"Who are you?" Stelle asked Sparkle.
"You wanna know?" Sparkle hopped away, limping. "I'll tell you next time we meet."
The moment Sparkle finished speaking, Stelle dashed in front of her in a few steps, grabbing her and lifting her up.
"Are you kidding me? Your leg is all messed up like this, and you're still trying to be mysterious with me?!"
"You can just tell me now," Stelle said to Sparkle.
Sparkle's small, geta-clad feet dangled in mid-air.
"Why are all of you people like this!" Sparkle, feeling more and more that everyone she'd met today was abnormal, complained speechlessly to Stelle while dangling in the air.
"Hm? Who else?" Stelle asked curiously upon hearing Sparkle's words.
"Hmph, an old friend of yours," Sparkle said, pointing in the direction of Derick and the others.
Stelle followed Sparkle's gaze, and Sparkle took the opportunity to escape from her grasp and quickly ran off.
This was a dreamscape, after all. Although the handprint on Sparkle's thigh was still there, it had mostly recovered and didn't affect her movement.
Sparkle vanished in the blink of an eye. Stelle couldn't really chase after her, so she just headed in the direction Sparkle had pointed.
And there she met Derick and his group.
"Derick, you really came to Penacony!" Stelle said, greeting Derick upon seeing him.
"Stelle, it's you! What a coincidence. We just arrived in Penacony and were about to contact you to see where you were. I didn't expect to run into you just like this." Seeing Stelle approach, Derick also greeted her happily.
However, he silently took two steps back.
Stelle had just emerged from a trash can. Even if Penacony's trash cans were odorless, she was still filthy. There was no way Derick was willing to get close to her.
"It wasn't a coincidence. I just met someone who told me you were here." Stelle then recounted her encounter with Sparkle to Derick.
Hearing it was Sparkle, Castorice clenched her fists lightly.
That girl never learns. Next time I see her, I'll have to hit her hard. And I mean a literal, physical punch, to show her the consequences of daring to mess with Derick.
Seeing this, Robin quickly contacted her brother.
"I've already told my brother. The Bloodhounds will notify us if they see that girl," Robin said to Derick.
Derick nodded lightly.
He had no confidence at all that the Bloodhounds could catch Sparkle. After all, Sparkle was a Masked Fool; her strength and cunning far surpassed theirs.
While Derick was still thinking, Stelle spoke up: "Alright, don't worry about it. You guys just got here, right? I've been here for a few days, so I can show you around."
"Okay."
Afterwards, Stelle, Derick, Castorice, and the others began to stroll through Penacony's Golden Hour.
The magnificent buildings displayed all sorts of precious goods through their windows. Even Derick, who didn't usually care for such things, found it to be a feast for the eyes.
Robin also said to Derick, "Derick, is there anything you want? I'll pay for it, as a reward for saving me earlier."
Robin was a universe-renowned superstar. Although she often performed for charity, her income from regular performances was immense.
"I can buy it myself."
Derick wasn't the penniless nobody he used to be. He had performed many great services for the Xianzhou Alliance and had amassed a considerable fortune. Buying luxury goods was no problem for him.
At that moment, Robin had already pushed open the door to a jewelry store, beckoning Derick and the others inside.
"Don't be shy. Otherwise, it'll be hard for us to even be friends," Robin said to Derick.
Hearing her put it that way, Derick had no choice but to agree.
Stelle asked from the side, confused, "By the way, isn't this a dreamscape? What happens in reality to the things we buy in the dreamscape? Derick isn't going to live in Penacony forever. Wouldn't it be a waste if he bought something and then left?"
Hearing Stelle's question, Robin smiled. "Don't worry, that won't happen. The items bought in this store also exist in reality. After purchase, they will be delivered in the real world."
"Oh, I see," Stelle nodded.
Robin invited Derick and the others to enter.
Then, Derick and Castorice walked into the jewelry store arm in arm.
Stelle, Acheron, and Huohuo stayed outside.
Acheron didn't want to go in, and Huohuo didn't dare. As for Stelle, having just come out of a trash can, the staff wouldn't dare let her in.
The three of them browsed inside for a while before coming out. Robin had a new necklace, while Derick and Castorice wore matching couple's rings. Castorice also had a new pair of sparkling earrings that were exquisite and beautiful.
