Who Is Stronger, Kafka or Sparkle?

Kafka gradually came to understand the general state of the world Lin Hai came from.

She leaned forward slightly and asked with curiosity, "How did you cross the boundary between worlds and come here?"

Lin Hai didn't avoid the question. "Through a... very special method," he answered frankly.

"Oh?" Kafka leaned further forward. "What kind of method could produce such a miraculous effect?"

"The Lucky Star."

"The Lucky Star?" Kafka repeated the words. "What does it look like? What kind of power does it hold?"

"You can't see it here." Lin Hai shook his head.

The light and shadows of the dream rippled faintly around him. "It exists in the dimension of reality, not in this illusion woven from the Memory Zone."

Rather than being disappointed, Kafka gave him an even more profound smile.

She took a gentle step forward. "Then tell me... your coordinates in reality."

At that moment, Lin Hai took a deep breath. Instead of answering directly, he calmly laid out his analysis:

"You, or rather, the Stellaron Hunters, ultimately aim to guide the world toward a particular ending. My appearance, and the ability I possess, are obviously a huge variable—an unforeseen event capable of disrupting every plan."

He paused, meeting Kafka's gaze without flinching.

"Working with me and making use of this unforeseen event might be another... path to a better ending. Now, I seem to have the initiative!"

Although Lin Hai had faced far fewer life-and-death trials than Kafka, his mind was exceptionally sharp.

He quickly recognized the unique bargaining chip he held in this contest that spanned worlds.

He was the only one, irreplaceable!

Kafka watched him quietly, the sharp scrutiny in her eyes gradually giving way to appreciation.

After a brief silence, she nodded gracefully. "You're absolutely right. You are indeed the only one. Very well! I accept this partnership."

"My address is..." Lin Hai gave her his room number at The Reverie.

With perfect understanding, the two ended the dream.

Almost simultaneously, they withdrew from the Dream Pools and returned to their bodies at The Reverie.

Lin Hai opened his eyes inside the pod in his hotel room, the conversation in the dream still echoing in his mind.

He needed a little time to digest what had just happened.

But as his thoughts raced, a clear, urgent chime from the doorbell broke the silence of the room.

Ding-dong!

Lin Hai quickly got up and turned the handle, and the door swung open.

Kafka stood outside in the soft light of the hallway. Instead of her familiar combat outfit, she wore a sharply tailored dark trench coat that made her figure look even taller.

A smile curved her lips. Her gaze swept over Lin Hai before settling on the room behind him.

"Shall we talk in your room?" Lin Hai suggested.

Kafka chuckled but didn't move. "A very nice suite for two, even equipped with two Dream Pools..."

Her gaze swept gracefully around the room, and a hint of insight entered her voice.

"It seems you didn't come here alone."

Observing, gathering clues and obtaining useful intelligence were almost instinctive to Kafka.

Lin Hai didn't respond directly to her probing, remaining silent instead.

Kafka didn't press the matter. She turned gracefully. "Follow me. The setting here really isn't private enough for a conversation."

She led Lin Hai into the elevator and straight up to the luxury suites on the hotel's upper floors.

When she opened a pair of heavy wooden doors, the space before them proved far more spacious and luxurious than Lin Hai's room.

The living room was spacious, with Penacony's dazzling dream city visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The room was fully furnished, and a faint fragrance filled the air.

The door closed behind them, shutting out all sounds from outside.

Kafka leaned casually against the armrest of the velvet sofa and got straight to the point:

"Now then, let me see the treasure that lets you travel between worlds."

Lin Hai took the faintly shimmering Lucky Star from his pocket, laid it flat on his palm and held it out to Kafka.

Kafka picked up the seemingly ordinary little object between her slender fingers, raised it before her eyes and examined it closely.

A moment later, she frowned slightly. "From its material structure, I can't sense any abnormal energy fluctuations. It looks... quite ordinary."

"Its special qualities are connected only to me," Lin Hai explained. "It's difficult for anyone else to perceive what truly makes it extraordinary."

An elusive glint flashed in Kafka's eyes. She couldn't tell whether Lin Hai was speaking the truth.

She handed the Lucky Star back to him. "In that case, why not demonstrate it for me yourself? Seeing is believing."

"Just what I had in mind." Lin Hai took the Lucky Star and clenched it tightly in his hand.

The next moment, under Kafka's watchful gaze, Lin Hai's figure blurred, turned transparent and then vanished entirely before her eyes.

He had disappeared into thin air, just like that.

The smile on Kafka's face froze instantly.

For once, she stood there stunned, her gaze sweeping over the spot where Lin Hai had just been standing.

There was nothing there.

As though he had never been there at all.

Only the neon light streaming in through the window remained in the room.

"He just... traveled across?" she murmured. "How is that possible?"

But it had happened, and there was no denying it.

Kafka raised her head and walked to the window, regaining her usual composure.

She realized clearly that now that Lin Hai possessed this ability, if he wished to hide in the future, the difficulty of finding him would increase exponentially.

In a sense, Lin Hai was steadily gaining the initiative in their partnership.

Meanwhile, Lin Hai relaxed completely.

The familiar atmosphere of home greeted him; he was already standing in the middle of his own living room.

His pounding heart was slow to settle.

Without lingering, he went straight into the bedroom, threw himself onto the soft bed and sprawled out spread-eagle.

The familiar patterns on the ceiling came into view, and his encounter and conversation with Kafka kept replaying in his mind.

Lin Hai took out the Contract Lucky Star and held it firmly in his palm.

The next moment, a brilliant light appeared.

Sparkle appeared beside him. She looked around through sleepy eyes, unable to get her bearings for a moment.

After all, she had been in a dream only a moment before.

When Lin Hai used the Contract Lucky Star, Sparkle's consciousness first woke from the Dream Pool, then came to his home.

"What happened? Weren't we in the Dream Pool?"

"Something happened. Kafka, a Stellaron Hunter, has set her sights on me."

"A Stellaron Hunter?"

Sparkle was wide awake now. She asked instinctively, "Are you all right? Are you hurt? She didn't attack you, did she?!"

"I'm fine for now." Lin Hai sat on the edge of the bed. "She and I reached a preliminary agreement to work together. Because I'm irreplaceable, Kafka won't make a move against me for now."

Sparkle said in a low voice, "Kafka... that woman has always been pursuing a particular ending. For the sake of that ending, she's done a lot of crazy things."

Sparkle knew very well that Kafka was an extremely troublesome opponent!

Lin Hai sat close to Sparkle and put an arm around her slender waist. "If a conflict breaks out, who's stronger, you or her?"

"Me!" Sparkle answered without hesitation.

Here, her strength had been drained away and she couldn't use the energy of her Path. Her whole body rested limply against Lin Hai's shoulder.