To welcome Derick's arrival, Robin could be said to have made meticulous preparations.
Dressed in an exquisite evening gown, her slender waist accentuated her long legs.
Her legs were fair and beautifully shaped, without a hint of excess flesh, and her ankles were as delicate and refined as a work of art. Her beautiful feet were adorned with a pair of crystal high-heeled sandals, and her ten perfectly aligned toes were crystal clear, shimmering with an alluring luster under the lights of The Reverie Hotel.
Robin is a superstar; wherever she stood, she was the center of everyone's attention.
Even Castorice and Cipher, looking at her, couldn't help but show a hint of envy.
Derick's gaze was also involuntarily drawn to Robin.
Seeing everyone's gazes, Sunday was quite pleased. His sister was so charming that even other women couldn't help but be captivated. After this thought, Sunday glanced at Derick again, feeling that such admiration wasn't entirely a good thing.
Although he wished he could warn Derick to stay away from his sister, on the surface, he remained suave and said to Derick,
"Mr. Derick, and all you ladies, welcome to The Reverie Hotel. This is the reality of Penacony. Please rest here for a moment, and I will then arrange for you to enter the dream and proceed to the true world of Penacony."
"Okay, okay, okay." Cipher nodded excitedly. Traveling to a world of dreams was something Cipher had never experienced before, and she was incredibly curious about it.
Hearing Cipher say this, Sunday quickly added,
"I believe that while the dream world of Penacony, may not be as vast as a Xianzhou, it certainly has its own unique characteristics in some aspects."
Derick nodded in agreement. On The Family's territory, the degree of cultural fusion was extremely high, and since the dream world didn't have to follow the rules of reality, it would be even more bizarre and unpredictable.
Sunday's gaze swept over the group, and when he saw Acheron standing behind them, his eyes narrowed slightly.
He couldn't see through Acheron.
Although Derick was stronger than him at present, Sunday still had a general sense of Derick's power. But with Acheron before him now, Sunday found he couldn't sense anything at all, as if she were a bottomless abyss.
Could this woman be even stronger than Derick?
Sunday thought to himself, growing more cautious in his heart.
Glancing at the nearby bar, Sunday said to Derick,
"Please wait here for a moment while I go handle your check-in procedures."
"Thank you for the trouble."
"It's what I should do." As Sunday went to handle the check-in, Derick and the others went to the bar.
Arriving at the bar, Derick found two familiar people there. No, to be precise, one was someone he already knew well, while the other was someone he had only met in the game.
"Uncle Yang, and this must be Ms. Himeko, the navigator of the Astral Express, right?"
Derick greeted the two.
Welt Yang looked up, and upon seeing Derick, he immediately smiled and said,
"Mr. Derick, I didn't expect we'd meet again so soon."
"The Charmony Glee of Penacony is about to begin, and I had nothing else to do, so I came for a visit," Derick replied with a smile.
Himeko also looked at Derick with interest and said to him,
"Ever since Stelle and March returned to the Astral Express, they've mentioned you quite a bit. Now that I see you, I realize their praise wasn't an exaggeration."
"Praise? I thought they would have been complaining about me the whole time," Derick responded with a laugh, while ordering a few non-alcoholic drinks from the bartender.
The last time he got drunk, Derick drank so much he nearly wrecked his kidneys. He'd sworn off alcohol ever since.
Castorice, Cipher, and the others didn't like to drink either. Acheron didn't care for it, Firefly couldn't drink, and as for Huohuo, given her height and stature, wouldn't feeding her alcohol feel like a crime?
Welt Yang had been enjoying his drink with interest, but when he saw Acheron again, the expression on his face froze.
"What's wrong?" Acheron asked, looking at Welt Yang's reaction.
"Nothing." Welt Yang shook his head lightly.
The first time he saw Acheron, Welt Yang almost thought Raiden Mei had also come to this universe.
But after a closer look, Raiden Mei and the purple-haired young woman before him were not the same person. They just looked very similar.
Acheron glanced at him but didn't press the matter.
She had walked far down the Path of Nihility and was indifferent to most things. She didn't mind Welt Yang staring at her.
The group drank their beverages at the bar for a while before Sunday returned, having finished the check-in. He said to Derick,
"Let me show you all to your rooms. Each room has a Dreampool. Once you get to your rooms, you can enter the Dreampool to access Penacony's dream world."
Robin also nodded repeatedly and said to Derick and the others,
"Once you're in the Penacony dreamscape, I'll show you around properly."
