Enrollment

Central Star.

 This is a planet located in the Allenby Star System, a star system within the galaxy. Its diameter is about 1.4 times that of Earth, with rocky layers on the outer surface and molten lava inside, revolving around the Allenby star. Each time it revolves around the Allenby star, it rotates 428 times, so a year here is 428 days, with each day being 83 minutes longer than on Earth.

 After the New Federal Government discovered this planet, it underwent over a hundred years of transformation to become a habitable planet. In the year 5142 of Earth's calendar, it was designated as the capital of the New Federation.

 In the year 6457, the New Federal Government moved its capital to the Holy Domain Star, and Central Star became the second capital. Although no longer the center of human civilization, much of its former glory remains to this day.

 Phoenix City in the Gridlingsen District of Central Star.

 Standing at the gates of the academy, Johnny Reno looked at this ancient complex with curiosity, awe, and a hint of reverence. Its appearance was ancient and weathered, standing amidst the modern technological buildings everywhere, like a stubborn old man guarding his territory.

 This is the Alpha Military Academy, which has a history of over eight hundred years on Central Star. In this period of more than eight hundred years, it has produced over three million outstanding students for the Federation, with over forty percent of them ultimately becoming senior military officers, including twenty thousand generals, six hundred marshals, twenty-eight military chiefs, and two presidents of the Federation.

 It is this brilliance that makes it the best military academy in the New Federation. Every year, over one hundred million young people with dreams of becoming soldiers apply to this military academy, yet the Alpha Military Academy only admits twelve thousand students.

 It can be said that before the students here step onto the battlefield, they must first experience a war—a war fought and won among over a hundred million applicants.

 As one of the twelve thousand victors, Reno finally arrived here. Looking at the ancient gate of the academy, a faint smile appeared on his somewhat youthful face.

 Patting the B35 self-transport robot beside him, Reno walked towards the entrance, with the small robot automatically following behind.

 A guard stopped him: "New student, please show your admission certificate."

 Reno handed over the certificate: "Excuse me, how do I get to the Naval Division?"

 "Go straight in, then take the left path when you see the fork," the guard handed back the certificate. "You can go in now, but the robot cannot. According to the academy regulations, no student is allowed to use any domestic robots during their enrollment. All students must rely on themselves to solve problems."

 "Okay." Reno took his bag from the self-transport robot and handed the robot to the guard. "This was a gift when I was three years old. It has been with me for fifteen years, so please take care of it for me..."

 Bang!

 The guard skillfully dismantled the drive device of the B35 and casually tossed it aside, and Reno realized that the robots behind him had piled up into a small mountain.

 Reno swallowed hard with difficulty: "...Alright, goodbye, my friend."

 Carrying his bag, Reno walked into the academy gate, strolling along the tree-lined path.

 The academy was quiet, with no flying cars flying in the sky, only students wearing non-commissioned military uniforms walking on the road.

 This is rare outside. The Alpha Academy is like an ancient and closed world, slowly revealing its mysterious side to Reno in its unique way.

 Following the path guided by the guard, Reno soon arrived at the Naval Division, registered at the new student reception, and went to the student area after receiving the new student key.

 Just as he arrived at the student area, he saw a large group of people standing on the playground, holding various packages in their hands, obviously new students.

 On the other side, a large group of students in academy uniforms were gathered together, laughing and talking, with the latest XI model strollcopters parked around them. This type of strollcopter is only suitable for single-person flight, like an airborne motorcycle, with air cushion bumpers around it, ideal for low-altitude flight.

 Seeing Reno approaching, a student with a hooked nose shouted, "Another one. Hey, you, come over here!"

 A small student had already run over and arrived beside Reno, grabbing Reno and pulling him towards the group.

 Reno stood still.

 The small student pulled again and said, "Don't resist, or they'll give you trouble."

 Reno looked at those people. "But they are also students."

 "Second-year students!" The small student pulled Reno into the group.

 "Are second-year students remarkable?"

 "This is a military academy. Subordinates obey superiors, and rookies obey veterans. So new students must also obey old students! This is something everyone must go through. Don't be nervous; it's nothing, just a small welcome party, but the style may not be easy for everyone to accept." The small student had already pushed Reno into the group and stood beside him.

