Chapter 387
"You two know each other?" Xing's gaze darted back and forth between the two faces. "How come I don't remember you two ever meeting before?"
"It was just a matter of instant connection," Ai Yue said with a smile, releasing his grip. "I was just inviting Miss Acheron to visit me."
"Oh right, Miss Acheron and... ah, shouldn't we keep this a secret for now?" March 7th had just realized something, then reacted with a mysterious smile, "In short, Miss Acheron will definitely love it!"
"Yes, I'm really looking forward to it." Acheron glanced at Ai Yue, then smiled slightly. "I think it must be a wonderful place."
"Of course, that's my home." Ai Yue smiled smugly, then added, "Oh, by the way, you have a travel companion waiting for you—I'm sure you two will get along very well."
As for whether the other person thinks the same way... that's none of his business.
Thinking of this, Ai Yue's smile became even brighter.
"Speaking of which, our mission is complete. Shouldn't we set off again?" March 7th seemed to recall something from their conversation and couldn't help but show a slightly dejected expression. "What a pity, there are still so many places in Penacony that I haven't been to yet!"
"Logically speaking, we have indeed stayed in Penacony for quite a while, and normally, considering fuel, we should be heading to our next destination," Himeko said with a smile. "But since the train's fuel situation has improved, staying a little longer won't be a problem."
"So, does that mean we can play for a few more days?" March 7th exclaimed excitedly, raising both hands. "Yay! I'm going to explore every corner of Penacony this time!"
"Yay!" Hoshino also raised both hands high. "Watch how I use my status as a shareholder to really have some fun this time!"
"Great!" Dan Heng cooperated by making the same gesture, but quickly put it down. "Hmm... as for what's good about it, I need to think about it some more."
"Don't get too carried away, okay?" Himeko smiled and shook her head slightly, offering a brief reminder. Then, she couldn't help but look up at the sky. "Before that, let's go back to the train and tell the conductor everything that happened here."
And so, the story of Penacony comes to an end...?
As the crowd gradually dispersed, Ai Yue's figure remained on Flowing Dream Reef.
He strolled through the streets of this unique, truly "Penacony" town until, without realizing it, he arrived at a special place—
It was a huge, distant, and seemingly exaggerated void. It was so enormous that even though it was still a long distance from the city below, it still appeared incredibly terrifying. Looking at this scene, it was as if the city was making close contact with the universe, a truly fantastical sight.
The Idrit Black Hole is an exaggerated void that can be seen from various parts of Flowing Dream Reef even without actually reaching the location. Although it is empty in reality, it presents a strange... "vitality" in the dream.
Watching it slowly flow, one might even get the illusion that it is sucking up this dream.
But in reality, this is very likely not an illusion.
"That's quite an exaggerated sight."
Along with a gentle figure, Aponia appeared beside Ai Yue, the two standing side by side, both looking at the enormous void.
"Yes, I feel like it might become a popular tourist attraction." Ai Yue gazed at the enormous black hole and said slowly, "Can you sense anything on the other side?"
"Unfortunately, I didn't sense anything unusual," Aponia shook her head. "Perhaps it's because my abilities aren't sufficient."
"You can't feel it either? Am I just worrying unnecessarily?" Ai Yue stroked his chin. "You really can't believe conspiracy theories."
Ai Yue's interest in this Idrit hole stems from a conspiracy theory he recalls that sparked heated online discussions.
In that conspiracy theory, some people cited various historical records and examined various details to link it to the terrifying calamity that once ravaged the entire universe, the "Cosmic Plague," claiming that the void hides the true culprit of the entire Penacony storyline—the soon-to-be-resurrected "Procreation" star god.
According to this conspiracy theory, some people have boldly imagined that after everything seems to be over, everyone will eventually gather here to confront the remnants of reproduction or something else, as a way to conclude the entire major storyline.
Although this conclusion seems somewhat far-fetched when considering various aspects such as the game's plot and the development team's efforts, and it was ultimately confirmed that it was all just everyone's fantasy, it even sparked a wave of discussion about the decline of the game's plot, but that was only the result when playing the game.
Now Ai Yue is facing a real world, so he must consider this as a possible future event.
