Arc 3The Charmony Festival

Hanxing and the Astral Express uncovered Sunday’s plan to impose Order on Penacony, then fought through Ena’s Dream to free its people. Firefly survived, Hanxing revived 214 as Jintiao, and the couple prepared for their wedding as Robin gave the Radiant Feldspar to the Astral Express.

  • Gallagher revealed that Penacony’s dreamscape was powered by a Stellaron and had become a prison, while Sunday and Robin identified Gopher Wood as the force behind the plan.
  • The crew entered Mikhail’s dream bubble, then Hanxing revived Gallagher in a new body before they headed to the Scorchsand Audition.
  • Hanxing, Firefly, and Yan Bai won the Scorchsand Festival, but Sunday revealed he knew Hanxing’s secrets and began explaining his belief that Order could end suffering.
  • Sunday showed the crew memories of his choices and proposed an eternal dream, but Caelus rejected Order and declared that Penacony would not belong to it.
  • Hanxing and Firefly confronted Dominicus, uncovered Gopher Wood’s scheme to invoke the Swarm Disaster, and fought a Propagation-corrupted Iron Cavalry mech identified with 214.
  • Firefly took the Stellaron and sacrificed herself to break through Ena’s Dream, while Hanxing caught her and removed the traces of Entropy Loss Syndrome, and together, the crew defeated Dominicus and woke Penacony.
  • Hanxing and Firefly affirmed their love and planned their wedding, then Hanxing restored 214 to life and she chose the name Jintiao.
  • Robin praised the Watchmaker and the Astral Express at the Charmony Festival and announced that the Family would transfer the Radiant Feldspar to the crew.
Chapters 51–75 Vol. 1 Read

Ch. 51The Place of Exile

Hanxing and Firefly explored Dreamflux Reef, and Hanxing used his powers to give Yan Bai a human body. They reunited with the Astral Express, Gallagher, Sunday, and Robin at a rooftop memorial, where a mysterious blond man greeted the group.

  • Firefly led Hanxing, Caelus, and Welt through Dreamflux Reef, then split off with Hanxing to look for Gallagher while the Astral Express went to meet Himeko and the others.
  • Hanxing explained that his clock eye could manipulate time and space, though he had not yet discovered what Harmony's blessing could do.
  • Hanxing helped Yan Bai leave the embroidered spring saber and created a human body for him, which Yan Bai inhabited.
  • Hanxing and Firefly encountered Gallagher and Sunday, who agreed to take the group to see Robin.
  • The group joined the Astral Express and Robin beside three monuments, where Himeko asked about the uninscribed one and a blond man greeted them.

Ch. 52The Past Beneath the Dream

Gallagher revealed that Penacony was built using the Asdana Stellaron, which the Family had never truly sealed. He explained that the dream consumed people’s spirits, while his resistance used Dormancy to hide and exploit a loophole in the dream.

  • Sunday led Robin aside and told her he was glad she was all right.
  • March 7th confronted Hanxing about his plans, and the group turned to Gallagher for an explanation.
  • Gallagher identified himself as a History Fictionologist and revealed that a Stellaron was behind Penacony’s dreamscape.
  • Gallagher recounted how the Stellaron was activated while the Watchmaker was away, and the Family helped build Penacony around it.
  • Gallagher explained that Penacony’s dream consumed people’s spirits and that the Family had turned it into a prison.
  • Gallagher said he used the Enigmata to hide and fictionalized a meme called Dormancy to help the resistance.

Ch. 53Action

Gallagher revealed that the Watchmaker’s invitations were meant to expose traitors in The Family, and Sunday identified the Penacony Grand Theater as the Stellaron’s location and Gopher Wood as the likely culprit. Sunday and Robin joined forces with the Astral Express to stop the Harmony Festival, while Hanxing sensed an unfamiliar Path within Sunday.

  • Gallagher explained that the Watchmaker’s invitations were designed to draw factions to Penacony and expose traitors in The Family.
  • Sunday revealed that the Stellaron was the Penacony Grand Theater and named Gopher Wood as the likely person behind its use.
  • Robin explained that Gopher Wood had helped raise her and Sunday, but vowed not to support his plans or let the Harmony Festival become a ritual against Harmony.
  • Sunday and Robin prepared to confront Gopher Wood, and Himeko, March 7th, Caelus, and Welt agreed to help them.
  • Firefly warned Hanxing that Sunday seemed suspicious, and Hanxing detected Harmony, Order, and an unfamiliar Path he called Domination within him.

