Honkai Star Rail: Corruption System

Daziel's gaze, sharp as a knife, slowly swept over the surveillance equipment in The Reverie Hotel lobby, which almost blended into the luxurious decor. His brow furrowed with an almost imperceptible vigilance.

The magnificent golden dome hung high above, casting a cold sheen. The mirror-like floor reflected distorted figures, a stark contrast to the filth of the narrow alley from before, yet it was permeated with the same omnipresent sense of being watched, as if the eyes of The Family were seeping out from every corner.

Black Swan seemed to instantly catch the faint trace of caution in his heart. Her slender, elegant fingertips traced through the air as if plucking invisible harp strings.

An extremely faint ripple, like a shattered rainbow, quietly spread from the path of her fingertips, silently merging into the magnificent yet cold surroundings.

"Do not be concerned, Mr. Daziel."

Her voice was as soft as a dream whisper, yet it carried the unique, mysterious charm of a Memokeeper, capable of both soothing and disturbing the mind.

"I have slightly adjusted the residual Memoria here. Even if those cold lenses record everything, the final image presented will only be an insignificant, dull, and ordinary conversation."

Daziel grunted almost inaudibly in acknowledgment, his gaze then turning to the anxious and bewildered March 7th beside him.

"The situation is a bit more complicated than you imagine."

He chose his words carefully, trying to use the most concise yet weighty language to outline the dark undercurrents surging beneath Penacony's glamorous shell, the possible massive deception by The Family, and the deeper, more treacherous "true dreamscape" hidden beneath layers of beautiful dreams.

He skipped over the tragic details and final form of Robin's encounter, and briefly mentioned the ecstasy-unto-death that Firefly sought, only pointing out the need to enter a deeper dreamscape to unearth the covered-up truth.

As March 7th listened, her small face, already tense with worry, now lost all color. Her pink fists clenched unconsciously at her sides, her knuckles turning white.

"You mean… Penacony isn't some beautiful dream paradise at all?! Those guys from The Family, and that Sunday with the white wings on his head… Hmph! I thought they looked phony before, and now it seems they really were up to no good!"

The pink-haired girl stomped her foot indignantly, her eyes, unpolluted by knowledge, burning with the purest hatred for such two-faced hypocrisy.

But in the next second, her line of thought took a sharp turn like a runaway horse. Her beautiful eyes instantly flashed with a strange light, a mixture of shock, curiosity, and even… a fervent fanaticism, staring intently at Daziel.

"Wait! Did you just say… you made that superstar from the Epsilon galaxy, that Robin… also become one of our sisters?"

March 7th's voice suddenly rose, carrying a trembling, incredulous excitement, even faintly revealing a hint of… morbid anticipation?

"For real?! You've already… uh, 'conditioned' her? When can you take me to see her?! Is she super obedient and compliant now?!"

These shocking words, like an invisible sledgehammer, slammed heavily into the heart of Black Swan standing nearby.

The deep purple eyes beneath her veil suddenly widened, filled with undisguised astonishment and profound confusion.

"Miss March 7th…"

She couldn't help but speak, her voice a bit strained, "Towards Mr. Daziel's… unscrupulous methods, you don't seem to show any repulsion or fear, but rather…"

"Is there something wrong with it?"

March 7th righteously puffed out her small chest, crisply cutting off Black Swan's question, as if defending some self-evident truth.

She glanced quickly at Daziel beside her, a suspicious blush rising on her fair cheeks, yet her tone carried a strangely twisted frankness and pride.

"I came over this way too! I completely support any decision Daziel makes!"

She seemed slightly hesitant about the exact meaning and process of the word "conditioning," but still said it firmly, then added in a whisper only she and Daziel could hear.

"Uh, but… my current treatment should be a little better than being turned into a little dog, right…"

Black Swan froze on the spot, as if struck by lightning.

She could clearly feel the unreserved sincerity in March 7th's words. It was by no means feigned compliance, nor the numbness that comes after one's will has been twisted by power.

It was…

An acknowledgment from the depths of her soul, a sense of belonging, even faintly tinged with a hint of relishing it.

