Star Rail, Single Draw Acheron at the Start

"To be honest, my brother and I are also victims of the Cancer of All Worlds. We were orphans from a young age and were adopted and raised by the Family who came to help us. Mr. Gofei Mu saw our potential and brought my brother and me to Penacony."

Robin said, and Caelus's expression stiffened for a moment. Listening to her, he realized that her brother and sister's original family must have died in the Stellaron disaster. Would this alienate him because of his true identity? If that were the case, Caelus would have to join the Stellaron Hunters and fight his brothers to the death.

"But we can't just stand by and watch Mr. Gofei Mu go against Harmony. I certainly won't use my singing voice to praise evil deeds. No matter who the traitor in the Family is, no matter what instructions they give me, I will not perform. We absolutely cannot let the Grand Gala become a ritual to destroy Harmony."

Robin said with great determination. Now she understood why someone wanted her to participate in this Grand Gala. It was all to use her Harmony power to do those dirty things. Robin would never do that, even if she died.

"As the Patriarch of the Oak Family, for the bright future of Penacony, I will not shirk my responsibility. Robin and I will immediately go to the Dreamscape and find a way to confront the Dream Master. If it is truly him, then we will have to pay the blood debt."

Sunday said along with Robin. As he spoke, he seemed very anxious to leave Dreamflow Reef, wishing he could leave right now.

"If it really is the Dream Master, he's not easy to deal with. He has the entire Family behind him and the Stellaron in his hands. I don't have the face to ask you to stay and fight desperately for Penacony."

Gallagher poured cold water on their plans. He knew that he and the Clock Keeper had been hiding in Dreamflow Reef for so many years, and that they would die as soon as they showed themselves. How could they possibly be a match for the Dream Master? Sunday and Robin's combat power was practically zero. Everyone knew how the two of them had come to Dreamflow Reef.

The only one who could fight was the Nameless. But as Gallagher said, lives were precious, and the Trailblaze crew could leave at any time.

"We followed in the footsteps of our senior, the Nameless, to this place, and there is no reason not to continue following his path."

Himeko stated her position. Actually, Caelus really wanted to complain. They said they were trailblazing their Paths, but why was he either fighting Stellaron or on his way to fight Stellaron? Was the Star Rail Express a branch of the Stellaron Hunters?

"Indeed, the Nameless is not someone who backs down when faced with difficulties! Caelus, don't you agree?"

March 7th also stated her position. She was still the same as before, afraid when encountering problems, and the first to charge into battle, never avoiding a fight. She was simply a berserker March.

"I'll give my heart for Robin!"

Caelus said, tapping his chest. Robin heard this and her pretty face turned slightly red, but she also took it to heart. Confronting the Dream Master was not a decision anyone could make. Caelus's willingness to step forward without hesitation proved that he truly liked her. What woman wouldn't be moved at a time like this?

"I hope what you said comes from your heart for trailblazing, not for someone else."

March 7th couldn't stand it any longer and stepped forward to pinch Caelus's cheek. The tense atmosphere of the impending decisive battle with the Dream Master instantly disappeared, turning into a complaint session where March 7th criticized Caelus. She had tolerated him for a long time.

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Chapter 106: Still Need to Learn More

"The Trailblaze crew will not stand idly by in this matter. Mr. Sunday, Miss Robin, I am willing to represent the Star Rail Express and accompany you. With a third party present, negotiations should be smoother. If there is danger... one more person is always good."

Welt was still a reliable guardian. After deciding what to do, he wanted to meet the Dream Master.

"The Grand Gala is about to open, and time is extremely tight. Everyone, we must depart."

Sunday nodded. He had no objections to Welt joining, as long as Caelus wasn't accompanying them.

"Uncle Yang, the journey is dangerous. I'll go with you."

Caelus said, leaning next to Robin. On the surface, he was worried about Welt's safety, but everyone present knew his true intentions. Himeko could only helplessly let him go.