Ch. 54Before the Storm

Gallagher brought the Nameless to the Watchmaker, Lagwork Char Mikhail, and revealed the dream bubble he had left as a legacy. Caelus could not uncover anything inside, so Himeko planned to investigate a dreamscape sales store for clues.

  • Gallagher told Himeko that the last Nameless they sought was Lagwork and explained that the Watchmaker had left a legacy for Trailblaze's successors.
  • Gallagher led Himeko, Yan Bai, Caelus, March 7th, and Hanxing to the monument, where a hidden staircase rose into view.
  • The group climbed to a garden beneath the Memory Zone and found the Watchmaker's body and a dream bubble.
  • Caelus tried to access the bubble but found no apparent result, while Gallagher described Mikhail's faith in the Nameless and Trailblaze.
  • Himeko said she believed the bubble held something important and asked to borrow Gallagher's pet so she could investigate a dreamscape sales store in Golden Hour.

Ch. 55AR-214

Hanxing and Firefly learned about AR-214 and Firefly’s powers, then reunited with the Astral Express Crew as they pursued Mikhail’s legacy. With the Family guarding the Grand Theater, Hanxing proposed using forged tickets, illusions, and Silver Wolf’s hacking to get the group inside.

  • Firefly told Hanxing that AR-214 had been her close friend in the Iron Cavalry before deserting and going to Penacony, and explained how she had awakened the Path of Destruction.
  • Hanxing asked Firefly whether she would want to bring AR-214 back, but Firefly doubted there was any hope of finding her alive.
  • The Astral Express Crew entered a dream bubble to witness Mikhail’s legacy, while Yan Bai was barred from entering.
  • Sparkle revealed that the Dream Master’s schemes would unfold in a nightmare and gave Firefly a cryptic clue about flying toward the sky after the happiest time of her life.
  • After the Astral Express Crew returned, Himeko proposed threatening the Stellaron to gain leverage against the Family, and Hanxing suggested sneaking into the Grand Theater using forged tickets, an illusion, and Silver Wolf’s hacking.

Ch. 56Scorchsand Audition

The Astral Express crew agreed to enter the SoulGlad Scorchsand Audition, while Hanxing gave Gallagher a new body and restored him to life. They arrived at the Scorchsand venue with Hanxing, Firefly, and Yan Bai, where reporters and crowds surrounded them before the arrival of Mr. Aetherium.

  • March 7th explained that she had invitation tickets for the SoulGlad Scorchsand Audition, and the group decided to compete for a chance to meet Robin.
  • Gallagher told the crew that he had completed his final task, and Hanxing offered to help him become a real person.
  • Hanxing stabbed Gallagher, created an identical body, and transferred Gallagher's soul into it, restoring him to life.
  • Himeko apologized for distrusting Hanxing and proposed that the Astral Express and Stellaron Hunters work together, while Firefly agreed to continue the journey alongside them.
  • Hanxing opened a red portal, and he, Firefly, Yan Bai, and the Astral Express crew traveled to the Scorchsand venue to enter the audition.
  • The crowd and reporters swarmed the six contestants before the announcer introduced the wealthy businessman Mr. Aetherium.

Ch. 57Scorchsand Festival

Aetherium Leda welcomed the Astral Express crew and their companions to the Scorchsand Festival, then explained the competition’s stages and opened the event. The group split into two teams, and Hanxing, Firefly, and Yan Bai entered the first stage by choosing the Acting challenge.

  • Aetherium Leda invited Himeko, March 7th, Caelus, Hanxing, Firefly, and Yan Bai to introduce themselves to the galaxy.
  • Aetherium Leda reminisced about founding SoulGlad and the Scorchsand venue, then described the festival’s three stages and declared the competition open.
  • Himeko divided the contestants into two teams of three so they could progress efficiently and safely.
  • Hanxing, Firefly, and Yan Bai reached the first stage, Dreamplay Fantasia, and learned they could choose between Acting and Action challenges.
  • Firefly suggested the Acting challenge, and Hanxing and Yan Bai joined her on the Acting stage.