 "You seem familiar with this place."

 The small student's eyes lit up with excitement. "I grew up here since I was a child. I'm familiar with everything around here. Oh, by the way, I'm Rocky, Rocky Whitner. Everyone calls me Little Rocky."

 "Johnny Reno, from Shiladun Star."

 A sense of excitement appeared in Little Rocky's eyes. "Is it the Shiladun Star in the Rainbow Star Ring? I heard that the starry sky there is beautiful, with three moons that emit three different colors of light at night. It is said that the headquarters of the Starlight Pirates is there."

 "That's why I joined the military," Reno replied.

 "You don't like them?" Little Rocky asked, a bit foolishly.

 "They killed my parents."

 "Oh... I'm sorry."

 "It's okay."

 Meanwhile, the student with the hooked nose shouted loudly, "Shut up, no talking allowed."

 All the new students stopped whispering to each other at the same time.

 The student with the hooked nose grinned. "Alright, rookies, welcome to the Alpha Military Academy, the best military academy in the entire federation. As a welcome to the new recruits, we will hold a grand welcome party for you!"

 Someone raised their hand weakly and said, "Can we opt out?"

 "No, you can't." The student with the hooked nose grinned wickedly. "It's tradition. Every new student has to participate. If you don't, it means you're separating from the group. Do you know what it means to separate from the collective in the military?"

 The new student immediately fell silent.

 "Very well, that means there's no objection. Now, we'll announce the rules of the welcome party." The student with the hooked nose clapped his hands, and a few seniors in the distance suddenly pulled open the gates beside them, and spotlights turned on, revealing rows of old-style strollcopters inside. They looked old and outdated, probably existing for many years.

 "These are the A-series strollcopters from Earle Corporation. Damn, these antique cars are already out of production. Where did they get so many?" Little Rocky whispered to himself.

 These cars now had a nickname, "Old A," used to describe their antiquity.

 The student with the hooked nose shouted loudly, "The rules are simple. Each person gets an Old A. Ride it from here to the mountaintop across. Anyone who can reach the top will have a grand welcome party waiting for them. For safety, all the vehicles are programmed with height restrictions. Neither you nor we can fly more than three meters above the ground."

 "Is that all?" someone asked foolishly.

 The student with the hooked nose smirked proudly. "Of course, but there might be a little trouble. That is..."

 He suddenly mounted his own strollcopter and took an old-style rifle from it. "We'll be chasing you from behind."

 Everyone's face turned pale.

 Reno looked at the rifle and suddenly said, "Are those rubber bullets inside?"

 The student with the hooked nose hesitated, looked at Reno, shrugged, and then aimed the gun at Reno and fired. A rubber bullet hit him in the face.

 It stung.

 The student with the hooked nose patted the rifle barrel. "Although they're rubber bullets, they still hurt when they hit you. Run with all your might until we catch and eliminate you! Hahaha!"

 He laughed maniacally.

 "But this isn't fair. You guys have the latest strollcopters and guns, while we can only use those old cars!" protested a new student.

 "Shut up!" the student with the hooked nose shouted loudly. "This is the Naval Division of the Alpha Military Academy. Everyone who comes here is going to be a future captain! How can a captain fear challenges? Remember, a good captain never lets others shoot down their ship, whether it's a starship or a strollcopter!"

 Little Rocky leaned in close to Reno's ear. "I bet he didn't come up with that line himself."

 Reno nodded in agreement.

 "Of course, we'll give you some chances," the student with the hooked nose continued. "You can depart one minute early."

 "What's the use of one minute? It's not even enough time for me to familiarize myself with the performance of those old cars," grumbled Little Rocky.

 Indeed, many features of those old cars were different from modern ones, and they needed to be familiarized with before formal operation.

 "Don't worry, Old A is actually quite simple. Its biggest difference from modern strollcopters is that it lacks an automatic flight system. It's all manual. The red dot on the left control lever is the start button, but you have to press it three times instead of once. The brake is not on the hand but under the foot," Reno explained.

 Little Rocky listened in amazement. "Have you driven one of these cars before?"

 Reno replied, "Children without parents are usually quite poor."

 The laughter of the student with the hooked nose continued.

