Chapter 239
They want to enjoy all the benefits, but they absolutely won't do anything that risks their lives.
That's bad enough, but what's even more dangerous are the stealthy players. When they're trying to complete their missions, they won't care about any sense of kinship, not to mention that some of them aren't even human.
Yuki gritted his teeth. He had seen strange players like lizardmen and mechanical beings in the Borderlands, so he was even less afraid of this kind.
The Defense Corps were completely unprepared and, after experiencing battles such as the "Battle of Sunset Plains" and the "Storm Ocean Naval Battle," their territory shrank more and more, and they gradually fell into a disadvantageous position.
"There are traces of at least three groups of players. Although there aren't many of them, they have disrupted the balance of the planet." Yuki continued reading and discovered why the Defense Corps had that contradictory attitude.
Some players get too caught up in the game. After all, they are surrounded by real people and comrades they spend every day with. They abandon their rationality and risk their lives, using all sorts of bizarre abilities to turn the tide.
They were called heroes.
Some set themselves ablaze, setting the sea ablaze and taking away tens of thousands of insect swarms, giving the retreating humans a chance to catch their breath. Others risked their lives alone, daring to assassinate the insect queen amidst a vast army, and nearly succeeded.
Yuki's breathing became heavier. He didn't approve of such a sacrifice, but he wouldn't mock others for getting too caught up in the role.
"Human nature is complex; everyone has their own reasons for fighting."
His finger swept across the page to the last page. He didn't rush to look at the swarm information, but instead chose to read the rules first.
The rules are simple: sacrifice yourself to preserve humanity, and those who betray will be punished.
These were all empty slogans, yet they were filled with the hopes of the Defense Corps.
They wanted to live, end the long war, and return to normal life, which in some ways coincided with Yuki.
"Is the concept of time deliberately blurred here to help players form a clear logical chain?"
Yuki put down the holographic tablet briefly, realizing that this planet was not as simple as war; it contained too many player imprints. He then summarized the situation.
First, the Defense Corps have a complicated attitude towards the players; they want to exploit the players' power.
Humanity has retreated to the basin and is almost on the verge of extinction. The player's strength is extremely valuable. For one thing, Yuki all out, he can wipe out Chris's squad completely.
"I'm not good at charging into battle, but in squad battles, no one is better than the players."
As for the current state of humanity, it wasn't mentioned in the data, and Chris deliberately avoided it, but Yuki had already noticed it.
There were hardly any people on the plane; clearly, their manpower was running out.
Secondly, because the Defense Corps had suffered too many losses, they didn't treat the players as their own people at all, and tried every means to find the infiltrators.
The reason is very simple: players are an uncontrollable double-edged sword, and they are also very difficult to eliminate.
Ghost-type, hypnotic-type, crouching-type— Yuki doesn't know how many abilities the player has, making it impossible to defend against.
The Defense Corps is in a tough spot; they're at their wits' end, and the conflict is only likely to intensify.
Third, because of the inability to communicate, most players in the swarm cannot leverage their strength, and the monsters will not hold back just because I am an infiltrator.
Yuki had just experienced it firsthand and only knew that the higher insectoids possessed intelligence. If he wanted to return to the organization, he would have to find a way in through them.
But this path is too dangerous, and I don't have the necessary skills, so we can pass on it.
Yuki immediately abandoned one of the strategy routes, as he still didn't know what the fifth hint, 'Lowering the relationship slows down the speed,' meant.
Fourth, due to the accident, the players were all scattered evenly across the continent, resulting in a high number of casualties.
He suddenly became worried about his senior classmates. Judging from the map, this planet only had one landmass, and the only area under human control was the Emerald Basin in the center, surrounded by areas overrun by the insect swarm.
In human-controlled areas, problems can be solved with intelligence, but if you're thrown into Zerg territory, things will get really messed up; Transcendental Grade being, survival will be extremely difficult.
"At the very least, I hope they're thrown into the sea, gambling on their chances of arriving in 30 days and surviving."
The mind map is basically complete. From a strategic perspective, the current situation where the insects are stronger than the humans gives players more options.
From a tactical perspective, regardless of one's identity, contact with humans is definitely safer, and Yuki also understands who the 'insect' in the main storyline of her seniors is.
