Chapter 80: Falsehood and Illusion

The perspective shifted back to Robin. Her body stiff, she slowly turned to face Sunday, who stood only three steps away, forcing an awkward smile.

How to put it... she felt an inexplicable sense of having cheated on him and been caught red-handed, a wave of social mortification washing over her.

What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?

While her mind raced, Robin awkwardly blurted out, "...Brother?"

According to the Dream Realm's established rules, Sunday had been defeated and captured, making his presence here theoretically impossible. But this was, after all, a realm he had created, and within it, he was essentially a god—free to manifest wherever he pleased.

It was clear now that Sunday had used his dream-altering powers to simply banish the Bloodhound Family members.

As Robin frantically searched for a solution, Sunday frowned at her. "You're not Robin, are you?"

Again... instant exposure?

For some reason, Robin felt a strange sense of relief after being found out. The crushing tension she had been experiencing vanished.

It's like knowing death is imminent—the agonizing wait is far worse than the event itself. Once death arrives, there's nothing left to fear.

A moment's thought reveals the absurdity: in the game, Sunday could instantly recognize Sparkle disguised as Robin. Since Robin's disguise skills were undoubtedly inferior to Sparkle's, how could she possibly avoid detection?

Between two close relatives, even the slightest anomaly in one's behavior is immediately apparent to the other.

Moreover, the real Robin was likely immersed in another dream realm crafted by Sunday. Yes, Sunday had created a shared dream realm for everyone in Penacony, but he had personally sculpted a separate, special dream realm just for his younger sister—his favoritism was glaringly obvious.

Therefore, whether it was the True Robin's presence in another realm or Robin's current performance, it was perfectly natural for her to be exposed almost instantly.

Speaking of which, many stories depict protagonists transmigrating into another person's body and seamlessly calling the original host's parents "Mom" and "Dad" on the very first day, without raising any suspicion. To Robin, this seemed utterly preposterous.

If it were her, she could never pull off something like that. Didn't he notice how she hesitated for several seconds before calling Sunday "Brother"?

(So the best solution would be for both the pre-transmigration protagonist and the post-transmigration identity to be orphans, perfectly resolving all the problems.)

But the very next moment, Sunday frowned deeply and continued, "No, you're Robin?"

Robin: "???"

Seriously, dude? Do you even hear yourself?

How could he go from being certain she wasn't the real deal, even after Robin herself had come up with a plausible explanation, to contradicting himself in the next breath?

Yet Sunday could clearly sense that the sister before him wasn't some illusion conjured by the Masked Fools. Apart from her peculiar demeanor, everything about her screamed "Robin."

But that only deepened the mystery. Why was her reaction to seeing him so strange? And shouldn't she be in another Dream Realm right now?

As Sunday pondered this, he suddenly realized he could no longer perceive the other Dream Realm. Or rather, when he broadened his awareness, he discovered that the entire Penacony Dream Realm was fractured, with only fragments remaining.

Sunday suddenly murmured to himself, "So, you're not the fake one after all. It's me who's the illusion?"

Robin stared blankly, her small mouth agape. "Huh?"

Sunday continued, "I can sense it. This Dream Realm is fragmented. It's not the Penacony I created, but a fleeting, false bubble sustained by another power."

No, no, no, this is getting way too out there!

This wasn't like someone waking up in a dream, realizing they were dreaming, and turning it into a lucid dream. It was like someone within the dream had become aware of their situation and was asking, "Is this your dream?"

Robin suddenly remembered the Aeon Aha in the Simulated Universe, who had realized he was a fabricated deity. Could Sunday be experiencing something similar right now?

In essence, this was an Illusionary Realm created by the Martyr. But the moment the Martyr's Ability manifested it, the Illusionary Realm itself interfered with their power, seizing control. This was also why Robin couldn't use her own abilities to escape.

Although the fundamental abilities that sustained this realm originated from the Martyr, the Illusionary Realm no longer belonged to him.

In other words, it had transformed from an Illusionary Realm into a Dream Realm, losing its debuff status.

Sunday suddenly sighed, his expression tinged with melancholy. "So, Sister, you're actually from the future, briefly transported back to this past image by some unknown force? And the 'me' here... am I merely a memory you hold?"

Based on the information Sunday currently possessed, this seemed the most plausible explanation. He continued, "So... I ultimately failed, didn't I?"

Hearing this, Robin didn't know how to respond.

Should she simply say, "Yes, you failed"?

She fully understood Sunday's perspective. From her own viewpoint, she had always considered herself an "ordinary person." In her past life, this was undeniable, and in this life, she had only achieved her current status through the System. Yet she believed that her inner self, her true essence, remained that of an ordinary person.

Sunday's ideals were undoubtedly more favorable to ordinary people.

Imagine a world of perpetual Seven-Day Rest! No more exploitation, no more financial worries, just endless time to reject everything you dislike and pursue whatever your heart desires.

Could this be paradise on Earth?

Without exaggeration, Robin lacked the relentless pioneering spirit of her train crew in the game and the unwavering conviction of the true Robin. But as for Robin herself, she was undeniably a staunch "Sunday supporter."

Seeing her hesitation and silence, Sunday already knew the answer. Or rather, Robin's very presence here had made the answer clear the moment he asked the question.

Sunday seemed to understand why his sister had reacted so strongly upon seeing him. Perhaps this was the price for his "betrayal of Harmony," his betrayal of her.

PS: This Sunday refers to the period immediately after he summoned Dominicus, but before he was defeated by the protagonist group.