On Mt. Aocang, Xianyun had initially been somewhat displeased about Shenhe seemingly developing feelings for Valerius. After all, he already had someone.
But now, the more she looked at him, the more agreeable he seemed. He was powerful, yet never used his strength to oppress others. He didn't carry that arrogant mindset of "I'm above all." Instead, he blended in easily, and when something went wrong, he was willing to admit his own mistakes.
For a moment, Xianyun found herself letting go of her concerns about Shenhe. She even began to consider whether she should send Shenhe over to him.
Although Valerius and Bronya had already confirmed their relationship, that didn't mean he could only like Bronya.
What if he happened to like Shenhe's type as well?
With that thought, her mind became increasingly active.
[Xianyun: Valerius, does that fate-altering thing of yours actually work?]
[Valerius: Of course it does.]
[Xianyun: This Immortal has noticed Shenhe behaving somewhat unusually lately. Could you come take a look?]
[Valerius: That so? I'll come check after this round of the game.]
[Xianyun: Good. I'll be waiting.]
She turned to look at Shenhe, whose eyes had already lit up. Xianyun calmly waved her hand. "Why don't you head to Liyue and buy some clothes?"
"Yes, Master."
This time, Shenhe looked noticeably happy. She immediately packed her things and prepared to leave for Liyue.
"Remember—do not buy clothes chosen by Granny Ping from Yujing Terrace. And do not let Xiangling or Yanfei pick for you either."
"…Why is that?"
"Just go. If you're unsure, ask your senior sister for help."
Why? Because you're part of our "crane-style" aesthetic. What if you get influenced by that "Granny Ping-style" instead?
What's so great about showing off a bare leg? Black stockings are far better.
Hadn't she already noticed that Valerius seemed to have a preference for that? Of course she had to take advantage of it.
After sending Shenhe off, Xianyun turned her attention back to the livestream.
At this moment, Welt had already walked up to Jaina, while Acheron stood between them.
"Move."
Welt's eyes were filled with black mist. He planted his cane on the ground, clearly ready to act at any moment.
Acheron merely glanced at the cane without speaking—but she didn't move.
"I'll say it again. Move. Or you will face the devouring force of a black hole."
"You're welcome to try."
Her hand rested on her blade, ready to draw. She didn't know what exactly Jaina had done, but since Jaina was key to curing the corruption, she had to protect her.
The two stood in opposition, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
Yet Jaina, standing behind Acheron, remained completely calm.
"Come on… let me see. If violence breaks out, will they really be expelled?"
In truth, she found it strange. On one hand, she was required to stay in the lobby for a week. On the other, any violence in the lobby would result in expulsion. No matter how she looked at it, that worked in her favor.
So with Acheron protecting her, how exactly were the others supposed to eliminate her?
She waited. As long as someone made the first move, she could uncover the underlying mechanics.
As expected, after a brief standoff, Welt acted first.
He released his cane, and a black hole began to form in front of Acheron, rapidly expanding.
"Move!"
At the critical moment, Jaina grabbed Acheron—who was about to draw her sword—and pulled her aside.
She couldn't be sure whether Acheron's attack would count as violence, but Acheron was still useful. She had to keep her.
Unfortunately, the pull of the black hole was far beyond her strength to resist. If Acheron hadn't grabbed her, she would've been sucked in instantly.
Then, suddenly, the sky shattered.
A grotesque creature appeared, streaking across the black hole, which vanished instantly. It turned and drove a sharp spike straight through Welt's body.
Pfft!
Black mist poured out of Welt like a flood before dispersing into the air.
For a brief moment, he seemed to regain clarity.
Struggling, he looked around at the scene below and used his last bit of strength to shout, "Don't resist… it can—"
Before he could finish, his figure dissipated, as if he had never existed.
The sudden turn of events left everyone in the lobby stunned. Even Himeko, who had been ready to confront Jaina, quickly withdrew her hand.
That purple creature had been terrifying—covered in eyes, grotesquely colored, utterly unsettling.
[Valerius: …Sleepy?]
Valerius recognized it immediately. Wasn't that Sleepy? This thing not only drove the dream bus to the Reverie Reef—it could also appear in reality to cause trouble?
[Ruan Mei: Sleepy? You mean that creature?]
[March 7th: That terrifying thing has a name like that? Valerius, your naming sense is terrible.]
[Valerius: I didn't name it. Right, Gallagher?]
[Gallagher: You really know a lot… fine, that is indeed Sleepy.]
[Sunday: A member of the Hound Family? I don't recall Penacony having such a creature. What exactly are you planning?]
Sunday had noticed something. This version of Penacony seemed connected to the real one. If such a creature existed here, did that mean it existed in the real Penacony as well?
[Gallagher: I only know that such a creature exists. As for the name… just assume I'm bad at naming.]
[Sunday: It had better be.]
Sunday grew cautious. He hadn't yet decided whether to activate the Dream of Order again. From previous experiments, he had realized something—
A seven-day workweek with seven days of rest wasn't necessarily a good thing.
So this time, he planned a new strategy: three weeks of rest in a month.
In any case, his goal remained the same—working for the benefit of the masses.
But if such a creature existed, then things could become dangerous.
Inside the space.
With Welt gone, the entire lobby fell into silence. Only Jaina, after hearing his last words, felt that there was something deeper behind them.
"'Don't resist'… what does that mean?"
Did he mean resistance was useless?
Or was there something more?
"And 'it can'… what was he trying to say?"
Her mind raced. It felt like Welt's words carried hidden meaning.
"Could it be…"
Suddenly, a thought struck her.
The rules stated that violence in the lobby would lead to expulsion. But where were they expelled to? Why expulsion instead of immediate death?
And when Welt dissipated, he had briefly regained clarity.
So… if she could get everyone expelled, would that restore them?
And if they were restored, what benefit would that bring her?
Her mind worked at full speed, calculating countless possibilities in an instant. The answer grew clearer and clearer.
She had made her decision.
Before, she had planned to simply survive.
But now… she would take the initiative.
Only by seizing control could she truly dictate the flow of the game.
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