Chapter 173: The Trailblazer’s Dream Bubble! The Gentle and Delicate Girl Appears!
No matter how twisty the journey, this plunge from the skies convinced the wary audience—now she's truly in the dream world.
...
: ... I have to say, the pacing and flow are intense.
: The rhythm and information density are way too tight, but next, we should be able to catch a breather.
: I refuse to believe they can keep this constant brain-burning pace for an entire episode.
: True, if this continues, my brain's going to explode.
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When Stelle climbed up from the uneven ground, the passersby around her only glanced briefly.
It seemed that such occurrences were not uncommon in dreams.
Turning her head, Stelle saw the siblings Sunday and Robin.
"Are you... are you okay?" Robin asked with concern, looking at Stelle.
"Uh, I think... I'm okay?" Stelle scratched her head, unsure if falling from such a height counted as being "okay" or not.
The siblings exchanged a glance.
The next moment, Stelle suddenly clutched her head.
The screen was also covered in a seven-colored halo.
Sounds and visuals began to blur and meld together in a strange way, conveying a peculiar resonance frequency to the fans.
"It's okay, relax."
"Inhale—they sing. Exhale—they sing."
Robin's gentle voice echoed in Stelle's mind.
A warm feeling gradually spread throughout Stelle's body, and a rainbow-like illusion softly brushed the top of her head, closing her eyes with tenderness and care.
This comforting sensation almost made Stelle fall asleep on the spot.
As the illusion dissipated, Stelle took a deep breath.
Her once-confused gaze was now brimming with energy, "That was... amazing! What did you do to me?"
"Don't worry. She just used a resonant frequency adjustment to help you gain control over your body within the dream." Sunday stood tall, one hand behind his back, and explained in a gentle tone:
"The beautiful dream of Penacony is essentially made up of 'memory matter.' Only by mastering its properties can one freely navigate its confines.
"It's like swimming: once you get used to the water, you can float freely on the surface. Of course, that's only theoretically possible. Our understanding of memory matter is still quite shallow."
"Except for memory shapers in the realm of Dreams, it's difficult for ordinary people to manipulate memory matter at will."
From Sunday's explanation, both Stelle and the audience outside the screen gained further insight into the nature of memory matter.
Afterward, Sunday and Robin departed together, leaving Stelle to explore the Golden Moment on her own.
According to the Express group's original plan, the four of them were scattered across different dreamscapes.
Looking at the luxurious skyscrapers and the peculiar artisans bustling through the streets, Stelle wandered curiously, her excitement evident.
Following Stelle's perspective, the audience also got a taste of the dreamland's extravagant charm.
All sorts of novel and bizarre sights captivated them.
Just as Stelle was looking around, a commotion broke out nearby.
Turning to look, she saw two advertising billboards with legs chasing after her.
"What the heck!?" Stelle was startled and instinctively reached for her baseball bat.
"Drink this bottle of SoulGlad—quick recovery, quick results!"
"Mr. Newcomer! Ride the waves with your taste buds!"
The two billboards surrounded Stelle, playing different music and jingles, while bouncing around and making a loud "duang-duang" sound.
...
: This is hilarious! These billboards are ridiculously persistent.
: Oh wow, it looks like there are more on the street.
: Amazing, so much energy!
: Hahaha, this is peak futuristic capitalism—ads have leveled up this much.
: It's just as annoying as those shake-to-open ads on phones now.
: Honkai: Star Rail always has these wild, funny moments.
...
These trailing billboards had the audience in stitches, evoking a strong sense of déjà vu, like some intrusive mobile ads that auto-redirect when you accidentally shake your phone.
In the scene, Stelle struggled for a while before finally shaking off the billboards.
Out of breath, she found herself at the Dream Shop.
The Dream Shop only appeared during the Golden Moment, and to help March 7th check off her list, Stelle had to at least give it a try.
Standing in front of the shop, Stelle asked a few questions and quickly understood the store's unique rules.
However, she wasn't sure which to choose for the moment.
"Don't worry, Dr. Edward will provide you with meticulous assistance. I'll help you select your first dream bubble."
"Please tell me your age, occupation, and as many details as possible."
Dr. Edward stared at Stelle with wide eyes as he spoke slowly.
Without much thought, Stelle handed over her personal details, Galaxy Baseballer, Xianzhou's Great Hero...
If Edward hadn't interrupted, Stelle might have gone on an extended monologue.
Soon after, Edward selected a dream bubble suitable for Stelle.
"All done. Analysis complete. I'm confident this is the perfect choice."
"It's from a private donation, rumored to contain memories... of the fallen Aeon, Akivili."
"I can assure you, this dream bubble is absolutely perfect for you!"
Akivili? The previously relaxed audience, now intrigued by the sightseeing, was once again stirred into excitement by this revelation.
Could someone's dream truly hold the memories of an Aeon?
Under the eager eyes of the audience, Stelle pressed her forehead against the dream bubble.
She felt a momentary daze, and the scene transformed into a train compartment bathed in psychedelic hues.
Furthermore, it was the bustling Astral Express!
"Pioneer of the Astral Express! Do you plead guilty!? The sins you've committed are unforgivable, but the conductor respects everyone's right to perform their duties!"
"...Now, get serious and do the deep cleaning!"
The familiar Pom-Pom was looking up at her angrily.
At that moment, Dr. Edward's voice interjected, "I will not interpret the contents of this dream bubble for you. You will share the dream bubble owner's memories and personally experience what they saw and felt."
"Additionally, part of the audio track was lost when the dream bubble was recorded— perhaps memory matter couldn't contain that indescribable sound."
"But to enhance your experience, you may choose anyone's voice for its narration, provided you're familiar enough with it."
After this explanation, Stelle paused in thought, then responded in a steady voice.
"I'm listening…" The voice of the dream bubble's owner had already morphed into that of Pompom.
"Then, are you and the other passengers responsible for the following malicious incidents?"
"You broke into the Tech Saddle Grand Stadium, disrupted the event, and caused twenty nameless guests to engage in unpaid labor for three months! Do you plead guilty, pom?"
"You infiltrated the Tri National Zoo and tampered with military-grade seating configurations, causing chaos among the habitats of 300 confined animals! You kept them confined in the restroom, leading to the train being flooded with sewage! Do you plead guilty!?"
The more Pompom spoke, the more agitated she became, stomping her feet in frustration.
However, the list of charges did not end there.
"You invaded the kitchen, causing the disappearance of forty-two fragrant, crispy Pompom pies and even took the last bowl of stew, leaving the conductor hungry!"
"The collective disappearance of the Express's knowledge repository, the carriage plant-watering incident, and the tampering with temperature controls in the storage compartment!"
"A total of forty-six malicious incidents in all! Do you admit that they were all your doing?"
Having finished, Pompom fixed her gaze on the dream bubble's owner.
The dream bubble's owner sighed, then shamefully admitted, "I'm sorry… I must be the worst nameless guest in the world."
"No, you're not!" But Pompom turned her head to the side, her pupils flashing with a dark glimmer.
"Huh? Is there someone worse than me? Who is it?" The dream bubble's owner was visibly surprised.
"It's the person who blew the train into two halves," Pompom said through gritted teeth.
...
: Hahaha, I can't hold it in anymore.
: Was the express always this lively?
: Your adventuring is way too cheerful.
: Is this dream bubble's owner Akivili? Damn, judging by these 'incidents,' it feels like this adventurer might actually be Aha in disguise.
: Aha: Thinking about me?
: Amazing, someone really blew the express in half? Incredible.
: No wonder the Simulated Universe storyline says Aha gets along with Akivili. Their "tastes" are just too similar.
: If you think about it, this dream bubble's owner could very well be Akivili.
: I used to think Stelle's dubious behavior was a personal thing, but now it seems… nope, it's the whole express nameless are the same.
: But this might not be real; maybe it's just for laughs. Unless Pompom gets to see it…
…
This dream bubble, claiming to be related to Akivili, brought an uncontrollable sense of amusement to the audience.
Moreover, many of the charges seemed… exaggerated.
A large portion of them even looked like something Akivili might have orchestrated.
The audience found it hard to believe this dream bubble was genuine.
At that moment, on screen, Stelle also questioned whether this dream bubble was related to Akivili.
Under Dr. Edward's ambiguous response, Stelle decided to purchase the dream bubble for Pompom to see later, paying 100,000 credits.
Stelle paid up without hesitation.
At the time, the audience didn't fully understand the credits monetary system or whether 100,000 credits was a lot or a little.
But soon enough, as they followed Stelle on a journey of sightseeing and food exploration, they began to grasp the value of credits and it's spending power.
Simply put, in Penacony, meeting basic living needs required very few credits.
However… if one wanted to improve their quality of life even slightly, prices quickly became incomprehensible.
For example, the most common SoulGlad beverages cost 1,800 credits.
Layered sundaes and sliced cakes were similarly priced. Anything more indulgent could cost up to 3,600 credits.
In this consumerist world, it's not easy to accumulate wealth.
From a practical perspective, an ordinary person with tens of thousands of savings would already be considered well-off.
Having hundreds of thousands could be deemed modest wealth.
Millions or tens of millions of credits were astronomical figures for ordinary Penacony residents—an unattainable dream.
As Stelle strolled through the city, enjoying food and experiences, the audience noticed occasional glimpses of reality among the dazzling lights.
High prices, low wages, and the struggle to save money. Even a couple arguing over splitting the bill for an oak cake.
These glimpses into the harsh reality of Penacony's lower class deeply resonated with the audience, sparking lively discussions in the comments:
...
: Credits as a universal currency make sense with a high inflation rate, but given the prices and living standards in Penacony, it seems like life for ordinary people is pretty tough.
: Wait, aren't these dream characters just people staying at the hotel in real life?
: Hmm… this is interesting. Spending money to travel, entering a dream world, working, consuming, and paying rent all within the dream?
: Penacony earns and spends within itself? Not a single penny can leave?
: Hahaha, it's a closed-loop economy.
: From this perspective, Penacony isn't as glamorous as it seems, unless you're a super-rich millionaire or billionaire.
: But judging by how Stelle spends money without hesitation, the Nameless must be quite wealthy. Maybe a secret tycoon.
: Ugh, so envious. Why does Stelle have so much money? I want to wander around and eat without a care, too!
...
As fans followed Stelle on her journey of exploring Penacony's culture and lifestyle, the screen suddenly showed a new development.
While walking through a bustling street, heading toward another destination, Stelle was drawn to a commotion.
"Don't even think about running, you stowaway!" Several men and women surrounded a pitiful, trembling figure—a delicate, rain-soaked girl with flowing hair and mismatched clothes.
Their aggressive attitude left the fragile girl cowering, hands clasped protectively against her chest, looking terrified.
The audience's eyes lit up, their excitement soaring.
It's Firefly! Holy smokes. The most eye-catching and discussed female character from the PV had made her entrance!