"Welcome to the final stage." The three climbed the stairs and saw the last judge. "Actually, what you just experienced was all from the movie ' The Dreamchasing Past '."
"Two like-minded individuals arrived in Penacony with nothing to their name, yearning for success but repeatedly encountering setbacks. In the end, one refused to give up, accumulating massive debts; the other abandoned his career and left. This competition, however, features a slightly modified version of your three situations, resulting in this script."
Years later, they met again in the bustling Penacony, but hesitated to recognize each other because—" Hanxing continued without hesitation, "I was poor and destitute, while she lived an ordinary life."
The judges didn't offer any evaluation, but continued, "In the Penacony, you look at each other, the joy of reunion and the sorrow of parting, the awkwardness of strangers and the shyness of a long-awaited reunion—all of these emotions well up within you. Come on, try to convey this bittersweet feeling to me with your precise acting!"
"This is going on forever. Is there any way to 'skip the level'?" Firefly said to Hanxing silently. Hanxing nodded without changing his expression, his eyes instantly turning blue with a hint of purple around them. A strange audio message appeared around them, but only for a moment before the judges spoke again:
"Cut!!! I never imagined that you two could portray such a sad scene so pleasantly and warmly. The two of you are still as wonderful as ever, as if time and status are completely insignificant to them!"
"What exactly... did you show him?" Firefly was a little scared at the sight. "I just stuffed some random stuff into his head, I don't know what he came up with..." Hanxing was also frightened by her behavior and whispered to Firefly.
"Your performance even surpasses the original! It's simply... simply... simply... not like acting at all!" The judges' praise completely surprised the three of them, but looking at the open door behind them, they knew it was time to move on to the next round.
"Although we've passed the test, let's hurry... the Stellaron is more important." Firefly took Hanxing's hand, and the three of them walked together toward the next spherical vehicle.
"Congratulations to all three contestants on successfully completing the level! But more than completing it, we're concerned about—did you all have fun?" "Happiness" is more important than "success"! The guide looked at the three approaching contestants and said, "Judging by the time, you two were quite a bit faster than that red-haired contestant!"
"Who exactly is this red-haired contestant?" Firefly asked curiously. "You'll find out, but only if the two of you successfully pass the next test! Welcome to the second round of the 20th Annual 33rd Scorchsand Festival, sponsored by SoulGlad Co., Ltd..—' Gunfire Time '!"
"You can choose 'Guns and Fire' to accept the trials of the Hanu Brothers, or you can choose 'Time' to accept the trials of the Clockie. Now—begin your choice!"
The three squeezed back into the yellow-green pinball. Hanxing recalled the method of making her choice last time and chose the Trial of Time. A flash of white light, and the three appeared on the next stage.
"Dear friends, welcome to the wonderful world of ' The Watchmaker '! Waiting for you ahead is the beloved character from the Clockie animated series— Clockie!" The guide, who appeared out of nowhere, began to introduce them:
It is said that the prototype of " The Watchmaker " was conceived in his childhood! At that time, he was just an apprentice in a watch shop. One night, he dreamed that all the broken clocks grew hands and feet... He was like a navigator, leading them in the right direction! As a classic character that accompanied many people through their childhood, the Clockie has indeed influenced a generation and established the important status of " The Watchmaker "!
"Three contestants, I wish you a wonderful time with Clockie!" The guide's long speech finally ended. Firefly whispered to Hanxing, "The 'trial of time'... I hope it won't waste too much of our time."
The three walked towards the stairs leading upwards when a strange voice rang out from a huge clock statue with hands and feet: "Could it be... that I'm just a discarded case?" "The statue... is talking?" Yan Bai was somewhat surprised, but considering that this was a dream, it seemed that anything was possible.
The three continued forward, and the statue spoke again, "So... I'm a dispensable, failed clock, right?" "This challenge... is for us to heal him?" Yan Bai asked, looking at Hanxing and the other. "Don't be silly, friends. Failure isn't an illness, it's a sin, and sins can't be cured," the statue replied.
"So you, like the other challengers, want to delve into my heart? Then come on in. But you will gain nothing... because I am merely a failure." Yan Bai, somewhat skeptical, placed his hand on the statue. At the same time, a strange audio connection linked Firefly and Hanxing, allowing them to see Yan Bai's vision.
"What is this?" Hanxing curiously, having never seen Yan Bai use this ability before. "I've had it before, but I just haven't had time to use it," Yan Bai smiled, and the three of them looked inside the clock.
"Look, my heart is already empty," the sculpture said, but another voice appeared out of nowhere. "Tick-tock, it's time for me to make my appearance!" Only then did the three notice that there was also a clock face standing in the only small compartment inside the sculpture's heart, only it looked a bit more sunny.
"You are... Clockie?" Before arriving here, Firefly had crammed on Penacony's knowledge, so she naturally knew about it. "What is this... a stage set?" Yan Bai asked curiously.
"In Dreamville, Clockie is everywhere and omnipotent! For example... I can help you solve this problem of your friend, the Dream Ticker, right now, tick-tock!" "It's actually Clockie himself! Why would you come to visit a failed clock like me for no reason?" The Dream Ticker's voice sounded somewhat inferior.
"Look, we're all clocks, we're all family! I want to help you, to make you happy! Can you tell me what's bothering you?" the Clockie tried to comfort him.
"I... I only learned a shocking truth yesterday. They say that Dreamscape Dream Ticker isn't Clockie at all, just a discarded design from Clockie then. Let me be alone, Clockie. I really don't know how to face you... because I'm just a failure." Dream Ticker's voice remained low.
"Oh my god, it looks so heartbreaking. But it's okay, we can find the missing part of him and help him get out of his despair!" The Clockie's voice was full of fighting spirit.