The white cat cried tears of joy. "Thank heavens! You're finally getting down to business!"
As they prepared to face the Black Gatekeeper, Lucian shut down the live stream.
"If you really want to thank me, turn into a catgirl to show your gratitude."
White Cat: "?"
"No way I'd turn into something so embarrassing!"
Rover pinched Lucian's ear. "You won't even spare a cat?"
Lucian kissed Rover's cheek. "How about you transform tonight instead?"
Before Rover could respond, Counselor Changli spoke up. "Once the Black Shores matter is settled, you'll be heading elsewhere, won't you?"
"In that case, it's best if Lucian stays in Jinzhou for a few days…"
Chixia raised both hands enthusiastically. "I'm in!"
Yinlin chuckled. "No objections here."
Magistrate Jinhsi nodded. "A fine idea."
Rover: "?"
Counselor Changli smiled. "Four votes to one. It's settled."
Rover crossed her arms. "Sorry, but I have veto power."
Phrolova sneered. "Such a fickle man. Why not send him to Fractsidus for some proper training?"
Lumi gasped at Chixia's brilliance. "Chixia was right! You are interested in Lucian!"
Phrolova smirked. "I just want to train him for you and send him back."
Lucian: "?"
What kind of talk is this?
The group voiced their displeasure, with Rover speaking first. "We put Scar behind bars, and we can do the same to you."
"You said we'd meet again, but next time, you won't escape."
Phrolova gave a seductive smile. "I look forward to it."
The white cat glanced at the powerful Resonators around them, feeling a surge of confidence.
"Alright! We're fully prepared. It's time for the final battle!"
Magistrate Jinhsi nodded slightly at Lucian. "I can't wait to see you in the real world."
Rover: "Hey, hey, hey! What's that supposed to mean?"
"We're about to fight, and you're not even taking the Black Gatekeeper seriously?"
The group fell silent for a moment, shaking their heads.
Rover: "…Fine, I don't take him seriously either."
Chixia scratched her cheek, grinning sheepishly. "With this lineup, what's there to worry about, no matter what color the gatekeeper is?"
Phrolova, lounging on the bench, drawled, "Why not let me go? I could lend you a hand."
Counselor Changli chuckled. "No need. It's hard to say whose side you'd be on."
The group gathered around Lucian, who pointed at the golden gate. "Alright! Somnoire, activate!"
…
Under the moonlight, the black cat's eyes snapped open, and the Black Gatekeeper's voice echoed through the space.
"Countless dreams, countless memories—they need a larger vessel!"
"You cannot stop me!"
Though his words sounded confident, his voice betrayed a lack of conviction.
At that moment, a crystalline blue figure appeared ahead—the Fallacy of No Return.
It was a delusion crafted from Lucian's memories by the Black Gatekeeper.
Lucian silently drew his Nameless Giant Hammer. "Chixia, I've got a question for you."
Chixia, pulling out her pistol, asked curiously, "What's that?"
Lucian said leisurely, "If you smash a smashing hammer with a smashing hammer, will the smashing hammer be smashed?"
Chixia: "?"
Her small mind fell into deep thought.
The Fallacy of No Return charged with its giant hammer.
But an enemy defeated once before, even if replicated from memory, was destined to fall again.
Especially since Lucian's team was now among Jinzhou's strongest.
These replicated delusions stood no chance.
Besides the Fallacy of No Return, the Black Gatekeeper also summoned a Dreamless, but without the Threnodian's blessing, it was even weaker.
The only thing that piqued Lucian's interest was the replicated Scar, but this delusion was merely a soulless fighting machine, incapable of interaction.
As the delusions fell one by one, the black cat's eyes turned crimson.
"Why reject me? Everything you cherish can remain in the dream forever!"
"Only here can dreams be eternal!"
The black cat stopped creating delusions and swung its massive claws at the group.
The white cat darted forward, blocking the attack.
Lucian shook his head. "Reality is the foundation of existence. Without it, dreams lose their anchor."
But the black cat was slightly stronger, and with a sudden jolt, it sent the white cat flying with a massive shockwave.
Luckily, Lucian grabbed the white cat's tail in time. After recovering, the white cat perched sheepishly on Lucian's shoulder.
"Lucian, it's up to you now…"
"I'll lend you my power. Send it back through that gate!"
A faint blue aura glowed around the white cat, and Lucian felt a special energy surge into his body.
The black cat, enraged, roared, "Not a chance!"
It summoned countless Tacetite pillars from the ground to stop them.
But Lucian's team of elite Resonators wasn't fazed.
They shattered the pillars one by one, and the white cat shouted, "Now!"
A deafening gunshot rang out, and a glowing blue bullet struck the black cat with precision.
It roared in agony before being sucked into the gate.
…
Outside the train carriage, Chixia raised her arms in triumph. "Yay! Huge success!"
With a flair for drama, she declared, "Justice will always defeat evil! Darkness cannot hide the dawn!"
Yinlin nodded slightly. "Looks like Chixia's cultural knowledge has improved a lot."
Magistrate Jinhsi clapped her hands. "Well done. This matter is resolved. I'll reward you all."
Counselor Changli chimed in, "Now, about deciding who gets Lucian after we wake up."
Rover smirked. "Hmph, Lucian's sleeping with me. A little morning exercise after waking up sounds normal, right?"
Lucian: "?"
Magistrate Jinhsi chuckled. "Let's talk about it after we wake up. Somnoire still needs thorough investigation."
The group agreed to meet again in the real world, and their figures vanished, leaving only Lucian, Rover, Phrolova, and the white cat.
Rover grabbed Lucian's hand, curious. "What do you think of the Black Gatekeeper's methods?"
Lucian pondered for a moment. "Dreams are one way to combat The Lament, but possibilities aren't the ultimate answer."
"Existence is resonance, and resonance is creation."
"Only through the dialectic of reality and dreams, in the tension between the finite and the transcendent, can humanity, as Resonators, play the true chord against The Lament."