In the original plot, Acheron did indeed guide the Trailblazer out of the false dreamscape.
But it was never with such an almost burnt-out urgency as now.
That sense of urging was intensely, unreasonably strong.
Daziel's thoughts churned. The surrounding lights and shadows suddenly twisted, spun, and stretched, colors splashing wildly like an overturned palette.
In the next instant, Daziel found himself no longer in the warp tunnel, but falling into a bizarre, grotesque space that completely subverted the laws of physics.
The decor within the space was clearly in the style of a Penacony hotel.
The ground beneath his feet tilted at an absurd angle, as if threatening to send one sliding into a bottomless, painted void at any moment.
Distant buildings hung in an unbelievable inverted state.
What flowed from their window lattices was not water, but viscous, brilliant waterfalls of light, like molten gemstones.
The air was filled with a rich, cloying sweetness that couldn't be dispersed, carrying the unique illusory feeling of a dream.
It seeped into his nostrils, luring one into oblivion, making his consciousness slightly intoxicated.
Not far away in this distorted reality, a figure stood quietly, aloof and solitary.
It was the same silhouette he had glimpsed in the depths of his consciousness earlier.
A tall figure, a temperament as silent as an abyss, her right hand resting casually yet firmly on the hilt of a long, narrow sword at her waist, her aura incredibly restrained.
She slowly turned around, and the face that had been shrouded in mist finally became clear before Daziel's eyes.
Long hair, the color of the deep sea, a purplish-blue, cascaded down.
Her tight-fitting combat attire outlined lines that were both agile and full of power. Beneath her shorts, her long, straight legs were encased in tall boots.
On the exposed skin of her thighs, mysterious blue and red interwoven patterns coiled, like the brand of some ancient contract, exuding an indescribable, dangerous charm.
"My name is Acheron."
She spoke, her voice as clear and cold as an ice spring, without the slightest emotional inflection, as if merely stating an established fact.
"A passing... Galaxy Ranger."
Daziel's mind steadied slightly. He forcibly suppressed the agitation caused by the sudden change in environment and the opponent's aura, quickly readjusting his state.
The plot, it seemed, was still within controllable limits.
"Daziel, Nameless."
He was concise, his sharp gaze scrutinizing her.
Acheron's deep red pupils lingered on his face for a moment, a profound meaning seeming to hide in their depths.
"You remind me of an old acquaintance."
Her tone was even, as if reminiscing about an extremely distant, vague past.
"In those fragmented memories, he and I crossed swords... much like this grotesque dreamscape before us, seemingly within reach, yet actually separated by an insurmountable distance."
Daziel's brow arched almost imperceptibly, but he didn't pursue the matter with questions.
This place reeked of strangeness, and this woman calling herself Acheron was even more unfathomable. Saying more would be pointless.
"You shouldn't have set foot here."
Acheron shifted her gaze, looking towards the surrounding inverted, chaotically lit scenery, as if viewing an absurd painting.
"This is a gap in the dreamscape, a crevice where reality and illusion intertwine. It's not a place where the living should linger."
"I'll take you away."
She offered no further explanation, merely taking a step.
Her movements seemed relaxed and casual, yet each step landed with an indescribable rhythm, as if treading on the nodes of space itself.
Daziel didn't hesitate, immediately following.
The "ground" beneath their feet suddenly flipped without warning, instantly becoming the ceiling above!
No sense of weightlessness came; the two of them, as if freed from the shackles of gravity, walked steadily on what was originally a smooth, cold wall.
The distorted scenery around them transformed into rapidly receding streams of light.
Light and shadow intertwined and shifted, paths constantly extending before them yet seemingly going in circles, forming a giant, unsolvable Mobius strip.
Every step shattered common sense, challenging the limits of ingrained cognition.
The sense of time became blurry here. After walking for an unknown duration, they were still trapped in this bizarre, seemingly endless labyrinth.
Daziel's brow gradually furrowed. Could it be that this dreamscape gap couldn't be escaped merely by walking?
Acheron suddenly stopped, turning sideways to look quietly at Daziel.
The flowing light and shadow outlined her form in alternating light and darkness, making her appear even more mysterious and elusive.
"It seems there's a bit of a problem here. May I ask you a few questions first?"
She asked abruptly, her red pupils carrying a strange, penetrating power.
"I... often forget many things, important or unimportant."
A barely audible trace of confusion seemed to tinge her voice.
"Therefore, rather than laboriously trying to recall those vague fragments, I prefer to use 'sensation' to capture the truth of certain moments."
"The answer itself may not be important; what I care more about is... your most direct reaction when you hear the question."
