Upon successful unlocking, Cinder did not immediately begin training new recruits.
He took Sophia out of the Command Center and headed straight for the barracks.
He was very curious where the Soldiers he built came from.
Stepping out of the base, Cinder looked up at the barracks.
He hadn't noticed it much on the map, but seeing it now with his own eyes, he realized the barracks was truly massive.
This structure was as tall as a Statue of freedom.
The internal space was even larger, essentially a weapons factory equipped with a complete and fully automated weapon assembly line.
Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows and looking down, the production line below was manufacturing the carbines and ammunition issued to the Conscripts.
Cinder curiously asked Sophia: "Can I take these guns and sell them to others?"
"Of course you can." Sophia gave Cinder a definite answer, but she quickly reminded him: "However, Commander, you should pay attention to the reserves of steel and other raw materials in the weapons factory."
With Sophia's reminder, Cinder realized that the base's resources were not infinite.
He asked Sophia how long the various resources within the base would last.
The reply he received was:
The weapons factory could currently build 50 carbines and 200,000 rounds of ammunition.
The base currently had reserves of 1.2 tons of fuel, 402 rounds of tank shells, and nearly 12,000 rounds of ammunition.
Sophia did not intend to cause panic for Cinder, and she said: "These construction resources can all be replenished once the ore refinery is built. If you are severely lacking resources early on, Commander, you can also purchase them directly with funds."
Saying this, Sophia handed Cinder a list.
This was a quotation list for all the resources.
For example, 1 ton of fuel required 5 units of funds, which was considered a high material cost.
It should be noted that a Grizzly Tank consumes up to 200 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers under normal combat conditions.
This 1 ton of fuel was only enough for one tank to travel 500 kilometers.
Additionally, one ton of copper required 50 units of funds. This copper could produce about 200,000 rounds of ammunition. Adding in various miscellaneous raw materials, about 100 units of funds could produce 200,000 rounds of ammunition.
A single Soldier generally needs to carry 200 rounds of ammunition for one operation.
If 100 Soldiers mobilize simultaneously, one battle would consume 20,000 rounds of ammunition.
These 100 units of funds could only support 10 battles.
If this were converted into the 700 units cost of a Grizzly Tank:
140 tons of fuel could be exchanged for one tank.
1.4 million rounds of ammunition could also be exchanged for one Grizzly Tank.
This price was truly not worth it.
Funds were most useful when spent on construction.
"It seems I have to find a way to build the ore refinery as quickly as possible."
He continued walking deeper into the barracks.
The situation here was the same as the base: completely empty. All the logistics for the entire barracks were handled by fully automated robots.
This included cooking, cleaning, serving Soldiers, and so on.
Walking further in, they arrived at the Soldiers' dormitories. The rooms generally housed eight people, configured with bunk beds.
The facilities were new and full of futuristic technology.
After a brief tour, Cinder arrived in front of a chronosphere teleportation gate.
This should be the place to summon the "good brothers."
The Conscript, costing 100 units, was 100 units cheaper than the Allied Forces GI, and slightly stronger in combat power. Former Red Alert players were accustomed to calling the Conscript "good brother."
Cheap to build, fast to produce, and fierce in a fight—what Commander wouldn't like them?
Glancing at his remaining 6,100 units of funds.
Cinder didn't hesitate and immediately constructed 50 good brothers and 5 Police Dogs.
The chronosphere teleportation gate began to operate, and after about five seconds, a fully armed Conscript walked out from the other side of the gate.
Cinder had previously verified the strength of these Conscripts; every one of them possessed the strength of a veteran.
If he manufactured tens of thousands of Conscripts, Cinder could form a seasoned Marine Division.
After about five minutes, all the Soldiers had been teleported over.
These Conscripts were all wearing brown coats, heavy breastplates on their upper bodies, and respirators on their heads.
These 50 men standing together gave Cinder a strong sense of pressure.
