Chapter 377

Well, strictly speaking, he wasn't gone for too long, since he brought the train car with him. In fact, you could say he stayed on the train the whole time.

At this moment, the train passengers were all gathered together. Himeko was still concentrating on her whimsical ideas, while Pom-Pom was cleaning every corner of the carriage as usual. On the other side, three children were huddled in a circle, fiddling with something.

As for Pardofelis... according to the agreement she reached with Mobius, she's probably still on Earth waiting for her turn.

"It's Brother Yue!"

The first person to notice Ai Yue's return was still March 7th. When she noticed the familiar figure in the carriage, she quickly put down what she was studying and ran towards Ai Yue: "Brother Yue, we all saw what happened just now, did you do that? That was so cool!"

She sighed again after saying that, "Unfortunately, I was too stunned at the time, and as a result, I didn't get to capture the most crucial moment."

"It's alright, just leave it lit all day next time you come back, then you can take pictures however you want." Ai Yue smiled, then looked at the other two people who followed behind March 7th, "What were you guys studying just now?"

"Speaking of which," March 7th said, taking a few steps back upon hearing the question, and together with Xing, shielded Dan Heng in front of them, "Dan Heng's gun has returned!"

"And it's even been upgraded," Xing added, then looked thoughtful. "No, it should be called a super evolution?"

"In short, that's the situation." Dan Heng revealed his weapon to Ai Yue. "Just now, a Cloud Cavalry visited the train and said someone asked him to give me something. When we opened it, we found it was Strike Cloud."

Ai Yue looked at the spear before him, which was different from the one before. He then lightly flicked the blade, listened to the deep hum of the spear, and nodded. "It is indeed much stronger than before."

Then he raised his head and looked at Dan Heng: "So, that guy Ren stole your gun just to help you upgrade your weapon?"

"That's how it seems for now," Dan Heng said, a rare look of confusion on his face. "But why would he do that?"

"Who knows? Maybe it's because he had a change of heart?" March 7th speculated. "Didn't you say before that weird old man was chasing you? Now that Brother Yue has healed him, maybe he wants to make it up to you?"

"No, it shouldn't be that simple," Dan Heng hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "In fact, after understanding what happened in the past, I think that Ren's actions were not entirely unreasonable."

"Wow, what's wrong with you? Why are you taking his side?" March 7th stared at him wide-eyed, her face full of disbelief. "Isn't that weird old man the culprit who gave you nightmares all the time? You forgave him so quickly?"

"It's not a matter of forgiveness or not, it's just that I can now face the other person's existence squarely and will no longer have nightmares about it." Dan Heng smiled, then put away his spear. "Alright, let's put my matter aside for now. Now that Mr. Ai Yue has arrived, we should hold a meeting to decide on our next move."

"Didn't we already decide this? If it weren't for the Stellaron Hunters messing things up, we should all be eating, drinking, and having fun in Penacony right now!" March 7th blinked. "But it seems the train conductor said there was something else he wanted to tell us..."

As she spoke, she turned her gaze to Himeko and Pom-Pom standing to the side.

"Finished chatting?" Himeko had been watching everyone's conversation with a smile, finally spoke up. "In that case, let's discuss our next destination."

"Pom-Pom's coming too!" The rabbit conductor, standing nearby, raised his ears and then ran outside. "Wait until I put my tools away, Pam!"

A moment later, everyone finally arrived. Pardofelis also got a chance to rotate after Mobius returned to Earth. As soon as she came out, she clung tightly to Ai Yue's arm and wouldn't let go, as if she was afraid that someone would steal her time again.

"Alright, first, let me introduce our next destination, Penacony." Once everyone had arrived, Himeko slowly began to speak. "According to the Train Intelligence Database, Penacony was originally a prison planet used by the company to exile criminals, but that was many years ago."

"After the Star Core Eruption, Penacony now sided with Xipe, the Harmony Star God, and was said to have been transformed into an incredibly prosperous dreamland, hence the name 'Star of the Grand Gathering'."

"I know that!" March 7th, who always liked this kind of thing, raised his hand and said, "They're going to be holding a super grand banquet soon!"

