"Alright, Welt Yang, you go on ahead. We'll go find our companions."
Hearing that Welt Yang planned to investigate alone, Derick naturally had no objections. He was also planning to find Cipher, Polyxia, Acheron, and Firefly to discuss preparations for battle.
Derick and Castorice left the Reverie Reef.
Afterward, the members of the Astral Express also departed from the Reverie Reef, planning to rest up and make final preparations for the battle.
---
After hearing Derick's explanation, the sharp-minded Cipher stroked her chin and said, "Something's wrong, very wrong. I feel like there's something hidden behind this Charmony Glee. There must be a trigger point. Harmony, The Family..."
For Derick and the others, however, this was actually Sunday going easy on them, intending to let them enjoy a sweet dream of becoming heroes.
---
Beside these Memokeepers, Sparkle's gaze flickered toward them. Her eyes darted around, and she slowly shifted her feet toward the edge of the bed, ready at any moment to break free from the restraints they had placed on her.
---
Black Swan stepped forward to act with Sparkle.
Derick sent a message to Cipher and the others, telling them to return to the real-world Reverie Hotel to discuss their next move.
Sensing the anomaly occurring in the dreamscape, it was most appropriate to return to reality to confer.
It would be best if they didn't enter the Dream of Oneness.
Previously, although Derick knew that everything except his right eye had already entered Sunday's Dream of Oneness, what he saw was the same whether through the left eye in the dream or the right eye in reality. Derick had almost overlooked this point.
But now, he finally discovered the huge difference between the two.
Through his left eye, he saw himself leaving the Reverie Reef and arriving at the real-world Reverie Hotel. He left the hotel's Dream Pool and went to the lobby to meet up with Cipher, Polyxia, and the others.
But through his right eye, which could see reality, Derick knew he hadn't left Penacony's dream world at all, but had merely arrived at a hotel within the Golden Hour.
Derick didn't show any sign of abnormality. He continued to act as if he had already returned to the reality of Penacony.
"Derick, did you guys find anything new?" Cipher asked Derick.
Cipher had perhaps gotten used to impersonating Sparkle, as she hadn't changed her appearance back. Of course, Derick also suspected she might be planning a heist and intended to use Sparkle's face to commit the crime. For a thief, it was best to have a few extra identities.
"Yeah, we did run into a few things..." Derick told Cipher and the others everything that had happened on their end.
Acheron stood indifferently to the side, her gaze sweeping around as if she sensed something. Derick knew this was because Acheron could likely see there was a problem with their current location.
Huohuo jumped in fright upon hearing about such plots and conspiracies.
Cipher thought of something and asked Derick, "By the way, Derick, what's the climax of the Charmony Glee?"
"Robin's performance."
Cipher tapped the tabletop lightly and said to Derick, "If there is some conspiracy here, then following the principle of convenience, the mastermind behind the Charmony Glee's conspiracy is most likely one of the siblings, Sunday or Robin. It's more likely Sunday. Robin's personality and temper don't seem suited for scheming."
Cipher left one thing unsaid: if Robin was really capable of such things, she wouldn't have fallen into Borisin's trap.
"Your reasoning is quite accurate,"
Derick thought to himself.
He then asked Cipher, "Then if you knew that either Robin or Sunday was plotting something during this Charmony Glee, how would you handle it?"
"It depends," Cipher answered honestly. "If Sunday or Robin are really up to something, but it doesn't affect us, then it doesn't matter. Let them do as they please. After all, I can see that neither of them are the type to slaughter innocents."
Castorice, Polyxia, and Firefly all nodded in agreement.
To them, the other visitors to Penacony had nothing to do with them, and they had no responsibility for them. If Sunday were to truly slaughter innocents and kill wantonly, Castorice and the others might intervene out of their own kindness. But if it wasn't a random slaughter but something else, Cipher really wouldn't try to stop them.
"What if their plan does affect you?" Derick asked Cipher again.
Cipher rolled up her sleeves and exclaimed, "What's there to say? We'll take them on, of course!"
