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To avoid disturbing the passing guests, Misha and Clockie found a corner to sit down.
Propping up their heads.
They watched the small television in front of them.
On the screen, a line of text appeared.
[Not long ago...]
Then a voice sounded.
"Excuse me, is this..."
Misha was about to say, "That voice sounds familiar," when the next second, he saw himself appear in the story!
I found myself surrounded by March 7th, Himeko, and Stelle.
And it seemed like we were in a rather peculiar place...
Clockie excitedly pointed at the television.
"Misha! Look! It's you making an appearance in the storyline!"
"I always said that a kind and righteous child like you would definitely get to play an important role!"
Misha's mouth also hung open in surprise.
A glimmer of delight shone in his pale purple eyes!
Although he had appeared in the storyline before, it was mostly just a brief cameo as the hotel bellboy.
Misha had also heard about the major events that unfolded later in the story...
Like how the company's envoy, Mr. Aventurine, gambled with three chips - all or nothing...
Or how the self-proclaimed Galaxy Ranger, Miss Acheron, sliced through the Dreamscape with a single strike...
These were earth-shattering events that Misha had never dared to imagine before!
And now, they were really happening right at his doorstep!
Even the members of the Astral Express...
Were actually seeking his advice!
Himeko stood before him in the storyline.
She gently asked, "Does this place look familiar to you, Misha?"
"This is a dream bubble. Our consciousness has entered it. It was a gift left for the Astral Express by a Nameless, but strangely, when we opened it, we found nothing inside."
"Dr. Edward from the Dreamscape Sales Store told me that dreams are formed from memories. If the core is empty, a dream bubble cannot take shape."
"So I thought, as the hotel bellboy and the Astral Express's friend who knows Penacony best, little Misha, you might be able to help us solve this mystery?"
Misha nodded and said, "Hmm, I don't know much about dream bubbles. But if you all want to figure out what this big house is... I'll do my best to try!"
Seeing himself interacting and adventuring with the Astral Express Crew...
Misha felt genuinely happy from the bottom of his heart.
Himeko, March 7th, Stelle...
Although he hadn't watched much of the storyline, Misha clearly remembered each of the Astral Express Crew members' names.
He seemed to have a special feeling towards these people.
No...
To be precise,
He had a special feeling towards the Nameless!
So,
Recently, whenever he had free time, Misha would either watch the in-game storyline by himself or with Clockie.
The protagonist of the game was the Trailblazer, which made Misha feel extremely envious!
He often fantasized about being that Trailblazer himself!
He immersed himself deeply in the role!
As a result, he kept dreaming at night that he had become a Nameless.
And was adventuring across the universe with different Nameless companions!
It felt so real!
...
March 7th asked, "Sister Himeko... I'm still puzzled. Why are you so sure that Misha is related to this dream bubble?"
"I'm not certain, just have some guesses. But since Misha feels familiar with this place... it suggests my guess might be correct."
Stelle also remarked, "This scene does look familiar..."
"That's right, you and Miss Firefly encountered death here - or should we call it slumber now. Considering its connection to Dreamflux Reef, it's not hard to understand why it appeared here."
"The question now is, who brought you here? Based on the current clues, it might not be the Fool, so figuring out who it is becomes crucial."
"We are once again approaching the core of the truth. Give Misha some time; he will surely uncover the secrets of the dream bubbles."
In the bottom right corner of the live stream.
It was the streamer, Little Gui.
Upon hearing Himeko's words, she was visibly shocked.
When it came to the free activity segment.
After running around the map several times.
She gradually came to a realization!
Little Gui pointed at the in-game map and exclaimed, "This is A Child's Dream!"
"So, this is the empty dream bubble left by The Watchmaker!?"
"If that's the case..."
"Then we had already found The Watchmaker's legacy when we first arrived in Penacony!"
...
"Director Sparkle truly lives up to her name! She had us close to the truth as early as version 2.0!"
"Sparkle is the most clear-headed person; she has been guiding the plot's development all along."
"But according to Himeko, it wasn't Sparkle who brought us here, right?"
"Sparkle made the protagonist fall asleep. Sleeping in the Dreamscape attracts the Sleepwalker, got it?"
"The Sleepwalker was supposed to bring Stelle and Firefly to Dreamflux Reef, but due to someone's interference, they entered the empty dream bubble left by The Watchmaker ahead of time."
"I see..."
"The question is, who is this person... Could it be Gallagher?"
"If Gallagher did this, wouldn't it be redundant?"
...
"Thud, thud, thud…"
Misha and Stelle were running down the hallway.
The sound of their footsteps echoed continuously.
Guinaifen showed a hint of nostalgia.
"Family!"
"It's a bit nostalgic~"
"This is where we encountered the ghost wall back then and were scared out of our wits… ahem."
"Now that everyone is gathered together, it feels like there's nothing to fear."
"Hmm… indeed! This place still hides other secrets!"
As she spoke.
Misha had already led the way into a room.
March 7th exclaimed in surprise, "You actually chose the right place in one go?"
Misha, however, looked puzzled, "Strange, this clearly isn't a hotel, and it's very different, but I feel like I've been here before, and… even lived here for a while."
"If I remember correctly, if you go down that hallway, there's a warm fireplace. Clockie and I often used to sit by it, listening to the crackling of the firewood."
"And the room on the other side is… the toy room. I liked to dump everything from the box onto the floor and then make up stories for each of them."
"Wait, no, wasn't I raised in Dreamflux Reef? Then what is this place…"
Misha watched the scene with great interest.
Eagerly anticipating that the next part of the story would unravel his confusion.
Beside him.
Clockie suddenly tugged at his drooping face.
As if forcing himself to perk up.
With a worried expression, he said, "Misha, why don't we go do something else?"
"We could go on an adventure on the Compass, or protect the Dream Town together…"
"Anyway, I don't really want to stay here anymore!"
"This game's plot is making me feel more and more uncomfortable…"
"It feels like something bad is going to happen…"
Misha smiled.
He patted Clockie on the head.
"You didn't eat some strange donut, did you?"
"Haha, just kidding."
"I don't feel anything strange, but instead, there's this indescribable urge in my heart…"
"I want to keep watching, I want to know what really happened to me."
Clockie blinked, "Hmm… alright."
"After all, I've always followed you."
"No matter what happens, I'll stay by your side."
Misha nodded with a smile.
"Of course, we're best friends."
"We'll go on adventures to new worlds together in the future!"