Since the release of the dance, Penacony has been gripped by unease.
No one knows where Miss "Huangquan" is now, nor what she plans to do after arriving in Penacony...
Anyone would feel chills knowing such a fearsome figure lurks near their home.
Now, the only hope is that Yu Ling will shed light on Huangquan's motives in the story.
Otherwise, Penacony may no longer be a gathering place for sweet dreams—but for nightmares!
...
In Guinaifen's livestream, the viewer count surged once again.
Beyond just gamers, factions from all corners of the galaxy were closely watching the unfolding events.
Guinaifen took a sip of water and continued the story.
At this point, the Express Crew had arrived at the hotel lobby—ready to check in.
However, a minor hiccup occurred during the process.
Turns out, when the Astral Express received the Family's invitation, Stelle hadn't boarded yet.
Thus, the registered guests didn't include Stelle.
Welt stepped forward to negotiate with the hotel staff: "How about this? Our companion Dan Heng's plans changed last minute, so he won't be staying. Could you transfer his reserved room to this child? The headcount would still match."
Himeko added, "This child is a new passenger aboard the Astral Express. We can vouch for her identity."
The staff hesitated.
Then, two options appeared before the Trailblazer:
[ (Present the Wanderer's Visa...) ]
[ (Present the Architect's Lance...) ]
Guinaifen decisively chose the second option.
The staff grew flustered: "N-No, I'm not doubting your identity, it's just...!"
At that moment, a man approached the group.
"It's just that we're on the eve of the 'Harmony Banquet,' Penacony's most significant moment in an era. With the Family's invitations sent out, guests from across the galaxy have packed this place to the brim..."
"Hotel security is stretched thin—there's no room for error. Sudden changes like this aren't something a mere staff member can decide. So, honored guests of the Astral Express, let's not make things difficult for her, hm?"
The moment this man appeared, the chat exploded!
"It's Aventurine!"
"He's finally made his official debut in the main story!"
"Out of all the IPC guys, only Topaz seems decent. This Aventurine looks like the scheming type."
"This guy's got layers—he's definitely gonna be a villain in the upcoming quests."
"Quick, someone call Dr. Ratio for backup!"
...
In the hotel's VIP section, Aventurine smirked as he saw his in-game debut.
Naturally, he also saw the chat's reactions.
But he didn't care about his reputation.
What interested him more was whether his in-game schemes would mirror the real-life "stratagem" he had devised.
If the game exposed his plans, he'd have to adjust his strategy immediately!
He turned his attention back to the story.
"This check-in process is way too tedious..."
"No wonder some people choose to sneak in illegally."
Guinaifen sighed.
Meanwhile, Himeko was flexing her expert negotiation skills—
"The IPC's influence spans the cosmos, so your words carry weight. We'd like to borrow your status to vouch for her."
"This way, you'd save precious time and gain some new friends in the process."
Aventurine chuckled. "Now that's interesting. And what can these 'friends' offer me?"
"That's a topic worth discussing. As fellow guests of the 'Watchmaker,' why don't we settle into Penacony first and take our time getting to know each other?"
"Fair enough. But, Miss Navigator, I must point out—"
"If I step in, the time saved would be for my own benefit—not yours."
"See, this is what I call professionalism!"
"Himeko's social finesse is unreal... I'm in love!"
"The way Himeko handles these situations with such grace—elegant, just elegant."
"What's Aventurine hesitating for? Without Stelle, who's gonna dance the 'Sleepless Night' with him?"
"Suddenly, I'm not worried. If Huangquan starts killing, these big shots will be the first to take the hit."
"Aventurine watched the trailer and immediately flew back to the IPC on a private jet."
"You're underestimating the IPC, especially Aventurine. From what I know, this guy lives for high-stakes gambles."
Then, Aventurine's demeanor shifted.
A sly smile crept onto his face. "But that last part of your offer—I like it! Friends, yes, nothing's more valuable than friends. Especially ones as noble as the Trailblazers."
"For the rest of my Penacony trip, I'll be counting on my new 'Trailblazing' friends. Let's get along, shall we?"
With that, he turned to the staff. "Miss, you heard them. As a personal favor to me, let this lady check in."
"I have an appointment with Mr. Sunday of the Family later. I'll have him handle the formalities—no trouble for you."
The staff wavered. "But, the same..."
Then, a gentle voice interjected.
"Eileen, peace."
"The Family cannot let guests enter the dreamscape burdened."
Aventurine grinned. "Speak of the devil—look who's here! Sunday, the most handsome man in Penacony! And the universe-renowned songstress, Robin."
"Holy crap, the heavy hitters just keep coming!"
"Why didn't I see these big shots when I checked in?"
"There's more?!"
"She's so pretty..."
"I can't even imagine—if Robin becomes playable, her banner's gonna break the charts!"
"This is a double win for fans!"
With Sunday and Robin's assurance on behalf of the Family, the Express Crew finally secured their rooms.
They also received a Dreamscape Passport from Eileen—a dual-purpose keycard that integrated all hotel functions and information.
In-game, this translated into a new app on the jade abacus.
Guinaifen opened it as instructed.
The first page displayed a golden invitation. Further browsing revealed dream entry guidelines and guest rules.
"Just like the real thing—I've already read all this."
"They really went all out with the realism..."
However, upon opening the handbook, instead of dream zone summaries, it now required collecting stickers to decorate.
Reaching 100% completion would grant rewards.
For Guinaifen, collection content could wait—story progression came first!
"I thought arriving in Penacony meant smooth sailing. How wrong I was..."
"Wherever the Express Crew goes, chaos follows!"
"Even Penacony is no exception."
"This is just the calm before the storm. What's coming next? Honestly... even I can't predict it."
Taking the elevator to the guest rooms, Guinaifen noticed March 7th's door was open.
She stepped in for a chat.
"Wow, are you too excited to sleep? I can't wait to see the dream world!"
[About the Banquet...]
"At first, I really thought this was a vacation. But now... this 'banquet' feels anything but ordinary!"
"Factions deciphering riddles, fighting over legacies—it's like a detective novel!"
Guinaifen nodded in agreement.
But March 7th's next words caught her off guard.
"Who knows? Maybe we'll even get classic tropes like family betrayal, tragic deaths, realms divided, rivers of blood... That'd be so thrilling!"
Guinaifen gasped.
As a veteran Star Rail player, she knew:
Whenever March 7th made ominous remarks before a story arc, they had a 90% chance of coming true.
"It's over... I was still holding onto hope."
"But now that March said it, Penacony's doomed!"
"The Great Prophet March 7th strikes again!"
"Her predictions always come true..."
"March, PLEASE say something nice for once?!"
"Everyone, disband. This is Penacony's script."
"Oh no, this is bad. Really bad!"
"Sweating bullets here—March, STOP TALKING!"
"She's the Express's very own Elio."
"Elio who? We've got March 7th."
"Welt, Himeko: chuckles I'm in danger."
"Is it time for March to reveal her hidden powers?"
To be continued…
Advance 100 Chapters are up on my Patreon!
pat reon.com/AlphaSenatus
Join my Discord server for the latest updates and have face-to-face talks with me!
discord.gg /fD76Qn4VhB