"What's wrong with Clockie's statue?" Firefly asked softly, her big eyes blinking, her face full of confusion. "Why did you suddenly jump just now?"
"So I can jump," Stelle muttered.
Seeing Stelle lost in thought, Firefly seemed a bit at a loss. She hesitated for a moment, then cautiously said, "Yes, you jumped just now… and your movements were quite abrupt."
After a moment of silence, Firefly took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure, then continued, "Hmm… Since you're fine, let's head to the next stop. It's not far from here, follow me~"
After ascending the steps, they stood on the observation deck, gazing into the distance. A tall and luxurious building floated in mid-air, like a fantastical castle. The entire structure shimmered with a mysterious blue light, like layers of rippling water, exuding an intoxicating charm and dazzling brilliance in all directions.
Several telescopes were also placed on the observation deck, seemingly waiting silently for someone to use them to better appreciate the distant scenery.
"Do you see that building in the distance? That's the famous Grand Theater—another important landmark of Penacony!" Firefly leaned on the railing, pointing to the distant Grand Theater as she introduced it:
"Don't you think its outline is very unique? Because in reality, it used to be Asdana's central prison. It was the Family who renovated it in the dream, transforming it into the radiant Penacony Grand Theater it is today."
"From the moment it was built, the Grand Theater has continuously played the 'Harmony Anthem' for the entire dream world."
"And during the once-a-cycle Harmony Festival, Family members will gather in the Grand Theater to welcome the Choir's arrival, bringing blessings of eternal peace to Penacony."
"Where we are now is the best viewing spot in Golden Hour! Look, there are even telescopes specially set up here! This cycle's Harmony Festival is about to begin, remember to come here early to secure a spot."
"Mhm, mhm, I like this place, the scenery is great," Stelle said.
"Hehe, I'm glad you like it. Next, I'll take you to a fun place. Come this way." Firefly, with a beaming smile, took Stelle's small hand and excitedly walked towards the distance.
The two passed through a narrow and quiet alley, and their view suddenly opened up to a bustling scene. All sorts of amusement facilities were dazzlingly abundant, making it hard to take everything in. There were fantastical Dream Row-Reds, exciting Lucky Draws, and many other captivating entertainment options.
"This is the largest park in Golden Hour, and also the location of Penacony's iconic surlada culture!" Firefly said excitedly, pointing to a giant surlada bottle-shaped building in the distance, "Look, that super huge surlada bottle is the surlada Corporation's headquarters!"
Then, Firefly continued her enthusiastic introduction: "It is said that the surlada brand originated from a sweet potion popular during the prison era. This magical potion was invented by Mr. Susa, hence it was called 'Susa Water.' Later, the interstellar merchant Aiden, with his keen insight, noticed the infinite business opportunities hidden within it, and decisively bought the Susa Water formula."
"He infused it with a large amount of bubbles, renamed it 'surlada,' and also created 'Syrupism'—claiming that drinking surlada was a new way of life, and thus created today's business miracle."
"Did you know? In the original Susa Water formula, an ingredient called Dream Grass became completely extinct. So now, only in Penacony's dreams can you taste the 'Original surlada'."
"And only here can you fully understand the true core of 'Syrupism'..."
Her words suddenly shifted and then abruptly stopped. Stelle keenly noticed that in that instant, the girl's eyes suddenly became cautious, like a sharp sword piercing directly towards her brow, or some point further away… However, in a flash, the girl's gentle and soft face returned to normal.
She gave Stelle a slight smile, a perfectly measured smile. Then she said:
"...Without further ado, I'll show you around!" After Firefly finished speaking, she took Stelle's hand and continued walking into the distance.
Before she finished speaking, Firefly had already taken Stelle's hand and walked lightly into the distance. Stelle, full of suspicion, couldn't help but look back, but saw nothing unusual around them. So she followed Firefly to a spacious plaza.
Some instruments were active, swaying and playing songs.
"These instruments playing by themselves are called the 'Dream Troupe'," Firefly introduced:
"In the Penacony Dream, many objects and facilities have gained self-awareness due to the influence of remembrance. They have been tamed by the Family and have become the Dream Troupe, serving guests."
"However, these little things can also be affected by dangerous emotions or Memory, turning into the destructive 'Jingmeng Troupe'… If you accidentally run into them, be sure to ask the nearby security personnel for help."
"Oh, there's an amusement facility manager!" She excitedly pointed into the distance, where a person in a work uniform stood.
"I'll go get you some Aiden Tokens—that way you can play on these amusement facilities as much as you like."
Firefly pulled Stelle and ran to the manager.
Upon reaching the manager, Firefly took a deep breath and politely began, "Hello, Mr. Manager. My friend is visiting Penacony for the first time. Could you please exchange some Aiden Tokens for her?"
The manager smiled and nodded in agreement, then said, "Of course, no problem. Please show me your Dream Passport."
Stelle carefully took her passport out of her backpack and gently handed it to the manager. The manager took the passport and inspected it carefully.
"Name—Stelle… All right, please take your passport and these tokens. I wish you a pleasant time playing."
Hearing the manager's words, Firefly eagerly asked, "How many tokens are there in total here?"
The manager smiled and replied, "Ten in total. You can now fully enjoy all the amusement facilities in Penacony."
"Thank you!" Firefly sincerely thanked him, then immediately turned to look at Stelle, her eyes sparkling with excitement: "Stelle, let's quickly try out the nearby amusement facilities. Our goal for now is—to use up all the tokens!"