Very soon. Within the Dreamscape, at The Reverie.
Acheron, the Emanator of Nihility, wandered here without purpose.
Her complexion was pale and refined, her attire perfectly accentuating her graceful figure. The purple tones were elegant rather than seductive, and a long tachi hung at her waist, exuding a detached, cold, and lethal aura.
She was searching for a path—for the reason she had come to Penacony.
She had once walked along the boundary of Nihility, where countless remnants of the dead lingered, wandering due to unresolved obsessions.
There, she encountered the lingering will of a legendary Galaxy Ranger—a fabled assassin who had once formed a team to assassinate a Destruction Emanator, the Obliterator Lord.
Tiernan and the Watchmaker Mikhail, founder of Penacony, had once been close friends, jointly undertaking the mission to liberate Penacony, which had originally been a prison world.
During a cosmic voyage exploring the Memoria domain, Tiernan accidentally lost his way and, by chance, became a member of the Galaxy Rangers, achieving legendary status.
Yet because of this, the old man carried lifelong regret. He still worried about his old friend, and that obsession caused his remnant to linger as a blood-shadow.
Thus, Acheron came—carrying Tiernan's relics, intending to deliver them to the Watchmaker.
At the very least, to the Watchmaker's grave.
But she was stuck at the first step: she had to find where the Watchmaker was.
And she didn't know the way, so she could only grope her way through the dream little by little.
Acheron's expression remained calm as she wandered through The Reverie within the dream.
This was the place she believed held the greatest possibility—an anomalous point within Penacony's dreamscape.
It had originally been open to the public, but problems had arisen recently, and The Family had sealed it off.
She didn't know the Watchmaker's location, so she could only search the anomalies one by one.
She stopped walking, looking expressionlessly at the enemies ahead.
Several brightly colored Bubble Hounds roamed back and forth, their expressions ferocious and vicious.
Upon seeing Acheron, they lunged at her in unison.
Swish!
Agile, swift figures cut through the air, wind whistling as sharp claws and fangs glinted with cold light.
Three attacked together, leaving almost no blind spots.
"..."
Acheron's expression did not change as she placed her hand on the hilt of her blade.
Clang!
The sound of blade scraping against scabbard rang out.
Then several brilliant arcs of sword light flashed by, drawing elegant curves in the air.
The vicious Bubble Hounds collapsed to the ground, their bodies split cleanly in two.
At this moment, Black Swan arrived with Sol.
Seeing this familiar scene, Sol immediately clapped and praised, "Excellent swordsmanship!"
One strike per Bubble Hound—with skill like that, he'd have to treat Master Huang to endless novelty snacks.
Acheron sheathed her blade and turned toward the two who had suddenly appeared. A hint of confusion surfaced on her cool, detached face. "You two… what business do you have with me?"
Her gaze lingered slightly on Sol—a human with an unusually strong presence, not someone easily swallowed by Nihility.
The other carried the aura of a Memokeeper, though unfortunately, even a Memokeeper could not stop her memories from flowing into Nihility.
Had her identity been exposed? Those drawn into Nihility truly weren't suited to linger here.
But she had come escorting the relics of [Tiernan], to reunite that old man with his friend. Until her purpose was fulfilled, she could not leave.
"I'm only responsible for leading the way. The one who truly has business with you is Mr. Mercer beside me."
Black Swan stepped aside, adopting an air of noninvolvement.
She watched Acheron and Sol attentively, recording the potentially exciting moment that might unfold.
"Hmm?"
Acheron looked toward Sol, emotion unreadable in her violet eyes.
She didn't seem to recognize him, but given her identity, there was no shortage of people who wanted trouble with her.
"Hello. My name is Sol Mercer."
"Because you're very troublesome, I'd like to befriend you."
Sol spoke calmly, smiling.
He wasn't afraid of Acheron's power—he was afraid that if they fought, Penacony itself might get cut apart.
In other places, it would be hard to find such a perfect opportunity to harvest vast amounts of Light of Hope.
Sunday, who was soon to become Dominicus, would not harm people due to his ideals, yet would give those trapped in the dream an experience that forced them to reflect on life and philosophy.
And when people awakened from false fulfillment, their hope for the future would be pure, fervent, and sharply focused.
"Galaxy Ranger, Acheron." Acheron paused slightly and said flatly. "I'm only escorting a friend home. I won't cause you trouble."
In the past, when she had inadvertently wandered into certain places and disrupted others' plans, those people would approach her beforehand.
She no longer remembered the details—only that it was either threats or appeasement. Sol's words were somewhat different, but he seemed to be the same type.
And such people, filled with destructive schemes, were often casually dismantled by her. Wherever she went, she would intervene just a little.
She had once borne the god-slaying blade meant to save the world—yet failed to save her own, and could not turn a blind eye to the suffering of others.
But if it was this person…
This wouldn't be a matter of merely lending a little strength.
Acheron tightened her grip on the hilt. This man would require serious effort.
"It seems you've successfully misunderstood me."
Sol keenly sensed the faint hostility and spoke righteously, "Miss Acheron, you are too dangerous. You could easily cause massive destruction in Penacony."
"A great disaster is about to occur here. I will save it with hope. I don't want others interfering and causing negative effects—especially your Aura of Nihility."
"You should know that Nihility is not a power suited to saving the world."
Fine. If reasoning wouldn't work, then he'd resort to moral pressure.
He could contend with the power of Nihility, but he didn't want unnecessary complications.
For the final stage, it would be enough for the Light of Hope to take center stage and save everything—no need for extra twists.
"..."
Acheron fell silent for a moment, fixing her gaze on Sol. "What is it you want me to do?"
Nihility was unwelcome everywhere. This wasn't the first time she had received such treatment.
She was like an uncontrollable high-yield bomb, too popular on both sides of the conflict.
"Be my friend. And when it matters, don't draw your blade recklessly."
The corner of Sol's mouth curved upward as he said, "Be a witness. Don't rush to destroy things. Use your eyes to see. If you truly must act, you can wait until the end—I will accompany you then."
"Or, you can fight me right now, as long as it doesn't affect what comes next."
He released his aura. Light born of divinity and hope illuminated this section of the dream.
The authority of the angel Michael, [Sin of Sodom], imbued him with archangelic divinity.
When angelic divinity overlaid with Tiga's light, it became an incomparably sacred power of salvation.
"So, this is the power you use to save the world with hope?"
Acheron watched Sol glow, thoughtful, ripples stirring in her heart. "If you seek the faith of people when they are saved, I have no intention of obstructing you. Doing good deeds in exchange for reward is nothing to condemn."
"But if you do not have absolute certainty, I hope you will consider a plan with a higher chance of success."
Her journey had taken her across many star systems, and at the boundary of Nihility she had seen far too many lingering remnants.
So-called gods who fed on faith—she had seen many. Evil gods who followed desire, drawing power from fear and malice.
And righteous gods who proclaimed order, gaining strength from faith while genuinely maintaining order among lives.
The spiritual power of living beings was a wondrous and immense force—high in quality and easy to obtain. Few simply knew how to use it.
===BREAK===
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