“Roar—” a thunderous roar echoed throughout the main city.
In the Phoenix Arrival’s guild hall in “Voyage in the Void,” Phoenix Among Birds was staring blankly in front of a mirror.
Tu Qinyuanhua stood behind her, also with a face of sorrow, saying, “Guild leader, it’s been three days. I’ve led people across all maps in the game, discovered several hidden maps and quests, made it to the system announcements four times, and incidentally killed five members of the Panlong guild who were leveling up, but we still haven’t found the Dragon God. He might really have been removed by the game company. You… shouldn’t be too sad, it’s just a game after all.”
Phoenix Among Birds sighed deeply, “I understand what you’re saying, one shouldn’t get too emotionally invested in a game, let alone be saddened over an NPC, but if you were in my shoes, could you accept it right away?”
Tu Qinyuanhua and Celestial Maiden Setting Off Fireworks who came over were silent, finding it hard to accept.
Everyone has a fantasy land in their hearts, forever reserved for childhood. In this place, people cry over touching stories in anime, genuinely invest emotions in game characters, and can find their once fervent and innocent selves.
The thought of game or anime characters having self-awareness and coming to the real world is a fantasy many fans of the second dimension have entertained.
For Phoenix Among Birds, the Fat Dragon was a fantasy turned reality. From the moment Pang·Kirates helped Phoenix Among Birds defeat Panlong, the Fat Dragon arrogantly made his home in the childhood sanctuary within the hearts of Phoenix Arrival members and refused to leave.
They willingly exchanged game coins for the Fat Dragon, never expecting anything in return, or to put it another way, the joy the Fat Dragon experienced rolling in gold coins was a reward in itself for them.
Yet, this dragon was like a fairy-tale angel who knew gratitude. He gave his fallen scales to Phoenix Among Birds members, allowing them all to level up to max, getting ahead of other players in getting equipment, clearing dungeons, gathering materials. Phoenix Among Birds members experienced what it’s like to “plant trees without intending to seek shade, yet finding shade anyway,” receiving happiness far beyond what they gave.
But now, since the game was updated, Yuan Cun Feng disappeared.
The map of Bamboo Valley was also reformed into the Demon Barrier Forest, a 120-level dungeon with a Blood Demon inside.
When Phoenix Among Birds members logged in and found the Fat Dragon missing, the first place they went was Bamboo Valley, only to find a 120-level dungeon. They hoped Yuan Cun Feng was the dungeon’s final boss. Fifty-seven members formed teams to cycle through the dungeon, killing the Blood Demon several times, flattening the Demon Barrier Forest, and fought every monster without finding Yuan Cun Feng.
Not only was the tyrannical dragon gone, but the original Feng Lianzhu had also disappeared.
The game erased all traces of the Fat Dragon, announcing that a bug had been cleared, sparking lively discussions among players.
The video of the Fat Dragon posted by Celestial Maiden Setting Off Fireworks on the forum seemed to be the only evidence that Yuan Cun Feng once existed, with many players discussing whether Yuan Cun Feng was a game bug or a publicity stunt by the game company before going public.
Few suggest that it was an NPC becoming enlightened or artificial intelligence awakening. Such claims are usually mocked by players, saying they’ve read too many novels and haven’t woken up from their dreams.
Players like Sword Pointing to the Sky, who were tortured by the Fat Dragon, protested to the game company, arguing that Yuan Cun Feng should be released. The game needs stimulation, fresh blood, and they were interested in Yuan Cun Feng, yet to figure out how to defeat him, and didn’t want it to end midway.
The game company’s response was to play dead.
The customer service replied that there was a mistake in new map modeling, which has now been corrected. After the game update, every player was given a lottery gift package as compensation.
For the game company’s executives, matters like artificial intelligence awakening were too ethereal. They couldn’t possibly allow some so-called AI research companies to inspect the game’s backend. They aren’t scientists; they’re businessmen. Regardless of the reason for the mutated Feng Lianzhu’s appearance, he had already brought traffic, benefits, and talking points to the company, adding capital for going public. The role of the mutated Feng Lianzhu had been fulfilled, and there was no need to keep an NPC that could disrupt the game’s order, so deleting him completely was the right move.
With a word from the leadership, the employees worked overtime to death. The game company’s staff stayed up all night, finally coming up with new maps and a new boss to replace the mutated Feng Lianzhu, making him history.
Phoenix Among Birds wiped the tears from her face, forcing a smile, “This broken game, its emotional system is too realistic, it can actually make you cry.”
“Guild leader, wuuu…” Celestial Maiden Setting Off Fireworks saw Phoenix Among Birds crying and couldn’t help but cry out as well.
The emotions of the online guild members were affected, and the Phoenix Arrival guild hall was flooded with tears, turning everyone into tearful figures, leaving only the real man Tu Qinyuanhua with a flattened mouth, who finally couldn’t hold back and shed two tears, still stubbornly denying his miss for the Fat Dragon, saying hard-heartedly, “The game company is inhuman, my artifact Golden Scale Armor was also deleted, wuuu…”
“I’ve drawn the guild badge and figurines these past few days, wuuu…” the artist girl cried.
“I was planning to mass-produce them, now seeing them just makes me cry,” the production girl said with heartache.
As everyone cried together, Phoenix Among Birds forced herself to hold back the tears, forcing herself to look away, towards the pile of gold coins given to the Fat Dragon.
That’s when she saw something golden falling into the pile of coins.
