The Astral Express stopped at each station, and passengers came and went in a hurry.
People constantly joined the Astral Express’s journey, and people constantly left.
Travelers came from different worlds, carried different pasts, and headed for different destinations, but as long as they were on the Astral Express, they shared the same journey.
As long as someone was willing to embark on a wondrous journey, the Astral Express’s door generously opened for them.
The Astral Express’s journey never stopped, and several months passed.
Little Misha (Ragwork Shar Mikhail), whom Amundsen had brought back to the Astral Express, gradually adapted to life on board.
After all, becoming an even greater adventurer than his grandfather by riding the “Compass” had always been his wish.
Astral Express, Passenger Car.
“Mikhail, where are you going?”
Amundsen called out to Mikhail, who had just come out of his room.
“I… I’m going to wipe the floor in the Observation Car, I promised the Conductor…” Mikhail replied weakly.
“Stop right there.” Amundsen took out the somewhat old pocket watch from his Pregnant.
“First, tell me, did you fix this watch?”
Mikhail: “Uh… yes, yes, I did.”
Amundsen looked at the young, shy boy in front of him with a hint of absentmindedness, seeing him as no different from his grandfather in his youth.
The pocket watch, given to him by an old friend as a souvenir before he left, was finally repaired by his grandson.
“I know what it originally looked like, the chain broken, the back casing damaged, the markers almost worn away… How did you do it?”
Mikhail: “It’s hard for me to explain, but I knew it could be fixed.”
After a moment of thought, Mikhail gave his answer.
“It’s the hands, Mr. Amundsen. Its hands are still good, they can still point in the correct direction, so everything else can be fixed.”
Amundsen nodded in approval.
“From now on, you’ll work with me.”
“I’ll handle the Conductor; haven’t you always wanted to tinker with the Astral Express? From today onwards, you’re the Astral Express’s mechanic.”
Shi Hui, who was hiding in Tiernan’s room, also heard the commotion outside the door, so he pushed it open and quipped from the side.
“Amundsen, you’re not being fair. Pam finally found someone to help wipe the floor, but you’re taking him away to be a mechanic.”
Amundsen glared at Shi Hui, who skillfully emerged from Tiernan’s room, with exasperation.
“You have the nerve to say that; if it weren’t for you and Glanholm always crashing the Astral Express everywhere, why would there be so many repairs needed?”
“The paint is scratched, the Astral Express’s outer shell is dented; didn’t the Conductor and I fix all that? You two just hide in Tiernan’s room all day and don’t do any work.”
“It’s just inconvenient to hide in Lazarina’s room, you know.” Shi Hui said seriously.
“As long as you don’t mess up my data, I don’t mind you hiding in my room.” Lazarina walked out of her room, holding a thick stack of documents.
“However, being lazy isn’t good, you know; you’ll corrupt Glanholm.”
Hearing Lazarina also accusing him, Shi Hui quickly dragged Glanholm, who was hiding in Tiernan’s room playing a shooting game with Tiernan, out.
“Little Lazarina, you can’t wrong me! Don’t look at this kid, he’s only 16, but he taught me all of this!”
“Before I boarded the Astral Express, this kid already knew how to hide in other people’s rooms when he made a mistake, alright!”
“Amundsen, isn’t that right?”
Amundsen remained unmoved, clearly accustomed to these two troublemakers blaming each other.
“Neither of you blame the other; go to the Observation Car together and help the Conductor wipe the floor.”
…
The Astral Express’s journey never stopped, and another year passed.
Among a multitude of shining stars, a extinguished sun in the Tostar Star System was particularly conspicuous.
The Astral Express traveled along its Astral Express as usual, but it collided head-on with an Antimatter Legion intent on an act of Destruction.
Baryons, antibaryons, Void Rangers, Doomsday Beasts, Destruction’s Emissaries… This was a fully structured Antimatter Legion.
Although Glanholm and Shi Hui crashed the Astral Express head-on, killing several Doomsday Beasts, they were no match for the Destruction’s Emissary—Zhuluo—who had received the blessing of the Destruction Star God.
Astral Express, Observation Car.
“Amundsen, where are you going?”
Shi Hui called out to Amundsen, who had taken off his black top hat.
Amundsen looked at the extinguished sun in the distance.
