Chapter 390
Because this meme virus is merely a disguise to cover up the real killer move.
If Primeval Doctor is truly a genius and can make a name for himself in a new field, then he will trigger the underlying logic of the meme virus and explode into a giant firework in the universe.
Chapter 91: Preparing to Begin a Universal Garrison
This elaborate scheme, with its interconnected plot, might seem rather malicious, but considering that the Primeval Doctor is a scoundrel who likes to experiment on entire planets and can regress a planet's civilization to the primitive era in a matter of minutes, Ai Yue even felt that this wasn't enough.
If time weren't so tight, he really wanted to tailor a special treatment plan for the Primeval Doctor, ensuring that it wouldn't even know how it died.
But things aren't so bad as they are now. Anyway, with the Sea-faring Ranger keeping an eye on things, there's no need to worry about those guys causing any more trouble for the time being.
"Although I don't understand anything, I still have to say, well done!" Boothill laughed and patted Ai Yue on the shoulder. "Oh, I really hope that old monkey raised by that nose-walking beast just 'crack' and disappears, so we don't have to go through all this trouble."
"It's indeed time for those evil ninjas to experience the pain of others," Luanpo nodded solemnly, then bowed to Ai Yue, "Thank you, Master Ai Yue!"
"So that's how it was resolved?" Rake, who had learned what had happened from Dan Heng and Xing, had a complex expression on his face. "A powerful being suddenly appeared, ruthlessly sweeping away all obstacles... What a pure deus ex machina! This is completely contrary to my aesthetics!"
The self- Memory User frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the haphazard and perfunctory plot. As someone with artistic cultivation, he believed that such a contrived plot as deus ex machina was absolutely unacceptable; adding it to his film would severely diminish the artistic value of the entire work.
"Let's forget about mystical aesthetics for now, Mr. Rake." Dan Heng shook his head slightly, looking somewhat speechless. "If I remember correctly, you still have the meme virus that Professor Banana gave you, right?"
Rake's expression froze for a moment, then he subconsciously looked at Ai Yue beside him.
Clearly, with Professor Banana Shou fleeing in panic, the only person who could still save him was this mysterious, powerful mechanical being.
But you were just criticizing the other person for their supposed divine intervention, and then you turn around and ask them for help? Isn't that a bit too obsequious?
Just as Rake how to begin, he noticed that Ai Yue suddenly glanced in his direction, then snapped his fingers at him. He immediately felt a surge of energy erupt from his body, sweeping away the previous distortion and discomfort.
Clearly, the other party didn't care what he said and even helped him dispel the meme virus.
Rake stroked his chin, remained silent for a long time, and then managed to say, "... It seems that deus ex machina isn't all bad."
"I understand you." Xing patted him on the shoulder, then gave him a thumbs up. "It's really great to have someone like that as a backer, isn't it?"
"That's no excuse for you to cause trouble." Dan Heng put his hand on Xing's shoulder. "Also, remember what Himeko warned us? Don't develop a habit of relying on Mr. Ai Yue, or you'll gradually lose the spirit of being a nameless stranger."
"Don't worry, I understand!" Xing said casually. "Look, as long as things haven't gotten out of hand, I haven't gone to see Brother Yue, have I?"
Dan Heng's expression immediately became subtle—the logic was sound, but something just felt off.
"In short, now that things are settled here, I'm leaving." Having confirmed the outcome, Boothill patted Ranpo's shoulder casually. "Don't worry, sis. If you hear anything about that stinky gorilla, just let me know!"
"I am deeply grateful, Lord Silver Spear Shura." Ranpo nodded. "As for me, I am not in a hurry. Patience is the least of my worries."
She gazed at the sky beyond the Flowing Dream Reef: "Penacony has ushered in a golden age of peace. Now, let all living beings in the Dreamland embrace the sunshine."
Ai Yue then handed over something that looked like a kunai. "This is for you. You might need it later—if you ever find the Primeval Doctor, remember to let me know."
