Chapter 172: Evening Games
After the four girls entered the apartment building, they soon returned to the door of their dormitory. At this moment, another room’s door nearby was also open, with laughter coming from within. One of the girls was about to step out.
“Is that Lolan? Do you live here too?” A girl with wavy chestnut hair came out and greeted her upon seeing a familiar face.
“Mm, do you live in this dorm, Bumansa?” Lolan Hill asked curiously. This was the girl she had met on the bus when they first arrived at school, the one sitting in front of her.
“Yes, why don’t we get to know each other better later? We’re all freshmen in the same year.”
“Sure, sure,” responded Alena happily before Lolan Hill could answer. She loved making new friends.
After deciding on a small gathering for the evening, they returned to their own dorms. They unpacked some of their belongings, cleaned up their living spaces, and took turns taking baths.
When Lolan Hill stepped out after her bath, the room had transformed. The interior was now very clean, with strings of star-shaped ornaments hanging on the walls, emitting a soft glow. On the table stood a small crystal dome housing a miniature scene with houses, trees, and snowmen, its base also glowing, so no candles were needed even at night.
“How do you like it? Isn’t it beautiful?” Letis’ proud voice came from beside her.
“It’s really pretty,” Alena replied.
“Who asked you?”
“I wasn’t talking to you,” Alena retorted.
“Hmph.” Letis turned away.
“Lolan, what do you think?”
“It’s indeed very pretty,” Lolan Hill nodded. These must be Letis’ alchemical creations; though not overly complex, they were quite nice.
After they finished bathing and put on their sleepwear, it was completely dark outside. They could see the lights from other buildings through the window and occasionally hear sounds from neighboring dorms. Amidst the noise, there was a sense of quiet, making Lolan Hill feel nostalgic, reminiscent of her university days.
Tap tap—
A light knock on the door.
“Hello, I’m Bumansa, the freshman next door,” a familiar voice said, then Nia went to open the door.
“Hi everyone, would you like something to eat? I baked some snacks myself.”
Bumansa carried a plate filled with golden, steaming little cakes, perfectly round and adorable.
“Thank you~” the girls in the room chorused.
Then Bumansa placed the plate on the table and looked around the room.
“Wow, you guys are impressive. You’ve already started decorating.”
“Of course, beauty can never be lacking. This is just the beginning; it will keep improving,” Letis replied cheerfully.
“Meow~”
A cat’s meow came from a corner.
“Be good, don’t make noise,” Alena gently picked up her little flower cat.
“Now even others know,” Letis teased.
“Cats are so cute~” Bumansa ran over, squatting beside the kitten and stroking its fur, watching the flower cat close its eyes.
“Uh…” Letis was speechless seeing Bumansa’s nonchalant affection.
“There shouldn’t be anyone who dislikes cats,” Alena boasted.
After some conversation, Bumansa invited them to her dorm for a visit, saying there would be an event tonight. Lolan Hill and the others agreed. Since it was right next door, they didn’t change clothes and went over in their pajamas.
Pushing open the dorm door, the environment had also changed dramatically. The large wooden table was flipped over, with its legs facing up and covered with soft cushions. In the middle of the cushions was a big box, with several light blue orbs floating in the air providing illumination. Two girls sat on the cushions.
One wore pink pajamas with caramel-brown hair and a few freckles. The other had long sea-blue hair with a thin veil, her azure eyes curiously observing the newcomers.
“You’re so slow, Bumansa. Yeling has gone to sleep,” the caramel-brown haired girl muttered quietly, though not really angry.
“Oh, sorry, Lily, I made you wait.”
“Alright, let’s not talk about it. Shall we play a game?”
The cute girl called Lily stood up and invited Lolan Hill and the others, then opened the box in front of her to reveal playing cards, dice, and a map.
“What game?”
“A Poem of the Wind and Moon.”
“It’s where everyone takes on a role, rolls dice to move on the map, encountering various events along the way, growing stronger, defeating enemies, until only one remains or conquers the entire map.”
“The latter seems too difficult,” Letis commented, having played before.
“After all, not everyone can become a legend of the Wind and Moon. This game is adapted from the feats of the King of Westwind and Prince Alin of the Azure Moon,” Lily explained, then invited everyone to sit down.
Lolan Hill and the others removed their slippers and sat on the cushions, forming a circle around the central area. Each corner had a cushion with three people, and Bumansa sat in the upper position in the center.
“I’ll be the referee and host,” Bumansa volunteered.
Actually, they had played a few rounds earlier in the afternoon, with Lily initially hosting since she was the only one who knew how. But she quickly lost interest and wanted to join in herself.
“So how do we play this?” Lolan Hill looked at the grid on the map, reminded of Monopoly but more complex.
“Not hard, you learn as you play. First, you create character cards,” Lily began explaining.
Humans, Beastfolk, and Elves start with different attributes and skills. Initially, everyone is on the school map, gaining experience through movement and grids. After five laps, there’s a graduation exam. Passing leads to the grand world map. Failing, after eight laps, automatically sends you to the grand world map but without some rewards.
“Sigh, sounds a bit complicated,” Alena tilted her head, admiring brute force solutions.
“That’s because you’re too dumb,” Letis couldn’t resist teasing Alena.
“If you say that, I’ll have to work harder and beat you,” Alena declared, placing the flower cat on her head and making a victory gesture. The orange-striped kitten, with wide eyes, tried to grab Alena’s hair, ready to jump out.
“Let’s start the game then!”
Thank you to Xiaomofei, Zhuang Zhou dreams the butterfly, and both of your gifts!
