Black Swan's Humiliating Downfall After Going Too Far

At the other end of the square, a tall figure leaned against the edge of a flower bed. The uniform of the Hounds he wore was stained with the dust of travel, yet it did nothing to diminish its owner's lazy and untamed air.

The figure slowly stood up straight, unshaven, a cynical smile on his face, a look of all-seeing knowingness in his eyes—

It was Gallagher.

Daziel's sharp gaze instantly locked onto Gallagher, his pupils contracting almost imperceptibly.

"Mr. Gallagher, what are you doing here?"

The half-smile on Gallagher's lips became more pronounced. His interested gaze swept over the three of them for a moment before finally landing on Daziel, his look profound.

"I was the one who guided you to follow the clue of Robin, wasn't I?"

"Following the feathers left behind by that weeping little bird, your journey was always destined to end here, the land of sin where the Family's filth and ugliness are buried."

Gallagher took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, placed one in his mouth, and lit it. The flame traced a stylish arc in the air.

Daziel watched Gallagher's action, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

The 12+ rated Honkai: Star Rail didn't allow things like smoking. The act of drinking alcohol had been changed to drinking "mixed drinks."

For a character with a rugged uncle-like vibe like Gallagher to carry a lighter but not smoke always felt like something was missing…

Now that Star Rail had become an R18 world, this regret was finally rectified.

R18 has its good points!

Gallagher was obviously unaware of what Daziel was thinking at this moment. He took a deep drag of his cigarette, blew out a long smoke ring, and then spoke again, his tone filled with the ease of someone in complete control.

"It's just that your efficiency truly exceeded my expectations."

"What surprised me even more was that you so cleanly dispatched my little pet that I had left to roam free—that not-so-obedient Memory Zone Meme. Tsk, truly swift and decisive. I didn't even have time to step in and stop it."

"…"

At the mention of that meme, a flicker of unnaturalness crossed Daziel's face. He coughed lightly in slight embarrassment, vaguely covering it up.

"I didn't realize that meme was raised by you, Mr. Gallagher. It was mainly because it attacked our companion first, so I…"

Gallagher waved his hand dismissively, cutting off Daziel's explanation.

"No matter. It was my fault in the first place. It will re-form on its own in a little while anyway. Compared to that… I have more important things to tell you."

Here, he paused slightly, his interested gaze sweeping over Daziel, Firefly, and Black Swan, before finally settling on Daziel.

"Here, besides the Sins of Desire memes that are so thick they're almost suffocating…"

He paused deliberately, creating suspense, an unknown light flickering in his deep eyes.

"There is also Mikhail's treasure."

"That last Nameless, he set off, stopped, and set off again…"

Gallagher's tone became distant and low, with a hint of an imperceptible sigh.

"He went around in a big circle, and in the end, still returned to the very beginning."

"On his deathbed, he entrusted me to find the Astral Express no matter what."

"To personally deliver that special invitation letter into the hands of a future Nameless."

"For this, he meticulously prepared a gift, a true 'legacy.'"

"A gift that belongs only to the descendants of the 'Trailblaze.'"

Even though he was mentally prepared, knowing that Mikhail had left his legacy here…

When this gift was placed before him, Daziel's heart still jolted violently, an indescribable sense of destiny surging up from the depths of his chest.

This feeling was completely different from what he had experienced in the game.

"I completely understand what you mean. Thank you, Mr. Gallagher."

He nodded with utmost solemnity, his voice tinged with an almost imperceptible hoarseness.

Black Swan's eyes shifted, a light of wisdom sparkling in her purple irises. She lightly parted her red lips, her voice as beautiful as a nightingale's.

"In that case, should Firefly and I perhaps withdraw for a moment?"

Firefly nodded obediently in agreement.

"After all, this is a matter internal to the Astral Express. As outsiders, it is indeed inconvenient for us to be present. It's better to let Daziel explore alone."

Daziel cast a slightly grateful look at them. "Then, I'll have to trouble you two to wait for me here for a moment."

Gallagher raised his hand, his long fingers casually pointing to a corner of the square.

"Go on. Our old man slumbers eternally over there…"

Following the direction Gallagher pointed, Daziel strode towards the area gently enveloped by the sea of Memoria.