Therefore, even though no clues were found despite the joint observation of himself and Aponia, Ai Yue still set up a safety net on the Idrit void in the end, so as to avoid being unable to react to any problems in the future and causing irreparable huge losses.
And then... it's time to welcome the release of some unfortunate kid from prison.
Chapter 87 The Rebirth of an Idealist
A young man appeared at the entrance of the Morning Dew Manor.
He was simply dressed, his expression weary and dejected, like a weary traveler who had endured countless hardships to reach his destination, only to find that it was not the paradise he had dreamed of.
However, if someone could see through his disguise, they would be surprised to find that this person was the original owner of the Morning Dew Manor, the former head of the Oak Family, who had just been arrested for endangering the safety of Penacony and was then declared a victim. He can be considered a hot topic recently.
However, Penacony is always making big news, and people have recently focused most of their attention on the Stellar Train crew because of the unnamed guests' past contributions, so he seems insignificant.
Standing before his former residence on Sunday, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.
Just a few days ago, he was in charge of this mansion as the head of the Oak Family and the family's representative in the Asdener Star System, but now, all that appears here is... a sinner.
Yes, no matter how the news tries to exonerate and whitewash him, and no matter how many people believe this story, Sunday himself knows very well that he was involved in this conspiracy from beginning to end. There was no incitement, no brainwashing, only a fool who thought he was realizing his ideals but had long since strayed from the right path.
After a moment of sighing, Sunday turned to leave, because he knew very well that he no longer belonged here, and that this place already had a suitable new owner.
As he thought of this, a slender figure flashed into his mind, softening Sunday's gaze.
His sister, Robin, is now the acting head of the Oak Family, and judging from a series of events, she is clearly doing a good job.
When he first discovered this, Sunday was also somewhat incredulous. After all, in his mind, his sister had always been the one who needed protection, but now it seemed that he had clearly never truly understood his blood relative.
Like him, Robin also has lofty ideals and firm beliefs. In fact, because she has toured many places in the world, her horizons are far broader than his.
Perhaps, I should also...
On Sunday, as he was about to turn and leave, the thought flashed through his mind, when he suddenly heard a familiar voice. "Hello, sir?"
His body stiffened abruptly. Turning around, he saw a pretty young woman standing at the entrance of the Morning Dew Manor, smiling at him, "Since you're here, why not come in and have a meal?"
That was his sister, the Robin.
But why?
On Sunday, he saw a hint of amusement in the Robin's eyes, which made him realize that it was no accident that she had stopped him; she had clearly seen through his disguise and recognized his true identity.
But how could his disguise, as a top tuner in the dream world, be so easily seen through? At least as far as he knew, Robin shouldn't possess such an ability.
How long exactly have I been locked up? It can't be one day inside and a year outside, can it?
While Sunday was still reeling from the shock of being exposed, the appearance of the Robin had already attracted the attention of those around him, drawing a large crowd eager to catch a glimpse of the big star.
The Robin, with a warm smile, interacted with the tourists around her. Her ease made Sunday realize once again that her sister was clearly not a fledgling that needed careful protection to survive, but a leader bird capable of surviving on her own and even guiding her companions.
"So, sir, have you thought it through?" After quickly dispelling the crowd's stares, Robin turned her gaze back to Sunday, a playful smile on her face. "Opportunities to visit the Morning Dew Manor are rare, so you'd better seize them!"
In that brief moment, Sunday had clearly returned to calm. He nodded, choosing not to take his leave. "Then, I'll leave it to Robin."
If he hadn't been recognized, he could have found an excuse to leave, but now that he'd been seen through, it would be too embarrassing to keep running away.
Moreover, that would surely hurt the Robin's feelings, which is not something an older brother should do.
And so, led by the Robin, Sunday stepped back into the mansion that once represented supreme power.
This time, the mansion was completely empty, with hardly anyone around. After passing through the reception desk, it became extremely quiet, clearly no longer serving its former function and just an empty shell.
"After the crisis ended, Morning Dew Manor was sealed off, but thankfully everything is over now, so it has been reopened," Robin explained to the people behind her as she walked ahead. "However, since no one is here now, it feels a bit deserted."