Daziel pondered for a moment, then nodded frankly, "Ask."
"For example," Acheron's gaze became focused, "when you first awoke in your guest room, you unconsciously uttered several names... They, it seems, have all had some sort of... actual intimate relationship with you?"
"If such a world existed, where all the women you mentioned revolved around you... what kind of scene do you think that would be?"
Her red pupils clearly reflected Daziel's figure, carrying an undisguised inquisitiveness.
Daziel's mind instantly flashed with the absurd and coercive missions of the "inner world meme," the women with whom he had had relations, and the ensuing physical and mental exhaustion.
Although the Corruption Value made them obedient enough, it also made them insatiably demanding.
Those forced connections, those unavoidable entanglements, weighed heavily on him, making it hard to breathe.
He tugged at the corner of his mouth, revealing a bitter smile mixed with fatigue and self-deprecation.
"Forget it. Just thinking about it... feels exhausting."
Daziel's voice carried a genuine weariness.
"Constant revelry day after day, nights in a haven of tenderness... I'm afraid even an iron constitution couldn't bear it. That kind of life... sounds absolutely terrible."
Even if he possessed Hulei's heart and had almost inexhaustible anime-level stamina, he couldn't imagine the suffocating feeling of being surrounded by endless desire and emotion.
Such things were fine as a diversion in life; if life consisted only of such things, Daziel would absolutely not accept it.
"It seems," Acheron gazed at him quietly, her eyes seemingly sharpening somewhat, as if able to pierce through the fatigue he deliberately displayed, "your world never lacks for members of the opposite sex surrounding you."
"But such a world is not just about the superficial matters you imagine."
Her tone quietly took on a very faint, yet unmistakable... almost disdainful nuance.
Daziel was momentarily speechless, choked by this sudden, judgment-laden assertion, not knowing how to retort.
He wisely chose to change the subject, not wanting to get too entangled in such ambiguous questions.
"This place is so bizarre. How can one truly leave?"
"Relying solely on walking is most likely futile."
Acheron withdrew her probing gaze, looking once more at the endlessly transforming corridor of light and shadow ahead.
Her voice returned to its previous cold clarity.
"To be honest, due to a certain... special meme contamination, the current Penacony has long deviated from its original intention as a 'Land of Dreams.' A more fitting description... would perhaps be the 'Land of Indulgence'."
An imperceptible flicker of disgust crossed her red pupils.
"I have two proposals for you to choose from."
"First," Acheron's fingertips lightly brushed the cold metal of the hilt at her waist.
An invisible, extremely sharp aura, almost tangible, flashed for an instant, making Daziel's skin tingle.
"Let me cut you once, severing your connection with this dreamscape."
"This method is the most straightforward, but the immense energy fluctuations... might disturb certain less-than-friendly existences watching the depths of this place."
Her gaze deepened, as if piercing through layers upon layers of dreams, seeing some hidden, enormous threat.
"As for the second..."
Acheron's voice suddenly lowered, her cool tone now tinged with an indescribable, ambiguous allure.
She took a few steps forward, her figure almost pressing against Daziel, the distance between them instantly shortening to a dangerous degree.
A faint, cool fragrance, like pine needles after the first snow mixed with some unknown flower, lingered around Daziel's nostrils, subtly stirring his senses.
She circled Daziel, pacing extremely slowly, her steps as light as a cat strolling under the moon.
Flowing light and shadow constantly shifted on her graceful yet powerfully built figure, outlining curves that were both extremely alluring and dangerously lethal.
"We could try another... hmm, more 'in-depth' method."
"For example, doing something... sufficiently intimate."
"Perhaps, this kind of emotional and energetic impact, originating from the very source of life, would also be enough to shake this fragile dreamscape barrier, tearing open a rift to leave."
She stopped in front of Daziel, tilting her head up slightly.
Her purple eyes stared into Daziel's at close range, the depths of her pupils seeming to swirl with a strange, irresistible gravity.
Daziel's heart, uncontrollably, skipped a beat.
His Adam's apple bobbed subconsciously.
He had to admit, at such a close distance, facing such a woman who was top-tier in appearance, figure, and temperament, especially when she was deliberately exuding charm, to say he had absolutely no physiological reaction would be self-deception.
However, that instantly ignited heat was quickly suppressed by a stronger vigilance and a sense of morality originating from the depths of his soul.
Yes, even after several instances of actively "disciplining" disobedient women, deep down, Daziel still resisted initiating such acts himself.
Moreover, Acheron, neither now nor in the original plot, had committed any excessively malicious acts.
He forced himself to tense his body, abruptly taking half a step back, re-establishing the distance between them.
