The afterlife blew up Gensokyo

P.S.: Good morning!

Chapter Two: Void Curiosities

On a bright sunny day, atop a deserted mountain.

"So, do you understand everything I've told you?"

Shi Bai took out a pocket watch, glanced at the time, and turned to Yakumo Yukari behind him to speak.

"I've told you everything about the world, so now you should understand just how big the world is, right?"

"...I think I need some time to process this."

Pressing her forehead hard with her hand, Yakumo Yukari gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"You're right, I really was a frog in a well before."

"You're not exactly a frog in a well. Anyway, you'll gradually learn about these things in the future. With your abilities, it's not difficult for you to travel between worlds."

With a casual wave of his hand, Shi Bai put the pocket watch in his pocket.

"Our mission this time is simple: to retrieve some of the [Origin of the World] and, incidentally, save the world. I have too many enemies, so it's not convenient for me to take action myself. Therefore, I'll basically have to rely on you for everything."

"...How strong am I compared to others in the outside world?"

After hesitating for a moment, Yukari Yakumo finally brought up the question that concerned her the most.

"What I mean is, how are the levels of power in the outside world classified? To be more specific..."

"Strength? There's no such thing as a specific division of strength. Do you know how many worlds there are, and how many different power systems have arisen in those worlds?"

Lying on a large rock atop the mountain, with his head resting on his hands, Shi Bai spoke lazily.

"Although most of them can be categorized into the scientific and mystical categories, there are many other power systems outside of these two categories, such as the bizarre, the talent, the martial arts, the data, and so on. How are you going to classify them? Strength and realm cannot be distinguished by specific power classifications alone. Do you think this is an online game where you can crush everyone just by relying on levels and numerical attributes?"

"But there should be at least a basic distinction, right?"

Yakumo Yukari clearly seemed somewhat unwilling to accept Shi Bai's answer.

"I just want to know how big the gap is between you and me."

"Ah... there are certainly basic classifications, but you haven't even reached the lowest level, so there's no point in talking to you about that."

Shi Bai yawned.

"Starting from the lowest level, those who can leave their own world and travel to the vast universe on their own are called 'Transcendent Level'. Basically, when a world reaches its peak, such beings will naturally emerge. Take this world for example, if time continues to develop, you will probably be the first 'Transcendent Level'. The Dragon God will tell you all about it then... That's why I said you will know sooner or later."

"Later? When will that be?"

"Gensokyo is fully established..."

"what?"

"Why are you so ambitious? Where did you get all these questions? If you're willing to go out and rob things with me, then you'd better remember one thing: if you don't want to die without knowing why, you'd better completely control your curiosity."

Shi Bai rolled his eyes.

"If you can't do that, then go back. I'll just find someone else to help. Heka would probably be happy to come with me."

"...I understand. What about the next level?"

After a moment of silence, Yukari Yakumo nodded.

"The [Transcendent Level] allows one to know the truth of the world and travel to other worlds using their own power. The next level is the [Wandering Level], which, as the name suggests, allows one to freely travel between countless worlds. After the [Wandering Level] comes the [World Destroyer Level]. The [World Destroyer Level] is reached if one can completely destroy a world using their own power... Alright, the car is here, get on."

Shi Bai sat up from the rock and greeted Yakumo Yukari.

"A car? What's that...!?"

Just as Yakumo Yukari was stunned, an old, dilapidated steam train pulled out of the dark void, its long carriages looming over it.

"Let's go, get on the train, we're in the eighth carriage."

After saying that, ignoring Yakumo Yukari's shocked expression, Shibai got up and walked straight toward the train carriage in front of him.

"This kind of thing..."

Looking at the dilapidated old-fashioned train in front of her, after a moment's hesitation, Yukari Yakumo quickly followed in the footsteps of the other person.

The steam train looked extremely dilapidated. It had 12 carriages attached to the locomotive, but the symbols displayed on those carriages were constantly changing, sometimes showing the 9th carriage and sometimes the 9527th.

