Her impression of nature had remained frozen in the few fragments of childhood memories—fleeting, yet beautiful. She yearned for the rumored natural landscapes of the ancient star systems with equal longing.
Chen Sui looked up housing prices on Wisteria Star and thought that perhaps, once she earned enough money, it would be a nice place to retire.
But those thoughts were secondary. What truly mattered was that she had missed the formal registration period for military academies. Not many schools allowed delayed enrollment for interstellar nomads like her.
Among the few accessible schools nearby, only one had tuition she could afford and an environment she genuinely liked.
That was the Seventh Interstellar Academy, located on Yuguang Star—colloquially known on the StarNet as Zhu Jing Mansion.
The academy was situated in a remote region of Yuguang Star, within a cluster of ancient architectural zones. Its campus design blended cold, futuristic metallic elements with the solemn elegance of traditional heavy wood, creating a strikingly harmonious visual effect.
The tuition fell within the limits of her savings.
The area around the academy was bustling with commercial streets and numerous repair shops—ideal for finding part-time work. Moreover, the academy offered financial aid for underprivileged students, which perfectly suited her situation.
After a brief consideration, Chen Sui added Zhu Jing Mansion to her application list.
Not long after, she received a call from Mr. Peter. The old man asked if she could handle the remaining after-sales service for his repair shop.
A recent energy storm had swept across the area, damaging the mecha keys stored in the shop. The border troops later cleared the energy field and handed over the recovered items to Mr. Peter. However, he had other matters to attend to in the mining sector and needed Chen Sui's help to return these items to their rightful owners.
It was not a difficult task for her. She agreed readily and collected the client information from Mr. Peter.
By the time she completed her tasks at the shop, her personal identification documents were ready.
When she arrived at the registration center to collect them, a female officer from the Taro Border Guard looked her up and down.
"Your identification is ready. Head over there to link it to your StarNet account," the short-haired woman said in an unexpectedly gentle tone. After watching Chen Sui move toward the authentication terminal, she turned to her colleague and remarked, "That must be the girl Team Seven mentioned. She really is something."
Her colleague's expression was more skeptical. "Hard to believe there's still such a skinny kid these days. She looks like she's all bones."
The short-haired woman laughed at the exaggeration. "Come on, she's lean but definitely has muscle. Strong too—no wonder she managed to destroy an S-class energy entity using only a basic mecha. The last person to do that was General Song. I reviewed her data—she has not even awakened yet. Imagine what she could become."
Her colleague, however, disagreed. "I wouldn't get my hopes up. She's from a nomadic background. People like her develop unique combat instincts after drifting through interstellar space, especially against energy entities. S-class may be her limit. And at her age, even if she awakens, the stats won't be impressive. General Song was a prodigy. The moment she awakened, the entire Alliance took notice. This girl doesn't compare."
The woman remained cheerful. "Well, we will see, won't we?"
After Chen Sui finished linking her credentials, the officer kindly reminded her, "Young lady, I noticed your profile is tied to a warp flight. The earliest one departs the day after tomorrow. If you miss it, the next will be a week later."
Chen Sui had not yet checked her travel schedule. Thanks to the reminder, she nodded gratefully. "Thank you."
With a warm smile, the woman handed her three military-grade nutrient packs. "Take these. You really need to eat more. I could probably lift you with just one finger."
Chen Sui did not take it as a joke. The physical evolution of interstellar humans often surpassed her expectations. They were unusually tall and exceptionally strong. Her height, which was considered tall in the wastelands, barely reached the average here. Their strength was something else entirely—she had once seen a border soldier carry two people on his shoulders and drag another two like sacks of rice from beneath the rubble.
Leaving the registration office, Chen Sui looked at the nutrient packs in her hand and thought of the mother and child who had lived near the repair shop. She wondered how they were doing.
Energy entities descended without warning, and in mere moments, countless families and lives were reduced to ashes.
They were no different from the alien species—both equally repulsive.
After helping Mr. Peter with the repair shop on Taro Star, he gave her some rare metal materials as a token of gratitude—mining colony specialties.
On the way to board her warp flight, he also transferred her a small sum of money. It was not a large amount, but enough to help her settle in without financial strain.
Chen Sui understood this was Mr. Peter's subtle way of showing care. The shop work had not been difficult, so accepting the money did not feel like a burden.
As the ship departure approached, Chen Sui felt a sense of leaving home.
She sat in a transparent-metal waiting lounge, surrounded by floating flight schedules displayed on glowing screens. Her thoughts wandered to her very first deployment as a forward scout.
Her mentor, Instructor Chen Jia, had sternly lectured her on mission protocols, only to quietly tuck every essential supply into her backpack.
Inside the perilous pollution zone, each item she found useful felt like a serendipitous gift.
Lying back in her chair, she gazed up at the artificial skylight. Star projections drifted across its surface, simulating a flowing starfield. A flicker of white light danced in her emerald eyes.
She could not help but wonder—would her instructor miss her? Would the new forward scout do a better job? Would the alien creatures attack the underground city again?
Would the city live to see the day the contamination was fully cleared? What about her mecha—would they ever recover it? Would the spirit-synchronized spear find a new master?
