Revealing humor within the seriousness.
Revealing fear of death beneath boldness.
The stark contrast made many viewers laugh out loud, and the tension was swept away.
...
: Damn, this script is pure quality!
: These two are having a serious conversation, so why am I laughing so hard?
: Hahahahaha, Elio your script has issues, this feels like something Aha wrote!
---------------------------------------
A proper sense of humor can help relieve the audience's constant tension.
But at the same time, it's also laying the groundwork for the next emotional high or reversal.
Inside this speeding car, Firefly and Blade once again fell into silence, but the area they were passing through was round.
"Elio says there is only one fate, and no one can escape it."
"He can see the future, and we... also know our 'predetermined ending.'"
After a moment of silence, Firefly said somewhat sadly, "But before that moment comes, people can still choose what they want to do... We all have that right, don't we?"
Blade gave a barely noticeable nod and said, "After today, the name Jepella will vanish from galactic history, replaced by the Ever-Flame Mansion, which will soon receive an invitation in the near future."
Firefly immediately followed up: "The land of dreams, Penacony."
"I hope I find the answer I'm looking for—or liberation from 'The Scions of Xianzhou.'"
Blade finished the last sentence.
In this brief exchange, much was implied.
Many viewers picked up on the deeper meaning.
...
: So, what you're saying is, the perspective of the Stellaron Hunters is completely different from everyone else's? They already knew what would happen before it even began?!
: Ah, they really passed through the Quarantine Zone.
: This is clearly a conversation during the downfall of the Jepella Brotherhood. They were already discussing Penacony here. Doesn't that mean the Stellaron Hunters had planned everything long ago?
: Damn! Elio's masterful hand!
: Is this the power of the script? If so, then everything happening in Penacony right now… the ones like Fu Xuan and the others must already know?
: So what are these people really here for? I'm so curious!
...
Every appearance of the Stellaron Hunters, along with Elio, always gives viewers a strong sense of foreboding.
There's no helping it.
They're just too damn mysterious.
And considering this will be the concluding episode...
What was once a clear theory has become confusing again with Elio's presence.
This feeling is just like when we first watched the beginning of the Penacony arc—total brain burner.
While the audience was still deep in discussion, the screen shifted.
The darkness finally disappeared.
And what unfolded before everyone was the truth of that bizarre realm!
When Stelle opened her eyes, she and Firefly had already arrived in an unfamiliar place!
And standing before them was Welt.
"Stelle, it's good to see you safe and sound." Welt said calmly.
Stelle looked around in surprise, still not quite understanding what had happened.
Firefly kindly explained to her, "Close your eyes—this is the answer to the question. Incredible, right? What we've always seen as a monster representing death was actually a guardian."
And on the other side, Welt added, "We've always wondered whether true death exists in the dreamscape. Now it seems it was all a mental trap set by the mastermind behind the scenes!"
"Wait, I still don't get it!" Stelle's eyes were filled with countless question marks.
Blinking, she asked, "So, you're saying that monster brought us here?"
"You could say that."
Welt nodded. "That meme always appears with the Watchmaker. Since Dreamflux Reef is the endpoint, I believe our answer lies in that area."
It appeared! The ever-mysterious Watchmaker!
Just as the audience hadn't recovered from the deep thoughts sparked by Elio, they were once again thrown into chaos!
...
: Holy crap! No wonder Firefly didn't die!
: That monster's purpose was actually to deliver them here?!
: Related to the Watchmaker!? This is all the Watchmaker's scheme.
: Then what about Robin? Could she still be alive too? Is she here as well?
: Damn... I'm way too curious about what's going to happen next.
: In other words, Penacony has now suddenly been split into two lines — a normal dreamscape where the Golden Hour exists, and a Dreamflux Reef.
: And that's not all. I don't know if anyone's thought of this, but remember the Myriad Celestia Trailer with six separate plot lines!
: Yeah! We've always been wondering — where did the people who built Penacony go? Isn't this right in front of us? The Watchmaker!
: I'm getting goosebumps. Is this the power of MiHoYo's attention to detail?!
: So those heroes didn't really die, but have been hiding in the shadows?
...
Because of the Myriad Celestia Trailer before, the audience already knows quite a bit about Penacony's past.
Many people felt deeply unresolved about Hanunue's death.
He was a true hero — even in his final moments, he blew up the company's ship with his own life to bring true peace to Penacony.
And those who once followed Hanunue didn't even have their names remembered.
No one in today's Penacony remembers these heroes.
All those things about revolution, blood, betrayal — it seems like the traitors were the ones who ultimately won.
Thinking about this makes the viewers feel extremely emotional.
And now, when they realize that Dreamflux Reef might be connected to those old veterans,
That sense of immersion skyrockets.
It's a strange kind of psychology — when first watching Penacony, the viewers were following Stelle's perspective, stepping into a mysterious world.
But after seeing the content in the Myriad Celestia Trailer about Hanunue, the audience, knowing the history that current Penacony doesn't, gains a sense of hindsight.
They deeply empathize with anything related to Hanunue.
But little do they know, they are once again stepping into a grand narrative that devours people.
The comment section has completely exploded.
Many so-called "experts" of Penacony are frantically discussing that period of history.
No one noticed that this new map, Dreamflux Reef, which had no prior buildup, has generated such intense anticipation purely because of history and culture.
Some professionals noticed this too.
But aside from being shocked, all they could feel was MiHoYo's overwhelming power.
"Damn, even the map structure is interconnected."
"They actually got the audience to feel familiarity and excitement for a new scene so effortlessly?"
"XYZ, you bastard!"
That's what most professionals are thinking.
At this moment, the dialogue in the scene is nearing its end.
Welt and Firefly, who are now somewhat familiar with the place, mention a familiar name.
"The people here are strange, but the intel they mention all points to one person: Gallagher." Firefly said softly.
"That man again — always appearing in just the right place at every critical moment, making us wary."
"Stelle, get ready. We're moving out." Welt said gravely.
Right now, the audience is so excited they can hardly breathe.
Dreamflux Reef, Hanunue, the Watchmaker, Gallagher — will these names that stir the heart finally unfold in this strange yet familiar place?
------------------------
[ NOTE from the original author:
ps: I couldn't continue writing the Hanunue storyline and just skipped it — you can think that it is already explained to the viewers in the story.
Mainly because that revolution storyline… I just couldn't capture the right feeling. The more I wrote, the worse I felt. Then I saw comments suggesting I avoid that part, and I deeply agreed. So I simply continued with Penacony... ]