"Thank you, Master Ai Yue." Luan Po solemnly put the item into his pocket, then exchanged Ai Yue's contact information. "Please don't hesitate to ask if you need anything from me."
Gradually, with the departure of Professor Banana and the spread of the meme virus vaccine, the people in Penacony who had been infected and turned into Sleepy Banana Monkey gradually began to return to normal. As the situation gradually stabilized, everyone left Flowing Dream Reef and returned to their previous busy work.
"It seems the problem has been solved?"
Ai Yue did not return to Origami University with Xing and the others, since he was not very interested in campus life. Instead, he returned to the "Tail of Trailblaze" and found Aponia.
Upon seeing him, the other person smiled and said, "That meme virus, it's called... Sleepy Banana Monkey, right? It's quite an interesting thing."
"If you ignore the malice behind it, it's actually quite mesmerizing." Ai Yue walked over, a slight smile appearing on his face as he thought of those monkeys with their intelligent eyes. "It's just that meme viruses are still too difficult to control. Otherwise, I think we could develop a fun little game based on this thing."
"Isn't that similar to Penacony?" Aponia smiled, then looked at Ai Yue. "But, do we really not need to worry about that escaped guy? I've planted a 'seed' in it, so I can control it at any time."
"Let's leave it for now and see just how capable Primeval Doctor really is." Ai Yue shook his head slightly, then closed his eyes to sense the changes in the entire dream. "But since you have time to pay attention to this, it means the problem with the Dreamscape Law has been resolved?"
"Yes, after all, as long as we can ensure the most basic stability, we don't need overly complex constructions." Aponia nodded. "In addition, according to the family and the company, they hope not to cover the entire dream with complete rules, but to ensure the safety of Dreamscape Pioneering through individual protection."
"And then they use that to sell personal protective equipment, right?" Hearing this, Ai Yue understood the other party's intention and couldn't help but shake his head. "Selling shovels to gold prospectors is indeed a sure-fire way to make money."
Is Dreamscape Pioneering profitable? The answer is yes.
But does exploring dreams guarantee profits? Of course not.
Therefore, the best way to truly succeed in this upcoming Dreamscape Pioneering boom is to make money off these Dreamscape Pioneering.
However, while everyone understands the principle, putting it into practice is not easy. The reason why the family and the company can come up with such an idea is twofold: firstly, they can now be considered local strongmen in this dream world, with the experience of being pioneers; secondly, they have a sufficiently close relationship with the Dreamscape Rule Makers.
"I already rejected them beforehand." Aponia didn't even need to look at Ai Yue's attitude to know how he would react. "After all, you're doing this just to make Penacony a truly neutral zone, right?"
"Yes, the properties of dreams are too unique. If they are abused, many uncontrollable things will happen." Ai Yue nodded, then sighed. "However, it's probably difficult to say that they are neutral. Is there any place in this world where there are truly no opposing sides?"
"In this universe, being relatively neutral is already quite an achievement." Aponia walked to his side. "You, don't always put so much burden on yourself, okay? It's tiring just watching you."
"Since we have the ability, we should try to find a way to give it a shot." Ai Yue leaned back against Aponia. "But ultimately, this matter doesn't concern us much. Once the basic rules are established, let the family and the company worry about the rest."
"That's right." Aponia put her arm around Ai Yue. "By the way, we received news from Earth yesterday that the 'Abyssal Eye' issue has been resolved."
To lay the groundwork for the land reclamation project, "Abyssal Eye" had transferred almost all of the Terran Alliance and Schicksal's personnel there. As a result, Ai Yue searched around but could only find Vill-V, who was in charge of logistics. Now that the matter has been resolved, it means that Kevin and the others have free time and can follow his arrangements.
