Joker looked at the task progress bar, which had suddenly surged upward. A satisfied smile played across his lips, his face radiating an uncontainable sense of gratification.
Admittedly, the increased "efficiency" of the players during construction wasn't due to any breakthrough in technology or management—after all, they never cared about safety anyway. To them, death was nothing more than a few seconds of the screen going black. They were simply being more proactive; there was no fundamental improvement in skill.
However, if one viewed the high-risk zones—filled with radiation, toxic gas, explosives, and xenos—as "construction nodes" that needed to be prioritized, then the current efficiency was undoubtedly impressive.
Joker mentally calculated the numbers, his fingertips tapping the data on the screen. According to the original master plan, the complete reconstruction of the old industrial zone was supposed to take a hundred days. Most of that time was allotted to the tedious, low-risk work of deep excavation and reinforcing underground tunnels.
But now, with the players concentrating all their efforts on the most dangerous tasks with the highest merit rewards, the situation had changed drastically. If they could maintain this near-fanatical pace, they could likely resolve the most troublesome danger spots within just twenty days.
A smug, confident grin appeared on Joker's face. He knew that no matter how capable Marshal Karis Venner was, or how iron-clad Krieg's discipline might be, moving two million soldiers to this distant planet was no simple feat.
Due to the complexities of logistics in real-space, it would take at least thirty days for them to arrive. By then, the Helldivers would have already devoured all the "choice cuts" of the mission and finished the job!
"This contest," he declared confidently, sensing victory, "is already ours."
Ten days after Joker made his bold declaration of victory, he was sitting leisurely in the comfortable seat of his command vehicle, holding a book and enjoying a brief moment of tranquility.
Suddenly, the door was slammed open with a loud bang, and EGO rushed in. His chest was heaving, his breathing heavy and ragged, and beads of sweat lined his forehead. He had clearly run all the way there. Joker stopped turning the page and looked up in confusion.
EGO leaned over with his hands on his knees, gasping for air, and managed to say curtly: "Not good... something happened! The Krieg are here!"
"What?!" Joker nearly fell out of his chair. "That's impossible! How could two million men be mobilized so quickly? It defies all logic!"
"It's true," EGO finally caught his breath. Ignoring the sweat on his brow, he pulled out several photographs and shoved them in front of Joker. "These were taken by our scout planes. Look."
In the photos, neat phalanxes and long convoys of transport vehicles moved across the surface of Planet Amara like swarms of black beetles. Even from a distance, the sense of oppression was palpable.
"Rough estimates show there aren't two million Kriegers in the photos. There are only about a hundred thousand."
"A hundred thousand?" Hearing this number, Joker's tensed nerves relaxed slightly, and he regained his composure. He took the photos, scrutinizing every detail. After a moment, he set them down, a flash of realization in his eyes. "I think I understand what's going on," he muttered.
Joker sat back in his chair. "My trick was seen through. After Venner left, he guessed that I would prioritize the high-risk projects. So, as soon as he returned, he arranged for a vanguard of a hundred thousand troops to be sent ahead."
He found Venner's sharp insight a bit troublesome. "Since the high-risk projects are limited, they don't need a huge total force. This unit was sent specifically to compete with us for the high-risk work!"
"Should we find a way to intercept them? Slow them down?" EGO asked.
"Intercept? On what grounds?" Joker shook his head with a sigh of helplessness. "And even if we tried, they're too close; we couldn't stall them for long. However, your logic is sound. We need to find a way to slow their pace—whether it's their marching speed or their construction speed."
He looked up, his eyes landing on the holographic map floating in the command vehicle. He traced lines in the air. "The total amount of labor required to build these fortifications is fixed. If they do less work, don't we get to do more? We need to find a way to hinder their productivity so that the dangerous tasks fall into our hands."
EGO rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So, what method can we use that is both legitimate and slows down their labor?"
"Don't rush," Joker leaned back, closing his eyes and tapping the armrest rhythmically. "Let me think, let me think—"
Meanwhile, in a temporary command center hundreds of kilometers away, Marshal Karis Venner stood straight as a spear before a massive holographic sand table, listening to a report from his adjutant via the screen. His expression was meticulous, his eyes gleaming with an imperceptible sharpness.
"You're saying they withdrew without any delay and turned over all the relevant documents?"
"Yes, Marshal," the adjutant replied respectfully, though his tone carried a hint of worry. "This doesn't match your assessment, Marshal. We've double-checked all the handover documents. Is it possible they deliberately left out critical information?"
"No. That would be considered sabotaging an allied force; the nature of such an act is entirely different," Marshal Venner replied firmly, dismissing the suspicion. He knew that while the Helldivers acted strangely, they wouldn't easily cross the line on matters of principle.
"Then... did they give up?" the adjutant asked tentatively.
Marshal Venner shook his head again. His intuition told him it wasn't that simple. "Though I only met their commander once, I can tell he isn't the type to give up easily. He must have a hidden move."
The adjutant fell silent, and Venner drifted into thought. After a moment, he made his decision.
"If he's bold enough to hand over the tasks, then what do we have to fear?" Venner's gaze returned to the undeveloped zones on the sand table, his eyes shining with confidence. He gave the order decisively: "Order the troops to move in immediately and begin construction on schedule. There must be no delays."
He paused, his voice turning stern. "If any anomalies occur, report to me immediately. The Legio Helldivers was outmaneuvered by my sudden arrival; they are undoubtedly brewing a counterattack in the shadows. We must remain vigilant at all times."