Chapter 268: The REAL Penacony Is Exposed! What Is There Even to Be Scared Of Anymore!
Facing the countless chips falling from the sky like cannonballs.
Himeko and Welt both wore solemn expressions.
Guinaifen exclaimed, "Himeko is protecting March, Mr. Yang is blocking the protagonist, our Astral Express crew is truly amazing!"
Himeko blocked in front with her molecular saw.
Old Yang raised his cane.
A black hole began to condense at the tip.
Just as Aventurine had said.
This move was his strongest strike, with all his chips wagered!
"Emanator—you will definitely call…"
"Right?"
The building in front had already been riddled with holes by the chips.
At this moment.
Acheron suddenly stepped forward.
She walked up.
Her entire body began to fade.
Raindrops, chips… all hung suspended in the air, motionless.
Time seemed to stand still at this moment!
"May you weep for the departed, crying like rain, filling the crossing river…"
She gripped the hilt of her blade, shedding red tears as she recalled her past.
A figure with two horns on its head flashed by.
"…Surging like a tide, leading you back home."
With Acheron as the center.
Black and white colors spread outward.
The golden chips, the colorful city… all seemed immersed in the screen of an old movie.
The blade cut through the air.
A red arc of light launched from the ground into the sky.
In an instant!
A violent storm erupted!
Accompanied by red lightning.
Even Aventurine,
Had to raise his hands to resist this overwhelming aura!
The chips falling like rain all reversed direction.
Flowing upstream!
That red arc of light reached the sky.
It actually treated the sky like a mirror, splitting it in two before shattering it completely!
From the outside looking in.
Clock Studios Theme Park was covered by a giant red hemisphere.
Then.
The surface of the sphere was torn open!
Intense beams of energy poured out instantly.
The red sphere also burst.
Forming a spectacular sight of intertwined arcs and lightning above Penacony!
Even the skyscrapers far from Clock Studios Theme Park.
Trembled and shook in the wake of this power…
…
"Come on, come on, I want to see rivers of blood!"
"All-in is an art!"
"Acheron: I call."
"System: You have disturbed Acheron."
"This time it's not various factions against [ Nihility ], but [ Nihility ] is on our side! How could we lose?"
"Duke: I'm familiar with this."
"The soundtrack for Acheron's PV! Perfect score!"
"AHHHHHHH!!!!"
"Did I wake up too fast, one-shot?"
"Goodbye, Kakavasha."
"Good thing you don't die in dreams [ crying ] Aventurine ahhhhh"
"Who said you won't die? That's Nihility!"
"Going home…"
"Is this also said to Aventurine?"
"Holy crap! This slash, I feel like she held back, otherwise she could have destroyed Penacony!"
"Acheron: To stop Aventurine from destroying Penacony, I'll destroy Penacony first [ doge ]"
"Penacony has had another peaceful day."
"Dream Master, come back and work overtime!"
…
After Acheron sheathed her blade.
The rain fell rapidly.
In the air,
Aventurine's figure was gone.
The scene shifted.
Aventurine suddenly opened his eyes!
But everything around him was pitch black!
Dead silence!
Aventurine looked forward, dazed.
"What… is this place?"
"A giant black hole, and the sea…"
"Did I… succeed…"
A vast black and white world.
Only Aventurine himself had color.
At this moment.
The mission name on the left was [ So run, Kakavasha. ]
A familiar voice sounded in the background.
"…Welcome to this sad world, Kakavasha."
Ahead.
A child's figure appeared, running.
After catching up.
The mission name changed—
[ Do not be afraid, do not look back. ]
"Your good luck is us, and the most precious treasure of all Avgins…"
[ We will meet again under the aurora. ]
"—Two days, come out alive, prove your skills are the real deal."
Besides the running Kakavasha.
There was also the little Kakavasha staying in place, hugging his arms and shivering, and the Kakavasha wiping away tears.
