Star Rail, Single Draw Acheron at the Start

"Do you think the Family knows about this place?"

After understanding the situation here, Caelus asked in confusion. If the Family's account was to be believed, all these people should be stowaways, since dreams were managed by the Family, and this place, though simple, was still a dream.

"I can't be sure about that, but this place is different from other dreams. It's a very special place. I only arrived not long ago, and I don't know much yet."

Robin shook her head and said.

"Then I need to report back to my girlfriends to let them know I'm safe. What about you?"

Caelus still remembered the way he appeared to die in front of Firefly. He didn't know how that girl would react, so he wanted to go back before he "died" again.

"I can't leave yet. There are many things I don't understand, so I need to stay for a while longer."

"Is that so? But disappearing in a dream would be a big problem, wouldn't it? The Grand Gala is about to start."

"Yes, that's right. So I want to ask you, Caelus, to continue investigating Penacony on my behalf."

Robin looked at Caelus seriously. She had her reasons for not being able to return, but she was also very concerned about what was happening in the land of dreams. At this moment, Caelus was the only one who could help her. If he hadn't come here, Robin could only have waited and seen.

"So, you can only rely on me now?"

Caelus raised his hand and touched his chin. His gaze towards Robin became increasingly unrestrained, and the corners of his mouth curved into an arc.

"Yes, that's right."

Robin suddenly felt threatened. The two wings behind her ears tucked in nervously. She knew Caelus wouldn't hurt her, but he would take advantage of her in other ways. He had always been like this.

"Little bird, you know the word 'monopoly,' right? That's what this situation is. So, how should you ask for my help?"

Caelus's smile was almost splitting his ears. He really wanted to thank the Memory Zone Meme that sent him here. The next time he saw it, he definitely wouldn't settle the score.

"Can't you have some gentlemanly demeanor and at least get things done before making demands?"

Robin knew from Caelus's expression that he was going to extort her. Her expression became a mixture of amusement and exasperation. She had been the apple of the Family's eye for a long time, and no man had ever dared to make demands of her. However, this tactic was completely useless against Caelus.

"Don't be silly. 'Gentleman' is just a self-deception. Being able to get what you want is being a gentleman. If you can't, you can only rage impotently."

Caelus shrugged and said. He admitted that he would use any means necessary to get closer to Robin. If he didn't, they would at best remain friends, and he wouldn't be able to find a wife.

"What kind of twisted logic is that? Then what do you want?"

"Of course, I want to hold hands with you, little bird."

"We already held hands before, that counts as payment."

Robin said, her eyebrows raised. Her expression looked fierce, but Caelus found it adorable. He clutched his chest, feeling like he was going to die from cuteness from the fierce little bird.

"That doesn't count. You were wearing gloves, which means you paid with counterfeit money. Take off your gloves and hold my hand obediently."

"How did I end up knowing someone like you..."

Robin sighed and resigned herself. Although Caelus had used threats, Robin wasn't angry. It was because when Caelus had asked her out before, it was with similar threats, and she had gotten used to it.

Robin thought for a moment, took off her right glove, and then removed a pearl bracelet from her wrist, handing it to Caelus.

"This is my accessory. If you encounter any trouble, you can show it to my brother and he'll help you. Also, I want to ask you to protect my brother in this vortex."

Robin made her second request. She knew that something big was about to happen in Penacony, and her heart was naturally with her brother. She had no way to protect Sunday and could only place her hopes on Caelus.

"Don't worry, he's our brother-in-law. Even if I get hurt, I won't let him get hurt."

After taking the accessory, Caelus stored it in his dream journal. Then, he took Robin's right hand and said with a beaming smile. The corners of his mouth were practically harder to suppress than the recoil of a Star Destroyer's cannon.

"You really are a wicked person."

Hearing Caelus's blatant endearment, Robin's pretty face flushed slightly. Now that she was holding Caelus's hand, it truly felt like they were lovers. She hadn't held hands with her brother much since she became an adult, and Caelus kept calling Sunday "brother-in-law." Robin, embarrassed, hid her wings.

"Little bird, you're so beautiful. You're the prettiest girl in the entire galaxy."

Caelus held Robin's small hand, feeling as if he had grasped a beautiful future. Her palm was smooth and soft, as if boneless, and it had a warmth unique to Robin, a temperature different from other girls, making Caelus completely unwilling to let go.

"I don't believe you. You must say that to every girl."

Robin said unhappily. She thought that even if she happened to develop feelings for Caelus, he had so many girlfriends, and she naturally felt a bit sour about it.

"You need to have confidence in yourself. What if you are the prettiest one in my heart?"

Caelus coaxed Robin, gently pulling her small hand and shaking it up and down.

"What do you mean 'what if'? You wicked person, I, I'm going to slap you."

Robin's wings stiffened with anger upon hearing this. She raised her wing and prepared to slap Caelus. Caelus, of course, maintained a safe distance, and while pulling Robin's hand, they ran through the streets laughing and shouting. Although the little bird complained, she felt helpless against him and could only let him have his way.

