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

The skirt of the statue of the Goddess of Light slapped against the fountain water three times per second, while twelve out-of-control conveyor belts for roasting meat drew caramel-colored spirals across the square. I clutched the celebration schedule, which was stuck together like a scroll with syrup, and watched as the statue wearing a roasted pig's head mask strung together an abyssal scorpion with its scepter—clearly the rare ingredient that should have appeared three months later in the "Dark Tides" expansion!

System notification: A cross-dimensional pollution source has been detected.

"It is recommended to consume 7000 gratitude points to activate the purification process."

Current gratitude level: 6821

The second princess's maid, carrying a skirt adorned with stardust, rushed past the rolls of Yeti dolls from *Eternal Frost*, her gilded trophy spraying rainbow-colored frosting. "Lord Raine!" she shrieked, "The *Mechanicus* cosplayers have turned the awards stage into a barbecue conveyor belt!"

Twelve cosplayers in gear-armored costumes are using a wind-up mechanism to power a rotating grill, with suspended rock lizard steaks landing precisely on each guest's plate. One cosplayer, dressed as a tentacle-wielding character from *The Abyss Watcher*, accidentally fires a poison dart at the grill; the venom reacts with the barbecue sauce in an alchemical reaction, exploding in the air as a purple, tap-dancing cloud of smoke.

"This is the real cross-dimensional feast!" Master Silas's voice came from inside the statue of the Goddess of Holy Light. I watched as lime-scented flames spewed from the statue's eye sockets, and the Dragon Embryo illustration, which should have been unlocked in "Starfall Wars," was now appearing as a sugar-frosted relief on the skin of a roast suckling pig.

A sharp crackling sound of shattering porcelain suddenly rang out from the VIP section. President Vinnie put down the milk tea cup, now shattered into a star-track pattern, her fingertips radiating starlight as she bound the out-of-control awards stage into a cocoon-like shape: "Mr. Raine, did you notice... the extra phonograph at the Kronos Chamber of Commerce's booth that recites 'The Hourglass of Time'?"

The antique phonograph, engraved with gear emblems, was playing "The Phantom Opera" in a tenor voice, spewing out pocket watch parts during each chorus. A cosplayer dressed as a member of "The Phantom's Secret History" attempted to steal the gears using Shadowstep, but was instead turned into the puppet prince from "Swan Lake" by the popping piano keys.

The awards ceremony completely fell apart amidst the aroma of barbecue. As the *Hourglass of Time* cosplay group rode around the dessert area on pocket watches magnified fifty times, a time-space magic circle inlaid with frosting began producing somersaulting cream puffs. I futilely waved the program and shouted, "Next up is the Best Costume Award..." only to be hit on the head by a meteorite model summoned by the *Starfall* cosplayers—that chocolate lava ball contained a dragon embryo!

Special Notice: Cross-version item leak detected.

"Immediate destruction is recommended, but it will cost 8000 gratitude points."

"Insufficient gratitude points. Activate backup plan."

I grabbed the roast suckling pig scepter from the statue of the Goddess of Holy Light, and suddenly a caramel-colored beam of light shot from its tip. The embryo that was struck instantly expanded into a balloon, and amidst the gasps of the Druid Codex cosplayer, it floated into the night sky, exploding into countless shimmering maple syrup constellations.

"Lord Raine!" A goblin from the logistics team came running over, a pot lid on his head. "The player forums are going crazy with compilations of the celebration mishaps!" The recording crystal showed the live stream of "Mystic Bird Pavilion"—the streamer was pointing a folding fan at the rampaging statue and screaming, "This BBQ-capable statue is definitely a reference to the famous dwarf barbecue scene in 'Legendary Warriors 3'!"

By the time the seventeenth stage collapse was dealt with, the moon had already climbed above the spire of the clock tower. I slumped by the fountain, munching on a cold rock lizard skewer, when suddenly the emblem of the Gear Cult appeared in the water's reflection. A black-robed figure wearing a bird-beak mask tossed a bronze hourglass into the water, and as the sand sank, it spelled out ancient Elvish script on the bottom—"At the eighth sunset."

Player Ecosystem Real-Time

Japan's Cherry Blossom Samurai Group

"This BBQ goddess is amazing!" College student player Hideki, controlling a ronin, cleaved through the flying macarons, each dessert exploding with "Sword and Magic Tales" themed fireworks. His teammate, who was using fire magic to create moving ukiyo-e prints, was suddenly sucked into the top of the "Giant's Wall" model by the pocket watch of a "Hourglass of Time" cosplayer.

American Steam Brotherhood

Mechanic Kevin cut the Time Traveler's cloak into a mage's robe, and the live stream camera focused on a cosplayer making hamburgers with a gear grill: "This is way more exciting than the carnival! I bet the dancing idol uses the same algorithm as the magical mech..." He was suddenly hit by a flying cream puff, and the cream exploded into a nebula pattern in front of the camera.

Current status of key items

1. Air-conditioned air-conditioning bottle: sprayed as perfume by a cosplayer of "Dawn Expedition".

2. Self-cleaning cloak: Blueberry jam is drying on the clock tower.

3. Memory Bubbles: A bubble-blowing toy for child visitors.

4. Spoiler-proof eye mask: modified into a stargazing instrument by an alchemy apprentice.