Chapter 179: The Launch Site And The Spaceships 2

Words : 1062 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

Chapter 179: The Launch Site And The Spaceships 2 Ethan didn’t reply. He finished his meal slowly, his mind already preparing for the next morning. Lilith noticed. "You’re leaving early," she said gently. Ethan nodded. "They want everyone at the launch site before sunrise." She stood and walked behind his chair, placing a hand softly on his shoulder. "Then go rest now. We’ll keep the night quiet." He stood up, gave a short nod to the rest, and headed upstairs. His room was just as he left it. Clean. Still. Dim light from the windows. He lay down without a word and closed his eyes. The night passed quietly. When morning came, Ethan rose early. The house was still silent. The sky outside was still dark, the first signs of morning barely starting to stretch across the edge of the city. He dressed quickly, checked his equipment pack, and stepped outside. He then went towards his car and got in. As the gates opened behind him, the car joined a stream of other vehicles, each heading toward the same destination. The launch site. It sat near the city’s eastern edge, far from the towers and markets. A wide, flat expanse of hardened plating stretched for miles. It is a public facility, but due to its importance, it is heavily guarded. It was large, controlled, and quiet in its own way, like a military base mixed with a travel hub. The buildings were clean and boxy, most made of dark steel and glass. Uniformed staff moved in a practiced rhythm. The car pulled into the designated drop zone and came to a stop. Ethan stepped out. The wind here was stronger, colder. The launch site buzzed with movement. Dozens of staff in white and gray uniforms moved across the field, checking lines, updating rosters, and loading gear into waiting ships. The ships themselves sat in a neat row, tall, sleek, black-metal transports with curved hulls and glowing engines. Each one had the capacity to carry nearly a hundred students and their equipment, yet they stood there quietly, like silent giants waiting to rise. He looked up. They were fast. State of the art. Reinforced with special alloy plating and energy shielding. Built for travel over harsh terrain and beast-heavy zones. But even with everything they had, boosters, anti-beast flares, enhanced navigation systems, it would still take a full day to reach the nearest forbidden zone. That said, everything. The world wasn’t small. And the danger wasn’t close. This wasn’t like the school’s battle simulations or beast drills in a controlled field. They were going out into the real world—the kind where things didn’t follow a script. He scanned the crowd and spotted a few familiar faces. Students from other elite academies. Some are standing in small groups. Some alone. Others sitting off to the side, adjusting gear or checking their holotags. Everyone had the same look in their eyes—half-ready, half-waiting. A staff member called out names in batches, directing students toward specific ships. IDs were scanned, bags were checked, and clearance passes were given one by one. Ethan waited until his name was called. "Nocturne, Ethan. Gate Six. Vessel C-07." He nodded and walked toward the hangar marked in red at the far end of the field. The ship designated C-07 was just like the others—tall, smooth, jet-black surface with pale blue lines running across its sides. It stood like a statue, quiet but powerful. The loading ramp extended as he approached. Inside, the lighting was soft and blue-tinted. The floor had a soft hum beneath it, and the air felt filtered and clean. Seats were wide, curved, and spaced well apart. It wasn’t luxury, but it wasn’t cramped either. He took his seat near the middle, setting his equipment bag down beside him. A few moments later, the seat next to him shifted. Everly dropped into it without a word, stretching slightly with a grin on her face. "Found you." Evelyn followed right behind, taking the seat on his other side. She gave him a small nod and sat quietly. A few more students boarded after that. Sera Valcrest entered next, walking with a calm expression and a tablet still in hand. She took a seat near the window, two rows ahead of Ethan. Mei Ren appeared not long after, silent and graceful as always. She didn’t speak to anyone, just picked a seat across the aisle from Ethan, and closed her eyes. Lucas boarded late, his steps loud compared to the others. He muttered something under his breath and flopped into an empty seat behind Mei, stretching his legs out and tossing his bag under the seat. Other notable students followed. Some had clean uniforms, others had half-buttoned jackets and confidence that felt a little too loud. The ship was filling up, but the air stayed controlled. Some students talked. Some looked out the windows. A few tried to act like they didn’t care, but their fingers tapped against their legs, or they kept checking their wristbands like something might change. There was a mix of tension and excitement. Everyone knew this wasn’t going to be like the drills. No reset buttons. No do-overs. Ethan sat back, calm, hands resting loosely in his lap. He wasn’t nervous. Just aware. He listened. Watched. Some students tried to lighten the mood with jokes. Others leaned into quiet stares, sizing up everyone around them. There were whispers about the test. About what would happen after landing. Some thought it would be like a regular simulation with extra steps. Others weren’t so sure. One boy across the aisle muttered to his seatmate, "I heard last year, some of them didn’t even make it through the first day." His friend elbowed him. "Shut up, man. We haven’t even taken off." Ethan didn’t react. He knew the stories. The rumors. Some were true. Most students are trained in safe zones. They practiced with rules. This was different. The forbidden zones weren’t monitored the same way. The threats were real. The damage was real. The injuries and the risk are real. That’s why the ships were reinforced. That’s why the launch site was locked down and sealed tight. That’s why the instructors said nothing beyond the basics. Because out here, there was no hand-holding. Just the world, as it was. And they were going straight into it.

Chapter 179: The Launch Site And The Spaceships 2

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