"You… you actually, truly, willingly support Mr. Daziel's actions? Not because of any mental hypnosis or other coercive external forces?"

"A little, maybe? There definitely was before, but now… I admire Daziel from the bottom of my heart! Especially his ability in that area, of course!"

As she said this, little stars practically appeared in March 7th's eyes, like a devout pilgrim.

Seeing March 7th's rapturous expression, Sparkle was also deeply moved. She subconsciously clasped her hands before her chest and spoke from the heart—

"Me… me too! Big Brother Daziel is the Kami of the new world! In my heart, he's ten thousand times better than that irresponsible fellow, Aha!"

Here, Sparkle paused slightly, then said shyly, "At least, he fucked me, and was truly responsible about it…!"

At this moment, Black Swan felt the cognitive model of Daziel she had painstakingly built over a long time shatter once again.

The mysteries surrounding this man were far deeper, more complex, and more… contrary to common sense than any memory labyrinth she could imagine.

The relationships he built with the women who followed him seemed to be rooted in a bond that transcended logic, common sense, and even fear and submission—an extremely twisted yet abnormally strong connection.

She tried to peer into March 7th's memory…

Only to find that March 7th's memory was sealed away.

Another person whose memory she couldn't see through…

A hint of complexity and gravity appeared on Black Swan's face.

March 7th had no interest in answering Black Swan's probing questions anymore. All her attention was refocused on Daziel, her eyes becoming incredibly determined, like tempered steel.

"So, you're going to that… deeper Memory Domain of The Reverie Hotel to dig for the truth, right? Count me in! I have to go too!"

Hearing this, Daziel's perpetually calm brow finally furrowed deeply, forming a distinct crease.

"March, be good. That place isn't the SoulGlad Hot Sand Audition playground; it's very dangerous. In my original plan, I never intended to let anyone from the train crew get involved in Penacony's mess."

His voice was still steady, but it carried an undeniable decisiveness, as firm as a bedrock.

"I am sufficient to handle the matters of Penacony. These complicated inside stories, don't tell Uncle Yang or Big Sis Himeko for now, okay? Let them enjoy their vacation in peace."

"Tsk, I knew it! You, you really subconsciously want to run off and be some lone hero saving the world again!"

March 7th's emotions, like a lit fuse, instantly exploded. She was like a little cat whose tail had been viciously stomped on.

"Why are you always like this?!"

She took a sharp step forward, her slender fingers almost grabbing the neat collar of Daziel's shirt, her eyes visibly reddening, mist welling up.

This appearance was again a world apart from the almost worshipful expression she had when facing Daziel just moments ago.

Although when it came to that kind of thing, March 7th only had a blind worship for a massive organ.

But when it came to specific emotions, she didn't seem so absolutely crazed.

Just as Sparkle maintained her bratty imp persona, March 7th, in this regard, was still that clumsy little girlfriend, still treating Daziel as the most important family member on the Astral Express.

Daziel looked at her trembling, agitated state, and tried to explain, his tone softening unconsciously.

"I just… don't want you all to encounter unforeseen dangers because of me again."

After all, the current Penacony was no longer the stage of the original plot that followed a set script. No one could predict what more dangerous variables would arise due to the intervention of the inner world.

It was precisely because he cherished the big family of the Astral Express crew that Daziel felt that being able to solve it alone was naturally the best choice.

"No! I don't want to hear this kind of excuse!"

March 7th shook her head forcefully, her pink hair whipping around, her voice becoming somewhat shrill from agitation, even tinged with a sob.

"Daziel… why are you always like this?! Whenever you encounter a difficult matter, you subconsciously want to push everyone away and shoulder all the burdens yourself!"

"It was like this last time on the Xianzhou Luofu! So many thrilling things happened, but you were always so nonchalant after you came back, refusing to go into detail… We… we're supposed to be a family! A family that can rely on each other and face the storms together! I'm even your first wife…"

Daziel looked at the weeping, almost collapsing March 7th before him. His throat moved, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words.

"…"

"I don't care!"

March 7th's voice was thick with a nasal tone, yet her tone grew even more stubborn, like someone who wouldn't turn back even after hitting a wall.