There, it was the part of the entire square closest to the reflection of the illusory full moon on the water's surface—a small, desolate garden that still showed traces of its former exquisite layout.

It was so quiet it was as if time itself had frozen, so deep it was like an entrance connecting to another world.

An old man was leaning against a cold lounge chair, silent, as if he had become one with this dead land, having been there since time immemorial.

It was one of the former members of the Astral Express crew, the creator of the "Land of Dreams," the "Clockmaker" himself—

Lagh-ragh Shal-Mikhail.

Mikhail had already embarked on that endless, no-return eternal slumber. No voice could ever awaken him from his sleep.

His sleeping posture was peaceful and serene, as if he were just having a sweet dream.

Between his withered fingers, however, he gently held a dream bubble that emitted a soft, deep blue light. The halo flickered like a breath, tinged with a dreamlike haze.

That was the final treasure the legendary Clockmaker had left for his successors.

Daziel's chest rose and fell slightly. He took a deep breath of the cold air in the square, which was mixed with dust and the scent of decay, trying to calm his heart that was racing with anticipation and respect.

In the original plot, this dream bubble was empty, with nothing special about it.

Himeko, in order to crack the secret of the dream bubble back then, had even made a special trip to the Dream-Merchandise Store to ask Dr. Edward.

Therefore, although Daziel felt reverence in his heart, he didn't harbor too much vigilance or defense.

Merely with a hint of curiosity and inquiry towards the legacy of his predecessor, he reached out his hand with composure.

However, the moment Daziel's fingertips gently touched the dream bubble emitting the faint, deep blue light—

A sudden change occurred!

Daziel's expression instantly became extremely strange. His body stiffened as if a clockwork trick had been played on him, draining him of emotion. His eyes lost their focus in an instant, becoming empty and bewildered.

A massive torrent of memory, indescribable in words, like a bursting flood, instantly overwhelmed his conscious defenses, leaving him with no strength to resist.

The content contained within this dream bubble, which he had thought to be empty, far exceeded the limits of what Daziel could currently comprehend and bear!

He had completely not anticipated that the so-called treasure of the Clockmaker would actually be this kind of thing…

In the distance, Firefly, who had been watching Daziel the entire time, was the first to notice the strong sense of wrongness about him.

Her voice was instantly filled with an uncontrollable anxiety and deep worry, almost on the verge of tears.

"Mr. Gallagher, look quickly! Da… Daziel's expression, the way he looks… it looks very wrong!"

"That dream bubble, it… is there some problem with it that we don't know about? Daziel… will he be in any danger?"

Gallagher's brow furrowed slightly, his deep gaze fixed on Daziel.

After a moment, he slowly shook his head, his tone tinged with a rare confusion and incomprehension.

"The old man's dream bubble, it's not that I haven't inspected it."

"Perhaps it's because my faith lies in the 'Enigmata,' and I am not a traveler walking the Path of 'Trailblaze.'"

"That dream bubble, in my eyes, was indeed empty, with no clues to be found."

"As for what vision he has seen, what information he has perceived after touching it now… I'm afraid only he himself knows the answer…"

Firefly stared at Daziel's terrifying appearance, as if his soul had been ripped from his body. Her heart was filled with worry, as if an invisible hand were tightly gripping it, causing waves of stinging pain. Yet she suppressed it with all her might, afraid that any reckless move would disturb him and bring him even more serious harm.

Black Swan's purple eyes narrowed slightly. She pondered for a moment, as if weighing something, and finally made up her mind.

"I'll go over and check the situation."

She moved with light, lotus-like steps. After a series of clicks from her high heels, she slowly arrived at Daziel's side.

She extended her hands, clad in exquisite black lace gloves. Her fair fingertips glowed with a faint, almost imperceptible light in the dimness. First, she reached out very carefully towards the dream bubble that was still emitting a deep blue halo.

The dream bubble remained calm, with no abnormalities.

Just as Gallagher had said, to an observer, it was empty, with nothing special about it.

Immediately, she shifted her attention to Daziel, wanting to investigate what had happened to him.

However, the moment her spiritual energy touched Daziel, a look of astonishment rarely seen appeared on Black Swan's stunning face.

