Chapter 10: The Primal Star Dome, Flight Assessment [Double-Length]

Because of the heavy traffic of ships coming and going at Sea Knight Port, for the sake of navigational safety, the Interstellar Adventurers’ Association stipulates that within one light-hour of the port, ships are forbidden from using warp speed.

The Leonin jumped out of warp just beyond the one light-hour boundary and switched to full-speed travel.

One light-hour—the distance light travels in an hour.

The Leonin was an entry-level long-range ship, capable of only twenty percent the speed of light during normal flight. Factoring in acceleration and deceleration, it would take ten hours to reach Sea Knight Port.

That left plenty of time along the way to train their new teammate.

Golia took Sirius for some basic healing, a bath, a hearty meal to replenish her strength, and then dressed her in new clothes.

The clothes were a standard student uniform Golia had purchased, without any provocative elements.

Yet, in Lu Chen’s eyes, seeing a grown woman like Golia don a standard student uniform was its own kind of provocation.

Golia stood over 1.75 meters tall, while Sirius was at most 1.55—twenty centimeters’ difference in height alone.

Golia’s weight was estimated at 120 jin, while Sirius was barely 80—a forty-jin gap.

So a standard student uniform fit Golia like a sexy, form-fitting outfit.

But on Sirius... the shirt alone became a dress, making the skirt entirely redundant.

Fortunately, Sirius herself sensed the inappropriateness, found scissors and needle and thread, and set about altering and sewing.

When she put it back on, it fit perfectly.

And looked adorable.

So adorable, in fact, that Golia couldn’t resist bending down to give her a big hug.

Sadly, Aili’s face remained expressionless throughout: obedient but indifferent.

In the cockpit, Lu Chen glanced at Aili’s new look and found the student uniform rather suited her.

White hair and blue eyes, though less flamboyant than white hair with red eyes, carried an aura of indifference and quiet determination.

Lu Chen, sitting by the conference table at the porthole, sipped his tea with composure and asked her,

“You know how to tailor clothes?”

The newly transformed Sirius, a faint light now in her once-dull eyes, still looked distant.

“At General Fermat’s private estate, maids had to learn everything.”

“What are you good at?”

“Cultivating spirit grain, raising spirit beasts, cleaning.”

Lu Chen understood—Arden Fermat hadn’t discovered Aili’s talents at first.

“On the Leonin, you don’t need to do everything. Just focus on your duties as a Spirit Master: taming beasts and insects is a must, and you should know some basic medical and recovery techniques too.”

“I’ll work hard to improve.”

Sirius really needed no training at all—whatever Lu Chen said, she obeyed without question, total compliance.

That took away some of the satisfaction Lu Chen might have felt in ‘training’ her.

“There are two rooms in the living quarters. You can choose to have one to yourself, or share with Golia.”

The living quarters weren’t big—just two small rooms.

A separate captain’s cabin.

And a four-bunk multi-person dorm.

At the moment, Golia occupied all four bunks—using them to store her clothes and bags...

Two rooms, plus kitchen, dining area, bathroom, and toilet—all under thirty square meters total.

That’s standard for entry-level long-range ships.

Sirius gazed at Lu Chen, a little dazed, feeling as if this man was being so kind only because he wanted to sleep with her.

“I... I’ll just stay in the escape pod.”

Lu Chen took a sip of tea and shook his head.

“The escape pod is for sale. You stay in the captain’s cabin for now. When I need to sleep, I’ll pick whichever room is free. There’s only three of us aboard—no way we’ll all need to sleep at once.”

He added, “And that’s an order.”

“Yes, Cap—Captain.”

Sirius then began cleaning the rooms.

After all, there was no need to cultivate spirit grain or raise spirit beasts on a spaceship... though perhaps she could grow some potted plants or vegetables.

Not only did she tidy the captain’s cabin until it was spotless, she also cleaned Golia’s room, folding all the clothes neatly.

She even organized the cargo bay, polishing the ship’s floors until they gleamed.

Lu Chen and Golia exchanged glances, both feeling a little embarrassed about making any mess.

Golia was stunned. This little wolf-girl was perhaps a bit too well-behaved—it was almost unnerving.

She whispered to Lu Chen, “We’d better hurry and buy her some cultivation books, or life is going to be impossible like this.”

Lu Chen shot her a sidelong glance.

“Isn’t that better than you playing video games?”

...

Sea Knight Port was the headquarters of the Interstellar Adventurers’ Association, known as the third cosmic pole outside the Empire and the New Federation.

The Adventurers’ Association had strong ties with both the Empire and the New Federation, signing numerous trade contracts and legal immunity agreements.

It was said that, if you joined the Adventurers’ Association, as long as you didn’t attack official Empire or Federation ships within the Pangu Corridor, you wouldn’t be hunted or have a bounty placed on you for anything else you did.

Soon, the Leonin entered the one light-minute perimeter of Sea Knight Port.

They received an entry notification from the port.

Visiting ships were required to submit ID, reason for entry, and estimated docking time.

Lu Chen filled out the forms truthfully.

