While waiting in the room, 'Robin' didn't just sit idly by.
The memories of a messenger from the Family lay right before her eyes.
Naturally, she had to indulge her curiosity.
For instance, what exactly had gone wrong with the Family to make them keep such a low profile all these years?
Or whether the Family knew the real cause of the Stellaron burst, and if they had a way to suppress it.
'Robin' manipulated the Memoria, cautiously invading the messenger's mind.
From the shallow surface to the deeper layers, she managed to unearth a few secrets.
However, when she reached the most critical matter—the secrets regarding the Stellaron—a shackle stemming from a Path blocked her prying eyes.
It looked like Harmony, yet it bore the faint shadow of Order.
This lock seemed specifically designed to guard against memory intrusion and keep secrets under wraps.
To 'Robin', this specialized form of mental fortification was glaringly obvious.
It was like a warning label left just for her: if she tried to force it, not only would the secret self-destruct, but the Family would be alerted instantly and take immediate action.
"...They certainly kept this tucked away tightly," 'Robin' muttered under her breath.
But then again, it was to be expected. Given how Memokeepers had a nasty habit of peeking at secrets across the cosmos, it'd be a miracle if the Family didn't have special countermeasures.
Otherwise, secrets about Harmony or the Stellaron would have been common gossip by now.
Since she didn't want to alert the enemy, 'Robin' didn't attempt a "brute-force" crack to see if the warning was a bluff.
She wasn't sure if the Family placed these edicts on everyone or if it was just an "insurance policy" for members out on missions.
Curious as she was, 'Robin' wasn't about to charge into the Family's main estate and try to fight her way through single-handedly.
There was another interesting point: the Triple-Faced Soul of Xipe.
Although the Family referred to Xipe as the "Triple-Faced God," they seemingly forbade members from mentioning the two faces other than Harmony.
According to the messenger's memories, the other two faces had likely caused too much madness and apostasy among believers.
So, even though the core tenet of Harmony was acceptance and inclusion, the Family still chose to suppress, delete, and control any information regarding the other two aspects as much as possible.
They kept those things buried deep. Honestly, hiding things about the Stellaron was one thing, but for the Family to hide the Triple-Faced Soul... and to be so sensitive about it.
In theory, based on the meaning of Harmony, all dissonance and betrayal should be seen as thorns on the path to seeking the Harmony—things to be overcome, then accepted and embraced.
That was the true meaning of the Path.
But the Family's approach seemed different.
She couldn't tell if they had noticed a problem themselves and chose this measure, or if they simply lacked the conscious capacity and failed to follow the Harmony.
'Robin' was actually more interested in this than the Stellaron secrets.
But since she couldn't dig anything vital out of this messenger's head, she had to let it go for now. She couldn't very well let the messenger die on her watch; that would be a real headache.
Withdrawing the power of memory from the other woman, 'Robin' didn't have to wait long before she saw the messenger groggily wake up on the sofa.
The messenger looked around the room, eventually spotting 'Robin' by the coffee table. She stood up and said, "My apologies. I'm sorry for troubling you to let me use the sofa for a rest."
"It's quite alright. However, my friend and I are about to enter the Dreamscape, so it wouldn't be convenient to host you further."
"Then I shall take my leave as well. Goodbye."
Hearing this, the messenger stood up, bid 'Robin' farewell, and left in a hurry. Acheron waited until the door clicked shut before asking, "What did you change her memory to?"
"I changed it to a duel between her and me. She won, but found no issues. As for my identity, I'm just a relative of the little 'Robin' family with a bit of talent for Harmony, visiting specifically to see them."
"I also slipped in a few suggestions to make her think I'm just an insignificant bit player, and I tweaked how we look in her mind."
"...The power of Remembrance is truly dangerous," Acheron remarked instinctively after hearing 'Robin's' maneuvers.
Though her own situation was unique and average Memokeepers couldn't touch her, Acheron had experienced the sensation of being unable to remember anything.