"Anyway! This time, with the Penacony matter, I must join in! I absolutely, absolutely cannot just watch you face all those messy, dangerous, and disgusting things alone!"

Her gaze was so fiery and persistent, flashing with a light that permitted no refusal, as if wanting to brand this determination into the depths of Daziel's soul.

Daziel sighed almost imperceptibly. Just as he was about to say something more to appease her, or to refuse more firmly.

Black Swan, who had been silently observing like an elegant statue, suddenly spoke faintly, her voice carrying a subtle, hard-to-pin-down meaning.

"You two, please allow me… to interject."

Her gaze, like the most precise probe, slowly moved between Daziel and the emotional March 7th.

Finally, it settled on March 7th's tear-streaked yet exceptionally resolute little face.

"The situation, perhaps… has undergone some extremely minor, yet crucial changes."

"Miss March 7th, I'm afraid that even if you wanted to join in now, you would… encounter some unexpected difficulties."

Black Swan's gentle words, however, were like a block of ice dropped into hot oil, instantly freezing the already tense atmosphere in the alley, even giving it a bizarre sharpness.

She elegantly adjusted the light, night-colored black gauze shawl on her shoulder, her voice returning to the gentle rhythm characteristic of a Memokeeper, yet mixed with an indescribable gravity.

"When I awoke from reality just now, I used my authority to roughly investigate the state of the Memory Domain here."

"The 'Dream Pool' passage leading to that deeper dreamscape seems to be suffering from some unknown energy disturbance. The fluctuations are violent and extremely unstable."

She turned her face, and her deep purple eyes, in the faint light of the alley, clearly reflected Daziel's calm face.

"With my current level of control over this chaotic Memory Domain, I'm afraid… I can only barely ensure guiding you alone safely into that true dreamscape."

These words were like a basin of cold water, instantly extinguishing the flames that had just ignited in March 7th's eyes. Her expression quickly fell, her blue-pink eyes visibly dimming.

"Eh? Only… only Daziel can go…?"

Her little mouth pouted unconsciously, her voice filled with unconcealable grievance and loss, like a little animal left behind.

Daziel reached out, his hand naturally landing on the soft top of March 7th's head, gently rubbing it with a soothing gesture.

"Your feelings, I've received them. Don't worry, if I really encounter trouble I can't solve by myself, I won't try to be a tough guy anymore."

Daziel's voice was still steady, as if carrying some power that could reassure people, dispelling the surrounding gloom.

"I will contact everyone for help at the first opportunity."

Hearing Daziel's solemn promise, March 7th's turbulent emotions finally subsided a little, like a receding tide.

She sniffled hard, her eyes still circled with an endearing redness.

"Then… then you must be extremely careful…"

Seeing this, Black Swan spoke again at the right time, her gaze accurately turning to Daziel.

"Since this is the case, Mr. Daziel, could I ask you to come back to my room with me for a moment?"

She paused, as if feeling her words might be ambiguous, and added another sentence, her tone now carrying a subtle, elusive meaning.

"My room happens to be a two-person suite as well, you know. Just like the one you were in before, it's also platinum-grade."

Hearing this, Daziel's brow raised almost imperceptibly, a trace of surprise flashing through his mind.

"Go to your room? Why?"

It was just to enter the deep dreamscape. Why did they have to go to her private room to do it? This seemed to exceed the normal procedure.

Before Daziel could think it through, Sparkle beside them immediately jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Her unique pink pupils stared warily at Black Swan, full of hostility.

After all, this woman had once made her suffer temporary amnesia, and she hadn't settled the score with her yet.

"Hey, hey, hey! You woman are really strange, aren't you?! Could it be that you see our Big Brother Daziel is handsome and good in that way, so you're deliberately making excuses to make a move on him?"

She put her hands on her hips, striking a protective pose, her voice sharp.

"So that's why you deliberately said the passage was unstable, to trick him into your room alone!"

Daziel also felt this move was indeed improper. A Memokeeper's methods should be more varied than this.

"Miss Memokeeper, can't you directly open a portal-like passage? I remember that Memokeepers should have similar abilities for Memory Domain jumps or dreamscape travel."

