Cannon fodder in the Interstellar

In Antarctica, after Earth experienced its coldest summer, October brought another swift transition into a severe winter, just like the previous year.

The entire planet, except for the equatorial regions, was blanketed in white. One could only imagine how frigid Antarctica was at this time.

Yet, in such bone-chilling conditions—where stepping outside could freeze a person solid—a group of people was skillfully sliding across the icy surface. Around them lay a variety of massive sea creatures they had caught.

There were lobsters five to six meters long, crabs of a similar size…

Su Luoxue kicked a giant lobster and laughed, “I wonder who gave these lobsters and crabs the courage to bare their claws and think they could eat us.”

Dean Atchison, practically drooling, said, “I love eating lobster. With this many, we’ll only have enough for a few days. Remember this spot, everyone. We should come back here often. The sea creatures from the other spot weren’t nearly as tasty.”

Su Forty-Three began collecting the lobsters and crabs. “Alright, let’s head back. The sky looks like it’s about to brew another storm.”

At the mention of a storm, none of the elite trainees from the interstellar era dared to take any chances. Except for their prince, none of them could stand firm against Antarctica’s fierce storms.

Once, Abulaiti Asimu and Tamaki Kazia, confident in their combat abilities, ventured out alone but were swept away by a storm. They were eventually dragged back by the collar by Hebrew Adam.

After witnessing their embarrassing ordeal, no one was willing to test their luck again.

The deep snow did little to impede the young group. As they moved, their footsteps left only shallow prints in the snow, which the wind quickly erased.

By the time they returned, the once-clear sky had turned dark, and thick snow whipped against their bodies.

Back at their ice-built fortress, the wind outside was howling fiercely. Looking up at the transparent dome covering the central courtyard, they could see snow rolling with the wind.

“Chef Wang, we caught a lot of lobsters and crabs today,” Dean Atchison said excitedly to Wang Miaomiao.

“Got it,” replied the chef with a nod.

“I’ll help you, Sister Wang,” Su Luoxue chimed in enthusiastically.

Ruo Manni glanced at Dean Atchison. Dean, although unsure why his cousin was looking at him with such an expression, instinctively sensed something was amiss. Quick-witted, he immediately grabbed Su Luoxue’s hand and said, “You’ve been out already. It’s time for you to take a break.”

Su Luoxue blushed slightly, sneaking an embarrassed glance at Ruo Manni. Since Dean was deeply respectful of his cousin, Su Luoxue, too, was cautious and reserved around her.

Ruo Manni pretended not to notice. What could she say at this point? She wasn’t the type to meddle unnecessarily.

Back in their room, Hebrew Adam noticed Ruo Manni’s frustrated expression and couldn’t help but chuckle. “Dean is an adult now. He knows what he’s doing. Why are you so bothered?”

“He’s being foolish,” Ruo Manni grumbled.

“He likes the girl and naturally wants to be with her. Isn’t that normal? Even in this world, as long as there’s no prior engagement and both parties like each other, it’s perfectly acceptable.” Hebrew Adam seemed puzzled by her reaction.

“Dean Atchison is just a visitor to this world. He’s deceiving her,” Ruo Manni said, still displeased.

She couldn’t help but imagine the future. Their lifespans were vastly different from Earthlings. Twenty or thirty years from now, Dean would still look like a young man, while Su Luoxue would have aged into a middle-aged woman.

Hebrew Adam remained silent, unwilling to mention that Su Luoxue was the one making the advances, or to explain how a man’s instincts sometimes bypass rational thought entirely.

“This is his business. He’ll handle it himself. You don’t need to get involved,” Hebrew said, trying to diffuse the situation.

“But what if he ends up causing a life to be created? What then?” Ruo Manni sighed, feeling helpless.

Bringing a new life into the world was never a trivial matter, and Dean was her cousin, after all.

“That’s impossible,” Hebrew exclaimed in shock. “We all had contraceptive chips implanted when we reached adulthood. We’re supposed to be infertile for at least fifty years.”

“Dean probably didn’t get one, did he?” Ruo Manni retorted. She remembered signing the consent form for herself and assumed Dean had special privileges that exempted him from the procedure.

“Impossible. The military would have verified it,” Hebrew said confidently.

“Then how do you explain this?” Ruo Manni asked, still puzzled.

“Are you certain?” Hebrew found it hard to believe. Dean couldn’t have been so careless.

“Absolutely certain,” Ruo Manni replied firmly. She was an eighth-level psychic, capable of perceiving things that even advanced X-rays couldn’t detect. If she said she was sure, there was no room for doubt.

“Dean was likely set up,” Hebrew Adam concluded gravely. “While some individuals are exempt from this rule due to special privileges, the Atchison family doesn’t have such exemptions. If Dean Atchison violated this, his career would be over.”

In the Gus Empire, due to historical precedents, the military had a strict regulation: soldiers under the age of forty were forbidden from having children. Violators were immediately discharged from service.

For military academy cadets like them, contraceptive chips were implanted upon reaching adulthood and would only be removed at age forty.

Dean Atchison was the designated heir of the Atchison family. For individuals from prominent military and political families like his, marriages were often arranged early on. A single misstep could force Dean out of the military, which would render him unqualified to inherit.

Unfortunately, Dean’s mother was extremely selective, and Dean, being utterly engrossed in his training, had remained without a partner.

Hebrew Adam believed that Dean’s inexperience with women and his lack of romantic feelings led to impulsive behavior.

“Wait a minute…” Ruo Manni suddenly recalled something after hearing Hebrew Adam’s analysis of Dean being set up. “Dean Atchison doesn’t even know about this yet, does he?”

Hebrew Adam glanced at Ruo Manni, then activated his communicator. After sending Dean a message and receiving a reply, he looked back at Ruo Manni.

Without needing an explanation, Ruo Manni immediately understood the situation. She rubbed her forehead in frustration. “We’ve already secluded ourselves in Antarctica, and yet we still can’t escape these kinds of troubles.”

Hebrew Adam chuckled. “This isn’t much trouble. The fact that the girl could conceive so quickly means her physical constitution is exceptional. She could adapt to the interstellar era, and the aging issue might even be solvable.”

Ruo Manni narrowed her eyes at Hebrew Adam. “How are you so sure about that?”

Hebrew Adam, slightly embarrassed, wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear, “Back then, when I missed you, I read a lot about this kind of thing.”

The atmosphere between them softened and grew warm, but their moment was quickly interrupted.

Ruo Manni sighed and muttered, “I knew it. I knew he’d come to bother me. Sometimes, I’d rather be his cousin.”

“If we’re out here alone, being his cousin wouldn’t save you from his pestering,” Hebrew Adam retorted, equally annoyed. It was rare to see her being so tender, and now their moment had been ruined. He was not pleased.