Ch. 58Gala Performance

Hanxing, Yan Bai, and Firefly performed scenes about Penacony’s pioneering era, first delivering lines and then acting out the story through body language. They passed both stages and headed toward the final round, where the show’s harshest judge awaited them.

  • A guide explained the three-stage performance round and mentioned a red-haired contestant who had earned the highest score.
  • Hanxing, Yan Bai, and Firefly improvised dialogue about arriving in barren Penacony, surviving desert hardship, and facing setbacks in the umbrella business.
  • At the second stage, Yan Bai rolled in the sand to make Firefly laugh, and Firefly acted out setting out with him again.
  • Yan Bai proposed business and regulatory measures to fight a rival, while Hanxing delivered a defiant speech and Firefly improvised a decision to leave Penacony.
  • The judge praised their performances, and the trio climbed toward the final round to face the harshest judge.

Ch. 59Is There a Second Round?

Hanxing, Firefly, and Yan Bai passed the final acting test and entered the second round of the Scorchsand Festival, choosing Clockie’s trial. Inside a Dream Ticker statue’s heart, they met Clockie, who vowed to help the dejected Dream Ticker accept that he was a discarded design.

  • Hanxing used a strange ability during the reunion scene, and the judge praised the trio’s performance and opened the way forward.
  • Firefly led Hanxing and Yan Bai to the next stage, where a guide introduced the second round and offered Gunfire or Time trials.
  • Hanxing chose the Time trial, and the trio arrived in the world of the Watchmaker, where a giant clock statue spoke of being a failure.
  • Yan Bai touched the statue, linking the trio so they could see inside its heart, where they found Dream Ticker and Clockie.
  • Dream Ticker explained that he had learned he was a scrapped Clockie design, and Clockie promised to help him find the missing parts of his heart.

Ch. 60Argenti

Hanxing, Firefly, and Yan Bai recovered Dream Ticker’s missing parts, restored its mind, and continued to the Superstar Showdown. There, they met Argenti, who challenged them to a contest of chivalric codes.

  • Clockie gave Hanxing, Firefly, and Yan Bai coordinates to find Dream Ticker’s missing parts, and the three split up to collect them.
  • Hanxing killed Seventeen Times Cooked with a slash, and Yan Bai rescued an Origami Bird trapped in its tail and recovered a missing part.
  • The three returned the parts to Dream Ticker, and Yan Bai restored its mind after Hanxing calmed its turmoil.
  • Firefly, Hanxing, and Yan Bai entered the final arena, where Argenti introduced himself as a Knight of Beauty.
  • Argenti explained that he had rescued thirty-two people on his way to Penacony and challenged the group to a contest of chivalric codes.

Ch. 61Identity Exposed

Hanxing, Yan Bai, and Firefly defeated Argenti and won the Scorchsand Festival, but Sunday confronted them before they entered the Grand Theater. Sunday rejected their demands for Penacony and exposed Hanxing as a transmigrator and Emanator of Harmony, leaving Hanxing furious and shaken.

  • Hanxing and Yan Bai fought Argenti, used a clone and coordinated attacks to defeat him, and Hanxing healed his injuries.
  • Argenti conceded and wished the three well as Hanxing, Yan Bai, and Firefly headed for the festival’s finish.
  • Hanxing, Firefly, and Yan Bai were announced as Scorchsand Festival champions and joined Caelus, March 7th, and the others on the stage walkway.
  • Sunday said the Oak Family would not accept the Nameless’s demands, arguing that Penacony must not return to a brutal, lawless era.
  • Sunday revealed that he knew Hanxing was a transmigrator and an Emanator of Harmony, leaving Hanxing angry and unable to understand how Sunday had learned his secrets.

Ch. 62Does "Order" Have Something to Do With This Too?

Welt exposed the Dream Master’s apparent innocence as a deception and deduced that the hidden force behind Penacony’s crisis was the Path of Order. The Dream Master ordered Sunday to restrain Welt and Robin, and Sunday began Tuning Robin.

