Passed.
Watching from below, Alto knew he was in the clear once he saw the elegant female elf become immersed in Plants vs Zombies.
"Christer, this work is extremely interesting. I'm sure you'll be intrigued."
"Oh?"
The middle-aged male elf was somewhat surprised.
Melissa was not only a renowned dream designer but also a high-ranking ranger.
For this woman to personally recommend something, he was curious what magic this work possessed.
He said nothing more and directly activated the Moonstone.
The same initial expression, brow furrowed at first, because he too saw that this work's capacity was extremely limited.
It was hard to imagine this could be any excellent work.
However, as time passed...
He gradually found himself speechless.
This was nothing short of genius design, a type of innovation never before seen in history.
An alternative approach to design and gameplay that locked together seamlessly.
Even someone like him who'd dealt with dream worlds his entire life was amazed.
Unfortunately, this was just the screening phase. He couldn't spend too much time on detailed appreciation.
Without a doubt.
Passed.
Below, Alto breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness. No unexpected incidents.
The first round proceeded extremely quickly, and all passing works had been announced.
Next came the second segment that audiences anticipated most.
Alto received a number plate: 69.
This was his booth number.
He hurriedly collected his things and headed toward Booth 69.
Somewhat toward the back, but he wasn't worried.
Each booth only had ten experience pods, allowing ten people to experience simultaneously.
He placed his prepared advertising board up front.
[Plants vs Zombies]
A horde of evil zombies is invading your garden. They want to eat your brains. Don't let them reach your house.
Visiting audiences also began dispersing to find works they liked to experience.
Crowds bustled about, some gathering to discuss.
Some couldn't wait to start experiencing.
Nearly a hundred works had entered the second round, quite a substantial number.
So it was impossible to experience every single one.
This selection competition was a rookie event with strict regulations; only designers registered with the Temple for less than ten years were eligible to participate.
But civilian designers like Alto, who weren't even certified, were extremely rare.
Most participants even had established fan bases.
Some had even reached Tier 2.
Helena watched the surrounding crowd, enthusiastically explaining her creation.
As Master Gorin's granddaughter, raised in that environment from childhood, she'd become a somewhat famous dream designer at a young age.
But as a prodigy, she also had her pride.
Her dream was to escape her grandfather's shadow and become a designer who surpassed his achievements.
So she'd hidden her identity; outsiders didn't know her true background.
Her masterpiece [Rose Knight] would definitely win this competition's championship. This would be the first step toward reaching the pinnacle.
Under her energetic explanation, the ten experience spots were quickly filled, with people already lining up behind.
She glanced around. Next to her was Booth 69.
Looking at that male elf standing there dumbly, not even knowing what to do, she shook her head slightly.
Clearly a total newbie.
This was probably his first work, and he'd eagerly rushed to showcase it.
There were too many idealists like him, no talent, no experience, yet dreaming of reaching the top in one step.
Her entire being radiated enthusiasm, like a flower dancing across the venue.
Alto stared blankly at the lively, beautiful girl next to him.
Wondering if he should also try doing something similar.
Just standing here at the venue doing nothing made even him feel awkward.
"Hey buddy, is your world a maze theme?"
"No!"
"Does it have beautiful princesses?"
Alto was confused. What was this guy even talking about?
"No."
The person glanced at him, still an unranked newbie.
"Tch, what garbage."
He walked away without looking back.
Alto immediately panicked.
"Wait, man, you came all this way, at least try it before leaving!"
The person dismissively waved his hand. Time was limited, and he only had one vote. He'd definitely prioritize experiencing themes that interested him.
Alto had miscalculated.
Several people came over, looked at this rookie designer and the strange title, asked a few questions, lost interest, and left directly.
His heart grew increasingly anxious.
This stage relied on a vote count for victory. Every single minute of experience time was crucial.
Then a chubby elf wearing glasses walked toward his booth.
Rowan was currently wandering around aimlessly. The booths he was interested in were all already full.
Not wanting to wait, he'd started browsing randomly.
Plants vs Zombies.
What a strange name.
"Does your theme have Big protective women?" he asked, covering his mouth with one hand and whispering.
"Yes, buddy, yes!!!"
Sunflowers count as protective!
"Can you use magic?"
"Of course you can, buddy! Definitely magic you've never seen before!"
Rowan's eyes lit up!
Alto was desperate; finally, someone had come.
Lure him in first, then... Ah, no, invite him in, then explain!
Rowan activated the Moonstone and began experiencing.
Alto immediately operated the projection crystal orb, starting the display, then maximized it.
Entering the game.
Rowan was a bit speechless. Why is there only a table?
This must be a prologue, right? Maybe some kind of flashback.
Yeah, definitely.
Though he felt somewhat deceived...
But since he was already here, might as well look around more.
The fog dispersed, and the login interface appeared.
His eyes immediately widened.
This is...?
As a hardcore shut-in, due to certain special reasons, he immersed himself in dream worlds daily.
He'd experienced all sorts of works, but something this unique was a first.
He began playing according to the prompts, quickly passing through the tutorial levels.
Completely unprecedented gameplay, novel art style.
And that type of music he'd never heard before, perfectly integrated into every element.
He quickly became immersed.
Reaching the fifth level mini-game segment.
The conveyor belt started producing Wall-nut Bowling balls, and zombies began their attack.
He controlled the cards, placing the bowling balls.
"Boom! Boom!"
Interesting!
He adjusted his glasses, feeling completely in his element. One zombie after another fell to his maneuvers, and he quickly cleared the level.
Continuing to the next stage.
As for princes and princesses, heroes and thrones?
He'd long since thrown those to the back of his mind.
Only today, tasting fine grain for the first time, did he realize what utter garbage everything he'd played before was.
The sixth level started ramping up the difficulty.
Since this was his first playthrough, he hadn't formed his own strategies yet, and many plants' functions weren't entirely clear to him.