Black Swan left without offering much explanation, leaving the already confused duo even more bewildered. They weighed the heavy plaster headsets in their hands, feeling an indescribable strangeness.
Not only were these plaster headsets heavy, but they were also oversized. When worn, they threw off their balance at first, and when the two looked at each other, they couldn't help but think the other resembled a "big-headed son"—abstract and ridiculous.
However, since Black Swan had emphasized that they must never remove the headsets under any circumstances, they had no choice but to endure the discomfort and begin observing this world while wearing them.
Soon, they realized that compared to the previous dream, this place was far more "open and free."
Take the mounts modeled after Aeons, for instance. If they were based on figures like Aha, Yaoshi, or even that dark, handsome fellow, it might be understandable—after all, those who worshipped them weren't exactly normal to begin with.
But for Aeons like Qlipoth, Xipe, or Lan, who commanded vast follower factions, it was a different story. Especially for the Interastral Peace Corporation—if they knew their objects of faith were being casually toyed with here, the consequences could range from severed diplomatic ties to outright war.
And yet, this place allowed such reckless antics?
Just then, a tourist wearing an Aha-themed skin ran past them, shouting lyrics like, "Dreamflux Reef~ My hometown~"
The two: …
"Hmm… I think I get it," Shush murmured after a moment of contemplation, sharing his conclusion. "Passenger March 7th, I deduce that this isn't a dream meant for normal people. It's likely designed for patients with mental disorders, which explains why the Family keeps it separate from ordinary dreams."
"As for the headsets Miss Black Swan gave us, I suspect they're proof of being a 'fellow patient.' Wearing them allows us to blend into this world of the mentally ill."
March 7th shot Shush a sidelong glance. "I'll admit there's some logic to what you're saying, but don't drag me into blending in with them."
Shush gave a slight bow. "My apologies, I misspoke. I meant 'disguise'—we're 'disguising' ourselves to enter the world of the mentally ill."
March 7th: "…Are you sure a mere headset is enough for that?"
Hearing this, Shush thought seriously for a moment, then gripped the headset with both hands and slowly lifted it…
Whoosh—
In the blink of an eye, a swarm of musical note sprites descended from the sky. A statue of Clockie high above turned toward Shush, its eyes charging with dangerous energy.
Shush froze mid-motion, instinctively letting go, and the headset dropped back onto his head.
Whoosh—
Everything returned to normal in an instant. The musical note sprites and the Clockie statue vanished as if nothing had happened.
March 7th: ?
"What did you just do?" March 7th couldn't help but ask.
Shush paused, then said, "Based on my deduction, it seems that the moment I removed the headset, something appeared… Let me try again."
With that, Shush lifted the headset again, and in that same instant, the musical note sprites reappeared—
Shush quickly put the headset back on.
Everything calmed down.
Shush lifted the headset.
The musical note sprites appeared instantly—
Shush put the headset back on.
Everything returned to calm.
…
After a dozen cautious experiments, Shush concluded, "…It's now certain that this headset is indeed the key to ensuring our safety in this dream. We'd better not mess with it."
March 7th pondered, "So… if Stelle came here without a headset, she'd likely encounter those guards too, right?"
"A reasonable deduction," Shush agreed.
"Shush, our top priority is finding Stelle. Do you have any ideas?"
Shush scratched his head. "What about Passenger Dan Heng? Logically, he should be in this dream too."
March 7th: "What Dan Heng?"
Shush froze for a moment, then slowly said, "…I see. Passenger Stelle lives up to her Stellaron nature. The Stellaron is the 'core of the Astral Express,' isn't it? Quite amusing."
"Cut the nonsense."
Shush: "…Alright, please wait a moment. I'll activate tracking mode."
With that, Shush suddenly dropped to the ground, his nose twitching as he searched for a familiar scent. Before long, he found a direction and began crawling across the ground toward the city's depths.
March 7th stood frozen for a while, finally covering her face. …Whatever, it's for finding Stelle. Since this place is full of lunatics, a little embarrassment is fine.
…
Under Shush's lead, March 7th passed through street after street. The passersby who saw them stared with curiosity and surprise, as if they'd stumbled upon some new spectacle.
After enduring the "lunatics'" gazes for over ten minutes, Shush finally stopped at an intersection. He stood up, elegantly brushed the dust off his clothes, and said calmly, "Found her. She's just ahead."
Ahead?
March 7th followed Shush's gaze and saw a large crowd gathered at the crossroads, seemingly watching something.
Could Stelle be in that crowd, spectating?
March 7th scanned the onlookers but, unfortunately, didn't spot the familiar figure.
Was she in the center? Was she being bullied? Were these people just watching the show?
That had to be it. Even lunatics couldn't resist the urge to gawk at drama.
"Stelle!"
March 7th shouted, pushing her way into the crowd. But just then, she heard that familiar voice:
"La~ La~ Lalala~ Lalalala~"
"Lonely people listen to sad songs, just to chase the happiness of the past~"
"Listening over and over to 'You'll love me,' why do the tears in my heart hurt even more?"
"…!"
At the center of the crowd, Stelle was singing passionately, completely lost in her performance. Whether the passersby genuinely enjoyed her song or simply found the little gray-haired girl sweet and adorable, they were throwing money into the hat at her feet.
And the people here were truly extravagant—tossing gold notes with five or six zeros, each representing gold equivalent to the number's weight.
With the credit point system so inflated, they needed something more convenient as a substitute.
As for why Stelle was busking here, she had no choice. She'd thought spending a bit of money to contact someone would be fine, but after dropping a small fortune of 100,000 on a membership, she was hit with a "data limit exceeded" notice. In the end, her savings were completely drained.
Left with no options and inspired by the Xianzhou livestream trio, Stelle decided to take a page from their book. She found a spot and started singing in public.
And who could deny the charm of Dreamflux Reef's residents? In just a short while, the money in Stelle's hat surpassed the lifetime earnings of the Xianzhou livestream trio plus a certain Dragon Lord.
"Stelle!"
But as Stelle was gleefully collecting money, a familiar voice suddenly called out from the other side. A silver-haired girl pushed through the crowd, her face full of concern. "Stelle, I finally found you!"
March 7th, in the crowd: Huh?