A squad leader at the front walked up to Cinder, rendered a military salute, and said: "Commander Sir, the troops have assembled, awaiting your orders!"
Beside these Conscripts, five Police Dogs were squatting.
Cinder looked at them and exclaimed, "Holy cow."
No wonder the value of a Police Dog was equal to two Conscripts; they were truly worth it.
These Police Dogs were all wearing armor, and each one had undergone special genetic enhancement.
Their speed and endurance could not be compared to ordinary dogs, and their bodies were enormous, standing about 90 centimeters at the shoulder, roughly the size of a Tibetan Mastiff.
Taking his gaze off the Police Dogs, Cinder looked at the standing squad leader.
He returned a proper, standard military salute.
His voice was loud and forceful: "Soldiers, attention!"
"Yes, sir!"
Looking at the well-trained Soldiers, Cinder felt a profound sense of security.
He continued to command: "Now divide into two columns, 25 men on each side."
In just two seconds, the Soldiers had completed the instruction.
"Effective immediately, the 'Red Alert Infantry Regiment 1' and the 'Red Alert Mechanized Infantry Regiment 1' are established. The 25 men on the left, along with the two Grizzly Tanks, are assigned to the Mechanized Infantry Regiment 1, forming Mechanized Infantry Platoon 1. The 25 men on the right, along with the 5 Police Dogs, are assigned to the Infantry Regiment 1, forming Infantry Platoon 1. Each platoon will be divided into three squads. Personnel assignments and squad leaders will be selected by yourselves."
"Yes, sir!"
The Soldiers accepted the order.
Cinder then said: "I require you to familiarize yourselves with each other within one hour. Can you achieve peak combat effectiveness after one hour, Soldiers?"
"Mission accomplished guaranteed!" The voices of the fifty men were perfectly synchronized.
"Very good. Now, using your respective platoons as units, assign your own dormitories. Ranks will be determined by future military achievements. For now, the two of you will temporarily serve as Platoon Leaders."
Cinder selected the squad leader who had stepped forward earlier, and then casually pointed to the tallest-looking Conscript in the formation.
"Dismissed."
After speaking, Cinder took Sophia back to the base.
On the way, he secretly wiped a bead of cold sweat from his brow.
"My performance just now was acceptable, right? It's a good thing I had Sophia coach me beforehand."
Cinder, who had been a regular worker in his previous life, had never commanded real troops before.
Cinder felt he had done very well just by saving face as the Commander.
Back in the Command Center, Cinder specifically asked Sophia how his performance had been.
Sophia's critique was very strict: "Your body was not standing completely straight, your voice contained a slight tremor, and your expression should have been firmer and more serious. If 100 is a perfect score, I can only give that performance a 40."
Cinder's face fell.
He had thought he did quite well.
"Of course," Sophia's tone suddenly shifted as she praised him, "compared to before, your progress is significant. You have improved from 0 points to 40 points."
Hearing this, Cinder finally cheered up a little.
Earning praise from this cold secretary was truly not easy.
Checking the time, it had just passed midnight.
"Sophia, the crates have refreshed. Give me the map."
Sophia obeyed, handing the tablet to Cinder.
Looking at the map on the tablet, this time three crates had refreshed in Dadupa Valley, and two had refreshed near Windrise, about 30km away from here.
After confirming the locations.
Cinder issued an order to Sophia.
"Order Mechanized Infantry Platoon 1, Squad 1 and Squad 2, totaling 20 men, to accompany the two Grizzly Tanks and collect the three crates in Dadupa Valley. If they encounter powerful enemies, the squad leaders are permitted to decide the timing of retreat themselves.
Order Infantry Platoon 1, Squad 1, totaling 10 men, to take two Police Dogs and head to Windrise to search for crates. The remaining personnel will remain on alert at the base, watching out for Hilichurl attacks. Operations will commence in one hour."
"Yes, Commander." Sophia began to precisely relay Cinder's orders.
Tonight, Dadupa Valley would likely not be very peaceful.