At least, Black Swan's abilities were demonstrated as such in the original plot.

Black Swan shook her head gently, the expression under her veil seemingly revealing a hint of imperceptible helplessness and apology.

"The Memory Domain passage is indeed extremely unstable at the moment. Forcibly opening a portal is too risky; it could very well sweep us into an unknown turbulent Memory Domain."

"We can only use the more precise and stable Dream Pool equipment configured by the Family in the hotel to ensure the safety of the dive process to the greatest extent."

"In the end, it's still that my control over this special Memory Domain has not yet reached a perfect state. I am very sorry, Mr. Daziel."

Daziel thought silently for a moment, carefully weighing the risks and necessity. Black Swan's explanation sounded reasonable.

"I understand, Miss Black Swan. Then please lead the way. I'll go with you."

He then turned to Sparkle and March 7th, his gaze calm.

"You two, first find a way to return to the hotel in reality. Sparkle, if conditions permit, keep an eye on the movements of Penacony's 'Family,' and gather some potentially useful clues or evidence."

"But remember, safety is always the first priority. Absolutely do not alert the enemy and expose yourselves."

Although Sparkle pouted unwillingly, she still nodded crisply in agreement.

"I know, I know, how annoying… I thought I'd be with Big Brother Daziel the whole time!"

March 7th, on the other hand, had a face full of unconcealable worry, her gaze locked tightly on Daziel, a thousand words turning into a silent stare.

Following Black Swan through the hotel's internal corridors, which were filled with flowing light and shadow like a dream, they finally stopped in front of her room door.

An indescribably strange feeling once again flashed through Daziel's mind.

Not long ago, he had just come out of Himeko's room, full of mature charm, and in the blink of an eye, he was about to enter the private room of another equally charming mature woman.

Have all the older sisters these days… become so direct and proactive?

Does this mean that women are all like this after a certain age?

The door opened in response. The interior decor was elegant and luxurious, and the air was filled with a faint, mysterious, and alluring fragrance like black roses at night—

It was Black Swan's lingering body scent.

Black Swan gracefully turned to the side, her purple eyes, under the soft light, like charming amethysts, gazing at Daziel.

"What are you still standing there for? Take off your clothes, Mr. Daziel. What are you hesitating for?"

Daziel was slightly taken aback, then understood and no longer hesitated.

He quickly took off his coat and shirt, revealing a streamlined, powerful upper body, leaving only his shorts to cover himself.

His skin glowed with a healthy luster under the warm light, every muscle seeming to contain explosive power.

Black Swan's movements were equally swift, even carrying a strange sense of rhythm, as she shed her outer gorgeous clothes.

Only a semi-transparent black lace lingerie set remained, perfectly outlining her mature, graceful, and thought-provoking curves.

She then took off her exquisite long boots, revealing slender legs wrapped in delicate black silk, their lines beautiful and full of elasticity.

Her light purple hair cascaded down like a silk waterfall, making her skin appear even more strikingly fair and alluring against the hazy black gauze.

For a moment, the air in the room seemed to thicken, filled with a faint, ambiguous atmosphere.

Daziel took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the strange throb in his heart, reminding himself of the purpose of this trip.

"Let's begin, Miss Black Swan."

"Don't be in such a hurry."

Black Swan, unexpectedly, extended a forefinger adorned with an exquisite black nail sheath, and with a hint of playfulness, gently poked Daziel's firm, tight chest.

The cool touch of her fingertip sent a small shiver through his skin.

"Before that, I'd like to chat about you first…"

Her eyes were full of inquiry, yet her actions carried an unintentional flirtatiousness.

Daziel's body stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment. A bad premonition quietly crept into his heart.

Could this mysterious Memokeeper, like Himeko before, be feeling lonely for some unknown reason, and so…

Doing this kind of pre-battle preparation in the hotel's double room, once could be a coincidence or an accident, but twice in a row…

Was a bit too deliberate.

As if seeing through the turmoil in Daziel's heart, Black Swan suddenly let out a light laugh, the sound like a nightingale's whisper, carrying a hint of cunning.