Where is carriage 8?

After staring at the symbols displayed on the carriage doors for a while, Yakumo Yukari looked at Shi Bai beside her.

"Here, just stick these two tickets on the door."

Shi Bai casually handed her two ordinary paper tickets.

"The train will stop for five minutes, so hurry up."

"........."

After glancing at the two unremarkable train tickets in her hand, Yukari Yakumo pressed them against the carriage door. As soon as her hand touched the ticket to the door, the numbers on the door, which had been constantly changing, froze and then became an 8.

Immediately afterwards, the carriage door in front of me opened automatically, and a very pleasant female voice came from the door.

Welcome aboard this train. There are countless roads, but safety is paramount. Reckless driving will bring tears to your loved ones' eyes.

"I can't believe that after all these years, this slogan is still the same... Hop on, we're about to depart."

Someone boarded the train with a pained expression on their face.

"Uh……?"

Unlike what she saw from the outside, the interior of the carriage was surprisingly large. Yukari Yakumo had expected it to be a cramped and confined space, but upon entering carriage number eight, she was greeted by a beautiful resort island.

The sea breeze carries a slightly fishy and sweet smell, and the boundless blue sea appears even more vast and boundless under the clear blue sky.

"Each carriage has its own little world that can be changed at will, but each change will cost an equivalent amount of money. You're unlikely to have any money, so forget about it."

After offering a casual explanation, Shi Bai simply lay down on a sun lounger on the beach.

"Is this...the real world?"

Feeling the warm sunshine and the sea breeze, and glancing back at the slowly closing carriage door behind her, Yukari Yakumo felt that she was almost too shocked to continue.

"【Technological Creation - Portable Vacation Space】, which can be freely built into tens of thousands of different scenes according to the user's wishes. The purchase price depends on the function and size of the space."

Lying on the sun lounger with one hand under his head, Shi Bai snapped his fingers.

"Of course, there is no life in this space. It is said that more advanced ones can clone and create all kinds of creatures to enrich and improve this world, but ours is obviously the lowest level, with an internal space of only ten square kilometers. Don't be fooled by the seemingly endless sea in front of us; the distant areas are just textures."

"...May I ask a few questions?"

She sat down on a sun lounger and took a deep breath.

"Sure, feel free to ask."

Shi Bai picked up a pair of sunglasses from the table next to him and put them on, then casually tossed another pair to Yakumo Yukari.

Would you like a drink? All the food and drinks here are free.

"Any drink will do."

Taking the sunglasses, Yukari Yakumo glanced at the empty cup on the table next to her.

"Where is this place? This trip feels a little different from what I imagined."

"【Interdimensional Train】, one of the ten wonders among the myriad worlds and voids. Anyone can summon this train from anywhere and travel to other worlds as long as they have purchased a ticket."

After pouring himself a glass of orange juice, Shi Bai also ordered a Coke for Yakumo Yukari.

"Although the ticket price is outrageously expensive, it is the safest mode of transportation in all the myriad realms of the universe. Even if you are trapped in a death zone like an absolutely forbidden place, this train can still get you there safely. As long as you can get on the train, you are absolutely safe. Currently, there is no known entity that can destroy this train."

"...a strange object?"

Upon hearing Shi Bai's account, Yakumo Yukari clearly became interested.

What does "strange object" refer to?

"No one knows its origin, no one knows its creator, no one can control it, no one can destroy it..."

Shi Bai took a sip of the orange juice in his hand.

"Among the myriad realms of the heavens and the void, there are ten great wonders, and the Interdimensional Train is one of them. This train has been tirelessly traveling through the myriad realms for a long time. No one knows who created this train, nor how to control it. No one knows where this train starts, nor where it ends... but it is undeniable that it is an excellent means of transportation."

"You're saying this train has no controller?"

As the scenery outside the carriage door rapidly turned from white to black, Yukari Yakumo looked on with curiosity.

"That can't be right, can it? Then what about the train tickets..."

"You can buy the tickets over there at the locomotive. If you want to go, I can take you there later to broaden your horizons."

Shi Bai shrugged, completely unconcerned.

"The creator of the 'Cross-Border Train' definitely exists, because it's clearly a convenient mode of transportation created by someone. I can't speak for others, but I'm certain that the slogan before boarding, 'There are thousands of roads,' was taken directly from 'The Wandering Earth,' because it's exactly the same... But as for the controller, if a 'strange object' can be controlled by other beings, it wouldn't be a 'strange object.' At least as far as I know, no one has been able to control even one-ninth of a 'strange object' so far."

"Can't you do it either?"

Yukari Yakumo picked up the cola on the table and took a sip, looking quite curious.

"Don't think of me as invincible. Do you really think I'm invincible? There are some super troublesome guys in the Void Realm that I don't want to mess with."

Shi Bai rolled his eyes at Yakumo Yukari and replied rather irritably.

"I do want to control a [strange object], and I've tried before, but these kinds of things are simply beyond my capabilities, okay? It's one thing to avoid being controlled by a [strange object], but to even think about controlling it..."

"Controlled by the [strange object]?"

After hearing his words, Yukari Yakumo was clearly taken aback.

"Don't believe me? If you don't believe me, I'll take you to see that guy who is arguably the unluckiest in history. As a typical example of failure, he is undoubtedly very successful."

With a pursed lip, Shi Bai stood up from the sun lounger.

"The [Strange Object - Cross-Border Train] has no conductor, but there is a ticket seller at the front of the train who is responsible for selling tickets. He is an unfortunate being controlled by the [Strange Object], trapped there for thousands of years without freedom. He has no way to leave the ticket room, and he can't even commit suicide... Do you know how terrifying that is?"

"........."

No one knew what Shi Bai had done, but after he stood up, a massive virtual light screen appeared in front of them. After Shi Bai casually tapped the screen a few times, a door slowly opened in front of them, revealing a spacious ticket hall just a few steps away.

The ticket hall is semi-circular in shape, and the glass skylight overhead reveals a vast expanse of stars. Behind the counter, separated by a thin glass wall, sits an elderly monk in a robe, with a bald head and six ordination scars, and a kind-looking face. He is sitting cross-legged on a chair, intently tapping a wooden fish with a small wooden stick.

"……monk?"

Looking at the dignified and solemn Buddhist monk behind the counter, Yukari Yakumo paused for a moment.

"Imprisoned in such a place as a ticket seller, unable to even die for thousands of years, what else can he do but choose to become a monk and seek psychological comfort by renunciation of all worldly desires?"

Shi Bai pursed his lips.

"Don't be fooled by this guy's appearance. After choosing to become a monk, he cultivates the understanding of all beings. What you see now is not his true appearance."

"Can't he get out?"

Yukari Yakumo looked at him.

"If he could get out, he would have already. This guy is no good. Although all power is prohibited in this ticket hall, you'd better be careful not to be fooled by him."

As he spoke, Shi Bai reached out and tapped on the glass.

"Hey, wake up, I need two tickets."

"Amitabha."

After chanting a Buddhist prayer, the monk inside slowly opened his eyes, his face filled with compassion.

"Esteemed benefactor, the price of a train ticket is..."

Looking at the black-haired man leaning against the counter, waving at him with a mocking expression, the monk remained silent for a moment before bursting into a string of curses without hesitation.

"Holy crap, you bastard, you're still alive?! The saying 'Good people don't live long, but evil ones live a thousand years' is definitely true!!"

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P.S.: Good morning!

Chapter Three: Savior Yukari Yakumo

Yukari Yakumo was dumbfounded by the extreme contrast in the behavior of a certain "ticket seller" before and after.