Into the Cosmos (Star Rail SI, Chaos Gacha) (Patreon)

Chapter 9: A Place on the Express

I watched silently as Welt paled for a brief moment before he regained control of himself and returned to his usual composed demeanor.

Though now, he was looking at me with a strange expression, like he didn’t quite know what to make of me anymore.

As I struggled to keep from laughing and breaking character, my attention was suddenly drawn to a few notifications appearing in my vision.

That didn’t go unnoticed.

“What is it, Caelus?” Himeko asked gently.

[Feat Achieved! Revealed your origins and the Chaos Gacha to others.]

[+1 Platinum Random Ticket.]

[Feat Achieved! Managed to successfully troll Welt at the possibility of being a version of Kevin Kaslana.]

[+1 Gold Random Ticket.]

[Feat Achieved! Annoyed Silver Wolf by ignoring her messages.]

[+1 Bronze Random Ticket.]

“It seems the system just rewarded me with three new tickets for sharing all of that with you,” I explained.

Seeing no reason to hide it now that they already knew about the system, I rolled them immediately.

[Rolling Tickets…]

[1 UP]

|Legendary Item|

Mario - A Green, odd-looking mushroom that, when consumed, will grant the user an extra life, where they will instantly return to life upon the moment of their death at maximum health.

[Boost]

|Elite Ability|

Allows you to increase the rating of a targeted ability by a full stage as long as they are below Legendary in rating.

[Ice Spike]

|Uncommon Ability|

Allows the user to conjure and launch ice spikes or make the spikes of ice erupt from the ground. The more energy they expend, the stronger and larger the icicles.

As I silently read through the descriptions, my attention remained locked entirely onto the first item. The first Legendary item I had received.

Something that, on paper, completely solved my biggest problem of my limited lifespan.

And yet…

A bitter smile crept onto my face.

Then I laughed.

“Hehe… haha… hahahaha…”

“W-What is it, Caelus? What did you get!?” March grabbed my sleeve and shook it slightly. “Don’t keep us in suspense! Why are you laughing like that!?”

Calming down, I looked around the Parlor Car.

Everyone was watching me with concern, March most of all.

“It seems whoever gave me this system has a pretty dark sense of humor,” I said with a bitter smile.

That only confused them further.

“I just obtained something that technically solves my curse.”

March and Pom-Pom immediately lit up with hopeful expressions.

The others didn’t.

They could already tell there was a catch.

“Hmm… judging by your expression,” Himeko said softly, “I take it whatever you received comes with a downside?”

Turning to the beautiful redhead, I nodded.

My bitter smile didn’t fade.

“Yeah,” I admitted. “I just got an item that grants me an extra life when consumed.”

“If I die, I come back instantly at full health.”

Himeko, Welt, and Dan Heng understood immediately.

March and Pom-Pom… took a second longer.

Himeko closed her eyes and gently reached for my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“I see,” Dan Heng said quietly, closing his eyes as well. “So while you are no longer at risk of permanent death…”

“You would still have to endure the progression of your curse… all the way up to your final moments.”

He let out a small breath.

“A cruel sense of humor indeed.”

“That jerk!” March suddenly burst out, clenching her fists in anger. “Whoever, or whatever, did this to you!”

“Do they seriously find enjoyment in your suffering!?”

“I guess it doesn’t really matter in the end. And I did just get my hands on an item that literally grants me an extra life, so I should be happy about that,” I said, shaking my head as the bitter smile finally faded from my face.

In the back of my mind, and I had no doubt the others had thought about it too, if it really came down to it and I didn’t find a cure in time…

I could always end it myself.

Or deliberately take a lethal hit.

The only problem was whether I could ever bring myself to actually do it.

Almost as if sensing where my thoughts were heading, Himeko’s grip on my hand tightened.

I turned toward her.

She was looking at me sternly.

“There’s still time, Caelus. Don’t give up hope,” Himeko said gently, not releasing my hand until I gave her a small nod.

“That’s right!” Pom-Pom chimed in, their tiny paws clenched as they looked at me with surprising seriousness. “You’re a Nameless now. We just have to keep moving forward! I’m sure all of this will become a fond memory someday.”

“Pom-Pom’s right!” March added quickly, her expression full of determination. “There’s got to be some amazing doctor or healer out there in the universe who can get rid of that curse. So don’t lose faith, Caelus!”

“Thanks, everyone…” I said with a small, genuine smile.

Letting out a breath, I pushed those darker thoughts aside and refocused.

“Anyway, getting back on track… that’s everything I wanted to share with you all.”

“Do you have any questions?”

A brief silence followed.

Then, somewhat surprisingly, Welt was the first to speak.

“Thank you for sharing your past with us, Caelus,” he said calmly.

Then his gaze sharpened slightly.

