Global Era of Star trekking Chapter 2: Torch Warship
Previously on Global Era of Star trekking...
Chapter 2: Torch Warship
“Attention, all successful Awakeners, please proceed to the Torch Building with your respective homeroom teachers. Those who failed to awaken must vacate the school grounds within one hour.”
A resonant voice boomed from the teachers' office building, drawing the collective gaze of the students. They witnessed a figure plummeting from the roof, wreathed in visible surges of dark Spectral Energy. Moments later, a ring of obsidian flames ignited beneath his feet, and the figure vanished into thin air above the building.
When he reappeared, he was suspended in the sky, looking down upon the student body.
Zhu Yaokui, the principal of Jiangyuan City's First Torch Academy, was rumored to command a High Level Torch Warship and had already ascended to the rank of a third-tier life form. Having held his position for one hundred and fifty years, he was a figure of profound authority and respect.
Feeling a faint, crushing pressure descending from above, Song Chi felt as though a massive weight had been placed upon his shoulders. Even though his mastery of the Guidance Technique had reached level 4, making the burden manageable, he understood that this was only because Principal Zhu Yaokui was intentionally suppressing his aura.
Had the principal unleashed the full might of a third-tier life form, every student present would likely have been driven into the dirt, their very bones shattering under the force.
Song Chi’s breath grew heavy, yet his expression remained calm. Instead of fear, his eyes burned with a fierce longing.
Treading upon the air as if galloping on the wind—these were the extraordinary powers that every soul on Blue Star dreamed of. Despite having witnessed such displays before, he could not suppress the frantic beating of his heart.
...
Under the principal’s personal supervision, the efficiency of both faculty and students was unparalleled. A group of nearly two hundred individuals moved swiftly toward the Torch Building.
Glancing around, Song Chi noted that only sixteen students in his class had successfully triggered the Seed of Torch. Among them, only two possessed the white Seed of Torch: Sun Hao and Wang Yuan. The remaining fourteen, himself included, held the Colorless Seed of Torch.
Inside Spectral Cultivation Room Number 5 on the second floor, the sixteen students of Class 5 followed the instructions of their teacher, Yang Minghui, and climbed into individual Spectral Transformation Pods.
Once the students were settled, Yang Minghui activated the system. The pods slid shut, sealing completely,
as waves of dark Spectral Energy flooded the interior chambers.
Song Chi remained composed; he had studied these procedures extensively. This was the mandatory Spectral Transformation that followed the awakening of the Seed of Torch.
Awakening the Seed of Torch granted the host and their soul-bound Torch Warship the capacity to manipulate Spectral Energy.
Within the vast Shattered Starry Sea, Spectral Energy was unique for its inclusive nature, capable of refining most known energy types into a unified Spectral form.
This allows Torchlight Humanity to transmute various resources found in the Starry Sea for their own benefit, fueling rapid self-improvement. This mechanism is the fundamental reason for the explosive growth of the Torch Human Civilization and its ever-expanding borders.
However, immediately after awakening, while the host can control the energy, their physical body is not yet acclimated to it, leading to various forms of biological rejection.
This issue is only resolved once the body has been submerged in Spectral Energy long enough to become a Spectral Energy Body. The Spectral Transformation Pods are specialized tools designed to expedite this evolution.
With his eyes shut and hands open, Song Chi began circulating the Guidance Technique he had memorized through his internal meridians.
Time seemed to lose its meaning until a swelling sensation throbbed in the center of his forehead. Song Chi felt a surge of joy; this was the sign that the Spectral Transformation was nearing its conclusion.
Only when the physical form fully transitions into a Spectral Energy Body can the Ancestral Torch be formed within the brow—the sacred space that houses the internal Seed of Torch and serves as the future dock for the Torch Warship.
A few minutes later, all sixteen members of Class 5 had finished their transformation and successfully established their Ancestral Torches.
“Very well, follow me. We have reached the final phase: the Warship Fusion.”
“Only when your Seed of Torch merges with a standard vessel, turning it into a true Torch Warship, will you be recognized as a legitimate successor of the Torch legacy.”
...
Located behind the Torch Building was a massive shipyard for conventional vessels. Every student from the Jiangyuan City Advanced Torch Academies who had awakened was required to undergo their initial fusion here.
Nearly two hundred people gathered at the Scout Class Starry Sea Shuttle hangar, lining up for the ritual. There was no variety in the selection; all new Seed of Torch bearers were restricted to fusing with a single model: the Scout Class Starry Sea Shuttle.
The Torch – Spectral Shuttle serves as the universal foundation for all rookie Torch Warships.
“Song Chi!”
Hearing his name, Song Chi stepped out from the group.
Standing before a standard Scout Class Shuttle, Song Chi clumsily manipulated the Spectral Energy in his body, focusing it toward his brow. A beam of Ghost Light shot forth from his forehead, striking the hull of the vessel.
Suddenly, a powerful suction force erupted from the Ancestral Torch in his brow. Under this influence, the massive shuttle began to shrink rapidly, eventually becoming no larger than a fingernail before vanishing into Song Chi’s forehead.
Song Chi quickly closed his eyes to inspect the space within his Ancestral Torch.
At the heart of the chaotic void, a flickering black flame burned. Above it, the Scout Class Shuttle floated, being continuously tempered by the dark fire.
Moments later, a glimmer of light crossed his vision as an attribute window manifested beside the miniature ship.
[Name: None (Please name as soon as possible)] [Model: Torch – Spectral Shuttle] [Level: lv0] [Basic Components: Colorless Torch Warship Body lv0, Spectral Main Cannon lv0, Spectral Secondary Cannon lv0, Warship Armor lv0, Spectral Engine lv0, Spectral Shield lv0, Void Radar lv0, Spectral Cultivation Room lv0 (8/8)] [Additional Components: None (0/2)] [Spectral Energy Pool: 100/1000] [Supplies: None]
Scanning the data, Song Chi bypassed the initial details and focused on the Basic Components.
These Basic Components are the standard loadout for every newly fused Spectral Shuttle.
The Colorless Torch Warship Body was straightforward; it was tied directly to the Seed of Torch in his Ancestral Aperture. Whenever the Seed of Torch advanced, the hull would upgrade in kind.
To upgrade the Seed of Torch from level 0 to level 1, one would require 5 units of Floating Land Origin and 200 Spectral Energy Points.
Just as Song Chi intended to delve deeper into the stats, the voice of his teacher, Yang Minghui, urged him along. Song Chi was forced to pull his consciousness from his Ancestral Aperture and vacate the area for the next student.
Before long, every student had completed the fusion process without a single failure, much to the relief of the faculty.
While the odds of a fusion failure are incredibly low, they are not zero.
If a fusion fails, the bearer of the Seed of Torch must endure a one-month cooldown period before a second attempt is permitted.
This delay is devastating because the first three days after awakening the Seed of Torch are considered a protected period. During this window, any expeditions into the Alien Star Domain are significantly safer.
This serves as a "newbie benefit." Provided one doesn't behave recklessly, there is virtually no risk of death. It allows rookie captains to gain experience and gather extra resources at no cost. For a beginner, it is an unmissable opportunity.
However, if the fusion fails, that one-month waiting period cannot be bypassed. Such individuals can only watch as this golden opportunity vanishes, left with nothing but deep regret.