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Chapter 81: Bird Lover

After Caelus ran a distance holding Robin's hand, the scenery before them changed. In the sky, unobstructed by buildings, a massive black hole appeared.

"What is that?" Caelus asked curiously.

"The locals say this thing appeared a long time ago. It started as a crack, and now it's become so huge. It seems to be sucking this dream dry."

Robin didn't know much. Many of the secrets of this dream were beyond the reach of an outsider like her. They would need to investigate further to find out.

"It seems like things aren't peaceful here either."

Caelus felt that this was not a good sign, but his ability to manage things was limited, so he could only let it be.

"I think this is a dream worth protecting. For those who can't reach the dream world, they can experience the lives of ordinary people here."

Robin said softly. She had been in and out of dreams since she was young, seeing only distinguished guests enjoying their dreams. They lived in abundance, immersed in the golden moments, gradually depriving ordinary people of the chance to enter dreams.

"I see many people here. In reality, they might be blind or have crippled limbs, but in this dream, they can act as normal people. Perhaps this was the original intention of the Clock Keeper when he created dreams."

"The reason for dreams... might be this."

Caelus hadn't expected dream worlds to have such a magical function. It was then he remembered Firefly had said something similar. Imagine a blind person entering a dream and being able to see colors, to see their own appearance. What a rare experience that must be.

Especially for the people of the Xianzhou, who were born with disabilities that could never be repaired, they might not want to leave this dream once they entered it. But that wouldn't do either. Dreams were dreams, after all, and one had to wake up and face reality.

"The Clock Keeper created dreams, but I don't think he intended for people to be lost in them forever. I've seen many who didn't want to wake up, but if that's the case, wouldn't Penacony become a prison?"

Caelus sighed. Firefly had already proven with her actions that she was one of those unwilling to wake up. But now that Caelus was on this Trailblaze path, how could he stop and stay in one place? He couldn't control what others did, but at least he should be responsible for Firefly.

"You... you, an indecent person, actually have such resolve. Unbelievable."

Robin said, looking at Caelus in surprise. Caelus's thoughts were exactly the same as hers. Robin had always firmly believed that dreams should not be a place to escape reality. Beings must always wake up.

"Hey, why do you see me like that? Is there some misunderstanding between us?"

Caelus asked strangely, scratching his head. For a man as righteous and intelligent as himself, Robin's words were truly hurtful.

"I don't think so."

Robin said, looking at her and Caelus's clasped hands. She wanted to let go, but Caelus refused, holding her hand even tighter.

"After you leave here, if you don't have any leads, you can go find people from the Family."

Robin gave up resisting and could only let Caelus lead her by the hand as she spoke.

"People from the Family?"

"Yes, the anomaly I detected in Penacony earlier was actually a secret message from the Family."

Robin explained. Seeing Caelus's confused expression, she proceeded to explain the hostile relationship between the Family and the Corporation.

"As for why they came here, it's also related to Penacony's history. The frontier prison was originally a place where the Corporation imprisoned criminals. Later, the people here won the war of liberation, but the Corporation did not give up its jurisdiction. Over the next few Amber Eras, Penacony changed hands several times, eventually falling into the hands of the Family. So, this time, the Corporation still wants to reclaim Penacony."

"Good heavens, they can't sit still because this place is too profitable, right? It used to be a poor place, and it didn't matter if it was lost. It fits my stereotype of the Corporation."

Caelus chuckled. This behavior was similar to Topaz's debt collection, both were about reclaiming assets. However, judging by the Family's attitude, they didn't seem to take the Corporation seriously.

"But I'm also a dog of The Preservation. You have to be careful that I don't team up with the Corporation. You should keep a close eye on me."

Caelus continued, even pressing Robin's hand to his face, looking at her with a smile, feeling the warmth of her hand.

"You... aren't you a Trailblazer? Why do you believe in The Preservation now?"

Robin originally wanted to complain about Caelus taking advantage of her again, but his words also piqued her curiosity. She really couldn't see where Caelus was related to The Preservation.

"Have you heard of BOSS Zhipin?"

Caelus took out his spear and stood in front of Robin. Robin curiously touched it and could indeed feel the power of The Preservation on it. Then, Caelus recounted to her, as if listing family treasures, how he was noticed by Clipper.

Robin looked at Caelus with incomprehensible eyes. Such a person could actually receive a glance from an Aeon. That was something countless beings in the universe envied. The Aeon would certainly not act without purpose. Noticing Caelus must have had a deep meaning.

"Little bird, I'm leaving now. I hope we can hold hands again in the world outside the dream."

Caelus said, holding Robin's palms in his hands and enclosing them in his own. Robin subconsciously nodded, but quickly shook her head. All the sensations in the dream were real, and she had already held Caelus's hand. Whether they could hold hands in reality, she still had to think about it.

