Chapter 10
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Chapter 10: Where Am I? CosPlay!
“Damn it! What on earth just happened? Where am I?” A young man’s voice echoed through a quiet alley, accompanied by his groans and the harsh sound of metal scraping.
Bang… A heavily armed metallic glove slammed against the alley’s red brick wall, causing dust to fall from it.
The young man shakily stood up. If anyone had been in the alley, they would have been surprised to see a figure clad entirely in black armor standing there. This unusual armor had a distinctly exotic artistic flair, adorned with mysterious patterns that hinted at untold secrets, and the towering sword on his back likely would have drawn many curious stares.
Clang, the person in black armor removed his helmet, revealing a head of black hair and a youthful face in his early twenties. He wiped the dark red blood from the corner of his mouth and leaned heavily against the wall, greedily sucking in the fresh air.
“What—what is this place!” The man in black armor seemed to regain a bit of clarity and strength as he looked around. Everything felt unfamiliar. Suddenly, his gaze sharpened. Not far from him, something golden partially obscured by a jumble of odd objects glittered in the sunlight.
The armored figure staggered a few steps closer and picked up the object, examining it closely.
It resembled an egg, golden all over and more like a piece of metal. The surface was covered in tiny, seed-sized runes, seemingly etched onto it naturally, while faint electrical patterns flickered across its surface, vanishing just as quickly. The gold-colored metallic egg evoked a strange sense of familiarity within him; he felt as though it were alive.
“Gold Coin! Gold Coin!” The man in black armor looked around desperately and shouted at the top of his lungs.
Only distant voices and faint noises came from outside the alley; there was no response around him.
He revealed a hidden compartment in his chest armor and pulled out a strangely shaped flute, trembling as he raised it to his lips.
The alley echoed with a sharp, eerie melody from the flute, played repeatedly. To his disappointment, nothing unusual occurred. The long notes did not bring him the results he desired. After playing it a dozen times, the alley remained eerily silent, except for the occasional chirp of birds above, which seemed to echo his tune.
The man in black armor looked up at the sky and down at the ground, his eyes wide with confusion. He seemed to have lost something important, collapsing onto the ground in despair. He aimlessly stuffed the odd flute back into his armor while still holding the metallic egg, which felt warm to the touch. Its surface gleamed faintly with a hint of golden light, but he didn’t notice.
“Ah! Lin Mo, what are you doing here? Stop sitting around! Hurry, or we’ll be late!” A clear female voice accompanied by light footsteps rang out in the alley as a girl approached quickly.
The man in black armor was unaware of the voice or footsteps. Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed his wrist, and he felt a tug as the girl pulled him up. He looked up to see a slender pair of legs and—a blue robe enveloping a curvy body with elegant six-pointed star patterns embroidered on it. A beautiful girl with dark hair wore an exquisite crown atop her head.
She held a tall staff, topped with unknown gems that sparkled with bursts of color.
What is this? The man in black armor stared dumbfounded at the girl, unable to tell if she was a battle mage, a high-level mage, or a magical apprentice.
Her attire bore no resemblance to the strict standards of a law-abiding mage; in fact, it seemed quite chaotic. The elite mages valued tradition and hierarchy, rarely straying from those paths. How could there be such an oddly dressed magical girl? She seemed far too young and had an array of beautifully crafted magical accessories that hinted at some extraordinary abilities, but there were no signs of magical fluctuations emanating from her or her staff, which only deepened the mystery.
“Lin Mo! Why are you daydreaming? Come on, let’s go! If I hadn’t overslept after my noon nap, we would have already met up with everyone. I can’t believe you’re late too! Thank goodness I ran into you. If we miss something important, just wait until I scold you!” The magical girl shot Lin Mo a playful glare, pulling insistently at his wrist as if they were old friends.
Caught off guard, Lin Mo didn’t resist, though the weight of his heavy armor made it difficult to move quickly. Still, he found himself following the girl out of the alley without a choice.
“I can’t believe how cool you look today, Lin Mo! I can’t believe you secretly made such a suit of armor! Your old one doesn’t hold a candle to this one. It’s just like the real thing! You should have shown it off earlier. I’ll have to ask you later where you got it made. With this, we’ll have a better chance of winning today,” the magical girl chattered excitedly as she dragged Lin Mo along.
This mystic steel armor is real, you know! Is there a fake version? Lin Mo felt lost for words, allowing the magical girl to lead him forward while his mind remained foggy. He struggled to process everything around him. What were those big and small boxes on wheels filled with people? The colors—red, white, silver, and black, all sizes and lengths—filled his vision. Why did the people on the street wear such strange clothes? The buildings towered high, made from an unknown material that must have required enormous stones, and the signs flashing over the doorways looked like magical advertisements—too extravagant! Were mages really so common?
My goodness! What kind of world is this?
All around him, the vast array of bizarre sights overwhelmed him, leaving the noble Dragon Knight’s mind reeling.
The eighth China International Animation Festival held at the World Trade Exhibition Center attracted countless fans from China and abroad. On this day, animation knew no age, gender, or profession; it was a spirit feast for everyone.
On the third day of the festival, the international CosPlay Super Contest hosted by the organizers brought the event to a peak.
Characters from Naruto, Warcraft, Saint Seiya, Fullmetal Alchemist, One Piece, and even Chinese animations like “Kuybu,” all dazzling cosplay performances appeared on stage, complete with self-made realistic costumes, makeup, and various dazzling poses, igniting cheers from countless fans in the main venue of Xiu Bo Yuan in Hangzhou.
Cosplay isn’t just about looking and moving like a character; it’s crucial for performers to vividly bring their roles and stories to life. They need to not only resemble, but embody the essence of their characters, for the discerning eyes of both judges and the audience can be unforgiving. The live performances are even more demanding than those of film stars, as there is no director to call “CUT” and start over—it is a one-shot deal.
After two rounds of auditions two months prior, the cosplay teams reaching the final at this festival were elite participants, all eager to compete for the grand prize, valued at nearly 100,000 yuan, including an iPad 3 among other rewards.
“Where are Lin Mo and Qi Fei? I hope they’re not flaking out at a time like this! Do they have a secret romance?” A tauren performer, wielding a massive double-headed axe prop, mumbled to himself while glaring at his phone.
“We’re up in an hour! Didn’t we agree to meet here as soon as the contest started? Everyone checked in, but they’re still not here! This is a live broadcast event, Ding Tuo! Hurry and talk to the host. Let’s move our turn to the back, because if Lin Mo and Qi Fei are late, we’re all going to look foolish for nothing.” A dwarf, holding an exaggeratedly large firearm, complained while gulping down bottled water. Next to him stood a towering tauren, contrasting the dwarf’s height.
“Alright, alright, Ding Tuo, Qian Jie, stop stirring up trouble; be careful not to mess up your makeup again. I’m going to talk to the host. You two keep trying to reach Lin Mo and Qi Fei until you get through. This performance can’t fail.” The team’s makeup artist hurriedly pulled out supplies to touch up the tauren and the dwarf as they prepared for their performance.
