Chapter 23 - A Hidden Ending on the Astral Express?

Chapter 23: A Hidden Ending on the Astral Express?

Walter’s Mysterious Past

“[The composed and steady former leader of Anti-Entropy, inheritor of the name ‘World,’ and a man who has saved the world from destruction countless times.]”

Reading Walter’s

in-game character description

,

Himeko

couldn’t help but smile.

Turning to the man beside her, she teased—

“Walter, who knew you had

so many stories

hidden away?”

“A former

leader

? Saving the world multiple times…? Such a fantastical past, and yet you never told us about it?”

Walter’s Unease

Walter’s expression grew

slightly unnatural

.

On one hand—

Having his

past suddenly exposed

left him at a loss for words.

On the other hand—

This game…

How did it know all of this?

These were

memories he had never shared with anyone.

Not even his closest companions on the Astral Express.

And yet—

The game’s developer seemed to know his past in great detail.

If there was one person in this vast universe who could

understand both him and the Astral Express crew

so thoroughly—

Only

one name

came to mind.

The

blond-haired man who disembarked early.

An Unlikely Answer?

“If it’s him… then maybe he really

could

create a game like this.”

But something

still felt off

to Walter.

It wasn’t a

rational

feeling, but rather—

An instinctive sense of wrongness.

Simply put—

The ‘art style’ didn’t match.

If

that person

had made a game, it

definitely wouldn’t look like this.

“So then… who else could it be?”

“Well, I suppose we’ll find out if we keep playing. Let’s see what other information this game reveals.”

Deciding to

shift the conversation

, Walter spoke up—

“That last scene—Nanook, the Star God of Destruction,

glanced at the Trailblazer, didn’t he?

”

Himeko nodded.

“That’s what it looks like. And it aligns with what we suspected before.”

“That kid is… different.”

“Yeah. And now, I’m at the point in the game where I have to choose whether or not to let her board the train.”

Himeko held up her phone, smiling.

“I’m curious… if she had

chosen to stay at the space station

, what would’ve happened?”

“In reality, that choice

was never an option

. But in this game… maybe it is.”

A Hidden Path

Walter found himself

intrigued

as well.

With

Herta’s and Asta’s approval

, Himeko

chose to leave the Trailblazer behind.

“Goodbye, Miss Himeko.”

On-screen, Himeko, Walter, Dan Heng, and March 7th

prepared to board the train and depart

, leaving the Trailblazer behind.

As the train’s whistle sounded, a subtitle appeared—

“[After careful consideration, you choose to decline Himeko’s invitation. The Astral Express is about to depart, and your traveling companions wave farewell. Departures, much like meetings, are both sudden and certain.]”

A Shocking Revelation

“Wait… that was an

actual ending

?”

Both Himeko and Walter were

taken aback.

But the

next scene

left them

completely speechless.

“[After the Astral Express departs, the space station begins its reconstruction. You, alongside Herta, study the Stellaron. However, Herta soon loses interest in both you and the Stellaron. Under Asta’s guidance, you become an ordinary station crew member.]”

“[At the Herta Space Station, you live out a quiet, uneventful life. The Astral Express returns several times, but never again for you. From passing travelers, you hear of the legendary clash between the Astral Express and the Stellaron Hunters—an event that shook the universe.]”

“[Sometimes, you wonder—if you had stepped aboard the train, would their fate have been different?]”

“[But… that no longer concerns you.]”

A Life Untraveled

Himeko and Walter exchanged

stunned glances.

Neither of them had expected…

An

entire alternate future

to unfold before them.

For the

journey to truly end

at that moment.

With just

a few lines of text

, the game had perfectly captured the

weight of missed opportunities

and the passage of time.

A Moment of Reflection

If life could be lived again…

Both of them found themselves

lost in thought.

Living

peacefully

as an ordinary worker on the space station—

Was that really such a bad ending?

Even for

them

, the weight of this alternative timeline left their emotions

stirred.

The Unseen Future

But that last line—

“The legendary clash between the Astral Express and the Stellaron Hunters…”

What

exactly

was going to happen in the future?

As they gazed out the window at the endless

sea of stars

, lost in thought—

A Sudden Twist—The Credits Roll!

[Starring: The Trailblazer]

[Featuring: Dan Heng as Dan Heng]

[??? as March 7th]

[Himeko as Himeko]

[Achim Nokianvitanen as Walter]

Confusion and Shock!

Himeko’s eyes

widened in disbelief.

Walter, on the other hand—

Felt a

chill run down his spine.

The names made

sense

—

Except for

one.

March 7th’s name was replaced with three question marks.

Did that mean…

The

March 7th they knew… wasn’t really March 7th?!

The thought was

deeply unsettling.

Walter’s Hidden Identity Exposed!

But what shook Walter the

most

—

Was his

own name.

Not

Walter Yang

, but—

Achim Nokianvitanen.

That was his

original

name.

Before he had inherited the name

Walter

and the

Herrscher core

—

Before he had taken his

mother’s surname

.

Before he had become the

new Herrscher of Reason

.

This was a secret

he had buried deeper than anything else.

How Did the Developer Know?!

Walter felt a cold sweat forming.

His

voice

was hoarse as he turned to Himeko—

“Himeko… I think we need to

investigate

this developer.”

“They

know too much.

”

Himeko, still staring at the screen,

slowly nodded.

“You’re right. I’m looking into it

right now.

“