Chương 4: Chapter 4: Imaginary power
"Now that you have decided to join us, I'm sure you have some questions of your own since you're new to this world. You can ask anything that's on your mind," Himeko said with a courteous smile.
"Well, I have none at the moment, but I am certain that as we venture, I will have inquiries. I hope you will answer them when the time comes."
"You're always welcome to. Ah, right—do you have a beacon?"
"A beacon?" A strange word entered Gestalt's vocabulary.
"It's these little rectangle things; they have many functions, like communicating from afar." Himeko held out her beacon (phone), and Gestalt lifted one side of his blindfold to observe.
"Hmm, this body may possess one. One moment." Gestalt searched his pockets and retrieved a broken beacon, clearly beyond repair, most likely damaged from the battles he had fought in.
"It seems it is unable to function like yours, unfortunately." Gestalt placed the broken beacon on the table.
"That's fine, we can provide a new one. They're mass-produced and cheap to buy."
"I thank you. And if it is not a burden, I would also like to acquire some clothes meant for combat, rather than these... garments." Gestalt showed his battered lab coat and the scraped clothing, damaged during the attack by the Anti-Matter Legion.
"You're right. I'll order some durable clothes for you."
"That will be much appreciated."
"And also, I'll inform Herta about your situation. She's your... or rather, your body's previous employer. If you don't mind, that is."
"I see no problem with that. Do as you like." Gestalt continued sipping his tea and nibbling on the cookies.
Not having much to do, Gestalt stayed in the lounge cabin, occasionally chatting with the little bipedal bunny named Pom-Pom, while Himeko and Welt retrieved some items from the train to send over to the space station.
Not long after, the sound of the door sliding open and three sets of footsteps could be heard.
"Ah, it's the old man!" March's energetic voice resonated across the room.
"March, it's rude to call him that," Dan Heng, who was more considerate, lectured her.
"Haha, no need to lecture her, Dan Heng. I am indeed old." The sight of a man in his 20s admitting he was old was an odd scene.
"Right, I haven't asked—what's your name? My name is March 7th!" March, with joyful footsteps, sat beside Gestalt.
"Our young hero is named March 7th, hmm? The name is Gestalt, a humble wandering old soul, and your new companion from now on."
"Gestalt, why did you wrap your sword?" March asked, looking at the sword lying beside him.
"Ah, well, I simply do so to spare innocent eyes from its ugly appearance. That fact alone gives me peace of mind."
"Ugly? I thought it was cool! Every slash leaves an awesome-looking trail behind it! It was like special effects from a movie."
"Hahaha, oh, what lovely words. Indeed, if you think it's cool, then I will consider it cool." Gestalt patted March's head with a serene smile.
"Hey! You're going to mess up my hair." March escaped his reach and started fixing her hair.
"I'm sorry for my companion. She can be a little... lively," Dan Heng apologized.
"No need to worry. It reminds me of my younger years. A lively and adventurous spirit is always needed on every journey." His serene smile said it all. "And Dan Heng, I thank you from the depths of my soul for handing me this item. Without it, I would still be imprisoned within myself. Truly, I am grateful."
"No need to thank me. I think anyone would have done the same thing in that situation."
"Not everyone has a virtuous heart. You had every freedom to ignore my dying body or even take my sword, yet you did not.
I wish I possessed something to offer you in return, but all I have is this body and this sword. I had hoped I had a flute to play a song from my homeland as a small gesture of thanks." Gestalt extended his hand, imagining the old flute he always carried around.
Suddenly, a familiar item materialized in his hand.
"What! How did you do that?" March, who had watched as the flute appeared out of thin air, was surprised.
Just then, the door to the lounge cabin opened again as two more sets of footsteps entered.
Welt was carrying a package with an IPC logo on the side while Himeko chatted idly with him.
"Oh? I see you can harness the Imaginary element," Welt observed, instantly recognizing the energy that formed the flute.
"Imaginary element? I see... conjuring something out of nothing. How... magical." Gestalt was surprised at first but quickly accepted it. He had died countless times and lived through many ages; there was little left that could surprise him.
Gestalt brought the flute to his mouth and tested every note, investigating whether it was indeed his self-made flute. Then, he turned to everyone.
"Young ones, would you like to hear a song from my homeland?" Gestalt vividly remembered playing this song several times to calm the frenzied thoughts in his mind. However, his mind soon became too unstable, and his hands too unsteady, to hold the flute correctly. "Though it may not be magnificent, it can calm a mind in turmoil."
"Oooh, let's hear it!" March eagerly accepted the offer, her excitement lighting up the room.
"I don't mind," Caelus, who had been silently watching, finally spoke up, showing his interest.
Gestalt turned toward Dan Heng, seeking his final approval.
"...Sure," Dan Heng agreed at last, figuring a little music wouldn't hurt and might even ease the lingering sense of 'debt' Gestalt felt toward him.
Welt and Himeko, overhearing the conversation, quietly joined in, not minding a peaceful performance during the train ride.
With a gentle smile of relief, Gestalt lifted the flute to his lips and began playing. He recalled the name of the piece: 'The Wind of Autumn Blows as the Leaves Hug the Earth in Silence.'
Soft, low notes resounded across the entire train as his expert hands guided the flute. The melody was calming, its tones delicate and soothing. The entire crew felt their muscles relax as they closed their eyes, surrendering to the tranquil atmosphere.
Gestalt, in his mind, imagined sitting on the porch of his home, an autumn breeze blowing as leaves from the tree he had planted slowly fell into his zen garden. It was a moment of perfect peace, one that no one had shared with him—until now.
As the music flowed, something strange yet beautiful occurred. A warm breeze, gentle like the one Gestalt envisioned, seemed to sweep through the train.
