The accretion disk hung high beyond Dreamflux Reef.
Strictly speaking, approaching it meant diving deeper into this sea of Memoria. It was as dangerous as nearing a whirlpool on the ocean floor. Firefly didn't know how Sylvia had managed to travel there and back safely last time, but as the accretion disk expanded, the danger only kept rising.
Worse still, the star system and the accretion disk had remained stable together for so long. If the Stellaron were suddenly removed and disturbed that balance, Sylvia would be the first person caught in the fallout.
Firefly couldn't help thinking Sylvia had made her decision too recklessly. She didn't seem to grasp the danger at all.
"Like you said, I'm a Stellaron Hunter. Making sure you contain the Stellaron is part of what I'm supposed to do."
With unknown dangers lurking in the sweet dream, Firefly couldn't stand by and do nothing. At the very least, she needed to clear away some of the risks Sylvia couldn't predict.
"Besides, I've already prepared myself to face death. So before that—"
Firefly smiled softly, then took out the pure white gown she'd bought in Penacony.
"Will you enter into a contract with me? I know I'm being a little greedy, but I still want a beautiful gift from you."
Her gaze fell on Sylvia's earlobe. The earrings set with clear blue gems glittered beneath the sunlight.
Firefly no longer hid the envy in her eyes as she slowly leaned closer.
"…"
Sylvia opened her mouth, a faint blush spreading across her face.
'Right. So you were waiting here to hit me with the full combo.'
Firefly didn't give her time to answer.
"Please close your eyes."
Her voice held both shyness and anticipation. Her wide eyes trembled, and then her lovely face moved in with an awkward lack of practice.
Her lips pressed against Sylvia's. There was no deeper kiss and no extra movement, but Sylvia could feel Firefly's tension through the contact.
So Sylvia obediently closed her eyes.
"Mmm…"
Once she saw Sylvia's eyes shut, Firefly's embarrassment eased a little. The gown she'd set beside them responded to her thoughts and wrapped itself around her body in a flash, replacing her usual dress.
A soft gleam passed over her. Now dressed in the lavish white gown, Firefly drew back from Sylvia.
"You can open your eyes…"
Sylvia opened them at the sound of her voice. When she saw the beautiful white gown, surprise crossed her face.
"Right here?"
"Mm."
Firefly nodded and handed her a hair ornament, signaling for Sylvia to put it on. Then she lowered her head.
"I thought about it for a long time. Asking a Dreamweaver to hold a small wedding for us might've been beautiful, but more than that, I want to be somewhere I love, alone with you."
Sylvia ran her fingers through Firefly's hair and gave the long strands a quick, simple combing before fastening the delicate ornament in place.
"All right. As long as that's what you want."
The moment she finished speaking, Firefly's affection panel appeared.
--+--
[Target: Firefly]
[Affection: 75 — Joy and Anticipation]
[Relationship: Partner]
["Even a fleeting firefly has the right to yearn for happiness."]
["A firefly flying into the flame doesn't always vanish in vain."]
--+--
[Reward: One Purple Draw, One Gold Draw]
[Additional Reward: A Pair of Bracelets]
--+--
With their relationship updated, her high affection had triggered two draw rewards at once.
But right now, Sylvia cared more about the pair of bracelets that had appeared in her pocket.
To make the gift feel more formal, she took out the gown she'd prepared for herself. The dark-colored dress had a dignified air, and after changing in front of Firefly, Sylvia produced the two exquisite bracelets.
They were silver, engraved with patterns so fine and complex that they seemed almost alive. Yet they didn't carry the cold touch of ordinary metal. Instead, they felt smooth and warm, almost like jade.
Each bracelet held a clear gemstone whose color shifted in a soft gradient. Beneath the sunlight, shades of blue, magenta, and even traces of orange-red shimmered within it.
The dazzling colors looked almost identical to Firefly's eyes.
"This is…"
Firefly had always hoped for a gift that was hers alone. Yet when Sylvia truly brought one out, nervousness seized her.
'Why can't I just accept it like Silver Wolf and Kafka would?'
That was what she told herself, but her hand only tightened into a fist. She couldn't bring herself to hold it out.
"Of course it's a gift. Or maybe a token?"
