"Speaking of which, something strange happened on my way to your room. I was walking along peacefully when someone suddenly handed me a strange gift."
"I opened it and saw it was a button, with words on the back: 'Press this and the entire Penacony will be blown to bits!' -- What?! That's terrifying!"
Hearing March 7th say this, Xing's tone even carried a hint of anticipation:
"Try pressing it?"
"No way! Who would press a button that looks so dangerous!"
On March 7th, he pulled out the exquisitely packaged red button box. As the saying goes, something unusual is bound to happen. It looks so beautiful on the surface, but who knows how dangerous it might be underneath?
"I turned around, and the person had vanished. I had no choice but to hand it over to a nearby hunting dog. I heard there have been quite a few similar reports, even before the opening of the Charmony Festival."
"Sigh, I'm really worried about Penacony's future..."
After a while, Xing noticed that an important member seemed to be missing from the bar:
"By the way, where's Himeko?"
"She went ahead to negotiate with the Family as the Astral Express Crew representative. She will contact us as soon as everything is arranged," Dan Heng explained.
After the defeat of the " Embryo of Philosophy," the branch the Family of the Montor System rushed to the scene and quickly brought it under control. Thanks to Miss Robin, most members of the Oak Family were unharmed.
"The mastermind behind all the conspiracies was identified as the former [ Dream Master ] Gopher Wood, but by the time we arrived... he had already perished."
As he spoke, Dan Heng glanced at Ye Yan. He didn't doubt [ Eternity ], but he had reason to suspect that the [ Church of Eternity ] was behind it.
" Gopher Wood's demise has nothing to do with [ Eternity ]; it was the end he deserved."
Ye Yan spoke calmly, but then again... although there is no such thing as [ Eternity ], a certain God of Elation and that [ Dream Master ] played a game.
I remember Aha saying this to Gopher Wood: "Hahaha~ In the face of [ Elation ], only chaos is the Eternity rule! Little Hermit Thrush-- "
Hmm... okay, [ Eternity ] is done too.
Then, to make the performance complete, since the simulation is of the creator of [ Erudition ], then the corresponding powers should be used to give Gopher Wood a proper ending.
The points of light, imbued with terrifying knowledge, drifted slowly toward the [ Dream Master ].
"Catch it, or... let it crush you into the dust of logic? Choose! Enjoy this moment of Elation! Aha!"
Alas, the poor Little Hermit Thrush, toyed with by [ Elation ] and [ Eternity ].
"And... what about Sunday?" Xing asked, shifting the perspective back to the present.
He will face trial, and as for more... the Family cannot disclose.
"In the end, ordinary people only felt that this was an attack by evil forces against the Charmony Festival, and that the Family had failed in its duty to [protect the beautiful dream], causing its credibility to plummet." March 7th put his hands on his hips and shook his head.
"Although it's still quite far from the truth, it's probably the least impactful outcome..."
"After all, you can't tell who's awake and who's pretending to be asleep."
A voice suddenly rang out behind everyone, Gallagher appeared at the bar of [ Dreamjolt Bar ] without anyone noticing.
"They may open their eyes when they are at their wits' end, but they will also return to the embrace of dreams once the danger has passed."
Gallagher placed the prepared drinks on the bar. "Three glasses of [ The Trailblaze's Glory ], a tribute to everyone."
"Huh? You're still alive?"
Xing was surprised. Didn't this guy say that Enigmata characters would disappear quickly once their true nature was revealed? Does their shelf life really last this long?
"Hey, that's a bit rude." March 7th poked at the star.
Haha~ I'm sorry to disappoint you, but it's great to see you all again.
Gallagher raised his glass and took a sip.
"But after the reunion, it may be time to say goodbye. When does the Astral Express plan to leave Penacony?"
"We'll stay a little longer, but not too long."
"Is that so... So this is the last time we'll meet? Hmm... If this is a farewell, it seems like something's missing."
"Music? Atmosphere? Ah, perhaps it's a special cocktail, dedicated to those who aren't here."
"Etc..."
Everyone except Ye Yan realized something at the same time: if Gallagher was still alive, then was Mikhail...?
"Ha, remember to let me know before you leave, so I can add a few more entries to the Astral Express's Data Bank."
Meanwhile, on the [ The Radiant Feldspar ], the conversation between ' Lycurgus ' and Old Oti continued.
"Disorder? Hehehe~" Old Oti did not directly refute, but instead raised his finger and pointed to the dazzling dream dome above his head.
"Long ago, Penacony was nothing more than a beautiful fossil in the palm of the company's hand; absolute [ Order ] brought only deathly silence."
He paused deliberately, observing the other party's subtle reactions. "So, Old Oti's risky move was merely following the natural flow of the universe; if this flow itself is considered presumptuous in the eyes of [ Eternity ]..."
The word " Eternity " seemed far too insignificant. Old Oti didn't utter this aloud; he wasn't foolish enough to spout such nonsense before the believers in " Eternity."
"You're gambling with the entire future of Penacony," ' Lycurgus ' voice turned icy again, "Betting on your understanding of [ Eternity ], just within the limits permitted by the Weaver. The stakes... are high."
Life is like a dream, the world is like a game.
Old Oti slowly leaned back in his chair, his gaze becoming profound:
"If you don't gamble, you're destined to be a loser."
"On the plate of Interastral Peace Corporation, Penacony is merely a dish to be sliced."
"Take a gamble on [self-listing], at least there's a glimmer of hope, allowing its dreamland to belong to itself, rather than becoming some behemoth..."
Before Old Oti could finish speaking, the figure of ' Lycurgus ' blurred without warning, as if it were a projection with an unstable signal.
A faint energy fluctuation vanished in an instant. ' Lycurgus ' slightly raised his hand, his fingertips pressing against the helmet cover, and his brows beneath the mask seemed to furrow slightly.
He lowered his hand, and for the first time, a barely perceptible unease crept into his voice, like a melody abruptly cut short.
"I apologize, Mr. Oti, but I am feeling slightly unwell. The call of [ Eternity ]... is more urgent than I anticipated."
' Lycurgus ' stood up, maintaining her perfect and elegant posture. " Mr. Oti, I understand your 'bet.' I wish you... good luck."
Before he finished speaking, ' Lycurgus ' vanished without a trace, like ink dissolving in water, leaving no mark whatsoever, as if he had never existed.
Only the faint, lingering crimson glow in the air and the untouched cup of tea on the coffee table in front of Old Oti proved that the confrontation just now was not a dream.