Chapter 173: The Astral Voyager

?The official stopped typing once more.

?Slowly, she looked up. "Excuse me?"

?"First class, please."

?For the second time that morning, the official questioned her own ears.

?First class? To an active Tier IV rift?

?She glanced at the destination pricing matrix on her screen, then back at Cassian’s D-Grade registration file.

?A newly awakened Lord requesting first-class passage to a lethal spatial anomaly was a bizarre combination, to say the least.

?Still, her professional training prevailed. "Certainly, Lord Cassian. Allow me to pull up the available first-class berths."

?She opened the premium booking portal, and the total fee flashed across the glass screen:

?[First-Class Passage to the Orion Rift: 12,600,000 Astral Coins]

?The official hesitated, intentionally leaving the screen visible.

?Even among established Lords, twelve million Astral coins was a massive sum to throw away on a single transit ticket.

?The Lord Transit network wasn’t a public transport line. Its purpose was to transport Lords to hazardous regions that standard civilian vessels could not safely navigate.

?Its military-grade transports were outfitted with heavy energy shielding, spatial jump engines, and point-defense systems built to withstand spatial distortions near volatile rifts.

Naturally, the Association charged an absurd premium for such deployments.

?And the Orion Rift was especially expensive.

?Demand had skyrocketed since its discovery, with noble houses and private expeditions competing for limited launch windows.

First-class berths provided private suites, reinforced defensive pods, and priority deployment, making them highly coveted by wealthy Lords.

?The official expected Cassian to wince and downgrade to economy.

?Instead, he merely glanced at the total. "That works."

?He tapped his communicator against the payment sensor, authorizing the transfer.

?The system processed the transaction instantly.

?[Payment Successful — 12,600,000 Astral Coins Deducted]

?The official stared at the green confirmation message.

?Then she stared at Cassian.

?Then she looked back at the screen.

?"..."

?She was completely speechless.

?A Lord who had awakened three days ago had just casually dropped over twelve million Astral coins on a first-class ticket to a Tier IV death trap.

?And he hadn’t blinked an eye.

’?Who in the cosmos did I just register?’

?She had initially written Cassian off as another reckless rookie overestimating his luck. But a Lord capable of throwing around twelve million coins like pocket change either possessed massive backing from a Legacy Family or had accumulated astronomical wealth in a matter of days.

?Neither option was normal.

?And considering his confirmed awakening date, the second possibility was utterly terrifying.

?The official’s posture straightened instantly, her tone shifting to one of utmost deference. "Your payment has been verified, Lord Cassian. Your first-class boarding passes have been issued."

?She retrieved two glowing crystal keycards from the dispenser and presented them with both hands.

?"Your boarding platform and departure lounge details are loaded onto the cards. Please proceed to Executive Wing A when you are ready."

?"Thank you."

?Cassian collected the keycards and turned away from the counter.

?Nyxara followed, reviewing the details on her pass. "First class, my Lord?"

?Cassian offered a subtle smile. "If we’re heading into a volatile dimensional rift, we might as well enjoy the ride."

?Nyxara nodded, completely satisfied with his logic.

?Behind the counter, the official watched their figures melt into the crowd.

?She had processed thousands of Lords throughout her career, but something about Cassian left her with the chilling impression that she had just witnessed the start of something legendary.

?A D-Grade Lord Seed.

?Three days since awakening.

?Over twelve million Astral coins spent without a second thought.

?And a destination that made veteran Lords sweat.

?She slowly shook her head.

’?The Association is definitely going to hear this man’s name again.’

?Meanwhile, Cassian and Nyxara navigated toward Executive Wing A.

?The wide corridor opened into a high-security lounge reserved for Lords traveling to dangerous frontiers.

Beyond the reinforced armorglass windows, massive starships rested in their magnetic docking gantries, their dark metallic hulls gleaming under the artificial light.

?Some were bound for active war zones.

?Others were preparing to jump into chaotic dimensional rifts.

?And one of them would soon carry Cassian Voss and his Champion straight into the heart of the Orion Rift.

....

Cassian and Nyxara didn’t have to wait long before their departure was announced.

?Since they had purchased first-class tickets, they weren’t required to board through the ordinary passenger terminals.

Instead, a dedicated shuttle arrived to transport them and the other premium passengers directly to their assigned spacecraft.

?The shuttle departed the station’s docking platform, its antigravity engines humming softly as it glided through the vast, enclosed hangar.

Beyond its reinforced armorglass windows, enormous vessels occupied rows of docking bays, each designed for different destinations and levels of cosmic hazard.

?Some were relatively modest transport freighters, while others resembled miniature fortresses equipped with heavy defensive plating and weapon batteries.

Several bore the insignias of the Lord Association and official military organizations, their hulls bearing the scorched wear of countless deep-space expeditions.

?However, the vessel awaiting Cassian’s group stood apart from the rest.

?The moment it came into view, his attention shifted toward it.

?The spacecraft was colossal, its elongated hull stretching across the docking bay like a metallic leviathan.

Its exterior was forged from a layered silver-black alloy, with smooth, angular surfaces that reflected the artificial lights of the station.

Along its flanks, luminous blue energy channels ran from the forward prow to the rear thrusters, pulsing rhythmically as the vessel’s internal systems prepared for departure.

?The prow tapered into a sleek, streamlined point, while the middle section widened to accommodate luxury passenger decks and internal facilities.

Heavy kinetic armor covered the most vulnerable sections of the hull, and several automated point-defense turrets were embedded beneath retractable housing panels.

?At the rear, multiple propulsion engines were arranged around a massive central spatial drive. Even while idling, the machinery radiated an imposing sense of raw power.

Once engaged, those thrusters would propel the starship across interstellar light-years, while the spatial drive would allow it to traverse volatile regions of space that ordinary ships could never safely cross.

?The vessel’s name was displayed along its hull in elegant, glowing silver lettering:

?[ASTRAL VOYAGER]