I was so scared that I put all my points into health.

The twelve stages in Elpalan Square were edged with silver by the moonlight, and the magic lanterns swayed like a sea of ​​stars in the night breeze. I straightened my crooked elven earrings and glanced at the gratitude points jumping on the data panel—5321 points were still needed to redeem the "Astral Travel Scroll." Suddenly, cheers erupted from the grilled rock lizard stall by the fountain. Three players dressed as the main characters of "Dragon Chronicles" were using fire magic to draw the novel's cover in the air, and the exploding sparks spelled out "Jiangnan Old Thief, hurry up and fill the hole!"

"Next up is the Best Cross-Dimensional Recreation Award!" My voice was amplified by the magic megaphone, becoming as sweet as honey. The moment the cosplayer group of President Vinnie from "The Ninth Continent Chronicles" tumbled out of the teleportation array, an elven bard in the audience accidentally broke a string on his harp—Master Thorne, the leader, wore a silver-white wavy wig, and a miniature model of the Star Church dome floated atop his staff.

Suddenly, a sharp crackling sound of shattering porcelain echoed from backstage. I lifted the curtain and saw the Second Princess's maid trembling before the shards of crystal scattered on the floor. "It's the Holy Light Trophy for the awards ceremony..." Her reddened nose reminded me of a newbie player who'd been scared to tears by a slime. I instinctively pulled a gilded spoon from my inventory and shoved it at her: "Tell Your Highness this is the 'Eternal Radiance Scepter,' a new design by the dwarves."

The awards ceremony reached its climax amidst chaos. A berserker dressed as the protagonist of "Siren's Lament" summoned a phantom jellyfish, only to have its tentacles entangle the dragon horn headdress of a "Dragonborn Awakening" cosplayer; a scholar cosplayer from "Broken Dynasty" got so into it that he used a modified ancient script scroll to turn the "Dark Tide" siren model into a singing cabbage.

The most stunning performance came from the Alchemist Guild's "Hourglass of Time" costume team. The "Guardians of Time Alliance," composed of twelve white-bearded old men, improved the shimmering dust, and Chief Alchemist Silas Shadowsong's pocket watch became a spinning time compass. When he demonstrated his potion-making technique, which accelerated a hundredfold, to the theme song of "Starfall Wars," the astrologer on the judging panel immediately flipped up his crystal ball—miniature dragons formed from emerald-colored potions were pecking at his parchment notes.

System notification: A spacetime ripple has been detected.

"Gratitude has reached a critical point; the Astral Travel Scroll has been delivered."

As I was secretly delighted to find the ancient scroll that had suddenly appeared, the cosplayer of the first hero from "Dawn Expedition" was slicing up a rock-roasted lizard with a holy sword. Suddenly, the Yeti doll from "Eternal Frost Chronicles" at his feet went berserk, holding a sign that read "Oppose Snowfield Development" and charging into the "Golden Guardian" themed arena, where it wrestled with the mechanical arm of the Magnet City engineer cosplayer.

"Lord Raine!" A little girl dressed as an elven huntress from The Ranger tugged at my cloak. "The Nightcrawler from The Shadowfiend Chronicles shot a poison dart into the oak totem of The Druid Codex!" I turned to see a black-robed cosplayer using Shadowstep to steal a clockwork from a pile of gears in a Mechanicus-themed set, while the choir of The Hymn Sisters had already turned the tentacle model of The Abyss Gaze into takoyaki with purifying hymns.

In the grand finale, the three evil god cosplayers from "The Fall of Godhood" descended upon a floating altar. As the vines of the God of Life entangled the gears of the God of Machinery, the pocket watch of the God of Time suddenly emitted a projection of "Starry Sky Airship"—clearly the illegal exhibit confiscated by President Vinnie last week! Amidst the cheers erupting from the audience, I could clearly see the real Master Silas sighing and rubbing his forehead in the VIP section.

(Foreshadowing: Abnormal energy fluctuations in the pocket watch / President Winnie's thoughtful gaze)

The prize list for this chapter (refer to the settings in Chapter 193):

1. Holy Light Restoration Potion (disguised as gilded mead)

2. Abyss Resistance Scroll (disguised as animal hide sheet music)

3. Right to use a magical motorcycle (disguised as a mechanical saddle)

4. The Time-Accelerating Hourglass (Disguised as a cook's timer)

5. Star Church Commemorative Coin (Contains trace amounts of stardust)

Next chapter preview: Chapter 196 The Awards Night with a Time-Space Distortion

- The missing pocket watch triggers a mass rampage of alchemical artifacts.

President Winnie found a fragment of a star trail diagram in her black tea.

- Newcomer: Time-traveling merchant "Kronos"

- The key prop, the "broken gear necklace," was spotted backstage.

This chapter took: 3 game days (real time + 0.43 days)