LOWKEY INTERSTELLER CAPTAIN

Cheno Bo’s last memory was of fire and destruction—the fleet crumbling, his body torn apart in the vacuum of space. The cries of his dying comrades echoed in his ears, and the unbearable heat of the burning bridge seared his flesh before the darkness took him. He had fought to his last breath, but it had not been enough. His enemies had been too powerful, the fleet too weak, and his fate had been sealed in the cold, unforgiving void. But fate had other plans.

A sharp gasp escaped his lips as he jolted awake. His eyes snapped open, expecting the void of death, yet he found himself staring at a cold metal ceiling instead. A pounding headache surged through his skull as his senses adjusted to the dim glow of fluorescent lights above. The air smelled of recycled oxygen and sterilized metal—an all-too-familiar scent. Confusion swirled in his mind as he tried to move, his limbs heavy, his breath ragged. Then, a voice, sharp and commanding, rang out.

“Cadet Cheno Bo, wake up! Formation in ten minutes!”

The voice belonged to Sergeant Volker, the drill instructor of the Imperial Military Academy’s cadet division. Cheno turned his head, his vision blurring for a moment before focusing on the hulking figure standing at the entrance to the barracks. Volker’s stern face was partially shadowed by the dim lighting, but his presence was unmistakable. The man had haunted Cheno’s youth with relentless training and discipline, but… that had been decades ago.

Cheno’s heart pounded as realization dawned upon him. He was back. He was young again.

He sat up too quickly, dizziness nearly toppling him over. His hands grasped the edges of the metal cot, feeling its solidness beneath his fingers. This wasn’t a dream. It wasn’t a hallucination. The weight of the academy’s standard uniform clung to his body, the same ones he had worn over two decades ago. He looked around the barracks, his fellow cadets—his old classmates—grumbling as they hurried to dress. The metallic bunks, the smell of unwashed uniforms, the constant hum of ventilation systems… every detail was exactly as he remembered it.

He needed to calm down.

Taking a deep breath, Cheno squeezed his eyes shut and focused. Memories surged through his mind. He had died in battle fighting an alien race, leading the remnants of the Imperial Fleet against an overwhelming enemy. His final moments had been a desperate struggle, his thoughts filled with regrets and anger at his own helplessness. But now, he was here—back in his eighteen-year-old body, with years of combat experience and tactical knowledge crammed into his mind.

[System Initialization Complete. Welcome, Host.]

A mechanical voice echoed directly in his thoughts. Cheno froze. His heartbeat quickened. He had never heard this voice before. This was something new.

[Binding to host… Synchronization complete.]

[System Online. Status assessment commencing…]

His vision flickered, and suddenly, a translucent blue interface materialized in front of him, hovering just above his field of view. Data scrolled rapidly, detailing his name, age, physical condition, and—a new addition—an Binding pencentage with an unknown potential rating.

[New Mission: Survive the Academy’s Combat Trials. Reward: Status Upgrade.]

Cheno inhaled sharply. He had heard of Systems before, in myths and forbidden records buried deep in classified archives. They were rumored to be ancient constructs capable of granting unimaginable power, guiding individuals to heights beyond mortal limits. But they were legends, not reality. And yet, here it was—attached to him.

Before he could process everything, Volker’s booming voice shook him back to reality. “Move it, cadets! If you’re late, you’ll be running laps until sunrise!”

Cheno swallowed his questions for now. He needed to blend in, to act as if nothing had changed. If the System was real, he would have time to explore its capabilities later. Right now, he had training to attend.

He quickly dressed, tightening the straps of his boots with practiced ease. Around him, the other cadets rushed to do the same. He recognized their faces—Jared Lian, his old squadmate, who had died in an ambush years later; Sora Vale, the academy’s top scorer, who had vanished in a classified mission; Ren Halden, a cocky but brilliant strategist. Seeing them alive, young, and full of potential sent a pang of nostalgia through him.

As they rushed out into the courtyard, the morning chill bit at his skin. The academy’s vast training grounds stretched before them—rows of obstacle courses, combat arenas, and firing ranges, all illuminated under the artificial sky of the orbital station that housed the academy. This was where he had first trained to be a soldier. This was where his journey had begun.

[System Tip: Host’s combat experience is superior to current physical condition. Recommended action: Improve attributes.]

Cheno clenched his fists. He knew what the System meant. He might have the knowledge of a seasoned warrior, but his body was still that of an untrained cadet. He would have to rebuild his strength from scratch, but this time… this time, he would do it right.

Sergeant Volker paced before the gathered cadets. “Today marks the beginning of your true training. You are no longer civilians. You are soldiers of the Empire. You will be tested, broken, and reforged into weapons. Only the strongest will advance.” His sharp gaze swept across the formation before locking onto Cheno. “And some of you have a lot to prove.”

Cheno met his gaze without flinching. This was his chance. His second life. He would not waste it.

As the morning drills began, his body protested, muscles straining under the weight of the intense regimen. But unlike his past self, who had struggled through these exercises, Cheno adapted quickly. He knew exactly how to breathe, how to pace himself, how to maximize his training. The System, too, seemed to assist subtly, guiding his movements and enhancing his recovery speed.

By the end of the session, while the others collapsed from exhaustion, Cheno remained standing. This was only the beginning.

As he wiped the sweat from his brow, a thought burned in his mind: He had come back with knowledge of the future, with a System that could make him stronger. This time, he would not just be a soldier. He would become a legend.

Little did he know, fate had even greater plans in store for him. In the depths of the cosmos, an ancient warship slumbered, waiting for its true master to claim it.

And Cheno Bo was about to begin the journey that would lead him to the throne of the Eternal Void.