Just as she said that, a knock came from the door.
"Who is it?" Cipher called out. After all, they were discussing Sunday, the head of the local Oak Family, and his sister Robin. It wouldn't do to be overheard.
There was no response to Cipher's call.
"What's going on?" Cipher said, cautiously walking to the door while giving Derick a look.
She believed that with Derick here, no one could launch a surprise attack on her.
Cipher slowly opened the door to find Robin standing outside.
"Huh? Robin, what are you doing here? When I called out, why didn't you answer? You weren't planning to scare me from outside, were you?" Seeing it was Robin, Cipher breathed a sigh of relief and spoke to her in a complaining tone.
An apologetic expression appeared on Robin's face. She then took out her phone and typed a reply:
[Sorry, I don't know what's going on today. I feel like there's something wrong with the surroundings, and I can't make a sound.]
"What!? How could this happen?" Cipher said in surprise. "Is there any way to fix it?"
For a universe-renowned singer to be unable to sing was, to her, an incredibly cruel fate. Cipher thought for a moment; if one day her own hands were crippled and she couldn't use them, she would probably go mad.
Robin continued typing on her phone:
[Don't worry, it doesn't seem to be a personal issue, but rather a problem with the entire environment of Penacony. I feel the surroundings changing, and discordant notes are coming from the domain of Harmony. My voice can no longer carry. My brother told me to rest, and that he would handle the Charmony Glee.]
[But, I feel like there's something wrong. Derick, Cipher, can you help me investigate the truth of this matter?]
After reading the words Robin had typed, Cipher and the others turned their gazes to Derick.
Robin also looked at Derick with anticipation. In this situation, she really didn't know who to ask for help. After thinking it over, only Derick had the ability to help her with this request.
"Why are you all looking at me like that? Since Robin has asked for help, how could I possibly refuse?"
Seeing their gazes, Derick quickly spoke up.
Hearing Derick's response without a moment's hesitation, a happy smile blossomed on Robin's face.
This was the second time. The second time Derick had helped her, and both times it concerned what was most important to her. Especially this time, as it could very well involve her brother.
Robin had a little thought in her mind. If Derick really found a problem with her brother, could she perhaps stop him in private? Then, the matter would be much easier to resolve.
As she thought this, her gaze towards Derick was a mixture of gratitude and affection.
Seeing Robin's look, before Derick could react, Castorice silently stepped in between them.
"Then let's start investigating," Castorice said.
Glancing at the Dream Pool to the side (a Dream Pool that existed in Castorice's perception, but not in reality), Castorice said, "We probably won't find anything in the reality of The Reverie Hotel. To investigate thoroughly, it's best to return to the dream world. Let's go back to our respective Dream Pools now and enter Penacony's dream world together."
Robin nodded.
But at this moment, Cipher raised an objection.
"It's best not to enter the dream from our own rooms," Cipher said. "If there are enemies, and they see us entering the dream world separately, wouldn't they consider taking the opportunity to attack our physical bodies? If we're all separate, and something goes wrong, it'll be too late for regrets."
Hearing Cipher's words, everyone couldn't help but nod.
"Then what should we do?" Acheron asked Cipher.
"Simple!" Cipher pointed at the Dream Pool. "We just all squeeze into one Dream Pool, don't we? And it would be best if one person stays out of the dream world, remaining in reality to stand guard. That way, we can ensure our safety to the greatest extent."
"Indeed, that's a very reasonable method," Acheron agreed with Cipher's proposal, but then raised a new problem. "But this Dream Pool is too small. Even if we squeeze, we can't all be submerged in the water. How would that work?"
"Ah, that!" Cipher realized this was indeed a new problem.
It was difficult, extremely difficult.
Just then, Robin picked up her phone again and typed another line of text on it.
[You can come to my room. The Dream Pool there is very large. We should be able to squeeze in.]
As Sunday's sister, Robin's living accommodations were even more luxurious than those of Penacony's VIP clients.
"But won't your brother find out if we do that?"
Robin wrote again:
[That's my private chamber. My brother won't be paying attention to it.]