"Yes, this banquet was hosted by the 'family,' which currently controls Penacony, and they sent invitations to many forces in the Star Sea, including our Stellar Train." Himeko nodded with a smile. "I was also curious about what was happening there, so I accepted the invitation."

"The jump system has been calibrated and is ready to be activated at any time," Pom-Pom cleared his throat. "But before that, Pom-Pom has some important things to say."

Upon hearing this, Xing immediately became alert. "Are we going to change our destination again?"

"Hey, really?" March 7th also tensed up, "I just finished packing my luggage!"

Pom-Pom looked at the two of them with a speechless expression until they quieted down again before continuing, "I know everyone has been looking forward to that world-famous star hotel for a long time, but before we set off, there are three things I need to remind you of."

"First, the Asdener where Penacony is located is a galaxy rich in 'Idrit,' and was once one of the 'great holes' in the Memory Zone. Although thousands of years have passed, the concentration of Idrit there is still higher than average."

"Wait a minute," Xing obediently raised her hand to speak, "What is Idrit?"

"Simply put, you can think of it as a basic element in constructing the mental realm," Himeko explained. "If the concentration of Idrit is too high, it may cause dizziness, hallucinations, or memory disorder, which is what the train conductor is worried about."

"Yes, although generally there shouldn't be any major problems, everyone's constitution is different," Pom-Pom said seriously. "If the situation that passenger Himeko described really occurs, we must not take it lightly!"

After everyone nodded in understanding, Pom-Pom continued, "Secondly, Penacony is the territory of the 'Harmony' family, and this is the first time the family has publicly extended an invitation to another faction. Remember, the train was invited as a guest, and the rules must be followed."

As Pom-Pom said this, her gaze remained fixed on Xing, clearly deeply worried about this guy who constantly talked about "rules being broken," acted unpredictably, and had a particular fondness for bringing back all sorts of junk.

Faced with the train conductor's death stare, Xing could only sit obediently on the sofa, pretending not to see it.

"I understand, when in Rome, do as the Romans do!" March 7th said from the side. "Don't worry, conductor, we definitely won't embarrass the nameless passenger... probably."

As she spoke, she followed Pom-Pom's gaze to Xing, and her previously firm tone suddenly wavered.

"A Qi, even you?" Xing immediately showed a hurt expression. "I'm going to make a scene, I'm really going to make a scene!"

After calming Xing down on March 7th, Pom-Pom brought up the last matter. "The third point is less of a request and more of a favor I'm asking of Pom-Pom."

"If possible, I hope you can take some time out of your vacation to help inquire about the whereabouts of these anonymous guests."

"The Nameless Guest?" Upon hearing this, Xing immediately perked up. "A new companion is coming?"

"Let me explain," Himeko, noticing Pom-Pom's somewhat subtle expression. "Penacony was once a stop on the train. Thousands of years ago, when Penacony was still a prison star according to the think tank's records, it was 'Pioneers' that connected it to Thousand Stars."

"According to records, several unnamed travelers chose to end their journey there, making Penacony their final destination, and thus remained there."

"Thousands of years... isn't that a bit too far?" Xing scratched his head. "After so much time, is it even possible to find it?"

"Don't be nervous, just think of it as some kind of ritual of returning to a familiar place," Himeko said with a smile. "After the train left, the star core exploded, severing the boundaries between worlds, and the ownership of Penacony changed hands several times. What happened to those old, nameless people who stayed in Penacony? What did they experience? What did they leave behind?... Tracing the footsteps of our predecessors is also a kind of adventure."

"Even after leaving the stars, the nameless travelers' 'exploration' will not end," Pom-Pom said with certainty. "They must have left proof of their existence in Penacony, that's what Pom-Pom believes!"

"That's the situation," Himeko continued. "According to the passenger roster, the three passengers who disembarked that year were named Tirnan, Lagwork, and Lazarina. They were a train guard, a mechanic, and a surveyor, respectively. That's all the information we have."

"That's all we have, and they might not even be real names... This is like looking for a needle in a haystack, isn't it?" March 7th immediately looked at Ai Yue beside him, "Brother Yue, we can only ask you for help with this!"

"Don't jump to conclusions. Let's try it first, shall we?" Ai Yue, who knew the details of the plot, shook his head and didn't agree immediately. "If you really can't do it, you can call me back then."

