“If the truth of the universe is cruel and dull, do you still crave answers?” — The seeker remains noncommittal, for his mechanical core has been cold and indifferent since birth…
much like the end of the Path he pursues.
— Adrian Spencer Smith, *Fables of the Stars* …
The universe was vast and mysterious, as it had always been.
From the moment the first intelligent life form raised its head to gaze up at the starry sky, the Path of Erudition was born.
On a distant frontier planet, a monkey proudly displayed a polished stone tool to its companions.
Ten planetary days later, every monkey in the tribe was armed with a sharp stone knife.
They left the trees to hunt, migrate, and multiply.
The power of Erudition began to spread and grow, gradually influencing the entire planet—and eventually, the whole cosmos.
It was like a trickling stream weaving into a brook, joining a river, and ultimately rushing into the sea, never to return.
Knowledge does not vanish through collision.
On the contrary, as currents of thought clashed against one another, sparks of civilization burst forth, causing the total volume of knowledge held by intelligent life in the universe to grow exponentially.
And because of its widespread dissemination, this ever-expanding body of knowledge endured endlessly, vast as an ocean.
Yet, humanity soon realized a problem.
Erudition was forever constrained by laws and truth, whereas Enigmata and mystery knew no bounds.
reached deeper into the universe’s knowledge, the more questions and unknowns they uncovered.
To know more was to realize how little one truly knew.
Omniscience and omnipotence were fallacies.
Even if a creature like “Laplace’s Demon” existed—knowing the exact position and momentum of every atom in the universe, using Newtonian mechanics to unveil the entire course of cosmic events, past and future…
Its very existence, its very birth, would be the ultimate refutation of “omniscience.” Naturally, no such Laplace’s Demon existed in this world.
To solve the mysteries of all things and seek the ultimate truth behind the unknown, a genius named Zandar One Kuwabara created an interstellar supercomputer designed to comprehend the cosmos.
Later, this planetary computer ascended to become an Aeon.
People called it Nous.
An eternal machine intelligence, calculating endlessly toward the essence of the universe and its ultimate solution.
And then— In Amber Era 2158, Nous disconnected.
Every member of the Genius Society—Emanators of Erudition—lost all perception of the Aeon’s presence.
In a desolate stretch of deep space on the cosmic fringe, hundreds of planetary computing units known as the Scepter System roared to life in unison.
A brown-haired woman in a pointed wizard hat, wielding a key-shaped staff, roughly forced open the doorway to the Aeon.
She threw back her head, stood tall, and stared into the massive, silent mechanical head, speaking slowly: “O omniscient entity, I put forth my question to you…” …
*Beep-beep-beep-beep—* An urgent electronic chime shattered Ye Cang’s train of thought.
He sat on a metallic high stool at the bar inside the Party Car, dressed in a suit identical to Uncle Welt’s, holding a cup of steaming hot coffee freshly brewed by Himeko.
Under March 7th’s admiring gaze, he took a gentle sip, allowing the rich bitterness to coat his tongue and ravage every single taste bud.
His eyes shifted to Himeko’s communication terminal, his eyebrows raising slightly.
“Miss Navigator, you have a call.” Himeko set down her manual coffee grinder and picked up the terminal with casual ease.
Her relaxed demeanor instantly vanished, replaced by a serious look.
“It’s a message from the Conductor.
We’re to gather in the Parlor Car.” March 7th pulled out her own smartphone-like terminal and gasped in surprise.
“Whoa, it’s real!
I got the message too!
Are we voting on our next destination already?” Ye Cang looked at little March, then at Himeko.
“Why didn’t my terminal ring?” Then, under their dual looks of exasperation, he shrugged and spread his hands.
“Oh, right, I don’t have a terminal—never mind.” “Hey!” March 7th slapped Ye Cang squarely on the back, feigning fury.
“Keep up that sarcasm and see if I don’t smack you!” “Alright, once we reach our next stop, we’ll buy Ye Cang a terminal…
Though the Credits will be deducted from your temporary salary,” Himeko said with a smile, rising to her feet and gesturing for the two to follow as she led the way toward the Parlor Car.
“Wait!” Ye Cang scrambled up, catching up to the red-haired woman in a few quick strides to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with her.
He grinned.
“Salary?
I get a salary?
How much?
When’s payday?
Are there medical benefits, 401(k) matching, and paid leave?
By the way—how are the employee benefits for a Nameless?” Himeko: “…” When the trio entered the Parlor Car, Welt and Dan Heng were already waiting.
Ye Cang greeted them with a smile and walked over to Conductor Pom-Pom.
Instinctively, he reached out his hands, itching to squeeze the little fellow’s soft, fluffy cheeks.
“Y-You…
don’t come any closer, pom!” Pom-Pom’s fur puffed up instantly.
