Penacony. Hotel Lobby.
The interstellar peace news broadcast had just concluded, but the crowd showed no signs of settling down.
At the front desk, a large group had gathered, collectively protesting against the Family's management.
"Why can't we access any Honkai: Star Rail-related content after entering the dreamscape?!"
"Damn the Family! What the hell did you do to our privacy?!"
"I came here on vacation specifically to play Star Rail with my friends in the dreamscape, and now you're telling me the Family has completely banned it?!"
"The Family needs to give us an explanation!"
"Refund! Refund!"
The manager at the front desk looked helpless and flustered.
"Sorry, we're just following orders..."
"This is a decision from above. There's nothing we can do!"
Aventurine, having already checked in, sat nearby with his luggage.
He could have gone to his room to enter the dreamscape at any time, but after learning about this situation, he wasn't in a hurry.
Instead, he watched the scene unfold in the lobby with amusement while sending a message to Topaz.
[Just as expected, Penacony has its secrets.]
[The Family has completely banned Honkai: Star Rail. Once you enter the dreamscape, you won't be able to get Yu Ling's latest updates in real time.]
[I'm still in the lobby. Our plans need to change.]
[We need to discuss this face-to-face. Where are you now?]
After sending the messages, Aventurine leaned back on the sofa, feigning laziness while discreetly observing the hotel's situation. Behind his sunglasses, his eyes gleamed with sharp focus.
The hotel was one of the most luxurious in the universe, and right now, it was packed with people.
Aventurine noticed both familiar and unfamiliar faces—brief eye contact was exchanged before they all looked away.
Clearly, these individuals were no small players.
With Duke Inferno's assassination and the Family's ban on Honkai: Star Rail, many had sensed something unusual brewing.
No one was rushing into the dreamscape just yet.
Meanwhile, upstairs, guests were gradually waking up from their dreams and taking the elevators down to the lobby.
Combined with the commotion at the front desk, the Dreamscape Hotel now had an undercurrent of tension.
"This scene is even more thrilling than the dreamscape itself..." Aventurine mused.
Just then, he received Topaz's reply.
[I'm behind you.]
Aventurine stood up immediately and saw Topaz striding confidently toward him, escorted by a few IPC security personnel.
"That was fast," Aventurine greeted with a smile, gesturing for her to sit across from him.
Cutting straight to the point, he said, "You see how chaotic things are. Jumping into the dreamscape now isn't the best move."
"I don't want to stumble around blindly in the dream just because of an information gap."
Topaz took a sip of water. "Isn't this exactly what we wanted?"
"The water's already muddy. Why not stir it up even more?"
"Snatching victory from the jaws of chaos—isn't that your specialty?"
Their conversation was critical—it involved the IPC's plans for Penacony.
Yet, neither of them bothered to lower their voices.
In this noisy environment, they spoke openly.
Because both Aventurine and Topaz knew:
Sometimes, the most conspicuous place was the least suspicious.
The chaos around them was the perfect cover.
And indeed, the Family's staff were too overwhelmed to pay them any attention.
Aventurine smirked. "Since when did you understand me so well?"
"Then how do we stir things up?"
Topaz: "Simple."
"On my way here, I received intel."
"Yu Ling just released a new video. According to our analysts, it contains crucial information about Penacony."
"I haven't watched it yet, so let's all see it together—right here, right now."
Aventurine blinked.
"Yu Ling posted something new?"
"How come I didn't get any notifications?"
He pulled up Yu Ling's official account and refreshed it, but there were no updates.
Topaz explained, "The Family has used some method to block Honkai: Star Rail-related content."
"Seems like Penacony's been fully locked down."
"But it doesn't matter."
"We're still in the real world, not the dreamscape."
"This isn't their territory."
"Let's make this spark reignite the wildfire!"
Topaz pulled out an IPC-patented terminal and quickly input commands.
Suddenly, all the screens in the lobby turned to static.
A sharp electronic screech filled the air, making many guests wince.
But two seconds later—
The screens flickered back to life.
And what appeared on them left everyone stunned.
Then, excitement erupted.
Because on the previously black screen—
The Honkai: Star Rail logo appeared.
Just as people began wondering which of Yu Ling's past videos this was—
A cheerful whistling tune played.
Then, to the rhythm of the music—
Stelle and a lavishly dressed man appeared, performing an electrifying dance together!
Aventurine, who had been smiling faintly, froze.
Because the man dancing in the video—
Was himself.
For a moment, he was completely dumbfounded.
Beside him, Topaz teased, "Well, well, Aventurine!"
"So you're the star of this video, huh?"
"Didn't you say someone like you would never appear in Honkai: Star Rail's story? Now you're a dancer?"
"Not bad, I gotta say. You've got moves."
Aventurine quickly took off his sunglasses and stared intently.
His mouth went dry.
Sure, Yu Ling had hinted he'd make an appearance—
But he never expected it to be like this!
After the initial shock wore off, Aventurine's lips curled back into a smirk.
"Only Yu Ling could pull this off. Look at those smooth, stylish moves!"
"I guess I'll have to learn this dance properly later."
Topaz rolled her eyes. "One video and you're already gloating? What if Yu Ling actually turns you into a playable character next? You'd be insufferable."
As Sleepless Night played, the entire hotel lobby was captivated.
Gasps of amazement filled the air.
"It's Yu Ling's latest work!"
"Why didn't I get any notifications?"
"Did Yu Ling debut this video in Penacony?"
"Who cares? Just watch!"
Meanwhile, in the hotel's control room—
Several Family hounds were sweating bullets.
They frantically tried to regain control of the screens—but nothing worked.
Through their earpieces, an angry voice demanded:
"What's going on?!"
"Who authorized the Star Rail video?!"
"Did you forget the Dreammaster's orders to block Honkai? Shut it down now!"
"We tried! It's not working!"
"It's too late..."
"The system's been remotely hacked!"
Back in the lobby, the guests had no idea this video was the result of a clash between the IPC and the Family.
They were soon engrossed in the music.
And when Robin and Sunday appeared—
Even the hotel staff were stunned.
"Wait, that's Miss Robin and Mr. Sunday?!"
"...Should we still try to stop this?"
"Forget it. Let's just watch."
In a secluded corner of the hotel, a young girl moved stealthily through the hallway.
After confirming no Family hounds or security were around, she scratched her head in confusion.
"5403..."
"The script said I'd have to fight my way into the dreamscape. What's going on?"
Just then, her phone buzzed with a message.
[Silver Wolf: Script's void. Yu Ling dropped a new video. You need to watch it ASAP.]
[The Family's blocking Honkai: Star Rail-related info in Penacony. You probably didn't get the update.]
[Hang tight. I'll get you access.]
Firefly paused, then cautiously stepped forward.
Turning a corner, she spotted a display screen in the hallway—usually reserved for Penacony ads—now playing a Honkai: Star Rail video.
After watching for a few seconds, realization dawned on her face.
"This is it!"
"Silver Wolf, looks like someone beat you to the punch!"
To be continued…