I Picked Up Talents in the Interstellar Battlefield

Qin Tian sat in the cockpit of the aircraft, reviewing the data on Ice Limit Pass. The more he read, the more his brows furrowed, and finally, he couldn't help but inwardly grumble, "What kind of garrison commander? How is this different from a village chief?"
garrison commander—the title sounded impressive enough, but the reality was dreadful.
The /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ entire Ice Limit Pass, including the stationed army, administrative staff, and a small number of pioneering civilians, totaled less than ten thousand people. The residential area consisted of temporarily erected barracks, lacking even a proper settlement. Coupled with Pluto's perennial ice and snow, all that met the eye was a vast expanse of white, making it even harsher than the most remote villages.
However, when he flipped to the territorial map, Qin Tian's mood brightened slightly—the area nominally under Ice Limit Pass's jurisdiction was wider than his two largest provinces combined in his previous life. The boundary line stretched in a long arc on the map, giving it the appearance of a "feudal lord's" domain.
But looking further down at the supplementary notes, his newly risen expectations sank again: 99% of this vast territory was uncharted wilderness, not only lacking any infrastructure but also harboring countless unknown dangerous creatures and extreme weather. It was not under the actual control of Ice Limit Pass at all; the so-called "jurisdiction" was currently just a concept on paper, and all development work had to start from scratch.
"People. What I lack most right now are people."
After reading the data, Qin Tian rubbed his temples, this single thought remaining in his mind.
No matter how vast the territory, without people, it couldn't be defended or developed. No matter how poor the environment, without people, it couldn't be improved.
Ice Limit Pass's less than ten thousand personnel had to be responsible for defense, administration, exploration, and construction—it was simply a drop in the bucket. Even if his personal strength was strong enough to face a hundred, he couldn't revitalize such a large territory by himself.
He clearly understood that Pluto's extreme environment was the biggest "roadblock"; without sufficient survival guarantees, it simply wouldn't attract external populations.
And if the hidden dangers within the territory weren't cleared, even if people were willing to come, they wouldn't stay.
Improving the living environment, clearing regional threats, attracting population migration—a series of urgent problems lay before him, none of which were easy.
Yet, looking at the vast, undeveloped territory on the map, Qin Tian felt no retreat in his heart; instead, a long-lost surge of passion rose within him.

This feeling of starting from scratch and gradually building a territory was very much like playing "Age of Empires" in his previous life, starting from a small village, slowly developing the economy, training troops, and expanding territory. That desire to control everything and gradually grow stronger continuously rose in his heart.
"The more difficult the start, the more interesting it is to play."
Qin Tian closed the data interface and looked at the approaching star gate outside the viewport, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
While Ice Limit Pass presented many challenges, it also meant infinite possibilities—as long as he could resolve the current predicament, the potential this territory could unleash in the future would far exceed external imagination.
The Eastern Sovereign State Star Gate Hub is located in the outer space of the Imperial Star, a colossal space station suspended in orbit.
When the aircraft Qin Tian was on arrived, he could see from afar that the space station's surface was covered with complex energy patterns. Dozens of star gates of varying sizes were arranged like a honeycomb, with soldiers guarding each one. Interstellar spacecraft arrived and departed in an orderly fashion, presenting a busy yet well-organized scene.
Under the guidance of the staff, Qin Tian completed the secondary identity verification and confirmed that it perfectly matched the star gate authorization system before being led to a small star gate.
This star gate was about five meters in diameter, crafted from a dark purple special metal. Pale blue energy streams flowed across its metallic surface. It floated in mid-air without any support below, yet it was as stable as a rock.
"General Qin, please stand in the induction zone directly in front of the star gate." The guarding soldier raised a hand, pointing to the circular marked line in front of the star gate. "The transmission process takes about three seconds, during which there will be slight energy fluctuations, which is normal."
—
Qin Tian nodded and stepped into the induction zone. He could clearly feel that the spatial energy emitted by the star gate was somewhat similar to the Void Power he controlled, but it leaned more towards stable transmission properties.
As the soldier pressed the activation button on the control panel, the star gate's core suddenly lit up, and the pale blue energy currents accelerated their flow. Immediately after, a strong silver light burst from the center of the star gate, engulfing Qin Tian like a tide.
He only felt his vision whiten, his body seemingly enveloped by a gentle yet irresistible force, the surrounding space rippling slightly, and a brief hum in his ears.
This sensation was fleeting—in just three seconds, the silver light abruptly receded, and the star gate returned to its previous calm, while Qin Tian, who had been standing in the induction zone, had vanished without a trace.
In front of the control panel, the soldier looked at the "Transmission Successful" prompt on the screen and nodded, saying, "Confirmed target has arrived at the Pluto Transit Star Gate. Transmission mission complete."
The silver light dispersed, and Qin Tian's figure appeared inside the Pluto Transit Station.
As soon as he stood firm, a bone-chilling coldness assailed him, as if he had instantly fallen into a ten-thousand-year ice cave—the frigid air scraped against his skin, bringing a needle-like stinging sensation. Even when breathing, he could feel a chill drilling down his throat, as if his lungs would freeze in the next second.
—
However, this degree of cold was nothing to him. His internal vital energy stirred slightly, instantly dispelling the cold air that had invaded his body.
With his physique, he could remain unharmed even in an environment of negative two hundred degrees Celsius. But for an ordinary person, without special warm clothing, they probably wouldn't last even a second and would instantly be frozen into an ice sculpture. Even first- and second-tier Spiritual Energy Users would find their spiritual energy circulation hindered in such extreme low temperatures, making long-term survival impossible.
"General Qin!"
A voice called out, and Qin Tian looked up to see a soldier in a white cold-weather suit hurrying towards him.
The soldier walked up to him, stood at attention, and gave a standard military salute. "I am Luo Xiang, the liaison officer for the Ice Limit Pass Resident Transit Station. I received orders from my superior to specifically escort you to Ice Limit Pass."
Qin Tian raised his hand in return: "Thank you for your trouble."
Following the soldier out of the transit station, Qin Tian looked around, and the scene before him was completely covered in white—the sky was a hazy white, the ground was thick ice and snow white, ice mountains stood in the distance, their sharp peaks piercing the sky like swords. The cold wind stirred up snow foam, forming a vast white mist between heaven and earth, even affecting visibility.
The temperature here was even lower than inside the transit station; the chill in the air seemed tangible, and he could clearly see his exhaled breath instantly condensing into tiny ice crystals.
"General Qin, this way, please."
The soldier pointed ahead, where dozens of uniquely shaped aircraft were parked on the snow.
These aircraft were different from any Qin Tian had seen before. They were entirely ice-blue, their metal exteriors exuding a faint chill, with simple, robust lines and no superfluous decoration.
"Pluto's extreme cold environment causes significant wear and tear on metal. Ordinary aircraft shells become brittle in low temperatures, not only prone to falling apart but also unable to withstand sudden blizzards," the soldier explained proactively. "The shells of these aircraft are made from special metals like cold iron and ice steel, capable of enduring temperatures down to negative two hundred degrees Celsius and resisting moderate-strength storms."
Qin Tian nodded in understanding and followed the soldier onto one of the aircraft.
After the hatch closed, the internal temperature quickly rose. The aircraft engine emitted a low hum and slowly ascended.
Through the viewport, he could see the ice plain below receding, and the distant ice mountains, under the hazy sky, looked like sleeping giants.
His journey to Ice Limit Pass officially began amidst this expanse of white.