Xiu Jun, not comprehending the thoughts of the small, harmless creature in his hands, had regained most of his strength and was finally able to stand. Remembering the little white animal's penchant for cleanliness, he carefully placed the seemingly dazed creature on the only clean spot left on the bed.

If one could still call it a bed, that is.

The Marshal's face remained impassive as he glanced at the large bloodstains on the bed and what appeared to be remnants of his own shattered internal organs and muscle tissue. He turned and walked to the unopened side of the egg-shaped pod, touching one of the panels.

Yue'an's ears twitched as he snapped out of his shock at being manhandled by a human. Noticing the white protective shell slowly closing around him, he quickly flipped over, got up, and jumped off the bed.

Finding a relatively clean spot to stand, Yue'an watched in amazement as the white egg began to expand and transform. Accompanied by faint mechanical sounds, it morphed into a house—or more accurately, a room—in just a matter of seconds.

Curious, Yue'an circled the suddenly erected structure amidst the scorched earth. He extended his soft, pink paw pads to tentatively pat the wall, noting that it wasn't particularly thick.

This technology was clearly decades ahead of anything he'd seen on Earth. As Yue'an padded around the corners, he stopped at what appeared to be the door.

"Has Earth's technology really advanced this much?" Yue'an thought, recalling his fellow cats back home who preferred to stay in human form and immerse themselves in video games rather than find human caretakers. He mused that if he could go back now, he'd probably be inundated with recommendations for all sorts of new and exciting games.

After several decades, Yue'an found himself missing those gatherings where cats would collectively grumble about their caretakers and the myriad of human wishes they had to fulfill.

Since his newly appointed "can opener" could make it here—despite appearing to be in distress—Yue'an was sure there would be a way back. Humans were always surprisingly clever.

It would be nice to check in with his fellow cats and let them know he was okay.

With these thoughts, Yue'an's mood lightened, and he contentedly swished the tip of his tail.

After activating the safety mode, Xiu Jun entered the room only to find that the small white ball of fur that should have been on the bed was nowhere to be seen.

The Marshal paused briefly, his brow furrowing slightly.

However, he didn't dwell on it. Instead, he changed into fresh clothes from a small cabinet in the room. He then took out a small bottle, removed a transparent patch no larger than his pinky nail from inside the cap, sprayed the liquid from the bottle onto the patch to saturate it, and placed it under his nose before taking a deep breath.

This was a common tool used by residents of the Interstellar Alliance—a portable oxygen patch. Soft, colorless, breathable, and skin-friendly, it became virtually invisible when applied under the nose after being sprayed with the special liquid oxygen. Each patch could sustain a person for three hours in an oxygen-free environment.

Clearly, this planet was not habitable for humans in its natural state.

The oxygen content was low, the air was dry, and the gravity was higher than on normal habitable planets. Walking felt like exercising in a low-level gravity room.

Despite his excellent physical condition, even Xiu Jun, who had been regulating his breathing until his body recovered, now needed to supplement his oxygen.

The Marshal's movements were methodical and appeared calm.

He sat on the floor and tapped the wall beside him. Several holographic numbers appeared on the wall, and he quickly input a string of digits. An image projected into the air in front of him.

It was footage recorded by the escape pod's defense system after Xiu Jun had entered it. The purpose of the recording was to document facial recognition and evidence, preventing casualties if enemies forcibly opened the pod door after an escape or capture. It could also serve as courtroom evidence if the user successfully returned to an intergalactic court.

Xiu Jun had been ambushed during a routine patrol of the Alliance's territory.

The Alliance conducted these patrols once every five years, each lasting a year. Currently, the Synthes Empire's two Marshals would deploy together, one responsible for the southeast, the other for the northwest.

Xiu Jun was in charge of the southeast.

His attackers were a notorious group of space pirates from that star system, but the Marshal's gaze remained unperturbed as he watched the footage of his ship and mecha being destroyed.

He had been ambushed while alone.

As an Imperial Marshal, Xiu Jun was usually accompanied by guards, with very few instances of being on his own.

Yet, during one of these rare moments, he was attacked.

Clearly, there was a mole among the Marshal's guards.

However, Xiu Jun seemed completely unconcerned about either the presence of a traitor in his personal guard or the ambush by space pirates. Instead, he focused intently on the footage after the escape pod had quietly slipped away from the enemy's defensive perimeter.

He needed to determine his coordinates.

As for the mole, the Marshal wasn't worried. He trusted his confidants to quickly root out the traitor.

Luck was on his side. The escape pod hadn't been flung too far by the gravitational and repulsive forces in space. He had landed on a planet at the edge of the Alliance's territory. By observing several landmark planets recorded in the footage, the Marshal was able to roughly determine his coordinates.