“Zhuluo used the power of the Stellaron to extinguish the sun of the Tostar Star System; I have to do something.”
“You want to reignite that sun?” Shi Hui asked.
“Someone has to stand up and save Tostar; why can’t it be me?” Amundsen made the same choice as the Navigator Mikhail.
“You’ll die!” Glanholm cried out.
Like Mikhail, Glanholm’s homeland was destroyed by a Stellaron, and the surviving him was brought onto the Astral Express by Amundsen and carefully cared for.
And now, Amundsen intended to sacrifice himself to ignite the extinguished sun and bring light to this Star System.
So, Glanholm tried to dissuade him.
“Of course, I’ll die; we all will. But this time, let me go first.” Amundsen remained unmoved.
“Children, I hope that after I’m gone, you’ll become people you respect.”
“In your future journeys, you may see all sorts of bizarre phenomena and learn more about your own weaknesses and flaws. After encountering minor difficulties and major disasters, how to maintain human dignity amidst temptation and hardship—earning your own respect is not easy, but it’s very worthwhile.”
“This isn’t narcissism, arrogance, conceit, boasting, self-deception, reclusiveness, or self-pity, but rather self-confidence, pride, self-illumination, self-awareness, self-reflection, self-expression, self-encouragement, and self-reliance. Self-respect supports a free spirit and independent Trailblaze.”
Amundsen solemnly handed the black top hat in his hand to Glanholm, instructing: “Remember our agreement.”
“And then, as usual, drive the Astral Express out of this Star System.”
“But the Stellaron has cut off the Astral Express’s Astral Express.” Glanholm looked at Amundsen with confusion.
“So, I will open up a new Astral Express, and all you have to do is, as usual, drive the Astral Express out!”
Thus, under the heavy encirclement of the Antimatter Legion that blotted out the sky, a small carriage shot out from a Astral Express, rushing towards the extinguished star.
The power of Trailblaze collided fiercely with the Stellaron within the star, igniting the sun’s embers and igniting all of the Antimatter Legion except Zhuluo.
Light and heat returned to the Tostar Star System, and the re-shining sun proclaimed a fact.
The “Beacon of Illumination” Falken Amundsen brought a new dawn to this Star System!
…
The Astral Express’s journey never stopped, and several more years passed since 17-year-old Glanholm inherited Amundsen’s will, and the “Red-Hearted Chaser of Light” followed in the footsteps of the “Beacon of Illumination” to become the new Navigator of the Astral Express.
A war broke out in the Asdana Star System, a Stellaron descended upon Penacony, and the Interastral Peace Corporation extended invitations to various factions, hoping they would help the Penacony jailers quell the uprising and, incidentally, explore the mysteries of the Primeval Dream.
Astral Express, Observation Car.
Outside the window, the memory-filled Asdana glowed with a hazy light, and the border prison nestled within it was engulfed in continuous war.
“What do you think the world in dreams will be like? I must meticulously draw a complete map!”
Lazarina put away her surveying instruments, looking at the new world within reach with anticipation.
“It’s very chaotic there; don’t run around after you three arrive. If you get kidnapped again like last time, I…”
Tiernan finished cleaning his weapon, walked to the sofa with a drink, and shook his head helplessly.
“A land of dreams, with infinite possibilities, we will definitely achieve great things. Conductor, if we fall in love with this place and don’t come back, will you miss us?”
Mikhail winked at Pam and smiled.
“You can’t just joke with the Conductor, Pam! Little Pam, is that what you wanted to say?” Shi Hui imitated Pam’s tone of voice, a sly smile on his face.
“Damn it! You guys!”
Pam puffed out his cheeks in anger, indignant.
Bubbles floated in the drink, and the carriage was filled with cheerful air.
…
Time never stopped for anyone, and with the help of the Astral Express, Masked Fool, Fictional Historians, Mournful Pity, Ominous Vanguards, Knights of Beauty, and other Heavenly Outsiders, a grand war of independence gradually subsided.
Astral Express, Observation Car.
“Mikhail, where are you going? We should be heading to the next stop.”
Glanholm called out to Mikhail, who was packing his luggage.
After a moment of silence, Mikhail said: “I… I might not be leaving. I plan to stay in Asdana, with Lazarina and Tiernan.”
Glanholm nodded, as if he had expected it.
“Does this place remind you of your home?”
