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

The last words left the cadets more unsettled than any previous warning their instructors had given. Many cadets didn’t even know teleportation existed, as it is a costly and inaccessible technology on most planets and colonies. 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.’ Katherine kept 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 scenario utterly unacceptable for someone of her status.

Oliver had developed the bad habit of stealing glances at 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 one trying to maintain her composure. Astrid, too, had experienced teleportation before, but in her case, it was when she moved from Sweden to the United States. Although shorter trips had a weaker impact, she still remembered wrecking 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 peace of mind.

‘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 morning, his eyes shining as he tried to absorb everything around him. Inside the 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 classes and waited. Each group was called into the building, and within seconds, a flash of light would erupt, and another group was called. Several classes had been transported in just a few minutes, leaving only a few groups.

Finally, it was Oliver's class’s turn. They began to move toward the center of the building. Inside, they could see the structure more clearly. There was a platform made entirely of dark crystals where all the students were to stand. On the floor were several inscriptions and machines, making all sorts of different noises. The room was stifling, with heat emanating from the machines scattered around the platform.

Speakers around the platform announced, "All students from the class must be within the circle on the platform. "

"Don’t even think about running or leaving the teleportation process once it’s started unless you want to meet a gruesome end." They finished the explanation.

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 needed to go back home to grab something," one of the students began explaining, pausing slightly when he noticed several people were paying attention. "He stepped out just as the teleportation started. His legs stayed on Earth, 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, alternating between blue and white flashes, speeding up with each second. The machines started to make a sound of acceleration, and the temperature in the room increased with every moment.

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"Teleportation commencing in 3... 2... 1..."

"Teleportation initiated!"

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

Even so, within a fraction of a second, a barrage of sensations passed through his body. His feet felt as though the platform beneath him had turned into water, and the sensation of freefall was instantaneous. He could feel every organ inside his body accelerating as if in a fall. But in the next second, he was in a completely different place, thrown against the ground.

The shock of his brain processing the false fall and the new ground beneath him threw his sense of balance out the window. In less than a second, he felt his stomach churn, 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, forcing themselves to walk off the platform. Astrid wanted to display her strength, while Katherine just wanted to escape the ordeal. Neither of them was confident they could control their stomachs once the first cadet started vomiting.

"Urgh! Blat!" One cadet vomited, expelling a stream right next to Oliver.

The boy felt his stomach contents 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 witness the grotesque scene. But as he was about to leave, he overheard, "Damn it! We'll have to clean up again before the next group comes through."

After the students had some time to take deep breaths and recover from the teleportation experience, they finally started taking in their surroundings at the base where they had arrived. The only actual building was the one they had just exited; the rest were, at best, plastic and 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 scanning their surroundings.

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

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

Musk concluded the explanation with a salute. Oliver had already been reprimanded the day before for not knowing how to salute properly. Unlike when Oliver was still a child, the salute was now done with just two fingers positioned beside the forehead and facing outward. One finger represented humanity, and the other represented the empire, the two things the NEA fought for.

After a salute, the instructors started organizing the students. Each group received instructions on how to use the map function on their gauntlet, allowing the entire team 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 lasted about thirty minutes before the pace started to slow. The planet was precisely as depicted in the projection they had seen: incredibly green. There was a vast green plain stretching 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 continue to reach the area they were responsible for, just a few more minutes of walking.

Some students were starting to get tired, even before reaching the battle zone, but that was part of the training, too.

Musk was responsible for Oliver's group and was walking near the recruits. It was impressive that even with his prosthetics, he could keep up with the group's pace and often even be the one to quicken the pace.

"We’re almost at the designated area. Don’t engage in direct combat. Wait for my signal." Musk warned them.

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

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

The captain glanced at his gauntlet a few more times.

"Final instructions. 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 acknowledged the command.

"Attack!"