Chapter 349: Pinoconi Chapter (38)

The three moved forward, taking an elevator to a mysterious, deep corridor.

At the end of the corridor stood only a sealed large door.

"Is this door… also locked?"

"If we keep going like this it'll never end. Let me handle it." Hei Tian'e closed her eyes, searching the room—and every corner beyond it—in a near‑telepathic way.

"This memory realm… is overly distorted. I must use less elegant methods, you two… give me some time…"

"Hmm… got it. I can see the center of this dream, the clan members… and a few figures groping forward. Looks like your friend isn't doing well either… one, two, three…"

A vague, illusory figure suddenly appeared in Hei Tian'e's vision.

"... No, three? And a third person looking for the way to the lobby? Wait… this is…"

Hei Tian'e's eyelashes fluttered lightly, like butterfly wings disturbed by wind: "—the little girl who was with you before?"

Xing took a deep breath, striving to stay calm: "You said she's already returned to reality."

"I don't understand, but the memory realm contains a familiar silhouette, feeling very like her… What reason does she have to delve deeper into the dream?" Hei Tian'e frowned incomprehensibly, "Is she… running? No… fleeing? Something seems behind her…"

———

Attack on Titan.

"Who would chase her? Could it be that 'Sa Mu'?"

"No… impossible, Ai Lun."

The crisp evening wind blew; A Er Min's hands holding hot tea trembled slightly, "It's most likely that meme which attacked them in the primal dream. If Sa Mu's combat power were equated to Kafuka or Blade, Liuying would have no chance to escape."

He paused, then continued, "I suspect she came here alone after receiving intel from someone; the intel indicated that the Clockmaker's inheritance lies here. Otherwise… it can't explain why she would risk so much alone to enter the primal dream."

"The Clockmaker's inheritance… what kind of treasure is worth risking one's life for?"

"Could the inheritance be a cure? She's a sick girl; if she doesn't obtain it, she may not live much longer." San Li lowered her eyes, clutching the red scarf around her neck, "I do hope that man named Sa Mu can save her."

"... Unlikely. Sa Mu rescuing a star is about as likely; after all, the Star Core Hunter does have some connection with her. Liuying is pitiful… but Sa Mu, as a modified warrior, isn't the type to soften at the sight of a girl."

"No, that's not right—"

A Er Min suddenly widened his eyes; the hot tea in his cup sloshed violently, a few drops splashing onto the back of his hand without him noticing. He sprang up, his knee knocking over a small wooden stool, nearly toppling himself.

"My thinking was completely wrong! Ai Lun, your earlier conclusion was right—the one hunting Liuying is Sa Mu!" He gestured his fingers in the air endlessly, as if trying to seize fleeting inspiration, "If… I mean if! Liuying possessed the ability to counter‑kill the meme?"

"Huh?" The other two by the campfire were stunned.

"Ai Lun, do you remember that girl's extraordinary perception? That's not something ordinary people can develop… not even Captain Levi! She could very well be hiding her strength before Xing; she isn't weak at all, on the contrary… she's extremely powerful!"

A Er Min explained patiently, "It's precisely because of this martial power that she dared to enter the primal dream to search for the Clockmaker's inheritance… and the one hunting her is the stronger Sa Mu, who can annihilate the Yepeila Brotherhood!" A Er Min looked at the two with a hint of pride, "What do you think?"

Ai Lun wiped the sweat from his forehead, "... I think this is a bit far‑fetched."

———

"The situation is urgent; I can only make an exception and use some minor means to lead you through the memory realm together."

Hei Tian'e's voice sounded beside Xing's ear, accompanied by some vague sounds slipping into her mind like loaches:

"The Clockmaker's inheritance…"

"I… don't want to give up…"

"I have this right… right? …"

Hei Tian'e's tone was clearly urgent: "I harvested a few strands of her thoughts from the memory realm; this can help you form an impression of her. Now, firmly grasp these emotions and shape them in your mind. The 'old friend' appearing here includes not only her but also the third party present when you were in danger—"

"That memory‑realm meme is there too."

Xing's pupils suddenly contracted; almost instinctively she lunged into the lift ahead. An indescribable fluid—darkness—flowed from her chest toward her throat. A suffocating feeling engulfed her from within. Then a voice sounded…

"I dreamed of a scorched earth, a new bud breaking through the soil, blooming toward the sunrise, whispering to me."

"Why do people choose to slumber? I think…"

The final soft sigh came from an unknown source.

"... because they're afraid to wake from the 'dream'."

Huang Quan cautiously pressed Xing's shoulder: "... Watch out! There's a dangerous aura nearby."

Xing's footsteps echoed in the hall, the vast space amplifying her breathing. Her gaze scanned the surroundings anxiously, until—

Not far away, the girl suddenly turned her head.

Liuying's hair traced a gentle arc in the air, her eyes' vigilance melting like thawing ice. A faint smile lifted her lips, brimming with unmistakable delight and excitement.

———

Bless the beautiful world.

"I, I'm willing to trade ten years of He Zhen's bachelorhood for Liuying's safety!"

A discordant wish from Akua suddenly rang in the tavern.

"Hey! You bastard, you're at least a goddess, right? How can you trade your own leader's happiness for another woman's safety!" He Zhen grabbed Akua's collar, but suddenly the tavern erupted with thunderous cheers.

He looked up and saw Miss Liuying in the sky canopy gazing at Xing across the void, her affectionate eyes almost stretching into threads. Especially her smile after lowering her guard, it was like a spring breeze.

"Miss Liuying's fine! Great!"

"Yay yay yay!"

"Hahaha He Zhen, your bachelorhood is really useful!"

He Zhen nearly petrified on the spot, wiping tears while muttering at Akua, when a sudden gasp erupted in the tavern a second later.

"Hey! Wait a moment! Look!"

"It's the meme! That meme is chasing again!"

Purple aura coalesced above Huang Quan and Hei Tian'e, and a familiar purple giant claw slowly emerged from within…