The Queen of the Swarm? There's no encyclopedia entry or information, just a name.
A task that is almost impossible to complete.
Yuki had no intention of risking his life to become an assassin; he was an undercover agent, and it would be good enough if he didn't cause trouble. It was just that during the memory replay, he was slightly taken aback when organizing the mind map for the second time.
The Transcendental Grade level is the only way to escape the 'cannon fodder' status, as only those whose overall evaluation reaches this level can achieve it.
This was the first faction quest, which made Yuki think about his own faction's ascension requirements.
Is it just another coincidence?
After his baseless speculation, he turned back to the next page and unconsciously straightened his back.
<Insect Swarm Data>.
It includes pictures, videos, and extensive text descriptions, even pointing out weaknesses, hunting methods, etc. Some of them were captured with great effort and people were sent to test them one by one.
Major.
The realism is undeniable; if you want to utilize players, you can't let them fight in complete darkness.
Soldier Bug, 3.5 meters long, unable to fly, with weak jumping ability, and virtually no intelligence; its attack method...
These are the cockroaches that Yuki killed the most. There is a detailed introduction on the holographic tablet, and there are even experiments on the insect's shell resisting piercing and gunshots.
By combining this with his own combat experience, the image of the Soldier Bug was completed, and then he went to look at the other insects.
"Worker Bug? You mean those ant-like bugs? Brain Bug? Their affiliation is indeed related to soul energy..."
During the long war, the Defense Corps accumulated ample experience, dividing the entire swarm into three categories: upper, middle, and lower, with a total of over a hundred different evolved and special forms.
Yuki watched quietly, not even noticing the dim light outside the airplane window. The information was so detailed that no one could remember all the features.
At this point, it's time to summarize, and luckily, there's an excellent reference point right beside us.
"The lower-level Zerg pose little threat, roughly within the 'Limit,' but their numbers are enormous; even I couldn't possibly take on a thousand of them."
"The mid-level Zerg, represented by the Brain Bug and the Samurai Bug, are beginning to show unique evolutionary directions: one is a defensive stance, and the other is a charger, both possessing intelligence and forming the backbone of the swarm."
Yuki tapped the table lightly with his hand. The medium-sized Zerg, along with the ranged-specialized 'Gun Bug' and the flying 'Bat Dragon,' were not easy to deal with, judging from the video.
"Because they specialize in one thing, their weaknesses are also obvious. Judging from all aspects, they are probably at least Extraordinary II level, so killing dozens of them shouldn't be a problem."
With a slight pause, Yuki showed no signs of overconfidence or preparing for a mowing-down-enemies-in-a-row attack. Specialization means weakness, but it also means strength; combining the two would only lead to suffering.
The most unique of them all is the Brain Bug. This thing has no offensive capabilities, but its 'psychic field' can interfere with anything without a soul. No wonder the missile exploded before it even hit its target.
Dealing with it requires something with a soul, that is, a soldier's physical body stepping into the field. However, the field has its own detection capabilities, so optical invisibility is impossible.
"This is the key to the Zerg swarm's fortress defense; I wonder if you, senior, can infiltrate it."
Yuki was added to the list of options, and as the page was turned over, his back was already ramrod straight.
Next up is the truly advanced Zerg.
The first page featured the 'Puppet Bug' I'd heard of before, followed by 'Human Bug', 'General Bug', and so on. Yuki glanced at it and was slightly taken aback.
The illustrations of these advanced Zerg are not grotesque or terrifying; rather, they resemble mutated humans, just as described at the beginning:
The more advanced the insect, the more it resembles humans.
Chapter Seven: Yuki Sorajima (5K)
At the front of the transport plane, a device resembling a red diamond emitted a grayish-white light, and the man inside was reading intently.
This is a form of surveillance, but far more advanced than that on Earth. Yuki felt as if he were sitting in the cockpit, with every micro-expression clearly visible.
Several soldiers in tight-fitting suits were either sitting or standing, while the pilot, wearing a blue peaked cap, and another man in a red military uniform were observing carefully.
The red ones are from the Defense Force's Interior Ministry. Each 'Goshawk' is assigned to a small team, but due to manpower shortages, they are now assigned to only one person.
