With the addition of Shu You, Jiang Longchi, and the others, the Expeditionary Force's lineup of high-end combat power appeared thoroughly formidable at first glance.
After all, the name Major The Qing alone was already the greatest combat strength all of humanity—excluding NE—could put forward at present.
Including him, all three of Stream Blades' current top combatants—Han Qingyu, Wu Xu, and He Tangtang—were deploying. In truth, there were four, though Second Lieutenant Shen Yixiu's identity had yet to be officially revealed.
"Don't forget there's still Pegmont on Mars."
"Yeah, that means two of the three super-geniuses of the post-Chen Buer era will be there."
"So we're bound to win!"
Amid such discussions, people strove to muster confidence and conviction. Yet, at the same time, a tremendous worry remained buried deep within their hearts: what if this battle was lost? If both Major The Qing and Pink Pegmont were buried there, what would become of humanity's future?
Compared to high-end combatants, what the Expeditionary Force truly lacked most severely was ordinary super-tier and top-tier fighters. The veterans answering the mobilization order were indeed seasoned in battle and possessed unwavering will, but among a hundred thousand soldiers, there were barely a handful of top-tiers, to say nothing of super-tiers.
The greatest role they could play on this expedition was precisely what Stream Blades' five thousand warriors and the later Azure reinforcements had once done at the South Pole: hold the line against encirclement, forging a path and opening space for the high-end combatants so they wouldn't be overwhelmed and butchered by sheer numbers of black armors and blue-sheened Great Spikes.
Pegmont had said that the current scale of the Great Spike force on Mars was anywhere between thirty thousand and five hundred thousand. That left the Staff Department completely unable to produce an estimate, forced to settle on a single conclusion: a lot.
Even thirty thousand was already a massive number.
The extreme imbalance between human source energy offense and defense necessitated troop numbers of this scale. In contrast to humanity's steadily rising offensive capabilities, their defensive endurance remained fragile. Even a peak super-tier could still die beneath the pillar sword of a black armor Great Spike. Conversely, ordinary human soldiers—and even top-tier fighters—could not breach the defenses of a Daie-grade Great Spike at all.
Humanity now knew for certain that Daie-grade Great Spikes were present on Mars, even if their exact numbers remained unknown. Therefore, the Staff Department could deduce with certainty that beyond the countless black armors and blue-sheened Great Spikes, there was bound to be a sizable swarm of red shoulders.
On that point, even the cook preparing special meals for Liaison Officer Yang Tieyu at Stream Blades or the old men chatting by West Lake in Linzhou City could have deduced as much. As a result, the practical role the Azure Staff Department could play in this battle was effectively zero.
A swarm of red shoulders! While a lone red shoulder no longer struck terror into human forces, a swarm of them remained a terrifying, insurmountable obstacle.
Once Major Qing was locked in single combat with a Daie—and given his past record and the recent rumors of his tremendous breakthrough, the public and media were already speculating whether he might take on two at once—there was no question that the red shoulders would form the core fighting force of the Great Spikes in the Martian campaign.
To this end, Azure had deliberately selected sixteen super-tier combatants and sixty top-tier combatants from the application roster to take part in the expedition.
In all likelihood, that was not enough—far from enough.
"Still, after the catastrophic casualties from last year's Antarctic expedition tore such a severe rift through our elite forces, Azure simply can't spare any more. This blood is being drawn with a pump. How should I put it? They still have to plan for and look toward the future, after all," Wen Jifei said.
"Still, aside from Aunt Christine leading them, who isn't really that useful anyway, none of the super-tiers on the list are particularly well-known," He Tangtang said. His point was that the super-tier combatants Azure had deployed this time were not the cream of the crop; figures like Bochen and Wolf were absent from the roster entirely.
"Same logic. They can't afford to risk those people," Wen Jifei said.
"Still, don't you guys find it strange?" Yang Qingbai, still wearing his bulky spacesuit, chimed in with a puzzled tone. "Since everyone says the battle on Mars concerns the survival of mankind, and Azure's official stance is the same, why haven't they shown greater resolve with their stakes?"