Sunday was a normal doting brother. He cared for his sister's life and protected her, but he wouldn't interfere with her privacy. Even if he was really doing something behind the scenes, Robin believed he wouldn't spy on her private room.
However, this was based on the premise of the real world. Right now, Derick and Robin were essentially in the Dream of Oneness. No one had left the dream world, so there was no private chamber to speak of.
"Indeed, then let's get a move on."
Although Derick knew all this, in order not to arouse Sunday's suspicion, he still said they should go to Robin's private room.
Robin quickly led everyone to her chamber.
After pushing open the door, Robin quickly pointed to the large Dream Pool in the room and said, "Come on, everyone get into the pool."
"Alright."
Everyone entered the Dream Pool one by one.
In the end, only Polyxia remained outside the pool. She sat in her wheelchair and said to Derick and the others, "I'll keep watch here."
Polyxia was used to her wheelchair, and getting into the Dream Pool would make it too crowded. Besides, her own strength was considerable. If anything unexpected happened, Polyxia was confident she could handle it by transforming into a dragon.
Although the Dream Pool in Robin's room was larger than average, it was still quite crowded with so many people suddenly jumping in.
Derick was squeezed right in the middle, his left arm around Castorice, while his right was held by Robin. Firefly was lying on his left thigh, and Cipher was wrapped around his right. Acheron was draped horizontally across his stomach, and Huohuo, blushing furiously, hugged Derick's neck.
Oh, and poor Mr. Tail, who was tossed right out of the Dream Pool because it was too crowded.
"These guys, they really are..." Mr. Tail was about to complain when it felt Polyxia's gaze from the side and immediately swallowed its words.
"Forget it, forget it, I don't know anything," Mr. Tail said, hiding off to the side.
And in the Dream Pool, the group slowly submerged into the water.
Of course, the experience was completely different for each person. For someone like Derick, with so many people hanging off him, it was utterly uncomfortable.
As for Cipher and Castorice, who had already done everything with Derick, hugging his body like this with clothes on was no big deal at all.
For girls like Robin and Firefly, who had feelings for Derick but hadn't had any substantial contact, their hearts were a mix of shyness and joy.
Acheron didn't care at all. With her slight interest in Derick, she might even accept getting into the Dream Pool naked, let alone fully clothed.
As for the little matcha cake Huohuo, her heart was filled with nothing but shyness. Derick could even feel Huohuo's scorching cheeks at that moment, hot enough to boil the water in the Dream Pool.
However, while it looked like they were in a Dream Pool, from Derick's perspective of reality, the group was just huddled together in a corner of the Golden Hour.
Furthermore, the fact that they were squeezed together hadn't changed.
For some reason, through his right eye, Derick felt a wave of malice sweep over him. It didn't feel like it wanted to kill him, just beat him up.
Derick chuckled inwardly.
That's probably Brother Sunday watching.
He must have seen Robin's intimate contact with him, and he couldn't help but be angry.
"Good thing I'm not a bad guy, otherwise I'd deliberately take advantage of Robin just to piss off Brother Sunday," Derick thought to himself.
Deliberately taking advantage of another girl just to spite someone else was something that crossed Derick's bottom line.
Shifting his perspective back to the Dream of Oneness, Derick and the others smoothly passed through the Dream Pool and arrived in Penacony's Golden Hour.
Derick guessed that Brother Sunday might have deliberately allowed this.
The longer he delayed them, the longer his sister would be clinging to Derick.
Walking on the streets of the Golden Hour, Derick felt an extreme sense of contrast.
Through his perception within the Dream of Oneness, the Golden Hour was abuzz with people celebrating on the streets to welcome the Charmony Glee. The streets were incredibly festive. In many places, even vehicles couldn't pass, as they had all been turned into pedestrian paths leading to the theater.
Even if one couldn't enter the theater to witness the Charmony Glee firsthand, watching from outside was perfectly normal.
But in Derick's real perception, the bustling Golden Hour was actually completely empty. Derick's group was walking alone on the deserted streets.
