While Sparkle was still loading back in, inside the Dream Bubble Pei Guang had already begun moving.
Within the Dream Bubble, he was learning about the situation from Shatana.
"The Swarm blotted out the sky. Their arrival left countless cans homeless. The stronger cans rose up to resist, but without a king to lead them, they were shattered into pieces. They destroyed the cans' home.
The Abominations of Abundance made the cans part of them for centuries, forcing them to devour each other, even denying them the freedom to hold garbage bags. They trampled on the cans' free will.
The claws of Destruction rampaged everywhere, ripping apart the cans' bodies that held the line, letting refuse run rampant. They defiled the cans' dignity and honor!"
O great one from beyond the dream bubble! Please become our king! Lead us in resisting the calamity!"
Even Pei Guang felt it was abstract listening to Shatana's background story.
Not only had his gameplay experience turned into a stitched-up mess, but now even the game's plot was stitched together from other plots.
Swarm of Propagation, Abominations of Abundance, minions of Destruction… good grief, they had stitched in every hated faction in the universe!
But at this moment, it wasn't just a matter of abstraction.
Outside the dream bubble, Dr. Edward's eyes were wide in shock. He had created the dream based on the elements Sparkle provided.
And the outer appearance of the dream bubble Pei Guang was experiencing was the same as what he had created, but the storyline was totally different.
Not just the plot: even the dream itself was completely beyond her control.
The dream bubble was actually developing on its own, even linking into Penacony?
Dr. Edward had the feeling things had gotten way out of hand, and not just a little. The dream bubble connecting into Penacony was only the beginning.
As time went on, all the trash cans in the dream bubble would spill into Penacony. Even she, staring at such abstract trash cans, began to worry for Penacony's future.
But she couldn't stop it. She could only watch helplessly as it unfolded.
Inside the dream bubble, the story might be abstract, but not incomprehensible. Faced with Shatana's request, Pei Guang agreed.
"I'll take on your task. I will become the King of Trash Cans, and lead you all in resisting the calamity!"
Hearing his answer, Shatana excitedly stood up and gave him a big hug.
"Go, future King of Trash! Go and face the trial of the Seven Strongest Cans. When they acknowledge you, you will become our king!"
Pei Guang picked up his beginner's wand, ready to become the King of Trash.
He had only walked five steps when he saw a massive door. Pushing it open, he stepped forward, only to see a battered, ruined trash can standing on the rooftop ahead.
From its body Pei Guang felt the aura of antimatter. At that moment, Shatana suddenly appeared beside him to explain.
"That is the Decayed King Can. When faced with the invasion of Destruction, it raised the banner of resistance. Against Destruction, its body was shattered countless times, and countless times it reformed. It possesses the might and bearing of a king, but because its body has long been broken, it cannot be king. Thus it has become the first examiner on the path to kingship!"
With that, Shatana bolted, not forgetting to shut the door behind her as she ran.
Pei Guang: "…"
He didn't even know how to complain at this point. Since he couldn't think of what to say, he might as well just fight.
The battered trash can stood on the rooftop, arms folded, its voice deep as it addressed him: "Challenger! Accept my trial and become the King of Trash Cans!"
In its hands appeared a massive road sign. With the road sign raised, the Decayed Can leapt down from above.
When it landed, Pei Guang realized just how huge this trash can really was.
Outside the dream bubble, Firefly stared blankly at Stelle watching the broadcast. "The Decayed King Can? A trash can that can survive attacks from Destruction and even counterattack?"
Stelle: "Don't ask about trash cans. Knowing too much isn't good for you."
Firefly: "…oh."
While Stelle and Firefly were trading complaints, Sparkle was still loading back in.
Facing a trash can twice his size, Pei Guang, as a mage, first blessed his weapon with quantum energy. His wand turned a deep blue in his hands.
This Decayed King Can truly lived up to the strength of a king. From its presence Pei Guang felt the same kind of pressure he had only ever experienced before his teachers.
It raised its road sign high, waiting for Pei Guang to approach. Seeing that motion, Pei Guang was reminded of his teachers in soul-like games.
Those teachers all had one very clear trait: when they raised their weapons high, you thought they'd bring it down right away—but in reality, they only struck when you came close.
That's right, these attacks didn't depend on speed or power. They only landed when the player got close.
Some even read the player's input: you thought you rolled clear, but actually you rolled right into the strike.
But… that's what made it fun!
Pei Guang felt he could finally enjoy a truly exhilarating battle. Especially here in the dream, where he had invested nearly all his garbage bags and doubled his stats.
He wanted to test his strength, to test the magic of his wand.
As someone who had fought all kinds of teachers, Pei Guang feared neither fast nor slow strikes, because he could roll, and he even had a shield that could block physical attacks.
But in this dream, did attacks count as physical or magical? That was a serious question.
Buffs in place, Pei Guang swung his beginner's wand and charged in. Facing his advance, the Decayed Can swung its weapon down.
However, before its weapon could come crashing down, its body shattered, and it collapsed.
As the Decayed Can fell, it looked at Pei Guang with eyes that were both gentle and filled with majesty: "You have already passed the trial! I wish you to become the King of Trash…"
Pei Guang: "…"
Outside the Dream Bubble, Stelle and Firefly: "…"
All three of them thought what awaited would be a thrilling battle, but none of them expected this.
The moment it finished speaking, the body of the Decayed Can dissolved into smoke and vanished.
Yet before they could even mourn its fall, the next challenger appeared: the Can of Wisdom.
It stepped out from the smoke, and it looked at Pei Guang as it spoke: "You have already passed the trial of strength. Now comes the trial of wisdom! First question, what is the Swarm of Propagation?"
Pei Guang: "Non-recyclable trash."
Can of Wisdom: "Correct. Second question, what are the minions of Destruction?"
Pei Guang: "Hazardous trash."
Can of Wisdom: "Correct. Final question, what are the abominations of Abundance?"
Pei Guang: "Combustible trash."
Can of Wisdom: "Correct! You possess wisdom that surpasses even mine. You will be the wisest King of Trash. Please, O King, lead our people, the tribe of Cans, toward prosperity."
Pei Guang: "…"
He really wanted to say he'd just been answering at random, but somehow it was all right?
Thinking about it, it made sense: after all, this was just a Dream Bubble. It wasn't even a memory world created by the Aeon of Remembrance.
Then, the trials inside were bound to be simple, though the sheer level of absurdity still left even Pei Guang speechless.
Before he had a chance to mourn the Can of Wisdom's departure, five Cans appeared next.
Seeing them, Pei Guang tensed. But the five Cans didn't attack, nor did they ask him any questions.
Instead, they pulled out a speaker from who-knows-where.
And right in front of Pei Guang, the five Cans began to dance to the music.
In that moment, Pei Guang felt his mind assaulted.
As a player, he finally experienced firsthand what ordinary bystanders must feel when they saw him and his colleagues.
When the music played, Pei Guang's face turned serious, because the voice in this song sounded like Zhang Jie's.
He didn't want to say too much, but Zhang Jie's "Reverse War" was etched into his DNA. He never expected, in another world, to hear a brand-new song from Zhang Jie as a player.
"Outside the car window, this night, lights dazzling and bright~"
"Don't forget, only when you close your eyes does it count as waking~"
"You take part in this play, shifting your stancethe riddlethe endinghow should I guess"
As the song rang out, the five Cans danced. Their moves were full of power, yet unbelievably nimble.
Listening to the song, watching the Cans dance, Pei Guang nodded in satisfaction.
But just watching wasn't enough. He rummaged around his storage space, eventually pulling out two sturdy trash bags.
Adding fireworks effects onto them, Pei Guang swung the bags through the air, cheering the Cans on.
The trash bags spun and clashed, scattering sparks into the air. With the fireworks and music together, the five Cans danced even harder.
The moment Pei Guang swung his trash bags in support, the five Cans seemed to feel encouragement from their King of Trash, and they threw themselves into the performance with even more fervor, especially the one in the center.
At the finale of the song and dance, it winked at Pei Guang and blew him a kiss.
Faced with the flying kiss from a Can, Pei Guang accepted it and blew one back.
The five Cans had acknowledged Pei Guang as their King of Trash. As they retreated, Shatana appeared by Pei Guang's side.
"Congratulations! You have gained the recognition of the seven Cans. Now you have earned the right to challenge the Hidden Can. Defeat this final Can, and you shall become the true King of Trash!"
Pei Guang: "Good grief, seven trial givers but in reality they are eight? And these trials are way too absurd…"
He had thought, after getting a weapon and strengthening his stats, that he could finally enjoy some real battles and have a good time. But instead, he hadn't fought once.
First, he watched a Can self-destruct, then debated Can-philosophy, then watched a Can dance performance, and even listened to what sounded like a new Zhang Jie song?
How to put it… there was no fighting, no thrill, but this Dream Bubble was still strangely fun.
Pei Guang was curious about what the final Can would be.
And the last Can was none other than—
The Can of Preservation!