Mikhail: “The Asdana people have only achieved a small victory; there’s still a long way to go until true freedom… Hanunu needs us.”
Glanholm took out a black top hat.
“Not all journeys must lead to the Star Sea; even if we leave the Astral Express, our Trailblaze will not end.”
“I knew you guys couldn’t be kept.”
He handed the top hat to Mikhail and said.
“Go in peace, my friend, and take this with you.”
Mikhail recognized the origin of the top hat, and a hint of sadness appeared in his questioning eyes.
“This is Mr. Amundsen’s hat, why?”
Glanholm smiled.
“Before he left, he made an agreement with me. If he sacrificed himself, I would succeed him as the Navigator of the Astral Express. Then, this hat would be left to his best student.”
“I think, now is the time.”
“Goodbye, Mikhail, take care of Tiernan and Lazarina. Remember to write to us.”
…
The Astral Express’s journey never stopped, and several more years passed.
A pitch-black great sun resided in the Tianyanhu Star System, with two similar planets constantly revolving around it, one named Izumo and the other Takama-ga-hara.
Meteorites from beyond the heavens seemed to follow some obsessive desire, spreading the great sun’s aura across Takama-ga-hara.
The Stellaron’s anomaly triggered a tide of imaginary energy, and eight million gods descended from Takama-ga-hara, arriving in Izumo.
Beasts named after gods overturned the sky, set rivers ablaze, and crumbled the earth.
Astral Express, Observation Car.
“Shi Hui, where are you going?”
Glanholm called out to Shi Hui, who was preparing to disembark.
Shi Hui took off the necklace from his neck and gestured for Glanholm to look at the mobius strip.
“Remember what I told you?”
“I’m not from this world; this mobius strip brought me here.”
“Except for the very beginning, when you crashed the Astral Express into the Sub-space Crystal Wall, this paper ring reacted. No matter how I fiddled with it, it didn’t react.”
“At first, I thought it reacted when the Astral Express collided with Klippah’s Star Wall, so I thought about boarding the Astral Express to find an opportunity to recreate that scene.”
“Unfortunately, I’ve crashed into all the walls Klippah built—the Tianhui Star Wall, the Sub-space Crystal Wall, the Great Attractor Disk… This thing still hasn’t reacted at all.”
“Even when facing Zhuluo, in a life-or-death crisis, this thing didn’t react.”
“And now, as the Astral Express entered the Tianyanhu Star System, this thing glowed.”
“So, my friend, I should disembark.”
“Before the aura of Nihility spreads to the Astral Express’s Astral Express, you and Pam should leave quickly—the Astral Express still needs you!”
Glanholm nodded gently, a hint of loss in his tone.
“I understand… Goodbye, my friend.”
“What, no one to get scolded by the Conductor with you, so you miss me?” Shi Hui teased.
Seeing Shi Hui still being so nonchalant, Glanholm laughed from the bottom of his heart.
“Get lost!”
“Navigator, a question for you: Do you know why we Nameless are still called Nameless after leaving the Astral Express?” Shi Hui asked.
Glanholm: “Of course, as long as one has the spirit of Trailblaze, they are Nameless everywhere.”
“Anyway—Shi Hui, may your journey of Trailblaze always be peaceful.”
Shi Hui nodded, waving gently at Glanholm and Pam, who was hiding in the corner, reluctant to part.
“Goodbye, Glanholm, Little Pam.”
“Goodbye, Navigator, Conductor.”
“May this journey finally reach the stars!”
…
“Have a safe trip, Pam.”
…
The following section was added later, around Chapter 100, when the protagonist found the end of his journey and decided to leave the Astral Express again.
One, even if destiny rises and falls, the Trailblazer should have his own opinions.
Two, even when facing stormy waves, the Astral Express crew should move in the same direction.
Three, even when in a situation of life or death, one should still resist injustice.
Four, even if forgotten by the world, one should not care about the aftermath.
Five, even if the galaxy is shrouded in twilight, one should still illuminate the long night.
Six, even if the situation is chaotic and disorderly, one should still look forward and crush the chaos.
Shi Hui’s choice to leave the Astral Express and go to Izumo perfectly embodied the philosophy of Trailblaze—even if he knew he might die on the path of Trailblaze Izumo, he should still face the difficulties head-on.