To have the Aeon of Destruction, Nanook, board the Astral Express—that was something no one dared to imagine. But precisely because no one dared to imagine it, that is what trailblazing is!
"Where are we going?"
"To the Astral Express. Don't you want to meet Akivili?"
"But you said Akivili has fallen."
"Then why don't you become Akivili?"
"...?"
"Akivili is not a god. As long as you want to, as long as you have the courage to Trailblaze, then you can become Akivili."
"Become... Akivili?"
The youth's golden eyes widened, as if he had heard something utterly ridiculous.
"Yes." Aidan nodded as a matter of course. "What Akivili could do, why can't you? He was just a Trailblazer, only one who walked a little farther than others."
"Are you insane?"
The youth took a step back, looking at Aidan as if he were looking at a madman.
"How could I possibly become Him? I am... I am..."
He lowered his head, looking at his palm covered in golden cracks.
"I am a part of Destruction."
"So what? Isn't The Aeon of Elation also a Trailblazer? Even if he is one of the worst."
The youth's expression was hard to describe.
"Come onto the Astral Express, and I'll teach you how to play 'Three Kingdom' (a card game)." Aidan held up a finger and said.
"?"
Clearly, Nanook had no idea what 'Three Kingdom' was.
"...Fine then."
They set off, walking past scorched earth, dry riverbeds, and mountains made of ash.
They walked for a very, very long time, but there was no Astral Express, nor any Trailblazer.
"What do we do now?"
Nanook looked at Aidan.
"The Astral Express isn't coming."
"It's not coming..."
Aidan slowly nodded. "Then how about we build a train ourselves?"
"There's nothing here. Only ash, stones, and dead bugs. What can we use to build it?"
"Since Akivili's Astral Express isn't coming, we'll forge our own Path out. That is trailblazing." Aidan walked to a relatively flat piece of ground and drew a long line with his toe on the scorched black soil. "Come on, lend a hand. Let's move those large wreckage pieces over first."
Nanook remained rooted to the spot. The wind whipped scalding sand and gravel against his face, yet he seemed completely unaware.
"I don't believe you."
"It doesn't matter if you don't believe me. You don't have anything else to do right now, do you?"
"Over there."
Aidan followed his gaze—in the distance, a twisted metal frame was sticking out from a pile of scorched earth, looking like the remnants of something burned.
"Let's go!"
It was indeed the wreckage of a train. Although it was burned beyond recognition, its original shape could still be vaguely discerned.
Why was there a train car here?
"Can it be repaired?"
"I can't guarantee it, but I think repairing a train is similar to repairing a watch."
"Are you serious?"
"Hurry up, don't dawdle. If you want to meet Akivili, this is our only ticket."
The youth pouted, but still walked over and gripped the heavy metal plate, which was half his height, with both hands.
At this moment, Aidan was not purely following the Path of Destruction; he was in a special state.
Erudition and Destruction.
Without precision machinery or professional tools, all Aidan had was a stone, a few pieces of iron wire, and a mind filled with knowledge that surpassed the era.
Erudition revealed its powerful side at this moment.
Time trickled by, and the dark red sky gradually grew gloomier, as if it was about to press down.
"Done."
Aidan clapped his hands and stood up.
The wreckage of the train car still looked dilapidated, but inside, the crucial conduits had been reconnected, and the dormant heart was ready to awaken.
"Is that it? It doesn't look any different."
It was leaky.
"Appearance isn't important; the interior is what matters." Aidan sat on the tattered sofa.
"Are you ready?"
The youth didn't answer, only staring at the scorched earth outside the car.
"Then I'll take that as a yes."
And then—
Energy surged in.
The pipes inside the wreckage lit up with a faint light—the trace of illusory energy flowing. They spread along the Paths Aidan had reconnected, illuminating node after node, like stars lighting up sequentially in the darkness.
The youth suddenly turned his head.
The light was very faint, almost negligible against the backdrop of scorched earth and ash. But it was light.
It was light that hadn't appeared in this dead, silent world for a long time.
"Energy circulation established." Aidan opened his eyes. "Next... ignition."
The thruster spat out a faint flame.
Then, under his will, this broken carriage transformed into a real train!
Whoosh—
"I told you, what's needed most is the will to Trailblaze!"
Aidan smiled particularly happily.
The Astral Express shot straight into the sky.
The car vibrated violently, and the damaged outer shell creaked as it broke through the atmosphere, sounding as if it might fall apart the next second.
"It's going to shatter!" The youth gripped the window frame tightly. "Your junk car is going to break!"
"It won't break!" Aidan's voice was loud. "Trust me!"
Golden light converged at the front of the train, forming the sharp shape of a drill.
"Hold tight! We're about to impact!"
"Rumble—!!!"
The train plunged headfirst into the thick cloud layer.
The surroundings instantly turned pitch black, with only the sparks generated by the friction between the flashing lightning and the golden shield outside the window. The violent jolting made the car emit a grating, teeth-grinding sound, as if it would disintegrate at any moment.
"My drill can pierce the heavens!!!"
The golden light surged, forcefully tearing a rift in the dark clouds.
"Crack—"
It sounded like the shattering of some kind of barrier.
The next second, all the jolting, noise, and darkness vanished.
In their place was a star-filled sky so brilliant it rendered one speechless.
The train hovered above the clouds, like a small boat floating in a sea of light.
Nanook stared blankly at it all.
He reached out a hand and placed it on the cold window glass, seemingly trying to touch those distant stars.
Nanook turned his head and looked at Aidan.
This strange Trailblazer, this person who spoke mad words and did crazy things.
"Are you... really a Trailblazer?"
"The Genuine One." Aidan patted his chest. "Although I only boarded a few days ago, my trailblazing spirit is authentic."
Nanook was silent for a long time.
The golden light in his eyes was no longer the frenzy of wanting to destroy everything, but had transformed into something deeper and more restrained.
"...I understand."
He said softly.
"Understand what?"
"Akivili did not ab
andon us." Nanook looked at the sea of stars.
"Good that you understand. Take your ticket; starting today, you are a Trailblazer too."
"Okay."
But before Aidan could be happy, his vision went black, and he fainted.
— — —
"Aidan... Aidan..."
"Huh?!"
Aidan shot up from the bed.
"What's going on?"
"He's alive! He's alive!"
Alive? What situation was this?