Clockie / Bro, Want to Buy a Cheat?

"A group of people with hidden agendas crowded onto a tiny stage. None of them wanted to stand in the spotlight, so they shoved the poor little gray-haired one to the front."

"Dreams aren't your own bathtub. They're an unpredictable deep sea. To put it more clearly, don't be fooled by enticing glimmers. If you fall into the hands of someone like that... I'll be very, very disappointed."

"She keeps claiming she's a Penacony local, yet she doesn't understand any of the insider ways. She's pretty skilled at petty theft, though. Just who is she? Darling, have you really never doubted her?"

Sampo's rapid-fire verbal assault battered Firefly's heart. She knew she probably could not keep her identity hidden anymore. With a disappointed look, she tried to move away from Caelus, but he reached out and grabbed her wrist. Firefly looked slightly startled as she gazed at Caelus in confusion.

"Why should I doubt my guide? She said she wouldn't hurt me. I believed her."

Caelus spoke with complete seriousness. A flicker of emotion passed through Firefly's eyes. He clearly did not know her, yet he was willing to trust her like this. That trust would be the foundation of their future relationship. She had remembered it.

"As for you, Sampo—let's call you that for now. You keep talking about suspicion and hidden motives, but you used someone else's identity to approach me. What exactly are you?"

The expression on Caelus's face gradually turned distrustful. He looked at Sampo with mockery. It would have been one thing if someone else had slandered Firefly, but this person of all people was doing it. He could not guarantee that Firefly had no ulterior motives, but he could be certain that Sampo did.

"You've scrubbed yourself clean and think you're standing safely on shore? Why don't you dig out your own crooked thoughts, wash them, air them out, and sort them through? Take a good look at what you're really doing."

Caelus carried the imposing air he had gained as Belobog's emperor and harshly rebuked Sampo before him. Sampo took a step back from the scolding, his expression filled with surprise.

"What do you mean?" Sampo asked.

"I mean, the last person who used someone else's identity to get close to me was Great Extinguisher Phantylia. I beat her until her eyes rolled back. How much better do you think your ending will be?"

Caelus's words were blunt and crude, but neither Firefly nor Sampo took them in any strange direction. They merely thought Caelus had used violence to force Phantylia into submission.

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

Sampo voiced his confusion. He did not think he had done anything that exposed his identity, so why had he been seen through?

"You deliberately chose someone I knew but wasn't particularly close to, so you wouldn't expose yourself. But have you considered what kind of person Sampo is?"

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

"Since he's a Belobog native, why would he receive an invitation to vacation in Penacony? Let's take a step back. Even if he truly was exceptionally gifted and got hold of an invitation worth a fortune, would he use it himself?"

"Sampo is greedy. He would never use such a valuable invitation on himself. The most likely thing he would do is find a way to sell it. Since he lives in Belobog, who would be the best person to sell it to?"

"Of course, me, the emperor. When we met before, I asked how you should address me. Whenever Sampo saw me, he called me 'Your Majesty' over and over, more affectionately than he'd call his own father. But with you, I'm suddenly your brother? Does that mean I should make Sampo a king?"

"Let's take another step back. If Sampo didn't have an invitation and snuck into the dream instead, that would be even more ridiculous. What gave him the ability to find a way to sneak into Penacony? If he had that kind of capability, would he have stood around waiting to die when Belobog was nearly destroyed?"

"You probably don't know this, but I did suspect Sampo was not simple. I already had GroundFire keep a close watch on him. Now, even when he goes to the bathroom, several pairs of eyes are watching him. And you're telling me Sampo came to Penacony for a vacation? Hm?"

Since fake Sampo wanted an explanation, Caelus gave him one properly. These words were far harsher than anything fake Sampo had said before, grinding the impostor's dignity into the ground.

"I'm just here to have some fun. There's no need to be so aggressive, making me sound completely worthless..."

Fake Sampo glared at Caelus resentfully. Appearances could deceive, but the teeth-gritting expression came from the heart. It made Caelus feel that this person was probably a woman.

"If you know what's good for you, reveal your true form right now and let me see it. If you're a pretty girl, I'll let you off. Otherwise, I'll have everyone on the Star Rail Express hunt you down until one of us dies. You dared to scam me? What the hell are you?"

Caelus pointed at fake Sampo. The reason he had grabbed Sampo's butt earlier was because he had considered that the impersonator might be a woman. After all, he had fallen for Phantylia's... trick before, so he felt that people with shapeshifting abilities might all be women.

"You— you bastard! Just wait! I'll remember this!"

Fake Sampo was now furious from humiliation. He spat out the curse, 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 Manual. What a satisfying victory. He had long found this fake Sampo unpleasant. Scamming him was one thing, but interfering with his date with Firefly was another. Whether Firefly was a bad woman or not, he would have to taste her first to find out.

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Clock Boy

"Caelus, I'm sorry."

Firefly turned sideways and looked into the distance, as though avoiding Caelus's gaze. After waiting for quite a while, she finally spoke softly.