When Firefly still didn't move, Sylvia took the bracelet herself and stepped closer. With a hint of force, she slipped it over Firefly's left wrist.
"It shouldn't get in your way, right? You wear SAM whenever you fight…"
Sylvia had briefly wondered whether such a loose bracelet might interfere in battle. Then she remembered Firefly fought inside SAM. A bracelet probably wouldn't matter.
"It won't—"
Firefly raised her left arm high and stretched it beyond the rooftop's edge. Beneath the dawn light, the brilliant gemstone sparkled. Even the slightest change in angle brought out an entirely different glow.
At that same moment, in the guest room of the waking world, silver-white bracelets appeared in perfect sync around the wrists of Sylvia in the Dreampool and Firefly inside her cabin.
"It won't get in the way. I love it!"
"I'm glad."
Sylvia still didn't know whether the bracelets had some hidden effect. So far, neither Silver Wolf's gift nor Kafka's had granted them any extra abilities.
The ring she'd given Mei, on the other hand, had been absurdly powerful.
Sylvia couldn't understand what standard the system used to judge these things. She wondered whether this bracelet could suppress Firefly's illness, or perhaps even repair the damage.
'I hope it can.'
Otherwise, she'd have no choice but to ask Ruan Mei for help.
With that thought, Sylvia took out her phone and entered both her and Firefly's details into Penacony's online contract registry. Since their relationship existed within the dream, they didn't even need to appear in person.
Just like that, Penacony officially registered their intimate partnership.
"Hehe…"
Firefly stared at the digital certificate that appeared on her phone at the same time, wearing a sweet and rather silly grin.
"We're dressed this nicely for once. Let's take some pictures."
Sylvia pointed at herself, then reached out to touch Firefly. Ever since Firefly had changed into the gown, Sylvia's eyes had barely left her.
She wrapped an arm around Firefly's waist and raised her phone, framing the radiant dawn behind them. Firefly clasped Sylvia's hand, bringing their matching bracelets into the shot.
--+--
Inside the secluded cottage, the two leaned against each other with their gowns slightly disheveled, both breathing a little harder than before.
Firefly's gaze kept drifting toward the bracelet on her left wrist. She couldn't seem to take her attention off it.
"I was nervous before, but now I feel like I've suddenly found my courage."
The comment came without warning. Firefly turned toward Sylvia.
"And it's all because I managed to be brave!"
Sylvia smiled and nodded. Even if Firefly hadn't brought it up, she would've found a chance to talk about it herself.
'She's practically already in my bowl. There's no way I'd let her escape now.'
Sylvia looked at the two draw rewards Firefly had given her and felt a little emotional. It had been a long time since she'd last drawn anything, and now she had three draws lined up in a row.
She wondered what these two new ones would give her.
"…A deep dream can make you lose yourself. Aren't you afraid?"
Sylvia knew Firefly had made up her mind and probably wouldn't change it. Even so, she couldn't stop worrying.
"I am. But I'm more afraid of doing nothing."
Firefly tightened her grip on Sylvia's hand, as though holding it firmly enough could fill her with courage forever.
"I'll come find you."
"Hmm?"
Confusion crossed Firefly's face.
Sylvia looked at her with complete seriousness.
"If you truly lose your way, I'll bring you back. No matter what it takes."
"...Thank you. You've made my heart race."
A blush rose to Firefly's cheeks. With visible embarrassment, she lifted Sylvia's hand and pressed it against her chest, trying to let Sylvia feel her heartbeat.
The gesture immediately turned the mood intimate again. As Firefly looked at Sylvia, her thoughts drifted back to what had happened here not long ago.
Honestly…
She wanted to finish what they'd started in the waking world.
'Mmm. I'd better be patient for now.'
With that thought, Firefly slid down and burrowed beneath the covers. She planned to rest a little longer and recover her energy before setting out.
Once Sylvia saw her lie down again, she decided to strike while the iron was hot and see what her draw would produce.
She started with the purple card.
After she selected the draw, the familiar purple light flashed. As expected, it didn't turn gold.
When the light faded, a small device appeared before Sylvia. It closely resembled the one Firefly used to summon SAM.
It was about the size of her palm and shaped like a mechanical cicada, complete with thin, delicate wings.