  • Himeko asked Mr. Sunday to explain the meeting and what had delayed Welt and Robin.
  • Robin told the Dream Master that the Charmony Festival would spread the Stellaron’s power and trap everyone in Penacony’s dream.
  • The Dream Master submitted to Sunday’s questioning, and Xipe gave no sign that he had lied.
  • Welt questioned whether the Dream Master’s god was truly Xipe and explained how the fallen Path of Order could have become a discordant force within Harmony.
  • The Dream Master confirmed Welt’s suspicion through his reaction and ordered Sunday to make Welt and Robin rest.
  • Sunday began Tuning Robin and apologized that she had learned the truth.

Ch. 63"Order" or "Harmony"?

Sunday revealed that he sought to impose Order on Penacony and invited the Astral Express crew into his inner world to explain his choices. He began with a childhood dilemma about whether to shelter a fledgling Melodi-Dove in a cage or leave it in a nest, and Hanxing explained what each choice represented.

  • Sunday told Robin that he rejected Harmony and believed Order could guarantee happiness, while Himeko and March 7th demanded to know what he had done to Robin and Welt.
  • Sunday said Robin and Welt were safe, then explained his ambition to end suffering through Order and offered to show the Astral Express crew the choices that had led him there.
  • Sunday vanished into his inner world through Tuning and explained that the crew would experience his memories and emotions directly.
  • Sunday recounted how he and Robin found a dying Melodi-Dove as children and debated whether to build it a nest outdoors or keep it safe in a cage indoors.
  • Sunday asked the crew to choose how they would care for the fledgling, and Hanxing explained that the cage represented Order while the nest represented Harmony.

Ch. 64The Merits and Drawbacks of "Order" and "Harmony"

Sunday asked Caelus and the others to consider two choices about protecting the weak, then revealed that the caged Melodi-Dove died after being released. He presented a second dilemma about whether to stop the Hound Family from pursuing an illegal immigrant who had sold his children, and Caelus chose to intervene.

  • Himeko, Yan Bai, March 7th, and Firefly favored building a cage for the Melodi-Dove, while Hanxing argued that protecting it without confining it would preserve its freedom.
  • Caelus chose to build the cage, and Sunday revealed that the bird died after failing to fly safely when released.
  • Sunday told the group about a Dream Chaser who sold his house, land, and children to pursue a better life in Penacony, then asked whether they would stop the Hound Family's pursuit.
  • Himeko and Firefly favored stopping the pursuit, while March 7th and Yan Bai wanted the Dream Chaser punished, and Hanxing proposed monitoring him before deciding whether to help.
  • Caelus chose to ask the Hound Family to stop pursuing the Dream Chaser.

Ch. 65The Final Choice

Sunday explained how his earlier choice led to an oppressor, then recounted how Robin was shot while helping people in a war zone. He asked whether the Astral Express Crew would support Robin’s journey of Harmony, and Caelus chose to stand with her decision.

  • Sunday said the man he had helped became powerful but later tried to seize the Alfalfa Family’s leadership, and he no longer recognized his children.
  • Sunday recounted that Mr. Gopher Wood told him Robin had been shot in the neck while aiding relief efforts on Caspellion VIII, though she was recovering.
  • Sunday asked whether the Astral Express Crew would support Robin if she chose to risk her life for Harmony.
  • Himeko urged Caelus to consider his own experiences, while March 7th, Firefly, Hanxing, and Yan Bai each shared their thoughts on Robin’s choice.
  • Caelus walked to the position supporting Robin’s decision to embark on her journey.

Ch. 66The Challenger Who Flew Toward the Fire

Sunday explained his plan to create an eternal paradise by placing everyone under Order, with himself remaining awake as its sole sacrifice. Firefly, Hanxing, and the Astral Express rejected his dream, and Caelus declared that Mikhail’s Penacony would never belong to Order as the Aeon of Harmony appeared.

  • Sunday argued that humanity’s suffering came from the law of the jungle and proposed an eternal, peaceful dream for everyone.
  • Sunday revealed that maintaining the paradise would require him alone to remain awake until the end of the universe.
  • Firefly challenged the plan as an escape from reality and defended each person’s right to make their own choices.
  • Hanxing agreed that people had to overcome reality’s trials themselves, and Himeko asked Caelus to state the Astral Express’s choice.
  • Caelus put on Mikhail’s hat and declared that Mikhail’s Penacony would never belong to Order as the Aeon of Harmony appeared.

