Bro, Don't Be Like That / A Whole New Beginning ...

Silver Wolf: Don't call me Auntie. How could a young girl like me have a nephew as old as you?

Galaxy Youth: But I'm only one day old, and look, we both have Silver as our surname.

Silver Wolf: ...

Galaxy Youth: Auntie, where's my mom? I miss her.

Silver Wolf: Kafka is on another mission. I had some free time, so I checked to see what you were doing. I didn't expect you to register for a chat app, so I found you.

Galaxy Youth: As expected of Auntie! You casually hacked into the Express's internal network—it's so inspiring that my blood is boiling in admiration!

Silver Wolf: You picked that line up from my bookmarks, didn't you? I knew it. You absorbed all that data from the game console, so now you've become a little weird.

Galaxy Youth: I'm perfectly normal.

Silver Wolf: Change your nickname before you say that.

Galaxy Youth: No.

Silver Wolf: I know your train is about to make the jump. Before then, how about a few thrilling games? I'll carry you.

Galaxy Youth: So Auntie was lonely and looking for someone to game with. My hourly rate is pretty expensive.

Silver Wolf: Why are we talking about money now...? Didn't you land yourself a rich woman?

Galaxy Youth: Not yet. We're still just ordinary friends.

Silver Wolf: Kafka can control minds. I'll have her tie that rich woman up and bring her over. She probably won't mind having a daughter-in-law anyway.

Galaxy Youth: Auntie, what I want is love, not a slave.

Silver Wolf: Damn, kid, you've got some principles. Log in, log in. Time to hunt.

Galaxy Youth: I don't have any games on my phone.

Silver Wolf: I already installed one for you.

Galaxy Youth: How do you play this game? By rubbing the screen?

Silver Wolf: What era are you living in? Nobody rubs screens anymore. Now you just pull your consciousness into the game directly. I'll teach you.

Caelus stared in surprise at the game app that had suddenly appeared on his phone's home screen. Before he could agree, it opened itself and entered the game. Then he felt a pulling force drag his consciousness into another space. Though the Caelus outside still looked like he was staring down at his phone, his consciousness had already entered the game.

Caelus was now standing on a medieval-style street. Hurried pedestrians filled both sides of the road, NPCs stood along the street waiting to hand out quests, and the people walking around were all players wearing all kinds of equipment.

"Dummy, over here."

Silver Wolf's voice rang out. Caelus turned toward the roadside and saw a little girl standing there, dressed exactly as she was in his memories. She looked suspiciously underage, her face carrying a lazy expression as though nothing could possibly interest her.

"Auntie, how do you play this game?"

After arriving in this game world, Caelus felt full of energy, as if he had been born for this. To hell with Trailblazing.

"I've already accepted the quest. I'll trade you the equipment."

Silver Wolf spoke decisively. Then a string of notifications appeared before Caelus's eyes as one precious piece of equipment after another dropped into his inventory, ready to be equipped at any time.

"You can trade in this game? I thought it was a competitive game." Caelus complained.

"Of course it's competitive, but I hacked into the system and enabled the trading function. With your skills, there's no need for you to slowly grind monsters from the bottom."

"Auntie really gets me."

"You should know that you've inherited everything from me. The techniques and experience I honed in games should have all been absorbed into your body. So in this game, you're basically my Player Two. I've been needing a teammate like you."

Silver Wolf looked at Caelus as though she were looking at her own child—not in that sense, but more like a game account she had painstakingly raised had somehow become sentient. She had dragged him into this game to test his abilities.

As the two spoke, another person suddenly appeared in the party list. Caelus looked up in confusion, only to see a towering figure over three meters tall standing before him. The figure wore airtight medieval plate armor, with not a single inch of their body exposed.

"Who is this?"

Caelus looked doubtfully at the hulking figure blocking out the light. No expression could be seen beneath the fully enclosed helmet, and he could not even tell whether the person was male or female. Still, there was no need to define gender so clearly. Aliens came in all kinds of genders—there were even attack helicopters—so Caelus did not care at all.

"Oh, she's one of my companions among the Stellaron Hunters. She had nothing to do, so I pulled her in to play with us."

Silver Wolf introduced her in a casual tone, as though they had an utterly ordinary relationship and she had only been brought in to make up the numbers.

"Brother, what should I call you?"

Caelus raised a hand and patted the giant's plate armor, immediately treating her as a man. If she were a woman, then she would have to be three meters tall, with eyes like bronze bells and muscles bulging all over her body. The image was too beautiful. Caelus, who had grown accustomed to having pretty girls around him, did not dare imagine it.

"Her voice chat is broken. Just call her Sa... Samo."

Silver Wolf gave Samo's name in her place. Caelus found it a little strange, but this was an online game, and bad equipment was common enough. If some rough old man suddenly shouted, "Is my mic blowing out?" in the middle of a game, wouldn't that scare him to death?

"Hello, Brother Samo. My name is Caelus. With a build like yours, you could probably punch a Doomsday Beast to death. I wish I were as burly as you."

Caelus smiled and held out his right hand, speaking politely. Of course, it was a lie. He was very satisfied with his current body. If he really looked like Samo, how could he cuddle with Asta? She would not be able to handle it.

