LOWKEY INTERSTELLER CAPTAIN

The Imperial Academy’s grand halls buzzed with murmurs as Cheno Bo stepped into the tactical training chamber. He had no illusions—his enemies had tightened their grip. Every step forward meant pushing against an unseen force, one that sought to crush him before he could rise.

Yet, the fire inside him burned stronger than ever. He would carve his path through sheer will.

A New Trial, A Familiar Enemy

The instructors had devised a special test for fleet command hopefuls. A live combat simulation against elite AI-controlled fleets, designed to mimic the real warfront.

Cheno studied the details. The challenge was simple: Survive. The battlefield would be a vast asteroid field, littered with derelict warships and unpredictable hazards. To make matters worse, the Empire’s elite would be watching.

A sharp voice cut through the air. “Looks like we’ll finally see if the fallen noble can actually fight,” Xian Ren sneered, arms crossed, his ever-present arrogance grating on Cheno’s nerves.

Cheno met his rival’s gaze. No words were necessary. The battlefield would settle this.

The Simulation Begins

The simulation chamber shifted as the holographic interface activated, enveloping the participants in a near-perfect replica of an interstellar battlefield. Each cadet was assigned a command vessel with limited reinforcements.

Xian Ren’s fleet consisted of the latest Imperial warships, custom-tailored to his specifications. Cheno’s? Outdated destroyers with weakened shields and faulty weaponry.

[System Override Engaged.]

Cheno’s vision sharpened as the Void Sovereign’s interface linked into the simulation, bypassing the Academy’s imposed limitations. He grinned. They wanted to stack the deck against him? Fine. Let’s see how they handled a true strategist.

As the battle commenced, Xian Ren wasted no time. His fleet surged forward, coordinated and efficient, seeking to eliminate Cheno with overwhelming force.

But Cheno Bo was no cornered animal.

Using the dense asteroid field to his advantage, he lured Xian Ren’s forces into a series of ambush points. Ion bursts disabled enemy thrusters, forcing them into tight corridors where his weaker ships could strike with surgical precision.

In the control room, instructors murmured among themselves. No one had expected him to last this long.

Xian Ren’s Rage

Xian Ren’s smug expression faltered as his battle plan unraveled. “Impossible,” he growled, slamming his fist on the control panel.

“How is he predicting our movements?” one of his sub-commanders stammered.

Xian Ren clenched his jaw. He had sabotaged Cheno’s fleet. There was no way he should be winning.

Unless…

Unless Cheno Bo had a power beyond their understanding.

Aeliana’s Doubts

Watching from the observation deck, Aeliana tapped her fingers against the glass. She had long dismissed Cheno as a relic of the past, a shadow of a fallen house.

But now, she saw something else. Something terrifying.

The cold precision of his strategies, the way his ships danced around Xian Ren’s forces as if guided by an unseen hand. He wasn’t just fighting—he was dismantling the battlefield itself.

For the first time, she felt something she never expected to feel toward him again.

Fear.

The System’s Power

Cheno felt the system guiding him, feeding him real-time data beyond human comprehension.

[Binding Progress: 35%.]

With each battle, the Void Sovereign’s hidden fragments merged into its core, strengthening the link between him and the ship.

[New Tactical Enhancement Unlocked: Overrider Protocol.]

Cheno’s eyes widened. He could now override the command functions of enemy ships for brief periods, forcing them into chaotic disarray.

A slow smile crept across his face. Now, it was time to end this farce.

Xian Ren’s Defeat

As Xian Ren’s forces prepared a final push, Cheno activated the Overrider Protocol.

For five seconds, his system hijacked their targeting systems. Weapons locked onto their own allies, shields powered down, thrusters overloaded.

It was over.

One by one, his ships tore through Xian Ren’s forces until nothing remained but burning wreckage.

The simulation ended. Silence filled the chamber.

Then, applause.

Not from the cadets, but from the instructors.

“Well done,” one of them muttered. “That was… beyond expectation.”

Xian Ren stormed out, his face twisted with rage. This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

A Warning from the Shadows

Later that night, Cheno received an encrypted message. No sender. No trace.

Only a single line of text:

“You are being watched. Be careful.”

Cheno narrowed his eyes. The real game was only beginning.