Star Rail: Acheron on First Single Draw

"A bunch of people with ulterior motives, crammed onto a small stage, none of them wanting to be in the spotlight, so they pushed the poor little grey-haired one to the front."

"A dream isn't your bathtub; it's a capricious deep sea. To put it more clearly, don't be fooled by the alluring phosphorescence. If you get caught by that kind of guy... I'll be very, very disappointed."

"You keep saying you're a Penacony local, but you don't know the first thing about how things work here. You're quite skilled at petty theft, though. Just who are you? My dear, haven't you ever suspected her for a moment?"

Sampo's rapid-fire words struck Firefly's heart. She knew her identity was likely compromised. With a look of dejection, she tried to pull away from Caelus, but he grabbed her wrist. Firefly looked at Caelus, who was holding her, with a hint of surprise and confusion.

"Why would I suspect my guide? She said she wouldn't hurt me, and I believed her."

Caelus said earnestly. A flicker of emotion crossed Firefly's eyes. Caelus, who didn't even know her, was willing to trust her like this. This trust would be the foundation of their future relationship. She had already noted it down.

"As for you, Sampo, I'll call you that for now. You keep suspecting me, saying I have ulterior motives. But what about you, impersonating someone else to get close to me? What are you?"

Caelus's expression gradually shifted to distrust. He looked at Sampo sarcastically. If it were anyone else, it would be one thing, but for this particular person to slander Firefly, he couldn't guarantee Firefly had no ulterior motives, but he was sure Sampo did.

"You think you're in the clear just because you've washed your hands of it? Why don't you take out your own tangled mess, wash it, dry it, tidy it up, and see what you're actually doing."

Caelus, channeling the aura he had as the Emperor of Belobog, sternly reprimanded Sampo. Sampo took a step back, looking quite surprised.

"What do you mean?" Sampo asked.

"I mean, the last person who impersonated someone else to get close to me was the Great Extinguisher Phantylia, and I beat her so badly she was seeing stars. Do you think your fate will be any better?" Caelus's words were direct and crude, but neither Firefly nor Sampo thought in a strange direction. They both assumed Caelus had simply used force to subdue the other party.

"Why are you so sure I'm not Sampo?"

Sampo asked, voicing his confusion. He felt he hadn't done anything to expose his identity, so why had he been seen through?

"You specifically chose someone I knew, but someone I wasn't particularly close to, to avoid exposing yourself. But have you ever thought about who Sampo really is?"

"He's a native of Belobog, and famously greedy. I admit he has secrets, but they're nothing compared to yours."

"If he's a native of Belobog, why would he receive an invitation to vacation in Penacony? Let's take a step back. Even if he were truly gifted and obtained this coveted invitation, would he use it for himself?"

"Sampo is greedy. He wouldn't use such a precious invitation for himself. The most likely thing he would do is find a way to sell it. So, if he lives in Belobog, who would be the most suitable buyer?"

"Of course, it would be me, the Emperor. When we met before, I asked you how you should address me. Sampo used to call me 'Your Majesty' every time, more affectionately than his own father. But with you, I'm suddenly 'brother'? Should I then bestow a royal title upon Sampo?"

"Let's take another step back. If Sampo didn't have an invitation and snuck in, that would be even more absurd. What right or ability does he have to find a way to sneak into Penacony? Someone with that kind of skill, back when Belobog was on the brink of collapse, could have just stood by and waited for death?"

"You probably don't know, but I did suspect Sampo was not simple. However, I've already had the GroundFire guards watching him closely. Now, even when he goes to the restroom, several pairs of eyes are on him. And you're telling me Sampo is vacationing in Penacony? Huh?"

Caelus felt that since the fake Sampo wanted an explanation, he might as well provide one. These words were far more excessive than anything the fake Sampo had said before, crushing the imposter's face into the ground and grinding it.

"I just came here for some fun. There's no need to be so aggressive, making me out to be completely useless..."