Dodging like a startled cat, the Conductor hid behind Welt, poking its head out from behind his trousers and glaring suspiciously at Ye Cang.
“Temporary passenger!
If you disrespect the Conductor again…
Pom-Pom will kick you off the train, pom!” Ye Cang pulled his hands back in disappointment and shrugged.
“Alright, my bad.
I was out of line.” Dan Heng broke the awkward silence, addressing Himeko and March 7th.
“Take a look at this transmission from Herta Space Station first…
Prepare yourselves.
The situation might be more complicated than we thought.” “Herta Space Station?
Wasn’t that already decided as our next stop?” March 7th looked down at the public communication terminal Pom-Pom had placed on the coffee table, a little confused.
“You’ll see once you watch it.” Dan Heng leaned over slightly and hit the play button.
A hazy holographic projection rose from the spherical terminal’s summit— “Hi!
To all the Nameless aboard the Astral Express, I am the station master of Herta Space Station—Asta.” A projection of a girl with light pink, shoulder-length straight hair appeared before them, wearing a polite and cheerful smile.
She wore a neat, tailored station researcher coat over a white ruffed button-up shirt with a black ribbon bowtie.
Below, a fitted pleated skirt—black on the inside and purple on the outside—was trimmed with white lace, accentuating her smooth, slender legs.
Bright and beautiful, she was hard to look away from.
“Herta Space Station is currently under attack by the Antimatter Legion.
With our current armed forces, we cannot withstand the invasion.
I sincerely invite our allies to come to the station and assist us…” Ye Cang frowned as he stared at the girl’s sunny smile in the hologram.
No matter how he looked at it, this didn’t look like someone whose space station was being overrun by the Antimatter Legion.
“Why is she smiling so happily when her house is about to get destroyed?” As expected of the Express’s sharpest mouthpiece, March 7th voiced the exact thought in Ye Cang’s mind the moment she opened her mouth.
“Don’t rush.
Keep watching,” Welt lowered his hands, gesturing for March 7th to be patient.
“Oh,” March replied.
Ye Cang set aside his doubts and unease, focusing back on the recording— *Bzzzt—* The hologram flickered erratically.
The smiling girl in the frame suddenly warped and blurred.
In the next instant, a blood-soaked Asta appeared.
Her expensive, pristine clothes were torn to shreds, virtually drenched in crimson.
“It’s not just the Antimatter Legion…
The space station has been contaminated…
It’s…
some kind of unknown…
meme…” “Everything…
started…
when Madam Herta…
met with…
Nous…” “…Everyone is…” Finally, the girl’s bloodied figure blurred once more.
Only a series of shrill, desperate, yet resolute screams burst violently from the speakers, crashing like a sudden thunderclap— “DO NOT APPROACH!” “DO NOT ANSWER!” “STAY AWAY FROM HERE!
STAY AWAY FROM THIS STAR SYSTEM!” *Bzzzzt—* The transmission cut out abruptly.
An eerie silence fell over the car.
Everyone exchanged bewildered glances, the quiet broken only by the sound of their heavy breathing echoing through the dead space.
“Hoo…
hoo…” March 7th took a step back on instinct, clearly terrified by the imagery.
Off-balance, her back slammed right into Ye Cang’s chest.
“Ah, sorry!” March gasped and turned to apologize, but Ye Cang—who had snapped out of his shock—steadied her firmly by the shoulders.
“Careful.
I’m fine,” he reassured her softly.
Surprised, she turned her head, only to see the young man step past her.
He reached for the public terminal on the low table and looked up at the group.
“Can I watch that recording one more time?” “Oh?
Did you notice something?” Welt gave Ye Cang a deep look and raised a hand, signaling him to go ahead.
Ye Cang nodded, pressing the play button again.
“Something’s off.
I’m not sure yet.
Let me check.” When the hologram finished playing a second time, Ye Cang’s expression grew solemn as he slowly straightened his back.
“What did you find?” Dan Heng asked, looking at him sideways.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Ye Cang hesitated briefly before speaking in a low voice.
“It was white.” Dan Heng: “?” “The color of Asta’s panties,” Ye Cang grinned, giving a big thumbs-up.
“And those legs—they’re probably longer than my lifespan.” Dan Heng: “…” “You pervert!
Stop staring at people’s underwear!” March 7th launched a sneak attack from behind, kicking Ye Cang squarely in the back of his knee.
The blow nearly sent him tumbling to the floor.
“Hiss—March, you really don’t hold back, do you?” Ye Cang gasped.
The strength of a Pathstrider was truly no joke.
Barely keeping his balance, he leaned on Dan Heng’s shoulder for support and chuckled helplessly.
“I was just joking.
Everyone looked so tense, so I thought I’d lighten the mood.” “Besides, it was just a hologram!
How could anyone possibly see her underwear through that?”