"Then let them wait on their own. It'll be a good opportunity to entertain our guests who have come from afar." Ai Yue for a moment, but couldn't think of anything else to say. All his current ideas lacked substantial evidence, so it was clearly not the right time to voice them. "Oh, by the way, has the Xianzhou Alliance sent anyone?"
"The Xianzhou Alliance?" Aponia paused, seemingly pondering something. "Oh, the Luofu Xianzhou sent an envoy, which is considered a formal establishment of diplomatic relations with us. However, apart from signing a few trade and study abroad agreements, there hasn't been any substantial interaction."
"They're probably waiting for my attitude." Ai Yue naturally knew that Jing Yuan was waiting for him to make a request, so after thinking for a moment, he said, "After you go back, you can have the Terran Alliance select some Fused Warrior who are interested in the cosmic environment to form a legion and cooperate with the Xianzhou Alliance to besiege the remnants of Abundance."
As his understanding of the various forces in the universe deepened, Ai Yue roughly determined the current level of the Solar System civilization in the entire star system. It can be said that as long as multiple forces do not band together to invade the Solar System, the Terran Alliance is basically in a state of fearlessness.
Since that's the case, he naturally doesn't intend to continue hiding any longer. After all, without an external goal, internal strife can easily occur within humanity.
Therefore, it's time to expand our focus to the entire galaxy.
"I understand." Aponia nodded, then after a moment of silence, said, "And you? Are you getting ready to leave again?"
"Well, the Penacony matter is considered settled." Ai Yue nodded slightly. "Although the next destination is still undecided, we have a general idea of where to go. But... well, there's not much to say."
"Since you don't want to talk about it, then I won't ask," Aponia said understandingly. "But don't forget, just as you've always led us, everyone is supporting you too."
"If you really encounter any difficulties, don't try to tough it out alone, okay?"
A few days later, on the Stellar Train.
Himeko and the others stood in a row, facing Ai Yue. Their faces all showed scrutiny or vigilance, but the target of their gazes was not Ai Yue, but Sunday, who was standing behind Ai Yue.
At this moment, Sunday, dressed as a traveler, clasped his hands in front of him and bowed his head to accept everyone's scrutiny. He looked completely different from the elegant and noble figure he had in Penacony, instead exuding a simple and honest air.
If you remove the halo on his head and the feathers on his ears, then Sunday at this moment looks more like a college student who has just graduated from Origami University and is looking for a job, rather than a former representative of the family.
"In short, that's why Sunday came here." After briefly explaining Sunday's thought process, Ai Yue concluded, "Although he wanted to travel with the train, this is clearly not a decision I can make alone, so we still need to consider everyone's opinions."
"But since you brought Sunday along, Brother Yue, that already shows your attitude, right?" March 7th and Dan Heng exchanged a glance. "It just feels like our opinions aren't that important."
"That's not quite right. Collaborative decision-making is a tradition among the Nameless Ones," Ai Yue smiled. "Besides, I was more of a spectator in Penacony's adventure. In comparison, the ideas of those who confronted Sunday's ideals and thwarted his are more important, aren't they?"
"I also hope everyone can speak freely. I will humbly accept any evaluation." Sunday stepped forward and said sincerely, "Your actions have brought me to my senses, so I also want to know how you all view me."
"I trust Ai Yue's judgment," Himeko smiled and spoke first. "Besides, as long as someone is willing to embark on the journey together, the train doors should be opened to them."
"Well, how should I put it?" March 7th scratched his head. "Putting aside the process and methods, I still quite like your ideal... Seven Rest Days, that's really appealing."
"You are a noble person, but at the same time, you are too pessimistic about human nature," Dan Heng said. "Perhaps in the future, you should learn to change this and give more trust to others."
After they finished speaking, they both looked at Xing, who was standing to the side in a daze.
"What, it's my turn?" Xing snapped out of her daze, a subtle expression appearing on her face. "Are you ready? My words might be a little sharp, you know?"
Sunday nodded, clearly having already prepared himself mentally.
