Welt Yang took over the conversation, saying, "From the description, that meme is undoubtedly 'Something Unto Death.' Though the Family views it as a nightmare, to the residents here… the reality seems entirely different."
Misha's pupils trembled slightly. "D-Death? How could there be death in a dream? Dormancy is a bit fierce and sometimes mistakenly brings back innocent travelers, but it would never harm anyone!"
As soon as those words were spoken, many viewers felt as if a knife had been plunged into their chests.
Their consciences ached.
[I'm such a terrible person!]
[My conscience hurts so much!]
[Sorry, Dormancy!]
…..
Welt Yang got straight to the point, expressing their intent to find someone.
Misha immediately thought of Robin and offered to guide them in searching for their lost companion while touring this desolate town.
Robin was visiting children, so this arrangement worked out perfectly.
Not long after, Misha led the two to a large cavern, where they met Miss Cosette.
During Cosette's somewhat cryptic conversation, the two learned a familiar name—Razalina.
Welt's expression grew solemn as he looked at Caelus. "Do you remember the name 'Razalina'?"
Caelus's face didn't look much better. "One of the Nameless mentioned by the Trailblazer."
Though they knew a century had passed, learning of such an outcome inevitably left them with mixed feelings.
"Exactly. It seems she conducted extensive research and calculations in Dreamflux Reef before passing away abruptly."
Misha, sensing their sorrow, offered comfort. "Miss Cosette often mentions her. I heard Lady Razalina passed away during the Prison War… If she could see Penacony now, with everyone building homes in the Dreamscape… she'd surely be thrilled, right?"
"Maybe."
[Salute to the Senior Trailblazer!]
[Trailblazing is just like this—venturing from the known to the unknown, and back to the known.]
[That's why the entire universe respects the Nameless so much. After all, it's the Astral Express that connects different civilizations.]
…..
…..
As they continued walking, the number of passersby gradually increased.
Misha pointed ahead. "Our destination is the trading district. It's the most populated area in Dreamflux Reef—maybe we'll find your companions there."
Soon, a familiar voice reached their ears.
"Wake up! I'm begging you…"
[March 7th!]
[It's March's wife!]
[Finally seeing March! I can't even imagine what it'd be like if a new map opened without March 7th!]
[Actually, adventuring with Caelus and Dan Heng would be pretty nice. Probably hilarious.]
[I'm not so sure. The reason these adventures never get boring is because March plays the straight man. Do you think if Caelus throws out a quip, Dan Heng could keep up?]
[That makes sense.]
[So, for a good story, March is indispensable.]
…..
"A g-ghost! Don't… don't come near me…" A Pepeshi was trembling all over, clearly out of sorts.
"Come on, I told you I'm a living person, and so are you. Can you act normal?" March 7th's peripheral vision caught sight of Caelus and the others. "Ah! Uncle Yang, Caelus, I've been waiting forever! Quick, help me out. I ran into this Family member on the way. He's terrified, and I just wanted to calm him down, but…"
The Pepeshi from the Family whimpered, "Spare me, please, spare me… I've done good deeds my whole life. Why can't I rest in peace even after death…"
March 7th sighed helplessly. "See? This is what I'm dealing with."
Caelus clasped his hands together. "Greetings, March 7th, the Ghost of Dreamflux Reef!"
March 7th clenched her fists, gritting her teeth. "W-What ghost?! Watch it, or I'll knock you out!"
The next moment, her tone softened. "He keeps insisting he's dead… Though, when I first fell in here, I thought the same thing."
Misha chimed in, "Dear guest, this isn't the afterlife. It's Dreamflux Reef."
March 7th turned to the Pepeshi. "Exactly! Did you hear that? Say it with me: Dream-flux-Reef."
"Y-You're chatting back and forth with something invisible! If I'm not dead, what am I? Waaah… I shouldn't have tempted fate by challenging the taboo, trying to sleep within a dream… Curiosity killed the Pepeshi!"
[Hahaha, why do I want to laugh so hard?]
[Oh man, I'm reminded of the Godfather's medical advice to Aventurine. Does that mean the Godfather's awesome and knew everything all along?]
[The Godfather's always been awesome. His wisdom meets the Genius Society's standards, just without the same obsession.]
[What's he talking about, 'invisible'? Can he not see Misha?]
[Is it possible only those on the Path of Trailblaze can see him?]
…..
"What invisible thing?" Caelus asked, looking at the Pepeshi trembling like a leaf.
"D-Don't ask anymore! You'll attract the monster! All the dead people are here, all of them…!"
March 7th scratched her head. "Uh, are you talking about Dreamscape memes…?"
"Don't say that name! It's because of you—it, they're coming!"
At that moment, several Dreamscape memes surged from behind the Pepeshi, clearly aggressive.
Caelus cracked his neck. "Finally, things are getting less boring."
Naturally, against the strength of the Express Crew, mere Dreamscape memes were no match.
After a few rounds, they were dispersed.
As for the Pepeshi, he stood with his hands clasped over his chest, looking as though he'd passed on peacefully.
[Hahaha, he went out without any pain.]
[Youth is great—falls asleep instantly.]
[That pose—he's set for life.]
…..
With the person down, they couldn't just leave him be.
March 7th, as the Express Crew's social butterfly, suggested she'd already met plenty of people.
She proposed taking the Pepeshi to Aunt Triss.
…..
The scene shifted.
The group arrived at a bar.
After settling the Pepeshi, they chatted briefly with Triss.
From the conversation, they learned that more and more people were accidentally falling into Dreamflux Reef.
This could be a sign of the Dreamscape's collapse!
Triss also mentioned that the Pepeshi had suffered significant trauma and needed Robin's singing to heal.
March 7th was startled. "Huh?! Miss Robin? Isn't she—oh, right! If Firefly is safe, Miss Robin must have gone through something similar."
Welt Yang pointed to Misha beside him. "Misha here is taking us to see her to figure out what's going on. But before that, we should rendezvous with Himeko. Weren't you with her earlier?"
March 7th nodded. "We were at the residential area and ran into some stowaways. Most of them came from neighboring star systems.
They say places like Dreamflux Reef aren't unique in Asdana's Dreamscape—they're like islands in the sea, existing long before the Family arrived.
I also heard a rumor: when Dreamflux Reef first took shape, this was the heart of Penacony's Dreamscape!
If that's true, it explains why the Dreamscape shares so many similarities with this place.
Himeko's probably still gathering information from someone there. Shall we head out?"