Samo silently raised an arm as large as a boxing bag and shook Caelus's hand. Caelus felt that although she had muted herself, she seemed to have a pretty good personality. She did not throw her weight around just because she was big. She was someone he could get along with!

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Bro, Don't Be Like This

"Let's go, let's go."

After equipping all his weapons and armor, Caelus howled that he wanted to get started. He touched his back, where a long blade much taller than he was hung behind him. He had to raise his arm over his head to reach the hilt and draw it. It was his favorite weapon: a katana.

"Let's roll."

Silver Wolf was anything but calm when it came to gaming. After forming a party with Caelus, the two entered the system countdown and were teleported into a wasteland, beginning their hunting journey.

"Foresight Slash, slash it! Slash it!"

"Deng! Deng! Deng!"

"Ju! Ju! Ju!"

After several repeated quests, Caelus and Silver Wolf were teleported back to the street where they accepted missions, both wearing satisfied smiles. Caelus had enjoyed himself, while Silver Wolf had found a teammate who suited her.

Silver Wolf had not deliberately been a lone wolf in games. If she found suitable teammates, she wanted to play in a party too. Unfortunately, everyone else either had too much baggage or was too weak to keep up with her controls, so she abandoned them all. Caelus was undoubtedly the ideal teammate she had waited years for.

First of all, there was their coordination. The two had such chemistry that a single glance was enough to know what the other wanted to do. When hunting, they even took identical stances. From the monsters' perspective, it was as if they were seeing double. Everything they did had a one-hundred-percent synchronization rate: rolling, drawing their blades, drinking potions—every action happened at exactly the same time. Just as Silver Wolf had guessed, all of Caelus's gaming techniques had been inherited from her, his teacher. He was absurdly strong.

Compared to Silver Wolf and Caelus's coordination, Samo was much steadier. Although she did not speak, she communicated using the preset voice lines in the system.

Things like "Cover me," "I'm charging," and "Dodge." It was still easy enough to coordinate that way, and her gaming skills were excellent too. It was obvious that she was a smart person in real life as well.

"Good kid, you did really well. Keep me company and play games for the next few days."

Silver Wolf patted Caelus on the shoulder and praised him. She truly loved a gaming companion who clicked with her perfectly and could be called over whenever she wanted.

"Next time for sure. I still have to go to Penacony."

Caelus directly revealed his destination. Upon hearing the name Penacony, Samo lowered her head to look down at him, seeming interested in the place.

"Brother Samo, do you want to go too? Do the Stellaron Hunters have paid vacation? If you can come to Penacony, I can show you around."

Caelus spoke to Samo. She neither nodded nor shook her head. Communicating with a teammate whose microphone was broken was just like that, but Caelus felt that she should at least be able to type.

The moment the thought appeared, Caelus saw a cute anime-girl emoticon pop up in the party chat. It showed a girl smiling, the usual chibi-style expression.

Caelus's head instantly started heating up. He imagined a three-meter-tall giant sitting at home holding a phone, chatting with him, then using thick fingers to tap a chibi girl emoticon and smile at him. His body immediately trembled like a sieve.

"Uh, let's play together again next time."

At that moment, Caelus felt his body shake, and his consciousness was forced out of the game world. Before leaving, he said goodbye to Silver Wolf and Samo, then woke up.

"What happened?"

After waking up, Caelus asked in confusion. Before him was March 7th's worried, pretty face. He had no idea when she had entered his room, while Acheron was still seated beside him, seemingly without having moved at all.

"The train is about to make the jump. According to the rules, there are certain risks involved, so we need to fasten our seat belts in the observation car."

March 7th answered honestly. Caelus nodded in understanding, then took Acheron's hand and left the room. After walking through one more car, they arrived at the observation car.

Through the enormous viewing window, they could see that the Star Rail Express had already left the Space Station and was floating in outer space. Watching the Space Station grow farther and farther away, Caelus felt reluctant to leave for the first time. Asta was there, and because of her family, she could not leave. Caelus felt he had been lucky. The moment he was born, he met companions, joined the free-spirited Express crew, and began a life of adventure.

But was it really luck? For his adventure to unfold so smoothly, that mysterious mother of his had probably arranged everything long ago.

Caelus sat on the sofa, and the seat belt automatically fastened around his waist. Acheron was on his left, March 7th on his right. Looking at the two women with completely different styles, Caelus felt as though he had accomplished something incredible: holding one on each side.

The Star Rail Express's special warp device activated. As a senior, March 7th naturally began explaining its origins to Caelus.

"Let me tell you, the Star Rail Express is incredible. It was once the vehicle of the Trailblaze Aeon, A Kivili."

March 7th spoke seriously when it came to A Kivili. After all, this was the force that had saved her, and she had joined the Trailblaze faction without hesitation.

"Really? Does that mean we're all Trailblaze lackeys?"

Caelus had only been born recently and genuinely knew none of this trivia. He stared at March 7th in surprise. A train capable of traveling across the galaxy really was amazing.