"Robin, if you encounter danger, remember to hide behind me."

Caelus said to Robin beside him. He already knew who the mastermind was, so of course he couldn't let the woman he liked go alone. Although it had been confirmed that one wouldn't die in the dreamscape, who knew if there would be an exception?

"Mhm."

Robin softly responded. The sense of security Caelus gave her was completely different from what her brother gave. From their first meeting at the hotel, her heart had gradually been drawn to Caelus. It wasn't sudden, but slowly pulled by his various methods. Now, they were about to face the Dream Master together, and with him by her side, Robin felt much more at ease.

"I'm going too."

Firefly couldn't let Caelus go. If the Dream Master intended to harm Caelus, she could step in to protect him. Besides, she was uneasy about letting Caelus and Robin stay together like this. Firefly was quite prone to jealousy, and at least she had arrived first.

"Caelus, come with me for a moment."

Welt left the crowd and went to the place where the tombstone had just been. After Caelus followed, Welt explained his plan.

"You have Aventurine's contact information, right? If our negotiation with the Dream Master breaks down, then send him a message and tell the Corporation that the Family is meddling with the Stellaron."

Welt said with a serious expression. Upon hearing this, Caelus understood what he meant. The Corporation was the lackey of The Preservation, and they were irreconcilable with things like Stellaron from the Destruction faction. Once the news of someone in Penacony using a Stellaron was confirmed, they would have a reason to intervene.

Therefore, the subsequent negotiation would likely turn into: "Mr. Dream Master, you wouldn't want the Corporation to know that you're using Stellaron for bad deeds, would you?"

"As expected of Uncle Yang, your strategy of checks and balances is brilliant." Caelus gave Welt a thumbs-up.

"The only problem is whether Aventurine is still alive. After taking that blow from Acheron, I don't know if the dream world could protect him."

Welt rubbed his chin. What he feared now was that Aventurine had already turned to dust, making the contact useless.

"Don't worry, Aventurine is of The Preservation Path. He's very resilient. It's just that he might not be able to see our message."

Caelus had communicated with Aventurine in Acheron's Void space before, and he knew that Aventurine was still alive, but he didn't know where he had been sent flying after being struck.

"You can rest assured about this. The Corporation definitely has comprehensive monitoring installed on his phone. As long as the message is delivered, people from the Corporation in reality will know."

Welt didn't need Aventurine to see the message; he just needed him to be able to receive information in the dreamscape. With the methods of those people in the Corporation, their actions would be flawless.

"Uncle Yang is still the smartest. I still have a lot to learn from you."

Caelus looked at Welt with admiration. As expected, the older the ginger, the spicier it is. Caelus had never thought of using the Corporation's power to counterbalance the Family.

"If only you could put the same effort you put into chasing girls into thinking..."

Welt looked at Caelus, wanting to advise him to mend his ways and stop being a cosmic scumbag. But seeing Caelus's innocent eyes, he changed his mind.

"Never mind. It's good for young people to follow their hearts."

Welt didn't understand why Caelus was such a fickle person. However, since he was still young, he had the capital to be willful. If he couldn't do what he wanted when he was young, he would only regret it when he was old.

After discussing everything, Welt and Caelus returned to the group. This time, a total of five people returned to the Dreamscape, while the others stayed behind to discuss follow-up matters with Gallagher.

A black-purple monster covered in eyes appeared before them. It was the guardian of Dreamflow Reef, the Memory Zone Meme Somnus. Its ability was to shuttle people between beautiful dreams and Dreamflow Reef. However, because it was too terrifying and acted rather crudely, it had been slashed by Acheron before and still looked somewhat listless.

After Caelus and Somnus's eyes met for a while, he felt a bit dazed. His important memories flashed before his eyes. He had wives waiting for him back in Belobog and on the Xianzhou, so his responsibilities were quite heavy.

When Caelus regained his senses, he found himself standing on the streets of Golden Hour, with Robin and Firefly by his side.

"Are you feeling a bit dizzy?"

