Mangoes, cherries, and giant watermelons; Cheese, beer, and sweet salads; Coffee, cola, and chicken wraps; Bread, pizza, and Big Macs...
The items listed above didn't even account for one-tenth of the food varieties prepared for today.
Even prominent figures like Shadowbreaker and Mathias Shaw had never seen such a lavish buffet. Of course, organizing a meal like this in reality would cost an unimaginable amount of gold, not to mention the logistical nightmares of transporting ingredients, production cycles, food storage, and on-site heating.
But in the game, these matters were all simplified. It required only physical labor and time, with zero monetary cost for the ingredients once they were harvested.
As the saying goes, "One's mouth is soft when eating others' food." Given the sheer abundance of delicacies, the players in the inner circle felt that tonight's 5-gold ticket was worth every copper. Meanwhile, the spectators outside watched the players feast in the chilly night air, their mouths watering so much they nearly drooled on the ground. Those with money asked Pirelli for snacks; those without made silent vows to save up gold and one day become members of the net cafe.
Shadowbreaker stepped onto the stage again to continue his hosting duties: "Next, after tasting these delicacies, let us welcome a super heavyweight guest performer!"
"He is... the Grand Marshal of the Alliance, Snow-Falling!!!"
Snow-Falling stepped onto the stage with a brisk pace. Today, he wore a biker leather jacket, a thick gold chain, and a pair of sunglasses on his nose—the quintessential "Terminator" look. He sang the song they had rehearsed for a long time: "He Loved Azeroth."
This song wasn't as upbeat as Arator's previous number. The rhythm was slightly slower, perfect for the inner circle players who had just stuffed themselves with food. Although they weren't physically full, the sensation of food entering the stomach and the dizzying buzz of alcohol felt incredibly real in the game.
The audience listened and chatted. The slightly decadent final lines of the lyrics—"Although life has no meaning, love truly makes life more beautiful"—resonated deeply.
Andromath, feeling a slight buzz from the wine, remarked, "I don't know who this man is, but fictional Azeroth sure reminds me of someone..."
Chen knew exactly why the Archmage had brought this up. "You're thinking of Jaina, aren't you?"
"She is a princess of the Alliance," Andromath sighed. "No one expected her path to be so arduous."
Chen's gossiping spirit was ignited. "So the rumors are true?"
Andromath stuffed a piece of chocolate cake into his mouth. "Yes. She loved that bastard Arthas, while Kael'thas harbored a secret crush on her. He loved her, she loved him..."
"It's a pity you're not up there singing," Chen joked.
"I'm tone-deaf," Andromath countered. "And I suspect you're probably the same."
Chen laughed heartily, rubbing his belly.
Andromath continued to lament, "Who would have thought that both of those princes would turn into such irredeemable bastards? One is in the frozen north, and the other has crossed through the Dark Portal. No one knows how they will end up. And her father, Admiral Daelin... sigh..."
"It's no wonder people say that any man who falls for her ends up meeting a tragic fate."
"She's a good person," Chen said. "She saved so many people, yet she took the infamy upon herself."
As Snow-Falling's performance ended, Andromath wanted to continue gossiping about his former junior student, but Shadowbreaker was already shouting on stage:
"Welcome the Monk Master from the distant Wandering Isle—Chen Stormstout!"
The chocolate cake nearly fell out of Andromath's mouth. This big fat panda huffs and puffs just from talking—how could he sing?!
Little did he know, Chen could not only sing but also perform. The Pandaren Monk took his keg onto the stage, grabbed the stand-up microphone, and stood perfectly still. The band began the intro, but half a minute passed and Chen had yet to open his mouth.
The audience felt a bit strange; the style of this song seemed so different from the previous ones.
Suddenly, just as Thunder-Skin struck a heavy beat on the drum, Chen—who had been holding a mouthful of brew—sprayed a blast of fire toward the audience! Although the distance was safe enough to avoid hurting anyone, a wave of heat still swept through the crowd. This sudden display caused screams of excitement and instantly reignited the crowd's passion.
"Leaves from the vine
Falling so slow
Like fragile tiny shells
Drifting in the foam..."
He gripped the microphone and sang the line several times, each with a different pitch, yet all filled with the weight of age and loneliness.
