Ethan stepped into his ship, the door sliding shut behind him with a soft hiss. The cool, sterile hum of the ship's interireeted him, a sense of calm after the iy of the day. He moved straight to the cockpit, where Iris, his AI panion, was already monit the ship's systems.

  "Iris, give me a status update," Ethan said, colpsing into the pilot's chair. His body ached from the long training session. It had been a day filled with bat simutions, maneuvers, and endless on drills.

  "Power systems remain stable at 60% effio new issues detected. Hull iy requires attentioernal repairs are still necessary for full funality. ons systems remain offline," Iris responded, her voice smooth and reassuring, though it didly reat news.

  Ethan sighed, rubbing his temples. "We need more credits," he muttered, staring at the tablet Kael had synced earlier. The s fshed up, dispying a list of repair costs, refueling options, and upgrades. None of which he could afford yet.

  "At least we don't have to pay for a pce to sleep," he said, leaning ba the seat. "Not yet anyway."

  The cockpit's soft glow enveloped him, and for a momehahe siletle around him. The ship wasn't much, and it had definitely seeer days, but it was home. For now.

  "Shall I prepare the usual nutrient capsules?" Iris asked, breaking the silence.

  "Yeah, that'd be good," Ethan replied, pushing himself up from the chair. "Might as well eat before I crash."

  The small galley of the ship wasn't anything fancy. A single ter with a built-in dispenser sat against the wall. Ethan punched in a and, and within seds, a few bnd nutrient capsules materialized. He wasn't oo pin. At least they kept him going, even if the taste left something to be desired.

  As he ate in silence, his mind wandered back to the day's training. It had been tougher than he expected. Iris had taught him the basics of piloting, but what the guild demanded went beyond that. on systems, evasive maneuvers under fire, emergency repairs. There was a lot more to being a merary than he realized.

  A... despite the rough start, he'd found himself catg on quicker than he should've. It was strange, like his mind rocessing the information faster than before. His hands moved on their own, navigating the systems with an ease that felt fn to him. Was it because of the transmigration? Something about this new life seemed to have ged him.

  Ethan frowned, pushing the thought aside. He didn't have time to question it. He o keep improving, keep moving forward. Whatever advantage he had, he wasn't going to waste it.

  After finishing his meal, Ethan headed to the small shower unit at the back of the ship. The hot water helped ease the tension in his muscles, washing away the grime and fatigue from the long day. He stayed there lohan usual, letting the steam fill the small room, his mind drifting in and out of focus. The routine was simple, almost calming.

  Once he was done, he stepped out, grabbed a towel, and dried off before making his way to the sleeping capsule. The pait wasn't much, a narrow space tucked into the er of the room, but it was enough. He colpsed inside, exhaustion pulling at him.

  "Iris," he mumbled, staring at the low ceiling, "wake me up early tomorrow. Training's not over yet."

  "Uood, Ethan. I'll have the ship ready for your session."

  With that, Ethan closed his eyes, the steady hum of the ship lulling him into a deep sleep.

  The m, the VR training room was just as crowded as the day before. Ethan slipped into one of the avaible pods, donning the helmet and gloves that would immerse him in the virtual cockpit.

  The guild's training modules were relentless. They were desigo throw meraries into the most dangerous and high-pressure situations imagioday's focus was o maneuvers, learning how to coordih other ships during bat sarios.

  Ethan's improvement hadn't gone unnoticed. As the day wore on, he found himself reag to threats faster than he should've, his hands moving before his mind could fully process what he was doing. The instructors barely gave praise, but there was a nod here and there. That was enough.

  But something still didn't feel right. He couldn't shake the strange sehat this was too easy. He should've been struggling, but the training seemed to unfold like sed nature. He didn't voice his s, though. It wasn't like the guild would care where his skills came from, only that he performed when it ted.

  As evening fell, Ethan decided to take a walk around Valeris City. The bustling streets felt like a different world pared to the sterile halls of the guild. Neon lights flickered overhead, casting colorful refles off the sleek, t buildings. Meraries, traders, and locals milled about, going about their business, the air alive with the hum of chatter and the occasional hover vehicle passing by.

  Ethao himself, his eyes sing the crowded streets. He wasn't in the mood to socialize, not that he ever really was, but walking around the city helped him clear his mind. Tomorrow, he'd be heading out on his first real mission.

  The thought sent a mixture of excitement and hrough him. It was a simple delivery job, nothing risky, but it was the first step toward building his career as a merary.

  By the time he returo his ship, the city's lights had dimmed, and the streets were quieter. He climbed into the cockpit, settling in for anht in the sleeping capsule.

  "Iris, set an early arm. We leave at first light."

  "As you wish, Ethan," the AI replied.

  Ethan y back, staring out the small view port at the distant stars. Tomorrow, it all began for real.