How Does One Paint the World?

Masked Fools? Ahead?

You could have just named Sampo.

Fang Jie understood who had been beating around the bush.

Yet that somehow made it more convincing.

So I'm a Bloodsin Spirit?

!

All the excitement of boarding the train froze awkwardly, becoming...

He was suddenly kicked again and let out an "Ow," no longer quite so overexcited. All his plans for how to make contact and communicate came to an abrupt halt...

The Astral Express had gained another dejected person.

Silence filled the train.

Welt felt a little sorry for him. After a long while—or perhaps not that long—he picked up the coffee Himeko had refilled for him ages ago, which he had not drunk while pretending to be dejected, and handed it to Fang Jie. "Try to see the bright side. The galaxy is vast. Any miracle is possible, which means there is hope. Never underestimate hope. Though colorless, formless, and untouchable, it contains infinite energy."

Of course Fang Jie believed in miracles and hope as well. He took the coffee and drained it in one gulp.

"Ah..."

An immensely impactful flavor flooded his mouth, like swallowing a windless, wave-less ocean in a single mouthful. Something lurked beneath the surface, impossible to see clearly, leaving only a sense of unfathomable depth.

It could not be called bad, but it was difficult to call good either. If he had to choose one word to recommend it to others, Fang Jie could only say: "Drink."

The flavor was simply that unique. It deserved to be shared.

Whether you were lost, disheartened, depressed, dispirited, or questioning your life...

Drink it. Guaranteed cure for everything.

"Old Yang, have a cup too."

"A toast? Sure. It's actually not bad, right?"

Coffee diplomacy.jpg.

After drinking this coffee, what could they possibly have left unsaid?

Thus, Welt lowered his guard. Only then did the two continue their heart-to-heart conversation, speaking of something strange: how Welt had clearly never met Fang Jie, yet possessed extra memories.

A kind of strangeness... that suddenly made Fang Jie understand.

Welt's dream had occurred three days ago, matching the time Fang Jie had last traveled back and forth between the two worlds.

"It does match, but this..."

Fang Jie had even considered whether he had gone to a World Bubble, or somewhere the Masked Fools had been causing trouble. After all, this was the galaxy.

But Welt denied it. He came from the proper world, and he was still aboard the Astral Express. It could not be that Aha had personally acted to take him out too, could it?

Then it was Enigmata. An Aeon of Finality must have been up to something!

That possibility could not be ruled out, but weren't you a Nihility Bloodsin Spirit? My resistance is not low either. What level of Aeon of Finality could silently invade the train and fabricate all of this?

What would be the point?

The two looked at each other in silence.

So there was another possibility that could not be excluded—one involving time and changes to worldlines. Either possibility was immensely significant.

It was not merely traveling against time. Fang Jie had existed in the past, existed in the present, and, so long as he did not die, might perhaps exist forever, carving out a new worldline from nothing.

How would those who knew all this see him? How would Kiana see him? How would Otto see him...? Everyone would change because of him, and different memories would emerge as a result...

It was dreamlike and illusory—at least, it was for the current Welt. Everything was reflected in the changes to his memories.

They looked at each other. Welt saw Fang Jie questioning his life, wondering whether he should run; Fang Jie also saw Welt's hesitation, his uncertainty over whether he should seal away this monster.

"Let me think. Let me think this through properly."

Welt was even more conflicted than Fang Jie. Who knew whom he had thought of, or what he was considering? He lifted his coffee and gulped it down.

"You really should think more. Think positively. At least for now, you're the only one affected."

Fang Jie also lifted his coffee and drank, drank, drank.

He did not choose to run. He was remarkably optimistic; after all, he would not feel guilty about messing with Old Yang.

You dare elbow me, and I'll go elbow your younger self. Believe it or not!

P.S.: Sob, sob, sob, sob. The weather has gotten warm again, damn it. Now I'm in the mood to wish everyone a good morning, good afternoon, and good evening. Hope you have a happy day.

Everyone, new month, please vote for me! (?o?o)??

How was this world painted?

Pom-Pom was the best conductor, sternly warning all the demons and monsters who boarded the train—no causing trouble even if you took off your masks and turned out to be Aha.

Afterward, Pom-Pom thoughtfully, warmly, and meticulously arranged a "home" for them.

Even a lone sail in the distant sea could not help but long for a safe harbor.

Every Nameless should have their own room. However, the train currently had very few usable rooms, so the vacant storage room had been assigned to the Stellaron Spirit that had only recently boarded the train.

It was huge, allowing it to freely unleash its imagination and create a home of its own. Thus, the Stellaron Spirit...

Slept everywhere—the sofa, the floor, March 7th's big bed, and sometimes even a cardboard box.

As for Rin and Yae Sakura, Pom-Pom guided them to the guest car.

That was not strange. They were merely passengers, visitors in the truest sense. They had not decided to walk the path of the Nameless, and the guest car had been prepared for precisely that purpose, with rooms deliberately left vacant.

A temporary residence could not be considered a home, but it still needed to be kept ready.

But Fang Jie!

"Passenger, Passenger Fang Jie, are you willing to join the Astral Express and become one of the Nameless?"

Pom-Pom interrupted Fang Jie and Welt's heart-to-heart conversation—and the awkward atmosphere.

Fang Jie's stray thoughts were instantly swept away. Pom-Pom, you really make me happy. Wearing an expression of someone who had drifted through half a lifetime, he said, "Actually, I've long been one of the Nameless."

Welt gave a bitter smile. His previous indecision vanished, and his expression became steady again. Pushing up his glasses, he said, "There is no need to answer in haste. Becoming one of the Nameless means no longer clinging to the past, but choosing to explore the future. From then on, rather than caring for yourself, you will love exploring the world more."