After watching the footage, he sat quietly on the floor, breathing in more oxygen. Once his accelerated heartbeat had stabilized, he stood up.

Xiu Jun efficiently lifted the blood-soaked mattress, tearing open the fabric. From within the gore-scented padding, he retrieved a blood-stained, transparent, hard card about half the size of his palm.

The Marshal paused briefly at the sight of the blood on the chip.

While the invisible chip was water-resistant, the coagulated blood had left uneven marks on its surface.

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To use it, he would need to clean it first.

Recalling the limited freshwater resources in the escape pod, Xiu Jun realized he might need to venture out to find a water source.

He pulled a bottle of liquid from a small bag hanging on the wall, gathered up the discarded mattress and tattered clothes, and turned towards the door.

Yue'an had just raised his paw to knock when the door opened before he could make contact.

He looked up at the human carrying the thin mattress and dirty clothes, apparently about to dispose of them, and let out a soft "meow."

The Marshal, who had assumed the little creature had run away, paused in his steps.

"Meow," Yue'an called out again.

He observed the human now wearing a short-sleeved shirt, the muscle definition clearly visible beneath the fabric, and found this fully-clothed appearance much more pleasing.

Skirting around the Marshal's long legs clad in black trousers, Yue'an showed no hesitation in considering himself an outsider. He sauntered right into the high-tech structure with an air of belonging.

After all, who could resist an adorable little cat?

At least, the Marshal didn't seem inclined to refuse him entry.

It wasn't that Xiu Jun lacked caution, but rather that this small creature was visibly friendly towards humans. When approaching him, it had deliberately retracted its sharp teeth and claws, presenting only soft, padded paws.

Intelligent species are also animals, and humans, like other creatures, have an innate ability to judge external kindness and malice. However, their rational minds often hinder them from acting on instinct, instead restraining their desires with moral constraints.

Marshal Xiu Jun, having spent years on the battlefield, had honed his instincts far beyond those of ordinary people. When dealing with animals, whose thoughts were simpler and whose sense of good and evil more clear-cut, following one's instincts was often sufficient.

The little creature seemed friendly, and might have even saved his life.

Xiu Jun watched as the curious animal wandered around the escape pod, occasionally patting and touching various objects. He tossed the mattress and tattered uniform outside the door, then opened the bottle of liquid he was holding and poured its entire contents over them.

Yue'an, hearing the commotion, turned his head towards the door from inside the pod.

Under his watchful gaze, the blood-stained mattress and clothes outside gradually vaporized, disappearing without a trace.

More high-tech wizardry!

Yue'an's cat eyes widened as he watched Xiu Jun return inside, cap the bottle, and stow it back in the small bag on the wall.

Next, Xiu Jun opened another cabinet, revealing neat rows of test tube-like containers filled with a light blue liquid. He took one out, uncapped it, and took a sip.

Curiosity and a love for food are feline instincts, especially when watching humans eat.

Unable to resist, Yue'an approached the human, standing on his hind legs and placing his front paws on Xiu Jun's lower leg. He stretched his neck, meowing to catch the Marshal's attention.

Xiu Jun looked down at the little creature and followed its gaze to the nutrient solution in his hand.

"You want some?" he asked.

"Meow," came the reply.

The Marshal interpreted the sugar-sweet call as an affirmative.

However, the taste of the nutrient solution was far from pleasant.

He dabbed a small amount on his finger and held it out to Yue'an.

"Stingy," thought Yue'an, but he still leaned forward to sniff it. A faint fruity aroma tickled his nose.

The kitten extended his small pink tongue and carefully licked the drop of nutrient solution from the human's finger. In the next second, he darted away, his feline face wearing an expression of utter disgust.

Observing the creature that had asked for food and was now thoroughly repulsed by it, the Marshal, for reasons unknown even to himself, explained, "We don't usually eat this."

Yue'an looked up at him and meowed once.

It was unclear whether he believed Xiu Jun or not.

The Marshal, at Feline Language Level Zero, glanced at the unappetizing liquid in his hand before drinking the remainder in one gulp.

Space in the escape pod was precious, and fresh food was out of the question. While the nutrient solution took up some room, its caloric and nutritional content was enough to sustain an adult for two days, or up to four days with minimal physical activity.

Before venturing out to find a water source, Xiu Jun needed to replenish the escape pod's energy supplies.

Yue'an watched as Xiu Jun approached one of the walls, placed his palms against it, and allowed a beam of light to scan his body. A seam appeared in the wall, and a cabinet similar to the one storing the nutrient solution slid out. However, this one wasn't filled with nutrient packs.

Yue'an's ears suddenly perked up, his azure eyes fixated on the pale purple, crystal-like mineral that Xiu Jun had picked up. In a flash, he pounced towards the human's hand holding the stone!

Xiu Jun's eyes sharpened. Realizing Yue'an's target, he swiftly pushed the cabinet closed, withdrew his hand, and spun away to a corner, evading the small creature's sudden attack.

Missing his target, Yue'an saw the cabinet retract. He pawed at the wall several times to no avail, meowing urgently and scampering around Xiu Jun's feet in circles.

He was certain he hadn't mistaken it - what Xiu Jun held was exactly like the spirit stones that the elders of his clan had treasured for over a century, willing to let their magical powers dwindle and even lose their ability to take human form rather than consume even a morsel.

And this human had an entire cabinet full!

A whole cabinet!!!

If he could eat all those spirit stones, he'd be able to transform into human form and go on adventures just like those great seniors who had accumulated centuries of spiritual energy!

He might even be able to stay in human form for a year or two!

Yue'an suddenly realized he might have stumbled upon an incredibly fortunate opportunity.

Xiu Jun, noticing the creature's intense focus on the energy crystal in his hand, waved it slightly.

"You want this?" The Marshal's voice was always cold, like eternal ice. His expression remained hard, and even his gaze carried a chill.

Xiu Jun had grown up on battlefields, earning his Marshal's rank through sheer combat merit. Even when he tried his utmost to be gentle, he still appeared cold and harsh.

The aura of a killer and the scent of blood were impossible to conceal. While Marshal Xiu Jun was the dream lover of billions of young women, he was also someone children avoided, and even animals would give a wide berth, steering clear from three miles away.

The fact that this fluffy little creature was willing to approach him was already far beyond Xiu Jun's expectations.

Yue'an stared unblinkingly at the crystal in Xiu Jun's hand. Hearing the question, he hastily replied with a "Meow!"

Xiu Jun looked down at him, seemingly pondering something without speaking.

Seeing Xiu Jun's cold expression, Yue'an felt the urge to scratch him.

"I wasted a tail to save you! And you won't even give me one spirit stone! You have a whole cabinet full, but you won't spare even one for me!!" Yue'an was furious.

He gazed longingly at the crystal, then turned to look at the wall where the cabinet had retracted, weighing the benefits of getting one cabinet of spirit stones now against the possibility of obtaining more in the future.

This new caretaker seemed wealthy and not at all short on spirit stones.

If he followed him away from here, maybe he could have lots and lots of spirit stones to eat.

With enough spirit stones, he could become like those legendary great demons, able to change the color of the heaven and earth with a wave of his paw, moving mountains and seas with a mere flick of his fingers.

The thought was incredibly cool!

Yue'an's heart raced with excitement, and he looked up at the crystal again, his gaze even more intense.

After long deliberation, Xiu Jun spoke, "Use your water-producing ability once more."

"You won't even give me one spirit stone! And you want me to use my magic!! Spiritual energy doesn't grow on trees, you know!" Yue'an glared at Xiu Jun, almost wanting to turn around and show him his backside in protest.

Xiu Jun seemed to vaguely understand the meaning. He added, "If you do it, I'll give you this energy crystal."

Before he could finish speaking, Yue'an swiftly waved his paw, conjuring several thin streams of water in the bone-dry air.

Xiu Jun observed that they were slightly thinner than before.

He first used the water streams to clean the blood from the invisible chip, then looked down at Yue'an, who was urgently pawing at his pants leg.

"You can understand what I'm saying," Xiu Jun stated.

"Meow!" Yue'an responded anxiously.

"It was you who saved me," Xiu Jun continued.

"Meow!" Yes, yes, yes! Why are you, a grown man, being more long-winded than a little girl? Yue'an stared at the spirit stone, feeling the urge to bite someone out of impatience.

Xiu Jun observed the little cutie for a moment, then bent down to place the energy crystal by his feet.

"Thank you for saving me," the Marshal said, then introduced himself, "I'm Xiu Jun. And you are?"

The white cat, busy pulling the spirit stone towards himself, paused at these words. He looked up at Xiu Jun, who still wore his cold, hard expression.

After a long hesitation, clutching the spirit stone tightly, he finally responded to Xiu Jun.

"Meow." My name is Yue'an.

"I can't understand you," the Marshal said. After a moment's thought, he added, "I'll just call you Xiao Bai (Little White) for now."

Yue'an: ...

Yue'an: ???

Yue'an was incredulous.

Then why did you even ask?!