After sorting through his thoughts, Mingyi considered how he could help Kekena now.
Now that he was a Trailblazer of the Path of Remembrance, perhaps he could try a simpler approach.
After Kekena's emotional dial was completed, she would be overwhelmed by years of accumulated sadness and other negative emotions. Theoretically, Mingyi could temporarily suppress emotions, just as he could now perceive them.
As long as these negative emotions didn't accumulate and explode all at once, perhaps Kekena's side quest would be completed, and she would embark on the future she was meant to have.
Even if he couldn't control her emotions, Mingyi should still be able to bypass the record's restrictions and directly enter Kekena's dream to pull her out.
Since the action plan was set, the next step was execution.
"I apologize for the unpleasant experience," Kekena said, then lowered his head, waiting for the guest to leave.
"I'm spacing out again. When will this old problem get better? I've already received special 'treatment.'
This isn't good for work if it continues."
"Perhaps I should increase the dosage and have Giovanna send more special concoctions."
Kekena muttered to himself in a low voice.
The special concoction was a very specially formulated SoulGlad, prepared specifically for people suffering from this kind of illness.
As long as one drank it in a dream, people could temporarily forget all their troubles and suppress those negative emotions, allowing them to engage normally in work and life.
Kekena was not the only one troubled by this mental illness in the dream.
After guiding the customers in the shop to mostly leave, Mingyi prepared to speak with Kekena.
"Miss Kekena, I am Mingyi, a traveler from a distant land.
I have confirmed that you are missing an emotion, and the lack of this emotion is the reason you have been constantly in a daze.
I can help you complete this emotion, freeing you from the grip of this illness."
To make his words more convincing, Mingyi even selected a vase from a magazine and projected it using his abilities.
When using his abilities in Penacony, the realism of projected items would greatly increase, and the time it took for them to naturally dissipate would become very long.
After materializing the vase, he said, "These roses are for you. I sincerely hope you can overcome your illness and achieve a rose-like future."
Kekena was at a loss, hesitating whether to accept treatment from this stranger.
The mental illness he suffered from indeed greatly troubled his daily work and life. After watching Mingyi's performance just now, he also understood Mingyi's special identity.
In the cosmic network, many kinds of knowledge were accessible to ordinary people, such as taverns that worshipped Elation, the wanted criminal Stellaron Hunters, the Genius Society and the Intelligentsia Guild that believed in Nous, the Nameless who pioneered the stars, and so on.
Perhaps the person before him was such a Trailblazer who followed his own will.
How enviable! They could bravely express and pursue their thoughts and feelings, while ordinary people like them could only stay in an ordinary position for a lifetime.
Speaking of which, he seemed to have something he wanted to pursue, but...
"Sorry, my illness has relapsed again," Kekena said, covering his head with an apologetic expression, then asked, "If I accept treatment, what price do I need to pay?"
Equivalent exchange, that was fair. Even seeking help from the family would cost money. What was infuriating was that even if he got sick because of work, he had to pay for his own treatment, even though the wealth he created was partly the family's.
He was only afraid that the person in front of him would ask for a price he couldn't bear. In that case, he would have no choice but to give up on treatment, even if this mental illness troubled his work and life.
"The reward I need... how about your memories? This is my personal hobby; I like to acquire what I consider precious memories."
After stating his reward, Mingyi said with nostalgia, "I was once a member of the Nameless, pioneering the star sea with my companions. Later, due to an accident, I had to disembark. I still miss that time a lot.
I heard that Astral Express Crew is about to visit Penacony. Perhaps at the next stop, I will travel with them and explore the star sea once more."
With that said, Kekena already trusted Mingyi completely.
"I never expected you to be a former Nameless. No wonder you are so eager to help others."
Kekena didn't know what was precious about his memories. They were as uninteresting and oppressive as the experiences of countless ordinary people, with nothing special about them.
But if it was a former Nameless, then everything could be explained. Everyone must know the style of the Nameless without me having to say more.
"Thank you very much for your help."
Kekena showed a faint, heartfelt smile, then suddenly felt sad again.
"Why do I feel sad? I seem to have... forgotten something."
"The family's special treatment took something from me."
Mingyi acted as soon as Kekena agreed.
'Sadness' flowed into Kekena's heart like water, and chaotic memories, like a surging tide, engulfed Kekena.
......
"So... this is the kind of life I've been living...?"
"It's so meaningless... so worthless..."
"Miss Kekena, are you alright?"
Mingyi received no response. He constantly monitored Kekena's condition.
Currently, her condition was very poor; surging sadness was drowning her spirit.
Mingyi sighed at his powerlessness, "It seems I overestimated my abilities and underestimated the negative emotions accumulated by a person for over a decade."
Perhaps even more than a decade. Since he was a child, he might have buried all sadness deep in his heart.
In his youth, he could adjust on his own, but as an adult, he needed the aid of special medication.
"Deep breaths, deep breaths, Kekena. It's work time now, you must pull yourself together... It'll be fine when you wake up, it'll be fine when you wake up..."
"Will it really be fine when I wake up? Constantly avoiding problems solves nothing."
Kekena: "Just like before, deep breaths, deep breaths... Don't cry..."
"Just get through this period of time, and it will be fine..."
Mingyi tried to use his ability to influence Kekena's emotions, but the surging sadness shattered all the resistance Mingyi had organized.
He never expected the situation to be so tricky. All in all, Mingyi hadn't gone far on the Path, otherwise, he could easily change this level of emotion.
An experienced Memokeeper like Black Swan could even delete the memories of a fellow Trailblazer. Changing an ordinary person's emotions would probably be a simple wave of her hand.
A desire for power once again rose in Mingyi's heart. He wanted to gain influence points, improve himself in the simulation, and then realize everything he intended to do.
If influencing emotions didn't work, Mingyi tried to enter her emotional space.
Unfortunately, the surging sadness sealed off Kekena's heart, leaving no gaps.
She was escaping, fleeing to a corner, curling up, eyes tightly shut, letting sadness shape thorns for her.
Kekena's heart was in immense pain...