"I'm quitting the band."
"Huh?"
Inside a clubroom of the high school building, the boy standing at the door, guitar on his back, said this to the four people behind him.
Hearing this, the members, who served as drummer, keyboardist, and bassist respectively, were all stunned.
One of the boys quickly ran up to the boy.
"Wait, wait, just wait a moment!"
He grabbed the boy.
"Bai Li, why so sudden? Didn't we say we'd be in a band for life?"
"When did I say such a thing?"
The boy named Bai Li looked over with a puzzled expression.
Hearing this, the boy quickly replied,
"It was just a week ago! When we participated in the school event, we all said something like that backstage, and I always thought we would keep that promise!"
"I only said I'd be a band member for a certain period, and the results have already been achieved, haven't they?"
Bai Li looked at the boy holding his right hand and gave a serious answer.
And... he whispered,
"The mission given by the system is also completed..."
"What did you say?"
"Nothing at all. In short, I'm quitting the band, because I have important things to do next."
"Before joining the band, I remember Bai Li was always in the Going Home Club. Why do you suddenly have important things to do? Could it be that we weren't good enough?"
The boy raised his voice.
The girl who was the keyboardist also took a step forward.
"If there's anything you're dissatisfied with, Bai Li, you can bring it up freely! We're willing to do anything!"
"That's right!"
The bassist also nodded repeatedly.
But Bai Li had no intention of staying any longer.
He broke free from the boy's grasp, his right hand on the clubroom doorknob.
"Thank you all for your care during this time. The matters I need to handle next are very important, so I cannot continue to be a band member."
"But... without you..."
The two boys and one girl all showed expressions of despair.
During the time they formed the band, Bai Li completed a lot of work as the acting club president.
Asking the student council for funds;
Discussing performances with the Live House people;
Negotiating stage time with the organizers of school events;
And also daily training and technical improvements.
In short, Bai Li became the core of this four-person band.
But now... he was quitting the band.
The remaining three stared at Bai Li in confusion, not knowing how to persuade him to stay.
After all, they had always followed Bai Li's arrangements before taking action.
Seeing their dejected appearance, Bai Li sighed.
As a former member, he offered advice,
"The school festival is coming soon, and that event is also very important. You can talk to people from the Light Music Club and the Wind Instrument Club to see if there are new programs and arrangements; regarding funding issues... go find the student council vice president, that person will help. Also, the practice venue has been rented until half a month from now, so you don't need to worry during this time."
"Ah, Bai Li still cares about us!"
"I'm quitting the band."
...!!
Bai Li emphasized it again.
After saying this, he opened the door in front of him.
Before leaving, he suddenly thought of something.
"Oh, one more reminder: if that girl named Chihaya Anon comes again asking to split club funds or something, never agree."
After giving the warning, Bai Li finally left the clubroom.
He came to the corridor, looking left and right.
This was the old school building, with hardly anyone around.
Most of the rooms had been converted into warehouses for storing things.
Like basketballs from the basketball club, various equipment from the track and field club, and so on.
Bai Li advanced along the corridor of the old school building.
After reaching the stairs leading to the rooftop, he climbed up them.
The door to the rooftop was not closed, because delinquent students would occasionally come up here to secretly light mosquito coils.
Thanks to this, extinguished cigarette butts and some adult books could be seen in the corner.
It was said that a fight had even occurred a few days ago.
Ignoring these things, Bai Li, who had arrived on the rooftop, looked around, and after confirming there were no outsiders, he let out a breath.
Immediately after, he looked at the void in front of him.
"Is it ready?"
[Activating.]
"Are you a computer?"
[System activation complete]
[System scan complete]
[Judgment: Primary unlock mission completed — sufficient faith obtained]
[Host can now officially activate this system]
[Would you like to activate it now?]
"Of course, otherwise what was my effort for these past few months? Usually, systems just activate directly, don't they? Why does this thing have prerequisites?"
[To test whether the host possesses the corresponding qualifications and talents.]
"So I'm not the first one?"
[You are the first.]
[It seems this system has successfully found a good candidate.]
"Stop talking nonsense, activate it."
[Understood.]
Bang—!!
The moment the system replied, Bai Li's surroundings shook violently as if bombed.
Everything in his vision began to dissolve and collapse.
When they reassembled, Bai Li found that he had already left the rooftop of the old school building.
He was now on... the Astral Express?!
Recalling the game he played before transmigrating, Bai Li still had some impressions.
The so-called Astral Express was actually a tool created by the pioneer Akivili, used to carry him and the Nameless to travel between stars.
It was rumored that there was more than one such vehicle...
From this perspective—
"This Astral Express is completely different from the one in the game."
Baili stood in the main hall of the train, involuntarily looking around.
The first thing that caught his eye was the infinitely extending sense of space.
The ceiling was no longer adorned with traditional crystal chandeliers, but instead, countless tiny specks of light floated.
They twinkled like stars in the night sky, occasionally forming brief yet dazzling constellation patterns.
The floor was made of a translucent material, with a faint glow flowing beneath it, as if it were a river of energy.
The surrounding walls were inlaid with complex runes that seemed to constantly change shape, sometimes appearing as if torn open by sharp claws.
"Is this what you, System, created…?"
"To be precise, it was acquired by this system for you."
"Meaning… this is Akivili's creation?"
"To be precise: it used to be."
"…"
The silent Baili continued to move forward.
He soon arrived at the observation car.
This was where the train's uniqueness was most evident.
The massive observation windows were no longer just tools for displaying external beauty, but had transformed into living images.
Through these windows, Baili saw not only scenes from the real world… but also… exotic landscapes from parallel universes or dreams.
Sometimes, a forest burning with flames would appear;
Other times, it was a city ruin covered in ice and snow;
Or perhaps, a red-haired girl running amidst a horde of demons.
However, as soon as Baili tried to look closer, all of it would be swallowed by a distorted darkness.
"Are you satisfied with all of this, Host?"
"Rather than satisfied, I'm more bewildered; I've completed the prerequisite mission, so what exactly is this system you've activated…?"
"I hope you can perfectly master everything you currently possess."
"So how did you get your hands on this Astral Express?"
"For the great chaos star god, this system merely found a well-preserved mode of transportation at the end of the Sea of Pioneering."
"…" "What did you say?"
"It's just a mode of transportation."
"The first part."
"Star god?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Who?"
"You."
"Me?"
"Mm…"
A brief conversation, a wealth of information.
Baili, who had left the band and completed the prerequisite mission, suddenly became the chaos star god, as the system called him!?
— —