"There are things I've kept from you. For example, I really am not a local. The Hound Family Line wasn't chasing me without reason... There were other reasons why I traveled with you too. But I truly am grateful that you helped me."

Firefly spoke to Caelus with a bitter expression. She had not planned to keep it hidden for long in the first place, but fake Sampo had suddenly appeared to disrupt things and forced her plans forward far too early. She could originally have spent a little more time with Caelus, like they were on a date.

"It's also true that I admire the Nameless. You've traveled through many worlds and seen all kinds of people and things. Every day is a brand-new beginning."

"You can become one of the Nameless too."

Caelus continued along Firefly's words. If such a beautiful woman boarded the train, wouldn't he be the one benefiting? Everyone knew that Caelus was the only person daring enough to date on the Star Rail Express.

"I want to take you somewhere else. Is that okay? This time, it isn't a tourist attraction. You could call it my secret base. There, I'll tell you everything about myself, as much as I possibly can."

Firefly looked at Caelus with pure eyes. She seemed somewhat tempted, yet she also seemed unwilling to trouble him, so she changed the subject.

"Let's go."

Caelus felt that many things he had experienced could be compared to what Firefly was doing. Penacony was practically a copy of the Xianzhou, deepening his Xianzhou trauma. Still, he believed that a sincere heart should not be extinguished. Even if he might be hurt, he had to show complete kindness toward every beautiful girl. Otherwise, what was the point of building a harem?

A happy smile appeared on Firefly's face. Even now, Caelus was willing to trust her and had even berated fake Sampo for being shameless. That alone meant she had won. Two people with impure motives had approached Caelus, yet their outcomes were completely different. She could not help feeling a little pleased.

"This way."

Firefly jogged ahead to lead the way, and Caelus followed her. The two weaved through the streets, and Caelus soon no longer knew where they were going. He had only been in the dream world for a short time. Before he could even start enjoying himself, he had fallen into a web of schemes.

"Tick-tock! Help! Help!"

As Caelus followed Firefly, he suddenly heard cries for help. Confused, he looked toward the one calling for aid in the dream and found that it was not a person, but a tiny figure only about as tall as his calf. Its head was a clock face, complete with eyes and a mouth.

"What are you?"

Caelus felt that the thing before him looked familiar, but since even objects could gain self-awareness in the dream world, he did not find it strange.

"Hey! I'm a clock, not some thing!"

Clock Boy made a sound like an alarm clock and glared at Caelus.

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

Caelus nodded and went along with Clock Boy's logic. This made it fall silent as it quietly pondered whether it was, in fact, a thing.

"Wait, you can see me?"

After its silence, Clock Boy suddenly realized that it had found someone who could see it.

"Caelus, who are you talking to?"

Firefly asked in confusion. She had suddenly seen Caelus stop walking and start talking to himself, which made her a little scared.

"Clock Boy. That statue over there."

Caelus answered Firefly. Clock Boy had not introduced itself yet, but Caelus was not stupid. One look at it was enough for him to guess what it was.

"Huh?"

Firefly's eyes widened at once. She first suspected that Caelus was hallucinating, but then she remembered how he had said he could see Origami Birds. Ordinary people could not see those things either, so she believed him.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Clock Boy, the biggest star of Dreamville, Penacony! My friends and I protect the peace of this town. They are Hanu Brothers, Mr. Soda, Origami Bird, Hamster Ball Knight, and Misha..."

Clock Boy's introduction was long, but Caelus listened carefully. It actually revealed plenty of information. For example, Hanu Brothers were the little monkeys Caelus had transformed into after using the television. Then there were the Origami Birds he had encountered before. Clearly, these figures did not only exist in cartoons. In this dream world, where anything was possible, they were all real.

"Oh, right, Misha! Misha is in danger! Please save him!"

When Clock Boy mentioned Misha, it immediately pleaded urgently with Caelus. Caelus felt he had heard that name somewhere before, but because it belonged to a man, he could not remember it.

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

Caelus had been following Firefly, but now he needed to take a detour to save someone, so he asked for her opinion.

"I can't see anything."

Firefly had been staring at the ground for a long time. The dream world's streets were spotless, but she still could not see Clock Boy.

"Tick-tock! I guess only straightforward, pure, childlike children can see me, like this gray-haired friend!"

Clock Boy said bluntly. Caelus thought it made perfect sense, so he repeated it to Firefly.

"It says you aren't straightforward, pure, or childlike enough."

"I... What do you mean I'm not?"

Firefly wore an unconvinced expression. As she lowered her head to search for Clock Boy again, there was more emotion in her face. Clock Boy hurriedly hid close to Caelus's leg. It felt that if Firefly found it, she might crush its clock face.

"The place I mentioned can wait. Saving a life comes first."

Firefly failed to find Clock Boy, but she still believed Caelus. She followed him and Clock Boy down another street.

Behind a shop, a group of men in black were surrounding someone and making a racket. When Caelus saw the person being surrounded, he froze. He had never expected the one trapped there to be Acheron.