"Won't that be too much trouble for you, Robin?"
"It's no trouble, no trouble at all. Derick, you're my savior. Now that you're in Penacony, it's only natural that I host you properly," Robin said quickly. As she spoke, she looked at Derick, a faint blush appearing on her beautiful face.
This "repaying a life debt" of yours doesn't seem very pure at all!
Castorice and the others thought to themselves.
The group then followed Robin to their respective rooms. To ensure a smooth entry into the dream, everyone had a separate room.
Derick's room was the first one they were shown. Looking at the Dreampool, Robin explained,
"Once you step into the Dreampool, you'll be able to enter Penacony's dreamscape."
"Mhm." Derick nodded.
"By the way, which Moment do you all plan to visit? Penacony's dreamscape is divided into twelve Moments, each with its own unique scenery." Robin asked Derick and the group, and proceeded to briefly describe Penacony's twelve Moments.
"Since we're here as tourists, I suggest we all go to different places. That way, we can scout out which is the most interesting and then decide where to go have fun," Cipher said. Her eyes darted around as she added, "I plan to go to the Moment of Dusk. I feel like the scenery there will be better."
The Moment of Dusk? Isn't that where Penacony's auction house is located? Are you going there to sightsee or to case the joint?
Hearing Cipher say this, everyone had the same thought.
Letting a thief loose in an auction house... Derick wondered if he should preemptively distance himself from Cipher.
Robin also knew of Cipher's identity. She gave Derick a reassuring look.
It's fine, Penacony's security is top-notch.
Derick gave Cipher a worried look.
Cipher's thieving skills are also top-notch.
But in the end, he didn't stop Cipher. Derick knew she wouldn't go too far. She'd probably return whatever she stole.
"I want to go to the Moment of Noon, to check things out at the Origami University," Hyacine said after a moment's thought.
She wanted to see if there were any medical books there to improve her healing techniques. There were other subjects Hyacine also wanted to study and bring back to Amphoreus in the future.
"Hyacine, I'll go with you," Polyxia said to Hyacine.
Hyacine might have a little trouble organizing all the knowledge on her own, so she would go help her.
"I'll go with you all, too." Firefly also wanted to go with Hyacine at this moment.
However, her main reason for going wasn't to study, but to find a secluded place to contact the Stellaron Hunters.
"I'm going to the Golden Hour." Derick, of course, would go to the Golden Hour.
It was the area he was most familiar with and the most prosperous, with many places he wanted to properly admire.
"I'll accompany you to the Golden Hour." Hearing Derick's decision, Castorice was ready to follow him like a devoted wife.
"M-Me too," Huohuo said quietly.
She was here on orders from the Ten-Lords Commission and couldn't just go sightseeing on their dime.
"I'll follow you all as well."
Acheron had no interest in Penacony at all. Her only interest was Derick.
Castorice had originally wanted to spend some quality time alone with Derick, to have a date. But with so many people tagging along, a date was now impossible.
Robin listened to the group's discussion and nodded lightly.
Afterward, Derick stayed in his room while Robin led the others to theirs.
"I'll go to the Golden Hour first and wait for you there."
"Okay."
Derick walked towards the Dreampool.
Soaking in it, the water felt very comfortable, creating an impulse to fall asleep.
Derick looked at the instructions for the Dreampool and, following the requirements, submerged his entire body in the water.
Penacony's dream world, here I come!
...
Penacony Dreamscape, the Golden Hour.
Derick's entry into the dreamscape was much smoother than Stelle's; there was no falling from the sky. Instead, he appeared quite smoothly in front of the Clockie statue.
The surrounding tourists were unfazed, even offering polite smiles as they watched Derick's handsome appearance and unfamiliar movements. It seemed they were welcoming him to Penacony and wishing him a pleasant visit.
Derick also scanned his surroundings, taking in the bustling commercial district and sensing a kind of lavish prosperity completely different from the Xianzhou or Amphoreus.
He stretched his body, planning to find a spot to wait for Castorice and the others to arrive.
Just then, he felt someone call out to him from behind.
"Hey there, big brother! Is this your first time in the Golden Hour? Need a tour guide to show you around? I can give you a discount!"
That voice... it's too recognizable!
Hearing that voice, this thought immediately popped into Derick's head.
He then turned around and looked down.
Yep. Sparkle of the Masked Fools, no doubt.
Trying to fool me again?
Derick thought to himself.
____
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