Behind doors and windows, countless pairs of eyes peered through the cracks with a mix of wariness and curiosity, gazing at the futuristic metal constructs in the center of the plaza.
When the villagers clearly saw that it was Boss Bai stepping down from the most magnificent and domineering dark-gold chariot, suppressed gasps and whispers spread through every corner of the village like a tidal wave.
"The boss is back!"
"But who is that man behind her?"
"And those two, I think I've seen them before. They look like Hunters from the Lighthouse. Why are they with the boss?"
An atmosphere of tension, confusion, and unease settled over the surroundings.
However, this heavy mood was completely shattered by a crisp, cheerful shout.
Like a happy rabbit, Xia Dou leaped down from the red Light and Shadow Speeder.
She grabbed a few of her companions who had come to greet her, her small face flushed red with excitement, words tumbling out of her mouth in a rapid-fire rush.
"You guys didn't see it! Just now! It was so big! Such a massive mountain!"
She gestured exaggeratedly with her arms, terrified that the others wouldn't comprehend the sheer scale of the mountain.
"The boss just casually pressed a button on the console like this!"
Xia Dou mimicked Bai Yuekui's motion of pressing the button, looking so proud you would think she had fired the shot herself.
"And then, whoosh! A flash of golden light! And then... boom! No, there wasn't even a boom! That mountain... was just gone! It turned to ash!"
She described it vividly, her face practically basking in the shared glory.
The surrounding villagers went from initial bewilderment to gradual dumbfoundment. Finally, their gazes unanimously converged on the Light and Shadow Speeders and the man standing there.
Their eyes were filled with extreme awe and curiosity.
Bai Yuekui returned to her usual aloof demeanor. She cast a faint glance at Xia Dou, who was currently preaching miracles, but did not stop her.
She turned around and spoke calmly to Ian and his group, "This is Dragon Bone Village. Feel free to look around."
She took the lead, guiding the group on a tour of this home built upon the wasteland.
Marc and Ran Bing walked side by side, their hearts experiencing an unprecedented shock.
There was no cold, oppressive atmosphere like on the Lighthouse, no strict brand of social hierarchy, and certainly no ruthless bindings of the Three Laws.
Barefoot children chased each other playfully along the dirt paths, wearing pure, carefree smiles.
Adults gathered in twos and threes, either repairing old equipment scavenged from the ruins or loudly sharing their daily harvest. The aroma of food permeated the air.
Everything here seemed rough and crude, yet it was brimming with something the Lighthouse had long lost.
A vitality called "hope."
As they passed a woman distributing food to the children and saw their genuine smiles, Marc subconsciously tightened his grip on Ran Bing's hand.
Ran Bing felt the strength in his palm. She turned her head and saw an unprecedented resolve in his eyes.
She understood that this was the future Marc wanted to bring to all the people of the Lighthouse. A future that truly belonged to humanity.
The group strolled along, eventually arriving at a market made up of various stalls.
At a stall selling Old World items, an object with a yellowed, peeling casing instantly caught Xia Dou's eye.
It was a handheld game console.
"Boss! What's the trade for this?" she asked, crouching down enthusiastically with sparkling eyes.
The stall owner, a one-eyed old man, lazily lifted his eyelids. Seeing it was Xia Dou, he replied, "The usual, same as last time."
Hearing this, Xia Dou excitedly rummaged through the small pouch at her waist. But after digging around for a while, her little face deflated like a popped balloon.
"Ah... I didn't bring enough money!"
Looking crestfallen, she cast a reluctant glance at the game console, planning to go back for her money and return to trade for it later.
"Do you like playing games that much?"
A voice laced with amusement came from above her head.
Xia Dou snapped her head up and saw Ian looking at her with keen interest.
She immediately nodded vigorously, the light reigniting in her eyes.
"Of course! Of course I do! I heard the Old World had endless games to play and endless movies to watch! Not like us, fighting and killing every single day!"
Ian chuckled. He crouched down to meet Xia Dou at eye level.
"What if I told you there's a world where you can freely explore a planet a hundred times larger than the one beneath our feet?"
"You can pilot spaceships, traverse seas of stars, and compete on virtual battlefields alongside thousands of real players from all over."
"You can even start from the Stone Age, develop step by step, create your own civilization, wage wars that sweep across entire continents, and ultimately become the leader of an empire."
Ian's description opened the door to a whole new world for Xia Dou.
She listened, utterly mesmerized, as if she could already see those magnificent, epic scenes. Her eyes shimmered with an unprecedented brilliance.
Just as Xia Dou was completely immersed in her fantasies, Ian flipped his wrist.
A pitch-black helmet with a futuristic sci-fi design, its surface flowing with faint blue data patterns, appeared out of thin air in his palm.
Without leaving room for argument, he shoved the strangely cool helmet into Xia Dou's arms.
"Wh-what is this?" Xia Dou hugged the helmet, looking bewildered. The immense surprise caused her brain to short-circuit slightly.
"A gift for you," Ian said, winking at her with a playful smile. "A fully immersive virtual reality gaming helmet. The games inside are even more numerous and better than what I just described."
Xia Dou subconsciously hugged the helmet tighter, her breathing growing rapid.
Ian leaned in and whispered into her ear in a mysterious tone that only the two of them could hear.
"Also, let me tell you a secret."
"This helmet comes pre-installed with a main storyline game called 'Warhammer.' As long as you can clear it, or complete some hidden easter egg quests..."
"...you'll unlock some very, very special easter eggs as your reward."
Xia Dou clutched the gaming helmet tightly to her chest, as if holding the most precious treasure in the world.
An overwhelming sense of happiness engulfed her, leaving her speechless for a moment. She could only nod vigorously.
Not far away, Bai Yuekui, who had been silently observing all of this, suddenly had an incredibly strange look in her eyes.
Her cold gaze fell upon the seemingly ordinary black helmet, then slowly shifted to Ian's playfully smiling face.
She couldn't shake the feeling that Ian was up to no good. That game was definitely not as simple as he made it out to be.
But the outcome should be fine. After all, if he really wanted to do something malicious, no one could stop him anyway; there was absolutely no need for him to go to such great lengths.