Realizing her thoughts were drifting too far, Chen Sui smiled slightly to herself.
No more dwelling on the past. A new path awaited her.
"Warp Flight TLCD9541 is preparing for launch. Please proceed to the security checkpoint."
The announcement interrupted her thoughts. She composed herself and followed the guidance through the screening zone onto the warp ship.
The ship rested on a specialized spatial traversal track. One side of the craft was fitted with a massive transparent window; the other, a full holographic display screen.
Her seat was next to the window. Outside, the tunnel-like warp path shimmered with a distinct blue glow, a byproduct of the energy materials fueling it.
Beyond the track lay the endless, pitch-black galaxy. Occasionally, unidentified objects drawn by mysterious gravitational forces flew toward the ship. But before they could reach it, the ship's outer barrier flared with brilliant electric bursts, disintegrating the threats with piercing beams of energy.
Chen Sui watched the spectacle with wide eyes, searching for more of these strange phenomena among the stars.
Suddenly, the opposite screen activated. A cacophony of gunfire erupted, disrupting the quiet hum of the passenger cabin.
Her instincts kicked in. Muscles tensed, she assumed a combat-ready stance, eyes locking onto the source of the noise.
But as the holographic projection fully unfolded, she realized it was not real—just an immersive simulation.
Gradually relaxing, she noticed none of the passengers around her had paid her any mind. They were too absorbed in the broadcast. She let out a quiet breath of relief.
Interestingly, all the passenger chairs had subtly adjusted angles for optimal viewing.
The screen showed a pitch-black cave with no visible people. Distant explosions echoed as faint lights flickered.
Soft rustling noises filled the tunnel before a loud breath broke the silence. A beam swept across the lens, illuminating jagged cave walls.
"Damn, are they still fighting?" a male voice whispered.
Someone tapped his mecha with a piece of metal in a silent cue. He stepped forward, and the mecha's power core lit up the cavern. Sticky green goo clung to the walls, dotted with white patches—disgusting to look at.
"I swear I'm going to puke," another voice groaned nasally. "Let's go fight instead. This bug slime stinks to high hell."
"Something's not right," a calm female voice interjected, quieting the others.
"Zhu Jing Mansion eliminated three players. Since when was Third Academy so competent?"
"Commander," the first man spoke up again. "Want me to take a look?"
"We definitely should," the nasal voice replied. "If Third Academy's teaming up with another squad to eliminate Zhu Jing Mansion, they'll get access to the energy monitoring device. That means double the points—unbelievable."
The woman did not respond immediately. After a moment of silence, she said, "Alright, let's observe first. Lure that bug toward them—let them fight each other."
"What?! You want me to go back into that stinkhole?" the nasal voice cried out in despair.
Chen Sui watched a mecha unit separate from the group and head toward their previous path.
Other passengers began discussing different details from what she had seen. Curious, she glanced at the projection settings and discovered a control panel beneath the display. Each cabin could choose which perspective to watch.
She had been watching from the viewpoint of the Sixth Academy, also known as Jacques de Raux on the StarNet.
These nicknames were symbolic identifiers used for the top seven military academies under the Eleventh District of the Border Guard. As elite institutions, they were the pride of the Interstellar Alliance's military.
The StarNet used iconic buildings or cultural landmarks to differentiate these top-tier schools from ordinary military academies across the various planetary rings.
Just like how the Seventh Academy was called Zhu Jing Mansion.
Feeling intrigued, Chen Sui switched the view to the Seventh Academy's feed.
The projection changed instantly. Inside a massive stone cavern, two teams faced off.
The Seventh Academy had only two members—one stood in front, holding a long-range cannon. That was Jin Yu, the academy's top firepower. Behind him was the academy's analyst.
Their opponents were numerous. The leaders stood at the forefront, staring down the seemingly doomed duo from Zhu Jing Mansion.
Adjusting the view, Chen Sui confirmed their opponents were from the First and Third Academies.
"Someone's coming," warned a mecha from the First Academy. It had a sleek black exterior with golden thorn patterns running down its arms.
The navy-blue mecha from the Third Academy also scanned the cavern's ceiling. One of the tunnels matched the Six Academy's previous location.
"Make it quick," the Third Academy pilot said coldly.
The black mecha chuckled. "With pleasure."
"Bai Li, Tian Ran," came the commanding voice from the First Academy's lead.
"Understood," the two output mechas responded in unison.
The black machines dashed forward, a blur in the air.
Before Chen Sui could make out their exact forms, Jin Yu had already locked on to the target mid-air. In a split second, he fired.
The cannon roared, launching a massive projectile. A black energy burst countered it, colliding mid-air.
The cannon fell silent.
"I mean…" a crisp female voice echoed from the black mecha overhead. Bai Li Wei, wielder of a Devouring Cannon, spoke playfully, "Why keep struggling? Hand over the monitor device and walk away. Maybe you'll earn some points hunting stragglers. Die here, and it's a complete loss."
Jin Yu said nothing. But the Seventh Academy's analyst, standing behind him, raised her own cannon.
"What nonsense are you spouting?" she snapped. "We've been fighting for hours—stop dreaming and shoot already!"