Robin asked Caelus with concern. She remembered that the first time Caelus entered the dreamscape, he had fallen at her feet, and she had guided him to get used to the dreamscape.

"I'm fine."

Caelus saw Robin's concern for him and a happy smile appeared on his face. His efforts had paid off, and he could feel that Robin was gradually starting to like him.

"Firefly, are you alright?"

Caelus then turned to look at Firefly. Her spirit seemed much stronger than his, as she hadn't felt any discomfort no matter how she traversed the dreamscape.

"Mhm, I'm fine."

Firefly nodded and said. Caelus immediately hugged her, pressing his cheek against her soft face. The sudden intimacy made Firefly a little flustered, and she just stared at him with wide eyes.

"My girlfriend is amazing."

Caelus's words made Firefly feel a little helpless. A mere compliment shouldn't warrant such a big gesture, right? This was clearly an excuse to take advantage of her, but Firefly liked it and was willing to let him take advantage.

"It's about time, we need to prepare for the audience."

Robin said. The other half, Welt and Sunday, had also finished their conversation. The Dream Master's position was extraordinary; it wasn't as simple as the siblings bringing people to see him. There had to be a sense of ceremony. They had to meet the Dream Master in the dream first, report the situation, and then see if the other party decided to meet them.

After all, he was the master of the dreamscape, a person with the status of a Planet Keeper on any planet. So, it was normal for him to put on airs. Welt understood and waited where he was.

"Why are you still following us?"

Sunday's composure was about to break. He noticed that even after saying they were going to meet the Dream Master, Caelus was still following his sister. Even glue wasn't this sticky.

"I'm just afraid you'll encounter danger on the way. Don't worry, I'll step aside when you meet the Dream Master."

Caelus said with a smile. Wasn't this how he chased girls, with his thick skin? He could ignore it even if the girl he wanted to chase disliked him, let alone his future brother-in-law.

"Brother, just let him be."

Robin said softly. Sunday felt despair. In fact, Robin just meant not to waste time here, but Sunday thought his sister valued Caelus more than him. This made him even more eager to put his plans into action.

As they walked forward, they encountered a drunk Pipissee. He mumbled words like "moon" towards the direction of the Grand Theatre. The kind Robin, fearing he might get into trouble, stopped.

"Sir, are you alright?" Robin asked.

"Eh, it's Miss Robin and Mr. Sunday. I'm fine, see how happy I am."

The Pipissee, whose height was only about that of a kindergarten child, wore a happy smile. This happiness was intoxicating. Others might not be able to see it, but Caelus immediately realized that this guy's mind had been influenced by the power of a Stellaron. However, this influence wasn't through hypnosis or anything similar, but rather a sweeter poison.

"Happy?"

Robin asked doubtfully. She didn't see anything happy about this Pipissee; he was clearly just a lonely drunkard.

"That's right, Penacony is so good. Only beautiful dreams, no suffering, no need to worry about tomorrow, do whatever you want. That's living... hic, comfortable!"

The Pipissee said happily, letting out a loud burp. Caelus could smell the alcohol from dozens of meters away.

"Can this really be called living?"

Robin's expression turned sad as she listened. This was not in line with her ideal of everyone obtaining happiness. The happiness in beautiful dreams was illusory, yet these people were content with it.

Robin felt a gust of wind blow past her. She looked forward and saw Caelus walk up to the Pipissee, grab him by the collar of his suit, lift him up, and then slap him.

Slap!

"?"

The Pipissee was stunned. The feeling of being hit even made him sober up instantly from his drunken state. In a dream, being hit would only hurt, but not cause injury, which was also a characteristic of beautiful dreams.

"Why did you hit me?"

The happy expression on the Pipissee's face completely vanished, and he asked in disbelief.

"Didn't you say Penacony is good, with only beautiful dreams and no suffering? Well, here comes the suffering."