"I know what you're thinking, Mr. Daziel. Rest assured, I have long since discarded my real physical body."

"From the moment I chose to join the Garden of Recollection, my form of existence has been a 'body of meme.'"

"So, the current me can't do that kind of worldly thing between men and women with you."

She added frankly, her tone light, as if stating a perfectly ordinary fact.

"Or to be more precise… my physical functions in that area are actually incomplete, you could even say they are missing."

Hearing this, Daziel's perpetually tense heartstrings noticeably relaxed, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

A body of meme, without a physical body—this did indeed fit the setting of a Garden of Recollection Memokeeper, especially Black Swan. It was just that this detail was often overlooked.

Good, good, it wasn't the kind of inner-world development he had imagined…

Although facing Black Swan, this charming woman, Daziel didn't feel the same strong sense of rational restraint and resistance as he did with Himeko.

But if it wasn't for a mission or necessity, he still preferred to avoid this kind of overly intimate contact.

"I see…"

Daziel adjusted his breathing, trying to pull the topic back on track.

"Precisely because it is a body of meme, besides being exceptionally sensitive to the perception of memory, I am also particularly sensitive to the existence or influence of other meme-like things."

Black Swan didn't seem to intend to end it there. Instead, she moved a little closer, her warm breath faintly brushing Daziel's ear, carrying her unique, faint fragrance.

"In this universe now, the sins of desire run rampant, and almost every soul indulging in them is deeply infected by various memes. Only you, Mr. Daziel, seem to be safe and sound, unbelievably clean."

"I can feel that all those frantic, filthy desire-meme factors seem to be… deliberately avoiding you. It's truly a peculiar and rare phenomenon."

Her nail-sheathed fingertip, once again restlessly, slid across Daziel's skin, moving slowly from his chest towards his abdomen, bringing a tingling itch.

"Before, in the chaotic dreamscape battlefield, the situation was complex, and I didn't pay close attention. It wasn't until I returned to the relatively calm reality of the hotel just now that I clearly perceived this point…"

"I'm becoming more and more curious about you, Mr. Daziel."

Her voice was low and magnetic, as if it could drill directly into the bottom of one's heart.

Daziel's expression didn't change, but his heart rippled slightly.

"This is… the first time I've heard about this."

"Have I never been polluted by memes? I thought… my willpower during this time in Penacony had also been more or less subtly affected."

After all, he could clearly feel that his personality and style of doing things had indeed undergone considerable changes compared to when he had just left Belobog. He had become colder and more decisive, but also more extreme.

Only when facing certain women would he show that touch of gentleness in his heart.

"Is that so?"

A faint light of inquiry flashed in Black Swan's beautiful purple eyes, as if discerning the truth of Daziel's words.

"I thought… you had mastered some special means or secret to resist memetic erosion. As it turns out, even you don't know the specific reason?"

She sighed softly, her tone seemingly carrying a hint of indescribable disappointment, or perhaps some other emotion.

Daziel remained noncommittal, not picking up the conversation.

He vaguely guessed in his heart that this was very likely the work of the unreliable System residing in his mental space.

After all, that thing had always existed in the depths of his consciousness; it naturally wouldn't allow other memes or a Memokeeper's power to casually invade his spiritual domain.

However, there seemed to be no need to reveal this secret to the Black Swan before him.

"Alright, chat time is over."

Black Swan finally withdrew her mischievous hand, resuming her previous professional and elegant posture, as if the slightly teasing gesture had never happened.

"We should enter the dream. Business is more important."

The two lay down together in the Dream Pool in the center of the room, which emanated a soft halo, as if filled with liquid moonlight.

The pool water was warm, its touch strange, as if countless fine energy particles were slowly flowing, enveloping the body, bringing a sense of tranquility and comfort.

Just as Daziel adjusted his posture, about to close his eyes and immerse his mind to enter the deep dreamscape—

Black Swan's hand, once again, extremely restlessly, poked his well-defined abs and his shorts…

The fingertip, with its exquisite manicure, carried a hint of coolness as it slid across the firm muscle texture, bringing an uncontrollable, tingling itch.

___

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