 He laughed for quite a while before stopping. "Don't worry, we do this every year, and it's very safe. So, what are you waiting for? Why aren't you going yet? The countdown begins, one!"

 Damn, the countdown didn't start from when they got into the cars.

 All the new students cursed and rushed back to the garage. 

The student with the hooked nose aimed the gun at the sky and fired, sending rubber bullets flying.

 He shouted madly, "Get moving, run, jump, cheer. This is the Alpha Military Academy. Remember my name, Speed Matthieu Allefied!"

 "I'll beat you all to a pulp!"

 Amidst the roaring engines, Little Rocky's strollcopter had already started.

 Reno was right; the biggest pitfall of these old cars was the need to press the start button three times. If it weren't for Reno's reminder, he would have wasted a lot of time on this.

 But now, he was destined to be one of the first to rush out, which would bring him an opportunity. Perhaps he could become one of the new students who flew to the mountaintop.

 That was the pride of all the new students!

 "Ha! Let's go, Reno," Rocky shouted loudly.

 Looking back, Rocky was dumbfounded.

 Reno was running to the students, shouting loudly, "Press the red button three times, that's the start button! The brake is under your foot!"

 With Reno's running, one strollcopter after another roared out of the garage.

 "Reno, what are you doing?" Little Rocky shouted in fear. This was the second time he had said this.

 The sudden rush left everyone dumbfounded.

 The speedboat, with white streams trailing behind, rushed past the seniors like a giant rubber bullet thundering through. One after another, strollcopters soared into the sky, tossing the seniors seated in them.

 Flying vehicles, dancing seniors, panicked shouts, and angry roars formed a spectacular scene at that moment.

 The Old A drew a graceful arc in the air, hovering above the seniors' heads. Reno made a gesture of salute to everyone, "A good captain never allows others to shoot down their ship and will retaliate when necessary."

 With that, he hit the throttle, and the old-fashioned strollcopter shot forward.

 "Well done, Reno!" Little Rocky exclaimed excitedly, piloting his own Old A closely behind Reno.

 "Damn it!" Matt pounded his strollcopter in anger. He shouted, "What are you waiting for? Catch up with that bastard and take him down!"

 "Take him down!" all the seniors echoed.

They picked up their strollcopters, revved the engines, and one by one, they chased after Reno.

They zoomed through the academy's airspace, limited by the altitude program, unable to fly too high above the ground. They had to navigate between buildings and trees. The high-speed maneuvering required full concentration, or they risked crashing into walls. Even with collision cushions, the sensation of falling from three meters high wasn't pleasant. Fractures were a possibility.

But the students didn't care. They drove their strollcopters madly, rifles in hand, continuously firing rubber bullets ahead.

 Bullets whizzed past Reno's head, hitting walls and cars around him, producing crisp sounds.

 Reno ducked his head, maneuvering his craft sharply before it almost collided with a glass window, performing a ninety-degree turn and flying past it. A student behind the window whistled in admiration; he wasn't worried about the glass breaking. All the windows and walls here were reinforced to handle such situations.

 The roaring procession of strollcopters created a massive torrent, crazily rushing through the academy, with countless eyes watching from every corner.

 This was an annual event of the Naval Division, a way to judge potential future figures. Occasionally, there were even small bets placed, such as how many students would successfully reach the mountaintop.

 The distance from the academy to the mountaintop wasn't short, and with the speed of the Old A, it was impossible to escape the strollcopters. The only hope for them to reach the mountaintop was the restricted altitude. With buildings in the academy and forests on the mountain, the strollcopters had to navigate between them to reach the summit.

 It was an obstacle course, not just a speed race. The role of skill was maximized here, compensating for the shortcomings of the vehicles.

 Despite this, it was still a challenge for most new students. Second-year seniors had undergone a year of training and adaptation, making them much more skilled than the newbies and familiar with the terrain.

 So in previous years, most new students ended up being shot down.

 But this year was somewhat exceptional.

 Reno glanced back; the roaring procession of strollcopters was relentlessly chasing him. Without a doubt, he had stirred up a hornet's nest. The seniors weren't chasing other students anymore; they were all after him.

 Reno smiled, twisted his wrist, and accelerated his Old A, making another airborne turn onto a nearby path. Countless rubber bullets whizzed past him, hitting the glass windows with a cacophony.