"This panda..." Andromath muttered. "He's quite the showman."
The person most shocked today was Noggenfogger. This party had truly taught the Goblin a lesson.
Though he was a master of speculation and monopolizing resources for profit, his scope was limited to playing with prices and moving goods or technology. He never imagined that a business could exist where money was earned from purely intangible content generated from thin air.
He had seen people sing before, but whether they were street buskers or tavern bards, those were the livelihoods of the lower class—hardly worth a Great Goblin's attention. They sang old, clichéd folk songs or rumors. Formal performances like those at the Karazhan Opera House required dedicated theaters and troupes and served only a small group of nobles. Often, the elites went there for social needs rather than appreciation, and the lower classes had no interest in seeing the same repetitive plays.
For Goblins, they only cared about "profit"; "fame" meant nothing to them. They had no interest in things that were all talk and no money.
In Wayne's net cafe, Noggenfogger had always thought games were no different from the arenas he ran in Gadgetzan—just another place to watch people kill each other. But the performance before him required no physical venue yet wielded massive influence. The music, filled with shouting, growling, and drumbeats so loud they made the heart vibrate, made everyone from innocent girls to balding middle-aged men raise their hands in the air.
The only times he had seen similar scenes were during the frenzied voodoo rituals of the Trolls or the mindless charging of skeletons under Arthas's command.
This news spread like wildfire. Even the spectators outside watching the livestream heard it. The information iterated several times as it passed from person to person. It went from "Wayne wrote the songs" to "Wayne created the band," then "Wayne taught the musicians how to play," and "Wayne invented the instruments." By the time it reached the end, it was almost being said that the singers and musicians were his biological children.
Then, it was Amy's turn to take the stage. This time, it wasn't just the young girls who were captivated; as the "Number One Beauty of the Mage Quarter," she had every male's eyes fixed on her. Her song returned to a fast tempo, with a few lines that made the youth scream but made the parents in the audience shake their heads with smiles.
"Didn't your mother tell you~"
"To say you're sorry when you bump into someone~"
This slightly rebellious but not malicious vibe was something Amy herself enjoyed. "Good girl" wasn't a pejorative, but many people didn't want to be labeled with that title forever after growing up.
As time passed, four or five more songs were performed. Even the Tauren band's signature piece, "Power of the Horde" (Rock Power), was successfully premiered with their new lead singer Samuro's roars.
The party reached its final phase. Outside the net cafe and at the Faire camp, bonfires were burning brightly. Inside the farm, many people were feeling the effects of the alcohol. Wayne took the lead, stepping onto the stage with all the singers who had performed tonight for a final ensemble song.
Naturally, with the atmosphere at this point, there had to be more than just singing.
Zardimar and Jaina released Blizzards on both sides of the stage, while Sandal and Demisette Claus cast Fire Rain in the overlapping areas. Of course, real spells didn't work inside the game, so these magics were purely visual effects and didn't harm anyone.
After several verses, everyone joined in for the chorus of "Hey Jude."
"LA... LA... LA... LaLaLaLa~" "LaLaLaLa~"
"Hey Jude"
Chen performed a "Rising Dragon" technique on stage, sending a green dragon spiraling into the dark night sky. Amy summoned her Patronus from the Harry Potter world—a blue whelp—leaving trails of arcane starlight wherever it flew. Andromath summoned his phoenix, Fawkes.
In short, just as the original intent of the party suggested, the imagination of the members could be fully unleashed in the game. On and off the stage, everyone—regardless of whether they knew the person next to them—stood shoulder to shoulder, swaying and singing together. The "hype crew" continued to cast various spells in Stardew Valley, adding a unique flair to the final song.
By this time, Raymond—who had left the outside affairs to Pirelli and put on his glasses to join the game—was already quite drunk. Seeing everyone casting colorful spells, he felt an itch in his heart.
He suddenly let out a loud shout: "Avada Ked—"
Renier and Verdan, standing right next to him, felt the hair on their necks stand up! They immediately reached out to cover his mouth, while Tess and Li Li struck him hard on the back and neck simultaneously.
"Ugh..." Looking at Raymond's slumped, unconscious body, the four of them let out a long sigh of relief...