"Be prepared. We depart in 10 minutes. For those of you who have never used a teleporter, try not to vomit." Musk expined.

  The st words left the cadets more uled than any previous warning their instructors had given. Many cadets didn’t even know teleportatioed, as it is a costly and inaccessible teology on most ps and ies. Those who were familiar with it knew how terrible the experience could be and how humiliating it was for those who ended up vomiting.

  ‘Breath, breath.’ Katheri repeating in her head.

  The girl had used teleportation several times before, but that didn’t stop it from putting her in a bad mood. Each time she had used it, she had to summon all her strength to keep from throwing up, a sario utterly uable for someone of her status.

  Oliver had developed the bad habit of stealing g her whenever possible, which was, without a doubt, one of the times he had seen her in the worst mood. He had no idea what had upset her this much, but he pitied whoever had caused it.

  Katherine wasn’t the only orying to maintain her posure. Astrid, too, had experieeleportation before, but in her case, it was when she moved from Sweden to the Uates. Although shorter trips had a weaker impact, she still remembered wreg the teleportation terminal’s lobby with a fountain of vomit.

  Now older, she feared the same thing would happen again. To avoid that, she had taken two anti-nausea pills, leaving her a little dizzy but giving her some peaind.

  ‘I’m ready this time. Bring. IT. ON!’ Astrid was fired up.

  For Oliver, though, everything was new. He was like a child on Christmas m, his eyes shining as he tried to absorb everything around him. Ihe teleportation building, everything seemed to gleam. Teleportation had always been a staple of the movies he watched growing up, and now he was finally about to witness it for real.

  After the captain’s speech, the students were divided into their respective csses and waited. Each group was called into the building, and within seds, a fsh of light would erupt, and anroup was called. Several csses had been transported in just a few minutes, leaving only a few groups.

  Finally, it was Oliver's css’s turn. They began to move toward the ter of the building. Ihey could see the structure more clearly. There tform made entirely of dark crystals where all the students were to stand. On the floor were several inscriptions and maes, making all sorts of different he room was stifling, with heat emanating from the maes scattered around the ptform.

  Speakers around the ptform announced, "All students from the css must be within the circle oform. "

  "Don’t even think about running or leaving the teleportation process o’s started unless you want to meet a gruesome end." They fihe expnation.

  If anyone had that terrible idea, it disappeared instantly. But, if there was a warning, Oliver figured there had to be a story behind it. He wondered who had been foolish enough to try something like that.

  However, he didn’t have to think for long. Right behind him, a group of students began talking.

  "My uncle did this. He was traveling to Titan and decided he o go bae to grab something," one of the students began expining, pausing slightly wheiced several people were paying attention. "He stepped out just as the teleportation started. His legs stayed oh, and he was taken to Titan. A horrible experience, but at least he knew where to retrieve his legs."

  "Transport process will begin."

  From the ground, lights began to pulse in sync, alternatiween blue and white fshes, speeding up with each sed. The maes started to make a sound of acceleration, and the temperature in the room increased with every moment.

  "Teleportation eng in 3... 2... 1..."

  "Teleportation initiated!"

  Oliver was tempted to activate his Insight to uand how the teleportation system worked. But if he had been thinking about who the idiot who tried to escape was, imagihe fool who had tried to absorb all that information.

  Even so, within a fra of a sed, a barrage of sensations passed through his body. His feet felt as though the ptform beh him had turned into water, and the sensation of freefall was instantaneous. He could feel every an inside his body accelerating as if in a fall. But in the sed, he was in a pletely different pce, thrown against the ground.

  The shock of his brain processing the false fall and the new grouh him threw his sense of ba the window. Ihan a sed, he felt his stomach , the urge to vomit rising. But, fortunately, he wasn’t the first.

  Several students were around him, some standing, others sprawled on the floor. Katherine and Astrid were both on their feet, f themselves to walk off the ptform. Astrid wao dispy her strength, while Katherine just wao escape the ordeal. her of them was fident they could trol their stomachs ohe first cadet started vomiting.

  "Urgh! Bt!" One cadet vomited, expelling a stream right o Oliver.

  The boy felt his stomach tents rise to his mouth, but he mustered all his strength to keep it inside. He forced himself to stand up, eyes watering, and rushed out of the room before he could withe grotesque se. But as he was about to leave, he overheard, "Damn it! We'll have to up again before the group es through."

  After the students had some time to take deep breaths and recover from the teleportation experiehey finally started taking in their surroundings at the base where they had arrived. The only actual building was the ohey had just exited; the rest were, at best, pstid metal tents. However, the settlement’s size was enormous. Thousands of people had to be living in the area.

  "Priiii!"

  Captain Musk's whistle caught the attention of the cadets, who were still sing their surroundings.

  "This base, like many others, is responsible for extrag Z-Crystal. So, uand that although this is a training experieoday’s results will have real impacts on the lives of every citizen in the Empire." Musk expined.

  After a short pause, the captain tinued. "You’ll be divided by css, and an instructor will apany you throughout the exercise. Be cautious and bring glory to the army."

  Musk cluded the expnation with a salute. Oliver had already been reprimahe day before for not knowing how to salute properly. Unlike when Oliver was still a child, the salute was now doh just two fingers positioned beside the forehead and fag outward. One finger represented humanity, and the other represehe empire, the two things the NEA fought for.

  After a salute, the instructors started anizing the students. Each group received instrus on how to use the map fun on their gau, allowing the eeam to see the area they were responsible for. However, as it was an untracked area, they wouldn’t know each cadet’s location.

  With their preparations finished, each group began to march out of the settlement, heading north. The march sted about thirty minutes before the pace started to slow. The p recisely as depicted in the proje they had seen: incredibly green. There was a vast green pin stretg for miles, not just with lush trees and forests, but primarily where they were.

  Oliver could see the entire region each team was to cover from the hill his team stood on. They would soon tio reach the area they were responsible for, just a few more minutes of walking.

  Some students were starting to get tired, even before reag the battle zone, but that art of the training, too.

  Musk was responsible for Oliver's group and was walkihe recruits. It was impressive that even with his prosthetics, he could keep up with the group's pad often evehe oo qui the pace.

  "We’re almost at the designated area. Don’t engage in direbat. Wait for my signal." Musk warhem.

  As they approached a small stream, Oliver saw their target for the first time. Oher side of the creek, several Crabits packs were scattered, but the closest one had six creatures, each with slightly different fur, but all tending tray. Simir to the holograms, they seemed only a little bigger than a dog, reag Oliver's thigh, but their teeth were long and sharp, making them almost uo close their mouths.

  The Crabits still didn't seem to have noticed the group's prese as they tiearing apart a piece of some animal they had hunted, staining their fur with blood.

  The captain g his gau a few more times.

  "Final instrus. Once I give the signal, you are authorized to use your Artificial Ranger Armor. Don’t stray more than a mile from us, and under no circumstance are you allowed to attack other cadets."

  "Yes, sir!" the cadets aowledged the and.

  "Attack!"

  GCLopes