Game bro, I’ll carry you later!”

Qi Yu nodded. “Alright.”

…So obedient.

Like a bun with icy filling. Dan Xingyu felt his hands itching.

He cleared his throat, glanced around, and changed the subject: “Looks like everyone else is about done teaming up too.”

Except for them, almost none of the players here knew each other beforehand.

Everyone basically just picked the closest person to team up with.

The announcement sounded again:

[All players have finished forming teams! The large-scale, server-wide entertainment event ‘Speed Carnival’ is about to begin.]

Bang!

Suddenly, huge fireworks exploded in the sky, dazzling and brilliant, as colorful streamers rained down.

At the very top of the sky, a sparkling gift box appeared.

[This competition will have three rounds. Your only goal is to surpass all rivals and be the first to reach the finish line.]

[The team that finishes first in each round earns 10 points. Second place earns 8 points. Third place gets 5 points. All other teams get 1 point. The team with the highest total score after three rounds will receive the grand prize: the Holiday Gift Box.]

[Players who don’t place shouldn’t be discouraged—participation is what matters in entertainment events. A ‘Holiday Surprise Blind Box’ will be sent to everyone’s backpack after the event ends.]

“There’s only one grand prize?” Dan Xingyu stared at the gift box above their heads.

He glanced sidelong at Qi Yu. “I like being in the spotlight, and I like coming in first. I kind of want that Holiday Gift Box.”

Qi Yu focused intently on the gift box shimmering with rainbow light. “I want it too.”

A hand reached out. “Then, congratulations to us for having the same goal?”

Qi Yu lowered his gaze in thought, then extended his hand.

Pale fingers closed around a palm tanned a shade deeper by the desert sun.

Dan Xingyu froze. He’d meant to go for a high five.

Forgot the little alien wouldn’t get it.

He cleared his throat, not wanting to point it out, so he just went with it, shaking Qi Yu’s hand. “Let’s do our best!”

【Hmm, these two still seem kind of weird.】

【They definitely know each other, right? In a team event like this, doesn’t that give them a bit of an edge in teamwork?】

【A thousand players, five hundred teams, and only one team gets the prize? That’s a brutal format.】

Suddenly, the environment around the arena changed.

All the balloons and mascots vanished without a trace.

The plaza transformed into a colorful road stretching into the distance, its end nowhere in sight.

A cheerful voice rang out above everyone’s heads:

“Hello, everyone! I’m Hakimi, the commentator for this ‘Speed Carnival’ event. I’ll be providing commentary throughout the event. The first round of Speed Carnival: Wild Racing! Please tap your wristbands to select your favorite race car and fasten your seatbelts. The race will begin in three minutes.”

“Once the race begins, the entire event will be livestreamed, and team voice chat will be enabled. Spectators who aren’t competing can earn the item [Little Star] by watching the stream for a certain amount of time. You can send Little Stars to your favorite teams. At the end of the event, the team that receives the most Little Stars will win a unique and mysterious popularity prize.”

“Survival game really knows how to put on a show,” Dan Xingyu commented.

“……”

Qi Yu felt the same way, but he didn’t want to badmouth the survival game, so he stayed silent.

Following the commentator’s instructions, the two tapped their wristbands.

A light screen appeared before them, displaying various “race cars” to choose from.

When they got a good look, both their expressions froze: ……

A whole array of adorable… toy bumper cars?

They were supposed to race in these things?

Dan Xingyu hesitated, then turned to ask, “Have you ever driven a bumper car?”

Qi Yu shook his head honestly.

Just as he’d guessed.

“I mean, I knew it was an entertainment event, but this is a bit much.” Dan Xingyu laughed. “Since that’s the case, let’s just pick one at random. It’s just bumper cars, I can handle it!”

Qi Yu pointed to one. “Then I’ll pick this one.”

Dan Xingyu saw it was a gleaming golden double bumper car, with a fierce lion’s head on the front.

Their tastes aligned instantly. “This one’s great! Let’s go with it!”

They picked their car—a double bumper car with a driver’s seat and a passenger seat. Qi Yu took the passenger seat without hesitation.

The other players had mostly finished choosing as well.

The scene shifted, and all the cars appeared at the starting line.

The host Hakimi’s enthusiastic voice rang out:

“Contestants, this round of Wild Racing will last for three hours. Of course, if the top three teams reach the finish line early, the round can end ahead of schedule.”

“Wild Racing rules: Players must avoid obstacles and keep moving forward. All methods are permitted. If a player suffers a fatal attack, the wristband’s protection mechanism will activate. If that happens, it counts as elimination.”

As soon as these words fell, the atmosphere turned instantly grim.

“I was wondering why survival game was being so generous—turns out this is what they had in store,” Dan Xingyu whispered, turning his head. “All methods permitted? This is about to turn into a real free-for-all.”

“Game bro, once the race starts, everything will be livestreamed. What should I call you?”

If you wanted first place, there was no way to hide your strength.

And if you didn’t hide your strength, the viewers weren’t blind or stupid—they’d figure out his identity sooner or later.

But then, there wasn’t really anything worth hiding.

Qi Yu: “Anything’s fine.”