Caelus explained seriously to the Pipissee. The Pipissee, upon hearing this, felt it made a lot of sense. He had suffered in a beautiful dream; how could he have such a dream?

"Just for this?" the Pipissee asked incredulously.

"Just for this."

"You, you unreasonable fellow, I'm calling the police! I'll have the Hound Family Line kick you out of the beautiful dream!"

The Pipissee roared angrily, yelling for Caelus to pay the price. In reality, all he could do was jump up and hit Caelus's knees.

"See, aren't you much more sober now? Beautiful dreams aren't really what you think they are. You only felt happy because no one targeted you. Now that someone is targeting you, do you still feel happy?"

As Caelus spoke, he grabbed the Pipissee again and slapped him twice. This time, he was completely sober. The Pipissee realized he had encountered a madman on the street, and his eyes became much clearer. He stopped calling for the Hound Family Line.

"No, I don't feel happy anymore." the Pipissee said honestly.

"That's right. You just said you don't need to worry about tomorrow, but miracles and magic have a price. Do you have a lifetime VIP membership at the Daydream Hotel?"

"No."

"Then have you prepared enough for the room fees? As far as I know, the expenses here aren't cheap. You don't look like someone wealthy, can you really live happily here forever?"

Caelus asked with some confusion. He had been wondering before, were the Family running a charity? If it wasn't free to stay, why were these guests acting like shareholders of the Interastral Peace Corporation, completely unconcerned about the room fees?

"Don't, don't say any more!"

The Pipissee, hearing Caelus's words, seemed to recall the most terrifying thing in the world and repeatedly shook his head.

"Let's just enjoy the future. When you can't afford the room fees, will the Family still treat you as a guest? The Family isn't in the business of charity. At first, some loan sharks will approach you, acting as your savior. Once you sign a usurious repayment agreement, the real fun begins. By the time you've spent all that money, you'll be forcibly ejected by a pleasant dream. After that, you'll face enormous debts in the real world. Unable to repay, you'll have to sell your organs or be sold to work on a mining satellite until you die. That future is all too clear."

Caelus gently placed the Pipissee on the ground and patted his shoulder with a sigh, like a fortune teller.

"No, no, I don't want that! Sir, what should I do?"

The Pipissee was now completely panicked. Before, he had only regained some clarity, but now Caelus's words had completely pulled him back to reality. He had to admit that everything Caelus said was true. He had been avoiding this reality, but ultimately, he had to face it.

"Of course, you should continue to enjoy yourself. Don't you like it here?"

Caelus asked the Pipissee with a puzzled look. Sunday and Robin, standing nearby, were speechless. The man had been quite happy before, but after Caelus said that, only someone with a problem would still be able to enjoy themselves.

"No, no, no, this is a nightmare! I don't like it here at all anymore, I want to leave!"

The Pipissee resolutely broke free from the influence of the Stellaron's power with his will. His gaze was firm as he viewed Penacony as a nightmare, not wanting the future Caelus described to come to pass.

"Alright, since you hate this nightmare so much, I'll show you a way. Go out through the dream pool, then check out at the front desk, and take the nearest interstellar transport to leave. Find a planet called Jarilo-VI. They're short on people there recently, and I'm sure you can find a decent job there."

Caelus had indeed shown the Pipissee a clear path. It was essentially a choice. If the Pipissee wanted to enjoy first and suffer later, he could certainly ignore Caelus's advice. But it seemed he didn't want this predetermined ending.

"Sir, you are truly my savior, thank you so much!"

The Pipissee immediately accepted Caelus's suggestion. Although the road ahead was still uncertain, his tragic future had been averted. He now had a different path forward, and the rest would be up to him to fight for.

PS, [Ichiya] (1) San II Er Jiu Ai Qiu Shou Cang Qiu Tui Jian Qiu Yue Piao

PS, Some people worry I'll die from writing, but I'm okay, I probably won't die anytime soon (:∠)

Chapter 108: Debt, Debt

"Caelus, how could you hit someone? Don't do that next time."