Meanwhile, somewhere in the Reverie.
"I never would've thought, old man, that your reckless plan actually worked. Are all you Nameless just a bunch of impulsive fools?"
Gallagher stood before Mikhail, but his body carried an ethereal, almost illusory quality, as if it were on the verge of disintegration.
"I can smell it—the false dream is coming to an end. Those Nameless, young as they are, truly have the ability to pull this off… just like you did back then.
What a pity, you didn't get to witness this moment with your own eyes. I'm afraid I won't have that privilege either… Once something 'fictional' is seen through, it ceases to exist.
Hmph, leaving those Nameless aside, that winged kid is just like you—stubborn to a fault, refusing to shed a tear until he sees the coffin. Fate's a cruel thing. If it weren't for this damned Path, we might've actually gotten along."
Gallagher gave a faint smile, turning to look at Mikhail. "But in the end, I got to vent my anger properly. Feels good. Remember how those bastards cursed us back then? They said, 'Go to hell, you damned traitors.'
Mikhail, oh Mikhail, I don't know if they were right, but if yearning for freedom means we're doomed to hell…"
Gallagher let out a self-mocking chuckle. "Then I'll be joining you down there soon, old man."
"Let's have dinner together in hell… Oh, almost forgot one thing… With this glass of 'Fleeting Reunion,' I toast to you… Trailblazer…"
"To an imperfect… tomorrow."
[To an imperfect tomorrow!]
[The feast must end, but parting on good terms, Hound Brother!]
[This season's memory points are just too many. So good, I love it! My tears finally couldn't hold back.]
[Gallagher's probably gone. Not only did he admit it himself, but more importantly, his body's already turning ethereal around the edges.]
[Sigh, honestly, Gallagher's got so much charm, that uncle vibe!]
[Wahhh, I love this suave uncle type too!]
— —
The scene abruptly shifts to Acheron's perspective.
She sat beside an old man by a pile of crackling firewood, the flames licking at the dry branches.
The old man spoke slowly, "It's warm here. This dead sea's coast is usually devoid of life, but you're lucky. Not only did you find shelter from the rain, but fresh berries too—quite a feat."
Acheron took a small bite of the fruit in her hand. "I just followed the scent of 'life.' In a place like this, that presence is especially vivid. Unfortunately, it tastes rather bland."
The old man furrowed his brow slightly. "Really? You might not know, but these berries are quite juicy. The only issue is that chewing them… brings an intensely spicy sting."
Seeing Acheron's silence, the old man pieced together most of the truth. "You… lost your sense of taste?"
Acheron didn't deny it. "I can still taste some flavors… like a faint 'sweetness.'"
She explained that Self-Annihilators gradually lose themselves on their Path, shedding all senses and memories.
Not wanting the mood to grow heavy, the old man said, "Then let's celebrate adding a new footnote to your journey. By the way, are you alone?"
"No, I have a companion in Oulikron. She's small, a Nameless, aiming to launch herself into 'IX,' saying she wants to tread a path 'deeper and farther than Akivili's.'"
"And the result?"
"She… became a pool of still water."
The old man sighed helplessly. "My condolences."
"Condolences? I don't see it that way. That girl left with a smile, never regretting her choice, and surely hoped I'd bid her farewell with a smile too… which I did."
"That's proof you're grieving for her."
"Or perhaps it's fear?"
"Fear? It's hard to sense that from you. What are you afraid of?"
Acheron glanced at the sky. "I'm afraid of forgetting the thirty days we walked together, just like every thirty-first day of my life. Most of them have already faded with the rain, vanishing to an unseen shore. I fear these vivid red memories will leave me too. I don't have many colors left to see—aside from this faint, warm 'red,' I have almost nothing."
[The story of the Dead Water Relic set!]
[Wait, it's here?!]
The story continued as the two chatted by the campfire through the long night.
— —
On the Astral Express.
Acheron slowly opened her eyes, the memory flashing by.
Black Swan spoke first, suggesting that The Harmony assimilates everyone, essentially sharing one mind.
She worried the same could happen in Penacony.
Driving Acheron away was the best proof—due to the unique nature of The Nihility, forceful assimilation wouldn't just fail; it might even be eroded by The Nihility.
Dan Heng shook his head. "I beg to differ. That planet neither joined the credit system nor connected to the silver rails; it's a remote civilization under The Harmony's protection… but Penacony's different. Doing this would mean declaring war on nearly half the galaxy's factions. The Family has no reason to take that risk."
[Haha, these four are no pushovers.]
[Dan Heng's an Pathstider of The Permanence, Black Swan's an Pathstider of Remembrance, Acheron's an Emanator of The Nihility. These three alone are enough to give Sunday a headache.]
[Are you sure about that]
"The premise is… they truly align with The Harmony."
Dan Heng glanced sideways. "What do you mean?"
As a Pathstrider of The Nihility, Acheron had already sensed something amiss. "The Path shining over Penacony isn't pure. There's an impurity mixed into its Harmony."
Black Swan began to explain: The Swarm Disaster caused by the Aeon of Propagation ultimately escalated into a war among the Aeons.
Skipping the details, the result was the fall of two Aeons—Propagation and Order.
For reasons unknown, Xipe of The Harmony absorbed Ena of Order.
[Oh, right, right!]
[Welt Yang mentioned this before, but I didn't expect it to be like this.]
[This really ups the stakes!]
[In the end, it's up to our Trailblazing kid.]
[How bold, calling Qlipoth the Amber King!]
Boothill caught the gist of it. "Well, damn… are you saying two masterless Paths might be stirring trouble behind the scenes?"
[Haha, I can't help but laugh whenever he opens his mouth!]
After the explanation, Dan Heng quickly arrived at an answer. "But Penacony shows no signs of Propagation's spawn. Can I take it that remnants of the Celestial Choir are hiding within the Family, plotting to revive a fallen Aeon?"
"We can't be certain, but we can confirm they're planning to use the Harmonic Gala for something."
Boothill: "Well, fudge me, this is complicated. So you're telling us to leave Asdana right now? Don't tell me you're out of options!"
[New vocab unlocked.]
[I'm dying of laughter here.]
[The Synesthesia Beacon's vocabulary is wild.]
Acheron's expression grew serious. "With the Harmonic Gala approaching, there's one thing… I must verify, no matter what. Warping is the most effective method."
Dan Heng stopped her. "No, precisely because time is short… I'll use other means immediately."
At that moment, Xianzhou's BGM swelled appropriately.
Boothill's expression froze. "You're not planning to use the Jade Abacus of Allying Oath, are you?!"
"Exactly. With the Luofu Cloud Knights' support… it should suffice."
"That thing can only be used once in a lifetime. You'd better think this through."
Dan Heng looked at Boothill, speaking deliberately, "I've thought it through. My companions… are also something I can only have once in a lifetime."