The dreamscape, once silent and chaotic, suddenly stirred with wind.
This wind wasn't confined to just this space: at that moment, the entire Reverie Hotel within the dream of Penacony was swept by a terrifying hurricane that made every living being within it tremble in fear.
No one, neither person nor monster, could understand why wind would exist inside a dream, but all were grateful that it didn't seem to harm them.
The storm, however, had only one target: Something Unto Death.
As the wind howled through the dream, the floating monstrosity was immediately blown away.
It let out a painful and unwilling roar.
Just a little more, a little more, and it could've sent that girl to the true Penacony! Who was it that ruined its hunt?
Its many eyes darted wildly through the space, searching for the culprit, until it finally saw that familiar man.
At the same time, Firefly felt the gentle brush of wind on her cheek and instinctively turned her head.
What she saw this time wasn't the creature that lured people toward death, but the real Pei Guang.
In his right hand he held a four-leaf clover, and in his left, flames condensed into a shield as he strode forward step by step.
"Looks like I made it just in time."
When Pei Guang had noticed Firefly suddenly start moving on her own, he had pushed his speed to the limit, racing all the way here. When he saw her walking toward Something Unto Death, he'd used everything he had left.
He let the four-leaf clovers draw from his strength, replenishing them constantly with consumables. Once he was sure he could restrain Something Unto Death, he activated the miraculous clovers.
And true to their name, even in the dream, those mystical clovers could summon a wind that targeted one enemy alone.
Riding that controlled gale, Pei Guang finally reached Firefly's side.
Seeing her in the distance, he broke into a run. Firefly, spotting him, ran toward him too.
Joy and relief washed over her: she truly felt what it meant to be happy. The moment they reached each other, she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.
"I…"
Firefly looked up as if to say something, but Pei Guang interrupted her gently. "You don't have to say anything. Once we beat that thing, we'll have plenty of time to talk. How do you feel? Can you still fight?"
Firefly took out the three transformation devices Pei Guang had given her, her expression firm and focused.
"No problem."
"Then let's—"
Before Pei Guang could finish his sentence, the hall filled with a shrill roar and waves of purple-black mist.
This time, however, Something Unto Death wasn't hiding behind its shroud: it was moving through the space in its true form.
As it slithered through the air, it casually tore apart several Memetic creatures, absorbing their essence. Their deaths fed the monster, their bodies dissolving into the deathly haze that surrounded it.
Pei Guang quickly noticed something strange: Something Unto Death's gaze stayed locked onto him and Firefly, but it showed no interest whatsoever in Acheron.
And Acheron, for her part, didn't move. She simply stood there, quietly watching.
Seeing this, Pei Guang wasn't angry. Instead, he called out to her directly. "Can you help us deal with this thing?"
In his mind, this was only natural. If a player didn't ask for help, an NPC wouldn't act: it was a rule of games.
In fact, in plenty of games, if you didn't ask, the NPCs would stand there and watch everything happen.
So Pei Guang did the obvious thing: he asked Acheron for help.
Acheron blinked, slightly confused. "Enemy? …That thing? I see. I'll help."
Pei Guang could tell something was off about her. She wasn't unwilling, she was just unsure.
Unsure of who the real enemy was.
"A monster that huge, and you're not sure it's the enemy?!"
That was Pei Guang's first reaction.
But then it hit him. Acheron was the first person he'd met after arriving in Penacony. During The Golden Hour, she'd also been able to sense Misha's presence.
And judging by Clockie Boy's reaction back then, it was clear that Acheron possessed some sort of ability that could threaten either him—or the very fabric of this world.
Considering her earlier willingness to help, and her own title as a "Galaxy Ranger," she should easily be able to tell friend from foe.
Yet now her expression said: Who's the enemy?
If Acheron could perceive things that normal people couldn't… then maybe, in her perception, Something Unto Death wasn't truly an enemy.
That realization made Pei Guang pause.
Something Unto Death… a death that shouldn't exist within dreams. Firefly's the key.
Could it be… that this monster is also a key to a deeper layer of the dream? Or that dying here is what leads further down?
Like in Inception.
It's worth testing, but not personally… so, who could I send?
Pei Guang's thoughts spun rapidly.
It sounded absurd—but at the same time, strangely plausible. After all, there were always developers who loved paying tribute to classic stories.
If this were a normal game, he could experiment freely, and if it failed, just check a guide. But this was real.
It wasn't the time for reckless bets.
If it came down to it, though, he'd test it himself. He still had one resurrection left.
When the time came, that could be his proof.
Pei Guang was lost in thought, and Firefly noticed something off about him.
Worried, she asked, "Are you alright?"
Pei Guang replied, "I'm fine. I was just thinking about this thing… Some things can wait for later. Let's deal with this one first. Even if it might not be an actual enemy, maybe even a key to reaching deeper into the dream, I believe we can find another way down."
"I understand," Firefly nodded firmly. "I trust you. Let's fight together this time. Transform!"
She took out the transformation device Pei Guang had given her.
In that instant, her body was covered in red armor, and the entire Memory Zone felt as if it were set aflame.
Firefly asked, "What should I do?"
Pei Guang said, "Simple. I'll draw its attention and try to restrain it. Once it's under control, you use whatever lethal attack you can think of to finish it off. Also—take this. If that suffocating mist appears around it again, use the four-leaf clover. That deathly fog shouldn't be infinite; once you blow it away, it shouldn't reappear for a while."
"Got it!" Firefly answered.
"It's just a high-speed flying enemy," Pei Guang said calmly. "It's not my first time: I've fought worse."
He looked down at the minimap. Something Unto Death had completely hidden itself, but since it was marked, it couldn't escape his sight.
"There you are!"
From the shadows above them, Something Unto Death lunged.
This time, however, Pei Guang was fully prepared.
A shield formed on his left arm, ignited with the flames of Savory Truefire. The shield blocked physical attacks, while the flames warded off magical ones.
Unless this creature could deal pure true damage, Pei Guang was confident he could block its strike and throw it off balance.
Firefly was ready too: if Pei Guang's defense succeeded, she would attack immediately. If it failed, she would pull him back and retreat.
Though it was their first time truly fighting together, they were already perfectly in sync, anticipating not just the next few moves but the next dozen.
The first attack from Something Unto Death came from above.
Watching its mark on the minimap, Pei Guang instantly raised his shield.
It had targeted Pei Guang this time. It expected him to either strike back with that strange wind or flee—but it never imagined he'd just raise a tiny, flimsy shield?
Who was it? The great and terrible Something Unto Death! Everyone it struck had been sent to the "real" Penacony.
If a small shield could stop it, what kind of joke would that be?
Since Pei Guang wouldn't dodge, it swung its claws, now several times larger than before, straight at his chest.
But the moment it touched him, Pei Guang flicked his shield lightly. Its claws bounced off instantly, and its whole body trembled violently, freezing in place.
Pei Guang blinked in surprise. "What the—its toughness is that low? I've been on guard for nothing."
Even before he finished speaking, Firefly was already moving in for an attack.
But once she got close, she hesitated. The armor felt natural to move in, but attacking with it… not so much.
She had no weapon, only some wide-range skills that risked hitting Pei Guang. If she couldn't use those, then… bare hands?
Punching it bare-handed? Firefly hesitated, thinking it over.