This ability to rewrite memories at will, with almost no way to counter it, was indeed terrifying.
'Robin' smiled and nodded. "Tell me about it. This was actually my first time rewriting a memory like that."
"In that case, I feel like I'm not being very useful," Acheron said with a slight smile. She felt that with 'Robin's' strength, she didn't really need much help.
"It's just that this particular situation wasn't suited for you to step in, that's all." 'Robin' looked at Acheron and extended an invitation.
"Since we're here, why don't you come with me to the Moment of Blue Hour for a dance?"
If it were an invitation in reality, Acheron might have hesitated.
After all, her current appearance wasn't her true self. But in the Dreamscape, where she could see Bai Ming's real face, Acheron was much more interested.
However, on a strange whim, Acheron found herself asking, "Do you go to Blue Hour often?"
'Robin' looked at her, puzzled as to why the question came up. She shook her head. "No. I just figured since you're here, we could go take a look together."
Though it was a trivial exchange, Acheron felt a flicker of happiness.
The two of them sank back into the sweet dream and arrived at Blue Hour.
Bai Ming's outfit was already quite similar to formal wear, so she didn't look out of place joining a ball. Acheron, however, specifically changed into a deep blue gown to match Bai Ming.
Penacony never lacked for beauties, but Bai Ming and Acheron's presence as powerful figures made them stand out even in this never-ending party.
However, the two of them only had eyes for each other. Ignoring all other invitations, Bai Ming took Acheron's hand and stepped onto the dance floor.
Bai Ming had intended to take the lead as the "gentleman," but as soon as they stepped out and Acheron drew close, Acheron reached out and supported Bai Ming's waist.
Combined with the fact that she was noticeably a bit taller, Bai Ming lost the lead position and had to settle for following.
White and deep blue gowns swirled in the ballroom. Looking at Acheron, who was focused on her steps, Bai Ming suddenly whispered, "Acheron, do you... still remember your past memories?"
Acheron saw the concern in the question and her lips curved slightly. "You mean Izumo? I remember. Quite clearly, in fact. Why? Do you want to see?"
She knew Bai Ming had the power of Remembrance, so she assumed Bai Ming wanted to learn about her past.
Acheron didn't mind; Izumo was a world lost to IX, the Nihility. Aside from her own mind, there were no traces of Izumo left in the universe.
She cared more about someone else remembering Izumo than she did about her privacy.
"Mmh... a little bit," Bai Ming said, looking at Acheron.
It wasn't just curiosity. Bai Ming had once promised Acheron she would craft a world of Memoria for her as a gift.
Initially, she thought about inputting some calculation data from Amphoreus, along with some games or stories she remembered.
But looking at Acheron so close by, she realized she could use Acheron's memories to construct a scene of Izumo for her.
Well, provided Acheron wouldn't find it unpleasant.
In the original game, Black Swan had invited Acheron to dance and was nearly undone by the Nihility in Acheron's memories.
The situation was much the same now, but Bai Ming wasn't afraid of Nihility. Even facing that black sun in the memories, she could hold her ground.
Hearing this, Acheron raised her arm, letting Bai Ming spin in front of her.
Watching the girl bloom like a flower, Acheron smiled and took her waist again. "Then go ahead. But my story isn't a happy one."
Bai Ming nodded. The power of Remembrance stirred the Memoria, reaching toward Acheron.
Thanks to the "original medicine," Acheron's condition was much better, but to see the full memories of Izumo, she still needed to draw her blade and enter her white-haired state.
So, from the start, Bai Ming aimed straight for the shadow of Nihility in the deepest part of the mind.
In a world of gray and white, a streak of crimson pierced toward the intruding consciousness like a bolt of lightning. But upon realizing it was Bai Ming, those blood-red eyes softened with a hint of tenderness.
The power of Nihility spread through the entire mental landscape, but it could never stretch its shadow over Bai Ming.
Under the gaze of those crimson eyes, Bai Ming began to explore everything about Izumo.
