Chapter 70: The True Dream
[After taking photos, a message arrived from the Astral Express suggesting they return to reality to exchange information. Firefly noticed Stelle's desire to return and also proposed going back to reality.
They parted ways at the Golden Moment. To return to reality, they had to pass through the hotel. But along the way, Stelle noticed the streets were completely devoid of their usual liveliness. All the pedestrians had vanished! At the end of the road, waiting for them was none other than Sampo. Sampo sighed, putting on a regretful expression:
"Ah, it seems you didn't take my warning to heart at all... What a pity. Is that girl really so captivating to you?"
"You're truly... too blind."]
[Stelle]: "YES (screaming at the top of her lungs while crawling on the ground like a sunbathing lizard)! She IS that captivating to me!"
[Sparkle]: "Little gray-haired one~ Be careful not to get scammed by that bad woman until you have nothing left~"
[Stelle]: "I told you, I'm willing! Don't even think about shaking Firefly's place in my heart!"
[Elysia]: "Exactly, exactly! Don't go meddling in their relationship!"
[Stelle stepped forward to shield Firefly, only for Firefly to immediately move in front of Stelle instead: "...Be careful. Now I'm certain—your 'friend' here has problems."
When Stelle's safety was involved, Firefly shed her usual gentle demeanor and faced Sampo with stern vigilance.
Sampo paid no mind to their actions, muttering to himself about the real Sampo: "Tch, just how much did that guy Sampo exaggerate his stories about Jarilo-VI? Ah well, believing him was my own fault..."
"I'm really, REALLY disappointed in you!"
Sampo's emerald-green eyes shifted into crimson diamond shapes, accompanied by shimmering goldfish. Stelle and Firefly felt their minds grow hazy. "My apologies... but please take a little nap—in the true dream."
In the final moments before losing consciousness, Stelle faintly saw Sampo transform into a petite and beautiful girl.]
[March 7th]: "It WAS Sparkle after all!"
[Theresa]: "Didn't you already guess that from the start?"
[March 7th]: "You don't understand—for a detective, the most important part is the big reveal!"
[Kafka]: "As expected, this serious version of Firefly feels more familiar."
[Silver Wolf]: "True. It's like the soft, coquettish Firefly was a limited-time character or something."
[Stelle]: "Leaving that aside... why do I feel like this Sampo impersonated by Sparkle is cooler than the real Sampo?"
[Sampo]: "Seriously? My dear friend, are you saying old Sampo here isn't handsome enough?"
[Honkai: Star Rail - Seele]: "Definitely not as cool as Sparkle's version."
[Lynx]: "I'm not too familiar with Sampo, so no comment. But do any of you have news about that Belobog wildman?"
[Honkai: Star Rail - Seele]: "Huh? What's that? Do we even have such creatures here?"
[Sampo]: "Uh..."
[Sparkle]: "Ohoho~ I think I know what you're talking about. How amusing~"
[Stelle woke up to find herself in a room. She took out her phone to contact the Express crew, but there was no signal here.
As she searched the room for clues, pale text flickered across the walls, accompanied by eerie whispers calling for "Mikhail" and the incessant ticking of clocks.
Even Stelle found it deeply unsettling. Cautiously, she stepped out of the room—only to find Firefly waiting for her outside. Firefly shared her analysis: this was still a dream, yet not a Dream Bubble. Just as Sparkle had said, it was the true [Dreamscape] (Penacony). The pervasive ticking sounds, Firefly explained, might be connected to the mysterious Clockmaker. As they advanced through the corridors, the eerie text and whispers grew more frequent. After navigating countless identical hallways and walls, they finally reached an endpoint—only to find a suspicious treasure chest. With no other choice, Stelle opened it. Instantly, all the lights in the room flared to life—an unnatural, ominous glow. They chose a random door to enter, but it led to yet another identical room. The eerie chimes, static-filled screens, and a child's sorrowful weeping all warned them: this was no place to linger.
After passing through countless similar rooms, in one of them—the television suddenly blazed with light as a monstrous entity lunged out, attacking them without hesitation. Stelle stood no chance against it. Firefly clenched her small fists tightly—as if preparing to unleash her hidden power—but then relaxed just as quickly. A Memokeeper from the Garden of Recollection had arrived to save them.]
[Theresa]: "GHOSTS!!!"
[Theresa]: "Why would such a terrifying place exist inside a sweet dream?!"
[Otto]: "Little Theresa, you really should work on your fear of ghosts."
[March 7th]: "That reaction against the monster... could it be? Is Miss Firefly about to summon SAM?!"
Whether influenced by Welt or born with an innate mecha obsession, March 7th grew inexplicably excited at the thought of a giant robot.
[Firefly]: "...Perhaps."
[Qingque]: "The Memokeeper who came to help—isn't that Black Swan? The one who danced with Acheron!"
[Black Swan]: "My, are you all that eager to see Miss Acheron and I dance?"
[Fu Xuan]: "For some reason, my divinations suggest... something interesting will happen during that time."
[Stelle]: "Sniff... I'm so moved! Even in danger, Firefly still wanted to protect me."
[Firefly]: "Well... you protected me first."
[Aventurine]: "What kind of security does your family even have? How can such massive monsters roam freely in Penacony? How are tourists supposed to feel safe?"
Truthfully, Aventurine's goal was simply to reclaim Penacony for the IPC. The Clockmaker's legacy meant nothing to him—exposing Penacony's flaws only made his mission easier.
[Sunday]: "The area shown in the footage is merely Penacony's maintenance zone, normally inaccessible to guests. Penacony has operated flawlessly for years. We ask for your trust as we swiftly investigate these safety concerns to ensure your dream experience remains comfortable."
[March 7th]: "Ehh~ Sooo corporate-sounding."
[Guinaifen]: "As we all know—the harder they deny it, the more likely it is to be true."
[Cameraman]: "Ahh~ This is the glamorous moment of journalism at work!"