"No… what do you mean? Are you telling me I'm getting story-gated too??"
Wende crossed his arms, staring with a vexed expression at the system panel before him. Around him, Welt stood motionless, cane in hand. March was still frozen in a cheering pose. Stelle, having just recalled her lance, was stopped mid-stride as she walked toward him.
[The main quest for Version 1.0 has concluded. Please enjoy your life in the [World].]
Ignoring the resentment in Wende's voice, the font on the system screen remained emotionless.
"Tsk, so this is how you're gonna play it? Who the hell knows when the next version will be updated! If the version doesn't update, are they just going to stay like this forever?"
Wende frowned, his eyes filled with concern as he looked at his friends.
He had long since stopped thinking of this as some non-existent game world. If he had to watch the companions he spent every day with turn into motionless, unconscious statues… then he'd rather be hit by that dump truck and sent back.
The system screen offered no reply. To Wende's astonishment, time resumed its normal flow.
"Hm? Why are you standing there like a dummy?"
March curiously sidled up to Wende, her large, pink-and-blue eyes full of playfulness and laughter.
"Mhm, I was just spacing out."
Looking at the once-again lively and spirited March, Wende managed a strained smile.
"Ew~ your smile is so ugly. Are you hurt somewhere?"
Seeing Wende's forced smile, March stood on her tiptoes and placed a small, cool hand on his forehead.
"Woah! So hot! Wende, do you have a fever?!"
March quickly snatched her hand back, staring in shock at Wende, who was acting like nothing was wrong. Your body temperature is hot enough to burn me!
"Ah? Is it?"
"Of course it is! Here, I'll make you a big block of ice!"
Sssssssssss…
"Look! It's making steam!"
"Wende? Are you okay?"
Stelle walked over to Wende's side, her face full of concern.
"If you're not feeling well, it's best to rest for a while. I just received a communication from the Master Diviner. It seems we won't be able to head to the Alchemy Commission for now. The fluctuations from the Stellaron have damaged the sky-lanes within the pocket dimension again. The people from the Sky-Faring Commission are trying to figure out how to restore them."
Welt slowly walked over, relaying the information he had just received.
"If you're tired, don't force yourself. Get some proper rest."
Welt looked at the dazed Wende with a gentle smile and spoke softly.
"You've all worked hard during this time."
"Uncle Yang…"
"Hm?"
"Thank you."
Wende smiled at Welt with a sense of relief. He then reached out and patted the heads of the two little ones beside him, one with each hand.
"Waah! So hot! Wende! You're mean!"
"Mmm… it's not so bad?"
Stelle unconsciously nuzzled against Wende's very warm hand.
"Mhm."
Watching the three of them getting along so harmoniously, the expression on Welt's face grew even softer.
At that moment, a seed was planted in Wende's heart.
This isn't an illusion. This is… real emotion…
Listening to little March's complaints, feeling Stelle's hair slip through his palm, hearing Welt's earnest advice…
Oh, right, he still had yesterday's complaint message from Himeko on his phone. And Dan Heng… he seemed to be doing alright these past few days? He wondered if Dan Heng would come and meet up with them now that the sky-lanes were down.
Wende smiled gently. In the distance, Master Gongshu was still bragging to Tingyun about their Artisanship Commission's Creation Furnace…
The crisis on the Xianzhou, by some coercive force, had been paused right here.
"So? That's it? It's just over after I beat the deer?!"
Dogzi stared blankly at the screen, where Wende had entered his idle animation. She had just fought a deer, and wasn't she supposed to go to that Alchemy Commission place next? It's just over!?!
"MIHOYO!!! DAMN YOU TO HELL!!! YOU'RE FUCKING INCOMPLETE! YOU'RE A FUCKING EUNUCH!!!"
[miHoYo: My, you're so noble, you're so righteous.jpg]
[Damn it, it cuts off right here? What's the difference between this and being in the middle of xx and suddenly getting a pop-up that says 'the following content has not yet been unlocked'!]
[Share what the guy above is watching (lmao)]
[Bro! I'm begging you, bro! Just let me play one more chapter of the story! I really can't take it anymore! I feel like there are ants crawling all over my body! Bro, please! I swear this is the last time, bro!]
[Motherfucker! Such a dog! Such a dog move!]
[Calm down, it's just version 1.0, after all.]
[Fourth Sister: Hahahahahahaha!]
[You're being too loud for my eyes!]
[Sigh, now all that's left is this huge pile of side quests.]
[There are still eight days until the version update! How am I supposed to get through these eight days?! How am I supposed to live?!]
[Sigh, actually, if they didn't story-gate us, we probably would have finished the main quest in the first week of launch, right? I feel like story-gating has some benefits!]
[Benefits? What fucking benefits! Are you doing an edging challenge here or what?!]
"So, you guys just came back like that?"
Qingque looked at the members of the Astral Express in a daze, seemingly forgetting to play the tile in her hand.
"Ah, yeah, we did. What's wrong?"
Seeing Qingque's astonished expression, March raised a delicate eyebrow, looking with confusion at the slightly off-kilter Qingque.
"AH! This is bad! If you're here, won't her old ladyship the Diviner make me work more overtime?! I don't want that!!!"
Qingque wailed dramatically, discreetly hiding the Qiongyu tile in her sleeve.
"Hey…"
March looked on helplessly at Qingque, who was cheating right out in the open, and suddenly felt speechless.
"Mmm… Benefactor~ This little lady has been piloting a starskiff all afternoon~ I'm feeling so sore~ How about we head back to the inn to relax a bit?"
Tingyun, seeing Qingque's pleading eyes, gave a charming smile and spoke to Wende in a coquettish tone.
"Err… actually, I feel pretty sore too."
Looking at Tingyun, March unconsciously rolled her neck.
"I want to eat."
Stelle stated her demand simply and clearly.
"Indeed, after such a major battle, fatigue is unavoidable."
Welt nodded in agreement.
"Mhm, then let's head back to the Changle inn to rest for now. As for what comes next… we can discuss it properly tomorrow?" Wende said to Welt.
"That sounds good. After all, repairing the sky-lanes won't be done in a day or two. It's better to plan our next steps carefully."
Welt readily agreed.