(Zombie ^O^ ->_-> Brain)
Penacony.
Golden Hour.
On the street.
"Stop right there, illegal immigrant! Confess and be treated leniently; resist and be treated severely. You can't escape, so surrender now!"
Three members of the Hound Family were running, trying to apprehend an illegal immigrant.
Because of Penacony's reputation as a dreamland, there has never been a shortage of people seeking fortune here.
However, the family's set price for entering the dream was simply unaffordable for many, so most poor people could only illegally enter Penacony, hoping to get rich overnight. Their current target was just such a person.
Those who purchased legitimate qualifications to enter the dream were not only protected, but if they committed any crimes in the dream, their actions could be traced back to their real bodies. However, for those who snuck in, if they broke the law, no one could be found, so the crackdown on illegal immigrants could not stop.
And those who snuck in would certainly not stop voluntarily when pursued. The consequences of being caught by the Hounds were similar to committing suicide to exit the dream.
They came here for money; they could barely afford their real-world living expenses, so where would they get so much money to pay? Therefore, being caught meant becoming a permanent slave in the dream, and the family had many ways to control people.
He didn't want to become just a slave from now on. Even as an illegal immigrant, he was free.
This time, he had participated in a business deal in the dream and obtained enough currency.
As long as he could successfully escape this crisis, he could comfortably live for a very long time, enjoying life in the dream.
"The spot ahead is perfect for shaking them off."
Thinking this, the illegal immigrant actually found a surge of strength in his legs. Rounding a corner, he temporarily evaded the Hounds, thanks to his familiarity with the area.
"It seems this hurdle is mostly cleared. I just need to exit the dream once more after this."
It wasn't easy for illegal immigrants to wake up. They lived on spaceships within Penacony's Synesthesia Dreamscape, entering dreams using dangerous, unprocessed, high-concentration mementos.
Because they didn't have the protection of the family's dream-entry pools, if they died in the dream, their minds would be severely damaged, potentially leading to brain death. So they generally never left the dream or relied on fixed access points to depart.
He hadn't paid his ship fare for this period yet. If he didn't pay the fare by the designated time, he would be thrown into space, which also meant death.
The illegal immigrant leaned against the corner to rest, slightly relaxing, wanting to laugh but lacking the strength.
He had successfully survived this dangerous task.
After a short rest, he let out a chuckle, his face flushed with excitement, but then he felt a little worried.
He heard that the Guide was also on the same spaceship as him, and he had exposed his situation. Would he still be able to get that money smoothly?
But the comfortable feeling brought by the Guide's words in his memory made his furrowed brows relax. The Guide probably wouldn't covet his small sum of money; he seemed like a good person.
Suddenly, the illegal immigrant noticed a pale-faced young man sitting in the corner in front of him.
His long-honed eyesight began to analyze the young man before him.
The man in front was wearing a casual outfit from an unknown planet, with rather poor taste. It looked like a cheap knock-off, and he had no jewelry or ornaments that could symbolize status. He didn't look like a rich person.
Then there was his face, extremely pale, like a dying patient.
No matter what the person in front of him had experienced, it had nothing to do with him.
Judging by the time, the Hounds were probably about to find this place. He was just about to leave when his steps suddenly halted, his expression filled with disbelief.
"Damn it, my real body!" The person he had asked for help beforehand had not bought him this extra time.
The illegal immigrant's body in the dream dissipated like water, seeming to leave something behind that the young man absorbed, making his complexion much better.
"This is... Penacony!" Mingyi took a deep breath, contributing a little to the dream's carbon cycle.
Having just transmigrated, he looked at the unfamiliar environment and wanted to show off his skills, but the place he transmigrated to was such a dreamlike city.
The moving soda, the billboards, reminded him of a game. Only now did he truly confirm that he had transmigrated into the game world of 【Honkai: Star Rail】.
According to his memory, people without a real body in the dream would slowly dissipate, just like the illegal immigrant. Mingyi, having absorbed some memories, naturally felt a bit of that sensation of falling into nothingness, gradually losing all sensation and falling into darkness—that was death.
Mingyi felt a lingering fear. He didn't want to dissipate like this; he had to try to save himself.
His current body was a bit special, preventing him from dissipating quickly. Before absorbing the illegal immigrant, he probably had seven days left, but now he had about thirty days.
Based on the information that the Grand Celebration was about to be held, Astral Express Crew should arrive in Penacony within this time.
This meant that he only needed to wait for Astral Express Crew to arrive in the Golden Hour, and he might be saved.
Astral Express Crew and their companions had very wide connections and would surely find someone to help him.
Although he had no specialized skills as a recent graduate, he was familiar with the Honkai: Star Rail plot. He could provide enough information, and besides, since Old Yang had transmigrated, Old Yang would surely save him if he told him about his own transmigration experience.
So his next goal was to wait for the Trailblazer to appear in the Golden Hour. Perhaps he could wait at Edward's, where mementos were sold.
Mingyi leaned against the wall, thinking, when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps nearby.
They seemed to be Hounds apprehending an illegal immigrant. Mingyi relaxed, relieved that they weren't chasing him...
Wait!
Mingyi froze. He seemed to be an illegal immigrant with an unknown identity right now; he hadn't bought a ticket to enter the dream.
Damn it, I need to get out of here quickly.
Mingyi moved fast, but he was still a step too slow and was spotted by the arriving Hounds.
Mingyi instinctively started to run, his mind always matching him with the optimal route.
Hound: "That damned illegal immigrant is really good at escaping. He should be around here."
Immediately after, he saw Mingyi run around the corner.
"That's him! Follow me!"
The Hound captain pointed excitedly in the direction Mingyi had disappeared.
"Captain, his build doesn't quite match. He's so thin, but the illegal immigrant we were chasing was quite stout."
The team member was puzzled and raised a question, but the answer he got was a push from behind.
"Don't worry about these details. There's no one else around here. Just chase him! Besides, if he had nothing to hide, why would he run?"
"Oh..."