The conference room aboard the Doomsday Great Wall fell silent. It truly was a major question. If this was a battle for survival, then no matter how perilous or unpredictable the journey, shouldn't they be staking more of their chips?
Even if they didn't commit every existing high-end combatant, at least half would make sense, wouldn't it? There was no reason to be this conservative, being overly cautious with their wagers.
"Are they afraid of making a wrong call and taking the blame?" Seeing the quiet, Yang Qingbai hesitated before asking another question.
"Not quite. Speaker Kemore and those fellows on the Elder Council still have that much courage and accountability." Wen Jifei spoke up, the corners of his mouth curling into a slight smile as he continued, "In truth, the reverse deduction is simple... Even if the Martian campaign fails and neither Qingzi nor Pegmont returns, they still hold a final trump card to decide victory."
"...Holy crap!"
"Really?"
"Waiting for the Commander-in-Chief to recover?"
"What else could it be?"
Amid the shock and chatter, Wen Jifei slowly shook his head. "By ordinary logic, that should be what they're waiting for. But in all likelihood, it isn't. Nobody knows whether Old Chen can recover, and as things stand, the chances don't look good. The chip in their hands must have some degree of certainty. Even if the outcome isn't guaranteed, they must at least be certain it can be put to the test."
Wen Jifei paused. Because the Little Prince was not present, there wasn't even anyone around to feed him lines.
He had no choice but to carry on himself. "Theoretically, this person has a chance of taking down the Great Spike leader. What I mean is, their final chip has, in all likelihood, a faint chance of bringing down Miwang."
"..."
"The best possible outcome would be mutual destruction. That's why they had to hold back Bochen, Wolf... as many powerful super-tiers as possible, along with all the growing, talented recruits, so that if that outcome occurs, they can deal with the other high-tier Great Spikes and the unknown numbers of their army. Of course, it would be even better if Old Chen recovered by then," Wen Jifei continued.
"You're saying... that chip is a person?" Yang Qingbai asked hesitantly.
"Most likely, yes," Wen Jifei said.
"That's impossible!" Yang Qingbai meant that if humanity truly possessed someone that powerful aside from Chen Buer, there was no way that person would have stayed on the sidelines all this time.
"It's possible." Wen Jifei pondered for a moment, then looked up at Han Qingyu.
Han Qingyu understood his gaze. Before nodding in agreement, he first glanced sideways at He Tangtang.
"Tangtang, step outside," Wen Jifei said.
He Tangtang looked bewildered. "Why?"
"No reason. Just step outside," Wen Jifei said.
In that single split second, inspiration struck He Tangtang, and understanding dawned on him. With eyes both shocked and fanatical, the great Yanxiu-devouring beast pointed a finger at himself, trembling with eager excitement. "That person you mentioned... the one who might take down Miwang... is it me?!"
"No," Wen Jifei replied flatly.
"Don't try to lie to me."
"If I were lying, I would have told you it was you." Wen Jifei glanced at him. "Don't forget, you're going to Mars this time too."
He Tangtang: "..."
He finally went outside.
This meant whatever came next was off-limits to He Tangtang, but Wu Xu, Yang Qingbai, and Rusty Sister were allowed to hear it. Among them, Wu Xu never talked anyway, while Rusty Sister and Yang Qingbai were both plenty smart.
Wen Jifei spoke: "Qingzi, do you remember? Last year, the Chief of Staff mentioned something in passing. He said that Pegmont's characteristic was the second strangest in all of human history..."
"Wait, Pegmont has a characteristic?" Yang Qingbai asked in confusion.
"What is it?" Rusty Sister asked.
Wu Xu's eyes brightened ever so slightly.
"Yeah, he does. But it's a bit complicated. You either don't know it, or once you do, you have to be very careful when interacting with him—and you have to be careful in a completely natural way... Never mind, I'll tell you guys once we've set off. Maybe you can even help out with something when the time comes."
Wen Jifei offered that brief explanation, then turned back to Han Qingyu.
"If there are no major holes in my deduction, their final chip should be number one."
The number one strangest characteristic.
Wen Jifei said, "In all likelihood, that person isn't an expert at all. It's even possible they aren't an Azure soldier."
Chapter 903