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Inside the Penacony Grand Theater.
Septimus had fallen early, and the Interastral Peace Corporation—the greatest threat to Penacony—had withdrawn ahead of time. The situation here finally reached a temporary conclusion.
Robin apologized to everyone and arranged the best possible accommodations and treatments for them in Penacony.
As for herself, she had to step away for a while, under Sol's protection, to open a new front and handle various mundane and troublesome matters.
"Sol, let's go! Let's celebrate with a banquet!"
Stelle came up to Sol, her invitation serious and sincere. "Ahem, we really did something big this time. We have to celebrate properly!"
"No problem." Sol smiled, relaxed. "We've gained a lot this time—I was just thinking I'd like to enjoy myself a little."
They had gained a small bird, and the Glittering Tiga.
Feeling refreshed and rejuvenated from head to toe, it was the perfect occasion for a hearty meal and drink to fully celebrate.
Seeing Sol agree, Stelle's eyes lit up with excitement. "Then I'll handle the drinks. You take care of the food, okay?"
She was far too tempted by Sol's cooking—even in Penacony's dream world, she had never eaten anything tastier than what he could prepare.
One bite felt like stepping into another world, experiencing a paradise that seemed almost unreal.
Sol chuckled. "Ah, so that's your plan."
"Isn't it great?" Stelle clutched his arm, pouting pitifully. "I risked my life holding off Septimus to give you time for your big move—you can't just waste my effort…"
Sol ruffled her hair and laughed, agreeing. "Hey, hey, I never said I wouldn't."
As expected of the galactic succubus—adult body, yet completely natural when acting cute.
"You're the best, boss!" Stelle jumped with joy. "I'll work for you without any pay from now on!"
Sol shook his head slightly. "But according to our agreement, you never had a salary to begin with."
"What!"
Stelle's eyes widened as if uncovering a world-shaking secret. She couldn't believe Sol truly intended to follow through, giving her no pay at all.
Her brain went into a short-circuit—what kind of world was this?!
Did women not enjoy saying the opposite of what they meant? When she said she didn't want it, she really meant she did!
"Waaah~"
Stelle buried herself in Kafka's arms, rubbing against her fiercely, tears streaming from the corners of her mouth in grief.
So fragrant… this is the scent of mom!
Kafka patted her head apologetically. "Sorry, Mr. Mercer, for making you witness this scene."
Sol shook his head, smiling. "It's nothing. I actually quite like how lively she is."
Able to hold firm when it counts, yet playful and humorous the rest of the time.
He waved to Acheron. "Let's go, Mei. Time to celebrate. Then we'll head back and see how that light affects you."
"Mm, thank you."
Acheron nodded and followed behind Sol.
She glanced at the people around them—there were over a dozen in total.
It seemed she hadn't had a meal with so many people in a long time, and she felt a touch of nostalgia.
Meanwhile, after rubbing against Kafka for a long while, Stelle finally broke free from her cozy nest.
She ran over to Gallagher's side and spoke earnestly. "Hey, buddy, I'll make sure there's plenty of good food for everyone. Can we arrange the finest wine as well!?"
Gallagher paused, then laughed heartily. "No problem! As long as everyone's happy, we can provide any kind of wine."
The Watchmaker's long-held wish had finally come true, and his old friend felt genuinely happy for him.
Even more surprising, his body had stabilized, allowing him to enjoy this dream for a long time.
Providing all the wine for everyone today would be no problem at all—today was for joy.
"Too bad, Robin can't join. She's my idol!"
March 7th felt a pang of regret watching her departure.
"No need to feel bad." Sol shook his head slightly, speaking matter-of-factly. "Actually, it wouldn't have been appropriate for her to celebrate. After all, her brother was defeated—she and him are very close siblings."
"Oh, right."
March 7th realized the point, awkwardly scratching her head. "Actually, this outcome is the best misfortune for Robin. No family members were lost, and the visitors of Penacony are all safe."
She couldn't help but smile, feeling happy for Robin.
It was a good, satisfying ending—just the kind she liked.
In fact, she also sympathized with Sunday. In the dream, the seven-day holiday made her linger so long she almost couldn't leave.
"That's true." Sol said casually. "If you want to eat with her later, there will be plenty of opportunities. After this special experience, she already considers you friends."
March 7th scratched her head shyly. "Hehe, it's more that I'm sad she won't get to taste Mr. Mercer's cooking."
"She… well, that's unpredictable."
Sol's gaze drifted into the distance, the corner of his mouth curving slightly.
A singing little bird, of course, needed to be fed properly.
…
In no time, the lavish celebration came to an end.
Everyone dispersed, returning to their rooms.
As others rested, Sol and Acheron began their experiment.
Could the Light of Hope, empowered by will, persist in the void?
The initial glow could awaken only a small part of Acheron's senses, quickly extinguished by the void.
But the light infused with the awakened wills of the Seers had transcended into the power of a giant—qualitatively transformed.
"This is a very meaningful trial."
A point of bright light appeared in Sol's hand, floating and leaping in the air.
Golden, yet containing infinite possibilities.
If this fully formed Light of Hope could truly persist in the void, it would demonstrate immense potential.
The void was the strongest Path, representing the other half of the universe, and also the universe's ultimate fate.
When entropy grows until no particles move, no new heat is generated, and all falls into silence, that is the void of matter.
Based on current calculations, the universe is inevitably heading toward extinction—just on a timescale too long to observe.
Though not yet fully verified, Sol believed this light could resist the void.
Because this awakened Light of Hope was infinite.
Not infinite in energy, but possessing an indestructible essence.
Like the Seers' Light of Hopes, which were limited, the activated Glitter Tiga could shine endlessly.
It required his energy, but no longer needed the repeated infusion of Seers' wills—the core itself was imperishable.
"It's very different from before."
Acheron's violet eyes reflected the golden glow, drawn in completely.
She had once been filled with light, only to have it extinguished by the void.
Through that process, she gained deep insight into the nature of unawakened light.
Compared to that, this point of light was fundamentally different.
"Try it, Mei."
Sol eagerly placed the point of light in front of Acheron.
"Mm."
Acheron did not hesitate, extending her hand and merging the light into her body.
Surprisingly, there was no violent collision at all.
The point of light fell into the ocean of void, a single flame in the night. Most of the sky remained dark, yet a small patch of pure land was illuminated.
Void and hope—opposing, yet coexisting peacefully.
Acheron turned to view the world, now vivid and radiant.
Her senses felt profoundly different.
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