“Hm? Stop crying, hold it back, see what that is?” Phoenix Among Birds rubbed her eyes, staring intently at the pile of gold coins.
Under the guild leader’s commanding order, the members dried their tears, focusing their gaze on the pile of gold coins.
A gold coin moved slightly, as if something was underneath.
The guild girls didn’t dare to breathe, afraid of scaring away whatever was under the coins.
Another gold coin moved, Tu Qinyuanhua took a step towards the pile of coins, stopped by the threatening gaze of the girls.
A third gold coin moved, and a golden, half-the-size of a gold coin, dragon’s head emerged, with a tear hanging from its eye corner.
A golden claw reached out from the pile of coins, casually wiping away the unknown liquid from the eye corner, suddenly realizing it was surrounded by a group of people who had seen the dragon cry.
“Roar!!!!!” It was the tears from sleeping! The little golden dragon roared angrily, producing a tiny roar.
“Ah!!!!!” Celestial Maiden Setting Off Fireworks couldn’t control her shout, quickly covering her mouth with her hands, afraid of scaring the little dragon.
“The Golden Scale Armor, yes, this is the Golden Scale Armor I crafted!” Tu Qinyuanhua carefully examined the equipment on the little golden dragon, his hands trembling with excitement.
“Roar!” The little golden dragon roared at Tu Qinyuanhua, indicating that the Golden Scale Armor was an offering from humans, and he would absolutely not return it!
Phoenix Among Birds pushed Tu Qinyuanhua aside, crouched in front of the little golden dragon, took a deep breath, and softly asked, “Dragon God, is it you?”
“Yes, roar~” The little golden dragon simply responded in Chinese.
Phoenix Among Birds excitedly covered her face, looking at the pile of gold coins, “Did you… were you hiding in the pile of gold coins during the cleanup to escape the disaster? You look so adorable now… no, so magical!”
“Dragon God, did you lose your power, or can you change your size at will?” Celestial Maiden Setting Off Fireworks, not knowing where to put her hands, said excitedly, “This is amazing, I can, I really can!”
The Fat Dragon was still immersed in the sorrow of losing most of his scales and leaving Feng Lianzhu. Just as he returned to the game world and saw a crowd around him, he spread his little dragon wings, flew out of the pile of gold coins, and solemnly sat on a gold coin, nodding seriously to his subordinates in this different world, signaling that the great Lord Kirates had returned.
“Ah ah ah ah ah——”
After receiving confirmation from the Fat Dragon, the girls screamed and cheered, hugging their teammates, screaming, and celebrating, leaving Tu Qinyuanhua awkwardly smiling at the Fat Dragon.
With no one to hug, Tu Qinyuanhua, not daring to hug the Fat Dragon, could only sorrowfully hug himself.
Actually, the guild members wanted to toss the Fat Dragon into the air and catch him, but fearing the Dragon God might get angry, they opted to toss the newly made guild badge instead.
A golden badge landed on the pile of gold coins. the Fat Dragon struggled to lift the badge with his short front claws, saw the majestic and imposing golden dragon drawn on it, and nodded in satisfaction.
“This is our guild badge design,” Phoenix Among Birds explained, “From now on, every guild member will wear a badge with your image. Is that okay?”
The Fat Dragon kept a straight face and nodded, his small appearance was just too well-behaved!
The artist girl took out her drawing of a chibi figurine, tore it up, picked up a paintbrush, and said, “This chibi version is too ugly. I’m going to draw one based on the Dragon God as he is now.”
“Draw quickly, draw quickly. Once you’re done, let Tu Qinyuanhua extract the shape to make it into the guild’s guardian beast statue in front of the guild hall, in gold,” Celestial Maiden Setting Off Fireworks urged
The Fat Dragon was very satisfied with these capable and wholeheartedly respectful servants. The items offered by the servants had played a significant role in the Primitive star. Once he came of age, he planned to find a way to reward his servants.
“It’s best to engrave the word ‘dragon’ on the badge,” the badge designer sister said, “Should we add bamboo since the Dragon God came from Bamboo Valley?”
“But Bamboo Valley has completely disappeared now, and the game company no longer acknowledges Feng Lianzhu’s existence. Moreover, bamboo and dragons don’t seem very harmonious,” the artist questioned.
The two discussing didn’t notice the little golden dragon’s gaze falling on them.
“Dragon God, did you survive the game’s cleanup by shrinking and hiding in the pile of gold coins?” Tu Qinyuanhua asked, “Are you really an awakened AI? Can you always play in the game with us? Do you still go by Feng Lianzhu?”
He daringly asked a series of questions, attracting the Fat Dragon’s gaze again.
“Bam…boo… Valley?” The little golden dragon cleared his throat, struggling to produce a few imprecise sounds of Huaxia language.
Tu Qinyuanhua hadn’t noticed his tone and naturally replied, “Bamboo Valley has been deleted by the game company, now it’s… my goodness!”
He was cut off midway as the small golden dragon suddenly enlarged, becoming a giant dragon touching the ceiling.
“Bamboo Valley… gone?” The golden dragon confirmed again.
“Gone…” Tu Qinyuanhua stuttered.
“Roar——” A thunderous roar echoed throughout the main city.
Author’s Note:
The Fat Dragon: Ah Zhu’s home is gone, I’m going to beat up the game company’s people.
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Another update at 10 pm tonight, plus an extra for every 30,000 nutrient fluids.
At this point, every comment I make is going to be about how cute Fat Dragon is lol. Thanks so much for the translation.