"It's fine, this is good too." Sunday glanced around the room as if it were his first time there. "A quiet environment is more suitable for thinking."
Actually, Morning Dew Manor wasn't much different before. After all, I'm not one to enjoy crowds on Sunday, so Morning Dew Manor rarely invites guests unless necessary. The people who stay here are mostly the most basic staff, so it's relatively quiet on weekdays.
"However, this situation was soon changed. From then on, the Morning Dew Manor would no longer serve as the workplace for the family's managers, but would become a tourist attraction open to everyone." Robin said, glancing back at Sunday. "I wonder what this gentleman thinks about this?"
"A tourist attraction?" Sunday was clearly surprised by the result, but after a moment of astonishment, he quickly calmed down. "That sounds good; at least it will give more people a chance to learn more about the family."
As they spoke, the two arrived at the innermost conference room, where the family made decisions. A huge table was set up here for the heads of the five major families to hold meetings.
"Alright, now that we're here, no outsiders can come in." The Robin stopped, turned to face Sunday, and looked slightly helpless. "Are you going to keep this up, brother?"
Sunday paused for a moment, then finally dropped the pretense. "How exactly did you find out?"
At first, he thought the Robin had seen through his disguise, but now it seemed that the robin didn't have that ability and had locked onto him through some other means.
"We're family, brother." Seeing the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar young man reappear before him, Robin couldn't help but take two steps closer, but then stopped, only revealing a faint smile. "As family, how could we not sense each other?"
"...I'm sorry." Upon hearing this, Sunday lowered her head, a hint of apology on her face. "I didn't mean to avoid you, I just... just..."
"I understand, brother." The Robin shook her head slightly. "But I'm your sister, you know. As family, shouldn't we face some things together?"
She paused for a moment, then looked into Sunday's eyes and added, "You should imagine me as... stronger."
"You are far more remarkable than I imagined, sister," Sunday blurted out Robin's expression. "If only I had realized this sooner, perhaps everything would have been different..."
He paused for a moment, then shook his head with a wry smile, "No, there's no point in saying all this now."
"How could that be?" the Robin retorted, then said, "Brother, after regaining your freedom, have you properly looked at this dream world?"
"I only looked into it a little," Sunday nodded upon hearing this. "You did a great job, sister."
"No, this isn't just my achievement; it's the result of everyone's hard work... Of course, that's not what I wanted to talk about." The Robin gave a modest smile, then shook his head and continued, "What I wanted to say is, have you noticed the changes in the entire dream, brother?"
"The changes in the entire dream..." Sunday was a little confused, but then something else occurred to him. "I haven't been paying much attention, but I've heard people talking about something... the Dreamscape Pioneering Project?"
"Yes, the Dreamscape Pioneering Project." The Robin nodded with a smile, then revealed a piece of information that made Sunday dizzy. "This dream realm has now become as vast as the Asdener Star System!"
What, what does that mean? Is the Great One's Dream still chasing me?
Upon hearing that familiar range, Sunday's expression instantly became quite interesting, but the Robin quickly explained the difference, which made him relax a little.
After calming down, he showed a hint of helplessness. "Sure enough, from the moment Mr. Ai Yue appeared, I already felt that this matter was probably doomed to fail. I just didn't expect that in the end, we wouldn't even need him to take action..."
If Ai Yue's ability to break through the Great One's Dream had only given Sunday a slight shock, then the fact that Ai Yue could casually expand the size of the dream to billions of times its original size truly made Sunday realize what kind of being Ai Yue was.
Moreover, because his understanding of dreams far surpasses that of others, he is also more clearly aware of what this method truly means.
Thinking back to how she had lost her composure and even tried to threaten the other person, Sunday felt extremely embarrassed. Looking back now, she realized that Ai Yue had been incredibly kind to her by holding back her laughter.
But...
"It seems this dream realm will soon become a truly neutral region." A subtle expression crept across Sunday's face at the thought that any force or even individual capable of connecting to the stars would have a share of the Asdener Star System. "But what does this have to do with what you said before?"
