The room fell silent for a moment. This wasn't because the attendees were unprepared, but rather out of mutual respect. The most experienced among them should always speak first.

The meeting was so important that it had been announced several days in advance. For three days, all the Department Heads and Senior Scientists present had been thinking about exactly what they needed to prepare for a landing on an uncharted planet.

They pondered humanity's current limitations, racking their brains to analyze the problem from every angle. Humanity was no longer the primitive civilization that had first set foot on Mars.

Mars was actually a relatively forgiving planet; it hadn't caused them significant harm, and had even brought them good fortune. Perhaps the Solar System was a nurturing cradle, with each planet being relatively hospitable to human life.

But an alien planet was completely different... no one knew what awaited them.

Perhaps they were just overthinking it, and the planet was just a dead zone like the Moon, posing no threat whatsoever. But it was also possible that every single preparation they made would be the difference between life and death.

Over time, humanity had made massive leaps in productivity, technology, and mental readiness. However, they were still far from being able to ignore potential dangers. Targeted, specific preparations were absolutely necessary.

After a minute of silence, someone finally stood up. It was Professor Hao Yu from the Wolfpack Design Bureau.

He spoke in a serious tone: "I believe we need to design more powerful kinetic weapons. We need high-speed electromagnetic railguns or other highly efficient, man-portable ballistic weapons. Our current conventional firearms are completely outdated."

"The development of conventional weapons is crucial because of their versatility. If a dangerous alien lifeform were to breach our base, we couldn't just use nuclear weapons. Their destructive power is too immense and would cause massive friendly fire."

Jason nodded; this was a very real problem. Humanity had not developed a new generation of firearms in a long time. In an era dominated by nuclear weapons, people had simply ignored the issue.

But now, they had to take the issue seriously. If the alien planet was inhabited by dangerous megafauna, they couldn't just nuke everything in sight. More powerful conventional weapons were absolutely essential.

A new task immediately appeared on the main screen: Development of conventional weapons.

As Professor Hao Yu took his seat, another scientist stood up to speak: "I believe we must prioritize the research of powered exoskeletons. They will allow us to carry heavier weapons and more supplies, offer better protection for our soldiers, and could even serve as a replacement for standard spacesuits."

A mechanical engineering expert chimed in, "The gravity on that planet is significantly higher, roughly 1.3 to 1.4 times Earth's gravity. Once we land, our people will struggle just to support their own body weight, let alone carry extra gear. A powered exoskeleton is the perfect solution."

Once the ice was broken, others began to chime in with their own ideas. Everyone had different perspectives, ranging from radical to highly conservative.

However, in a setting like this, every word was carefully considered. There was no empty talk.

The morning meeting had been running for three hours, and they hadn't even covered a fifth of the agenda. Many attendees were so caught up in the debate that they refused to leave the room, opting to have their lunches delivered to them instead.

Marcus stood guard at the entrance, rifle in hand. The security detail, naturally, didn't need to attend the meeting. Marcus and several other former special forces operatives were stationed there to guard the hall's doors. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Listening to the scientists' presentations, the corners of Marcus's mouth curled up into a pleased smile.

This was the kind of hardware a soldier deserved! What good were those old assault rifles and standard issue sidearms? They were practically garbage now! They should have been phased out ages ago!

Those weapons used to be his favorites, but after witnessing the cosmic battle between humanity and the Viridian spaceship, Marcus had completely lost interest in them.

Even the finest assault rifle in the world couldn't put a single scratch on an interstellar warship.

As he eavesdropped, Marcus couldn't help but gloat internally. Finally, they were going to develop new weapons! Finally, the soldiers would get their turn to shine!

When the morning session ended at noon, the security detail returned to their designated mess hall for a one-hour lunch break.

As soon as Marcus crossed the threshold, a large group of younger troops swarmed him, clamoring to hear what had been discussed.

These soldiers were usually responsible for security and surveillance within the Precursor base, duties that were essentially the same as a police force.

But they were soldiers, not career cops, even if they spent most of their time acting like it!

Over the past few years, the military had faded into the background. Training, drills, and competitions formed a dull, repetitive cycle. There was very little real combat. There were no terrorists to capture, and even regular criminals were a rare sight.

Aside from deploying a handful of troops for Mars exploration and investigating unidentified phenomena, they had very few actual missions.

And even on those rare deployments, things had a habit of going wrong.

The military's profile was just too low. Most of the time, they felt completely useless.

Even when the Viridian spaceship was destroyed, the infantry had nothing to do with it. In interstellar warfare, battles were fought with starships and nuclear payloads; the combat strength of a single human body was completely irrelevant.

However, the military still had to exist. They were not obsolete!

Jason and Austin understood this better than anyone.

The armed forces represented the ultimate discipline of civilization. They embodied lethal force, order, and protection. Because they existed, ordinary citizens felt safe and could live in peace. They were an indispensable pillar of society.

If a true crisis ever broke out, it would be up to the military to step in. Ordinary civilians wouldn't stand a chance.

Because of this, the troops had undergone rigorous, special forces-level training over the years. Veterans like Marcus and Shane had become their best instructors.

Influenced by high command, the enlisted men shared a deep passion for firearms and tactical gear. So, at the slightest hint of news, they immediately rushed over to pump Marcus for information.

Their curiosity was at a boiling point!

Marcus casually took a seat on a stool. Playing the tough squad leader, he put on a serious face to keep everyone in suspense. "It's hard to say. The meeting is still ongoing, so things might change. Plus, the details might be classified."

However, Marcus was never good at hiding his emotions. He was visibly thrilled. Despite his serious expression, his face was flushed with excitement.

The words "good news" were practically written all over his face.

"Captain Marcus! Commander Marcus! Come on, brother!" the crowd chanted, making Marcus cringe with embarrassment.

A private named Mark spoke up. "Squad Leader Marcus, the news is going to be declassified the moment the meeting ends anyway! Everyone will know! What's the point of keeping it a secret now? Just tell us!"

Marcus thought about it and realized Mark had a point; the information would be public in a few hours anyway. So, he leaned in and casually shared what he had overheard. "Don't go running your mouths to everyone else. I'll let you in on a little secret."

A few minutes later...

The entire mess hall erupted in pure chaos. Even the soldiers who had been completely out of the loop rushed over to join the frantic discussion.

"A powered exoskeleton?! Like heavy assault armor, or something out of a comic book?"

"Are you serious? It's already on the agenda?"

Two soldiers immediately started arguing over whether mechs or tanks were superior. The general consensus among the men was that heavy mechs were unlikely to see the battlefield, as massive, traditional mechs were far less cost-effective than tanks, aircraft, and combat drones.

Still, a few die-hard mech enthusiasts fiercely defended the idea, arguing their points with wild enthusiasm.

While heavy mechs weren't practical, light mechs, specifically, mechanical exoskeletons designed to protect the human body were highly likely.

"...They're developing a new rifle? Was it Professor Hao Yu who suggested it? We should have done this ages ago!"

"...My God, are there even starships we can fly?"

The soldiers were going completely insane. Their gear was finally getting an upgrade!