Huohuo looked on with an envious expression.
She might be small, but for a Foxian, she was at an age where she was beginning to experience the first stirrings of love.
While she was lost in thought, Derick brought over a jewelry box and handed it to her.
"Here, this is a gift for you. Open it and see," Derick said to Huohuo with a smile.
"Th-This isn't appropriate..." Huohuo was about to refuse, but seeing the look in Derick's eyes, she timidly accepted the box.
Huohuo opened the box and saw a fox-shaped pendant with a matching necklace. A smile bloomed on her face; she liked these things too.
Derick then took out two more jewelry boxes and gave them to Acheron and Stelle.
The jewelry he and Castorice wore was Robin's gift to him.
But the rest of the jewelry, including the one on Robin's neck, was paid for by Derick himself. He would never let Robin pay for gifts he was giving to others.
Robin thought about it and agreed it made sense, so she nodded.
"Here, take a look."
Acheron's was also a necklace, which she silently put on. Stelle received a bracelet, which she immediately put on and waved around happily.
"How is it? Does it look good?" Stelle asked Derick.
"It looks good, but it would be even better if you washed your hands," Derick retorted speechlessly.
"Hehe..." Stelle just chuckled, not arguing.
Derick also handed several boxes with brooches and jewelry to Stelle. "By the way, these are for March, Mr. Yang, Himeko, and Dan Heng. Remember to give these to them later."
Derick had really splurged this time, buying something for everyone.
"Okay," Stelle nodded. "I'll thank you on their behalf."
"Let's keep going. There are many more interesting shops ahead. I'll continue showing you around the Golden Hour," Robin said after seeing Derick finish sorting the gifts.
Hearing Robin's words, Derick nodded repeatedly and led Castorice forward by the hand.
***
The group wandered around for seven or eight hours. Although Robin wanted to continue accompanying Derick, she knew she still had to prepare for the Charmony Glee, so she said her goodbyes and returned home to rest.
Derick and the others also needed to rest, so they found a massage parlor to take a short break.
The shop used massage chairs that would start automatically once you lay down. Derick and the others all lay back, enjoying the mechanical massage.
Oh, except for Stelle. She was once again denied entry at the door because of the filth on her clothes.
Actually, Stelle wasn't that bad at first. It was just that during their outing, she couldn't resist the temptation of the trash cans and rummaged through a few, which led to her being denied entry again.
Derick lay there enjoying the massage, but at that moment, he felt a sensation in his right eye.
Derick knew what this meant: another one of his clones was about to appear.
Clone Number Five.
His personal safety had just been enhanced again.
He had felt his power increase earlier and had wondered when a new clone would be born. Now that it had appeared, Derick could finally relax.
As for reacting to his clone's senses even within a dreamscape, Derick guessed that his "cheat" was located somewhere deep within his soul, which was why he could still feel and control his other clones even in Penacony's dreamscape.
"I wonder where this clone will be born."
Derick thought to himself.
However, his power was extremely strong now, and he had a much deeper understanding of his clones. He already had a rough guess as to where his new clone would appear.
Now it was time to see if his guess was correct.
Derick opened his right eye and shifted his perspective to his fifth clone.
It was in a dilapidated building, and he could hear the voices of many people nearby.
Derick adjusted his fifth clone, saw that no one had noticed it, and quickly chose to slip away.
As he walked, he observed the surroundings of his fifth clone.
There were quite a few people around, but their clothes were relatively worn. At the same time, Derick looked up at the sky and saw a huge hole in mid-air.
The moment he saw this, Derick instantly identified his location.
"It actually appeared in the Reverie Reef. Perfect. This will make it easier for me to devour Penacony's Memoria," Derick thought, observing the situation.
If Clone Number Five had appeared in any other "Moment" of Penacony, it would have been easily discovered by the Bloodhounds.
Only in the Reverie Reef, an area beyond The Family's control, could Derick easily maneuver his clone to devour Penacony's Memoria.
To successfully devour the things summoned around him, Derick first needed his body to adapt to the material composition of Penacony.
No sooner said than done, Derick controlled his fifth clone and headed towards the hole.
Compared to the previous clones, this fifth clone had received a significant boost to its initial strength. Its power was quite impressive even on its own.
_____
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