Ch. 67Parting Ways

Sunday formally challenged the Astral Express to settle Penacony’s future at the Charmony Festival, while Firefly and Hanxing prepared to leave for another battlefield. They departed to carry out Firefly’s second foretold death and open a path to the final fight, leaving the others to face Sunday and prevent Ena’s Dream.

  • Sunday invited the group to the Charmony Festival and declared that the future of the Stellaron, Penacony, and the galaxy would be settled there.
  • Himeko explained that Sunday believed deeply in Order and would fight with everything he had, and she urged the group to carry on Mikhail’s wish for Penacony.
  • Firefly explained that her script foretold three deaths and that she understood the meaning of the second; Himeko warned that the third could mean Penacony’s people remaining forever in Order’s dream.
  • Hanxing told Yan Bai to lead the others toward an opening in the sky when a purple meteor appeared, while Firefly and Hanxing prepared to leave for the next battlefield.
  • Firefly transformed into Sam and Hanxing spread his wings, and the two launched from the rising platform as red and golden meteors toward their battlefield.

Ch. 68Dominicus

Hanxing and Firefly followed Dominicus through Oak Mansion, where his memories revealed Gopher Wood’s past and a confrontation with an envoy of The Family. They learned that the envoy gave Gopher Wood a new crime to commit, but the memory ended before revealing what he chose to do.

  • Hanxing and Firefly confronted Dominicus, who explained that he was a fragment of memory left to guide them toward the Dream Master’s repentance for killing 214.
  • Dominicus led Hanxing and Firefly through Oak Mansion and described Gopher Wood’s past, including the riot that left him unable to leave the sweet dream.
  • Hanxing, Firefly, and Dominicus chose a path through the mansion, and the unchosen path collapsed behind them.
  • A memory showed the Dream Master questioning why he was being punished after Nanook’s manifestation and the Lord Ravager’s fall.
  • The envoy of The Family accused Gopher Wood of incompetence and granted him another crime, warning that its revelation would erase the meaning of his name.

Ch. 69"Cancer of All Worlds" · "Cancer of Harmony"

Hanxing and Firefly uncovered the Dream Master's plan to use the Swarm Disaster to revive Order, then followed the purple path through Oak Mansion. They found Dominicus beside an enormous pupa identified as the Swarm Disaster's “Deathly Stillness of the Fallen.”

  • The Tuning revealed that Stellarons were creations of Harmony and that Gopher Wood had turned away from Harmony, though Dominicus said this did not excuse his crimes.
  • Hanxing recovered a puzzle piece, which revealed a recording of the Dream Master explaining his attempt to use fear of the Swarm to awaken prayers for Order.
  • Firefly suspected the Dream Master planned to recreate the Swarm Disaster, and Dominicus said he had sought to learn how the Glamoth Iron Cavalry gained the power of Propagation.
  • Dominicus let Hanxing and Firefly choose their path, and they took the purple door toward Oak Mansion.
  • Hanxing and Firefly reached an enormous pupa, where Dominicus identified the terror as the Swarm Disaster's “Deathly Stillness of the Fallen.”

Ch. 70Omen of Death, Source of Calamity: Deep Nightmare Swarm Disaster

Hanxing and Firefly confronted Dominicus as he tried to unleash a strike tied to the Swarm Disaster, and his defeat brought a corrupted Iron Cavalry into the mansion. After Acheron intervened and Firefly reaffirmed her resolve to face her fate, Hanxing and Firefly prepared to fight AR-214 together.

  • Dominicus argued that fate could not be changed and warned Hanxing and Firefly that his attack could not be stopped.
  • Hanxing unleashed the power of Harmony to silence Dominicus's discordant melody, while Firefly transformed to confront him.
  • Dominicus's attack pierced the stained-glass window, but Hanxing reduced Dominicus to ash before the power could descend.
  • Firefly realized the attack had summoned the Swarm Disaster, and she and Hanxing encountered a Glamoth Iron Cavalry corrupted by Propagation.
  • Acheron intervened, and Firefly declared that she would no longer flee from fate.
  • Hanxing and Firefly prepared to face AR-214 together.