A welcome message arrived swiftly.

“Welcome to Sea Knight Port!”

And so, the Leonin slowly made its way into Sea Knight Port.

Only then did Lu Chen realize: Sea Knight Port was a colossal artificial star ring, its diameter rivaling that of a gas giant.

Upright, it resembled a massive interstellar gate, dominating the entrance to the Canyon Sector.

The gigantic ring of Sea Knight Port, together with the 108 planet-sized interstellar dreadnoughts of the Pangu Corridor, formed the Interstellar Adventurers’ Association.

Behind it, the Canyon Sector loomed—a wild, twisted, and vibrant cosmic canvas, magnificent and dangerous, utterly unlike the rest of the universe’s starfields.

Lu Chen was seeing it for the first time, and the spectacle was overwhelming.

He’d only ever glimpsed the Empire’s interstellar gates and great walls in games before.

The Canyon Sector was a relatively calm storm zone.

Between turbulent gravity wells and distorted black holes lay a narrow passage—the safest entrance to the Pangu Corridor.

You could brute-force your way in from elsewhere, if you had the strength of a level-50+ team and were prepared for any sudden peril.

...

Ships of all shapes and sizes came and went in an endless stream.

The Leonin glided into port, a mere mayfly on the ocean.

On the cockpit’s main screen, they were soon bombarded with advertisements from the Adventurers’ Association.

New ship models, refit yards, all kinds of supplies...

There were even recruitment ads for the Adventurers’ Academy.

At the academy, you could learn all manner of professional skills, survival techniques, interstellar etiquette, and guides to adventuring in the Pangu Corridor.

You could attend in person or buy video courses, learning while you explored.

Lu Chen thought Golia’s suggestion had merit—maybe Aili needed a “five years of adventure, three years of training” plan...

Meanwhile, Golia checked the process for joining the Adventurers’ Association on her wristband.

“We already meet the basic requirements. After submitting our application, there’s a ship inspection, a medical exam, and a flight test to determine our strength and whether we’re qualified to enter the Pangu Corridor. The association also requires a deposit, which covers emergency rescue, supply delivery, network and news fees, and free port docking for starliners... That’s why I want to sell more armor engines.”

Flight test?

Lu Chen hadn’t heard of that before.

“What’s the benefit of ranking high?”

Golia explained, “For a level-30 entry-level adventurer crew like us, the deposit is a thousand spirit stones. Ten ships to a group, competing in a test flight. First place gets their deposit—one thousand spirit stones—waived. Second place pays two hundred, counted as a full deposit. Third pays five hundred, also counted as a full deposit.”

That was a generous reward!

First place among ten ships would net a thousand stones, and the Leonin only cost twelve hundred.

Lu Chen did the math. Selling the damaged escape pod and a level-30 armor engine should easily net him a thousand stones.

Enough for the membership deposit—upgrading armor, buying body-refining pills, and stocking up for the journey would require a better result in the test.

He piloted the Leonin to a dock in the trading district.

Sirius stayed aboard.

Lu Chen donned his armor and lowered the escape pod to the surface.

Golia rode her jet bike, bringing the armor engine.

Together, they made their way to a nondescript secondhand spirit-tech shop.

The proprietor, an elderly man with black hair and a prosthetic electronic eye, evaluated the escape pod and armor engine, then looked at Lu Chen and Golia with a hint of surprise.

“You used a level-30 combat armor to protect a level-100 escape pod? No wonder the two of you managed to seize it.”

Lu Chen kept a straight face.

“We found it lying around.”

The old man chuckled.

“Don’t worry, this is the Pangu Corridor—robbery isn’t illegal. Still, you look like newcomers from outside, so who knows? This is an old Imperial military engine. If there’s anything valuable from the Imperial army inside that pod, you’ll be making headlines soon enough...”

Lu Chen smirked inwardly.

Calling his goods hot to force down the price—a classic bargaining tactic.

“Think I’m afraid of the Imperial army? Just say if you want it.”

The old man hadn’t expected this level-10 kid to be so tough. After a moment’s thought, he said, “I’ll take them, but I’ll have to spend plenty to launder the origins. Can’t pay much.”

“Stop stalling. Name your price.”

“I’ll give you two hundred stones for the engine, five hundred for the pod—just scrap value.”

Lu Chen thought, This old fox is ruthless! If he had any use for the engine or could process the pod’s materials, he wouldn’t sell at all.

“A thousand stones, not a single one less.”

The old man waved him away.

“Then you’ll have to try your luck elsewhere.”

Lu Chen turned to leave.

He hadn’t gone far, still not in his armor, when the old man sent a lackey to call him back.

“No need to get worked up, young man. You look like you’ve got potential, so I’ll take a loss this time. Next time you have hot goods, come to me.”

With that, he handed over a thousand spirit stones in cash.

Lu Chen counted the money, left the pod and engine, and returned to his ship.

For once, Golia cautioned, “That old man wasn’t wrong. Aden Fermat will definitely send people or put up a bounty for his lost pod. The Just Hunters might be after us, too. Isn’t it risky to sell so openly?”