 The white streams formed a huge S-shape in the sky, snaking into the distance and disappearing into the dark woods.

 They finally flew out of the academy and into the forested area.

 So far, the seniors hadn't taken down any of the new students.

 "Matt, this won't work. We'll let the others get away! We can't keep chasing that cunning kid; he's slipperier than a fish," someone shouted to Matt.

 "No, I must catch up with him!" Matt shouted angrily. "He's humiliated me."

 "If you don't stop chasing him, it'll humiliate all of us. We'll be the first group to let all the newbies reach the mountaintop!"

 Matt hesitated for a moment, then shouted unwillingly, "Fine, Byl, you and I will go after that guy, everyone else find your own target."

 "Understood!" the seniors responded together, and the previously united group dispersed.

 It was like hunters pursuing prey; each senior locked onto a new student and began a chase through the mountains.

 Rubber bullets whizzed through the trees and leaves, creating a battlefield scene as if it were real combat, which was precisely what the academy wanted the students to experience.

 From the first day they entered the academy, they had to understand what their future held. If they couldn't handle this atmosphere, it was best to quit now for everyone's sake.

 Bang!

 A rubber bullet struck a new student's back, causing him to tremble, lose control of his vehicle, and crash into a tree. The airbag prevented serious injury, but the shock of the fall from a height was still painful.

 "One down!" a senior shouted triumphantly.

 In the next moment, a strollcopter burst out from the side and crashed into him, knocking him and his craft to the ground.

 "I got one too," Reno said calmly as he hovered in the air.

 He asked the new student lying on the ground, "Can you get up?"

 "I can manage," the new student replied weakly.

 "Then get up and keep flying," Reno said.

 "What?" The new student was stunned. "But I've already been shot down."

 "The rules don't say you can't get back up after being shot down, especially when there's a better one right here." Reno pointed to the strollcopter he had knocked over, smiled at the new student, and swiftly flew away in his Old A.

 Behind him, Matt and Byl caught up, and Matt was almost furious.

 That bastard had the audacity to do something else while being chased by him. That was the biggest insult.

 "I won't let you get away with this!" He noticed a new student below, going to help the fallen strollcopter. Knowing what he intended to do, he made a sudden decision.

 With a savage grin on his face, Matt revved his engine with a low growl.

 He lowered his altitude and rammed into the new student below.

 The fierce impact sent the new student flying, although the airbag prevented serious injury, the tremendous force still made him dizzy and collapse to the ground.

 Seeing this scene, Reno gritted his teeth and muttered, "You bastard!"

 "He's your responsibility! Kid!" Matt shouted furiously, sounding almost crazy.

 Because of Reno's successive mockery, anger was burning his rationality, making him unreasonable. At this moment, all he wanted was to catch Reno, pull him off the Old A, and give this damn new student a lesson, let him know the cost of arrogance!

 He pursued furiously.

 Seeing this situation, Reno began intentionally slowing down.

 He dodged bullets with the help of the terrain, and when Matt and Byl got closer, he suddenly reached out and pulled a nearby tree branch.

 The branch bent with Reno's high-speed movement, and then Reno let go. The rebounding branch suddenly leaped up and struck Byl flying past. Although the attack wasn't severe, the sudden assault caught Byl off guard for a moment.

 The panic resulted in him losing control, and he crashed into a tree.

 "Byl!" Matt shouted, looked at his partner, then decided to ignore him and continued to chase Reno.

 "I'll get you!" Matt yelled frantically.

 He changed the magazine for his gun and continued to shoot at Reno desperately. Rubber bullets, carrying his rage, sprayed out crazily, hitting Reno's back.

 Reno shook, and the Old A flew past a big tree with a brush. He fell off the car and rolled into the bushes.

 Matt laughed heartily, "Now you can't run away."

 He hovered in the air and rushed over.

 Just as the Old A rushed into the bushes, Reno suddenly jumped up.

 He leaped out of the bushes, grabbed a tree, and kicked Matt high in the air.

 The kick came so fast that Matt felt a pain in his chest and was kicked off the strollcopter by Reno.

 As Reno let go and landed on the ground, he faced Matt again and gave him another kick, stomping him down and snatching his gun in passing.