That barrier… that barrier that had thwarted her several times before, yet had also fascinated her all the more, the one that guarded Daziel's deepest memories…

At this moment, had actually… disappeared?!

In this instant, the sea of Daziel's memory, that mysterious realm she had dreamed of exploring, was laid bare before her, completely defenseless!

Black Swan's soul-stirring purple eyes suddenly contracted. Her heart, in that instant, felt as if it were squeezed by a giant, invisible hand, only to beat wildly in the next, almost as if it would break through her delicate ribs and leap out of her chest!

Tension, apprehension, ecstasy…

Countless extremely complex emotions surged into her heart like a bursting dam, yet they were suppressed by an even more irresistible, intense impulse and desire originating from the depths of her soul!

Enter this man's memory? Glimpse his deepest secrets?

This thought, like countless black vines reaching out from the abyss, with a fatal temptation, instantly entangled her mind.

It made her sink into it, unable to extricate herself, and even unwilling to.

Black Swan swallowed hard with difficulty, feeling her own breath become hot and rapid.

She took a deep breath with great effort, trying to calm the violent palpitation in her chest, wanting to restore her chaotic thoughts to calmness and reason.

"I'm just… confirming his condition."

Black Swan whispered to herself, yet her voice carried a tremor and desire she herself hadn't noticed. "Yes, I'm just trying to help him. This is entirely out of goodwill…"

She found a seemingly reasonable excuse for herself, trying to convince herself.

Black Swan extended her fingers, which glowed faintly, and with a barely perceptible tremor, gently tapped the space between Daziel's eyebrows.

The veiled Memokeeper was about to step into a forbidden domain, a dangerous place she had never set foot in before.

She would never have thought that this action of hers would trigger such a dangerous chain reaction.

Its level of danger far surpassed that of prying into Acheron's memory, and then some.

And the punishment it would bring would also be more profound, more…

unforgettable.

To the future Nameless:

Do you still remember the question I left in the invitation, "For what reason do hormones surge"?

Whether through suppression or indulgence, people will always find an answer, but none of them belong to "Desire."

However, I think this question is too complex. Even Nous, the Aeon of Erudition, probably couldn't give a single answer. But as Nameless—as humans—we have the right to feel.

We have the right to sink, we have the right to chase, we have the right to lose control.

In the moment of a racing heart, a person can do many things, and physiological impulses will thus show a completely different meaning. A person will not be trapped by the shackles of reason, much less abandon their innate instincts due to moral constraints.

"A racing heart is to prove we are still alive."

This is the answer a Nameless, repeatedly burned by desire, came to after countless sleepless nights of solving his needs by hand.

Daziel's fingertips gently fiddled with the letter from Mikhail. The fanaticism and absurdity revealed between the lines made his brow furrow unconsciously.

This letter, it seemed to carry a burning soul, every word pulsating with a restless flame.

The birth of Penacony actually originated from a grand vision of extreme wildness, one that subverted all ethics.

Mikhail had tried to construct a crucible of desire, to let all lost souls meet here, to seek partners whose souls and bodies were highly compatible, to indulge together in endless ecstasy.

Such a vision was undoubtedly shocking to the world, challenging all existing orders and morals.

However, on closer inspection, it strangely touched upon a certain hidden true meaning of the Path of Harmony—all-encompassing, all roads leading to the same destination.

After all, the fusion of all beings, the resonance of souls, what was that if not a form of ultimate harmony?

Unfortunately, Mikhail, Lazarina, and Ternan were, after all, outsiders to this land.

Their radical ideas, like a meteorite thrown into a dead, ancient pool, stirred up monstrous waves and endless ripples on the stagnant surface of "The Family."

Estrangement and conflict, like maggots on a bone, clung to them until their bodies turned to dust, never finding a bridge to mend the gap.

Until Daziel's arrival…

The torrent of consciousness surged violently. Black Swan's figure suddenly froze within it, as if her throat were seized by an invisible force.

The light and shadow before her eyes rapidly distorted and changed. Countless variegated colors exploded, then immediately reorganized into a bizarre, unimaginable, strange space.

"Here… what is this place?"

Her captivating purple eyes suddenly widened, the depths of her pupils filled with incredible confusion and vigilance.