The fake Sampo glared at Caelus hatefully. While his appearance could be deceiving, this gritted-teeth expression was genuine, making Caelus suspect this individual was female.

"If you know what's good for you, hurry up and show me your true form. If you're a pretty girl, I'll let you off the hook. Otherwise, I'll have the entire Star Rail Express hunt you down, to the death. You dare to trick me? What a joke."

Caelus pointed at the fake Sampo. He had grabbed Sampo's backside before because he suspected his impersonator might be female, especially after falling for Phantylia's trick. He thought anyone with shapeshifting abilities might be female.

"You… you scoundrel, you just wait! I've got your number!"

The fake Sampo was now enraged. He cursed angrily and then vanished on the spot, leaving behind only a red and white fox mask. Caelus walked over, picked it up, and casually tossed it into his Dream Journal. This was truly a satisfying victory. He had long been annoyed by the fake Sampo. Tricking him was one thing, but interfering with his date with Firefly was another. Whether Firefly was a bad woman or not, he would only know after experiencing it himself.

PS, please collect, recommend, and vote monthly.

Chapter 48: Clock Boy

"Caelus, I'm sorry."

Firefly turned her head to look into the distance, as if avoiding Caelus's gaze. After a long pause, she spoke softly.

"I do have things I've kept from you. For example, I'm not actually a local, and the Hound Family Line isn't chasing me for no reason… There are also some other reasons for traveling with you. But I truly appreciate your help."

Firefly said to Caelus with a bitter expression. Although she hadn't planned to keep it a secret for long, the sudden appearance of the disruptive fake Sampo had accelerated her plans considerably. Originally, she could have spent more time with Caelus, like a date.

"My yearning for the Nameless is also real. You've been to many worlds, seen all sorts of people and things, and every day is a new beginning."

"You can become a Nameless too."

Caelus said, picking up on Firefly's words. If such a beautiful woman joined the Express, wouldn't he be the one benefiting? It was well known that Caelus was the only one daring enough to date on the Star Rail Express.

"I want to take you somewhere else. Is that okay? This isn't a tourist spot this time; it's more like my secret hideout. There, I'll tell you everything about myself, as much as I can."

Firefly looked at Caelus with pure eyes, seeming a little tempted but also hesitant to trouble him, so she changed the subject.

"Let's go."

Caelus felt that many of the experiences he had gone through could be mirrored by what Firefly was doing. This Penacony was practically a replica of the Xianzhou, deepening Caelus's Xianzhou phobia. However, he still believed that the passion in his heart should not be extinguished. Even if he got hurt, he should still maintain full goodwill towards every beautiful girl, otherwise, how could he build his harem?

A happy smile appeared on Firefly's face. Caelus was still willing to believe her at this point and had even berated the fake Sampo for being shameless. This was already a victory for her. Other people with impure intentions approached Caelus, but the results were completely different. She was a little happy about that.

"Let's go this way."

Firefly playfully ran ahead to lead the way, and Caelus followed her footsteps. They weaved through the streets. Caelus soon lost his bearings. After all, he had only recently arrived in the dream world and hadn't even begun to enjoy himself before falling into a web of schemes and tricks.

"Tick-tock! Help! Help!"

As Caelus followed Firefly, he suddenly heard a cry for help. He looked curiously at the person crying for help in the dream and realized it wasn't a person but a shorty, only about Caelus's calf height. His head was a clock face with eyes and a mouth.

"What are you?"

Caelus felt the thing in front of him looked familiar, but considering that objects in the dream world could develop self-awareness, he didn't find it strange.

"Hey! I'm a clock, not just anything!"

The Clock Boy let out an alarm-like sound and spoke to Caelus with an unhappy expression.

"Fine, then you're not a thing."

Caelus nodded and complied with the Clock Boy's request to be seated. The Clock Boy then fell silent, contemplating whether or not it was indeed a "thing."

"Wait, you can see me?"

After a moment of silence, the Clock Boy suddenly realized something. It had found someone who could see it.