 "You bastard..." Matt's words were cut off as Reno smashed him with the gun butt.

 The gun pointed at Matt.

 The tables had turned in an instant.

 Looking at Matt, Reno said coldly, "You shouldn't have done that."

 "I don't need you to teach me!" Matt retorted angrily.

 Reno aimed the gun at Matt's face. "Are you sure?"

 Matt hesitated, "You wouldn't dare. My father is a general."

 Reno nodded, "Thank you for telling me why someone as incompetent as you can become their leader. But I don't care."

 He pulled the trigger, emptying the remaining bullets into Matt's face.

 ...

 Dropping the gun, Reno helped himself back onto his Old A.

 Although it took a hit, it was still functional.

 Old stuff sometimes had its advantages, durable and rugged.

 Remounting the Old A, Reno flew all the way.

 This time, no one came to bother him.

 When he reached the mountaintop, Reno saw that a group of new students had already gathered there.

 A grand welcome party was underway, the entire mountaintop transformed into a huge venue.

 Above the venue was a platform, with a long table below, surrounded by a circle of students, draped with white cloth, filled with fruits, wine, and various delicacies.

 In the center of the venue was a dance floor, where students chatted and danced, with handsome young men and beautiful women.

 Above the platform was a three-dimensional screen that could observe everything below from any angle, splitting countless images.

 As Reno approached the platform, he saw countless split images suddenly change into his own image, standing tall at the top of the mountain.

 An excited voice echoed in the air, "Look, our king has arrived!"

 "Oh!" Everyone cheered.

 Reno noticed everyone looking at him, raising their cups to him.

 What's going on?

 Reno hadn't understood yet.

 A student came over and asked, "What's your name?"

 "Johnny Reno," Reno replied.

 "He's called Reno!" The student shouted loudly, his voice amplified by the device he carried, reaching far and wide.

 "Reno! Reno! Reno! Reno!" Everyone shouted.

 Reno saw Little Rocky in the crowd and approached him, asking, "What's going on?"

 "Nothing much," Little Rocky shrugged. "Every year, the Naval Division selects the most outstanding new student among the newcomers for tonight's king. Because of your outstanding performance tonight, ninety-two percent of the votes were cast for you, so you were elected as the king of tonight's dance. As the king, you have the right to choose a beautiful woman as your dance partner tonight, and she cannot refuse."

 Little Rocky chuckled, "Seize the opportunity."

 Reno finally understood. He looked around and saw countless female students sending flirtatious glances his way.

 As female students, they could choose not to participate in the speedboat race, but they must accept the king's choice.

 After thinking for a moment, Reno asked softly, "What if I don't choose?"

 Little Rocky shrugged, "It means you're alienating yourself from the organization. You know what this result means in the military, right?"

 Damn it!

 Reno looked around helplessly.

 Young girls were waving to him, some boldly making various flirtatious gestures towards him.

 His gaze wandered among the girls, and finally, Reno's eyes settled on a girl with long, golden hair.

 Her eyes seemed very clear, and when Reno looked at her, she neither encouraged nor rejected, but instead, gave a faint smile.

 This smile touched Reno's heart, and he walked over, standing beside the girl.

 "Hello, I'm Johnny Reno," he said.

 "I know," the girl replied. "You mentioned it earlier."

 Reno's face reddened, he scratched his head, and said, "Can I ask you to be my dance partner tonight? Um, I mean, if you don't want to, it's okay, I can..."

 "I'd love to," the girl interrupted him, answering directly.

 Reno was stunned by this answer, but seeing the girl's response, he smiled and took the initiative to approach her. He held her and said, "I'm Claire. I'm Claire J. Marshall. I really liked your performance tonight. You're the first student in the last ten years of Alpha Academy to voluntarily help all the students leave."

 "Thank you," Reno replied, entering the center of the venue with the girl.

 "Claire! He chose Claire!" a student shouted loudly.

 "Whoo!"

 Cheers erupted, and all the students whistled and cheered.

 This confused Reno a bit. "It seems like I've chosen an exceptional girl. I thought you were a newcomer."

 "I am indeed a newcomer, but all the seniors here know me," Claire replied.

 "Why is that?" Reno asked.

 A sweet smile appeared on Claire's face. "Because my grandfather is the dean of the Military Academy."