Ruǎn Shū held onto her grandfather's neck, observing their bloody battle without fear. Objectively speaking, the intense battle between the star beasts conveyed a profound aesthetic of violence.
As she watched for a longer period, she found herself unexpectedly appreciating and admiring it.
Ruǎn Hè and the others deeply cherished Ruǎn Shū. Precisely because of their love for her, they were determined to help her adapt to this world.
She didn't need to be powerful, but she must adapt to integrate with their kind, their race.
Her resilience surprised Ruǎn Xiāo and the others considerably. The war she had faced head-on allowed her a glimpse into the brutal reality of this world, and she was injured in the process.
However, she did not succumb to fear or terror because of the war; instead, she quickly recovered, and her mindset improved even more than before.
Thus, they brought her here to witness real combat.
In their star beast forms, both sides fought fiercely, their bodies drenched in blood, until one side succumbed to exhaustion.
Immediately, medics rushed forward to administer injections and treat wounds before carrying the injured away.
Star beasts are incredibly tenacious. Coupled with the advanced medical technology of this era, as long as there is a breath left, timely treatment can bring patients back from the brink of death.
This was why they dared to fight so desperately without holding back.
It hurt, yes, but one gets used to it. After all, real battlefields are a matter of life and death.
Ruan He held Ruan Shu in his arms, explaining many things to her as they watched the combat of the star beasts.
"Our race can be considered a nation of warriors." Even the most ordinary schools conduct military training daily. "Even if their psychic powers aren't formidable, their bodies must be."
Ruan Shu, who had no connection to either, remained silent.
Ruan He glanced at his granddaughter, feeling somewhat worried.
At this moment, Xiaǎo Téngmán sought attention, "Why the panic? "The young mistress can't do anything on her own." "Isn't there still me?"
Ruǎn Hè and the others glanced at Shū Shū's wrist, where a twisting mutant plant was seeking attention, their expressions subtly complex.
Ruan Shu gently touched Xiaotengman's heart and pondered, "Am I fortunate to have found a mutant plant, and am I lucky that this mutant plant is fond of me?"
"Cough..."
Ruǎn Hè drew Ruǎn Shū's attention, "Whether carnivorous star beasts or herbivorous star beasts, as long as they attend school, they participate in annual assessments and selections, including the Sirius Star School you will attend in the future."
"Those who are not part of military academies will also select outstanding students within a limited quota to participate in the annual nationwide live combat academy competition." This competition is the most important examination. All graduates of military academies must participate.
"This year's Beast God Festival will include a competition." The students will be transported to a planet designated as the competition venue. If danger arises on the planet and timely intervention is not provided, students may die on the battlefield. This year, your third brother will also participate.
Ruan Shu's fingers tightened on her grandfather's shoulder. "Then, then..."
She couldn't ask any more questions. "Danger was certain," Grandpa had said. "If intervention is not timely, students could die on the battlefield."
Ruan He patted her head. "He must face this, as must everyone else." As you grow up, you will also encounter internal school conflicts. While these conflicts may not be life-threatening, they can lead to injuries and expose you to more violent situations.
Ruǎn Fēng casually inserted his hands into his pockets. "So we can't always protect you and keep you ignorant." That would harm you. Shū Shū, you don't have to be powerful, but you must adapt to our environment, okay?
Ruǎn Shū pursed her lips and nodded. "Mm, I understand."
She didn't complain or resist anything. She just knew that Dad and Grandpa wouldn't harm her, and she would try her best to adapt to this world.
Ruan Shu and her grandfathers watched the various military trainings together. The soldiers also sneakily glanced at her.
After all, she was the daughter of a marshal; everyone was curious.
Of course, the main reason for their curiosity was Ruǎn Xiāo's noticeably different attitude towards her, which made many people wonder what the daughter who could soften even the marshal's icy demeanor looked like.
When they saw her, they all independently had the same thought: if they had such a beautiful and obedient daughter, they would definitely protect her like stars and moons.
They went to the cafeteria for lunch in the afternoon. After training, those who had been fighting each other moments ago walked arm in arm together.
Although they still bore wounds, it was trivial to them; there was no need to waste medicine as they would be fine in a couple of days.
Such was the spirit of a warrior nation.
Ruǎn Shū followed beside her father and the others, small and soft, standing next to towering giants in camouflage uniforms averaging over two meters tall, like a tender rice dumpling in a sea of coarse grain mantou.
Anyone who passed by greeted Ruǎn Xiāo and Ruǎn Hè with military salutes before their gaze settled on the tiny, soft rice dumpling.
Ruǎn Shū pursed her lips. Her courage had grown in the face of so many onlookers; she wasn't as afraid anymore, but being stared at by so many people still made her uncomfortable.
Ruan Xiao squeezed her hand and lifted his daughter directly into his arms.
"What do you want to eat?"
"Fish."
Ruǎn Shū looked at the plate of food and blurted out.
Ruǎn Shū's blue eyes looked at the man serving food, somewhat surprised to find that this uncle was very robust—the fattest person she had seen since coming to this world, complete with a beer belly!
As she observed the middle-aged man, he looked back at her.
Caught peeking, Ruǎn Shū's ears turned red. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she buried herself in her father's arms.
"Hahaha… Marshal, so this is your daughter. Quite an unusual sight!"
He had a booming voice, and Ruǎn Shū could feel the vibrations from his hearty laughter, but his demeanor was so genial that it wasn't off-putting.
He was well-dressed and wore a specially made mask, unconcerned about saliva dropping into the food as he spoke.
Ruǎn Shū pursed her lips, revealing a cute and shy smile.
The uncle enthusiastically served Ruan Shu a large fish.
"Anything else you want, just let Uncle know, and I'll get it for you!"
Ruan Shu's eyes widened. She quickly waved her hand and said, "Enough, enough, this fish is big enough." "I can't finish it."
The uncle serving food immediately showed a somewhat shocked expression.
"Why eat so little?"
Ruǎn Shū's voice was soft as he explained, "I have a small stomach, so I can't eat too much."
Ruan Xiao and the others stood nearby, smiling at Ruan Shu's interactions with others. Although her voice was still soft, this was a significant improvement for her.
"Indeed, you're too small; you should eat more to grow."
Then he enthusiastically added more meat and other dishes to her bowl.
He even picked out the biggest and tastiest fruit from the tray for her, selecting several different varieties.
Ruan Shu held onto the fruit, while her older brother held her plate because it was too heavy for her to lift.
Ruan Shu said "..."
What a warm-hearted cafeteria worker, with steady hands!