Besides them, there were no other pedestrians.
It was only after walking for several streets that Derick saw another group of people appear in reality.
It was none other than the Astral Express Crew.
"You guys are here too?" Stelle exclaimed happily upon seeing Derick and the others. She and March 7th then ran over together.
"Yeah, we found some clues on our end," Derick said, glancing at Robin before speaking to Stelle.
Himeko, Welt Yang, and the others also walked over.
Welt Yang's gaze fell on Robin. Knowing that Robin couldn't speak easily right now, Derick quickly recounted everything that had happened on their side to the Astral Express Crew.
Similarly, the Express Crew shared the intelligence they had gathered with Derick.
The two sides exchanged information.
After sharing intel, everyone's gaze fell upon the theater.
"It seems the mastermind behind all this is in the theater," Himeko said, pointing towards it.
"Yeah, we really need to investigate what kind of plan is going on," Cipher said, rubbing her hands together, eager for action. At the same time, she turned to look at Derick, her eyes flashing with a question.
"Derick, is now the time for that heist you mentioned? Should I go empty out the theater?"
"Now's not the time for a heist. Besides, how much could there be in a theater? What you could carry away would be even less valuable."
Although she didn't understand Derick's reasoning, seeing him stop her, Cipher naturally gave up the idea of robbing the theater.
She obediently followed Derick and the others towards the theater.
As they neared the theater, in Derick's real perception, it was completely empty with no security measures. Derick felt he could just lead everyone straight inside.
However, in the Dream of Oneness, Derick's side faced the problem of how to infiltrate.
Not that it was much of a problem.
"You all wait here for a moment, I'll go take a look," Cipher said to the group before heading forward to scout. After a while, Cipher returned to them. "Let's go, I'll lead you. This level of security is child's play."
"So cool! Teach me next time, I want to be just like you." Seeing Cipher's effortless style, Stelle was quite impressed and once again proposed to become her apprentice.
"Sure, I'll teach you later," Cipher was very pleased with Stelle's desire to learn and was naturally willing to teach her some thieving skills.
"Mhm, mhm."
Stelle nodded repeatedly.
Then, under Cipher's guidance, the group infiltrated the theater. The guards inside didn't notice Derick's party at all.
For Derick and the others, however, this was actually Sunday going easy on them, intending to let them enjoy a sweet dream of becoming heroes.
---
Within the Great Crater, the Memokeepers were all observing the actions of Derick and the others.
"It seems Sunday is preparing to make his move. If Derick and the others don't intervene, they will soon become puppets in the Dream of Oneness," the Memokeepers said.
"Let's prepare to act and interfere with the Dream of Oneness."
"Yes."
Beside these Memokeepers, Sparkle's gaze flickered toward them. Her eyes darted around, and she slowly shifted her feet toward the edge of the bed, ready at any moment to break free from the restraints they had placed on her.
---
Penacony Grand Theater.
In the Dream of Oneness, Derick and the others were still searching for Sunday's location. But in reality, Sunday was already standing right beside them.
And next to Sunday stood a crow.
This was the Dream Master of Penacony.
"Now that even Derick and the Astral Express Crew are under your control, there's no one left in Penacony to stop you," the Dream Master said to Sunday.
"There is still much to be done."
Sunday's face showed no sign of a happy smile; instead, he spoke in a serious tone.
"The power of [Order] is merely transforming the Dominix that originally belonged to [Harmony] in Penacony. To transform more of [Harmony], much more needs to be done. All I can do now is let the people of Penacony immerse themselves in an eternal, beautiful dream."
Sunday never acted for himself; he wanted everyone to live in happiness. He was a believer in the fallen Aeon of [Order], Taiyi, and wanted to build a world with no more sorrow.
And the way to achieve this was simple: he would become the master who dictates everyone's lives, setting the order for them to live by and ensuring their survival.
The life Sunday proposed sounded wonderful, but there was one problem: everything was controlled by Sunday. No matter how free your thoughts were, they would be restricted by him.
Like a bird in a cage.