"We can't rely on Mr. Ai Yue for everything. If we keep doing that, we'll become useless, little Sanyue," Himeko gently reminded him. "Of course, this isn't mandatory. Just think of it as a side quest. The important thing is the process."

After a brief pause, Himeko gave a concluding speech. "Alright, I've said everything I needed to say. Let's conclude this meeting here. There's still some time before the jump, so everyone can take some more time to prepare."

Pom-Pom nodded in agreement. "When the jump begins, I, the train conductor, will make an announcement over the loudspeaker, Pam!"

Then he turned his gaze to Ai Yue: "Passenger Ai Yue, you'd better hurry up and connect your section of the train. Use this time to do another check."

And so everyone dispersed. March 7th and Hoshi began to dream of the prosperity and beauty of Penacony, while Dan Heng sat to the side wiping the spear in his hand. Himeko returned to her room, Ai Yue also walked towards the back of the train.

"The Star of the Grand Event..." Pardofelis clung to him, her face full of anticipation. "There should be lots of fun things and delicious food there, right?"

"That's how it seems for now, but most of it is concentrated in dreams, so it's probably impossible to take it with you." Ai Yue saw through Pardofelis's little scheme at a glance and couldn't help but smile. "So you can only enjoy it here."

"Oh, is that so?" Pardofelis immediately deflated. "That sounds so uninteresting now."

But before she could even slump for a few seconds, the cat-eared girl perked up again. "No, wait, maybe we do have that ability?"

Upon hearing this, Ai Yue couldn't help but show a puzzled expression. "What ability?"

"Hmph, you'll see, Brother Yue," Pardofelis deliberately kept everyone in suspense, a smug expression on her face. "This is something I just learned, I guarantee it will surprise you!"

The thought of the new things she would encounter on Earth filled Pardofelis with anticipation, and her tail swished wildly, almost hitting her.

Hopefully it will be a pleasant surprise rather than a shock.

Ai Yue smiled and didn't say anything more. In any case, based on his current understanding of Penacony, everything that happened there should be within his control.

Since that's the case, let her be.

Amidst everyone's differing thoughts—the leap finally began.

Chapter 71 This time, a miracle happened! (Remember to refresh)

The Stellar Train's jump system remained as reliable as ever, and apart from a few bumps, everything went very smoothly.

As the pale blue light faded from the train, a brand new universe unfolded before everyone's eyes.

"Look over there!" March 7th pointed out the window first, almost jumping up excitedly, "That's... Penacony?"

Every planet has its own unique ecosystem. Even if many factors are the same, subtle differences will arise due to its own evolution. This results in each planet having a unique appearance—but no planet will spontaneously evolve into the shape of a luxury hotel.

But what appeared before the nameless guests was indeed a magnificent, brightly lit, giant luxury hotel floating in a sea of stars.

"How... how did they do that?" Even Dan Heng muttered to himself, staring at the scene before him. "Could it be the divine power of the Harmonious Union?"

"Oh well, who cares? We'll just go down and ask!" March 7th reluctantly put down her camera, turned around to call out to Xing, "A Xing, let's go... Hey, why is this guy asleep again?"

"Young people need to sleep more to grow properly." Ai Yue looked thoughtfully at the girl who was fast asleep on the sofa and couldn't help but smile. "So, should we wait for her to leave together?"

"Okay, Brother Yue, you guys go first!" March 7th nodded without much hesitation. "I'll wait for A Xing to wake up so we can go together... Dan Heng, what about you?"

"I'll stay and wait for you guys too." Dan Heng nodded in agreement. "Anyway, I'm not that fond of Penacony."

"Indeed, this place doesn't suit your style at all," Ai Yue couldn't help but remark. "I thought you were going to stay in the car this time."

This question is not without reason, because Ai Yue remembers that at the beginning of the original story, Dan Heng did not actually intend to get off the bus.

But just like his previous journey on the Immortal Ship, there were always various reasons that forced him to make different choices.

"If it were me in the past, perhaps I really would have made that choice." Dan Heng thought for a moment, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "But now... In short, I'm still very much looking forward to Penacony's humanities and history."