The movement was decisive, without any hesitation.
He pursed his lips, his tone carrying an undisguised resoluteness, even a hint of "throwing caution to the wind."
"Then you might as well just cut me. Make it quick."
Acheron's circling movement came to an abrupt halt, her blue hair swaying gently with her pause.
She seemed quite surprised by Daziel's choice, a flicker of astonishment in her red pupils.
"Why?"
Her voice held a pure curiosity.
"You may not realize, what this cut of mine entails is no ordinary pain... The power it contains is absolutely not something an ordinary person can easily bear or comprehend... Are you sure?"
Daziel met her inquisitive gaze, his own eyes frank and clear, carrying a weariness and relief born of experience.
"No, perhaps I can vaguely guess some of it... But I'm just... truly tired of that 'no choice' situation."
His voice deepened, carrying an indescribable heaviness.
"In the past, too many times, because of various external forces, because of those damned uncontrollable factors... I was forced to make choices against my heart, especially... that kind of thing."
He didn't elaborate, but the helplessness and resistance in his words were clearly conveyed.
"Now, since you've given me the power to choose," a nearly relaxed arc formed on Daziel's lips, "then I will naturally choose another path, a path I decide myself."
"Besides," he shrugged, putting on an air of indifference, "this is just a dreamscape, after all. Getting cut once, presumably, won't kill me, right?"
Acheron gazed at him deeply, for a good few seconds.
In her profound purple pupils, complex emotions swirled.
There was scrutiny, inquiry, surprise, and finally, it seemed, a barely perceptible trace of... approval?
She slowly nodded, no longer attempting to persuade or question.
"Very well."
"I hope you can forever maintain this clarity and persistence."
Her words were full of meaning, like a proverb, or perhaps a prophecy.
Before her voice faded, Acheron's right wrist, holding the hilt, moved almost imperceptibly.
The long, narrow tachi was not fully drawn; even the sword guard was not revealed.
However, merely the tip of the scabbard had already reached Daziel's lower abdomen.
An indescribable, extremely pure aura of sharpness, like an invisible storm, instantly locked onto Daziel completely!
It wasn't killing intent, but a more fundamental, resolute will that seemed to want to completely sever existence itself, reducing it to nothingness!
Daziel didn't even have time to react, only feeling an indescribable, terrifying impact in his lower abdomen!
It wasn't pain in the traditional sense, but more like a bizarre sensation of... the very foundation of his existence being instantly extracted, disintegrated, and returned to nothingness!
An extreme icy aura, as if from the chaotic void before the birth of the universe, instantly pierced his limbs and froze his thoughts!
The scene before his eyes, like a mirror shattered by immense force, let out a silent cry, rapidly filling with cracks, and then violently disintegrated!
Acheron's tall, solitary figure, along with that grotesque, inverted, chaotic dreamscape gap, rapidly distorted and faded in his vision, finally turning into billions of scattered light particles, annihilating into nothingness.
All the blood in his body seemed to be completely drained in that instant, only to then rush back like a bursting dam!
A violent ringing filled his ears. His consciousness, like a kite with a broken string, plummeted downwards, falling into an endless, dark abyss...
Daziel snapped his eyes open, gasping violently!
What greeted him was the familiar pattern of the train carriage's ceiling.
The soft backrest beneath him transmitted a steady, rhythmic vibration—proof that the Astral Express was navigating stably.
The low, powerful hum of the engine once again filled his ears, dispelling the deathly silence lingering from the dream.
Beside him, he heard Sparkle's light, even breathing, tinged with a sly smile.
Daziel subconsciously looked down at his abdomen.
His clothes were smooth, his skin intact, no wound present.
However, that icy-cold lingering fear of being torn by an invisible blade, pierced by an aura of nothingness, still stubbornly remained, like a maggot clinging to bone.
As if a deep, invisible rift had truly been cut into his soul.
Everything that had just happened, the sheer reality of it, was simply terrifying!
Acheron... that strike of hers that severed the dream...
And her final, meaningful words...
Daziel leaned back wearily against the seat, letting out a long, slow, turbid breath.
"Damn..."
He couldn't help but grin, rubbing his still somewhat cold lower abdomen. "Now I've finally experienced for myself what kind of taste Aventurine got from that cut..."
His fingertips unconsciously touched the metal baseball bat placed beside him, its cold, hard touch transmitting through his nerve endings.
He gripped it tightly, feeling that familiar, solid, somewhat reassuring sensation.
Penacony...
This journey, destined to be full of variables, had already given him such a rude awakening right at the start.
Acheron's sudden appearance, her warning, her probing, her choice...
