Cannon fodder in the Interstellar

At night, Ruo Manni suddenly felt something disturb her window while she was asleep, she immediately woke up and used her mental energy to “look outside.”

However, all she “saw” was the dim sky, a half-open window, and the intact safety net that provided air circulation and security.

Everything outside appeared normal; there were no signs of disturbance.

Yet, Ruo Manni couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. She always sensed something outside her window. But after using her mental energy to scan up, down, left, and right again, she found nothing.

Ruo Manni began to doubt if it was just her imagination.

The residential complex she lived in was a high-end community in Topaz Star, known for its excellent security. With over thirty stories, it should be nearly impossible for someone to silently breach the safety net and enter her bedroom.

After all, if anyone lingered by her window in the middle of the night, they would be detected by satellites within three seconds.

But still, that lingering feeling remained, and Ruo Manni couldn’t convince herself it was merely an illusion.

After all, there are many black technologies in this world that she is unaware of, especially those from certain special industries that she has never even heard of.

Adhering to the principle of caution, Ruo Manni carefully used her mental power to “check” the window inside and out.

When she finally noticed that the security net beneath her window was slowly melting away, she nearly screamed in shock.

Ruo Manni observed again, and while there was nothing suspicious outside her window, the security net inside her room was indeed melting little by little.

This melting was silent and colorless, invisible even in the dim light.

Having been a wandering spirit for many years, her instincts kicked in, and her hair stood on end. Could this be a supernatural phenomenon? Was something trying to open the security net on her windowsill to get in?

However, when she was a wandering spirit, she felt as insubstantial as air, unable to communicate with humans or even move freely, let alone scare others as a ghost…

Although this strange phenomenon sent chills down Ruo Manni’s spine, it didn’t lower her intelligence. Whether it was a person or a ghost, the act of melting the security net indicated that something had sinister intentions.

Without hesitation, Ruo Manni pressed the emergency signal and reached under her pillow to grasp a palm-sized laser gun. She quietly got out of bed and hid behind the vanity in her room.

This vanity had been modified by Captain Lin to withstand the lethality of firearms.

Captain Lin, wanting to ensure Ruo Manni could protect herself, not only taught her some crisis management skills but also provided her with a miniature laser gun for self-defense.

According to the laws of the Gus Empire, unauthorized individuals are not allowed to possess firearms. If a private citizen needs to own a weapon for special reasons, they must have a military or police officer serve as a responsible monitor. If the private owner uses the weapon to commit illegal acts, the monitor is also held accountable.

Such laws ensure that private gun owners do not misuse firearms while providing some protection to the truly vulnerable.

This palm-sized laser gun is expensive, but it has the advantage of only being usable by the owner’s fingerprint, preventing the weapon from being turned against its owner if stolen.

Captain Lin gifted Ruo Manni a palm-sized gun and also became her responsible monitor, facilitating her legal gun ownership permit and training her in shooting. With Ruo Manni’s level of psychic ability, her accuracy was guaranteed—she never missed.

With a shield capable of blocking firearms and the ability to counterattack with lethal force, Ruo Manni could buy herself some time.

She pressed the emergency signal on her wrist and stayed hidden behind the vanity, refraining from making any unnecessary movements. Captain Lin had instructed her that self-preservation meant avoiding danger and delaying for as long as possible.

But it all happened too quickly. In just twenty seconds, a thin line had melted through the security net, and she still didn’t know whether it was caused by a person or a ghost.

Ruo Manni nervously tightened her grip on the gun, trying to calm her racing heart.

No need to panic. If it was a person, her current level of psychic ability was sufficient to influence their mind, and with the laser gun in hand, she felt unafraid.

Captain Lin had taught her to keep her breathing steady; the reinforcements would arrive in about four to five minutes.

If it was a ghost, she could handle it—after decades of being a ghost herself, surely she wouldn’t be scared of encountering one…

Just as Ruo Manni was on high alert, watching the security net melt another two to three centimeters while anxiously counting down to the arrival of help, she suddenly “saw” a figure in black descending from the sky. A flash of silver in their hand cut toward her windowsill.

Then she “saw” ripples appear at the edge of the windowsill, as a human figure—its colors matching the environment outside—separated from the ledge, leaping into the air and turning to fly upward at high speed.

The figure in black quickly pursued the shapeshifter, and soon they were out of Ruo Manni’s sight, about seven or eight hundred meters away.

After the earlier tension, she felt a bit weak as the outside suddenly fell silent. No, that adjective wasn’t quite right; in fact, there had been no sound at all. Even when the figure in black attacked the shapeshifter on her windowsill, it was done without a sound.

Once she saw the shapeshifter detach from the windowsill, Ruo Manni realized that tonight’s events were not some supernatural occurrence.

Instead, a wrongdoer had used some sort of cloaking technology to blend in with her windowsill, making it appear as though they were part of it. This cloaking device must be able to deceive electronic eyes and psychic abilities, which is why her powers found nothing amiss.

Feeling uneasy, she cautiously observed again, only to confirm that the security net had stopped melting. This indicated that the appearance of the figure in black was meant to drive away the cloaked intruder.

So, this figure was here to help her. But who could they be, and why were they concealing their identity?

Although it seemed the danger had passed, Ruo Manni still dared not move. Captain Lin had specifically warned her to signal for help if she noticed anything unusual and to remain hidden until his team arrived, only relaxing her guard once they confirmed her safety.

Captain Lin’s team arrived very quickly; it had only been four minutes since she sent the signal. Leading the group was his most capable aide, Officer George.