Watching Himeko and the others leave, Hanxing hesitated, "So, should we go with them?" Firefly shook her head, "I don't know, it's up to you."
"You go with them." Hanxing looked at Yan Bai and waved to him. "Okay, I'll wait for you here." Yan Bai smiled, turned and left the two of them.
"It's best if we don't interfere in their ' Trailblaze ' endeavors," Hanxing sighed. "Speaking of which, what's the deal with that other Glamoth Iron Cavalry?"
"Her..." Firefly Ying recalled something, then looked at Hanxing again: "Let's go somewhere else to talk." "Okay." Hanxing followed Firefly to a corner, listening to his every word.
"Let's start with the Iron Cavalry's system. This ' Sam ' mech is codenamed ' Firefly Type IV Strategic Assault Armor ' in the Glamoth Republic. There's a Type IV, so naturally there's a Type V, and Type IV also has other specialized variants. The entire Iron Cavalry unit has strict military regulations... I'm getting a bit off-topic."
"Her codename was AR-214, and in terms of codenames, she was more senior than me. She craved freedom and was considered an absolute 'rebel' by her comrades. I first met her after a fierce battle, when only four of Iron Cavalry, including myself, remained on the battlefield. She deliberately violated the rule against removing her armor, revealing her position, and even dragged me along with her..."
"I did it too. She was wearing red glasses under her mech and said it wasn't good for everyone to look the same... Looking at the guard mech that had landed beside her, she even invited him to dismount as well, holding a broken camera and looking around... Anyway, after we rejoined the team, she and I became close friends, but we didn't see each other often because of our deployment."
"Later I learned that she escaped during a battle and came to Penacony, and what happened next... was just like what you saw. And she was the only Iron Cavalry who deserted in the face of battle..." Firefly's voice was somewhat low.
"So, you really must be the last member of the Glamoth Iron Cavalry..." Hanxing sighed. "Perhaps... I can try to bring her back?" Firefly's eyes brightened for a moment, then dimmed again. "But we haven't even found her body yet, and... she must have been dead for a long time."
"This..." Hanxing hesitated. He had never said that the Star Eyes could only repair physical damage; if the soul dissipated, the Star Eyes would be powerless. And the soul would dissipate for 10 minutes.
"Never mind, it's okay if I can't do it. After all, without you, she might have just died anyway. Not every outcome is something we can change..." Firefly sighed, Hanxing could only try to change the subject. "What is your Path...?"
"I find this matter very strange too. According to the Dream Master, the Iron Cavalry's genes come from the Propagation Swarm, so all Iron Cavalry should belong to the ' Propagation ' Path. There are rumors that Entropy Loss Syndrome is a complication brought about by the ' Propagation ' Path, and only by finding the 'swarm' can this symptom be alleviated."
"Your treatment with the Star Eyes not only cured my Entropy Loss Syndrome, but it may also have cleared the ' Propagation ' Path energy from my body. In the final battle, the shock of the Queen's capture and the deaths of my comrades made me think about life in other ways, which awakened that ' Complete Combustion State,' even destroying the entire planet. At that moment, I inexplicably felt a warm gaze, which I guess... was Nanook's glance."
"A dual- Pathstrider, but why didn't you enter the Pathstrider's Chasm?" Hanxing's voice held a hint of curiosity. "More or less. I've heard that things about the Pathstrider's Chasm vary from person to person; some can see it, and some can't," Firefly said, a trace of hesitation in her eyes. "That's probably why I'm on the Path of Destruction."
"You said... if I had a chance to rescue 214, would we go?" Hanxing suddenly asked. "If we did, of course I'd want to..." Firefly said excitedly, "But the chances are slim..."
Hanxing remained noncommittal and could only look up at the sky. "Look, they're back." Firefly pointed to the side, and Hanxing followed her gaze. The figures of Himeko and the others appeared at the end of the direction she was pointing.
"Let's go find Gallagher." Hanxing took Firefly's hand and walked towards the place where the crowd had gathered.
"Well? What did you find out?" Gallagher asked, looking at the arriving Astral Express Crew. "We already know how to enter this dream bubble." Himeko nodded to Gallagher and then became the first to enter the dream bubble. Soon after, the entire Astral Express Crew entered the dream bubble, but Yan Bai was blocked outside.
"Did they enter that dream bubble?" Firefly looked at Gallagher beside her. "Yes, even if you were traveling companions, it wouldn't be easy for you to follow them in." Gallagher sighed, "That old man, sometimes he's really stubborn—he prefers that the witness to the legacy be Nameless."
"But I think it's sacred," Hanxing joked. "A legacy left in the 'past' will give them the courage to continue towards the 'future.' Even if we can't walk together, I'm still happy for them," Firefly said with a smile.
"Ha--you're quite like Nameless, awkward, yet admirably so," Gallagher said with a hint of teasing. "Password, password, answer immediately--Why does life slumber?" A voice from somewhere interrupted the Firefly who was about to speak.
"Huh?" Hanxing looked towards the source of the sound, where a doll resembling Sparkle appeared before the four of them. "Ignore it, it's just a meme, how did it get here?" Gallagher looked at the doll. "Sorry, we wanted to go check it out, we'll be right back." Hanxing seemed to have thought of something and hurriedly spoke up. "Oh? You guys also like 'fluffy' stuff, how tasteful—you'd better not go too far." Gallagher teased before letting the three of them pass.