The next moment, Caelus woke up in the dream pool of the hotel room. He stared blankly for a moment, then looked beside him. Acheron was still leaning against him, sleeping. He didn't know how things were going in the dream, so Caelus chose to enter the dream again.

At the same time, in a guest room of the dream hotel, Aventurine sat silently on the sofa, his hands clasped under his chin, deep in thought.

"You're saying he's dead?"

Aventurine looked up at Black Swan in front of him. He felt his luck had suddenly turned for the worse. None of the things he wanted to do were accomplished, and he didn't even get to meet Caelus.

"He can't be found anywhere in the dream world. Whether he's dead or not, your objective cannot be achieved."

Black Swan spread her hands. She was Aventurine's collaborator. They had agreed to bring Caelus to him, but then such an accident happened. Black Swan was also helpless.

"This is truly impressive. He can repeatedly disrupt my plans. Is it good luck, or did he see through them?"

Aventurine took out a round gold coin chip and played with it. He wanted to use Caelus to do something, but Caelus completely ignored him, or rather, avoided him.

Chapter 82: Another Bad Woman

Previously, Aventurine had ambushed Caelus in his room, but Caelus went to Acheron's room instead. Aventurine then paid a price in the dream hotel to have Black Swan bring Caelus for a private chat, but Caelus "died" right in front of her. Aventurine felt that this Stellaron Hunter might be his counter, which truly hit his confidence.

"Wait, Caelus is back. I sense he has entered this dreamscape."

Black Swan suddenly clapped her hands and then immediately disappeared from Aventurine's sight. Aventurine's face showed anticipation. He wondered what Caelus had experienced during that "death." It must have been interesting.

Caelus was currently in the lobby of the dream hotel. As soon as he arrived, he saw traces of a large area being burned by flames. Looking forward, he saw two figures fighting, and he heard a powerful piece of music.

[↓↓↓→↓↑→↓ ↓↓]

Acheron stood on a sculpture in the hotel lobby, holding a katana that was still in its sheath, pointing it at the silver mecha below. Although their sizes were disproportionate, Acheron seemed to have complete control over him.

"Hunter, do you still dream? Do you dream of those who died because of you?"

Acheron's gaze was not on the silver mecha but elsewhere, as if something were there. However, Sam had no intention of communicating with her at the moment.

"I will ignite the sea!"

Sam's power core behind him pushed to its limit. He rushed into the sky, bringing a rain of fire down upon Acheron. Acheron drew her katana from its sheath and unleashed several slashes, creating streaks of sword light. One of them hit Sam, instantly exploding into a massive shockwave and black smoke.

"Stop it! Don't fight anymore!"

Caelus arrived at the center of the battlefield and shouted. Acheron and Sam heard his voice and stopped their actions.

"Caelus, you're back."

Acheron took a step and arrived in front of Caelus, reaching out to embrace him. This was a rare proactive embrace from her. She had believed Caelus wouldn't abandon her to die, and now that her belief was validated, her heart was filled with emotion.

As Caelus was held by Acheron, a joyful smile appeared on his lips. He embraced Acheron's warm body, and in that moment, only each other existed in their eyes.

Firefly, inside Sam's mech, finally reacted. She wanted to go and hug Caelus, to tell him how worried she had been. But thinking of her current appearance, Firefly fell silent. She didn't know how to explain her identity to Caelus.

"Is that Sam? Why were you fighting him? Where's Firefly?"

Caelus recognized the silver mech immediately. He had sent a challenge letter before, but not seeing Firefly and Black Swan here made him a little worried.

"Firefly, she..."

Acheron glanced at Sam, unsure how to answer for a moment. Acheron was actually a kind woman; she wouldn't casually expose secrets others wanted to protect. Moreover, judging by Firefly's behavior, she didn't seem like a bad person.

"Did Firefly get hurt by Sam? That's impossible. My mother and aunt are Stellaron Hunters. There's no reason Sam would kill innocents."

Caelus looked at Sam and asked, confused. If Sam were truly a terrorist, Kafka and Silver Wolf definitely wouldn't have let him come here for a meeting. It didn't make sense.

Seeing Caelus's worried gaze, Firefly was about to give everything up. She wanted to immediately reveal her true identity to Caelus. However, just as she was preparing to disengage her mech's armor, Black Swan suddenly appeared beside Caelus.

"Darling, come with me."

Black Swan drew a tarot card. Before Caelus could react, the card was placed on him. Then, space distorted, and when he came to his senses, he found himself in a hotel room.

"What are you doing?"

Caelus asked Black Swan, confused. He knew Black Swan's abilities in the dream world were very magical. This was the Memory Zone Meme's domain, so anything could happen, and he never thought Black Swan would harm him.

"Thank you for your hard work, Memory Zone Meme."

Aventurine's voice came from behind Caelus. He turned around and looked at the well-dressed man in surprise. Caelus had just been thinking about finding Aventurine after hearing Robin's words, and this guy had shown up on his own.

"As agreed, I've brought this child to you. The transaction is complete."