They kept guiding Aventurine to move forward.
[ Goodbye, Kakavasha. ]
"Wealth, status, power… the IPC will give you everything you want and everything you don't."
[ Reunion with family ]
"And we will meet again under the next aurora of Kakava."
After passing the last figure of Kakavasha.
All the figures disappeared.
Acheron's voice sounded: "Unfortunately, this is not the place you were expecting."
As the words fell.
A red figure appeared behind Aventurine.
Aventurine turned around.
He saw the white-haired Acheron: "Nihility… is that it?"
"Perhaps in your eyes, I am an Emanator hiding my identity, but…"
"The Sleepless One [ Nihility ] never glances at anyone. It is faceless, formless, and has no will to speak of… Nihility shrouds everyone equally."
"It's just that some people walk further into its shadow, stained with more 'nothingness'… that's all."
Aventurine laughed bitterly: "That's all… friend, you really leave me at a loss for words."
"So… this is my end, the place after death?"
"This is just a fleeting dream, one of the myriad manifestations… Under the witness of Nihility, we stay here briefly, then head in our own directions."
Outside.
Scientific organizations like the Genius Society quickly recorded this moment!
This was crucial data for studying Nihility!
No one had ever reached this realm before, making it impossible to study.
Now, it was finally possible to fill this gap in the plot of "Honkai: Star Rail"!
And more players.
Were concerned about what Aventurine's ultimate fate would be?
At this moment, Acheron completely pierced through Aventurine's ruse—
"Your performance in the park was magnificent, bluffing… a simple but practical technique that deceived almost everyone."
"No one would have thought that you went to such great lengths, even wagering your own life, just to reconfirm a fact that seemed to have been denied long ago…"
"There is no true death in the dream of Penacony."
"What reason would I have to do this?" Aventurine asked.
"Because only in this way could you touch that secret even more unspeakable than the serial murders…"
"Only then could you use death in the dream to go there, the promised land that people constantly seek in this grand festival…"
"The Watchmaker's legacy, the true Penacony [ The Land of Exile ]."
As soon as Acheron said this.
All the players watching this plot were stunned!
The most shocked were the players near Penacony!
Previously, it was because various dangerous factors had appeared in the plot!
Creepy dreams,
[ Something Unto Death ],
Boss-level Acheron…
Penacony being destroyed three times a day.
All the players who could run had run!
Even Guinaifen almost retreated!
However,
Now!
There is no true death in the dream of Penacony?
For a moment.
Huge doubts rose in the players' hearts!
"Could it be that the Family wasn't engaging in false advertising from the beginning?"
"Did we all misunderstand the Family?"
"Do those who die in the dream go to the true Penacony?"
And the following explanation further corroborated this point!
Aventurine said: "This sweet dream [ Memetic Zone ] is not a vast ocean, but a solitary island. The Family uses Harmony to build embankments and walls, isolating the outside world, guarding people so they won't drown in the sea…"
"At the same time, they use this barrier that prevents death to bury unknown secrets in the deep sea. In a sweet dream without pain and casualties, those secrets will never see the light of day. Unless…"
"Unless someone goes to the other side of the barrier…"
Acheron continued,
"…And can come back alive."
In the live stream.
It exploded instantly!
…
"The true Penacony!?"
"There is no true death in the dream of Penacony!"
"Meaning, dying in the dream is actually going to the true Penacony?"
"By the Thousand-Faced God, I knew they wouldn't die!"
"Robin and Firefly are both alive!"
"He won!"
"Won! Everyone won! We won too! [ Sunglasses ]"
"Actually, those who met [ Death ] hit the jackpot! They can go to the true Penacony and pursue the Watchmaker's legacy!"
"Holy crap!"
"Huh?"
"Family, we misunderstood you!"
"What is there to be afraid of now!"
"I want to enter the dream! I want to enter the dream right now!"
"Penacony, your emperor has returned."
"Returned, all returned!"