Chapter 315: Misha and Clockie! Things are Getting More and More Out of Hand!
To avoid disturbing the passing guests, Misha and Clockie found a corner to sit down.
Propping up their heads, they watched the small television in front of them together.
A line of text appeared on the screen.
[ Not long ago… ]
Then, a voice rang out.
"Excuse me, is this…"
Misha was just about to say, "What a familiar voice," when in the next second, he saw himself appear in the storyline!
He was currently surrounded by March 7th, Himeko, and Stelle.
And everyone seemed to be in a rather strange place…
Clockie pointed at the television excitedly.
"Misha! Look! You've appeared in the story!"
"I told you so! A warm-hearted and righteous kid like you was bound to debut as an important character!"
Misha also opened his mouth wide.
A flash of pleasant surprise showed in his lavender eyes!
Although he had appeared in the story before, it was basically just a brief cameo as a hotel doorman.
Misha had also heard about the major events that transpired in the subsequent plot…
For example, the IPC ambassador, Mr. Aventurine, wagering with three chips—all or nothing…
For example, that lady who claimed to be a Galaxy Ranger, Miss Acheron, slashing open the dreamscape with a single strike…
These were earth-shattering events that Misha wouldn't have dared to even dream of in the past!
And now, they were actually playing out right in front of his doorstep!
And the members of the Astral Express…
Were actually asking him for advice!
Himeko stood in front of the in-game Misha.
Gently, she asked, "Do you have any impression of this place, Misha?"
"This is a dream bubble, and our consciousness has entered it. It's a gift left to the Astral Express by a Nameless, but strangely, when we opened it, we found nothing inside."
"Dr. Edward from the Dreamscape Sales Store told me that dreams are condensed from memories. If the core is completely empty, a dream bubble cannot take shape."
"So I thought, as a hotel doorman and the one among the Astral Express's friends who knows Penacony best, little Misha, perhaps you could help us solve this mystery?"
Misha nodded and said, "Um, I don't know much about dream bubbles. But if you all want to figure out what this big house is… I'll try my best!"
Seeing himself interacting and adventuring with the Express Crew…
Misha felt genuine happiness from the bottom of his heart.
Himeko, March 7th, Stelle…
Even though he hadn't watched much of the story, Misha clearly remembered the name of every single member of the Astral Express.
He seemed to hold a special, different kind of feeling toward them.
No…
To be precise, it was a special feeling toward the Nameless!
Therefore, lately, whenever he had some free time, Misha would watch the in-game story either by himself or together with Clockie.
The protagonist of the game was the Trailblazer, which made Misha very envious!
He would even frequently fantasize about being that Trailblazer!
Immersing himself deeply into the role!
This resulted in him constantly dreaming about becoming a Nameless over the past few nights.
And adventuring all over the universe together with different Nameless companions!
It felt incredibly real!
...
March 7th asked, "Himeko… I'm still really confused. Why are you so sure that Misha is related to this dream bubble?"
"I can't be sure, it's just a guess. But since Misha finds this place familiar… it suggests my guess might be correct."
Stelle also remarked, "This scene looks a bit familiar…"
"Indeed. This is where you and Miss Firefly encountered 'Death'—or as we should call it now, 'Sleepie.' Considering its connection to Dreamflux Reef, its appearance here is quite understandable."
"The question now is, who brought you here? Judging by the current clues, it might not be that Fool. So, who they are is highly crucial."
"We are once again drawing close to the core of the truth. Let's give Misha some time. He will surely unravel the secret of the dream bubble for us."
In the bottom right corner of the livestream, was the streamer, Little Gui.
Upon hearing Himeko's words, she immediately showed a look of shock.
When it came to the free exploration segment, after running around the map for a few laps, she finally came to a sudden realization!
Pointing at the in-game map, Little Gui said, "This is A Child's Dream!"
"So, this is the empty dream bubble left behind by the Watchmaker?!"
"In that case…"
"We had already found the Watchmaker's legacy when we first arrived in Penacony!"
…
"Director Sparkle is indeed Director Sparkle! She already brought us close to the truth back in the 2.0 story!"
"Sparkle is the most sober one. She's been guiding the plot's development all along."
"But according to Himeko, it wasn't Sparkle who brought us here?"
"Sparkle made the protagonist fall asleep. Sleeping in a dreamscape summons Sleepie, get it?"
"Sleepie was supposed to bring Stelle and Firefly to Dreamflux Reef, but due to someone's manipulation, they entered the empty dream bubble left by the Watchmaker beforehand."
"I see…"
"The question is, who is this person… Could it be Gallagher?"
"Wouldn't that be redundant if Gallagher did it?"
…
Thud, thud, thud…
Misha and Stelle were running through the corridor.
The sound of footsteps echoed continuously.
Guinaifen showed a look of nostalgia.
"Family!"
"I'm feeling a bit nostalgic~"
"Back then, I got lost in a looping hallway right here and was scared out of my wits… cough, cough."
"Now that everyone is gathered together, it feels like there's nothing to be afraid of."
"Hmm… Just as I thought! There are other secrets hidden in this place!"
While she spoke, Misha had already taken the lead and arrived in a room.
March 7th said in surprise, "He actually chose correctly on the first try?"
Misha, however, said in confusion, "Strange. This place is clearly not the hotel, and the difference is huge, but I always feel like I've been here before, and… lived here for a while."
"If I remember correctly, going forward along that corridor, there is a warm fireplace. Clockie and I used to warm ourselves there, listening to the crackling of the firewood."
"And the room on the other side is… a toy room. I liked to dump everything from the boxes onto the floor and make up stories for them one by one."
"No, wait, wasn't I raised in Dreamflux Reef? Then what is this place…"
Misha watched his in-game self with great interest, looking forward to the upcoming plot unraveling his doubts.
Beside him, Clockie suddenly pulled at his drooping face, as if forcing himself to cheer up.
With a worried expression, he said, "Misha, why don't we go do something else?"
"We can go on an adventure on the Compass together, or protect Dreamville together…"
"Anyway, I don't really want to stay here anymore!"
"The more I watch this game's story, the more uncomfortable I feel…"
"I just feel like something bad is going to happen…"
Misha smiled and patted Clockie's head.
"You didn't eat some weird donut, did you?"
"Haha, just kidding."
"I don't have any strange feelings. On the contrary, there's an indescribable urge in my heart…"
"An urge to keep watching, to find out what exactly happened to me."
Clockie blinked. "Um… alright."
"I'll always follow you anyway."
"No matter what happens, I'll be by your side."
Misha smiled and nodded.
"Mm, of course. We are best friends."
"We still have to go on adventures in new worlds together in the future!"