Bonus Chapter for 100 power stones in 1hr thx~
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In the official Dawn Project livestream, aside from the main stage, a secondary camera had been faithfully trained on the door to Medici's studio.
Ever since two days ago, when Medici had entered the creative suite assigned to him by the hotel, that door hadn't opened once.
Viewers in the livestream could only stare at the camera outside the door, speculating wildly.
"Devil Medici's been in there for two days without a peep?"
"Is he just slacking off in there?"
"No way! You think he's like you? I bet he's grinding away nonstop!"
"The creation pod has life-support systems, so he won't starve, but this is seriously hardcore..."
"Maybe he's already finished the new version?"
Just as the chat buzzed with speculation, some even beginning to worry whether something had happened to Medici, the door that had been sealed for two days suddenly emitted a soft "beep" and slowly swung inward.
A slightly weary figure emerged.
It was Medici.
He wore the same simple casual outfit he'd gone in with. His hair was disheveled, faint dark circles shadowed his eyes, but those eyes themselves were unnaturally bright, as if streams of data still flickered within them, not yet fully settled.
He instinctively raised a hand to shield against the corridor's softer light compared to the creation pod's interior, adjusting to the outside air.
The official livestream's secondary camera immediately focused on him.
After a brief silence, the chat exploded like a volcanic eruption!
"He's out! He finally came out!"
"Holy crap! Two days! He spent two full days in there!"
"Devil Medici... no, Lord Medici! You're my god!"
"Now THIS is a real workhorse! Compared to certain contestants who post afternoon tea pics every day..."
"I'm crying, just for this dedication alone, I'll never trash your game again!"
"A developer for the people! This is someone who really wants to make great games!"
The chat's tone instantly shifted from mocking "Devil Medici" to genuine admiration and awe.
In this kind of timed creative competition, time was everything.
Medici's almost "hermit-like" intense dedication earned the respect of the vast majority of viewers.
Medici clearly hadn't fully adjusted to the outside attention yet. He rubbed his somewhat throbbing temples and casually waved at the omnipresent cameras, acknowledging them.
"Hey everyone," his voice carried a trace of hoarseness from prolonged silence, but his tone was relaxed. "I've basically finished the new version."
That one sentence instantly maxed out the anticipation in the livestream!
"Finished?! That fast?!"
"Amazing!!"
"Hurry up and show us!"
"Wheat"
Medici continued, unconsciously touching his ravenous stomach: "Give me a bit. I'll make a trailer and release it for you all to preview. But right now..." He paused, his face showing a very honest expression.
"I need to get some food first. I'm starving."
With that, without waiting for the chat's reaction, he headed straight toward the hotel restaurant.
His somewhat hurried stride revealed his most authentic need at the moment: filling his stomach.
The creation pod's nutrient solution could maintain vital signs, but that purely efficiency-driven liquid food couldn't possibly satisfy a young man's craving for real food, much less provide the satisfaction of a proper meal.
As soon as he entered the spacious, well-lit restaurant, his gaze swept the room and landed on a somewhat familiar figure.
By the window, that girl with striking orange-red short hair, Neil, sat alone.
In front of her was a steaming beverage and a small plate of delicate pastries. She seemed to be browsing something on a light screen, her expression focused.
Medici recognized her: the first-place winner from the preliminaries, a writer who'd caused a sensation when she took the stage. But he only glanced at her briefly before looking away.
He had no interest in going over to say hello, no social inclination whatsoever. Right now, food held the highest priority in his world.
Without a word, he grabbed a tray and headed straight for the dazzling buffet area.
Perfectly roasted meats, enticing seafood, fresh crisp vegetables, aromatic staples and soups... these real, tangible foods attracted him far more than any small talk.
He focused intently on loading food onto his plate, quickly piling it into a small mountain.
Then he found an empty seat not too close but not too far from Neil, sat down, and began devouring his meal with single-minded satisfaction, as if savoring the finest delicacies in the world.
The livestream camera cleverly captured this scene: on one side, elegant and serene Neil, like a literary goddess sipping tea and reading; on the other, Medici the "tech hermit," demolishing his food and replenishing his energy.
This stark contrast set the chat buzzing again:
"Hahaha Lord Medici's eating speed, he really is starving!"
"Two days without food, totally understandable."
"His vibe is so different from Goddess Neil's. One's ethereal, the other's down to earth."
"This is what a real genius looks like, doesn't need all that pretentious stuff."
"You think they'll talk to each other?"
"Medici doesn't seem like the type to start conversations..."
In the restaurant, the two occupied separate spaces, as if representing two different creative personalities and lifestyles.
They didn't interfere with each other, yet being in the same competition created an interesting tension in their silence.
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~ Push the story forward with your Power Stones