While expanding the scope of one's dreams is certainly a good thing, it can't undo the mistakes one has made in the past, can it?
"We can't undo the mistakes we've made, but that doesn't mean we can't start over, brother," the Robin said. "As the scope of the dream expands, we also have the opportunity to start over, don't we?"
On Sunday, I understood the meaning of the Robin —to explore dreams, to build one's own Penacony, and to show one's ideals to more people. This is something that can only be done in a completely new dream world.
In this way, Sunday provide an opportunity to make amends for past mistakes.
But after a moment of silence, Sunday shook his head. "No, I can't."
The Robin looked at his brother with a confused and anxious gaze, but for a moment he didn't know what to say.
She could sense that her brother's stagnation wasn't due to his past sins; his resistance stemmed from entirely different reasons.
"Don't try to persuade him anymore. I've said it before: for some people, no punishment in the world can compare to introspection."
Just as the atmosphere in the room froze, a lazy voice came from the side. The brother and sister turned their heads at the same time and saw Ai Yue's figure appear at some point in the seat representing the Oak Family, holding a cocktail and watching the commotion.
"Mr. Ai Yue."
The Robin bowed his head in greeting, and Sunday did the same, but compared to his sister, his gesture was more flustered, clearly indicating that he didn't know how to face Ai Yue.
"Don't be shy, after all, this is theoretically your territory, so sit wherever you like." Ai Yue waved his hand, acting as if he were in charge. "So, the persuasion failed?"
"I've never been good at things like this since I was little," the Robin said with a hint of helplessness in his smile, but then added earnestly, "However, I believe in my brother."
"So, Mr. Ai Yue sent you to find me?" Sunday's gaze shifted between the Robin and Ai Yue. "But what's the point of doing this?"
"You've got it backwards. It was the Robin who came to me, asking me to give her a chance to see if I could persuade you to come to your senses." Ai Yue shrugged. "But in my opinion, there's really no need. After all, you can't persuade someone about these things just by talking, and besides..."
He looked at Sunday and smiled slightly. "I guess you already have an idea, right?"
My brother... has he already made a decision?
The Robin paused for a moment, then realized what was happening and looked at Sunday with a hint of anticipation in its eyes.
She should have realized sooner that her brother wasn't someone who could be easily defeated. A true idealist wouldn't be so easily brought down, but because she was too concerned, she had subconsciously overlooked this point before.
"Now, I can't just dismiss everything from the past as a moment of folly and start over." Under the gaze of the two men, Sunday said slowly, "Before that, I not only need to atone for my past mistakes, but also broaden my horizons so that I can truly find the path to realizing my ideals."
At this point, Sunday looked at Ai Yue: "So, Mr. Ai Yue, I've come to fulfill my promise."
Chapter 88 Don't be nervous, we accept people who have been to prison here too.
To fall from a high-ranking family head to a prisoner overnight is certainly not a pleasant experience.
Despite not suffering any hardship or torture during his imprisonment due to his Sunday status and the complex entanglements of interests behind him, being locked in a dark, gloomy room with only deathly silence was enough to drive anyone mad.
It's important to understand that Sunday was actually subjected to double imprisonment. His physical body was confined in the Dream Pool in reality, guarded by his family and company, while his consciousness was locked in a dark room in the dream world. As a result, he couldn't even have activities like eating, which was tantamount to being buried alive.
But it was in this deathly silence that Sunday was able to escape the usual hustle and bustle and gain an unprecedented tranquility. In this state, he finally had enough time to reflect on his past actions.
"It sounds like he attained enlightenment in Longchang." Looking at Sunday's expression, Ai Yue couldn't help but become interested. "Tell me more about it?"
On Sunday, he naturally didn't understand what Ai Yue meant by "enlightenment at Longchang," but he could roughly grasp the meaning, so he shook his head slightly. "It's just a slight insight... at least, it's a recognition of my own insignificance."
As he said this, he subconsciously glanced at the Robin beside him, a complex emotion in his eyes.
Although he always tried to protect his sister, Sunday knew very well that he was more like a caged bird than Robin.
As a world-renowned singer, Robin has held concerts across most of the explored universe, and in addition to her identity as a singer, she has done many other things.