Oblivious to the banter between Mira and her followers, Alex went back to his compound.
In the silence of his solitude, his mind was reminded of the fact that he hadn't mourned at all ever since he transmigrated into this new body. Despite the tragedy still vividly haunting his mind, the only thing bothering his waking hour is anger.
'Maybe since I'm in a different body, I didn't need to mourn' He suspected.
But even then, this still doesn't make perfect sense as his hatred and anger still linger.
Shaking his head, he decided to put that at the back of his mind for now.
Alex spent the remaining time until his departure inside his compound, circulating his mana and furthering the process of reaching the next realm. Having power as soon as possible would help him reach his goal faster.
Despite not knowing the structure of the Hyperion Empire, he already had a rough plan.
If he wanted to achieve his vengeance as soon as possible, he would need to at least reach the Magus realm or have battle prowess comparable to that. His little brother, Migel, considering his immense talent definitely has already reached the Magus realm.
On top of that, he also has an affinity to a third-ring element, Golden Lightning.
Such an individual is guaranteed a bright future.
However, Alex wasn't intimidated by this as he now has the Nexus Mark, an even stronger power than a third-ring element and an exceptional magic source. He now could utilize the power of a mage and also the power of technology simultaneously.
No more excuse for him to not be able to beat Migel anymore.
That being said, it would be harder to increase my realm, considering that I'm within the Hyperion Empire's galaxy. No matter, I'll just have to find a way to go around this, I'm sure there's a way. Alex nodded, his eyes flashed with a determined glint.
A moment later, the time of his departure came.
Carrying a single bag strapped on his shoulder, containing his belongings, he went to the hangar and saw the others were already there, waiting for him. He met with Casper earlier to tell him about his departure, but he wasn't late.
Natalia and Ms. Joselyn are the ones who waited here earlier than expected.
Taking a stand in attention beside Natalia, he then found her whispering to him while still keeping her eyes straight at Ms. Joselyn, "If you want to be late, please know that this isn't the right instructor to do that"
Upon hearing this, Alex frowned, "But I'm not late though, this is still ten minutes earlier"
"Normally, you'd be right. But it's Ms. Joselyn, you should at least be here fifteen to twenty minutes earlier. Do you have any idea how awkward and nervous I am while waiting for you?" She rebutted, unable to fathom that Alex could act this nonchalantly.
On the contrary, Alex smiled acutely. Damn it Xander, you have no memory about this!
Both of them stand beside each other, their spines upright.
Ms. Joselyn maintained her composed stare at Alex, a tense half-minute passing like an eternity. Her displeasure was evident, exacerbated by his tardiness. "Well, now that Ms. Barbiy has graced us with her presence," she remarked with a sarcastic edge, her eyes lingering on Alex, "let's depart posthaste, lest we arrive late"
"Yes, ma'am!" Alex and Natalia replied in a union.
Despite being mocked, it was an aspirant's duty to keep a straight face and endure it.
Eventually, the three of them went inside a ship and departed.
"Instructor Joselyn, I already filled the Hyperflux enough for a one-way trip home, Planet Dolotov. You can check it to see if you think that it's good enough or should I put more" A mechanic, stepped into the small spacecraft for six people and informed.
Checking the control panel, Ms. Joselyn raised her thumb up, gesturing that it was fine.
While she was preparing to take off, both aspirants were on the back.
Alex and Natalia sat opposite each other.
Finding that the indicator light's transition from green to red and noting the door was closing, Natalia promptly secured herself with the safety harness, firmly fastening it to her seat. Likewise, Alex mirrored her actions and strapped himself into his seat.
Upon doing that, he leaned back and waited as the spaceship's machines rumbled.
It would be a lie if he said that he's not nervous right now.
Adudal Principality interstellar travel was done by going through the Mana Void. Contrary, the Hyperion Empire enters the Hyper Void, and it was said to be way safer. But this feels like doing space travel for the first time all over again. Alex thought, gripping the harness tightly.
Mana Void is way more dangerous compared to the Hyper Void.
Necessary and strict preparations must be made in order to enter the Mana Void, which contains a chaotic dimension filled with hostile Void Beasts that frequently attack spaceships that enter the dimension.
Due to that, reinforcement would need a longer time to arrive in a specific place.
On the other hand, Hyper Void is way safer.
Alex didn't possess a complete understanding of how the Hyperion Empire had gained access to the Hyper Void. However, there were no beasts inside, and that resulted in more efficient fortification and reinforcement procedures.
But nevertheless, the unknown factor made him quite nervous.
It didn't take long before the hangar was opened.
Lying beyond the hangar gate is the deep space filled with celestial sparkling stars. With a rough throttle, the spaceship hurtled forward and plunged into space before flying away from the main spaceship.
Even though he wanted to keep calm, his expression proves otherwise.