"You don't know the rules, do you? Let's see how I deal with you!"

The black-clad man at the front spoke to Acheron, looking as though he was about to make a move. Caelus could not help admiring his courage. Even Phantylia would give him a thumbs-up for courage like that.

"These people are going to beat up Acheron? Seriously?"

Caelus was not worried at all upon seeing this. He even took out an ice cream and began eating it. If it had been another woman, he might have gone to rescue her, but Acheron did not need his help at all. He wanted to see what would happen to those who dared trouble her.

Do You Want Cheats, Brother?

"You know her?"

From Firefly's perspective, she could only see Acheron being surrounded. But Caelus could see two people. Another short figure was trapped among the Family members—it was Misha, the one Clock Boy had specifically asked him to save.

That also explained why Clock Boy had sought help. If Acheron were the one trapped, then once she was angered, she might cut the entire dream world in half with one slash. That was no joke.

"Yeah. Her name is Acheron. We came out of the same dream pool. She was sleeping right beside me."

Caelus gave one of the ice creams he had bought to Firefly, then explained who Acheron was.

"I see."

Firefly was smart. The moment she heard Caelus say that, she understood what Acheron was to him. She must have been a fellow Nameless traveler who had come here with him, and they were even staying in the same room. With that thought, even the ice cream in Firefly's mouth no longer tasted sweet.

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

Clock Boy saw Caelus casually watching the scene unfold and grew anxious. It had searched for so long and only found this one person who could respond to it, so it could only beg Caelus.

"But I'm only a frail and handsome man. I don't have power like they do."

Caelus shook his head. If Acheron could not handle those people, he would only be delivering himself to death by going over there. Firefly nearly shoved the ice cream into her nose when she heard that. She turned away and desperately held back her laughter.

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

Clock Boy innocently believed him, so it brought out its trump card and prepared to give Caelus the ability.

"What is that?"

Caelus put down his ice cream and asked. When it came to strangers, he usually would not act without seeing a benefit first. Since there seemed to be a tangible reward now, of course he wanted it.

"To make a long story short, everyone in this town has emotions. Bad people can take away their good emotions, leaving behind bad ones that make them irritable and angry. If we put good emotions back into them, we can solve problems peacefully."

Clock Boy explained it concisely. In other words, this ability could alter other people's emotions. It made Caelus think of many possible uses.

For example, the gang members before him were emotionally unstable and itching for a fight. If Caelus could turn their emotions into happiness and joy, the conflict would be resolved immediately. It truly was an incredible skill.

"Come on, give me your hand."

Clock Boy extended its short hand. Caelus bent down and shook it. A strange force, one Caelus had no idea how to describe, passed into him. He found that he seemed to have truly learned something, and he also knew how to use it.

After thinking for a moment, Caelus walked straight behind one of the watching underlings and patted him on the shoulder.

"Who's there?"

The Family underling turned around to ask. Caelus answered by smearing the remains of his ice cream all over the man's face. The underling froze. He touched the ice cream on his face, seemingly unable to believe that someone would boldly provoke him like this on his own turf.

"You—!"

Just as the Family underling was about to attack, Caelus poked him with a finger. The Clockwork Trick required physical contact. After touching the underling, Caelus saw the man's current emotion. A red phantom of Clock Boy appeared beside him as a prompt. It was unmistakably anger.

Caelus raised his hand to Clock Boy's clock face and moved the hour hand on its nose with his finger. When he turned it to a warm color like sunlight, the underling's expression changed completely.

"Hehehe, hahaha."

The Family underling began grinning foolishly at Caelus, as though he had thought of something incredibly funny. He danced around with delight. Even Caelus was stunned, then grabbed the man by the shoulder and slapped him.

Slap!

A crisp slap echoed out. The Family underling looked even happier as he stared at Caelus, clapping exaggeratedly in praise.

"Great hit! That was a great hit!"

"Are you sure this isn't getting high? Even drug addicts can't put on a show like you."

Caelus bared his teeth and sucked in a cold breath before returning to Clock Boy's side to ask. He had thought he had merely encountered some strange little fellow along the way, yet he had somehow gained such an overpowered ability. Didn't that mean he could do whatever he wanted in this dream? As long as someone entered the dream, they could not escape this ability.

"You must remember this: never use the Clockwork Trick to do bad things. We're the guardians of Dreamville, tick-tock!"

Clock Boy stood with its hands on its hips and spoke with a stern expression. It received no response from Caelus. Instead, his eyes were fixed on the sky, and the look on his face had already drifted into fantasy.

"So that means I can ask Robin out, do some happy or unhappy things with her, but either way she'll end up happy and remember me forever. Heh. Hehehe."

Caelus imagined his future with Robin. Clock Boy suddenly regretted it. It realized it might have given this ability to Caelus too easily. He did not look like a good person at all now.

Having gained a new ability, Caelus began practicing on the nearby Family members. He adjusted the underlings' emotions one by one into happiness, sadness, calmness, or their original anger. He could control these four emotions in total. Human emotions were basically just these few kinds.