"Something's happened..." Xing's voice was low and incredulous, "There were imaginary neutron bombs on the ship, Masked Fools is entirely responsible."
Just as she was about to contact her companions, a flippant, almost grating voice rang out from behind her:
"Oh dear, Little Grey Hair, let Lady Sparkle reveal the answer to this difficult question for you herself~"
Before the words were even finished, the colorful virtual projection of Sparkle was already standing vividly in front of Xing.
Hoshi opened her mouth, but Sparkle beat her to it, extending a slender finger and almost provocatively pressing it against her lips.
" Sparkle -sama, her specialty is showing up uninvited, and you can't stop her even if you want to!" She winked, her smile sly.
"Alright, let's get down to business! Aren't you surprised? All of Sparkle- sama's [ Mutually Assured Destruction Button ] were clearly retrieved... so why is the bomb's countdown still running?"
She paused deliberately, admiring Xing's furrowed brows, before slowly revealing the answer:
"Actually, this is all thanks to our brave hunting dogs! It's thanks to their hard work in collecting the buttons that Lady Sparkle, still in solitary confinement, was able to press them one by one~"
"Sigh~ It really took a lot of effort for Lady Sparkle... a hundred thousand buttons, a full forty-eight system hours!"
Sparkle exaggeratedly dragged out the last syllable, striking a pitiful and exhausted pose in an attempt to gain Hoshi's sympathy.
"You're working way too hard... There are so many other things you could do with that kind of patience..." Xing complained helplessly.
"Thank you for your praise!" Sparkle instantly suppressed her grievances and proudly put her hands on her hips.
"It's mainly because Lady Sparkle is lucky~ Although I don't know why, 16,537 esteemed Dream Chaser volunteered to help Lady Sparkle... Indeed, a smiling girl is bound to have good luck~"
She laughed so hard she nearly fell over, before calming down a bit and dropping the key information:
"In short, the bomb that Lady Sparkle planted on the cruise ship is hidden inside all 999 dolls. I'm sure the sharp-eyed Little Grey Hair will be able to find the real bomb! Good luck~"
The last notes still lingered in the air when the dazzling projection of the Sparkle suddenly vanished, leaving Xing in place, her mind a jumble of emotions.
At the Dreamjolt Bar, the air seemed to freeze upon hearing Blake's words.
At this moment, Silver Wolf felt as if ten thousand Voidranger of the [ Antimatter Legion ] were galloping through his mind.
She couldn't even imagine how awful a " Soap Sparkling Drink " could taste with edible laundry detergent added!
Blake nodded slightly, then bowed respectfully to the empty space at the other end of the bar, his posture utterly deferential.
"All is the arrangement of Eternity; may His will be manifested."
"Hey, don't change the subject at a time like this!"
At the same time, a young man dressed in simple, almost plain clothes appeared silently outside the Asdana Galaxy.
He was dressed in simple, almost plain clothes, and beneath his jet-black hair was a handsome face, yet an indescribable sense of detachment permeated his entire being, making him stand out from the bustling starry sky.
"To actually shift the blame to his subordinate, the Masked Fools, is something [ Elation ] would do."
Ye Yan's gaze fell on the ' Sparkle ' doll in his hand, and he shook his head almost imperceptibly.
"Hello, I am a bomb! I have some time before I explode, you can go look around somewhere else first!"
The ' Sparkle ' doll suddenly emitted a synthesized sound that was both cheerful and eerie.
"However, if you don't mind waiting, I can sing you a soft and soothing song to keep you from getting bored~"
"Next, please enjoy 'Never Give Up, Never Abandon,' performed by pop superstar Ace Rickley from the Epsilon XII Galaxy..."
"[Oh, Aha! If you ask me how I feel about you, please don't tell me you're ignoring me!]"
"He will never give up on you, never let you down! He will never abandon you, never make you cry!"
"[He will never say goodbye to you, and will never hurt you with lies—oh, praise Aha!]"
As the almost tearful "Praise Aha " faded away, the ' Sparkle ' doll in Ye Yan's hand exploded with a bang!
Amidst the debris and dust, a crimson, twisted Fool's Mask hovered eerily in mid-air, emitting a piercing laugh:
Aha! You didn't expect that, did you? This isn't some old, outdated radio; it's a bomb infused with Aha's passion!
Ye Yan's eyes remained calm and still, not even the tips of his hair were disturbed by the gust of air. "I never thought it was a radio."
"Oh~ Aha!" The masked man's laughter grew even more smug. "Looks like Little Stellaron Spirit has no idea!"
"The imaginary bomb that could turn the entire Asdana Galaxy into fireworks... is hidden in the 'spoils of war' that ' Lycurgus ' generously gifted to her! Aha!"
With Xing's urgent contact, everyone quickly evacuated all important guests from the [ The Radiant Feldspar ], including Old Oti.
She stared at the locked treasure chest, her brow furrowed, lost in thought.
"Hmm, based on Galactic Baseballer's many years of experience traveling the world, what Sparkle just now was just a decoy; the real bomb is hidden here!"
"Agreed! If the Intellitron administrator was indeed Sparkle in disguise, then this treasure chest is the most suspicious object!"
March 7th nodded vigorously beside her, her pale pink hair swaying in the breeze.
"The possibility is very high." Dan Heng crossed his arms and calmly added, his cool eyes scrutinizing the box.
"However, we cannot completely rule out the possibility that the '999 dolls' mentioned by Sparkle also exist."
"After all... for the Masked Fools, setting up thousands of prank bombs at the same time is just a matter of time and energy; they have plenty of 'leisure time' for it."
Xing scratched his head. "Uh... you're right. But right now, we should be more focused on how to deal with this treasure chest."
"Without the protection of [ Order ], if this dream were to explode here... the consequences would be unimaginable." Firefly's gaze was serious as she looked at the locked treasure chest.
The cold, metallic surface of the treasure chest reflected the gleam of the bridge. The chains remained motionless, exuding a silent threat, while only the countdown Clockie silently in my mind.
"How do we open it?" March 7th leaned closer, his fingertips shimmering with the faint light of ice crystals, and pulled out an ice gun. "How about... we freeze it with Six-Phased Ice first? To reduce the explosive power?"
Dan Heng raised his hand to stop her. "No. Imaginary Energy has special properties. If it is forcibly frozen or destroyed by external forces, it is very likely to be triggered prematurely, or even cause a more violent chain collapse."
His gaze sharpened as he meticulously scanned the structure and energy circuitry of the container. "This bomb's construction is highly unusual, as if it's locked by some inexplicable force of Path..."
"The design is very [ Elation ]... full of traps, and forcing a breakthrough would be too risky," Dan Heng concluded.
Xing's fingers tapped unconsciously on her baseball bat. Just then, Firefly spoke up:
"Actually... it's not entirely impossible."
"Remember? The Script said I would experience three [deaths] in the Land of the Dreams."
"I think this is the prelude to the [third] time."
Xing shook her head, decisively rejecting Firefly's idea. "I already told you not to pull back foreshadowing at a time like this!"
"It's alright. As long as I can withstand the pain brought by the immense pressure of the Memoria, I can descend into the primordial Memory Zone beyond the dream, which will provide a glimmer of hope for the [ The Radiant Feldspar ].
"I will take this bomb deep into the dream world... at least to the deepest, most deserted place possible. That way, no one will get hurt."
"And what about you?" Xingxiang held out her hand to Firefly. "Why don't you hand the bomb over to me?"
"Don't worry, I believe this Firefly Armor will be enough to get me where I need to be before the countdown ends... and there's even a chance I'll return safely."
"Besides... you know, I also have the protection of [ Eternity ]."
Firefly smiled slightly, "This is the best and most reasonable choice at the moment. After all, this long story deserves a [happy] ending."
"Let me share a quote with you, which Miss Acheron actually told me. She said, 'The so-called impossible things are just things that haven't happened yet'... There are just too many impossible things happening right now... But are they really absolutely impossible?"
"If you ask me, maybe the moment when these [impossibilities] are denied just hasn't arrived yet."
"[Rebirth]... whether it's the end in the literal sense, the agony of death, or a life-or-death situation... before the predetermined end arrives, they are all the same, and I can still make many choices."
"I also firmly believe... that the answer to the [outcome] is already in our hearts the moment we make a choice."
"It is not fate that shapes us, but we who shape fate."