Cannon fodder in the Interstellar

Once their flying car reached mid-air above the desolate star, the view of the Xuan Gu group was limited to a portion of the area. Their destination was the eastern edge of the desolate forest, where the beast tide had erupted. All mercenary groups on missions were heading towards that area.

As the flying car descended further, they could see the long edge of the forest, where black-gray beasts surged forth like a tide, wave after wave emerging from the trees. However, they were momentarily blocked by a human-formed defensive line not far from the forest, creating a fragile balance.

From the sky, Ruo Manni felt that the beasts pouring out of the forest were relentless, and the thin layer of human defense appeared very fragile.

If this line of defense collapsed, not only would the humans on the battlefield be devoured by the beasts, but the cities behind them would also be doomed.

“I wonder what’s happening in the center of the forest. This beast tide has not only arrived earlier than expected but is also the largest ever, with the beasts’ levels significantly increased,” Instructor Han Zhengbang and Instructor Dudley discussed as they looked down from the cockpit.

They didn’t seem to mind that the elite class was listening. After their discussion, Instructor Dudley turned to the elite class and said, “From the looks of it, the situation on the battlefield is tense. We might have to engage immediately upon landing, so everyone needs to be cautious and reserve some energy for self-defense.”

Ruo Manni’s gaze flickered. The formation of this beast tide was actually mentioned in the novel; it stated that the Yunkai aliens lurking in the Gus Empire had stirred trouble on the desolate star.

The Yunkai aliens had set their sights on this territory and, using the geographical advantages of the desolate forest along with advanced technology from their star system, cultivated a large number of beasts. Their aim was to use these beasts to eradicate humanity and establish the desolate star as their base amidst the chaos.

The desolate star is not far from the Topaz Star; both are on the fringes of the Gus Empire and are considered insignificant planets by the empire.

If the Yunkai aliens’ conspiracy succeeds and they establish a base here, humanity will remain oblivious to what these damned aliens are up to. Many humans in the Gus Empire may fall victim to their schemes before the Yunkai aliens even arrive.

In the novel, this plot of the Yunkai aliens caused heavy casualties among the humans on the desolate star, with the male and female leads suffering significant losses among their companions. However, thanks to the timely intervention of the crown prince, the conspiracy ultimately failed.

Ruo Manni thought that if humanity was caught unaware in the novel, then the real world should be even less likely to let this conspiracy succeed.

If this scenario hadn’t been altered by the butterfly effect, their group would be in serious trouble, facing a massive test ahead. In the novel, the current beast tide was merely a minor outbreak before the major one.

The novel described a situation where beast tides erupted simultaneously from all directions in the desolate forest, catching humanity off guard, resulting in significant casualties on the battlefield. Almost all cities on the desolate star were breached, leading to a devastating outcome. Without the crown prince’s forces arriving, it wouldn’t be surprising if all humanity on the desolate star were annihilated.

Ruo Manni wished fervently that the butterfly effect could change this situation, but her instincts told her that often, good outcomes are elusive while bad ones tend to manifest.

Such a major event likely had been plotted by the Yunkai aliens for a long time. Cultivating so many beasts is not something that can be accomplished in just a year or two.

At that time, the crown prince hadn’t yet acquired the “Prophet” ability, and humanity failed to intervene when the Yunkai aliens first acted. Now, with so many beasts already cultivated, a small butterfly effect would hardly be enough to change the course.

However, Ruo Manni considered that the crown prince’s decision to allow them to come here to fight monsters and gain experience meant he had prepared thoroughly.

The instructors’ assessments were correct: while the situation on the ground wasn’t extremely urgent, the personnel on the battlefield were already exhausted and in dire need of replacements.

As soon as the Wolf God Mercenary Team landed on the desolate star, they were immediately supplied with equipment by soldiers from the Military Command Department, without any delay, and sent straight into the battlefield to relieve a fatigued mercenary group.

Instructor Dudley had pre-arranged the combat roles for the elite class: pairs were formed for coordination—Ruo Manni teamed up with Hebrew Adam, while Hua Deli paired with Mina-Ollie.

These four were the most skilled among the twelve, with their combat styles of martial and mental abilities complementing each other. They were positioned at the front to intercept higher-level beasts, while the others stayed slightly behind to deal with any stragglers.

In addition to her combat role, Ruo Manni also bore the responsibility of controlling the situation and ensuring the safety of her classmates. She needed to be ready to act if any danger arose.

The elite class had no time to mentally prepare themselves; they were about to face the harsh realities of life.

The battlefield was a scene of chaos, littered with mangled beast corpses, and the ground was soaked in a deep crimson. The overpowering smell of blood made one feel nauseous.

In such a situation, those with weak psychological resilience would struggle to even approach, likely vomiting at the sight.

Fortunately, the elite class members had developed sufficient mental fortitude, having already faced numerous beasts in the past. Though their faces paled, they resolutely followed their instructors into the fray.

Ruo Manni felt particularly uneasy, as she was among those least accustomed to killing. Yet she knew this was a necessary ordeal; she gritted through her discomfort without letting the others notice her unease.

However, they quickly had no time to dwell on their feelings, as the mercenary team that had been there before swiftly retreated, leaving them to confront the oncoming beasts directly.

Among the elite class, the weakest cultivator was at the mid-level of Tier 4, wielding sharp weapons like swords and knives that were quite lethal. Facing beasts that were at most Tier 4, with the majority being Tier 3, they found it manageable.

Although everyone initially fumbled a bit, they quickly steadied themselves and gradually began to unleash their attacks on the beasts. As the creatures surged forward, each person had to focus intently on the battle.

One by one, beasts fell at their hands, and the piles of corpses around them grew taller.

The elite class had previously killed a fair number of beasts, so at the start of the battle, they felt little emotional impact from the kills.

However, those earlier encounters had involved only a handful of beasts—at most, a dozen. Now, confronted with a mountain of corpses and blood-soaked earth, their clothes and visors splattered with gore, the scene was overwhelming.

During moments of respite from the attacks, the brutality of the battlefield weighed heavily on their minds; after all, most people aren’t born accustomed to killing.

At just fifteen or sixteen years old, the elite class members had hardly experienced true bloodshed, making it difficult to bear the reality of so many lives ending by their hands. This created a psychological discomfort that they struggled to manage.