Dan Heng was still a little hesitant when facing Ai Yue, so he chose to avoid talking about the most crucial point. However, Ai Yue did not continue to ask. After confirming that the two of them would stay and wait for Xing to set off together, he nodded and got out of the car with Himeko.

Meanwhile, Xing opened her eyes in an unfamiliar environment.

This was a fairly spacious room, and judging from the layout, it seemed to be a hotel room. But strangely, the lighting was not only very dim, but there was also a mess of things everywhere, such as cushions floating in the air, colorful bubbles, and a stranger.

A stranger?

When Xing noticed that there were other people in the room, she immediately put everything else aside and became alert. After all, people appearing in such a strange place must be suspicious.

A Qi said, the first person they meet in every new place is never ordinary!

However, after Xing carefully examined the other party, she relaxed slightly because she discovered that the woman standing not far away, although holding a long sword taller than a person, was a very beautiful purple-haired older sister.

Of course, she wasn't the kind of person who judged good or bad based on looks; she simply didn't sense any malice from the other person, nor did she feel she had any chance of defeating them, so being on guard was pointless.

In other words, this person's strength is unfathomable, impossible to defend against, so there's no point in defending against them.

"Um?"

Seemingly noticing Xing's initial wariness followed by relaxation, the older woman opposite her paused slightly, then seemed to curl the corners of her mouth into a smile.

However, the change was so subtle that even someone face-to-face with Xing couldn't be sure if they had seen it correctly.

"Come with me." After a moment, the other person spoke first, and then walked towards the door.

Xing subconsciously followed along for a couple of steps, but felt something was off about being led by the nose like this. Seeing that the other person seemed like someone she could communicate with, she finally asked, "Who are you? Where is this? Where are we going?"

Okay, maybe more than one sentence.

Faced with the three questions Xing threw at her, the purple-haired woman could only respond with a sigh.

She remained silent until Xing thought the other party wouldn't answer, then finally spoke, "These questions are actually meaningless, but I will try my best to explain to you—this is the boundary between reality and memory, a 'dream'."

"At this moment, you and I have coincidentally shared the same dream, which is why we appear in each other's thoughts. But don't worry, you will soon wake up from the dream, forget everything that happened here, and only feel a little wistful. But this is just something that happens every morning, so there's no need to worry about it."

Seemingly unaccustomed to speaking so much at once, the purple-haired woman paused slightly before continuing, "As for who I am... they call me the Sea-faring Ranger, Acheron, use that name as you like."

Then, the woman who called herself Acheron turned around and walked towards the door again, "Now, come with me, I will take you home."

The other party was so honest that Xing felt a little embarrassed—since they had so openly told her everything, she naturally had no reason to doubt them anymore.

As for whether this was some kind of deeper conspiracy... the gray-haired girl clearly didn't care.

Although this is a dream, it is not a lawless place. She believed that if she really encountered danger, a beam of light would soon shine down from above.

Speaking of which, if I shout Brother Yue's name here, will I be able to get out of this predicament?

As Xing followed Acheron, he pondered to himself.

However, she did not put it into action, because under Acheron's guidance, the girl soon arrived at a breathtaking place.

It was a magnificent hall, with carved railings and jade steps. All the treasures that a girl could imagine and could not imagine were gathered together, just to adorn this place. In any inconspicuous corner, there might be something made of gold. If she hadn't just come out of a hotel room, she might have even wondered if this was some kind of palace.

But it's clear that despite its luxury, this is probably just a lobby in the hotel used for guests' leisure and entertainment.

As the initial shock gradually subsided, the girl realized a problem—the hall was sealed off, and there seemed to be no exit.

What's the next step?

While pondering, Xing subconsciously glanced at Acheron, who seemed to have noticed her thoughts as well. Huang Quan stood in front of a wall and gestured, "This way."

Is this... climbing the wall?

Xing blinked, then subconsciously took a step forward.

The imagined climb didn't happen, because the world suddenly turned upside down, and as the girl tentatively tried to continue, a path actually appeared beneath her feet—and then, she stood hesitantly on the wall.

It's actually possible to do that?

Why not?

Acheron's voice came from behind her, clearly responding to her surprise.

So, she can really hear what I'm thinking?