This era belongs to everyone, not just to him, Sunday.
Derick thought to himself as he watched Sunday.
The Dream Master glanced at Derick's group and asked Sunday, "What about Derick and the others? He has ties to the Xianzhou Alliance. If he disappears in Penacony for too long, that Sky-Slaying General will surely come looking for him."
Perhaps the current Sunday could defeat Feixiao. But the Xianzhou Alliance was notoriously good at calling for backup. Defeat Feixiao, and the next wave would likely be Jing Yuan and General Huaiyan. If he managed to defeat those two generals as well, the next to arrive would be Marshal Hua.
Through his right eye, Derick watched, curious to see what Sunday planned to do.
Sunday replied to the Dream Master, "Mr. Gopher Wood, as you know, the [Order] I wish to establish has never been limited to just Penacony. If I am to expand elsewhere, conflicts with other civilizations are inevitable. A conflict with the Xianzhou Alliance is equally unavoidable."
Penacony alone wasn't enough to warrant such a grand scheme from Sunday. He intended to expand the newly formed [Order] from Penacony out into the universe.
In the future, even Sunday himself couldn't say what heights he would reach.
"Good, as long as that's the case," the Dream Master said to Sunday. "Next, the stage is yours."
"Alright."
Sunday nodded.
He then looked at Derick and the others, changing the content they encountered within the Dream of Oneness.
In Derick's perception within the Dream of Oneness, he saw that after a series of twists and turns, they had finally come face to face with Sunday.
The two sides engaged in a conversation.
However, it was mainly Himeko, Welt Yang, and the others who were verbally sparring with Sunday, while Derick stood motionless to the side.
"Huh? Why aren't you joining in?" Seeing Derick standing still, a curious Stelle asked him.
Derick replied to Stelle, "Because a man like Sunday will never abandon his long-prepared plans just because of a conversation. In the end, we'll have to fight him to settle this."
"Mhm, mhm, you're right."
Hearing Derick say this, Stelle nodded repeatedly.
As she spoke, she picked up her baseball bat.
Seeing Stelle holding the baseball bat, Derick asked her with a puzzled look, "You haven't changed your weapon?"
"Change weapon? What weapon?" Hearing Derick's question, Stelle looked at him in confusion.
Derick then glanced to the side and saw that the hat which should have been in Stelle's hands at this moment was still in Misha's.
"It's nothing. Just get ready to fight."
Derick reminded Stelle.
At that moment, the conversation between Himeko's group and Sunday concluded. As expected, Sunday would not listen to their advice.
He decisively began his transformation.
Derick noticed very clearly.
Although the scenes in reality and the Dream of Oneness were vastly different, Sunday transformed at the exact same time in both.
"Fate has decreed that we fight to the death. Since it has come to this, let us use our respective Paths to reveal a righteous way for the universe!"
As Sunday spoke, his form immediately began to change.
"Now, I grant you all the privilege of gazing upon the sun."
The grand curtains of the theater slowly parted, and a golden light shone upon the faces of Derick and the others.
"Upon these one hundred seven thousand, three hundred and thirty-six ores, the strings of the Almighty's Harmony are mine to command."
"—Conductor of All Praises, the Unison Choir, Dominix."
A tall, bronze humanoid figure holding a conductor's baton commanded the power of Order, creating more dreams for Derick and the others.
From the perspective of the Dream of Oneness, Derick and his companions were caught in battle, unleashing their respective skills.
However, from the perspective of reality, Derick could clearly see that everyone from his side and the Astral Express were all attacking thin air.
The Unison Choir that Sunday had transformed into was currently standing by, watching quietly.
"Next, I shall create a sweet dream for you, a dream of defeating me and becoming the heroes of Penacony."
Sunday murmured to himself.
"As for your hometown of Amphoreus, Derick, I will also find an opportunity to bring it into Order, thereby saving everyone there."
In the Great Crater, seeing this situation, the Memokeepers began to prepare their formation.
"Let us awaken those trapped in the dream!" the Memokeepers said to themselves, then prepared to awaken Acheron, who was trapped in the Dream of Oneness.
