Caelus asked many people in Penacony. Although some genuinely felt that dreams were merely places for entertainment and rest, and that one must eventually wake up and face reality, the vast majority of people here chose to indulge in an eternal dream.
Even among those whose lives were smooth and free of hardship, some still wanted to live an eternally beautiful life within a dream. This was because even some of them believed that a false but beautiful dream was better than a real but cruel reality. At the very least, within a beautiful dream, they would not have to constantly face disasters brought about by the Swarm, the Antimatter Legion, or even the Abundance.
Some had lost their loved ones in the past and therefore wanted to live with them in the dream.
Some had made an unfulfilled promise to someone during childhood, which later became a lifelong obsession, and they wanted to fulfill that promise.
Others had once shared a beautiful relationship that ended abruptly because of an accident, so they wanted to preserve that beauty which, at the very least, still existed within the dream.
Those who chose to indulge in the dream had far too many reasons, too much suffering, regret, resentment, pain, and obsession that they wanted to express.
Those who chose reality spoke of the false nature of dreams and explained their reasons for choosing reality, because there were things in the real world they could not let go of. Even though they knew the dream could satisfy every desire, it was ultimately false.
They emphasized the falsehood of dreams and the importance of reality. These people perhaps valued truth above all else, were unwilling to be restrained, and refused to run away.
There was no absolute right or wrong between the two sides. Both had reasons that could convince them of their choice. Someone who had nothing, whose life in reality was already so miserable that they had no hope of standing back up, would rather choose to sink into an eternal dream. Was such a person truly wrong?
Others, although their lives in reality were neither good nor easy, were brave enough to face all kinds of challenges and enjoyed the satisfaction of overcoming hardship. They disliked the idea of eternally sinking into something false because, to them, reality itself was a vast challenge. Giving up on reality meant giving up that challenge and choosing to escape from everything.
Of course, among the crowd were also some people with strange arguments who chose reality. They said, "If the world were without me, it would become a better place."
After making that self-deprecating remark, they followed it with, "Therefore, I must work even harder to survive in reality, so the world can become as terrible as possible."
Caelus thought those people might be walking the Path of Elation.
Standing on the balcony where he had first arrived in Penacony, Caelus now possessed the identity of an ordinary Dreamchaser. This identity had a background of its own, but it belonged to an insignificant person in the galaxy, someone not worth mentioning.
Based on this main quest and his previous communication with the system, Caelus speculated that someone in Penacony was attempting to create an eternal dream. As for why the other party wanted to do this, Caelus did not yet know.
As for who exactly was attempting it, Caelus had only one suspect, the Family that controlled Penacony. However, the Family was called the Family precisely because it consisted of many people. Even if he only focused on its high-ranking members, there were still far too many of them, and Caelus could not simply knock on their doors one by one.
He had been considering whether he should simply go with the flow. Even if he did nothing, the members of the Astral Express would defeat the mastermind, cause the eternal dream to collapse, and eventually awaken everyone from the dream so they could face reality.
Or should he choose to help the mastermind complete the creation of this eternal dream?
This was the question Caelus had been struggling with. He had even asked many people about it, but although he had received many responses and answers, he still could not make a decision.
"Partner, you still can't make a choice?"
Cyrene appeared beside Caelus and looked at her Partner with a trace of concern.
"Cyrene, do you have any suggestions?" Caelus asked.
"Whatever decision you make, Partner, I will support you. Whether it is reality or a dream, I will always remain by your side. A mere dream cannot prevent me from being with you, Partner."
There was truly nothing wrong with what Cyrene said. Even though she could now appear as an independent entity, she was essentially part of Caelus's power from the Path of Remembrance. Even if an eternal dream truly enveloped them both, they would simply live within the dream as two conscious beings.
Incidentally, the reason Cyrene did not often appear independently was that she enjoyed the feeling of merging with her Partner. Whenever she transformed into the power of memory and merged into Caelus's body, it felt as though her entire being were being held in his arms. No, it was an even deeper sensation of unity, and it was simply far too comfortable for Cyrene.
"Anyway, both choices are quite good. After obtaining the 6,000 System Currency, you can buy the Tiger Talisman and stabilize your future path. If you choose the dream, you can also obtain that knowledge of the Path of Dreams. Although I don't know exactly what it is used for, since that choice goes against the future course of destiny, the reward probably won't be bad. After all, it sounds like that option may be more difficult."
Caelus nodded after listening. Just as he was about to make a choice, the sudden meow of a cat interrupted his thoughts.
Caelus turned around and saw a pitch-black cat with a pair of golden, slit-shaped pupils standing in the shadows behind him, silently watching him. Black smoke seemed to swirl around its fur, giving it a mysterious and eerie presence.
"It seems the choice I am about to make truly will affect the future. So, are you here to stop me? The Final Boss? Or perhaps another version of me?"
The pitch-black cat merely stared at Caelus in silence. It neither spoke nor gave any indication of its intentions, as though it had come only to witness the choice Caelus would make.
"My thoughts just now were leaning toward creating an eternal dream, giving the people of this world a place where they could rest in peace. But you appeared at this exact moment... It seems that if I want to prevent the universe from reaching Finality, then for the sake of a better future, this eternal dream cannot be allowed to come into existence, right?"
Caelus understood that the appearance of the Final Boss was a warning. If he still chose the side of the dream, then what he would face would not be limited to the Astral Express and those powerful individuals who refused to lose themselves in the dream. He might also face the interference of an Aeon.
That was an existence he could not possibly defeat.
After thinking for a while, Caelus said to the black cat, "I understand. I won't make my choice so quickly. When the script officially begins, when the actors have taken their places on the stage, and when I understand the full scope of the plan, I will make my decision. Before that, I will properly experience this Planet of Festivities, this Land of Dreams."
The black smoke receded, and the black cat that had appeared out of nowhere vanished as well.
(To be continued.)