While she was immune to the erosion of Nihility, the sheer presence and pressure of the "Red-Eyed Acheron" were immense.
Navigating Izumo's memories under that gaze was psychologically taxing; she was terrified Acheron might accidentally cut her down.
Fortunately, that didn't happen, and Bai Ming collected all the memories. With these as a foundation, she had enough to build a Memoria world of Izumo.
After spending half a day playing in Penacony with Acheron and teaching little Robin some songs the next day, the trip to Penacony drew to a temporary close.
Though she had promised little Robin she'd visit again, the next character she "rolled" might not have such a beautiful singing voice.
She wondered if she would end up disappointing the girl.
On the way back to the Simulated Universe Space Station, 'Robin' finished the Memoria world.
It was much simpler than something on the scale of the Simulated Universe.
It just recorded some calculation memories of Amphoreus, some works from her past life, and most importantly, the memories of Izumo.
Considering Acheron often stayed on the borders of Nihility, she couldn't just give the Memoria world to her directly.
She had to think of a way to add several layers of protection to ensure it wouldn't be swallowed up immediately.
Upon returning to the station, 'Robin' took out the world—which looked like a crystal ball—and handed it to Acheron. "Here. I promised I'd make a little world for you, remember?"
"I remember. Is this a miniature Amphoreus theme park?"
"More than that. There are other stories and worlds. Of course, you've probably guessed, it also contains..."
"Izumo, right?"
Acheron cradled the crystal-like Memoria world in her palm.
Her gaze toward 'Robin' was full of tenderness. She had indeed guessed it.
After all, the way the other woman had explored her past—so carefully, so meticulously, even examining irrelevant details—suggested it was more than just simple curiosity.
"Yeah. Does it bother you? This 'fake' Izumo."
"How could it? I'm more happy than anything. After all, this is one of the few things that can prove Izumo ever existed."
Acheron's tone didn't sound like she was just being polite. 'Robin' let out a sigh of relief. It would have been awkward if Acheron hadn't liked it.
--+--
A bit earlier, on the other side of the galaxy...
Celenova, accompanied by the pitch-black giant and a fleet, arrived in the star system inhabited by the Borisin.
"The coordinates Phantylia provided are right here... Hmph. As annoying as they are, these Abundance followers are excellent raw material. I wonder if they still have any living planets."
Celenova had been ramping up her expansion lately, and she wasn't just targeting the Abundance followers.
However, since the Legion's mass-production capabilities were held by the Eighth Lord Ravager, high-quality targets for "Destruction" were assigned to it to create even superior individuals.
While missing out on the previous batch of materials had been frustrating, there was no denying that large-scale Pathstriders like the Borisin were far better stock than ordinary civilizations.
So, after Phantylia provided some coordinates, Celenova led the Eighth Lord Ravager to her first target: the Borisin's home system.
Watching the various Bio-vessels rising into the air as they detected the Legion's arrival, Celenova broke into an expectant smile.
This superior biological technology was one of the reasons she chose the Abundance followers.
It wasn't just the people; even the large ships themselves possessed minds and consciousness, meaning they could be birthed into massive elite units.
And so, at Celenova's silent command, the Legion remained motionless.
The pitch-black giant loomed above the Legion, let out a shrill cry, and vibrated its wings.
Surging green flames accompanied by ripples of Imaginary energy spread rapidly. The flames, seemingly unthreatening, flashed past.
Just as the Borisin thought it was a hollow show of force, they watched in horror as gray-purple limbs and sharp blades began to sprout from the "heads" of their massive Bio-vessels.
From the moment they saw the Legion, from the moment they saw that giant—the moment they began to think about the Legion—that very memory became the fodder for the Legion's birth.
The once-dense formation of Bio-vessels began to teem with a massive swarm of Antimatter Legion Voidrangers!
In almost an instant, the countless newly born Voidrangers tore the tight defensive line to shreds! Before the war had even truly begun, the conclusion was already set.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL