Calming down a crowd of students having an early existential crisis turned out to be far more difficult than healing them after their battles in the hospital — but at least, it did cheer them up. Eventually.
Once the screaming about space-time distortions subsided, we began exploring the ship in groups. That's when we discovered that the control deck alone had exactly seventeen thousand buttons — not counting the touchscreens, switches, and rune-powered dials.
So yes, it was going to be a long time before any of us learned how to pilot this thing properly.
Well… most of us.
I already knew how to pilot a spaceship — I just never bought one of my own. Mainly because it's technically illegal to own a ship without a permit. Think of it like a driving license, except you need it to both own and operate the vehicle… and also, if you mess up, you can explode a city block instead of bumping a lamppost.
And even the cheapest ships start at around six billion credits, which means that anyone born on a training planet can only dream of having one — unless, of course, they happen to have far too much money and no sense of financial restraint.
Like me... But honestly, owning a spaceship is too cool of an opportunity to give up on.
"There are twelve main sections in this ship since it's one of the smaller models," Sergeant Rex explained as we walked through the corridor. "The command deck, reactor, life support, medical bay, crew quarters, storage, communications deck, engines, weapons deck, armory, maintenance, and airlocks."
He paused, tapping on the metallic wall beside him. "To make sure no crewmate ever has to float outside to fix something, every external component is built within the hull itself. The entire ship is encased in a layer of crematine iron — a level-four extraterrestrial alloy. And if that's not enough protection, there's an energy shield active at all times, feeding off the electromagnetic and gravitational fields of space."
The moment I get my permit, I'm building a better ship than this. I thought as we walked through the halls.
"There aren't many things you'll need to worry about once you're in space," Sergeant Rex began, his tone carrying that familiar hint of caution, "but there's always a chance you'll encounter extraterrestrial races, like the Orks."
"Wait, aren't Orks... pretty stupid?" Samuel asked, scratching the back of his head. "I mean, the ones we faced in the Danger Zones were mostly barbaric. They didn't use any formations or strategy, they just charged at us like wild animals."
"True," Rex admitted with a nod. "But that's because the ones in the zones have been isolated for years. Even so, they're still capable of communication on an equal level with us. The Orks in space, however, those that have had time to evolve, are an entirely different story. Given enough time and resources, they can build spaceships of their own. Their reproduction rate is far faster than the ground Orks you fought."
He glanced over his shoulder as we followed. "You would've learned about them in more detail if you'd had the time, but to put it simply, they're like a kind of fungus, one that grows from the bodies of the creatures they kill. They selectively absorb memories and skills from their prey, using them to develop in a single direction, whether that's combat, engineering, or something else."
"Huh," Tom said with a grin, "sounds like fun prey to hunt."
Rex gave him a sharp look. "Not all of them are hostile. Some have become merchants and mercenaries. So be careful not to open fire on an Ork vessel unless you've confirmed they're aggressive."
"Orks aside, there are other xenos you'll need to watch out for," Rex said as we stepped out of the ship. "But since you'll need some experience of your own, I'm not going to stand here and babble about them." He paused, glancing back at us. "Do watch out for fusion storms and meteorites, though. The casualty rate from them is minimal—but it sure as hell isn't zero."
Then, we followed Rex toward the training zones. There, resting at the center of one of the the open field, was something that resembled a colossal pearl forged from light itself.
The hyperspace travel simulation sphere.
It was enormous, at least thirty meters in diameter, its surface alive with shifting ripples of silver-blue energy that reflected our silhouettes in distorted waves. From a distance, it looked almost tranquil, like the calm surface of an ocean seen through glass. But the closer we got, the more the air seemed to vibrate around it, distorting sound and light in subtle pulses. Tiny arcs of plasma crackled across its surface, feeding into its rotation.
Rex gestured toward it with a smirk. "You're about to experience super-speed travel, simulated, of course, but real enough to make even Formula-1 pilots unconscious."
As we were guided inside, the sphere's interior expanded, its walls shifting into a seamless dome of translucent metal. A low hum filled the space, followed by the faint sensation of gravity twisting under our feet.
Inside the sphere, seats were arranged along the curved interior from top to bottom, ten rows in total, each holding ten cadets. A hundred seats altogether. That meant we'd have to go in ten batches before everyone was done.
"There isn't any numerical order for this," Rex announced, glancing over the crowd. "I'll be needing some volunteers. Except you, Allen, you've experienced this every time you use your ability, so save me the trouble of counting you out."
"..." I only looked down with a faint smile, already knowing this would be fun to watch.
And I was proven entirely right.
The moment the first batch stepped inside, the sphere began to hum, softly at first, then rising into a bone-deep vibration that made the air shimmer. Faint streaks of light slithered across its surface like veins igniting from within.
A flash... blinding and silent.
When the sphere split open again, half the cadets slumped out, completely unconscious. A few screamed, clutching their helmets, while others just stared blankly into space, mumbling things that made no sense.
It reminded me of the first few times I'd used my own ability... though I suppose I was the only one who almost died getting used to it.
Some of the stronger B-ranks held up, stumbling out pale and trembling but awake, a minor miracle, really. Still, they had to be carried straight to the infirmary for a neural scan.
The training continued for two full days. Between each round of hyperspace simulation, we were drilled in ship control systems, command response, and emergency protocol, basically how not to die when things go wrong in space.
By the end of it, we'd earned not just our piloting experience but also a final simulation inside the Dream Realm, the last test before receiving our official flight permits.
By the end of the training, all of the students had their reaction speeds increased by at least 0.1 to 0.2 seconds. It didn't seem like much, but it was definitely useful.
And then, finally, came the day for us to leave Earth.
"Remember this, my students... when you go out there... we won't be able to protect you anymore. Some of you might even die on this mission, and you're doing this knowing that," Rex sighed as he looked at the thousand students standing before him. "This war... was never your fight. It's the Empire's fight against those cultists and traitors who betrayed us. So if you want to back away from this... I won't stop you."
Some of the students stared at each other when they heard his words.
"I can tell that many of you may be afraid... yes, that feeling... that's something all of us have. That fear inside us, urging us to back away from this war, I get it. It's hard not to listen to it. But... at times... you have to ask yourself: what is more important to you? Your fear? Or... the things you're meant to protect?" Rex continued. "If you still wish to run away, I won't stop you. You've done enough for all of us by coming this far. Maybe you can still have a good life if you go back to your families right now."
"You can still treasure what you have for that limited time... and there's nothing wrong with that. If that's the reason you're alive... if that's the reason you still fight... then go ahead, I won't stop you," Rex said as he turned toward the sky, where numerous spaceships were approaching the training grounds. "So... will you fight? Will... you fight?"
All he heard next were the echoes of marching, the unified sound of a thousand students boarding the spaceships without answering him with empty words.