Ch. 71The Shattering of Ena's Dream

Firefly sacrificed herself to break the final layer of Ena's Dream and open the path to the decisive battle. Hanxing caught her falling body and used Harmony to erase the signs of her illness, but she turned into golden light and vanished, leaving him devastated.

  • Firefly and Hanxing fought the Propagation mech and the swarm, with Firefly pinning the mech down while Hanxing raised a golden barrier.
  • Firefly took the Stellaron from Hanxing and embedded it in her chest, then flew away as a purple meteor with the swarm following her.
  • Ena's projection was struck by a hammer, Acheron cut open the heavens, and Sparkle's bomb helped shatter the first three layers of the dream.
  • Firefly broke through the final wall and spent her life opening the path to the light, while Yan Bai carried Caelus toward it.
  • Hanxing caught Firefly as she fell and used Harmony to remove the traces of Entropy Loss Syndrome, but she turned into golden light and disappeared.

Ch. 72Promise

The Astral Express Crew and Yan Bai defeated Dominicus by rejecting his attempt to create a new Path and affirming humanity’s right to move forward. After everyone awoke from Ena’s Dream, Hanxing and Firefly faced her Entropy Loss Syndrome together and promised to marry.

  • Dominicus issued commands to sever the Paths, but the Astral Express Crew and Yan Bai resisted by invoking the memories and hopes of those who had protected Penacony.
  • Robin’s song interrupted Dominicus, and Caelus and the others joined together to declare that people had to leave the Dream and keep moving forward.
  • The Astral Express struck Dominicus, and Caelus answered that people would wake from their dreams; Robin caught Sunday as he fell.
  • Everyone awoke from Ena’s Dream, and Hanxing saw that green cracks from Entropy Loss Syndrome were spreading across Firefly’s face.
  • Firefly told Hanxing she wanted to see fireworks and marry him, and he promised her a grand wedding as they affirmed their love.

Ch. 73Preparations

Hanxing and Firefly planned their wedding with Silver Wolf’s help, choosing a venue, attire, and date. The chapter ended with Firefly asking Hanxing to invite 214.

  • Silver Wolf joined Hanxing and Firefly, revealed she had been caught in Ena’s Dream, and offered to help plan their wedding in exchange for two days of games.
  • Silver Wolf gave Hanxing the 1,000,000 Credits Kafka had sent as his salary and discussed the couple’s finances with them.
  • Silver Wolf suggested Yan Bai as the emcee and the Astral Express, Penacony acquaintances, and others as guests, assuring them she had suppressed news about Hanxing being a Stellaron Hunter.
  • Hanxing chose a grand wedding at the Golden Hour, decided they would wear work clothes, and set the ceremony for the next day, June 21.
  • Firefly asked Hanxing to invite 214 to the wedding.

Ch. 74Salvation

Hanxing and Firefly found 214’s remains and used her lingering soul and the Propagation mech to restore her body. After waking, 214 learned that Glamoth had fallen and chose the name Jintiao as she began a new life.

  • Hanxing used the Propagation mech to guide him and Firefly to 214’s remains.
  • Hanxing found a trace of 214’s soul and drew it back with the sword while Firefly brought the mech and armor to her.
  • Hanxing reconstructed 214’s body, and her soul returned to it.
  • Firefly explained Glamoth’s fall and recent events to 214 after she woke.
  • Firefly encouraged 214 to choose her own name, and 214 named herself Jintiao.

Ch. 75Invitation

Hanxing and Firefly invited Jintiao to their wedding and brought her to the Golden Hour, then invited the Astral Express Crew as well. At the Charmony Festival, Robin announced that the Five Families would give the Radiant Feldspar to the Nameless.

  • Firefly and Hanxing invited Jintiao to their wedding, and Hanxing took her to the Golden Hour before she left to explore.
  • Hanxing bought a large assortment of fireworks for Firefly and took her to find the Astral Express Crew.
  • Hanxing asked Caelus to reserve a place for them on the ship and invited the crew to the wedding; Caelus accepted the invitation but said he could not promise a place.
  • Robin praised the Watchmaker and the Astral Express Crew during her Charmony Festival speech.
  • Robin announced that the Penacony branch of the Family would transfer ownership of the Radiant Feldspar to the Astral Express.
Arc 3 of 5
Arc 3 of 5