Under the gaze of all, the viewing channel displayed the current title.
"Now Playing — Three Chips Are Enough: All or Nothing!"
Then the scene began to unfold, and the camera's perspective started to rotate.
Inside a luxurious hotel, the seemingly endless rooms stretched out like a winding dragon, starting from the lobby and extending in a U-shape to both sides, as if one were in a dreamlike labyrinth.
Even more striking was the colossal, clock-shaped mysterious floating object directly above the lobby. It silently hovered in mid-air, exuding an indescribable aura, like the intersection of time and space. Its surface flickered with faint light, vaguely displaying strange symbols and scales, reminiscent of the universe's operational mysteries and the unpredictable laws of fate.
The entire hotel was permeated with a fantastical atmosphere, captivating and hard to escape.
"Ugh, we're finally here. The Family's entry procedures are too complicated, aren't they? They've searched my suitcase four or five times. I'm worried they might even take out the Stellaron inside you to look at it."
March 7th stretched, stepping out of the pinball machine with Stelle, standing in the lobby and watching the people come and go.
Stelle raised her hand to her chest and replied, "The Stellaron is very stable, no need to worry."
"Hmm, for them to let you in, in some sense, The Family is very accommodating." March 7th nodded helplessly, then perked up and said, "Let's go, let's go. Welt and Himeko should already be queuing up ahead."
[Fu Xuan: Wait, what are these things? Is this the future?]
[Screwllum: Unable to analyze, but highly probable. Logic: I cannot parse this viewing facility at present; it operates similarly to an Aeon.]
[Kekeliya: This little girl has a Stellaron inside her?]
[Yanqing: I've heard the General mention Stellarons. Even normal people might encounter accidents if they come into contact with them. How exactly did she manage it?]
[Herta: Ha, this Stellaron was taken from my Space Station. However, regarding the questions you mentioned, I'm also very curious about the specific reasons. I still don't know, and I'll need to research it when I get a chance.]
[Stelle: Please don't so seriously discuss researching me, okay? ...But where is this?]
[Sunday: The Reverie Hotel in Penacony.]
[Aventurine: The Family's territory, so that means...]
The two walked towards the front desk, only to see Welt and Himeko already standing beside the front desk, handling the procedures.
"I'm very sorry, but we don't have the name you mentioned in our system."
"But the information the Astral Express received said that rooms had already been booked for us. Could you please check again?"
"Oh, I'll check for you again. Please wait."
"Astral Express Platinum Suites, four rooms, for Ms. Himeko, Mr. Welt Yang, Ms. March 7th, and... Mr. Dan Heng. Indeed, only the booking information for these four is available."
[Stelle: Welt, Himeko... You actually didn't prepare a room for me...]
[March 7th: Eh? Why? Dan Heng isn't even here, and he has a room!]
[Stelle: Waaah, I'm not a part of the Trailblaze Crewanymore!]
[Himeko: Oh... Little March, did you forget? When we submitted the guest list to The Family, Stelle hadn't boarded The Train yet. And Stelle, stop faking tears!]
[March 7th: ...It seems so!]
[Stelle: Eh-heh!]
Welt heard the front desk's words, remained silent for a moment, then spoke.
"I understand. No wonder there's no information for Stelle. When we responded to The Family, she hadn't boarded The Train yet."
"How about this? Our member Dan Heng couldn't come due to a last-minute change in plans. Could you give the room reserved for him to this child? The number of people still matches."
"This... For you to suddenly say that, I'm afraid..." The front desk attendant looked troubled.
Stelle, meanwhile, pulled out the burning spear from behind her and said, "This is my identification."
[Stelle: Oh, oh, this spear is my future weapon, right? It looks so cool!]
[Bronya: This spear... I feel like I've seen it somewhere before.]
[Sampo: Hehe... So that's how it is.]
[Stelle: Eh? Do you know the origin of this spear?]
[Sampo: Perhaps I do, perhaps I don't.]
[Stelle: ? Do you know or not? Riddle-person, get out of the livestream!]
"No, I'm not doubting your identity, it's just..." The front desk attendant's hurried explanation was interrupted by another person's words.
"It's just that it's the eve of the Harmony Festival, Penacony's most important moment of every cycle, and The Family has extended an invitation, so guests from all over the galaxy are crowding this place."
Stelle turned her head and saw a blond man walking slowly with elegant steps. His golden hair, as dazzling as sunlight, gently swayed in the breeze, as if exuding a unique charm. He wore an exquisitely tailored luxurious robe, with a cleverly designed open cut at the chest, subtly revealing his firm chest and faint abdominal lines, exuding a captivating appearance.
Even more striking were the dazzling, peacock feather-like earrings he wore, shimmering with crystalline light, like the brightest stars in the night sky.
Furthermore, all the jewelry and adornments on his body unequivocally displayed his wealth. His fingers wore rings inlaid with precious gems, and his wrist bore a seemingly very expensive watch.
But strangely, there was a string of numbers on his neck, the meaning of which was unclear.
[Sparkle: Look, what a flamboyant Little Peacock!]
Welt and Himeko exchanged glances, then Welt said, "We've encountered some issues with check-in, and we apologize for any inconvenience. May I ask who this gentleman is?"
"Aventurine, at your service. I am from the Interstellar Peace Corporation's Strategic Investment Department, a bad debt liquidation specialist under Diamond. I have come at the invitation of the Clockmaker—and also, a tourist who has been waiting behind you for quite some time."
The few guests behind Aventurine also showed some signs of displeasure.
"I'll handle it," Himeko said softly, then took two steps forward and looked directly at Aventurine, saying,
"I heard that the Interstellar Peace Corporation also received an invitation from Penacony, so I presume you are their representative. The Corporation's operations indeed possess an extraordinary demeanor—would such a distinguished figure be able to do us a favor?"
"Did I hear that right, 'do us a favor'? Shouldn't I be the one saying that to you all?" Aventurine said with an unchanging expression:
"I've been waiting here for over 10 minutes. Do you know how many credits 10 minutes is worth to me?"
"It must be an astronomical sum, I presume. So now, Mr. Aventurine, I have an investment here that you cannot miss." Himeko smiled gently: "The Corporation's influence spans the entire universe, so its words naturally carry weight. We hope to borrow your identity to vouch for him."
"By doing so, you will not only save a lot of valuable time but also make new friends."