--+--
[Fyrefly Type-V Summoner]
["A weapon of war from the long-fallen Republic of Glamoth. Though at this point, perhaps only the person sharing your bed would still recognize it."]
["A Personal Escort model more powerful than SAM."]
["A masterpiece of wearable-mecha engineering. Of course, for someone like you, looking cool is probably what matters most."]
--+--
Sylvia glanced at Firefly.
Her first thought was that, if this model was stronger than Firefly's SAM, perhaps she could simply give it to her. After all, as the appraisal said, Sylvia had already become an Emanator.
For her, wearable armor like this didn't offer much beyond looking impressive.
Yet the moment she took the item out, information flowed from the device straight into her mind.
Glamoth Iron Cavalry armor couldn't be transferred or unbound.
Worse, the instant the device had been drawn, it had automatically registered Sylvia's biological data.
"Tch…"
Sylvia clicked her tongue.
The fact that Firefly couldn't use it directly was ridiculous.
Just as she was about to put the summoner away, a small holographic screen suddenly appeared above it.
[Fyrefly Type-IV Glamoth Iron Cavalry signal detected. Communication established—]
"Huh?"
"What?!"
Firefly shot out from beneath the covers, eyes wide as she stared at the device in Sylvia's hand.
A communication channel that had lain silent for countless years had suddenly received a signal with higher clearance. It had nearly scared Firefly out of her skin.
Then she looked up and found Sylvia holding a Personal Escort Fyrefly armor summoner that hadn't been there moments ago.
"Uh, this—"
Sylvia was still trying to decide how to explain it, but Firefly quickly accepted the impossible sight.
"You scared me. I thought someone was interfering with my systems. Hehe…"
She reached out, nostalgia and sorrow filling her face as she gently stroked the Type-V summoner.
How many years had it been since she'd last seen another intact model of Glamoth armor?
Her final memories of Glamoth held nothing but scorched earth.
"I never thought I'd see a comrade's armor again. A Fyrefly Type-V… It's one class stronger than my SAM. Back then, only the Personal Escorts could use this model."
"Should I lend it to you? Silver Wolf could probably rewrite its access permissions."
Glamoth Iron Cavalry technology was ancient by current standards. Silver Wolf, Screwllum, or someone like them could probably crack it.
But Firefly shook her head with complete seriousness and closed Sylvia's hand around the summoner.
"No. Switching now would only hurt my performance. Besides, I'd rather see you wear it."
Firefly had long since become a Pathstrider. To her, the armor was only a medical cabin and a mode of combat.
Changing to a stronger suit wouldn't increase her own power. The altered data might even disrupt her performance.
"All right, then."
"But now I believe even more strongly that you'll be able to find me. We can locate each other. Look."
"Oh, that's useful. It can track us even inside a dream?"
"Of course! Some members of the Swarm could control illusions and dreams. The armor had to be equipped with countermeasures."
Firefly couldn't enter dreams naturally, but against a powerful enough enemy, she could still be forced into one. The armor had therefore been enhanced for that exact situation.
"As for the effective range, it can give a precise location anywhere within the same star system. Beyond that, it only provides a rough directional signal, and there's also—"
"Mm…"
Sylvia couldn't understand any of Firefly's technical explanation.
'So it's advanced technology. Got it.'
"In other words, even after I return to the waking world, we can still locate each other as long as I don't leave the Asdana star system?"
"Mm-hmm."
"That really is good news."
Sylvia let out a quiet breath of relief.
It seemed the purple card had at least served a purpose. It wasn't useless after all.
She'd originally planned to draw the remaining gold card as well, but the last surviving Fyrefly Type-V had clearly captured all of Firefly's attention. She clung to Sylvia and begged her to transform so she could get a proper look.
With Firefly pleading like that, Sylvia had nothing urgent to do. She put the draw aside for now and decided to satisfy her curiosity first.
--+--
They spent several hours relaxing at the deserted hideout when the Family suddenly contacted them.
The call came from the head of the Iris Family. She informed Sylvia that Lord Ravager Zephyro was heading toward Penacony, and the Family wished to speak with Sylvia as someone directly involved.
Firefly overheard the conversation and decided she shouldn't take up any more of Sylvia's time. She changed back into her usual clothes and prepared to leave.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL