After receiving the gift, Guinaifen instantly transformed from a timid ordinary person into the fearless "Galactic Batting Warrior," brimming with confidence as she strode out the door.
The hallway outside was no dragon's den or tiger's lair. Though the atmosphere remained eerie, she spotted March 7th—and at her feet lay a motionless "Dreamjolt Troupe" member.
"Wow, we reunited with March so easily!"
"Don't worry, Miss March! From now on, I'll be the one protecting you!"
...
Meanwhile, in the livestream chat, many players began noticing something odd.
"Did March just take down a meme by herself?"
"Looks like March actually has combat skills..."
"Remember when we suggested using the bat to solve problems, and March said it was inefficient? Maybe... she's actually a hidden powerhouse?"
"LOL, what if March becomes a Destruction DPS when she's playable?"
"With those innocent, clueless eyes of hers, maybe she just scared the meme to death..."
...
After meeting up, March analyzed the situation:
"Whatever the case, we're definitely still in a dream—not some other place, and certainly not reality. The air has that unique texture of memory traces. I wouldn't mistake it."
"But this place is nothing like the 'Sweet Dreams' I know. It's claustrophobic... desolate... unsettling... And these floating words—you can see them too, right? The Family's Penacony would never have a place like this. So, this is a dream...?"
"No, wait—remember what your 'friend' said before we blacked out? 'The true Dreamscape...'"
[Is this the Family's secret...?]
"I can't be sure. This discovery is too sudden. But one thing's certain—the Family is hiding something about the truth of the Dreamscape..."
"And you noticed it too when you woke up, right? The clocks everywhere, the ticking... My gut tells me the secrets here are tied to that mysterious 'Clockie.'"
"If this points to 'Clockie's Legacy,' then it concerns everyone currently in Penacony's Dreamscape..."
"Let's go. Whether to uncover the truth or find a way out, we need to move."
Soon, they arrived at a room where they could scale the walls using [Dream Bubble Charge]. The map had also become three-dimensional.
As they explored, the floating words of a young boy continued to appear:
[Why did you come here...?]
[Mikhail, you seem troubled...]
[It's so dark here...]
[Mikhail...?]
[Are you leaving...?]
[Don't go, okay...?]
[At least take me with you...]
[Please...]
March frowned. "These words keep appearing and vanishing... Are they someone's thoughts? And who is 'Mikhail'...?"
"I can almost feel the emotions in them... Confusion... fear... sorrow... and something so faint it's barely perceptible..."
"...A resolve to face death unflinchingly."
---
Aboard the Astral Express
Himeko focused intently on the floating text in the story, her brow furrowing in thought. During a lull in the stream, she spoke up:
"This map is called [A Child's Dream]. Based on March's words, these texts are the child's inner voice..."
"And this 'child' is likely the hotel bellboy—Misha."
Welt's expression darkened. "I just verified with the Family."
"Their administrators confirmed that none of the Family's branches have a member named 'Misha.'"
March 7th gasped. "Huh!? So... Misha doesn't exist? Is he just a character made up by the developers?"
Welt shook his head. "No, they wouldn't do that."
"There's another possibility—"
"Misha is like the Origami Bird and Clockie: only visible to Trailblazers."
"Think about it. In the story, aside from us Trailblazers, no one else has interacted with Misha."
March 7th took a sharp breath. "Chills... Literal chills!"
"Miss Himeko, Mr. Yang, thank goodness I'm watching this with you. I'd never have noticed these details alone..."
Stelle suddenly exclaimed, "Wait—so Misha and Mikhail are deeply connected?"
Pom-Pom, eyes sparkling with anticipation, watched as the group pieced together their theories, inching closer to the truth. It had to know: What happened to that young, confident Mikhail after he disembarked on this planet?
Then, Stelle gasped. "I get it now!"
Everyone turned to stare.
"They both have 'Mi' in their names!"
"Misha must be Mikhail's grandson!"
Himeko: "..."
Welt: "...That's not impossible."
---
Back in the story, the space they entered was less a room and more a grand hall, complete with a massive fountain. After some effort, Guinaifen found the exit.
Just before the next area, a reward awaited them at the door—[Valuable Spoils].
[Obtained: [Grand Duke's Blessed Robe] (5★)]
She clicked to inspect it—and her eyes lit up.
"WOAH! A Crit Rate chestpiece!"
"With Crit DMG, ATK%, and SPD substats!?"
"This is godly! How could this possibly roll badly!?"
Chat erupted:
["Grand Duke's burial shroud LMAO"]
["The Pyrebearer just dropped relics everywhere in Penacony, I'm dead"]
["My boy Jing Yuan finally gets a new BIS relic"]
["No DEF%? Unplayable. Salvage it."]
Guinaifen eagerly upgraded the chestpiece to +15—only to freeze in horror.
"WHAT!?"
"All rolls went into DEF%!?"
"NO WAY!"
"Even one useful stat would've been fine!"
"AAAAH! Which one of you jinxed this!?"
As chat flooded with "LOL" and "Thanks for the laugh, Guinaifen!", she sighed deeply.
"Folks, never gamble on relics. We're here for the story."
"Perfect substats? Double crit? I don't care about that. Really."
"Let's keep going. I know something major's about to happen..."
---
Penacony - Dream's Edge Hotel Lobby
The players watching the stream lost it.
"The Dreamscape has dangerous areas like this!?"
"How much is the Family hiding!?"
"I'm suing for false advertising!"
"Where's the Family's statement!?"
"REFUND! REFUND!"
---
Behind the Scenes
In the VIP lounge, the head of the Iris Family, Old Alfalfa, sipped wine while watching the chaos unfold. An assistant handed him a financial report.
"Sir, Penacony's latest market data..."
"Due to Honkai: Star Rail's storyline, our currency's exchange rate has plummeted. The auction house and trade markets are also taking hits..."
As the economic pillar of the Five Families, the storyline's impact was catastrophic. Even the ever-jovial Old Alfalfa couldn't muster his usual "Ohohoho!"
This plot development wasn't just a blow—it was an existential crisis for Penacony.
Old Alfalfa waved a dismissive hand.
"Forget the numbers. Right now, Penacony's on the brink of collapse. I don't even know what the Oak Family and the Dreammaster are planning..."
"If things go south, the entire Family might fall from power."
Behind his sunglasses, his eyes darkened with worry.
"Clockie... why'd you have to leave a 'Legacy'...?"
"Penacony can't handle this many factions meddling..."
"Please... don't break Penacony."
To be continued…
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