The virtual training pods themselves didn't look particularly complicated, but the screens and readouts surrounding them were a different matter. Jonathan couldn't even begin to make heads or tails of the information on display.

Fortunately, he didn't have to. Instead he just followed Philip as he strutted towards the closest row of pods. As they drew closer Jonathan could see the nameplates identifying the pair of pods that belonged to them.

"We got to use the pods a few times back at Orion Prep," Philip said. "Just for walking around normally, though. This'll be my first chance to pilot anything."

There was an eager note in his voice. Jonathan couldn't blame him. That one moment of synchronizing with a mech during the admission exam had cracked open the door to an exciting new world, but he had just taken a tantalizing bite of the feast to come when he'd been required to desync and head home. Jonathan could feel his palms starting to itch at the thought of being able to pilot a mech on the move, even in a virtual world.

He also held out hope that syncing with a virtual mech would be enough to trigger the Divine Piloting System. He wanted to explore the system in depth. He also wouldn't mind if the system could give him a more secure hold on first place in the student rankings.

Jonathan followed Philip's lead and scanned his id card, causing his virtual pod to open with a soft hiss. What was revealed inside was a futuristic recliner. It would have looked right at home in a fancy living room back on Earth if not for the intricate contraption poised over the headrest. Looking at the giant metal bowl surrounded by an intricate weave of lights and wiring, Jonathan felt a twinge of apprehension at the thought of sticking his head in the middle of it.

Philip didn't hesitate, though, hopping in to take a seat as soon as his own pod was fully open. Jonathan, not willing to back down in front of his roommate, clambered into the seat. He found the recliner to be surprisingly comfortable, practically molding itself to his body. The floating sensation reminded him of the pilot's pod at the heart of the mech, all the more so when the door closed automatically with a soft hiss, leaving him in total darkness.

A soft whirring sound echoed within the close confines of the pod as the bowl overhead swung down to cover the top of Jonathan's head. He flinched as a set of rubber pads came to rest gently but firmly against his forehead.

"Calibrating, please stand by," a synthetic, vaguely feminine voice whispered in his ear. "Initiating full dive in 3... 2... 1..."

Jonathan's vision went white. For a split second, it seemed like something had gone horribly wrong. He spared a thought to hope that he would reincarnate somewhere a bit more comfortable if he got a third chance at life. Then the world started to fade into view around him.

He found himself standing in a small waiting room. A pretty young woman sat behind the desk in front of him, although something about her smile felt a bit off. The desk itself was a heavy wooden thing, matching the decor of the rest of the room. An oil painting hung on the wall off to the side. Glancing back, Jonathan found an imposing leather couch placed against the far wall. There was even a potted plant in the corner.

When the room had faded into view, his other senses hadn't been left out. He could hear the soft background noises of a busy office building. He could even smell the faint scent of wood and leather that filled the room. It was hard to believe that it was a virtual environment.

Jonathan shook his head, reminding himself that he wasn't here to see the sights. He stepped up to the desk, meeting the slightly inhuman gaze of the receptionist.

"Student Jonathan Cross, identification number 037460617," she said, her voice flat. "Would you like to enter the virtual training environment?"

Jonathan cleared his throat. He wondered for a moment just how something like that was being simulated, before he dragged his attention back to the question he'd been asked. "Yes."

"Very well," she said. "Please step through the door to begin your basic proficiency test."

"My what?" Jonathan asked. The school's reading material hadn't provided much detail on the virtual training environment, other than mentioning that students would be guided as necessary once they were inside.

"Virtual training takes place within a shared world environment," the receptionist replied. "New users must display a minimum level of competence before they will be permitted to interact with others."

Jonathan nodded. It made sense. Even in the lower stakes world of online gaming back on Earth, players had to go through a tutorial or otherwise prove that they wouldn't drag down the experience for everybody else before they were allowed on the virtual playfield.

He took a step toward the door, then stopped as a thought occurred to him. "Does taking the test cost anything?"

The virtual training world had its own economy that ran on a virtual currency. Students could also exchange merit points for currency, one of the many forms of pay-to-win that the Royal Academy had put in place to encourage the pursuit of merit points. Part of Jonathan's grade in the Royal Academy would depend on his ability to accumulate virtual resources by the time the exam period rolled around. Everything worthwhile in the virtual world had a price, but he didn't know if that would start right now.

"The test is free," the receptionist said. "You may take it as many times as you like. Achieving a passing grade will give you the option to enter the virtual world and leave the test behind.

Jonathan nodded. At least he wouldn't be on the hook to earn back a test fee once he made it into the virtual world. There was no harm in giving it a shot to see how far he could get.

