Cutting Investment

Skyhold, Military Command's command center.

Military Command was actually just a general term. Its real name was the [Joint Legion Unified Administration Department].

As a recorder for Military Command, Cheng Xin felt that his heart was being put through a severe test today.

His superior had told him that an important meeting would be held in the command center shortly, but he had assumed it would be just another routine meeting.

Yet when he saw his colleagues, including his superior, leave the command hall one after another, he realized that today's meeting would be anything but ordinary.

Then Wade, the elderly head of the Strategic Department, walked in. The old man had one-quarter Western Continent ancestry. Though he was only an ordinary person, the authority he had amassed over the years was immense. A mere glance from him could make people tremble.

The moment the veteran with snow-white hair and beard entered the command hall, Cheng Xin suddenly wondered whether the central air conditioning had broken down. Why else would the air feel so scorching?

Fortunately, the old man did not look his way. He went straight to the circular multifunction electronic table at the center of the hall, then chose one of its five seats and sat down.

Before Cheng Xin could catch his breath, a fresh floral fragrance drifted into his nose. If he closed his eyes, he could almost picture a landscape blanketed in snow, with winter plum blossoms in full bloom.

Then a distinctly rhythmic set of footsteps made the recorder look toward the entrance despite himself.

A tall woman walked through the doorway, her long, center-parted black hair swaying lightly through the air. Her cool, stunning face made the recorder forget to breathe for a moment.

But then the dark purple uniform she wore and the gold general's stars on her shoulders sent Cheng Xin's heart racing helplessly once more.

She was Fei Mei, the general of the Storm Legion-a remarkable woman who, despite her noble standing, still refused to choose a surname for herself!

The lightly made-up general swept her gaze across the hall. When her eyes happened to pass over Cheng Xin, a chill ran through his entire body, as though he had been thrown into an ice cellar.

Though in all his life, he had never actually seen a world of ice and snow.

Fei Mei sat down across from old Wade. He looked up at her, gave only a slight nod, then returned to entering something into a communicator.

"Old man, what exactly is so important that you had to call us all over here? Don't you know how busy I am?"

A booming voice came from outside the hall, followed by a figure squeezing through the doorway.

That was right.

Squeezing!

Though he was no longer young, his massive physique could still put many younger men to shame. He had casually draped the Nightwalkers' long black uniform coat over his shoulders, wearing it like a pitch-black cape.

The old man with a patch over his right eye and a mechanical left arm was none other than Chu Yan, commander of the Nightwalkers.

He sat down beside Fei Mei without ceremony and clicked his tongue. "You're getting prettier by the day, young lady. Why not give that lad Ling Feng a chance? I think you two would make a fine match."

A rare look of resignation crossed Fei Mei's face. "Commander Chu, don't waste your breath. I've never had any intention of marrying."

Chu Yan sighed. "You're too outstanding. So outstanding that no man is worthy of you. But Fei Mei, a girl has to find someone to settle down with. Otherwise, you'll be lonely later in life."

Across from him, old Wade raised his head and sneered. "Trust you to stick your nose into everything, Chu Yan."

Chu Yan snorted. "Better than an old bastard who spends all day scheming against people."

Not far away, the recorder shrank back a little, afraid the two men might start arguing.

"Sorry I'm late."

The fourth person to enter was considerably younger than the two elderly veterans, a middle-aged man not yet fifty.

He wore the blue-black uniform of the city guard, [Iron Wall]. His gloves, military boots, and holster were all impeccably arranged.

The recorder felt as though he might faint. This was Cao Gang, commander of Iron Wall. With him here, every major figure on the second tier of the fortress's power pyramid had gathered.

Cao Gang took his seat and looked at old Wade. "The city lord couldn't make it. Minister Wade, we can begin."

Old Wade grunted in acknowledgment. "Before we start, I'd like everyone to watch a few clips."

He activated a control interface on the smooth tabletop. With a tap of his finger, a series of holographic images appeared above the table.

They showed a Nightwalkers squad in combat.

Chu Yan gave a surprised grunt. "That's our Raven Squad. Weren't they sent to retrieve the Star Marrow Pillar? How did they end up fighting Wanderers...?"

Old Wade said unhurriedly, "They encountered a small group of Wanderers on their way to Lighthouse Base. They're clearing them out now, I believe."

Chu Yan looked puzzled. "Old man, why are you showing us this? And who's filming?"

Old Wade replied, "One of my subordinates. I had him take part in this operation. He brought a Storm Squad with him. General Fei Mei should know about it."

Fei Mei nodded. "I read the report. It said they were testing the combat performance of fifth-generation armaments."

"That's right..."

In the holographic footage, a fifth-generation ranged Three-Dimensional Armament passed nearby. As the view zoomed in, they could see it firing into another group of Wanderers.

The head of the Strategic Department glanced at his communicator. "Unfortunately, there are more Wanderers in the area. But that's no problem. Judging by this fifth-generation armament's performance, wiping out those Children of Darkness should be easy."

Sure enough, the fifth-generation armament took only three minutes to wipe out a group of roughly three hundred Wanderers.

The footage stopped.

As though sensing something, Chu Yan's tone grew colder. "Old man, what are you getting at?"

"Nothing. I just wanted everyone to appreciate the power of technology."

Old Wade spread his hands, a smile curling his lips. "As you all saw, Raven Squad took around five minutes to eliminate fewer than a hundred Wanderers. Meanwhile, Storm Squad deployed just one armament, which not only eliminated more Children of Darkness, but did so in less time."

"Now let's compare the costs. As everyone knows, Ascenders... even the lowest-ranked Ascenders are enormous money sinks. According to incomplete statistics, the resources we invest in these Ascenders each year would be enough to produce three hundred fifth-generation armaments."

"A full three hundred. And they can be repaired, their parts replaced, with a service life of at least eight to ten years. Now look at the Ascenders. How many newly awakened Ascenders do we get each year? Twenty?"

Fei Mei shook her head. "No. On average, about 10.5 new Ascenders awaken each year."

Old Wade slapped the table. "Exactly. Not even eleven. And they consume too many resources, while their combat casualty rate is hardly low. Most importantly, our investment in them isn't a one-time expense. It's ongoing."

"Think about it. If we devoted those same resources to mass-producing Three-Dimensional Armaments, in ten years, the Storm Legion could have more than three thousand of them. What kind of fighting force would that be?"

Chu Yan snorted. "Old Wade, just say what you're trying to say."

Old Wade cleared his throat and stood. "What I'm saying is that the resources invested in Ascenders are out of proportion to their contributions. Of course, I'm not saying they're worthless. But perhaps you could all give this some consideration: we might slightly reduce our investment in Ascenders and put those resources to more appropriate use!"

The air in the command hall suddenly froze. The recorder's hand hovered over his electronic tablet. He did not dare record those words.