Shrek City had donned its festive finery early.
Strings of antique-style palace lanterns hung from the Soul Tool streetlamps lining both sides of the main road. Auspicious beasts and clouds were painted on their surfaces, while the built-in light-and-shadow Soul Tools made the cranes seem to slowly spread their wings. A massive holographic projection floated above the street—a golden auspicious dragon weaving through the buildings. Wherever its tail swept, virtual golden motes scattered down, and children jumped up to catch them, their laughter ringing through the streets like silver bells.
The fireworks vendors were the liveliest of all. Their stalls were piled with exquisitely packaged fireworks of every kind: "Nine-Heavens Silver Falls," "Golden Tree, Golden Flowers," "Starry Sky Waltz"... all New Year limited editions released by the cultural merchandise brand under Demon Spirit Gameworks. A plump owner was shouting at the top of his lungs, "The newest model, 'Dragon Ascendant Prosperity'! It has twelve changing patterns built in! Buy two, get one free!"
The stall selling Spring Festival couplets beside it was surrounded by people. An elderly calligrapher wrote on the spot, Soul Power gathered at the tip of his brush, and faint flowing light shimmered within the characters he wrote. "I'll take that one: 'Harmony between heaven and earth brings wealth to the home; peace and good fortune bring blessings to the people'!" "I want the one with the Ice Phoenix design!"
The stream of Soul Tool vehicles was far slower than usual as well. Nearly every car had an upside-down fu character pasted on its rear window, and some even had tiny electronic lanterns decorating their roofs. A new "Startrace-7" hovercar from Deep Space Dragon Domain slowly passed by, its body covered with temporary decals bearing the four words "Happy New Year," drawing sidelong glances from passersby—it was