"Caelus, who are you talking to?"

Firefly asked, her voice filled with confusion. She had suddenly seen Caelus stop in his tracks and start talking to himself, which made her feel a little scared.

"The Clock Boy, that statue over there."

Caelus replied to Firefly. Although the Clock Boy hadn't introduced itself yet, Caelus wasn't stupid and could guess what it was from its appearance.

"Huh?"

Firefly's eyes widened. At first, she suspected Caelus was hallucinating, but then she remembered him mentioning seeing an Origami Bird before. These were things ordinary people couldn't see, so she believed him.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Clock Boy, and I'm a big star in Penacony's Dream Town! I protect the peace of this town with my friends, who are the Hanu Brothers, Mr. Soda, the Origami Bird, the Hamster Ball Knight, and Misha..."

The Clock Boy's introduction was quite long, but Caelus listened carefully. He could gather a lot of information from its words. For example, the Hanu Brothers. Caelus had transformed into a little monkey after using a television set before, and he had also encountered the Origami Bird. This showed that these characters didn't just exist in animation; in this dream world where anything was possible, they were all real.

"Oh, and Misha! Misha is in danger, please save him."

The Clock Boy said to Caelus with an anxious expression when it mentioned Misha. Caelus felt like he had heard the name somewhere before, but since it was a man, he couldn't remember.

"Firefly, the Clock Boy asked me to save someone. Do you want to come with me?"

Caelus had been following Firefly, but now he had to take a detour to save someone. He decided to ask for her opinion.

"I can't see anything."

Firefly had been looking at the ground for a long time. The ground in the dream world was spotless, but she couldn't see the Clock Boy.

"Tick-tock! I guess only children who are straightforward, innocent, and have a childlike heart can see me, like this gray friend!"

The Clock Boy said straightforwardly. Caelus felt that what it said made a lot of sense, so he repeated it to Firefly.

"It says you're not straightforward, innocent, or childlike enough."

"How... how am I not enough?"

Firefly's expression showed her dissatisfaction. She lowered her head to look for the Clock Boy, and her expression began to carry some emotion. The Clock Boy, frightened, leaned against Caelus's leg. It felt that if it were found, its dial might be crushed.

"It's fine if we go to the place I mentioned later. A life is more important."

Firefly couldn't find the Clock Boy, but she still believed Caelus's words. She followed him and walked with the Clock Boy down another street.

At the back door of a shop, a group of men in black were surrounding someone and making a commotion. Caelus was stunned when he saw the person being surrounded. He never expected it to be Acheron.

"You insolent fool, I'll show you how to behave!"

The leader of the men in black said to Acheron, seemingly about to make a move. Caelus couldn't help but admire the man's courage. Even Phantylia would give him a thumbs-up for such bravery.

"These guys are going to fight Acheron, seriously?"

Caelus wasn't worried at all seeing this situation. He even took out an ice cream and started to enjoy it. If it were any other woman, Caelus might have gone to rescue her, but Acheron didn't need his help. He was curious to see what would happen to these people who were troubling Acheron.

Chapter 49: Bro, Wanna Buy a Cheat?

"You know her?"

From Firefly's perspective, she could only see Acheron being surrounded. However, Caelus could actually see two people. Another short figure was surrounded by Family members – it was Misha, the one the Clock Boy had asked him to save.

This explained why the Clock Boy had sought help. If Acheron were the one in trouble, angering her might lead her to cleave this dream world in half with a single strike. This was no laughing matter.

"Yeah, her name is Acheron. We entered through the same dream pool, and she slept next to me."

Caelus shared the ice cream he bought with Firefly and then explained Acheron's background.

"I see."

Firefly was a smart person. Hearing Caelus say that, she understood what Acheron meant to him. She must be one of the Nameless who came here together for a trip, and they even shared a room. Thinking about it, the ice cream in her mouth didn't taste sweet anymore.

