Six hours passed on the Omega Ship. Cadets were seen moving from one mini-shop to another. Some even booked temporary residences, each costing about 100k Ace Coins. The rooms weren't all that bad a single bedroom, well-furnished, with a private bathroom and reading desk.
Ethan booked a room with two beds in it for him and Freddy, while Gloria got her own separate room.
"Woah, Freddy, you're an A-rank Aspect user?" Ethan asked, amazed.
"Yh man, I'm so happy," Freddy said, grinning with joy.
"Which means you'll be an even higher officer when we graduate," Ethan said, feeling a bit down.
"No way, your Aspect is B-rank? Did you manage to outsmart the Mana Crystal?" Gloria asked, unbelieving.
"Yh, nothing was wrong. Everything was correct. I'm a B-rank," Ethan said, pretending to be down.
"No problem, man. All I know is, when we become Supremes, all this A-rank, B-rank stuff will be bullshit," Freddy said.
"Yh, so I guess Gloria is A-rank too?" Ethan asked.
Gloria giggled as she revealed her ID card.
"What? No way — an S-rank?!" Freddy and Ethan were shocked, though Ethan quickly regained his composure. Sure, this girl had talent.
"Surprise, motherfuckers," Gloria laughed.
"Well, that's it then. I guess you'll be getting special treatment," Ethan said, cursing inwardly. If only I had pushed my Mana release a bit more, maybe I'd have gotten A-rank too.
But he didn't care much. Deep down, Ethan knew his Aspect was far beyond S-rank. To inherit an Aspect from an immortal emperor who once ruled the universe — that was peak. Still, Ethan decided to keep his secret for now. Maybe when he reached Supreme level, he wouldn't bother hiding anything.
After chatting for a while, the three went out for dinner together and then returned to their rooms for a siesta.
************
Back in the dark room where the Supremes were gathered…
"You've got to be kidding me. Out of 1,500 applicants, only 20 are S-rank?" the one with a calm tone said.
"Jeez, there'll be lots of Supremes eyeing our academy now. This set of applicants sure has talent," the one with the arrogant tone replied.
"Not only that. About 600 people are A-rank, and the rest are B-rank," the calm one added.
S-rank Aspect users were very rare. It was said they had an 80% chance of becoming a Supreme. Twenty S-rank cadets appearing in a single academy was unheard of. The highest they had ever seen before was five. Gaining an additional twenty was a massive boon.
"Well, I guess we should start recruiting. I, myself, am taking three as disciples," the arrogant one said.
"I'm taking in two. You're too greedy — what about the others?" the calm one said.
The one with a playful younger voice kept quiet.
"What about you?" the calm one asked him.
"I'll take only one. I'm taking that B-rank boy," he said.
"What? A B-rank? You're kidding, right?" the arrogant one snapped.
"It's said that a B-rank Aspect user only has a 20% chance of becoming a Supreme," the calm one added.
"I know what I saw," the younger one grinned.
*****************
The next day came, and a total of 1,500 cadets gathered in the waiting room. They were about to board the Eternal Dawn.
"Today is a big day," someone said.
"Finally, we're going to the Eternal Dawn ship!" a female cadet added.
"Legend has it that it's as big as a Death Star, with unparalleled defense and attack systems."
"I also heard it's one of the top five most terrifying motherships in the entire Stellar Nexus."
"They say the Eternal Dawn was one of humanity's major weapons against the Xeridians at the beginning of the war."
********
"Eh, so much gossip," Ethan snorted.
"It can't be helped. The Eternal Dawn is terrifying, and anyone who has the chance to see it will feel proud," Freddy said.
"Yh, right," Gloria added.
Everyone was given a special suit, crafted from a sacred beast. Checking it, Ethan saw that it gave him five stat points across all attributes, including Mana.
[Voider Suit: A suit crafted from a Sacred Beast — Void Ring]
[Adds +5 stats across all attributes]
"I'd say this suit is the only cool thing I've seen so far," Ethan said.
'Ladies and gentlemen, please prepare for landing on the Eternal Dawn,' a female voice announced.
Vroooomm
Thud.
Everyone heard the massive thud as the giant hatch opened slowly.
At that moment, all eyes turned outward. Numerous cadets rushed out to see it.
What they saw was unlike anything they had ever imagined. The ship was massive — long and wide like a Divine Arrow aimed at the Nine Heavens. Ethan too was amazed. Obviously, this was his first time seeing the Eternal Dawn.
The ship was made of enhanced Delirium ( a new mineral found in abundance at the eastern Stellar Nexus ) and it was 100% pure.
The Eternal Dawn had 1,200 mega-cannons and weaponry mounted on it, each capable of obliterating a Heavenly Beast in seconds.
At the top of the ship was a huge red ball, about a mile in diameter, half-encased with some unknown material.
Ethan was baffled. Such power…
"I'll own dozens of these in the future, so you better get used to it," Ethan said aloud, making those who heard him laugh hard.
Walking on the ground felt like walking on real land — obviously, they were now in the Academic Zone.
The Eternal Dawn was divided into three main areas: the Residential Zone, the Military Zone, and the Academic Zone. The Academic Zone resembled a massive academy, sprawling and vibrant.
With Ethan's new skill, unlocked after passing his trial [Third Eye] he could see the true scope of the academy: nearly 500 miles long.