He assumed the expression of a rookie who hasn't done any space travel whatsoever.
In an attempt to calm himself down, he breathed in and out properly and slowly as beads of cold sweat dripped the side of his face. Damn... If any of my war buddies see me like this, I would've been teased to oblivion. He mused inside his head.
Even Natalia already suspected and caught on to his nervousness.
"Aspirant Natalia, Xander, can you hear me?" Ms. Joselyn said through the intercom.
Upon hearing this, the two answered in a union, "Yes, ma'am"
"We will be entering the Hyper Void on the count of five, hold on tight. Both of you are still not used to space travel, so you might not take it well enough. Especially you, Aspirant Natalia. Go to the lavatory if you need to when we arrive" Ms. Joselyn warned them and even found the need to single out Natalia.
Just from this alone, it was clear that something happened to Natalia before the Trial.
From her rosy face, she must've caused a scene.
Grasping the handle on the side, the spaceship started to gain velocity and through the viewports, Alex could already see the entire spaceship was covered by a bluish forcefield, produced by the special fuel for interstellar travel.
Like before the spaceship began to shake again, this time, even stronger.
It didn't take long before the stars appeared to blue and elongate, resembling streaks of celestial light converging toward a brilliant focal point ahead. A resonant vibration hummed as Ms. Joselyn expertly managed to controls, guiding the spaceship toward the threshold of the Hyper Void.
Alex could feel a slight anticipation to view the so-called Hyper Void.
Time and space seemed to bend, and the dark space started to be drowned in a light blue color that gradually became clearer. A heartbeat later, Alex experienced motion sickness, he couldn't make sense of his surroundings properly.
On top of that, it was dead silent, and his body felt completely weightless.
Before he could realize it, a groan escaped his mouth.
Not knowing how much time had passed, he gradually regained his senses. Blinking his eyes several times, the interior of the spaceship came into view again as his chest raised up and down, panting heavily.
A- Are we finished...? Alex pondered, his head still throbbing in pain.
Looking down with his hand massaging his forehead, he calmed his breathing as the new experience was vastly different than he anticipated. It's safer alright, it's nothing like the Mana Void. On top of that, it feels very short for the ones inside the spaceship.
Compared to the Mana Void, this one is way more convenient.
Inside the Mana Void, the spaceship travels at the same speed and needs to course through that dimension and search for the signal emanated by the destination. One might feel inside the Mana Void for a month, but in reality, it was only a week or so.
Hyper Void, on the other hand, feels very fast, yet time outside must've flowed differently.
"Eurpph!" Natalia covered her mouth as her eyes widened.
Feeling her stomach grumbling, she quickly heads over to the lavatory before she vomits.
Upon seeing her running like a rabbit, Alex cast a glance at her as it was clear that she was not accustomed at all. Her expression was also hilarious. But he quickly averted his gaze away when he noticed Ms. Joselyn eyeing from the cockpit.
But she could only sigh in return, seeing that Natalia might need to be trained to avoid this.
A moment later, Natalia came out of the toilet after vomiting a mouthful.
Natalia turned her head away, avoiding eye contact with Alex.
Thankfully, my body is accustomed to this since Xander hailed from an influential family and has done quite a bit of space travel. While it might be nothing, if one neglect this aspect, it could pose a huge problem in a combat scenario. He reflected, recognizing the gravity of Natalia's condition.
While he was reflecting, his attention was then pulled to the side.
Beyond the window beside Natalia's seat, he found a planet is already in sight.
Squinting his eyes to take a better look, he was in awe at the breathtaking vista of Planet Dolotov, a planet deep inside the Hyperion Empire's territory, he was utterly captivated. It's a military-grade planet, dedicated to the cultivation and training of military personnel.
Just the surface alone, blinking with lights already depicts the innovation of technology.
It was about fifteen minutes later, the spaceship hovered in the sky.
Ms. Joselyn sent a landing request before she started to descend, right above the Orion Institute of Mech-Soldiers, the academy that Natalia and Alex would be attending for mandatory training to become actual Mech-Soldiers.
An opportunity that many consider an ultimate blessing for young people.
With seasoned expertise, Ms. Joselyn displayed her piloting skill, honed over years of battle experience as she deftly guided the spaceship to a flawless landing on the institute's designated platform.
Her mastery was so remarkable that even Alex couldn't refrain from offering his admiration.
If she's in my division in Adudal Principality, her skill is definitely one of the best.
Upon the vessel coming to a stop, Ms. Joselyn retrieved her belongings and directed her attention at the two aspirants, poised to embark on their academy journey. With a stern tone, she delivered a final piece of advice, "Keep in mind, the institute upholds strict regulations to prepare you for the galaxy's challenges. Do not let this initial success hinder your performance lest you incur heavy penalties"
"Nevertheless, Aspirants, I extend a warm welcome to the Orion Institute of Mech-Soldiers."