"First and foremost, you have betrayed the trust of many people, including your most important family members. Don't forget that," Xing said earnestly, her serious expression making one forget how lively she usually is. "Secondly, I think your dream is somewhat unrealistic, and it's even more unacceptable that it has dragged countless people into your world for the sake of such a dream."
"At last..."
She didn't say a word, and on Sunday she lowered her head a little until all she could see were her own feet. But at that moment, a hand reached into his field of vision—from the person who had been criticizing him so harshly.
Sunday looked up in surprise, only to find Xing smiling at him, "Come on, now you're the youngest."
"What are you doing!" March 7th lightly punched Star from the side. "You were acting so serious just now, I thought you were going to vote against it!"
"We need to be upfront about this," Xing said, rubbing her nose. "Besides, I finally managed to escape being the youngest, how could I let this opportunity slip away?"
"But Sunday is still just a hitchhiker, not an anonymous passenger, you know?" March 7th patted Star on the shoulder and shook her head slightly. "In other words, there's still no way to shake your position."
"That makes four votes in favor." Dan Heng nodded, then realized, "Oh, I have no objections either."
"It seems we've reached a conclusion. Let's inform the train conductor about this later." Himeko smiled gently, then became serious again. "Next, we should discuss our next destination."
With that, everyone's attention turned to another corner.
"Miss Black Swan, could you please tell me more about it?" Himeko said slowly, "About the world of 'Onfaros'."
Chapter 92 Is Your World Authentic?
The Land of Eternity, Onfaros.
As the Black Swan, which boarded the train a day earlier than Sunday, introduced the world to the nameless passengers, almost everyone's eyes lit up with interest.
A mysterious, isolated world, inaccessible through conventional means and only revealed by the Id-court Mirror —it sounds like the kind of wonderful place where once you go there, you won't have to worry about saving fuel anymore.
Of course, since Ai Yue had already modified the Stellar Train's power supply system, the nameless passengers were no longer in need of to carefully budget their fuel. Even so, exploring a world that had never been set foot in before was far more attractive than any other known planet.
Therefore, although the route meeting has not yet been officially held, almost everyone has already tacitly agreed that Onfaros is the next destination.
Now that Penacony's last problem has been resolved, the topic of the future can finally be put on the agenda.
"I'm sorry, everyone."
As Himeko asked her question, the Black Swan, who had been observing from the sidelines, slowly approached. She maintained an elegant smile, her gaze sweeping over everyone except Ai Yue: "I know very little about this world either, but one thing is certain—"
"This is a world bound and intertwined by three destinies, to the point that its fate is uncertain."
"That's really quite mysterious." March 7th scratched his head. "You don't even know what the three destinies are?"
"According to what Miss Black Swan said before, only one path to destiny is certain: intellect." Himeko nodded. "Since the Id-court Mirror can reflect that world, memories must also be one aspect of it? If that's the case, then only one path to destiny remains unexplained."
"Unfortunately, fate is stingy with revealing its true nature, and I don't know what the third Destiny is." The Black Swan gave a subtle smile, tinged with a hint of embarrassment. "Is it time to prepare for departure? I can send you the coordinates."
"No rush, the train is still undergoing testing," Himeko shook her head. "Besides, the scarcer the information, the more cautious we must be—I've already sought help from our allies in the pioneering efforts; perhaps we can get some information from them."
"I'm sorry, but if by 'ally' you mean my side, then I can only say that there's nothing I can do to help."
Accompanied by a familiar voice, a girl wearing a pointed wizard's hat appeared in everyone's sight as a projection.
"Ms. Herta," Himeko greeted her first, clearly prepared for her sudden appearance. "What do you mean?"
"Onfaros, this is very strange." The genius in the form of the Great Black Tower stood with his hands on his hips, looking very unconvinced. "You said before that it was influenced by intelligence, but the machine head has observed so many worlds, and they are all engraved in my brain. How could any of them have escaped? You weren't tricked by the people of Memory Court, were you?"
"Ahem, Ms. Herta, greetings." The Black Swan, having been singled out, couldn't hold back any longer and took the initiative to continue the conversation, "Only this matter is certain of my abilities; please do not doubt the power of the Id-court Mirror."
"Oh, Yi Ting's people are here too." Black Tower only then noticed the two strangers present, and became somewhat more reserved. "Alright, let's assume this is true—anyway, I did a quick search using the Simulated Universe, although I've already filtered out some irrelevant results, but..."
With a few rings, everyone picked up their phones at the same time and saw that Black Tower had sent a huge attachment in the group chat.
"Still a huge list left." Black Tower shrugged. "Things like '[Onfaros God-King Team] will use King Bavil instead of their team logo next season', hopefully it'll be useful to you."
"Thank you, we'll take a look," Himeko, looking at the massive data packet with a momentary sigh of helplessness. "Anyway, thank you for your help."
"It's alright, and to be honest, I don't think you need to worry about anything at all." Hei Ta looked at Ai Yue beside him and couldn't help but joke, "You have a super powerful backer right next to you, why are you thinking so much? When in doubt, just throw Ai Yue down there. Even if there's a Star God hiding inside, he can handle it."
"To be honest, it's true." Xing nodded in agreement with Black Tower's statement, then turned to Dan Heng. "You see, even Black Tower thinks so!"
Dan Heng could only shake his head and sigh in helplessness.
"Of course we'll rely on Ai Yue's help, but we can't trouble him with everything, can we?" Himeko said with a smile. She knew Ai Yue's indiscriminate nature, but as a pioneer, she also had her own dignity. "Making decisions based on the intelligence we've gathered is a fundamental skill for us nameless travelers, and we can't afford to neglect it no matter where we go."
"That's true. Anyway, you can't change your tendency to worry." Black Tower shook his head. "Then let's leave it at that for now. You can come find me again when you get to Onfaros and have more substantial information. I'm available anytime. If necessary, I can even call Screwllum along."
"Thank you so much!"
As the projection of the Great Black Tower dissipated, the Black Swan beside her couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, then revealed a slight smile, "The oppressive aura of a genius is truly well-deserved."
"You Memory User get scared too?" Ai Yue couldn't help but retort. "I thought you always enjoyed danger."
"The more powerful a being is, the more precious their memories become. As Memory User, I must admit that this temptation is truly hard to resist." Black Swan glanced at Ai Yue, her tone tinged with resentment. "As for your thoughts, Mr. Ai Yue... could it be that this is why you arranged for me to travel with Miss Acheron?"
Clearly, the Solar System journey that took Black Swan with Acheron was far too stimulating for him—in every sense of the word.
Because in that world, there are different Acheron, perhaps more than one. And whenever Acheron sees another version of herself, her heart is stirred, and the power within her unconsciously begins to fluctuate.
And at times like these, the Black Swan closest to her is most likely to suffer; heaven knows how much trauma she endured on this journey.
More importantly, even setting aside the matter of the Acheron, the entire Solar System is ridiculously over-the-top—if someone were to tell Black Swan that any civilization could possess more than ten Commander-level combatants, she would consider them a joke.
But now, she realizes she's the joke.
Because of this incident, Black Swan was somewhat hesitant to face Ai Yue. In her mind, Ai Yue had become some kind of terrifying schemer—damn it, who would cultivate so many messengers within a civilization! What exactly are you planning to do to this universe?
This feeling reached its peak after leaving the Solar System, because, as far as Black Swan knew, she was probably the only one among the Memory User had entered the Solar System alive and left alive as well. It was hard not to suspect that Ai Yue might have some ulterior motive towards her.
However, just after Ai Yue asked that question, Black Swan keenly realized that she might have been overthinking things—in the other person's eyes, she seemed to be just a somewhat comical guy.