"Tick-tock! Friend, please hurry and save Misha."

The Clock Boy, seeing Caelus just watching the show, couldn't help but say anxiously. It had searched for a long time and only found this one person who could respond, so it could only beg Caelus.

"But I'm just a frail handsome man. I don't have the strength like them."

Caelus shook his head. If even Acheron couldn't handle the people in front of her, he would just be cannon fodder. Firefly, hearing this, almost shoved the ice cream into her nose. She turned her head away, desperately trying to hold back her laughter.

"It's okay, Clock Boy will help you. I'll teach you the Clock Trick."

The Clock Boy naively believed him and took out its ultimate move, preparing to give it to Caelus first.

"What is that?"

Caelus asked, putting down his ice cream. He was generally cautious with strangers, but now that there seemed to be tangible benefits, he naturally wanted them.

"Long story short, everyone in this town has their own emotions. Bad guys extract the good emotions, leaving only the bad ones, which makes people irritable and angry. We inject good emotions into them, and the problems can be resolved peacefully."

The Clock Boy explained. It was indeed concise and to the point. It meant this ability had the power to alter others' emotions. This gave Caelus many ideas for how to use it.

For example, in the current situation, the gang members were emotionally unstable and eager for a fight. If Caelus could turn their emotions into happiness and joy, the conflict would be resolved directly. It was indeed a remarkable skill.

"Come here, give me your hand."

Clock Boy said, extending its short hand. Caelus bent down to shake its hand, and a strange power, which Caelus couldn't describe, was transferred. He found that he seemed to have truly learned something and knew how to use it.

Caelus thought for a moment and walked straight behind the onlookers from the Family, patting one of them on the shoulder.

"Who?"

The Family subordinate turned around to ask. The answer was the leftover ice cream from Caelus, which splattered all over his face. The subordinate froze. He touched the ice cream on his face, seemingly not expecting anyone to dare provoke him so boldly on his own turf.

"You!"

Just as the Family subordinate was about to make a move, Caelus poked his body with a finger. The clockwork trick required physical contact. After touching the subordinate, Caelus's eyes showed the man's current emotions. A red phantom of Clock Boy appeared nearby as a prompt; this was undoubtedly anger.

So, Caelus raised his hand and placed it on Clock Boy's dial, using his finger to move the hour hand on its nose. When he moved it to a warm color tone, like sunlight, the subordinate's expression completely changed.

"Hehehe, hahaha."

The Family subordinate started giggling foolishly in front of Caelus, as if he had thought of something incredibly happy. He danced with joy, which stunned Caelus. Then, Caelus grabbed the man's shoulders and slapped him.

Slap!

A loud slap echoed. The Family subordinate looked at Caelus with an even more amused expression, clapping his hands exaggeratedly.

"Well done, you hit him so well!"

"Are you sure you're not high? Even doing drugs wouldn't make you act like this."

Caelus grinned, taking a sharp breath, and asked Clock Boy, returning to its side. He thought he had just met a strange fellow by chance, but he never expected to gain such a heaven-defying ability. Did this mean he could do whatever he wanted in this dream? Anyone who entered the dream couldn't escape this ability.

"You must remember, never use the clockwork trick for bad deeds. We are the guardians of Dreamville, tick-tock!"

Clock Boy said with its hands on its hips, its expression serious. Seeing no response from Caelus, it noticed him gazing at the sky, his face already lost in fantasy.

"So, if I ask Robin out, and we do something happy or unhappy, but the result is that she's happy, and she'll remember me forever. Heh, heheh."

As Caelus fantasized about his future with Robin, Clock Boy suddenly regretted its decision. It realized it shouldn't have given this ability to Caelus so easily. Now, he didn't seem like a good person at all.

Upon gaining the new ability, Caelus began practicing on the Family members nearby. One by one, the subordinates' emotions were adjusted by him to happiness, sadness, calmness, and the default anger. Caelus could control these four emotions, and these were basically all the emotions a person could have.