Acheron was already on the verge of breaking free from the Dream of Oneness; a little help would be enough to wake her. Once she was awake, she could fight Sunday.
In the midst of such a battle, the Memokeepers' actions would be much more convenient.
The Memokeepers manipulated the formation.
They didn't dare to exert too much power, fearing that too large an output would draw Sunday's attention and cause unnecessary trouble.
Just as they were manipulating the formation, a sudden gust of wind came from behind.
"Yah-ha~"
Sparkle delivered a flying kick right into the center of the formation. After the kick landed, the amount of Memoria released from the formation suddenly increased, and its target location also changed.
"What's going on?! How did you escape?" Seeing Sparkle completely unrestrained, the Memokeepers were all shocked.
Hadn't they already bound Sparkle? How could she escape so easily?
Although the Memokeepers were surprised, their actions were not slow. They all launched attacks at Sparkle.
But this time, Sparkle's performance was completely different from the other day. Her petite figure weaved through the Memokeepers, kicking them out one by one.
Her movements were so skilled and agile that the Memokeepers couldn't even touch the hem of her clothes.
Two Memokeepers retreated to a distance, preparing to use ranged attacks against Sparkle. But just then, a purple-haired woman appeared behind them.
"Attacking someone from behind is not a good habit."
With a flick of her finger, Black Swan knocked out the two Memokeepers from the Garden of Recollection.
Seeing Black Swan appear, Sparkle gave her a thumbs-up. Sparkle and Black Swan had been in contact for a while. It was Black Swan who had secretly undone the restraints on her hands earlier.
As a fellow Memokeeper, Black Swan naturally knew how to evade the notice of these others.
Black Swan looked at Sparkle, who had already kicked all the Memokeepers out of the Great Crater.
One by one, the Memokeepers fell to the ground.
In Sparkle's view, only she and Black Swan remained in the entire Great Crater.
"Come on, Black Swan, help me adjust this formation. We need to have it absorb Memoria and send it over to Derick," Sparkle said to Black Swan.
"I know."
Black Swan stepped forward to act with Sparkle.
---
Outside Penacony, old General Huaiyan arrived, piloting a starskiff.
"According to the star chart, the planet ahead is Penacony. It seems today is the day of the Charmony Glee."
"That brat is probably having so much fun with other girls he's forgotten everything else," the old general muttered to himself.
The thought of Derick possibly flirting with girls while his own poor granddaughter was still nurturing the baby made Huaiyan want to cut Derick down.
Just as he was contemplating what attitude to take when meeting Derick, Huaiyan looked at Penacony and sensed something was wrong.
"Wait, what is this situation? The powers of multiple Paths are intertwining, converging, and producing Emanator-level energy. My grandson-in-law is in danger right now! Well, I came here to hold him accountable, but it looks like I have to save him instead."
Huaiyan said anxiously.
He wished he could tear Derick apart with his own hands, but it had to be his own hands. If someone else wanted to harm Derick, he, Huaiyan, would not tolerate it.
This was his grandson-in-law, after all.
Picking up the weapon he carried with him, Huaiyan headed straight for Penacony.
The sudden energy fluctuation, along with the Memokeepers appearing from the Great Crater, made Sunday's gaze shift in that direction.
From Sunday's perspective, Derick and the others were already under control and posed no further threat. Instead, this new development required his attention.
As Sunday was focused on this, Derick instantly felt that this was a perfect opportunity.
Inside the Great Crater, Sparkle and Black Swan were manipulating the formation.
"Hey, Black Swan, what kind of memory should I create for Derick later? Should I add one where he's hopelessly in love with me? No, no, he'd definitely break free. How about a memory of him being a jerk who used and abandoned me? Given his personality, he'd definitely be filled with regret."
Sparkle said to Black Swan, her eyes darting around as she imagined various scenarios.
"Sparkle, you monster, please treat my memories with care!" Hearing Sparkle's monologue, Derick was speechless in his mind.