Everything was like being shrouded in a thick, impenetrable fog.
And he, Daziel, had unavoidably plunged headfirst into the center of this fog.
Just as Daziel's mind was unsettled, trying to sort through his chaotic thoughts, he suddenly felt his pants seemed to be...
Being gently tugged?
Daziel abruptly looked down, straight into a pair of mismatched eyes, glinting with excitement and curiosity.
Sparkle was half-squatting in front of him, one small hand tugging at his waistband, the other poised eagerly, as if wanting to go further.
Daziel: "!!!"
He reacted extremely quickly, grabbing Sparkle's twin tails, stopping her next move.
"Stop! You rotten girl! What do you think you're doing?!"
Daziel's voice was both urgent and angry, his cheeks even flushing slightly.
Sparkle, her head held, showed no panic at all. Instead, she giggled, revealing a set of small white teeth, her eyes curved into crescents.
"Aiyaa~"
She dragged out her tone, her voice sickeningly sweet. "Didn't I see Big Brother Daziel seeming to have a really incredible dream during the warp jump, and his body had su~ch a big reaction~"
She glanced meaningfully at a certain area.
"I was worried you had a sweet, wet dream and wouldn't have anywhere to vent when you woke up. It wouldn't be good if you strained yourself~ So I thought I'd proactively help Big Brother Daziel out a little..."
Sparkle's voice was full of innocent seduction, as if she were discussing something perfectly normal.
Daziel's face instantly went from slightly red to ashen, a vein even throbbing on his temple!
Could it have been that unintentional touch when Acheron leaned in, or some indescribable sensory residue from the dream?
Sparkle tilted her head, her mismatched eyes glinting with pure curiosity, and a hint of slyness. "How strange, Big Brother Daziel. You were so imposing just now, how come it went soft on its own as soon as I wanted a closer look?"
She tapped her chin with a finger, looking like she was seriously studying something. "Were you scared by something in your dream? Or... did you encounter something particularly stimulating?"
Daziel's face instantly darkened like spilled ink, the vein on his temple throbbing.
He ground his molars, his voice squeezed from between his teeth: "Shut up! Don't mention it again!"
A wave of heat uncontrollably rushed to his cheeks. He forced himself to remain calm, lowering his voice in warning, "Good thing only you saw... If anyone else found out..."
"Ahem..."
An affectedly mature voice with a peculiar accent suddenly sounded in the carriage.
Pom-Pom had appeared at the doorway at some point, its small figure with arms crossed, its tone carrying a certain worldly understanding. "Passenger Daziel, actually... I, the Conductor, also glimpsed a little bit, pa."
Pom-Pom scratched its cheek with a small paw, seemingly a little embarrassed, but continued,
"Young people, full of vigor, it's normal to have a bit of a reaction during a dream, pa."
"You probably dreamt of some girl who made your heart flutter, right?"
"But speaking of which, with so many excellent girls on the train, are they still not enough to satisfy you, pa?"
Daziel: "...Huh??"
His brain momentarily stalled. From the shadow of death brought by Acheron, to Sparkle's mischievous prank, and now the Conductor's sudden "life guidance," it was information overload.
Pom-Pom waved its paw, an "I understand" expression on its face. "Don't worry too much about it, pa. I, the Conductor, have been here for so many years, I've seen all sorts of things. I'm used to such little scenes, pa."
It cleared its throat, regaining some of its dignity as the Conductor. "I'm here to inform you that while you were resting, the Astral Express has successfully arrived at its destination—Penacony, pa."
Daziel took a deep breath, forcibly shaking off the chaotic images and embarrassing emotions from his mind, and looked out the carriage window.
His gaze pierced through the glass, and a dazzling, glamorous, hedonistic cityscape came into view.
Skyscrapers stood shoulder to shoulder, neon lights flickered and changed, and flying vehicles zipped back and forth, outlining a futuristic picture of extreme luxury and prosperity.
This was Penacony, once a frontier prison, now the "Land of Dreams" famous throughout the universe.
Pom-Pom's voice carried a hint of emotion. "It's hard to imagine, pa, that desolate planet that used to hold serious criminals has now become such a luxurious resort hotel."
"Although I, the Conductor, would also very much like to see what Penacony looks like now with my own eyes, unfortunately, duty calls, and I cannot leave the train..."
As it said this, a hint of curiosity and regret tinged the Conductor's tone.
"You all go and experience this so-called 'sweet dream' on my behalf, pa."
Pom-Pom paused, then finally instructed, "Alright, the train has arrived and stopped. Pack your luggage, you can disembark at any time, pa."
Penacony.