Cannon fodder in the Interstellar

With Ruo Manni’s keen perception, she could sense that since she entered the room, Dean Atchison had been quietly observing her, but she didn’t feel offended by it.

She didn’t need to think hard to understand why. Someone like Dean Atchison, a member of a noble family, had likely faced numerous schemes, good and bad, from a young age, making it difficult for him to easily accept a stranger as a teammate.

Ruo Manni didn’t believe that just a few hours of interaction during the map assessment would convince Dean Atchison and his companions to trust her as a teammate.

She herself wouldn’t easily partner with others; since entering this room, she had been observing and evaluating Dean Atchison as well.

Having been reborn, Ruo Manni had adopted a more Zen-like attitude and didn’t harbor fears of loss. If she could team up with others, she would; if not, she wouldn’t worry about finding a team once they reached the military academy.

When faced with the male lead’s questions, Dean Atchison’s performance didn’t disappoint her. The rest would unfold in time; only after they formally met could she judge more clearly.

Ruo Manni was eager to watch the prince’s match, but unfortunately, there was little to see. Hebrew-Adam, the strongest martial artist among this year’s candidates, faced an opponent ranked tens of thousands lower, and it was over in just a few moves—too easy to provide any valuable experience.

Within less than three hours of the assessment competition, Hebrew-Adam had already completed ten challenge matches, and his score had risen to over three thousand.

As he casually walked down from the arena, Ruo Manni could faintly see that his eyes were a gray-blue color.

Once the second prince finished his match, the two young men and the middle-aged man sitting not far from the three youths immediately surrounded him, speaking animatedly. Even Mentor Li Xingtai stood up.

Of course, Hua Deli, Dean Atchison, and Ruo Manni also stood up. There was no need to rush over to flatter him, but given his status as the second prince, some necessary etiquette was expected.

Ruo Manni subtly positioned herself partially behind the nearly 1.9-meter-tall Dean Atchison, feeling satisfied with her petite frame of just over 1.7 meters. This way, she didn’t have to face the second prince directly; as a grassroots orphan, she truly felt unworthy.

Although Hebrew-Adam’s demeanor was proud, Ruo Manni noted that he offered a proper salute to Mentor Li Xingtai, which made her feel he wasn’t genuinely arrogant.

In the end, the second prince even exchanged greetings with Hua Deli and Dean Atchison before logging off.

As for Ruo Manni, she only revealed half of her body, and her face was barely visible; to others, she was simply overlooked.

Ruo Manni felt a mix of envy and resentment, secretly sighing that the privileged class truly had it good.

According to the rules, all candidates are not allowed to log off until the assessment competition ends. Even if Ruo Manni had no challengers, she still had to obediently stay online until the end.

However, the prince could simply log off whenever he wanted, even with several hours left in the assessment.

As for being completely ignored by Hebrew-Adam, Ruo Manni didn’t feel awkward at all; it was perfectly reasonable for a small commoner like her to be overlooked.

Ruo Manni was very aware of her position. If Dean Atchison hadn’t encountered her by chance during the map PK competition, he would likely have overlooked her in a typical encounter given his status.

For Ruo Manni, just entering this room and seizing the opportunity to align herself with a mentor was already the best way to start at the first military academy of Xuan Gu.

As a powerless orphan, she knew better than to expect any special treatment; without connections, the only outcome would be to fall flat.

Moreover, as the second prince approached the audience, Ruo Manni suddenly felt uneasy, instinctively sensing she needed to keep her distance from him.

This feeling was not unfounded, as the current queen had been involved in events from years ago. If those matters were brought to light fifteen years later, it would likely be her, Ruo Manni, who faced misfortune.

If absolutely necessary, she would choose to align with the first prince instead, knowing that being at odds with the second prince would create a natural antagonism; keeping her distance was definitely the right choice.

With the room now empty of its main occupants, and although the audience privileges hadn’t been revoked, there was no reason for them to linger. After politely bidding farewell to Mentor Li and Dean Atchison, Ruo Manni left without hesitation.

“This young girl has a good disposition. Even after learning about the second prince’s identity, she remains clear-headed; not only does she avoid approaching him, but she also slightly steps back behind you, showing no interest in trying to get noticed,” Mentor Li Xingtai said to Dean Atchison.

Although Dean Atchison believed he had a good eye for people, he certainly didn’t possess the same discerning insight as Mentor Li. It made him happy that the teammate he had recently recognized and intended to recruit also received approval from his mentor.

Unbeknownst to Ruo Manni, this conversation took place. Having already received the biggest revelation of the day, she lost interest in watching the matches after leaving the second prince’s room and returned directly to her own.

Once back, Ruo Manni checked the changes in the rankings of candidates in the challenge matches and was pleased that her ranking had remained unchanged.

The final challenge matches were essentially extra rounds, designed to give those with potential who had faced unexpected setbacks a chance to recover.

However, such candidates were rare. The rankings of the top eight candidates hadn’t changed much, with only minor fluctuations among those ranked below nine thousand.

After the challenge matches, if nothing unexpected happened, the top ten thousand candidates on the leaderboard would be the new recruits for the Mecha Combat Department of this year’s first military academy of Xuan Gu.

After the challenge matches concluded, Ruo Manni maintained her position from yesterday, ranking seventh, with no changes in her rank or the ranks of the top one hundred candidates.

Ruo Manni scrolled down to see the rankings starting from three thousand, spotting Hebrew-Adam’s name at three thousand three hundred thirty-seven.

This second prince’s temperament didn’t quite match his appearance. With his strength, he should have aimed for a place among the top ten to showcase his prowess.

Feeling curious and quite hungry, Ruo Manni logged off to have dinner.

Before she could even start eating, Mentor Fang’s message came through.

“Manni, the school has received a notification from the first military academy of Xuan Gu. Two candidates from our Mingxin Intermediate College have been admitted. Your total score from the three assessments ranks you seventh, which means you can waive the tuition for the Mecha Combat Department.”

“Yesterday, your Uncle Lin inquired with relevant contacts. If you also study Mecha Manufacturing, the benefits are similar to your major, and if your grades are outstanding, you could even receive a scholarship. You should put in some effort. But even if you don’t get the scholarship, you can rely on me and your Uncle Lin. Focus on your studies without worry.” Mentor Fang’s words were filled with joy, fully confident in Ruo Manni.