"That's right, pom~"

Pom-Pom's tone was equally solemn. "And most importantly—becoming one of the Nameless means that from now on, the responsibilities you bear will far outweigh what you gain."

These were not empty words. They were the true convictions of generations of the Nameless, especially those who continued to walk this path even after Trailblazing had fallen.

At this moment, aboard the Astral Express, faced with this question, no one could lie to their own convictions.

Fang Jie searched his heart, then still answered gladly.

"Yes, I am willing to become one of the Nameless."

This had never been a multiple-choice question. If he did not become one of the Nameless, where else could his face, physique, social etiquette, beautiful character and personality, even his soul be placed?

Go back to Honkai Impact 3rd and become a Captain?

The Captain had been dead for ages.

Go become the savior during the Second Honkai eruption...

Slow down. Take it slow.

Besides, work was work and life was life. How could being one of the Nameless be so inconvenient? This choice would always welcome those who chose it—whether they were human or not.

"Very good, pom~ Passenger Fang Jie, then the conductor will prepare a room for you. Please wait for a little while."

That was why Pom-Pom needed Fang Jie's answer immediately. After the Stellaron Spirit chose the empty storage room, the train no longer had enough rooms for new passengers.

If Fang Jie joined, then he would have to... choose the Detachment Compartment at the very end!

During ordinary Trailblazing Journeys, the train crew would ride safe and stable landing pods down to predetermined coordinates. During exceptional Trailblazing Journeys, the Astral Express would detach its final carriage for use as a landing pod, loading it with ample survival supplies to ensure that after landing, the Nameless could use the carriage as a safe house while carrying out their mission.

And the recovery rate for train carriages was only 42.4%.

In other words, this carriage...

Had received zero negative reviews so far.

Pom-Pom would need to modify it first before it could become a "home."

That was the conductor's duty. Pom-Pom happily headed deeper into the train, filled with fighting spirit.

"Looks like the issue troubling you has been resolved."

Himeko emerged from the guest car, her steps graceful. When she saw that all the coffee had been drained—even Pom-Pom's cup had been drunk by Fang Jie—her smile became even brighter.

"Yes, thank you, Himeko, and thank you, Conductor."

"Why thank me? The conductor did all of this. The one you should thank is the conductor."

Himeko calmly took out fresh coffee beans and began grinding them. At the same time, she looked at Fang Jie with complete familiarity.

"Hello, new Trailblazing companion. I'm sorry to inform you that even though you have made your decision, the welcome ceremony cannot be held immediately. We are still short a few companions to form a circle."

"I'm looking forward to it, Miss Himeko..."

Fang Jie did not court death by calling her Auntie, and calling her Teacher did not seem appropriate either.

Himeko's smile remained unchanged. She stopped grinding the coffee, extended her hand, and said, "No need to be so formal. Just call me Himeko. I am not the person you know. I am Himeko, the navigator of the Astral Express. Welcome aboard. I look forward to us sharing an interesting journey."

"I'm looking forward to it too."

Fang Jie took her hand and felt its warmth.

Actually, I wasn't friends with that Himeko either. We were comrades-in-arms, once sharing life and death. Though with her temper, who knew how she'd scold me if we met again.

A hot-tempered sis—ter!

Fang Jie liked her quite a lot.

He liked them all.

Watching this, Welt did not know what he had thought of, but his gaze became firm. Himeko did not care about those past events. Everyone who boarded the Astral Express had secrets, but no one deliberately pried.

"I think you still have some questions that must be answered before you can join more happily."

Though the induction ceremony had not yet been completed, Fang Jie was already one of them. Himeko suddenly blinked, took out a small projector, and displayed—scenes from Jarilo-VI.

Pom-Pom had Pom-Pom's methods for dispelling estrangement and building mutual understanding.

Himeko had hers as well.

"This is..."

Fang Jie saw the frozen planet burning. He had done that. The scale was so vast it could be seen from outer space, igniting heaven and earth, recreating a corner of the sea while continuing to burn...

"Keep watching."

Himeko possessed an imagination that even Herta praised. She had even repaired the Astral Express, back in her girlhood. So when she realized the Astral Express might be in danger, that this was a trap...

Then it was no longer Welt's problem alone.

After an investigation, she presented solid evidence.

"Look. This was what it looked like three days ago."

Amid Jarilo-VI's ice and snow, a lightning flash that cleaved birds apart raged mercilessly. Though every one of those birds was a monster that brought destruction, resembling flying Honkai Beasts and generally no more than ten meters long, they were not small by any means.

In short, as long as something happened, there would always be a way to discover it.

"Now look. This was what it looked like a month ago."

There were no obvious changes. Truly none. In the observable sections—places the Astral Express would never overlook—there was only a black-looking... well, a Pathstrider's view, clinging to a Domain Anchor and siphoning energy.

Such a monster had to be brought aboard. Pom-Pom could not stand anyone stealing electricity.

That was all. Beyond that were the unobservable portions, but they were enough for Himeko to reach a conclusion. She had not used observational data, but instead "painted" her own memories.

A picture in which everything was "normal," without that black Fang Jie, updated to three days ago.

"Welt, you were not the only one who had a dream. It was easy to overlook, but whenever I looked at these, I could always see another version of them in my mind's eye, continuing until three days ago."

Himeko smiled as she spoke words that were terrifying.

This was clearly the Astral Express.

"I once learned that Bloodsin Spirits are the obsessions of Pathstriders. They are born from IX's shadow, regard themselves as the person concerned, and unknowingly repeat the actions the deceased took in life."