“Based on everything you’ve told us, and please don’t take this the wrong way…”

“…who exactly are you?”

“Are you Caelus, the one who grew up somewhere on this universe? The one from Earth?”

“Or someone else entirely?”

That question earned a few surprised looks from the others.

March even looked a little offended on my behalf, but before she could say anything, I spoke up.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Yang. No offense taken,” I said with a small smile before turning thoughtful.

“As for your question…”

I fell silent, closing my eyes.

In that brief moment, I sifted through both sets of memories, my life on Earth… and whatever fragments remained of this body’s past.

When I opened my eyes again, I had my answer.

“I’m neither the person who grew up on Earth… nor the Caelus who originally lived in this universe.”

“My belief has always been that memories make the person.”

“And since I carry two different sets… I can’t truly be either one anymore.”

I let out a small breath before smiling faintly.

“I’m a combination of both.”

“So… please continue to call me Caelus from now on.”

My answer earned a small, approving look from Welt, along with a quiet nod.

Glancing around the room, I noticed no one else seemed to have any more questions and raised an eyebrow slightly.

Seeing my expression, Himeko smiled and shook her head.

“It’s not that we aren’t curious, Caelus. A lot has been said today,” she said gently. “I think I speak for everyone when I say we need some time to process it all.”

The others nodded in agreement.

“I see…” I murmured, nodding slowly.

Then my gaze dropped to my lap, and a nervous expression crept onto my face.

“With everything I’ve shared… am I still welcome here?”

The question slipped out more quietly than I intended.

“I’d understand if my story makes some of you uncomfortable. I might be dangerous, after all. If that’s the case, I can always teleport back to Herta’s space station and find another pla—”

My rambling was abruptly cut off by a soft hand covering my mouth.

Blinking in surprise, I looked up to see March glaring at me, hurt clearly visible in her pink and blue eyes.

“What kind of nonsense are you talking about?” she snapped, her voice trembling with emotion. “We’re friends, aren’t we!? Do you really think so little of us that we’d abandon you just because some powerful psycho has it out for you!?”

Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes as she grabbed my jacket and shook me slightly.

All I could do was shake my head in apology.

“Fufufu… I think March just spoke for all of us,” Himeko said, covering her mouth lightly as she watched the scene with a fond smile.

Looking around the Parlor Car, I saw the others smiling at me, small, reassuring expressions.

Even Dan Heng.

That alone said enough.

A mix of guilt and warmth filled my chest.

Gently taking March’s hand, I moved it away from my mouth before bowing my head to everyone.

“Thank you… all of you.”

They responded with nods and smiles.

March, on the other hand, just huffed and turned her head away, still clearly a little annoyed.

I made a silent promise to myself to do something nice for her later. Maybe putting my Master Cooking skill to the test and making her some tasty snacks will get her to forgive me.

“Now then,” Himeko said, smoothly guiding the conversation forward, “I think everyone deserves some rest. We’ll set course for our next destination once everyone has had time to recover from the events on Herta’s Space Station.”

“Oh! I still haven’t given you a tour of the Express!” March perked up immediately, her mood bouncing back in an instant. “And you need a room too! Oh, wait, you definitely need a room!”

She began rambling excitedly again, drawing quiet chuckles from the rest of us.

“Whenever you’re ready, Pom-Pom will show you where you’ll be staying from now on,” Himeko added. “Though you’ll need to speak with Pom-Pom about funding for any renovations.”

“That’s right!” Pom-Pom nodded enthusiastically. “And we still need to do your initiation!”

“Oh, right! I forgot about that,” March said sheepishly, scratching the back of her head. “It’s been a while since someone new joined.”

“It’s a tradition!” Pom-Pom declared proudly. “Now everyone, let’s begin~”

With smiles all around, they guided me to the center of the Parlor Car.

Pom-Pom asked once more if I wished to join the Nameless, and after confirming, I was asked to recite the Trailblazer Creed, something I had completely forgotten existed.

A few minutes later…

It was done.

I was officially one of the Nameless.

A small but genuine smile found its way onto my face as the others congratulated me.

“Alright, you and March can go run along now,” Pom-Pom said with a satisfied nod. “When you’re ready, come find Pom-Pom in the second floor of the Party Car.”

Before I could properly thank them again, I felt my wrist suddenly get grabbed.

“Come on!” March said, already dragging me away.

I barely had time to turn and wave at the others, who were watching us with amused expressions, before being whisked off.

=====

Several Hours Later

True to my word, as March showed me around the Astral Express, we eventually stopped for a snack in the Parlor Car, where I finally decided to put my skills to the test.

With my Master Cooking trait guiding me, I prepared an assortment of snacks for March.

The results were… amazing to say the least.

She completely fell in love with them.

So much so that she ended up embarrassing herself with the happy little sounds, mostly erotic moans, she made while eating.

