The next day, Quinn was already up, meditating as usual as taught by Leo. By this point, his qi, which had once been a tiny dot, had grown to the size of a ping pong ball—and it was still expanding. Things were changing for Quinn. The qi training had made his body noticeably stronger, and the meditation not only boosted his confidence but also helped him better sense his abilities and become more in tune with his body.
He was no longer the scrawny kid who could be bullied around. He was now a level 2 and no longer received the same treatment as a level 1. Still, it was a long road ahead, with immense potential waiting to be mastered.
Peter, however, remained a level 1, still struggling to advance. The need for a level 2 book gnawed at him. Yesterday, he had been forcefully tasked with luring Quinn to a secluded section of the training hall, but that plan failed—Quinn never saw the message while he was unconscious in Logan's room.
By evening, Peter had to endure another round of beatings from Earl and his companions. Broken and miserable, he dragged himself into the dorm just thirty minutes before Quinn, collapsed on his bed, and fell asleep.
-----
During the usual class timings, the first-year students were called into the assembly hall for a meeting. It came as a bit of a surprise, but they assumed it had something to do with their first portal outing.
Onto the stage walked Nathan. For many of the first-years, it was the first time seeing him in person. A general rarely addressed students unless it was for something serious, which made the hall fidget with unease.
"Okay, I'm not one for speeches, so let's get to the point," Nathan said. "It's about your first portal outing. I'm here to tell you all—it won't be like usual. This year, the military has decided to expand its operations and take a more aggressive approach to planetary exploration."
----
Two months had already passed in the academy since it began. Normally, it would have been three, but the surprise Dalki fleet attack had forced the academy to postpone classes. Now, it was finally time for the first-year portal outing.
However, things had changed compared to the usual schedule. Once again, this was because of the Dalki ship incident. Oscar, the Supreme Commander of the military, had already held meetings regarding the unexpected attack. The Dalki leader gave only a weak response, offering an insincere apology and brushing it off, claiming it was just a stray Dalki who had been exiled. But whatever the excuse, the event left the Commander with a sickening feeling.
The entire human population grew desperate—desperate to become stronger and accelerate their growth. Thus, all first-year students across every military base were given the same order: to prepare for Orange portal planets. Meanwhile, the second-years were to be readied for Red portals.
-----
"So, what does that mean for you guys?" Nathan continued. "Well, instead of the normal Green portal, you'll be jumping ahead and exploring an Orange portal instead."
The students immediately broke into whispers.
"An Orange portal this soon? I thought that was only for second-years."
"What if we run into high-level beasts?"
"Why would they do this to us? Is it because of the Dalki attack?"
"Silence!" Nathan barked, slamming his fist onto the podium. He rarely lost his temper, but he knew he had to rein in the crowd before panic spread. In truth, even he didn't believe this was the right decision. It was too early; the students could get seriously hurt. But Paul, his superior, had given the order, and Nathan had no choice but to follow.
"Worry not. Two sergeants will be accompanying you on this journey: Leo, head of the beast weapon class, and Fay. They are among our strongest sergeants, so even if you encounter high-level beasts, they will be there to assist. I'll now hand things over to Fay to explain how the outing will work."
Fay stepped up to the podium as Nathan exited the hall, his duty fulfilled.
"An Orange portal outing differs from the Green," Fay began. "Green outings focus on competition between teams. Orange outings focus on cooperation. Each class will move together in groups of fifty. The main goal is exploration. Portal planets are still largely uncharted, and each class will head in a different direction while staying close to one another.
"You'll remain in your teams of five, traveling as part of the larger group. Each team will receive a device used to survey the land and map the terrain. The data collected will automatically generate a world map for future use on the planet.
"More details will be given once the devices are distributed, including how points will be awarded to each team.
"If there are no further questions—combat classes for today are cancelled. Instead, you are to form teams of five and report back by the end of next day.
"Due to the changes, survival classes have also been added, taught by Sergeants Dell, Fay, and Leo. They will begin tomorrow and continue for the next two weeks. Prepare yourselves."