Lu Chen remained calm.

“No need to worry. Sea Knight Port is massive—even if they find me, they can’t catch me.”

Golia was skeptical.

“The universe is vast. Don’t get too cocky.”

Still, with a thousand stones in hand, she quickly put her worries aside.

The Leonin lifted off again, heading for the membership application area atop the star ring.

Lu Chen connected the ship’s computer to the Adventurers’ Association system and submitted the application.

He filled in the ship, the team name, and the details of each crew member.

Then he piloted the ship to the designated dock for inspection.

The ship entered the review dock.

Everything was filled in except for the team name, which Lu Chen hadn’t settled on yet. He turned to Golia and Aili for suggestions.

“How about the Leonin Adventurers, or the Lu Chen Adventurers?”

Golia, gaming visor on, curled her lip.

“Not creative at all.”

“Then how about the Stray Cats and Dogs Adventurers?”

“Get lost!”

“Then you name it.”

Golia, absorbed in her space adventure game, blurted out, “Let’s call it: the Primordial Star Dome Adventurers!”

Lu Chen was speechless.

“Fried brains from too much gaming?”

“Just use it for now. Change it later if you think of something better.”

“All right, I’ll indulge you this once.”

...

Team Name: Primordial Star Dome Adventurers.

Flagship: Leonin, a Feondi-Zhou class long-range ship, unmodified.

Crew: Three.

Captain: Lu Chen, human, level-10 spirit mechanist.

Combat: Golia, human, level-18 swordspirit warrior.

Logistics: Aili, wolfkin, level-12 spirit master.

...

Lu Chen concealed Golia’s more sensitive information, and used Aili’s nickname for Sirius.

He finished the forms, took a photo, and submitted the application.

Soon, three inspectors from the Adventurers’ Association arrived to review the ship.

The chief inspector was a level-30 human woman, accompanied by two diagnostic robots.

They made a cursory tour, checking the engines, radar, and control systems.

Then they gave Lu Chen and his crew a simple medical exam.

They failed to detect Golia’s half-demon nature, or her true level-38 aura.

Clearly, the whole process was just a formality.

After they left, Lu Chen promptly received the association’s response.

“Dear ‘Primordial Star Dome’ Adventurers, you have passed the initial membership review. You may now prepare for the flight test within the port, learn skills, refit your ship, and stock up on supplies. Once ready, participate in the flight test to gain access to the Pangu Corridor and embark on a thrilling adventure.”

Lu Chen had only a thousand stones, which Golia clung to jealously.

He’d have to reserve them for the deposit; no unnecessary spending. The only hope was to place in the flight test and save some money.

With that in mind, he immediately submitted an application for the test.

An hour and a half later, Lu Chen received his summons and headed for the test site.

The test would take place on an artificial course in the outer Canyon Sector.

The track wasn’t long—just a million kilometers.

A little over three light-seconds.

But this was an obstacle-rich, no-rules, multi-ship challenge.

Ten ships per group.

All entry-level, level-30 long-range ships.

Various obstacles were scattered along the course.

During the race, ships could cooperate or attack each other.

The association provided only vest airbags to protect the crew; if your ship was destroyed, you got no compensation.

Every applicant ship had to participate.

Take more than half an hour to finish, and you’d have to retest.

Only by passing could you officially join, pay your deposit, and qualify for the Pangu route.

Of course, to offset ship losses, the association awarded prizes to the top three: one thousand, eight hundred, and five hundred stones, respectively—very tempting.

After all, a thousand stones could buy a Feondi-Zhou class long-range ship!

When the Leonin reached the dock outside the course, Lu Chen saw the wreckage of many ships and crewmembers encased in airbags being hauled away by rescue craft.

The dock itself was a massive space carrier, a mothership that could carry spaceships.

As he queued up, Lu Chen realized something:

His brand-new Leonin was the only civilian ship with no modified engines or added weapons.

The other adventurer ships included converted imperial patrol boats, New Federation sperm whale starbeast ships, pirate ships made of beast bones...

There were also interstellar rail trains made of linked containers.

Block-shaped ships stacked like Tetris.

Even a flying sword-shaped ship.

Several modified Feondi ships, too...

All were level-30 engines, but with added medium weapons or advanced overclocked auxiliary engines.

Overhead, floating in the dock, was the host’s platform, broadcasting the race live as entertainment.

Major casinos even took bets on the outcome.

Lu Chen’s group hadn’t started yet.

To maximize their odds, the three strongest ships had already teamed up.

The other seven split into two squads of three.

In the end, the Leonin was left utterly alone.

No mockery, no provocations, no one even sparing a glance at the ship’s beautiful crew—

Only pure indifference.

Nobody even looked at him.

Lu Chen maintained a calm facade, but he was actually wholly unprepared.

“Looks like we’re not quite ready for this,” Golia said, brow furrowed, hands on her not-so-slender waist, chest heaving with frustration. “Isn’t this cheating?”

Lu Chen smiled coolly, patting her shoulder.

“Who says we can’t cheat? You’re my cheat code.”