"Hm?" Welt was the first to notice. He glanced around, initially thinking March had fiddled with the temperature controls, but soon realized the warmth came from Gestalt's Imaginary element. Feeling no harm in it, he allowed himself to be absorbed back into the music.
Soon, the surroundings began to change subtly. The lounge cabin of the Astral Express transformed into an old Japanese house. They all found themselves seated on a porch overlooking a serene zen garden, complete with a golden-yellow tree shedding its autumn leaves.
"Whoa…" March opened her eyes in amazement, stunned by the vivid, dream-like scene before them.
Dan Heng, though usually composed, was equally surprised. This was no ordinary performance; Gestalt's control over the Imaginary element had fully transformed their surroundings into his memories.
As the notes reached their crescendo, the wind scattered the fallen leaves into a gentle, swirling dance, filling the air with warmth and nostalgia. Gestalt took a deep breath, recognizing the scent of his homeland.
In an emotional surge, he lifted his blindfold, hoping it wasn't an illusion. His house, the one he cherished and had dreamed of so many times, stood before him.
A tear escaped his eye, followed by many more as the floodgates of his long-suppressed emotions opened wide. The sight of his old home overwhelmed him, and for the first time in a long while, Gestalt allowed himself to cry freely.
March and Caelus, concerned, stood up to offer comfort, but Welt gently raised his hand to stop them. "Don't bother him, March. Let him take it in."
They hesitated but eventually sat back down, watching the old soul process the emotional reunion with his past.
After several minutes, Gestalt slowly calmed, his eyes drawn toward a small shrine nestled among the trees in the garden. There, standing by the shrine, was a silver-haired woman in a white kimono, her warm smile as vivid as the day he had last seen her.
He tried to speak, but no words came. Yet, his lips moved ever so slightly: Thank you. In response, the woman waved gently, her smile lingering as the vision began to fade.
As the last of the autumn leaves vanished, the crew found themselves back in the familiar lounge cabin of the Astral Express.
"Wh-Whoa! What was that?" March exclaimed, her curiosity burning.
Gestalt, now calm, wiped his tears and replaced his blindfold, turning toward her with a serene smile. "That was my old home, where I truly lived and died in peace. I made many memories there."
"Your power over the Imaginary element is very strong," Welt noted thoughtfully. "Strong enough to affect the surroundings at will."
Gestalt chuckled softly. "Many used to say my ability to imagine was quite strong in those days. It seems that has not changed."
"No matter what it was, that was an amazing piece, I was a bit tempted to record it and play it whenever I feel like it." Welt commented before putting the IPC package on the table " And also the delivery just arrived, inside you will find a beacon you can use along with comfortable and durable clothing, we didn't know what your clothing preference so we decided to buy several sets of clothing in the style of Xianzhou."
"My bias over clothes has diminished as my journey forced me to adopt preferences to all styles of clothing." Gestalt lifted one side of his blindfold and opened the box in front of him.
Inside he found a rectangle at the top of a folded clothing along with a casing that would protect it from most forces.
Inspecting the back of the casing, he found a painting of several ghosts painted white and red together in the woods with several expressions from shy to angry, in the background a little girl was stalking the ghost group.
Inserting the beacon into the casing, Gestalt asked for instruction from Himeko, she agreed and patiently taught Gestalt how to operate the beacon and explained several of its features.
["Us. Curse Bearer" has joined the group chat.]
[March 7th: Eeh? What kind of name is that.]
[Us. Curse Bearer: What a wonderful tool, to think humans would create such a convenient yet versatile tool.]
[Welt: Humans have always strived to do better, even in the worst of disasters they will survive if they have the will to thrive.]
[Us. Curse Bearer: Indeed, the human spirit is indomitable.]
[March 7th: Heyyyy don't ignore me!!]
[March 7th: *March 7th chibi pout*]
["Galactic Baseballer" has joined the group chat.]
[Dan Heng: Welcome to the Astral Express group chat you two.]
[March 7th: Wait! Am I missing something? Is it title name day?]
[Himeko: it seems the train is more lively with new members.]
"Anyway, you should change clothing, I'm sure you're not comfortable in that tattered clothing," Welt interjected "There are many empty rooms in the next 2 cabins to the back. Pick any room to decide where you want to stay."
"I thank you for everything, these kindness will never be forgotten."
"No need with the thanks, you're part of the crew now and we treat every crew member as a family." Himeko kindly said.
Gestalt hearing such a thing was taken back before smiling and hiding his eyes behind the blindfold as the voices became increasingly prominent.
'Family? What a rare warmth.'
Walking to the bedroom cabin, he passed the first one and stopped at the second one before selecting the nearest one to the door to access the first bedroom cabin.
Closing the door behind him he finally took a deep breath before lifting his blindfold and picking up the first set of clothes.
It was a black shirt that exposed the shoulder along with a white thin hanfu that covered his entire arm, along with his entire chest, and then down to his legs but with no button present it suggests it was more to be worn in a loose manner.
The white hanfu was embroiled with golden autumn leaves matching his white hair that highlighted golden.
The long dark pants were covering most of his legs, though it would not matter as most of the pants were covered by the hanfu.
The second set of clothing was a cream shirt along with a black jacket with a similar design to Dan Heng's clothes. The pants were the same as the last one.
Several clothes later he was satisfied and started to undress himself and realized again he was not robust anymore.
Though he had already encountered this problem several times, this body especially needed training as the previous Researcher did nothing but stay in his lab to experiment, rarely doing any exercise.
Seeing no better time than now, he undressed his top part but left his Researcher pants on and did a minor physical workout, his body could not handle a heavy workout yet, as it would strain the body too much and would do more harm than good.
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