Ironclad Group Chat: Red and Black Lists Engraved with Heroic Epics

[Phantom Image: Tsk tsk, so close, so very close! If Xi Lian hadn't sent the signal in time, the Azure Sky Route Rongrong would have been cut in half! Hmm, the Black Swan's ranking was absolutely right, especially regarding the duality of gods and demons...]

Black Swan: Hahaha...

Black Swan's hair was soaked with sweat.

This is awkward.

Why is there another problem waiting for her?

Will the reputation I've worked so hard to recover collapse again?

Although... I am indeed quite curious about the glass light belt.

……

In the light screen, because they were worried about Edo Star's condition, the train crew ultimately decided unanimously to go and find out what was going on.

While waiting, Xing and the nameless guests, along with their companions on the other side of the road, chatted idly.

Finally, they found the black swan.

"Oh? You've come." Black Swan heard footsteps approaching, and her teasing words seemed to carry a hint of something ambiguous: "Your reflection is cast among the stars in the porthole... Heh, it's a little hard to see clearly."

"How was your dream trip...? Were you satisfied?"

Xing shrugged, still feeling a bit unsatisfied: "It was too much like a deus ex machina."

[Star: Exactly, and wouldn't that make me look like I was the one getting beaten up the whole time? This dream-making isn't very emotionally intelligent.]

[March 7th: Seriously, no matter how you look at it, it seems like it's about to end, right? The train is leaving soon. What's Sunday's backup plan? Hmm... Could it be that they're faking death to trick us?]

[Black Tower: Where? Heh, I'm afraid it's always been here, omnipresent.]

[March 7th: Huh? You mean... Jing Yuan and Dan Heng blasted him into a bloody mist? That's so pitiful, we could have been good friends...]

"..." Black Tower's brow twitched slightly, unsure of what to say.

After a long while, he finally let out a long sigh.

"Sunday? How did you manage that?"

She was almost 100% certain that this was an extremely deep dream.

after all……

How could she possibly do a job like providing technological assistance, something anyone could do? And what's more, it was the screws who did the negotiations, while she herself was just a nobody on the sidelines, not even showing her face, not even a single official from the Black Tower, only existing in verbal accounts?

When did Lady Black Tower become so undignified? It's impossible even for a fool!

But when did they fall victim to the virus? The train crew isn't incompetent, so why were they completely unaware of it?

In the light screen, the Black Swan smiled gently at Xing's reply: "Oh? Such an elusive emotion... This is the first time I've encountered such a memory, and it has piqued my curiosity."

"Then... please give me back that little parting gift? I can't wait."

[Star: No way! Once it's given away, there's no reason to take it back. What's in my hands is mine!]

[Black Swan: Wait, could it be...?]

Xing took out the card that the Black Swan had given her before.

The words of warning I gave you that day still ring in my ears: "If one day you unfortunately sink into the deep sea of ​​memories, and there is no one to accompany you—it will guide you out."

[Hanabi: That sounds a bit strange.]

[Star: Unfortunately, I've been trapped in the realm of memories... Oh~~ I understand now!]

The moment the black swan touched it, its eyes widened, a hint of surprise flashing across its face: "Oh?"

Seeing this, Xing stammered, "I...I didn't break it..."

The black swan smiled mysteriously: "Hmm, it's nothing..."

"I just found a very interesting place in your memory."

"Before I tell you the reason... I must apologize to you, Xing. Actually, this [parting gift] I gave you is not the compass of the Memory Realm... but merely a [Cone of Emptiness]."

"Do you remember when we entered and left the Dream Hotel, I asked your companions for a few trinkets? They all have similar functions."

"That way, I can sense you at any time and take timely action if you encounter danger."

[Star: Now, whenever I hear the word "take action," especially from you, my whole body swells up with a headache.]

[Saifei: Something's off about this little bird's expression, but I can't quite put my finger on it. She seemed to instantly understand something when she took the card, but why didn't she say anything?]

"But...that's not its most essential function."

The black swan said leisurely, "It can record your memories in the most vivid form, and then... let me appreciate and play with them, making them unique memories."

"Memory is the reflection of the future. From that reflection, I can see your unique value. You can create memories that will captivate the world... Your memories can illuminate the future direction of the universe."

She looked the stars up and down, like a greedy, obsessed artist looking at the most exquisite work of art in the world: "And that memory... will shine as brightly as the countless stars visible through this porthole."

Xing's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and she held out her palm: "Help me see if I'm about to ascend."

[March 7th: What are you thinking about?]

[Xi Lian: Hmph, with my partner's talent, it's only a matter of time♪]

The black swan chuckled: "Ha~ I have too few memories of you to help me predict the distant future."

"However, I can tell you one thing: there is a deeper reason why I am so fond of you."

She crossed her arms, saying meaningfully, "The reason is simple—in this grand and extravagant dream of the family, only you experienced the whole thing."

[Star: Just me?]

[March 7: I was there too, wasn't I? And Himeko too. We were all together in every position Hoshi appeared in this time.]

[Black Tower: You witnessed the whole thing? Hmm...that's interesting.]

"The train is about to jump—please hold on tight and hold on—!" Pam's announcement came as scheduled.

Black Swan glanced at the loudspeaker and chuckled, "Shall we stop here for now?"

"Oh, right. As a small compensation for teasing you with that [Empty Light Cone], I'd like to give you a piece of advice. It holds great significance for me..."

She said seriously, "Life is a winding labyrinth; we have nothing but memories."

"Hmph~~ You'd better remember this well!"

The light screen then went black, leaving only a few lines of white text on it.

[March 7th: No, is it really over? This whole thing felt completely confusing, like I watched it for nothing. And why is the Black Swan acting as a riddle again?]

[Fireworks: Exactly, you need to wake up! The last time you were so elegant and mysterious, you got your feathers plucked by the Underworld. Speaking properly is good for your mental and physical health!]

The black swan spoke softly, as if reading a bedtime story from a historical text: "In the first year of the Amber Era 2158, the universe returned to its proper course. The seeds of conspiracy smoldered in Pinocene, the Land of Dreams, before they could spread like wildfire, becoming a fleeting spark on the anvil of Kripper."