Penacony, the Golden Hour.
"Miss Robin, you're not dead?!"
A small Pepeshi rubbed his eyes and shouted happily.
His seventh grandaunt's son's neighbor's friend had personally witnessed Robin being killed by a monster—The Family's security officer standing nearby had been scared stiff as well.
He had even gone wild in the online comment sections, spamming 1s nonstop to support Miss Robin's revival.
Who would have thought Miss Robin would clear the revival round so quickly? What a delightful surprise.
"I'm sorry for causing trouble during your beautiful dream journey."
Robin spoke using the power of her Path, her voice gentle. "What happened earlier was merely the filming of a movie, which led to some misunderstandings."
"Mhm, mhm! So that's how it was!"
The Pepeshi nodded excitedly, practically about to grow from 1.4 meters to 1.5 meters tall.
With just a few gentle words and a smile, Robin soothed the Pepeshi and sent him on his way.
Only then did she turn her gaze toward the Golden Hour, the small sun in the sky warming the heart.
After such a short interval, she had returned to the Golden Hour. This time, she had direction.
Her throat was once again affected by noise, her voice hoarse, forcing her to rely on the power of her Path to speak.
Yet she remained perfectly calm, untroubled by it. Because she already understood everything—once the major problem was resolved, her minor issue would resolve itself naturally.
At this moment, the person she most wanted to speak with was Sunday.
But she did not head straight for Dewlight Pavilion. Instead, she first began consolidating her forces.
Just as Mr. Mercer had said, The Family had already been thoroughly infiltrated. She could not recklessly walk into danger like a lamb to the slaughter.
She knew her brother would come looking for her. Their bond since childhood told her he would understand her intentions.
She also knew Sunday's personality—once he made a decision, it would not be easily changed.
So before attempting to persuade Sunday, she needed to add more chips to her hand.
She spotted a disheveled blond young man, seemingly dealt a heavy blow, scattering money in the streets in a frenzy.
Interastral Peace Corporation, P45-grade employee—Aventurine.
Before she entered Dreamflux Reef, this man should still have been imprisoned under her brother's authority, accused of disrupting the Golden Hour.
But she knew he was wronged—she had just come from the side of the true culprit.
That said, Mr. Aventurine had entered Penacony carrying multiple Cornerstones. His motives were certainly far from pure.
Now that he had been released, even if he was a tiger with its fangs pulled, such a man still possessed ability.
Robin stepped forward, walking toward Aventurine.
Cooperating with the IPC was like negotiating with a tiger—it could have enormous consequences for Penacony later on.
But that was fine. Death or losing a chunk of flesh—she knew how to weigh priorities.
Robin stopped in front of Aventurine and asked softly, "Mr. Aventurine, why are you being so self-destructive?"
"Miss Robin, are you here to mock a failure like me?"
Aventurine looked rather bedraggled as he spoke with self-mockery. "My scheme was seen through by Mr. Sunday. I lost two Cornerstones and was even placed under a death curse that prevents me from leaving the dream."
"Even if I could leave, losing two Cornerstones would make me the greatest sinner in the IPC."
"If you're here to laugh at me, then please do it loudly. The ridicule of a galactic songstress sounds far more pleasant than the voices of those corporate bastards."
Inside, he remained alert, his grip on his briefcase tightening silently.
Was The Family still suspicious of him?
Even after paying the price of two Cornerstones, they still suspected he had ulterior motives?
Heh. This trust in his capabilities was hardly inferior to those two fools who had entrusted the Cornerstones to him in the first place.
"So that's what's troubling you."
Robin's gaze turned subtle, but she maintained her smile. "If you can contact other corporate forces stationed in Penacony, or if you still have a contingency plan of your own…"
"Then I may have some information that could be of help to you."
She very much wanted to expel Aventurine outright. Someone carrying two Cornerstones was a dangerous element—who knew if what he wanted to do was any better than Order.
But for now, she could only make do.
"Oh?"
Aventurine looked at Robin with gleaming eyes, like a prisoner grasping at hope. "Even if this is a test from The Family, I'll take it seriously. Though I no longer wield much power—at best, I can only pass information to the IPC's forward units."
He was puzzled by Robin's motives, but he would not miss any opportunity to break open the deadlock.
"I can only tell you this—the Family urgently needs stability right now. They don't want any unexpected incidents."
Robin smiled faintly.
She would not tell Aventurine too much. Corporate people were not to be trusted.
She only needed Aventurine to act. Exposing the possibility of trouble in Penacony would be more than enough to make the IPC pounce hard.
Aventurine said with some disappointment, "With the Charmony Festival approaching, it's common knowledge—even beggars know The Family doesn't want trouble."
"The Charmony Festival is indeed important," Robin replied, brushing aside a lock of hair, "but The Family's vigilance is about another, far more important event."
"If something big happens during the Charmony Festival, Penacony will become extremely vulnerable."
"Oh?"
Aventurine raised an eyebrow, sensing something unusual. "You're saying the Charmony Festival is merely a surface-level smokescreen."
He looked at Robin and broke into a wild grin. "You want to use me—to use the IPC! That's audacious indeed!"
It was as if he were seeing another version of himself, attempting to wrestle with a catastrophic beast.
This famous galactic diva had given him a tremendous surprise.
"Let's call it cooperation."
Robin spoke calmly. "If you can take the stage during the Charmony Festival, I'm willing to explain all the information to you."
"Then I accept your invitation. The IPC will not give up over a single failure—just as it has tried countless times to reclaim sovereignty over Penacony."
Aventurine straightened up, his spirit renewed.
Only now did he truly believe Robin's intentions—she really was inviting him to cause trouble during the Charmony Festival.
Look, Sunday—your sister Robin does not stand on the same side as you!
He looked at Robin seriously and asked, "Then let me ask one final question. Did you truly experience death?"
Why had he come to Penacony?
It was not a reckless gamble. This was a decisive strike after identifying a vital weakness—only with higher risk.
The legend of death within dreams had caught the IPC's attention. If confirmed, it would shake Penacony's very foundation.
And he had heard that the Robin before him had already died once.
"In Penacony's dreams, death does not exist."
Robin answered decisively.
"Very good. Thank you for resolving my doubts."
Aventurine had received a satisfactory answer.
Death did not exist in dreams—but there were deeper layers of dreams.
If Robin, who had died once, sought cooperation with the IPC, then there was a massive secret hidden there.
But for now, he had obtained even more valuable information—the Charmony Festival concealed something far greater.
Something even more significant than summoning an Emanator of Harmony. That was truly astonishing.
"Farewell, Miss Robin."
In high spirits, Aventurine strode off into the distance. "If nothing unexpected happens, I'll make my entrance at the very end. Your decision has placed an important wager on Penacony's fate."
He abandoned the idea of finding someone to fight, getting slashed deeply, and entering a deeper dream layer.
Instead, he would go seek help from Trailblazer friends.
After all, those Trailblazers were the true guests of the invitation—the cipher was linked to the Astral Express engine's fluctuations. The IPC had merely deciphered it by chance.
As for the fragments of Aventurine Stone in his briefcase, based on Robin's information, he planned to let them shine during the Charmony Festival.
If you're going to gamble, gamble big.
Everything—or nothing.
Compared to gambling with known outcomes, he preferred the thrill of staking his life on the edge, where the winner takes all.
===BREAK===
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