Chapter 238
Yuki was somewhat confused about what kind of tactic this was, but then he saw the warrior who had been pierced by the serrated blade gripping the blade, his whole body radiating a dazzling light.
Boom!!
He decisively self-destructed, blasting both of them to smithereens. A mushroom cloud rose a hundred meters away, and the shockwave obscured Yuki's face. He immediately understood what was about to happen.
Self-destruct charge?
Just as he expected, the shockwave propelled the remaining two warriors even faster, allowing them to leap over the second Samurai Bug and plunge into the cave entrance.
"Humanity, immortal!!"
Yuki heard the Roar that seemed to come from the very soul, and then two orbs of light burst forth from the cave entrance.
This explosion was even more powerful, almost leveling the mountaintop and scattering the swarming insects and the ants that were devouring rocks. Even the Brain Bug let out a mournful cry.
But it was no use. The light shield remained, preventing the heavy firepower from pouring in. Instead, it widened the opening, letting a chill spread across Yuki's back.
The congested 'traffic' has been cleared, but something even more terrifying is about to emerge.
Just then, Yuki felt a strange sensation under his feet, like standing on the sea, with rolling waves making his body rise and fall.
Is this what you call Earthquake Generator?
"Retreat, quickly!"
The female voice rang out again, Yuki turned his head, only to find that the remaining soldiers had already begun to retreat quickly.
Damn it, I knew you were up to no good.
Yuki realized that if he had charged forward, he would definitely be unable to retreat now, so there was nothing more to say.
Run!
In the blink of an eye, the massive mountain began to crumble, and the earth was covered with wide cracks. Yuki couldn't fly, but fortunately, his physical strength was strong enough that he chased after it with all his might.
His feet slipped, his body fell, and his soul energy solidified into steps.
Concept Enhancement. Lightness.
His body seemed to transform into a feather, bursting forth from the chaos of the Earth Collapse and gradually catching up with the retreating soldiers.
The silver transport plane hovered in the sky, shooting down a beam of azure light. He saw the soldiers leap out of the light barrier and jump in without hesitation, instantly breaking free from the constraints of gravity and floating up.
Anti-gravity beam? That's high-tech!
Yuki was very interested and jumped in as well. He immediately felt his body lighten, as an upward force lifted him up, giving him a chance to observe his surroundings.
Looking down from a thousand meters above, it's a scene of utter devastation.
The mountains within a ten-kilometer radius are collapsing, like a mischievous child tearing apart a toy.
The swarm of insects couldn't fly either, squeaking and crashing into the bottomless Abyss Grade, where they were buried by heavy rocks. The enormous Brain Bug was crushed by tens of thousands of tons of rocks and could no longer maintain its force field.
The missile streaked through the air, delivering a final, hateful blow, obliterating the Brain Bug within a massive fireball.
Turning my head slightly, I saw the soldiers who had rushed out of the fortress running back like madmen, while those who lagged behind were still swallowed up by the cracks and plunged into the bottomless Abyss Grade.
No one turned back to help; everyone was fleeing for their lives, showing no sign of the composure of a victor.
Death, screams, sacrifice, countless severed limbs.
[Player Yuki, you have obtained the 'First Kill of the Swarm' achievement, reward: 2 Enhancement Points]
Amidst the heavy breathing around him, Yuki heard murmurs, but felt no joy in his accomplishment.
He frowned; only by experiencing it firsthand could he know how different it was from previous instances.
This is war, damn war!
Chapter Six: Players Are Heroes and Demons (5K)
The earth cracked and the mountains collapsed.
The wormhole that the Zerg had painstakingly dug would be buried, and a swarm ten times larger than Yuki had seen would be crushed into a pulp. The price would be ten Ghost Warriors and over a hundred ordinary soldiers.
This will be a great victory, but at this age, great victories are often followed by exhaustion, because similar great victories have happened far too many times.
"Why aren't these people excited at all? If it were a wormhole in the physical sense, the battle just now would have wiped out tens of thousands of worms."
The beam of light dragged Yuki onto the transport plane. The futuristic, silver-white cabin was large and filled with equipment, but there were only a few people. Besides him, there were only the four armored warriors who had returned and a few maintenance personnel.