"I was clearly… clearly prying into Daziel's sea of memory. Why have I fallen into such a strange place?"

A voice, as clear as an ice spring, yet filled with unconcealed faint anger and awe-inspiring killing intent, sounded faintly/distantly from behind her.

"You rats lurking in the shadows of the Garden of Recollection are truly relentless, always coveting Daziel's memory, like hyenas that have smelled blood!"

"Your little tricks before, I'll let them slide for now. But now, you dare to take advantage of Daziel while his mind is immersed and his defenses are down, to commit such a despicable act…"

"Aren't you… a bit too presumptuous?!"

Black Swan's heart shook violently. She spun around abruptly, and what met her eyes was a woman with a seven-to-eight-tenths resemblance to Daziel, yet with an even more intimidating aura…

It was Daziel's alternate self, the embarrassing cat-like System he had even had that kind of relationship with—

Stelle!

At this moment, Black Swan's entire being radiated a keep-away vigilance and a strong hostility.

"Who on earth are you? Why are you entrenched in the deepest part of Daziel's consciousness? I've seen the memories of countless people, but I've never seen an existence like you."

Black Swan's mind raced, countless thoughts colliding and exploding in her brain.

"Could it be… the mysterious and powerful will that has repeatedly thwarted my attempts to delve deeper into Daziel's memory, originated from you?"

A chilling arc curved on Stelle's lips, her eyes filled with a cat-and-mouse mockery.

"Your questions are far too numerous. Since you have so overestimated your abilities and broken into this forbidden land, don't even think of leaving unscathed."

"Hmph, you want to keep me here? A mere confinement on the conscious level. You underestimate the foundation and means I possess as a Memokeeper!"

"Even when facing an existence like Acheron, who wields finality and is chillingly a Self-Annihilator, I am confident I could hold my own and retreat in one piece…"

Black Swan snorted coldly, trying to gather her spiritual energy, to mobilize the profound power belonging to a Memokeeper…

However, her words came to an abrupt halt in the next moment.

A chill from the depths of her soul, one she had never experienced before, suddenly seized her mind. Cold fear spread from the bottom of her eyes, quickly devouring all her composure.

"Wait! My power… I can't break free from here! How is this possible!"

The spiritual threads she had once taken pride in, used to weave memory labyrinths, were now breaking inch by inch, emitting overwhelmed whimpers. All her connections to the outside world had been completely and brutally severed by a tyrannical force!

At this, the elegance and composure engraved in Black Swan's bones, like a sand painting blown away by a gale, vanished without a trace.

Fine cold sweat quietly seeped from her smooth, full forehead, sliding down her cheeks. Her deep purple eyes clearly reflected a real terror and a hint of despair.

Stelle's voice came, carrying a judge-like authority, each syllable like a heavy hammer striking Black Swan's heart.

"I warned you, you can't leave. In this consciousness space controlled by me, all rules are decided by me."

"Since you dared to make a mistake, you must be prepared to bear the corresponding consequences."

"That fellow Daziel was still too soft-hearted with you, to actually allow you to relieve yourself in that manner…"

Stelle's gaze, like the most precise probe, scanned Black Swan's exquisite body inch by inch, her eyes filled with a chilling playfulness and an unchallengeable coldness.

"Hmph, if I don't let you experience it for yourself, I'm afraid you've long forgotten the taste of having your five senses and consciousness infinitely amplified when you had a living body…"

"Today, I will let you—savor it to your heart's content!"

Black Swan's delicate body began to tremble uncontrollably. It was an instinctive tremor from an unknown torture. Her voice was uncontrollably tinged with sobs and shivers.

"You… you you you… what on earth are you planning to do?!"

Stelle no longer spoke, only staring at her with the eyes of someone appreciating a work of art about to be exquisitely carved until it completely broke.

That gaze was cold, indifferent, yet it carried a hidden excitement.

In the next moment, an irresistible, majestic will, like a giant, invisible hand, brutally seized the core of her soul!

Black Swan felt her soul as if it were thrown into a meat grinder, being frantically torn, kneaded, and crushed!

All her senses were infinitely amplified at this moment, amplified to the extreme!

