"No, I didn't pay any attention to her at all…"
"You didn't put her in your eyes at all? KING?" Atomic Samurai snorted in dissatisfaction. He crossed his arms and looked at KING, knowing full well that this man was monstrously strong — a powerhouse even praised by Bang.
No one had ever seen KING fight — rumor had it that anyone who had was already dead, with no survivors left to describe his techniques or combat style. But thinking about it carefully, KING seemed to share some similarities with Acheron? For example, that combat movement no one could see clearly…
Atomic Samurai had a sudden realization.
No wonder he didn't put Acheron in his eyes. So they shared the same fighting style? It wasn't that no one had seen KING fight, but that even if they saw it, they couldn't perceive his movements with the naked eye! As expected of KING, his strength could actually be compared to a Galaxy Ranger… No, KING completely didn't put her in his eyes just now. Didn't that mean… he was even stronger than Acheron?!
Atomic Samurai instantly broke out in a cold sweat.
"KING, your face is so red. Is it because of battle intent? You also really want to fight that woman, right? You really are as ferocious and battle-hungry as the legends say." Noticing KING's reddened face, he couldn't help but praise.
"That's because of the chili."
"Chili?" Atomic Samurai looked down at the small dish of chili oil next to KING's noodle soup. "You mean, you usually rely on this stuff to maintain your battle intent? That's quite unique. I've learned something, KING."
"However, I still can't understand how Acheron's slash was executed. I happen to carry a sword with me. Could you demonstrate it for us? Or at least explain the principle."
A trace of displeasure flashed across KING's face.
"Thump thump thump—"
Atomic Samurai swallowed hard. KING's Emperor Engine had already started. Was he about to make a move? But with his own strength, could he really see it clearly?
KING slowly stood up and pointed at his watch. "It's almost seven o'clock."
"???"
"…KING, what do you mean by that?"
There was no answer, or rather, he disdained to answer. KING lowered the brim of his hat and walked downstairs with his head lowered, without looking back. The master and three disciples stared blankly at his departing figure until it disappeared under the setting sun.
—— No one dared to stop him, because no one wanted to die.
After KING walked far away, the disciples sat back beside Atomic Samurai in a daze and gathered around him to ponder the true meaning of the "seven o'clock" in KING's words.
"KING is used to hunting monsters at night. Seven o'clock is probably the time he starts his massacre, right?" Drill Samurai guessed.
"No, that's not it." Atomic Samurai took a deep breath with sweat pouring down his back. "You only saw the surface and didn't understand the deeper meaning in his words. Clocks represent time. Do you remember how, after Acheron's fingers rested on the tsuba, Stelle's movements seemed to slow down?"
Iaian seemed to understand a little: "Does KING mean that Acheron altered the flow of time in the dream?"
"No, it's more than that. To be precise… Acheron's blade-drawing speed has already distorted time!"
"Huh?!" The three disciples opened their mouths wide in unison. "Master, are you joking? How could anyone do something like that?"
Atomic Samurai shook his head: "No. When a person's speed surpasses the speed of light, they can distort time. This is also the truth behind why we couldn't see her blade-drawing motion clearly."
Iaian was dumbfounded: "But KING not only saw it, he even explained the principle to us…"
"Yeah." Atomic Samurai stroked the hilt of the sword in his hand and gave a bitter, dry laugh. "…What a monstrous man."
…
On the other side, Saitama's doorbell suddenly rang. Saitama opened the door and saw KING standing at the entrance holding two game discs.
"Wow, exactly seven o'clock. You're really punctual, KING."
——
["…S-Sounds like you had a nightmare, Pam! We just arrived in the Asdana Star System and already encountered something like this… You have to be more careful. It looks like your resistance to memetic matter is quite poor."]
["Don't mind it. Dreams and reality are opposites. While you were asleep, the train has already arrived at Penacony…"]
[Stelle walked to the window and looked at the luxurious hotel exterior outside. It was hard to imagine this place was converted from a prison.]
[Himeko and Mr. Welt had already gotten off the train first. Stelle found March 7th, who had just finished packing her luggage, and got off with her. After passing through dozens of large and small security checks, the two finally stepped onto this hotel famous throughout the universe.]
[But the hard work was not in vain. March 7th looked toward the nearby hotel lobby. Guest rooms lined up on both sides like fish scales. The crystal glass of the rooms, illuminated by warm golden lights, formed countless light points creating a vertical galaxy stretching straight to the horizon.]
[Waiters in uniform moved like precise clockwork parts, orderly and efficient. Behind the glass curtain wall of the distant elevator shaft, hundreds of gilded elevators shuttled up and down like meteors, like a flowing melody of notes.]
[March 7th wished she could check in immediately, but the priority was to find Uncle Yang and the others first. The two quickly went to meet up.]
[Suddenly, a cute-looking little boy walked over and politely bowed to Stelle: "Welcome to the Dreamscape Hotel. May you have an unforgettable vacation experience! If you need to check in, please proceed straight to the hotel front desk."]
[Why did those words sound so familiar?]
["It's the child from the dream…"]
[The boy introduced himself as Misha, a bellhop at Penacony. He enthusiastically introduced to Stelle: In real life, Penacony was this hotel, while the Penacony in dreams was a place where miracles were born, a paradise of luxurious enjoyment. Everyone entered the Penacony in dreams through the Dream Pool. Rather than calling it a dream, it was another kind of reality.]
——
Hunter x Hunter.
The training room was filled with a faint smell of blood, with scattered limbs of Chimera Ants on the ground. Netero sat cross-legged on a broken shell, leisurely watching the Celestial Screen.
"The guys in the universe are really bold. Letting people enter dreams means the real-life Penacony is completely undefended, right? No wonder Duke Inferno dares to set his sights on this place."
Netero pinched a tuft of his mustache and thought: "However, if you fight in a dream, what happens if you die? It shouldn't mean you're really done for, right?"
Nobu pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting cold light: "Referring to that girl called Stelle, death in the dream should just be a forced awakening. Like a GAME OVER in a video game — just restart the round."
"Oh?" Netero suddenly became interested. "That sounds like a great training method. You can fight with full strength in the dream, and if you die, you just try again… If we could replicate Penacony's dream-creating ability here, it would be an effective way to train Hunters."
"Old man, don't jump to conclusions so early." Morel held up his sunglasses on the bridge of his nose. "The Family's people might have some bad intentions. With the technological means in the universe, I believe they can keep people permanently in dreams. If a person only lives in dreams, doesn't that count as a form of imprisonment for their real physical body?"