Seeing that their attention was also focused on the formation, Derick had his Fifth Clone ram into Sparkle and Black Swan.
Neither Sparkle nor Black Swan expected this attack, so caught off guard, they too were sent flying out of the Great Crater.
Just as they had thrown the Memokeepers from the Garden of Recollection out of the Great Crater, now it was their turn to be thrown out.
"Well, well, looks like we've become the prey."
Falling from the Great Crater, Sparkle wasn't the least bit upset; she even spoke to Black Swan with great interest.
"Did you see the enemy?"
Black Swan asked Sparkle.
"I saw them, clear as day." Hearing Black Swan's question, Sparkle nodded repeatedly, her eyes filled with excitement.
A pitch-black body, still devouring Memoria—it was undoubtedly the black monster she was looking for, and a brand-new one at that.
"I feel like the appearance of this black monster is a bit too coincidental. It seems there are still some things I need to investigate thoroughly," Sparkle thought to herself.
Beside her, Black Swan wanted to ask Sparkle more about their attacker. But Sparkle looked at Black Swan and said with a smile, "If I were you, I wouldn't be thinking about who attacked us right now. We should be thinking about how to deal with Sunday's attack."
When those Memokeepers fell from the Great Crater earlier, Sunday had launched an attack. But after that attack, Sunday still had his doubts, feeling that there was more than just these Memokeepers from the Garden of Recollection in the Great Crater.
Now that Sparkle and Black Swan had also fallen out of the Great Crater, Sunday was bound to attack them.
At this moment, Sunday raised the baton in his hand, preparing to attack Sparkle and Black Swan.
He was just about to launch his attack when he felt a swift figure rushing towards him from the side. The speed was so fast that he didn't even have time to put up a defense.
A long halberd filled with destructive desire slammed viciously into the side of Sunday's current form, the Dominix of the Collective Will.
The unexpected force made Sunday's body lurch to the side, nearly causing him to fall over.
Sunday looked at Derick in shock.
"You... you weren't affected by the Dream of Oneness?"
"That's right. Your Dream of Oneness has no effect on me at all. Everything I did just now was to lower your guard and confuse you."
Although it wasn't entirely without effect—in fact, most of Derick's senses were currently immersed in the illusion of having already defeated Sunday in the Dream of Oneness—to crush Sunday's morale, Derick naturally had to boast a little.
And with this boast, the influence of the Dream of Oneness on Derick began to fade.
Now that he was awake, the power of the dream would naturally recede.
Sunday stabilized himself and glanced at the others. Seeing that no one else had broken free from the Dream of Oneness, he let out a sigh of relief.
"Derick, you are impressive. To be able to break free from the Dream of Oneness is something even an ordinary Emanator cannot do. However, for the sake of [Order], I must still fight you."
As Sunday spoke, he manipulated his baton, waving it in mid-air. A barrage of energy attacks flew towards Derick, who could only defend against them.
Bang! Bang! Bang...
A series of attacks rained down on Derick, forcing him back rapidly.
He's strong. This guy is really strong. The current Sunday is probably a powerhouse even among Emanators.
Derick thought to himself.
At that moment, Sunday waved his baton, and two more attacks came. Without time to think, Derick quickly raised his halberd to block.
After blocking the first attack, Derick felt much of his strength drain away, leaving him no time to defend against the second.
"Forget it. I'll just have to tank it with my immortality later."
Derick thought to himself.
At worst, it would just take a bit more recovery time.
Just as Derick was thinking this, a short figure appeared in front of him.
His feet were off the ground, and one of his hands was glowing with fiery red energy, blocking Sunday's attack head-on.
Sunday felt that there were far too many variables today.
And Derick, looking at this short figure, cried out in excitement, "General Huaiyan! What are you doing here?!"
Derick never expected old General Huaiyan to appear here and help him fight against Sunday.
Derick even wondered if he was still in the Dream of Oneness; otherwise, how could he be having such a fantasy of General Huaiyan coming to his aid?
Hearing Derick's cry, Huaiyan's expression darkened considerably.
"Why am I here?! It's all because of what you've done!"
Huaiyan said through gritted teeth.
Out of anger, he swung his hands, sending two fire dragons attacking Sunday. In this, Sunday was helping Derick bear some of old General Huaiyan's wrath.
Watching from the side, Derick was also anxious to help.
Just as he was feeling anxious, a new power suddenly surged through his arms and body.
Wait, this is...
Derick perceived the source of his new power.
It's from my Second Clone. The Starcrusher Swarm King has been completely digested within my Second Clone's body, and the power it contained has now entered my main body.
Picking up his halberd, Derick once again assumed a throwing stance.
At first, Sunday paid little attention to such an attack from Derick. He had already gauged the upper limit of Derick's attack power, and his current body's defenses could withstand it, so he didn't bother defending much.
Sunday had to focus more of his energy on fighting Huaiyan.
But when Derick's attack pierced his chest, Sunday finally sensed something was wrong.
"What's going on?! How did your strength increase?!"
Huaiyan was also very surprised.
Derick grinned.
"A mid-battle breakthrough. Everyone has those."
Sunday: "..."
Huaiyan: "..."
This guy's words are so infuriating!
"Derick, since you've broken through, hurry up and help me," Huaiyan shouted to Derick.
"Yes, Grandpa!"
Derick retrieved his halberd and joined Huaiyan's side.
After absorbing the power from the Starcrusher Swarm King, Derick's strength had reached the minimum level of an Emanator.
To put it in perspective, it was roughly on the same level as Aventurine's transformed state.
Much stronger than a non-Emanator, but about average compared to other Emanators.
But fighting Sunday alongside Huaiyan was now possible.
With Derick's power increased, Huaiyan was also relieved and no longer needed to shield him from some attacks on the battlefield.
The two took turns bearing Sunday's attacks, which greatly reduced the pressure on Huaiyan.
Sunday never expected to be facing a pincer attack from two Emanators at once. Although one was old and the other was weak, both were strong enough to threaten him.
The battle situation reached a stalemate.
Derick was happy with this stalemate. After all, where Sunday couldn't see, Derick's Fifth Clone was absorbing Sunday's power.
As Derick and Huaiyan dealt with Sunday's attack, he glanced behind them and was suddenly alarmed.
He saw a crow heading straight for Huaiyan.
The Dream Master, that's Penacony's Dream Master! Crap, I forgot about him.
"Grandpa, watch out!"
Huaiyan didn't expect this either. Seeing the Dream Master closing in on him.
Huaiyan didn't have time to dodge and could only hastily defend, trying to minimize the damage.
But at that moment, the battlefield changed once again.
A flash of lightning-infused blade light streaked across, accurately piercing the crow that the Dream Master had transformed into.
Acheron had also woken up. Seeing Huaiyan in danger, she decisively intervened to stop the Dream Master.
"I never thought you'd be so special. I thought I would be the first one to wake up."
Acheron walked over to Derick and Huaiyan. Seeing the now-normal Derick, she spoke.
"We can talk about that later. For now, let's deal with Sunday."
Derick said to Acheron.
"Alright." Acheron nodded, then drew the longsword from her waist.
The blade left its sheath.
Against a powerful enemy like Sunday, Acheron also had to draw her blade to fight.
And the current Sunday was indeed a formidable foe worthy of Acheron drawing her blade.
"Old Sir, that crow isn't dead yet. You handle that one. As for the one in front of us, Derick and I will take care of him."
"Alright." Huaiyan nodded, then looked at the Dream Master. With a gesture, he gathered flames again and launched an attack. Seeing Huaiyan's attack, the Dream Master hastily dodged and transformed back into his human form to fight Huaiyan.
On the other side, Sunday looked at Acheron holding her longsword, his heart filled with vigilance.
This woman hadn't shown any of her power since arriving in Penacony. He never expected her to be such a powerful Emanator.
One-on-one, even in his current state, Sunday wasn't confident he could take down Acheron. Not to mention, Acheron now had Derick by her side.
______
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