The normally soft light was now hotter than the core of a star, frantically searing her eyes, bringing a heart-piercing pain!

The faint sounds in the air were amplified into billions of sharp blades, frantically piercing her eardrums, giving her a splitting headache!

Those supposedly illusory touches were now more real, more cruel than reality!

At times, it was like being in the Fyxestroll Garden of the Luofu, frozen to the bone; at other times, it was as if thrown into the blazing Creation Furnace of the Artisanship Commission, every inch of her skin screaming, melting!

"Ahhh—!"

A shrill, desperate scream, unlike a human voice, almost tore apart this consciousness space, broke through its barriers, and resounded through the heavens!

The composure and elegance of a Memokeeper, the confidence and pride from her powerful abilities, at this moment, were crushed to pieces, scattered without a trace!

Only the most primitive fear, the purest pain, like a bursting black tide, raged wildly in the deepest part of her soul, devouring everything.

Black Swan curled up in the cold void, her body twitching uncontrollably. Her face, which usually mesmerized all beings with its delicate charm, was now twisted and deformed from extreme pain and humiliation, without a trace of its former allure.

She had never thought that she, a high and mighty Memokeeper, would one day suffer such a direct, brutal, and primitive spiritual assault and sensory torture.

This was a hundred times more dangerous than any memory torrent she had ever experienced, and a thousand times more…

humiliating!

Stelle watched all this indifferently, her delicate face showing no emotion, as if Black Swan's heart-wrenching wails were just a pleasant overture, raising the curtain for the "main course" to come.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Daziel was still immersed in Mikhail's bizarre memory dream bubble.

He had already obtained all of Penacony's unknown past, as well as the secret message Mikhail had left behind with all his heart on his deathbed.

A bold and adventurous idea was rapidly circling and forming in his deep mind.

What if, what if I directly absorb the core information from this dream bubble, without triggering the predetermined sad plot of Misha and the Clockie…

What if Gallagher's identity as a fictional historian is no longer ruthlessly exposed by Sunday, and he continues to walk the Path of 'Enigmata'…

Could they then escape their destined tragic fate of disappearing into nothingness?

To continue a meager existence in this bizarre land of dreams with a false identity, a tampered past.

This was, in a way… a cruel tenderness.

After all, Mikhail's most important legacy—the secret of Penacony's core—was already in his hands. After returning to reality, he only needed to take off the hat that symbolized the Trailblaze inheritance.

With his mind made up, Daziel had already made a certain decision, preparing to leave this consciousness space that carried a heavy history.

"Daziel, wait a moment…"

Stelle's lighthearted voice, tinged with a bit of teasing and credit-seeking, sounded softly in the depths of his consciousness.

Daziel's withdrawing motion paused slightly, an almost imperceptible ripple crossing the bottom of his eyes.

"What is it now?"

Stelle's tone was light and easy, as if she had just done something trivial.

"You, ah, are far too careless."

"If I hadn't happened to be here guarding your mind, those pervasive rats from the Garden of Recollection would have nearly slipped through your defenses and glimpsed something they shouldn't have."

Daziel raised his eyebrows slightly, his tone questioning.

"What do you mean?"

He had been fully focused on analyzing Mikhail's memory before and had indeed not noticed Black Swan's quiet infiltration.

Stelle let out a meaningful light laugh, her voice tinged with a mysterious quality.

"Come, I have carefully prepared a small gift for you. I hope… you will like it…"

She beckoned lightly in the air, signaling Daziel to follow her lead.

Daziel's gaze focused slightly, following her invisible gesture.

He saw, not far away in the void, a familiar and graceful figure curled up in an extremely wretched and strange posture.

Black Swan's hands were weakly open, limply falling on her chest, in a claw-like shape, her fingertips twitching slightly, as if trying to grasp something but unable to hold onto anything.

Her entire body was limp as if her bones had been removed, her rosy lips slightly parted, the tip of her small tongue unconsciously, slightly extended, trembling.

Her once soul-stirring purple eyes had now completely lost their focus. Her pupils were dilated and wide, staring blankly at some point in the void.

Her face was an indescribable, dazed expression, a mixture of extreme pain, confusion, and a strange crimson flush.

That expression, that appearance, was clearly…

The legendary ahegao.

___

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