"Password, password, answer immediately—Why does life slumber?" the doll repeated. Firefly pondered for a moment, then replied, "Because people are afraid to wake from their 'dreams'?" "Very good, identity confirmed—welcome, Agent ' Mecha Tycoon.' Please proceed to the next rendezvous point; our people will be waiting for you there." "Is this... necessary?" Firefly, somewhat puzzled.
"Don't ruin the character! Follow orders, ' Mecha Tycoon '!" The doll seemed a little irritated, and Firefly had no choice but to look at Hanxing: "Then, let's go." "Let's go. Yan Bai, you wait for us here." Hanxing looked back at Yan Bai and walked towards the second doll. "Okay, come back as soon as possible." Yan Bai agreed.
"Hello, please submit the identity verification for Agent ' Super Firepower Instant-Kill Star Strider '," Doll said to Firefly. "... Who?" Firefly asked, somewhat puzzled. "' Mecha Tycoon ' wasn't cool enough, so..." As Doll's voice paused, a fiery red figure appeared from the side. "So, Lady Sparkle changed it."
" Sparkle... I knew it was you." Hanxing smiled. "Who told someone to be kept in the dark all this time? Her true partner is right in front of her, and she still doesn't know." Sparkle teased, "That Memokeeper betrayed you all once! No way... Silver Wolf has never mentioned me? But she invited me to team up. The Family is omniscient and omnipotent in the dream, and I'm the one who found the information. Trying to renege on your promise?"
"Your information..." Firefly was somewhat puzzled. Han Xing was right beside Hanxing, and there was also the Spirit Whisper by Kafka. She was confident that under these circumstances, almost no one could use their knowledge to attack her. "Before heading to Penacony, Silver Wolf did tell me to be wary of anyone asking 'Why does life slumber?' At the same time, it was you who sent us into the deep dream, so it is indeed credible."
"Then why are we only exchanging clues now?" Firefly asked, her tone shifting. "Otherwise what? Do you think a fool like me can keep up with a Memokeeper and someone who manipulates space in a dream? Every time, I'm just a hair's breadth away, and you disappear in a flash." Sparkle's voice was somewhat reproachful.
"Who exactly is Constance?" Firefly asked, somewhat surprising Hanxing. It turned out Firefly didn't know much more than Hanxing, and Constance was none other than Dahlia. "She Dream Master, but she's clearly not honest—she secretly made a deal with me," Sparkle replied. "She pointed to a nightmare, where all of the Dream Master's conspiracies will be carried out. I've been searching for you all this time to spoil this."
"A nightmare... what exactly was it?" Firefly asked, puzzled. "Tell you directly? No way, I've suffered quite a bit already." Sparkle was somewhat reluctant, but still revealed, "In short: after you've experienced your most beautiful time, try your best to fly into the sky, and you'll hear the chirping of insects at the top of the oak tree."
"This is a bit... too much of a riddle, isn't it?" Hanxing complained. "Come on! I'm your partner, not your subordinate. Just because someone lied to you doesn't mean you can be prejudiced against me!" Just then, Hanxing couldn't help but glance at the location of the Dream Bubble. The Astral Express Crew had already emerged from the Dream Bubble.
"You're back faster than I expected... Is there any result?" Gallagher said to the group that had reappeared from the dream bubble. "Yes... Now, it's our turn to forge a path forward," Himeko replied.
"Sorry, see you later. But... thank you. At least you brought good news." "... What's good?" Sparkle asked, somewhat puzzled. Firefly looked at Hanxing, who was watching the Astral Express Crew: "The best time." After this conversation, the two walked towards the Astral Express Crew, while Sparkle chose to return the way she came.
"Hmph, now that his last wish has been fulfilled, my final task is complete," Gallagher continued. "However, don't take offense at my harsh words. Having fighting spirit is a good thing, but the path Mikhail left you won't be easy... Otherwise, why would he have gone to sleep alone, betting everything on you future Nameless?" Gallagher added somewhat sarcastically, "But you outnumber me. Heh, you might have a chance to lose more slowly."
"If you can't encourage someone, then don't encourage them at all..." Yan Bai joked. "In my opinion, relying solely on Welt's participation in the negotiations is far from enough. Regardless of whether the other side obediently submits, the negotiation itself can only create an opportunity for us to stand on equal footing with them, it can't bring any advantage," Himeko argued.
" Penacony is our opponent's home turf, and we have very few chips to play. Rather than sitting idly by under the Family's blockade, we should choose to take the initiative and attack. We are familiar with the characteristics of the Stellaron Stellaron, and as the core of a stable Dream, it is crucial to the Family. Touching their core interests will surely trigger a hasty counterattack... and 'hasty' precisely means 'weakness'."
"That's right. As long as the Stellaron is threatened, we have a chance to gain the upper hand, whether in negotiations or battle," Firefly rationally analyzed from the side. "But here's the problem: it's just before the Charmony Festival. How do we get close to the Grand Theater? The Family will definitely have set up heavy defenses. Even if we can break through, the risk is too great," Yan Bai said from the side.
"I have an idea." Looking at the silent crowd, Hanxing slowly spoke up, "I heard that before the Charmony Festival begins, there will be a talent show. Whoever wins first place will get the qualification to go to the Grand Theater early..." Hanxing revealed a mischievous smile. Just when everyone thought the method was to participate in the auditions, Hanxing surprised everyone with his words:
"I can use my ability to create a ticket for everyone, then use illusion magic to control the original first person, and have Silver Wolf hack into their system on the other side to change the records, so I can sneak in."