Naturally, I made sure to memorize that moment for future use with the use of my Sharingan.

Though judging by the icy glare she sent my way afterward, I had no choice but to promise to keep it a secret.

…For now.

After that, we continued our tour, exploring the rest of the train until we finally arrived at what would become my room.

Which was currently a storage room.

Looking around the surprisingly spacious area with March and Pom-Pom beside me, I let out a low whistle.

At least I’ll have plenty of room… especially if Virgo decides to stay the night sometimes or doesn’t want to go back to wherever Familiars come from.

“It’s a little dirty, but then again, all of our rooms were like this at the beginning,” March said, hands on her hips as she looked around. “At least you got the biggest room out of all of us.”

“Now that you are part of the Nameless, you will be given a budget to decorate your room,” Pom-Pom explained calmly.

Then they shot a pointed glare at March.

“Though please keep in mind that, thanks to someone, the budget will be limited.”

“But I needed all my things!” March protested immediately, completely unrepentant. “Carpets, pillows, curtains, Pom-Pom plushies are life~!”

“Do you really need twenty pillows?” Pom-Pom asked flatly.

“Of course~ How else am I supposed to have pillow fights?” March replied without a hint of guilt.

“...Haah.” Pom-Pom sighed before turning back to me. “Moving on. We will help you clean this place up, and Pom-Pom will provide enough funds for a proper bed.”

“After that, you will need to complete chores like everyone else if you want additional funds.”

“Of course, Pom-Pom. I’ll make sure to help out,” I said with a nod. “I’ve never been a freeloader before and I won’t start now.”

I paused for a moment, a thought crossing my mind.

This would actually be the perfect opportunity to introduce Virgo and at the same time freaking out March and Pom-Pom.

“What is it, Caelus?” March narrowed her eyes at me. “I know that look. You’re up to something.”

Blinking, I tilted my head innocently.

“Wow~ You already know my expressions, March? But we’ve only known each other for, what, half a day?” I said in mock surprise before a teasing smile crept onto my face.

March immediately caught on.

“Does that mean you’ve been paying really close attention to me~?” I added, stepping closer and pulling her into a side hug. “Aww, I didn’t know you cared so much. I’m flattered.”

“S-Shut up! Stop teasing me!” March shot back, her cheeks turning red as she pulled away with a huff. “I’m just that amazing, okay? You should be thanking me!”

I laughed at her weak excuse.

Unfortunately, Pom-Pom quickly cut in.

“Ahem. Could we please focus? We have a lot of work ahead of us,” Pom-Pom said sternly.

“Actually,” I said, straightening up, “this is the perfect opportunity to show you both another ability I got earlier. It’ll really help with cleaning.”

“Hmm? What is it?” March asked curiously. “Did you get, like, a robot? Or an automatic vacuum cleaner or something?”

Grinning, I reached out through my connection—

—and called her.

A brief flash of light filled the room.

March and Pom-Pom gasped.

Standing before me now was a beautiful pink-haired girl dressed in a maid outfit, which contrasted heavily with the thick black chains and cuffs adorning her wrists.

With graceful precision, she performed a proper curtsy.

“Greetings, Master,” she said softly, her posture demure, eyes closed. “My name is Virgo, a Celestial Spirit now bound eternally to you.”

“How may I serve you?”

“Welcome, Virgo. Please call me Caelus from now on,” I said with a calm smile, as if I hadn’t just summoned someone across time and space.

“Caelus-sama, then.” Virgo nodded in understanding as she straightened from her curtsy.

Her gaze wandered curiously around the room before settling on the still-frozen March and Pom-Pom. She tilted her head slightly, especially focusing on Pom-Pom and its big ears.

“As you can see, we could really use your help cleaning this place up,” I continued, gesturing toward the cluttered shelves and boxes. “This will be my room from now on.”

“Understood,” Virgo replied immediately with her expression remaining mostly blank.

Then, without changing her expression, she added—

“Will I be punished if I do a good job?”

She looked at me silently and expectantly, her blue eyes almost shining.

I deadpanned.

‘…Seriously?’

She had said that so casually, in front of everyone.

And now she was staring at me like a puppy waiting for praise from its owner.

Damn it… couldn’t this masochist maid wait until we were alone to ask me that?

I narrowed my eyes at her in annoyance.

Which, of course, only seemed to make her even more excited. The shameless girl even started squirming in place as she rubbed her thighs together.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could feel it—

March’s gaze.

Her expression changed several times since her fellow pinkette appeared. First looking shocked at her sudden appearance, then looking at her weirdly for her comments to finally deadpanning at her for her actions.

And now her gaze had focused on me with a raised eyebrow that clearly said:

Care to explain?

I sighed internally. The positive impression I had on March had no doubt took a dive because of this.

Yep.

This idiot maid is definitely getting punished later.