There was no cheering crowd, and hardly anyone even came to greet them, as if they had just done something insignificant.
'That shouldn't be the case. They fought tooth and nail for this victory. If I were in their shoes, I'd probably be the one left behind.'
He looked at the warrior on his left. In fact, all of them were equipped the same, except that this man had a white flower painted on his shoulder armor, which made Yuki think that this was the woman he had just spoken to.
The latter lay on the ground for a long time, unable to get up, seemingly exhausted. As if sensing Yuki's gaze, it turned its head slightly.
"Reinforcements?"
The voice, ringing out outside of the battle, sounded particularly cold.
Yuki nodded silently, thinking to himself that this was yet another difference.
The Reincarnation Game had already assigned the players' identities, and the other side didn't seem to question it. But why didn't the player feel any excitement upon seeing reinforcements after a fierce battle?
"It really is you." The woman hummed in response, then remained silent, slowly rising and being led by several soldiers in yellow jackets to a platform on one side of the cabin.
Yuki was baffled; instead of being excited, he was even somewhat unwelcoming.
"Hey, if I hadn't killed the first Samurai Bug, you would have been scattered by it. Why are you treating me like this?"
"This is your meritorious service, but it should be assessed by the Command Headquarters. I will report it truthfully."
Yuki twisted his neck, finding it strange. What made this person so certain that I would be so calculating?
He looked at the scattered soldiers and realized that the platform was no ordinary platform either; more than a dozen mechanical arms extended out and removed the battered armor.
They then discovered that the driver inside was much like a normal person, except that he was wearing a tight-fitting suit full of round holes, with armor parts fixed to it.
As a country bumpkin, Yuki was very curious about these high-tech gadgets and slowly walked over.
"Do you know us?"
"If we didn't recognize you, we would have already destroyed you as Puppet Bug."
On the platform, as the breastplate was removed, revealing her distinct female features, she seemed to be enduring pain, her voice trembling slightly.
"You come and go, you come and go, your behavior is full of betrayal, cowardice, and disobedience. Isn't all you're after for the reward?"
Sure enough, other players have been here before. Wait, has this dungeon been used repeatedly?
Yuki suddenly realized that the dungeons he had experienced in the previous stage were all one-time events and even had no reference value. But he thought of the hunter the Bystander Is Blind and Wu Raian who Calamity of Blood.
Logically speaking, a copy set on a planet cannot be used only once.
"So this is what a closed world is like."
He suddenly realized the significance of the 'Borderlands'. It was more than just a player trading market; it also contained a vast amount of information about dungeons. If he had this information, he wouldn't be completely ignorant. And acquiring information wasn't difficult.
The reason players are willing to risk everything to reach the Borderlands is because even the strongest players in the closed world can only rely on luck to obtain some dungeon information. In other words, the dungeons in the closed world are all one-time events for each faction; experience and information cannot be transferred, and a moment's carelessness can lead to an unwitting death.
"You really are like this; even in normal conversation, you fall into strange thoughts." The woman's voice became helpless, with a hint of disgust.
Having been exposed, players will naturally analyze any new information they discover.
Yuki smiled bitterly, understanding the source of that coldness. Being an enemy of a player is dangerous, but being an ally is even more dangerous. For example, he himself was an 'infiltrator,' and his motives for helping were not pure.
But is that my fault? We're all just fighting for survival.
When players first arrive, they are treated like saviors, but then wave after wave of players exhaust their trust.
"A gentleman judges by actions, not intentions. Just look at what I've done; no one knows what the future holds."
"That's an interesting point. Hmm, at least judging from the battle just now, you were of some help."
"It's a huge favor, and it's on my own initiative. You wouldn't be so petty as to think I should just obey orders and charge into battle, would you?" Yuki felt wronged; he needed to live too, you know.
"I have never expected you to obey my orders; at the very least, your power makes me feel close to you."
A sense of closeness? Oh, is it the power of the soul?
Yuki raised an eyebrow and saw the robotic arm remove the cylindrical helmet with several dents, revealing a bright and beautiful face.
He had a typical Western appearance, with shoulder-length, slightly messy blond hair that looked like withered straw. He had an oval face, a high nose bridge, and deep green eyes, and looked to be only a teenager.
