Arknightcraft Modpack
Chapter 634: A Festival Belonging to the Infected
Since even Talulah, the supposed local, had no idea where to go for fun anymore, all Steven could do was wander wherever the crowds happened to be.
Fortunately, thanks to the festival, most of Lungmen was still bustling with activity. Small events and attractions were everywhere—lotteries, eating contests, promotional games hosted by shops, and countless other festivities filled the streets.
Steven had brought Talulah and the others here simply to have fun, so he didn't have any particular destination in mind. If something looked interesting, he'd drag everyone over to try it.
As for Alina and Yelena, it went without saying that nearly everything in this unfamiliar city was new and fascinating to them. No matter what Steven suggested, they eagerly joined in.
Even Yelena abandoned her usual cold and aloof demeanor, laughing alongside Steven as they wandered from stall to stall. She made no effort to exclude the other two girls, and the four of them spent their time chatting and joking like ordinary friends.
Before they knew it, they had already been wandering around for two full hours.
Then, after Steven won first place in a restaurant's eating contest—for the third time that day—the inevitable happened.
He was officially awarded the honorary title of Lungmen Super Food Bucket Champion.
As a result, both Talulah and Yelena consciously put a little distance between themselves and him, acting as though they had never met the man in their lives.
They knew he could eat.
What they hadn't realized was that he could eat that much.
At this point, "reincarnation of a human garbage disposal" might have been a more accurate description.
"I swear, it feels like we're here accompanying you on a shopping trip. And somehow this date is nothing like what I imagined."
Talulah glanced at the ceremonial banner Steven was proudly carrying, personally awarded by the Lungmen Festival Committee.
The banner essentially proclaimed him the Great Stomach King—though "Great Food Bucket King" might have been more accurate.
She genuinely couldn't understand why he looked so proud of himself.
Of course, in truth she was having a wonderful time.
Being able to spend time with the person she liked without worrying about anything else—simply enjoying a carefree and entertaining day together—was something she cherished.
She wasn't bored in the slightest.
It was just...
This wasn't exactly what she'd imagined a date would look like.
Had she known it would turn out like this, she wouldn't have spent so much effort choosing her outfit.
She could have treated it as a relaxing vacation instead.
"Really? Because you seem pretty happy."
Steven smiled as he carefully put away his honorary prize.
Unlocking achievements was a meaningful experience for him.
Besides, a date didn't necessarily mean sticking to each other every second.
As long as everyone was smiling and having fun, then the date had already succeeded.
"Especially when we were at the claw machine. I wonder who was so terrible at it yet kept insisting on winning that rabbit doll."
"It was Yelena!"
Talulah immediately threw the blame over her shoulder.
"I wasn't obsessed with it at all. She was the one who wanted that rabbit plush. I was just helping her get it."
"And I'm convinced that claw machine was rigged. There's no way the claw should've been that loose otherwise."
There was absolutely no way Talulah was going to admit that her competitive streak had kicked in after failing repeatedly.
"It wasn't even that important to me..." Yelena muttered quietly.
However, the way she was hugging the giant white rabbit plush tightly in both arms completely contradicted her words.
"See? We're all the same."
Steven spread his hands.
"Nobody here has the right to make fun of anyone else. The only person qualified to say anything is Alina."
"Unfortunately, she's not the type who would."
As he spoke, he looked toward the back of the group.
Walking a few steps behind them was Alina, carrying a bouquet of unknown wildflowers she'd bought from a child on the roadside.
She looked less like someone out on a date and more like a parent taking three energetic children on an outing.
In fact, nearly all of the maturity and reliability within their group seemed to be concentrated entirely in her alone.
Hearing Steven mention her, Alina merely responded with a gentle smile and tilted her head slightly, looking every bit like a warm, understanding mother.
It was difficult for Steven not to think to himself once again that she truly had the personality of someone perfectly suited to be a mother.
"I think it's fine," Alina said softly.
"This is actually quite nice. At the very least, I've never seen a festival this lively and interesting on the snowfields."
Then, as though a new thought had suddenly occurred to her, she turned to Talulah and Yelena and offered a small suggestion.
"Come to think of it, perhaps we could organize a festival and some activities of our own. For the Infected, that might not be a bad thing."
For the Infected gathered under their banner, survival supplies were no longer an immediate concern thanks to Steven's help.
However, the sense of gloom and despair hanging over the camp still remained.
Perhaps organizing a festival like this would be a good choice.
Bringing a little joy and hope to those struggling through despair could make a tremendous difference.
Sometimes, all people needed was a small ceremony or tradition—something meaningful enough to remind them that they were still part of the world and still truly alive.
"Actually, I think Alina's idea is excellent."
Steven nodded in agreement.
"If you really want to unite the Infected, then organizing festivals and events like this is important."
"It would inject some vitality into the lives of people trapped in hopelessness."
The Infected were still people.
They had emotional needs just like everyone else.
A festival that could lift their spirits was, in a way, another form of hope—a reason to keep moving forward.
After all, Reunion wasn't some revolutionary movement that needed to abandon all forms of entertainment.
"An Infected festival..."
Yelena looked up at the still-bustling streets of Lungmen.
"As if even the Infected on the snowfields could someday smile like these people... bask in the sunlight... and enjoy their lives?"
As someone who understood the feelings of the snowfield Infected better than almost anyone else, she found herself unexpectedly looking forward to the possibility.
"...There's no point asking me to decide."
Talulah sighed.
She understood all of this perfectly well.
In truth, she was just as excited by the idea of organizing a festival for the Infected.
The problem wasn't whether they wanted to do it.
The problem was whether they actually had the resources to make it happen.
And she didn't need to explain where the solution to that problem lay.
"The key issue isn't something I need to point out."
Her gaze shifted toward a certain person.
"The person who matters most here probably understands that better than I do."
The moment those words left her mouth, Steven naturally became the center of everyone's attention once again.
All eyes turned toward him.
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
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Tn: I updated the story daily, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
Latest Chapter: Chapter 689: Impossible to Refute[1]
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[1] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-169789182?collection=55713
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