Stumbling slightly, Feng Mo nearly collapsed in exhaustion. He had finally completed the construction of his T3 Storm-Class Interstellar Battleship. The next step would be the shakedown cruise to test everything.
Ravenous, he grabbed some food nearby and ate hastily, not caring that his hands were still dirty. Only he knew how he had managed to get through the past two months.
He hadn't had a decent night's sleep the entire time. Fortunately, the advanced medical technology of the interstellar era and the availability of nutrient solutions had kept him from succumbing to exhaustion or even sudden death.
His hard work had paid off, though. After nearly two months, he had successfully built his T3 battleship. Throwing the empty food container aside, he left the control room and headed to the entrance of the battleship.
Entering the ship, he found himself in the main corridor. Walking down the hallway to the end, he reached the bridge—essentially the brain of the battleship and its most vulnerable point. The bridge wasn't large, about 200 square meters, and remained pitch dark as the ship hadn't yet been fully activated.
Feng Mo made his way to the captain's chair and sat down. A red scanning beam swept over him, followed by a mechanical voice from the main control console.
"Highest authority detected. Initiating identity verification."
"Identity confirmed. Welcome home, Captain Feng Mo of the T3 Storm-Class Interstellar Battleship!"
A black crystal control panel rose in front of him.
"Storm-Class activating… Initializing main control system…"
"Power system online…"
As the starship officially powered up, the bridge lights turned on, and the entire vessel began to come to life.
"Starship self-diagnostic system online… Weapon systems initializing…"
"All systems operational."
Mechanical voices echoed throughout the control room, marking the rebirth of the battleship. Feng Mo pumped his fist in excitement. Despite having blueprints and a system to guide him, the pressure of building a T3-class battleship for the first time had been immense. Yet, he had succeeded.
With all essential components—hull, main cannons, secondary weapons, armor, engines, radar, and the Starshield—functioning correctly, the ship was ready for space travel.
But now, he needed to recruit a crew. A vessel of this size couldn't be operated by one person alone.
There were three main sources for recruiting crew members:
1. Other academy students: Typically, senior students in related fields. While knowledgeable in theory, they lacked practical experience and needed extensive training.
2. Retired imperial soldiers: Highly skilled in both theory and practice, but expensive to maintain, as they required regular salaries. Missing payments would result in severe consequences, as the empire would intervene.
3. Less conventional options, such as former space pirates or slaves, who were easier to manage and required only a one-time purchase fee. Slaves, in particular, were cost-effective, needing only basic provisions for upkeep.
Feng Mo preferred recruiting slaves, as they were easy to control and involved no recurring expenses. Opening his smart terminal, he connected to the academy network and navigated to the crew recruitment channel, selecting the slave market.
The list was long, but Feng Mo patiently examined the options. The top listings featured beautiful female slaves of various races. There were cat-eared girls, fox-tailed maidens, snake-bodied beings, and even those resembling humans, each stunning in their own way. The market clearly understood the desires of its target audience.
Despite the tempting options, Feng Mo knew this wasn't the time for indulgence. The battle hadn't even begun yet, so he refocused on his goal. As he browsed, his eyes lit up when he discovered a particular treasure.
"That's the one! She'll make a perfect vice-captain!" Feng Mo muttered, eagerly making his selections. His hands flew over the terminal, selecting a total of 150 crew members.
The final bill came to over three million Cloud Mountain Credits. With no academy points left, he had to use real currency. To cover the cost, he mortgaged one of his family's resource-rich planets through the academy's internal loan platform, securing a loan of ten million Credits at an annual interest rate of just 1%, payable within ten years after graduation.
The vice-captain alone cost a staggering one million Credits—equivalent to the price of a T1 starship. Expensive, but worth it, Feng Mo thought.
After making the down payment, he received a notification that the crew would arrive in an hour. Taking the opportunity, he caught a short nap. When his alarm rang, he washed up and changed into clean clothes.
Stepping outside the shipyard, he saw the arrival of his new crew.
"Good day, Cadet Feng Mo. Here are the 151 slaves you ordered," said a young man with a professional smile, standing by a transport vehicle.
Behind him, a dozen soldiers in combat uniforms, armed with electromagnetic pulse rifles, escorted the slaves. The cover on the transport was removed, revealing a massive cage. The slaves, dressed in fresh uniforms, knelt inside, looking weary and frightened.
Most of them were half-beast species, with a higher number of females than males. These half-beasts had become outcasts in the Human Federation due to the ongoing war with the interstellar orc race. The female slaves were primarily cat-girls and fox-girls, while the males were bear-men and tiger-men.
Captured from conquered outer star systems, these slaves were highly experienced, each with at least a year of starship operation. The best among them had ten years of service experience. Of the 150, 130 were equivalent to Level 1 Gene Warriors, and 20 were at Level 2.
The cage opened, and the slaves were herded out, forming 15 rows of 10 in front of the shipyard. Leading them was a tall, striking woman. She had fair skin, an alluring face, and looked almost human, except for the two sharp horns on her head and a long tail trailing behind her.
She was an interstellar succubus, a rare species. Though not physically powerful, with strength comparable to a Level 2 Gene Warrior, her mental prowess was formidable. Her psychic energy was on par with a Level 3 Gene Warrior, and she possessed telekinesis, making her an ideal candidate for a vice-captain.
The one million Credits spent on her felt worth it. This kind of slave was hard to come by, even in the open market, and being able to get her through academy connections was a huge advantage.
Once all the slaves were lined up, the young man tapped a few buttons on his smart terminal. Instantly, the slaves' eyes lost focus. A red light scanned Feng Mo, and the slaves' eyes regained clarity.
"Master!" they called in unison, bowing deeply with deference.
"All set, Cadet Feng Mo. Each slave has a micro-control chip embedded in their brain, unbreakable except by the psychic power of a Level 5 Gene Warrior. I've transferred the control system to your smart terminal. They are now under your full authority!"
Feng Mo nodded, then finalized
the payment. The deal was complete, with no chance for disputes afterward.