Chapter 175
[Gallagher explained:
"Dreams don't just appear out of thin air. If we compare the Memory Zone to an ocean, establishing a dreamland is like reclaiming land from the turbulent seas."
"To achieve such a feat, unless an Emanator of [Remembrance] or [Mythus] intervenes, the only path is to use a Stellaron."
"The current [Planet of Festivities] is actually Astrum's Stellaron disaster."
March 7th instinctively covered her mouth with both hands: "The Planet of Festivities... is a Stellaron disaster?"
"Remember that [land reclamation] metaphor? The truth is the Stellaron was never sealed—it just exists in the dream in another form. Think carefully, what's the price for constructing and maintaining such a massive [beautiful dream]?"
"It's life, little girl. The magnificent beautiful dream is built upon spiritual death. The poisonous wine called [happiness] flows through the dreamscape, making people indulge in it as their minds slowly drift toward an endpoint, eventually becoming the placenta of the beautiful dream."
"Confusion, sloth, cowardice... these common weaknesses in human nature are amplified and nurtured by the Family, turning Penacony into another kind of prison—one far more impregnable than the last."]
[Aponia]: "The Stellaron is the core for reclaiming land from the ocean, and the filling material around it... is withered minds..."
[Honkai: Star Rail·Seele]: "A Stellaron disaster can manifest like this?!"
[Fu Xuan]: "This is quite normal. To this day, no one in the universe has been able to confirm the origin of Stellaron, but in a sense, Stellaron are actually quite versatile. So it's not limited to just the [Everwinter] manifestation."
[March 7th]: "I never imagined Penacony's situation was like this."
[Einstein]: "No wonder Sunday tried to bribe Dr. Ratio with knowledge about Stellaron during their negotiation. It turns out they might genuinely be among those who understand Stellaron the most in the universe."
[Jing Yuan]: "Using Stellaron isn't the problem for Penacony—the problem is they didn't inform everyone about the side effects, and the consequences of the Stellaron disaster are being borne by the guests."
[Raiden Mei]: "But... if the Stellaron gets sealed, won't Penacony's beautiful dream collapse?"
[Bronya Zaychik]: "Probably not. In that [Check Out] story, wasn't Stelle made a shareholder of this place? So... whether it's sealing or whatever, this matter should have been perfectly resolved already."
[After finishing his conversation about his own situation, Gallagher brought the Astral Express crew to Sunday and his sister: "You've talked enough, right?
So, willing to tell us where that [Stellaron] is?"
Sunday remained silent at first, then carefully said: "It... is the Penacony Grand Theater itself."
Robin also had a sudden realization, as if she finally understood something: "So that's how it is. The Family's embodiment, the earliest structure to appear in the beautiful dream... it's the culprit behind Penacony becoming like this."
"And the person who used the Stellaron to accomplish all this... is probably Mr. Gopher Wood, who is now the [Dreammaster]."
"Oh, went more smoothly than I expected. Locked onto a suspect so quickly. Or did you do quite thorough preliminary investigations?"
Sunday frankly told everyone about the clues he obtained while investigating the truth behind his sister's victimization. Robin and Sunday decided to confront Dreammaster Gopher Wood directly, with the Astral Express prepared to serve as third-party assistance. Regarding this, Mr. Gallagher remarked: "The enemy—or rather, enemies—you're about to face aren't as easy to bully as this old dog here, who'd fall apart with just a push..."
"The Harmonious Festival's opening is imminent, time is already very tight, everyone—we must depart."]
[Stelle]: "The Stellaron is the Penacony Grand Theater? I've got something that big stuffed inside me? Your girl is amazing!"
[March 7th]: "This... the traitor really is high-ranking in the Family... but this ranking is just way too high, isn't it?"
[Yunli]: "This is like if a Xianzhou general turned out to be an Emanator of Abundance—absurd!"
[Honkai: Star Rail·Welt]: "Stay calm, haven't you already seen this once before? Belobog's former Supreme Guardian."
[Stelle]: "Mr. Yang, this is completely different!!?"
[Fu Hua]: "Something's not right. Sunday still seems somewhat suspicious. When Gopher Wood expelled Tingyun, he said: 'Members of the Oak Family are all his mouthpieces.' So as the family head, Sunday probably couldn't have been unaware of Gopher Wood's plans."
[Herrscher of Sentience]: "After all, such a massive operation couldn't have happened without exposing some traces."
[Yanqing]: "Speaking of which, Mr. Welt is in danger!"
[Although the Astral Express crew agreed to accompany Sunday to meet Dreammaster Gopher Wood, Welt still gathered everyone together to explain some precautions: "Although I volunteered to accompany them, facing the Dreammaster this time... is probably more dangerous than safe."
Himeko also thoughtfully agreed: "As the leader of Penacony's branch family, the Dreammaster likely has the entire [Harmony] faction behind him... not to mention he holds the Stellaron too. We must prepare for the worst-case scenario."
"Maybe Mr. Yang shouldn't go after all..."
Faced with such a serious situation, even little March felt unusually hesitant. She genuinely feared Mr. Yang might not return, sacrificing his life like the Nameless predecessor. "That won't do either. Leaving aside Miss Robin, I feel there was something off about Mr. Sunday's attitude earlier, though I can't pinpoint why... At the very least, we need to ensure he won't suddenly switch sides at the critical moment."
Welt took the token Aventurine gave to Stelle—this item was a signal transmitter that could be used to contact the Corporation, serving as a means to counterbalance the Dreammaster. After repeated instructions, Welt and Sunday departed. "Facing death without fear—that man is a true hero."]
[Yanqing]: "As expected, Mr. Welt also noticed that Sunday has significant issues."
[Boothill]: "Well I'll be damned, Brother Welt knows this journey is fraught with danger, yet he still faces the peril for the sake of his principles. What a real man."
[Tesla]: "You big idiot Joachim! Even after going to space you still can't break your habits, can you? I told you—I still hate people who don't value their lives like you the most!"
[Stelle]: "Even though we know Mr. Yang keeps doing his 'Yang sit-ups,' I'm still worried about his safety. What if he really dies this time?"
[March 7th]: "Mr. Yang... you must come back safely!"
[Honkai: Star Rail·Welt]: "Ahem, I'm still fine right now, aren't I? Besides, with such significant variables added to the universe now, we don't even know if the Penacony incident will still happen."