"Can you make that sound a little nicer? Besides, even if you wanted to be a lackey, you couldn't. A Kivili has already fallen. At most, we're walking the Path of Trailblaze."

March 7th rolled her eyes at Caelus before continuing, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness. She also wished she had an Aeon backing her up, but what was gone was gone.

"Acheron, have you heard of this?"

Caelus turned to ask Acheron beside him. She must have a wealth of experience. He did not even know how old she was, and he was full of curiosity about this woman.

"There were stories about the Star Rail Express among the Pathstriders. I never thought I would one day board this train."

Caelus nodded. She had known about the Star Rail Express before, but she had never expected to come into contact with it like this. Come to think of it, it had all begun with her getting lost by chance.

Getting lost had brought Acheron plenty of trouble, but she had a calm temperament and barely showed any emotional fluctuations. When she ran into bad luck, she simply accepted it. Yet getting lost this time was one of the rare lucky moments in her life. Not only had she found a ride to Penacony, but someone who cared deeply about her was by her side.

A New Beginning

"What a pity. If A Kivili were still alive, people everywhere would have to give us some respect."

Caelus sighed. Knowing that this had been an Aeon's vehicle was impressive, but that was all. A Kivili probably had not left behind much of an inheritance, and he did not know whether that face fruit was still around either.

"Actually, we still have some prestige now. While A Kivili was alive, they continually expanded the star rails. Those rails linked planet after planet and illuminated the bonds between civilizations. Some primitive planets only developed because they benefited from Trailblaze. Not everyone remembers the old days, but some are grateful. The Star Rail Express's reputation has endured to this day. Everyone knows we're good people—a good faction."

The more March 7th spoke, the prouder she sounded. She had practically tied herself to A Kivili. After all, the Star Rail Express had picked her up, and after losing her memories, the Express crew had been the first group she encountered. Naturally, she had to repay the debt of saving her life.

"So, Caelus, when you get to Penacony, act a little more normal. Don't embarrass the Express."

March 7th revealed her central concern. Caelus was part of the Express crew now, but she thought he did not look like a good person. Not that he was malicious—his style was just hard to judge.

"Am I not normal?" Caelus asked, pointing at his face.

"Hard to say."

March 7th smiled. Caelus immediately reached out to pinch her cheeks. March 7th cried out angrily and immediately started pinching him back. Acheron watched their noisy scuffle from the side, and the corners of her lips lifted slightly.

"Ahem. This is Station Master Pom-Pom. As all passengers already know, our next stop is Penacony, the Planet of Festivities. Although I know everyone has been looking forward to that galaxy-famous hotel for a long time, there are still three things I must remind you of before departure."

Pom-Pom appeared before the two who were still fooling around. They had to give the Station Master some respect, so Caelus and March 7th stopped pinching each other and listened to Pom-Pom speak.

"First, Asdana, where Penacony is located, is a star system rich in Memory Matter. Historically, it was one of the great holes through which the Memory Zone leaked. Though several thousand years have passed, the concentration of Memory Matter ahead is still above average. Usually, there won't be any problems... but everyone's physical condition is different. If you experience dizziness, hallucinations, memory disorders, or similar issues, do not take them lightly!"

Every word Pom-Pom said was clear, but once they were put together, Caelus and March 7th's eyes gradually turned vacant. They understood none of those specialized terms. This was what happened when they had not researched their destination in advance.

"Second, Penacony is territory of the Family of Harmony, and this is the first time the Family has publicly invited other factions. Remember, the Express has been invited as a guest, so we must follow the rules we are expected to follow."

"Third, rather than a requirement, this is a request. While you are vacationing in Penacony, please take some time to look for the Nameless who once got off the train there."

"Huh? There are seniors from our train who stayed in Penacony?"

March 7th asked in surprise. She had thought this would be an ordinary vacation, but now it had turned into a search for people—former members of the Express, no less.

"Yes. According to the records on the train, three passengers got off there. Their names were Tirnan, Lagvork, and Lazarina. They were once the train's guard, mechanic, and cartographer. Other than that, there is no more information."

Himeko spoke at that moment. As the Express's navigator, she knew about as much as Pom-Pom did. She was also the one who communicated most with Pom-Pom in daily life, so she could be considered the train's encyclopedia.

"Isn't that like looking for a needle in the ocean?" March 7th complained.

"Just leave it to fate. Considering how varied the Nameless can be... we might even find their descendants. There is even a tiny chance that we could meet the people themselves."

Himeko smiled. This was not a task that absolutely had to be completed. So many years had passed that no one knew whether they were alive or dead. Pom-Pom's desire to find them was more about remembrance and memories than anything urgent.

After Pom-Pom finished speaking, a dazzling passage opened ahead of the train's engine. Once the train entered it, the passage closed, and they began an extremely long-distance warp.

By the time Caelus woke up, the Star Rail Express had completed its warp. Before them was the star system where Penacony was located.

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Note: This was also recorded in the prequel (:)

"Star Rail: Starting by Picking Up a Lost Acheron"

Witnessing Species Diversity

In the empty starry expanse, countless vessels had already formed a queue. All kinds of interstellar vehicles floated in the void near the train.