Chapter 2: Fireship
Twilight Veil Principality, Indigo Crane River System, Shadow Mist Floating Land
Yunhai City, No. 1 Xinhuo Academy
"Attention everyone, those who have successfully awakened will go to the Xinhuo Building with their homeroom teachers. Those who have not been able to awaken are asked to leave the school within an hour."
A deep voice came from the teacher's office building nearby. All the students turned their heads and saw a figure rising into the sky from the rooftop. Dark energy, visible to the naked eye, erupted around him. In the next moment, a circle of black flames appeared beneath his feet, and then the figure flashed and vanished from sight.
When he reappeared, he was already standing above the students' heads.
Victor Grayson, the principal of Yunhai's No. 1 Xinhuo Academy. It was said that he commanded a high-level Xinhuo spaceship. His life level had already reached the third stage. He had served as principal for 175 years—a long-standing symbol of power and prestige.
Feeling the faint pressure descending from the sky, James Hemsworth felt as though he were carrying a hundred kilograms on his shoulders. Although it was nothing for someone like him, who had already reached level 4 in the Guidance Technique, he knew well—this was Victor Grayson restraining his aura intentionally.
If the principal released the full presence of a third-level life form, all students present would be forced to the ground, and some might even suffer broken bones.
James Hemsworth's breathing grew slightly heavier. Yet, not only did his expression remain calm, but there was also a hint of fiery excitement in his eyes.
Hovering in the air, the extraordinary being he had long dreamed of stood before him. Even though James had seen such figures many times, his heart still couldn't calm down.
…
Under the direct supervision of the principal, both teachers and students moved with remarkable speed. Nearly two hundred people quickly made their way toward the Xinhuo Building.
Glancing around, James noticed that only sixteen students from Class 5 had successfully awakened the Fire Seed. Among them, only two had awakened the White Fire Seed—Liam Carter and Daniel Pierce. The other fourteen possessed only the colorless Fire Seed.
On the second floor of the Xinhuo Building, in the No. 5 Nether Energy Transformation Room, the sixteen students from Class 5 lay inside separate transformation cabins under the guidance of their homeroom teacher, Ethan Powell.
Once everyone was ready, Mr. Powell pressed the activation button. The modification cabins slowly closed until they were fully sealed.
Dark energy quickly filled the entire chamber.
James Hemsworth remained calm. He had studied this process before. This was the psionic energy transformation—an essential procedure after awakening the Fire Seed.
The Fire Seed grants its bearer, and the Fire Airship bound to them, the ability to manipulate psionic energy.
Among the many energies found throughout the Broken Star Sea, psionic energy was unique due to its inclusiveness. It could convert most known forms of energy into psionic form.
This ability allowed Xinhuo humans to harness virtually all star sea resources, accelerating their strength. This was the primary reason their civilization had advanced so rapidly and expanded its domain.
Initially, even though an awakened individual could control psionic energy, their body couldn't adapt right away, often triggering rejection reactions.
Only by long-term exposure to psionic energy and full transformation of the body could these reactions be overcome. The psionic transformation chamber was specifically created to accelerate this process.
With eyes closed and palms open, James began circulating the Daoyin technique through his body—a method he had practiced countless times.
He wasn't sure how much time had passed when he began to feel a swelling at the center of his forehead. Joy welled up in him. This sensation marked the successful completion of the transformation.
Only after the full transformation could the Xinhuo Ancestral Aperture form between the eyebrows. This was where the Fire Seed resided in the body—and where the future Fire Airship would be stored.
A few minutes later, all sixteen students completed the transformation and opened their Xinhuo Ancestral Apertures.
"Okay, follow me. There's one final step—merging with your spaceship."
"Only when the Fire Seed has successfully fused with an ordinary airship—becoming a Fire Ship—can one be considered a true Fire Successor."
…
Behind the Xinhuo Building was a massive airship base. All students from Yunhai City's Advanced Xinhuo Academy who had awakened the Fire Seed would fuse with their initial airships here.
Nearly two hundred students gathered in the hangar for scout-type Star Sea Shuttles, preparing to begin the fusion process. This was non-negotiable. Each Fire Seed could only fuse with this type of initial vessel: the Nether Energy Shuttle.
"James Hemsworth!"
When his name was called, James stepped forward immediately.
In front of a standard scout-class shuttle, he carefully channeled psionic energy toward the center of his forehead. Soon, a faint light shot from between his brows into the shuttle before him.
A moment later, a strong pull from the Xinhuo Ancestral Aperture began drawing in the shuttle. It started to shrink rapidly until it became the size of a fingernail and entered James's body through his Ancestral Aperture.
James closed his eyes, sensing the interior of the aperture.
In the heart of a chaotic space, a wisp of black flame hovered. Above it, the shuttle was slowly being bathed in its energy.
Moments later, a light flashed, and an attribute panel appeared before his eyes:
---
[Name: None (please name it soon)]
[Model: Xinhuo – Nether Energy Shuttle]
[Level: Lv. 0]
[Basic Components: Colorless Fireship Lv. 0, Psionic Main Gun Lv. 0, Psionic Secondary Gun Lv. 0, Hull Armor Lv. 0, Psionic Engine Lv. 0, Psionic Shield Lv. 0, Patrol Radar Lv. 0, Psionic Training Room Lv. 0 (8/8)]
[Additional Parts: None (0/2)]
[Nether Energy Pool: 100/1000]
[Materials: None]
---
James scanned the panel, skipping the first few lines and focusing on the basic components.
These were the standard modules included in all initial Nether Energy Shuttles.
The colorless Fireship body was linked directly to the Fire Seed. As the Fire Seed advanced, the ship would improve with it.
To upgrade the Fire Seed from level 0 to level 1, five strands of floating land source and 200 nether energy points were required.
Just as James was about to study the panel further, his homeroom teacher Ethan Powell called out. Reluctantly, James exited the Ancestral Aperture and gave up his spot for the next student.
One by one, all awakened students completed their fusion. Though fusion failure was rare, it was still possible—and today, no failures occurred, to everyone's relief.
Fusion failure meant waiting a full month before trying again. Worse, the initial three days after awakening were a special protection period. During that window, venturing into alien star realms was much safer, and offered unique rewards.
It was a precious opportunity for rookie pilots. Missing it due to fusion failure was a painful loss—one that couldn't be undone.