She has a bit of a younger version of Black Widow vibe, standing no more than 1.6 meters tall, which makes her look quite out of place against the backdrop of those armor pieces and high-energy rifles.
That look again.
Chris frowned, somewhat annoyed by Yuki's scrutinizing gaze, but thankfully the latter noticed and immediately looked away, which made her feel a little better.
Unlike those animals driven by desire, they are the most repulsive reinforcements.
The girl also took a closer look at Yuki. Without the barrier of the 'Reaper' armor, she could see him more clearly, and then she narrowed her eyes in surprise.
'He didn't seem to have the feel of war, but he'd killed many people and experienced countless battles; no wonder his attack was so swift and decisive just now.'
Very strong, not necessarily experienced.
Compared to Yuki's somewhat handsome face, this aura made the warrior feel closer to him.
What other benefits do you want?
This was the first time Yuki had heard Chris speak; her voice was clear and crisp, unlike that of a battle-hardened warrior.
"A simple thank you will suffice."
Chris looked surprised, not expecting Yuki's request to be so simple, but she didn't say anything and turned to look at her companion.
The other three soldiers also finished removing their armor; two were Black, and one was White—all muscular men with identical expressions.
Full of vigilance, yet harboring a glimmer of hope.
"Captain, we need their strength, but we must be careful not to be used by them, especially by the spies inside."
"I've received relevant training and know how to deal with these strange reinforcements; I won't be fooled."
Chris nodded slightly, gave a military salute, and then dismissed her companion.
Yuki could sense the fluctuations in soul energy and knew that these people were using voice chat within the team, but he had good emotional intelligence and pretended not to see it.
"Come with me." The girl landed silently on the ground, turned around and left.
So, thank you? You're really not going to say thank you?
Yuki moved his lips slightly, then patiently followed.
The transport plane flew smoothly, gliding through the clouds without any turbulence. Yuki behind the girl, walking in the empty passageway, feeling uncomfortable all over.
He comes from the world of everyday romance and is not good at dealing with these tough, ruthless soldiers.
"You're following me because you want intelligence, right? According to Article Seven of the Command Headquarters's Code, I will provide intelligence to any reinforcements."
"Don't doubt my attitude. Do you know why we're barely surviving in this basin? Humanity once roamed the planet, fighting on equal footing with the Zerg. It was precisely because we trusted you, our reinforcements, that we've come to this end."
"But we still need your strength. There are also some truly helpful warriors among the reinforcements; otherwise, we would have treated you along with the Zerg swarm long ago."
"I hope you will learn from those warriors and never betray humanity. I will give you the relevant information. Strive to become a hero of humanity."
Chris speaks too directly. The good news is that she doesn't beat around the bush and is extremely efficient at gathering intelligence; the bad news is that she's frustrated and had to force herself to listen to a political lecture.
The brief history is filled with blood and tears, and witnessing the sacrifices firsthand made Yuki, this 'undercover agent,' feel deeply ashamed.
Sigh, I should have chosen the Guardian.
In a small cabin of only a few square meters, Yuki slowly scrolled through the holographic screen, a gift from Chris, whose technology far surpassed that of Earth.
It was like breaking apart a pair of chopsticks, with the middle automatically flashing on the screen. Fortunately, the Reincarnation Game had a built-in translator, and Yuuki learned how to Yuki a while.
"The intelligence gathering was far easier than expected; these people even wrote a manual specifically for 'reinforcements'."
These are things that 'Planetary Defense Force' definitely wants players to know; they are all simple and easy-to-understand background knowledge, divided into several categories: history, swarm information, and rules.
Yuki glanced through the history and got a general idea of what it was all about.
The Defense Corps were colonists long ago who were trapped on this Emerald Planet for some reason, and then many years ago came into contact with and fought against the fallen swarm of Zerg.
You can imagine how excited the first group of players were when they arrived, but they soon realized something was wrong.
"The power systems are incredibly diverse and far more dangerous than they imagined."
Guardian players may not be dedicated enough, since their primary goal is survival and reaping rewards. All their actions are aimed at gaining benefits from the Command Headquarters, and they are almost unlikely to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the dungeon characters.