The office door opened up on a mech hangar bay. The mech loomed over him from the back of the room, dwarfing him just as the training mech had back at his assessment. Unlike that training mech, this virtual mech was ready to go to battle. There were no restraining locks holding it in place, and the small banks of missile launchers were bristling with live ammunition.

Well, it made sense that in a virtual environment the mech wouldn't have to be disarmed for safety purposes. Jonathan still felt a little nervous as he approached the massive machine. This wasn't just a technological marvel. It was also a tool for war. The daunting array of weapons really drove that message home.

For all that, the actual process of loading into the mech was familiar. A gantry elevator lifted him up to chest height, where an armored panel swung open at his approach. The sensory deprivation pod inside was just as he remembered. Here in the virtual world, he was at least able to change from normal clothes into a pilot's wetsuit by answering a single system prompt.

In moments, he was ready to sync with the virtual mech. Something about it felt different. Like he was trying to feel something with his fingertips through cotton gloves. It was hard to say for sure just what had changed, after only ever synchronizing once in the real world, but it was definitely different. A moment later the odd sensation passed and Jonathan found himself standing two stories tall.

He stood there for a moment, letting the feeling of it wash over him. A mech didn't breathe. It didn't have a heartbeat. That didn't mean that it was perfectly still. Even just standing there, Jonathan could feel the flow of energy that circulated through every inch of the giant form, bringing metal to life. His own spiritual energy flowed out of him and into the spiritual reactor at the mech's core. There it was magnified and transformed before it was sent throughout the mechanical body.

A large chunk of Jonathan's own spiritual energy had been used to jump start the connection—one of the many reasons that mech pilots had to develop their own cultivation as well as their piloting abilities if they wished to pilot the more powerful mechs. Once the connection was made, he would experience a slow and steady drain on his energy until he ran dry. Naturally, doing anything other than standing in place would increase the mech's energy consumption.

Right now, Jonathan was synced up with the virtual world's freely provided basic mech. It was exactly the right machine for a newbie to use. It wouldn't be of any use on a modern battlefield, but even with a complete rookie in the pilot's chair he was in no danger of hurting himself.

Of course, any damage would be done to his virtual self, but seeing as recovering from virtual damage cost real money, Jonathan felt rather protective of his virtual health.

Jonathan looked around. All he could see was the inside of the hangar bay. No new notifications had popped up in his vision. He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"System?" he said. "Menu?"

A menu popped up, raising his hopes for a moment, only for disappointment to set in when he realized that he was looking at the menu provided by the virtual trainer to every student. The menu for the Divine Piloting System that had provided such a miraculous boost to his piloting skills remained beyond his reach.

Jonathan put the disappointment out of his mind. He'd already received the basic piloting package. He should see just what he was working with before he started yearning for more.

The mech felt like it was his own body, but he knew that senses could be deceiving. The real proof was in the piloting. He tried moving his left leg. Somewhat to his surprise, his left leg moved, just as he'd wanted it to. He could see it move, confirming that it wasn't just a phantom sensation. He moved his right leg forward, taking a step.

"This isn't so bad," Jonathan said.

He took a second step, then a third. He looked up to find the hangar exit as he took the fourth step, before stumbling on an unseen obstacle. He managed to get his hands up as he fell so that he was crouched on all fours as he hit the ground.

"Test module: basic locomotion," a mechanical voice said, speaking directly into his ear. "Result: failure."

Jonathan climbed to his feet. He moved slowly, making sure to confirm with his eyes that he was moving the mech the way that he thought he was. He clambered to his feet without incident and took the few remaining steps to the open hangar door.

He stepped through, only to find himself back at the starting point. His mechanical back was against the wall, just as it had been when he'd first synchronized.

Jonathan clicked his tongue. He'd been hoping to get a look at the whole test, just so he'd know what he was in for and how far he was from a full pass. Unfortunately, it looked like he would have to take things one step at a time.

He walked forward slowly and carefully. Now that he was looking for it, he could see that the ground was a bit uneven where he had stumbled before. Proportionally speaking, it wasn't something that would trip a normal person walking along the sidewalk, but it had been enough to expose a flaw in Jonathan's control ability. Paying closer attention, he was able to navigate the obstacle easily enough and step out the door without incident.

He found himself frozen in place in a new hangar, identical to the first.

"Test module: basic locomotion," the mechanical voice said again. "Result: 74%. Pass. Continue, or retry?"

Jonathan frowned. He wanted to see what the next test was, and he had done well enough to pass. On the other hand, a score of seventy-four percent wasn't particularly impressive. If that was the level of his basic control, he wouldn't be able to get much further.

More than that, if he wanted to fight to keep the top ranking, he couldn't be content with a bare pass. Decision made, Jonathan took a deep breath and restarted the test.