Cannon fodder in the Interstellar

“These aliens who have maliciously targeted Earth possess energy sources capable of rapidly enhancing human combat abilities. Our Gus Empire once had such energy mines, but unfortunately, they have long been exhausted,” Hebrew Adam said, casting a meaningful glance at his companions.

The members of the elite team immediately grasped the full meaning behind his words.

“If aliens invade Earth, we have every right to counterattack and demand reparations for the damage they’ve caused,” Hua Deli realized, aligning with the prince’s ultimate intention.

Not only did the elite team have no objections, but they were also eager to act. After all, their cause was justified and noble.

Even Ruo Manni agreed. While the elite team would reap the primary benefits, Earth’s humans would also gain a share, which would greatly benefit their development.

“So, whenever you have spare time, help train these Earthlings,” Hebrew Adam added with a knowing smile. “If we form a starry-sky battle fleet for the counterattack, it won’t just be the twelve of us.”

Ruo Manni glanced at Hebrew Adam a few more times. Previously, she hadn’t seen much resemblance between him and the Crown Prince. But now, as he sat confidently, strategizing how to seize the aliens’ energy sources, he bore an uncanny likeness to the Crown Prince.

Inspired by Hebrew Adam’s plan, the elite team began spending their free time in the training grounds, selecting individuals they deemed worth cultivating and enhancing their practical combat skills.

Lin Ruihai, Song Changlong, Zhang Yunxing, Gao Genrong, and 25 other standouts were the first to qualify for one-on-one sparring sessions with the elite team.

Every night, these 25 individuals were carried back to their quarters, battered and bruised. Outsiders watching the scene thought it was utterly brutal. Yet, these individuals endured it silently, showing up on time every evening, willingly submitting themselves to another round of training.

No one sympathized with them; instead, they were the targets of widespread envy and jealousy.

The members of the Xingtian Battle Squad were naturally skilled and perceptive. They knew very well who these “instructors” were and the caliber of their abilities. Being personally trained by such mentors was an opportunity others could only dream of.

Fortunately, not long after, the remaining members of the Xingtian Battle Squad also began receiving personalized training from these elite instructors.

The elite team members were seasoned leaders, each with numerous subordinates. Personally training these “weaklings” was an effortless task for them.

Take Dean Atchison, for instance. Known for his lack of mercy, he saw great potential in Su Luoxue. As a result, he subjected her to grueling special training almost daily, pushing the delicate young woman to her limits until she was utterly exhausted.

One day, during a training session, Ruo Manni happened to witness her cousin’s harsh methods and couldn’t help but feel pity for the girl. She stepped in to offer a few words of comfort.

Unexpectedly, Su Luoxue wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and, despite her weak voice, spoke with firm determination: “Instructor Atchison is right. His strictness is for my own good. The stronger I become, the better my chances of survival.”

After saying this, Su Luoxue glanced at Ruo Manni and, lowering her voice, added, “If I’m strong enough, no one will dare to target me.”

Ruo Manni understood that Su Luoxue was a fiercely self-respecting young woman. Out of respect, she had never shared the circumstances under which she had rescued Su Luoxue. The girl, in turn, remained deeply grateful to Ruo Manni.

Well, if one was willing to endure and the other was willing to push, what could Ruo Manni say?

There was no denying it—regardless of the era, those who strive for independence and self-reliance earn respect. Ruo Manni admitted that she deeply admired Su Luoxue and took extra care to support her.

After all, no matter how severe the injuries during training, as long as they weren’t fatal, the healing potions and recovery pods ensured a swift recovery.

This type of hands-on combat training was invaluable for someone like Su Luoxue, who lacked practical experience. It prevented the scenario where a person might possess cultivation skills but have no real combat ability—unable to even figure out how to engage a zombie.

Reflecting on it later, Ruo Manni realized that Hebrew Adam had been similarly merciless when sparring with her.

When the two had first teamed up, Hebrew Adam initially held back whenever they trained. But after being repeatedly reprimanded by Instructor Dudley, he began to treat her as a true equal, gradually learning to fight her without restraint.

The results were undeniable. Ruo Manni’s biggest weakness had been her lack of combat experience, while Hebrew Adam, having trained under various aliases in the military and fought on the battlefield, possessed a wealth of practical experience.

When Hebrew Adam noticed that sparring with full effort accelerated Ruo Manni’s growth significantly, he stopped holding back altogether.

Dai Yanping, a reborn individual with a telekinetic cultivation potential rated as D, was also regarded as a key talent for training. Although her cultivation potential was not particularly high, her telekinetic ability naturally advanced to Level 2 even before she began formal training, earning her special attention from Lin Kexin.

Perhaps it was because everyone was occupied with their own tasks, but the long six-month winter passed surprisingly smoothly for the survivors of the B City Base.

Despite the extreme cold, the survivors managed well. Every household had basic cotton clothing and bedding, along with enough firewood to keep warm. The base provided two daily meals that were just sufficient to stave off hunger.

Additionally, those who participated actively in training received extra meals, and free time could be spent taking up tasks like clearing snow to earn points. These points could be exchanged for food or supplies, providing an additional source of income. Through these means, the six months were endured without much hardship.

Apart from a few reckless individuals, no one froze to death—a stark contrast to Dai Yanping’s previous life. In her former timeline, by the time she was killed by a mutated animal, one-third of the survivors at the B City Base had already perished from hunger and cold.

During this winter, while zombies were scarce around the base, many starving mutated animals appeared, frequently venturing near the base in search of food.

In the past, survivors feared mutated animals immensely. Even the Xingtian Battle Team had struggled to handle third-level mutated animals, requiring group efforts to take them down.

However, after just four months of training, the Xingtian team members found that while facing fourth-level mutated animals was still challenging, most of them could now take on these creatures alone and emerge victorious.

As a result, most of the mutated animals that wandered into the base in search of food ended up on the tables of the base’s ability users.

This winter lasted unusually long, stretching into mid-May of the following year. As the survivors began noticing that it hadn’t snowed for several days and the temperatures were steadily rising, the ice and snow finally began to melt. The temperature quickly climbed to over ten degrees Celsius, signaling the end of the harsh season.

The survivors at the B City Base all knew that the base’s food supplies were running low, and many were visibly worried. The sudden end of winter brought a glimmer of hope.

For the ordinary people at the base, this change in weather was seen as a blessing.

They were aware that humanity’s remaining resources had nearly been exhausted. If production couldn’t be restarted, it was clear that, in times of food shortages, they—the ordinary civilians—would be the first to starve.

With better weather, the vast fields outside the base became a potential lifeline, offering opportunities for cultivation.

Responding to public concerns, the base authorities organized a series of agricultural lessons taught by experienced elderly farmers. These lessons aimed to educate those from urban areas who had no prior knowledge of farming.

The base’s military also pledged to dispatch soldiers to protect the farmers during their work. Additionally, they promised to distribute seeds for free to support the planting efforts. This announcement energized the base’s ordinary residents, who began eagerly preparing to work hard and ensure a better future.