The "Star Gate" Means Something Else Entirely
This chapter's "Star Gate" has nothing to do with South Star.
The "Star" here comes from Stardew Valley.
And once you stepped through it—
there was no turning back.
---
Caleb Knox vs. the Barrage
On BiliZone, the comment section exploded the moment Caleb Knox went live.
He was the top streamer in the card-game section,
and also—without dispute—Northstar Games' biggest fanboy.
The chat did not hold back.
> [Northstar held a game demo. Why didn't you go? Aren't you their biggest simp?]
[You praise Northstar every day, but didn't even get an invite—embarrassing.]
[Why has there been no news about Northstar's new game? Did they suddenly go quiet?]
[It's not that Northstar doesn't want streamers—they just didn't think of you!]
[Stop attacking him! He's about to cry pearls!]
Caleb stared at the screen, his good mood shattered within minutes.
He had planned to play Night of the Full Moon all morning,
then test a new game in the afternoon.
Instead, he was being publicly dissected.
Yeah.
Why didn't Northstar contact me?
Is it because I don't mainly play sandbox farming games?
But I can play sandbox farming games!
Caleb's jaw tightened.
---
"I'm Not a Simp—I'm Grateful!"
Facing the relentless barrage, Caleb finally snapped back:
> "Northstar changed my life.
Speaking well of them isn't sucking up—it's basic gratitude.
Be honest—are their games fun or not?
If a game is good, am I not allowed to praise it?"
The chat paused—then laughed.
> [This excuse sounds… familiar.]
[Not a simp—just a filial son of domestic games.]
[Support local games! Reject foreign card games!]
Seeing the tide wasn't turning, Caleb activated his ultimate skill:
Ignoring the chat completely.
---
Why Caleb Truly Owed Northstar
Caleb Knox wasn't pretending.
At his lowest point, when his channel was dying,
Night of the Full Moon pulled him back from the edge.
He went from a struggling nobody
to the top card-game streamer on the platform.
Other veteran streamers played the game briefly,
then returned to Spirit Realm War for better viewer engagement.
Because let's be honest—
PvP games are more exciting to watch
PvE games are more satisfying to play
Night of the Full Moon belonged to the latter.
Caleb stayed.
He played every single Northstar game:
Night of the Full Moon
Animal Party
Neon Blade: Echoes of Lumen
He even completed Neon Blade live, start to finish.
Calling him Northstar's number-one loyalist was not an exaggeration.
---
Filial Piety, Gamer-Style
Caleb smiled bitterly.
If a company makes good games,
doesn't exploit players,
and doesn't rely on predatory monetization—
what's wrong with being loyal?
Is filial piety illegal now?
His specialty, Caleb Knox,
was being a dutiful son.
Still—
he wanted that demo invite.
He wanted to step into Northstar's office.
He wanted to see the place with his own eyes.
And most of all—
he was jealous.
Jealous of those forty lucky people already inside.
---
Meanwhile… Inside Northstar Games
"Willow, are you still playing Stardew Valley?
Go eat something!"
"Stop talking to me!"
On the sixth floor of Northstar Games,
the game-trial participants had long lost track of time.
Over the past few days, the content creators and Northstar employees had grown close.
Same hobbies.
Same obsession.
Same love for games.
And one thing Northstar taught them quickly:
> Work seriously—but never skip food.
Afternoon tea was sacred.
Coffee.
Blueberry bread.
Pork floss buns.
Green plants.
Sunlight filtering through glass walls.
It felt less like a company—
and more like a dream workplace.
---
The Possessed Four
Most creators took breaks.
Four did not.
Willow
Alex Sage
Little Sweetie
Tangshao
Three men.
One woman.
They played Stardew Valley relentlessly.
Bathroom breaks aside,
they were completely possessed.
---
Little Sweetie Fell First
Little Sweetie had started dating an NPC.
She memorized his favorite dishes.
Left the lights on at night.
Panicked because she rummaged through trash and feared he'd dislike her.
Her roommate watched in horror.
This wasn't gaming.
This was possession.
Little Sweetie was cute, sweet, stylish,
and real-world popular.
And yet—
she had fallen for a pixelated man.
If this wasn't mind control,
what was?
---
Willow Was Worse
But even she wasn't the most extreme case.
That honor belonged to Willow.
Everyone knew their mission:
find bugs
identify weaknesses
provide feedback
Willow?
He was calculating optimal strawberry profit cycles.
Seasonal pricing.
Crop efficiency.
Villager preferences.
Event timing.
After three days and nearly thirty hours,
he still hadn't fully mastered the system.
Different crops.
Different seasons.
Different NPC tastes.
He had already written:
4,000+ words of notes
1,000+ words on NPC preferences alone
They were testers.
Willow was acting like a graduate student writing a thesis.
---
Daniel Was Impressed
Daniel, Northstar's game manager,
was deeply impressed.
He frequently pulled Willow aside during meals.
"Anything unreasonable?"
"Anything off?"
"Anything broken?"
Willow answered honestly.
Apart from some ambiguous romance interactions,
everything else was—
perfectly reasonable.
Forty testers.
Three days.
Every playstyle imaginable.
And the verdict?
No fatal flaws.
Only minor quirks—
the kind players enjoy discovering.
Any lingering doubts about the game's success vanished.
---
Afternoon Tea: The Ritual
From 3:30 to 4:00 PM,
Northstar entered its sacred time.
Employees and creators gathered on the seventh floor.
Snacks.
Milk tea.
Coffee.
Casual chatter.
That day, Willow sat in a corner with others.
They clasped their hands together.
Like worshippers.
> "STAR GATE!"
They shouted in unison.
Northstar employees didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
---
The Truth of the Star Gate
Because the Star Gate—
was not the star of South Star.
It was the Star of Stardew Valley.
Once you stepped through it,
time dissolved.
Reality faded.
And farming became destiny.
---
Stardew Valley Had Opened the Gate
A gate not made of metal.
Not powered by technology.
But built from:
patience
routine
warmth
obsession
And for those who crossed it—
there was no escape.
The Star Gate had opened.
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