After leveling up, Nolan continued his intimate cultivation with Arlecchino for a while longer. After taking a shower, he teleported to Herta Space Station.
Today was the agreed day to take the Astral Express crew to "Trailblaze" Teyvat, so he couldn't keep them waiting.
Leaving his room, Nolan took the space elevator down to the Supply Zone.
From the platform, he could see the Astral Express still parked there. The platform was large enough that even if it remained docked, it wouldn't significantly affect other spacecraft coming and going.
He slowly walked toward the train and took out his phone to send a message to Himeko, saying that he had arrived and asking her to open the door.
Very soon, Himeko replied with an emoji indicating she had received the message.
Standing before the train carriage door, Nolan waited for a moment before it opened with a soft hiss.
Dressed in a white slit evening gown that revealed a glimpse of her fair legs, Himeko appeared behind the door. She looked at Nolan with a gentle smile and said:
"Welcome to the Astral Express. Please, come in."
"You're too kind, Miss Himeko!"
Nolan stepped inside. From the outside, the carriage already looked spacious, but once inside, he found the interior truly quite expansive.
After entering, he glanced to the right and saw a corridor furnished with tables and chairs. When work became tiring, they could sit there and relax for a while.
When traveling through space, they could even enjoy the beautiful cosmic scenery through the windows.
To the left of the corridor were several rooms, presumably where Himeko and the others lived. Though… with only a few rooms in one carriage, it didn't seem like it could house many people.
Perhaps the carriages further back had more rooms, Nolan speculated inwardly.
"Come with me to the Observation Car. The others are all there," Himeko said as she opened the door leading to the Observation Car and guided Nolan inside.
The Observation Car looked even more spacious. Long red sofas lined both sides, and the enormous windows provided a breathtaking panoramic view of the outside scenery.
Near the sofas were several potted plants, as well as a radio and a phonograph, adding a cozy atmosphere.
"You're finally here! Hehe, this young lady is all ready — hurry and take us over!"
Seeing Himeko enter with Nolan, March 7th, who had been standing between the two sofas, immediately ran over with a bright smile.
"Of course, no problem. In a moment, I'll open a spatial rift in front of the train's engine. You can simply drive the train straight through."
Nolan nodded. He had already thought through how to bring the Astral Express crew to Teyvat.
After all, Teyvat's coordinates in the universe were still unclear — normal warp travel wasn't possible.
"Alright! I'll go tell Pom-Pom right now and get ready to start the train!" the lively and adorable March 7th said excitedly.
"Pom-Pom?" Nolan showed a puzzled expression. Could that be a crew member he hadn't met yet?
"Passenger March 7th, no need to look for me, pa! I'm already here, pa!"
Just then, a short creature dressed in a red coat and tall hat walked over — gray and rabbit-like in appearance.
"Uh… you must be Pom-Pom?" Nolan asked curiously.
"That's right! I am Pom-Pom, the conductor of this train, pa!" the rabbit-like creature named Pom-Pom declared proudly, puffing out its chest.
"I see. Pleased to meet you, Mr. Conductor!"
Although he was slightly surprised that the Astral Express's conductor was a rabbit-like creature, Nolan quickly accepted it with a smile.
But Nolan understood that in a universe so vast, all kinds of strange beings could exist, so he wasn't particularly surprised.
"I've already heard about you from everyone else, Nolan. Welcome — new passenger of the Astral Express."
Pom-Pom, wearing a tall red hat, nodded and officially welcomed him.
"Hehe, looks like even Pom-Pom approves of you. That means you're now officially a member of the crew," said Welt with a smile from the sofa.
"Oh? I wasn't already?" Nolan looked at him in surprise.
"The Express values equality. Naturally, you must be acknowledged by everyone before you're considered an official member. It's mainly to prevent internal conflicts," Welt explained.
"That makes sense." Nolan nodded in agreement.
The Astral Express traveled alone through the universe. If the crew weren't united, their "Trailblazing" journey would hardly be pleasant.
If some accident were to occur — say, an argument breaking out mid-journey that escalated into a fight—
—and they accidentally damaged the train, it wouldn't be impossible for them to perish unnoticed in the vast, silent cosmos.
"Passenger Nolan, the train is ready. You may open the spatial rift at any time, pa," Pom-Pom said in his distinctive speech pattern.
"Alright, please wait a moment."
Nolan stepped off the train and walked to the front of the engine. March 7th and Welt followed curiously, wanting to see how he would do it.
First, he summoned a Sword God of Lumine, then had her teleport back to Teyvat and open a spatial rift leading to the Void Star Sea from that side.
Then, standing at the space station, Nolan also opened a spatial rift connecting to the Void Star Sea. From outside, one could already see the scenery of Teyvat on the other end.
It was a long stretch of beach — specifically Guyun Stone Forest in Liyue. The area was sparsely populated, so even if a train suddenly appeared, it wouldn't draw much attention.
"Wow! You really do have some skills!" March 7th exclaimed. "Can we just run through from here? We won't get lost in some spatial rift or anything, right?"
Looking at the sandy shore and ocean beyond, the pink-haired girl's eyes sparkled with excitement, clearly eager to go.
"Of course not," Nolan replied with a smile. Then he turned to the middle-aged man with black-rimmed glasses. "Mr. Welt, shall we go together?"
"Walking through a spatial rift is a rare experience. Naturally, I wouldn't want to miss it."
Welt adjusted his glasses. The lenses reflected faintly, and he genuinely seemed interested.
"Hehe, then we'll lead the way for the train!"
With that, March 7th stepped forward, her short boots tapping against the ground as she headed toward the rift.
Just as Nolan and Welt were about to follow, a sharp, piercing alarm blared from the loudspeakers scattered throughout the space station:
"Warning! Warning! Traces of the Antimatter Legion detected 200 kilometers from the space station. Trajectory indicates approach toward Herta Space Station. Invasion probability: 97%. All departments prepare for defensive response. Non-essential personnel, proceed to the Master Control Zone for shelter!"
"Warning! Warning!"
The announcement looped repeatedly. People on the platform began to stir in panic, rushing toward the space elevator.
Nolan and the others stopped in surprise and exchanged glances. March 7th nervously looked at him and said:
"W-What's going on? It's not because of the spatial rift you opened, right? Did the station detect some fluctuation and misunderstand it?"
"How could that be? The broadcast clearly said two hundred kilometers away," Nolan dismissed her imaginative speculation.
At the same time, he quickly extended his spiritual sense outward to investigate the situation in detail.
(End of Chapter)
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