Their job was to purge from within, and of course, a 'reinforcement' from outside the planet was under surveillance.
"On the surface, there's nothing wrong, but these people are all excellent actors. The fact that there's nothing wrong is the biggest problem." The man walked around the holographic projection.
"Captain Kudus, don't be so paranoid. At least this guy volunteered for the fight and actually helped a lot." The captain took off his military cap, revealing a shiny bald head. His hair and beard were already gray, and he had a prosthetic arm in his left hand. He grinned and said:
"Moreover, they were very strong, and they took down the Samurai Bug in no time."
"Captain Felix, haven't you heard the saying 'the stronger, the more dangerous'? There have been enough similar lessons. For example, during the time of the seventh commander-in-chief, when he brought these reinforcements to see the commander-in-chief, they assassinated him. All the military achievements were just a prelude to revealing his true intentions. And during the time of the eighth commander-in-chief, there were three infiltrators..."
Felix rolled his eyes, and the others also showed impatient expressions. The captain was about to start another history lesson, and they wouldn't be able to get away for at least an hour or two.
"Captain, this man is very interested in the Zerg swarm and is indeed studying it carefully," Chris had to remind him.
"It could be acting. Remember, never trust them. What we need is that strength."
"But my psychic detection also..."
"The detection is unreliable. Do I need to give you a history lesson? There have been cases of Defense Force officers being manipulated?"
"No, no, no, I understand."
Suspicious and paranoid, but that's the job of the Interior Ministry. As for the second half of the statement, it resonated with everyone. Having suffered too many losses, no one would easily believe it.
The key question is: how do we use that power?
Kudus has already watched the recording and acknowledged that Yuki is very strong, and his fighting style is consistent with the characteristics of 'reinforcements':
With limited capacity for large-scale destruction, it excels more at small-scale assaults, making it perfectly suited for tasks like sealing off tunnels.
"Captain, open the central data link. Lieutenant, send your men to guard the outside."
It looked like some top-secret equipment; apart from the transport plane pilot, only Kudus, the captain, and Lieutenant Chris were left in the cabin.
After verifying the pupils and installing a special decoding lock, Yuki's image disappeared, and a huge projection appeared.
It was the phantom of a planet. In the center of the continent was a basin with star-like points of light in it, some large and some small, with two being the largest and brightest.
One is moving, and it's not slow, while the other is fixed at the gap in the basin, surrounded by countless tiny points of light.
But the swarm's information was very limited; they could only see the enemy near the mountains.
A massive flow of information was spreading out, and the captain raised his hand to type continuously in the air, extracting some information.
"The known reinforcements number seventy, divided into 15 groups?" Chris read the message aloud, somewhat surprised. "So many this time?"
"Their arrival method is different from before; they landed in a scattered manner. Some are definitely still hiding. Oh, now there are only 14 groups left."
As they were talking, a point of light, along with a support soldier, was confirmed dead; that was on the north side of the mountains, hundreds of kilometers away.
The bright spots represent the fortress, proving that the 7th squad, which went to block the hole, has also been completely wiped out. A new wormhole has been constructed, and now it will take ten times the effort to close it.
"Marei has fallen. Do we need to go and provide support?" Chris lowered her head slightly, her face filled with sorrow, but her brows furrowed. "Our squad still has fighting strength; we can go and rendezvous with them."
The captain knew this was her friend and gently patted the girl's shoulder. "The Goshawk needs to change its fuel rods, and besides, the wormhole in East Eighth District has been constructed, which is closer to us."
"Within a week, two wormholes were constructed, and the situation is getting increasingly dire."
The group fell silent; the situation was indeed dire. Ever since the swarm evolved Burrowing Bug, they had been able to bypass the 'Wall of Sighs' and avoid attacking the 'Unfallen Fortress,' suddenly appearing from unpredictable places.
The Defense Force established numerous guard posts on the inner side of the mountains, supplemented by patrols by squads of soldiers. Once a wormhole was discovered, it was immediately sealed off, but this only exacerbated the already depleted manpower.
"The Burrowing Bug haven't evolved to the point of drilling through entire walls yet. If they do that..."
"Don't think so much, Lieutenant," Kudus interrupted the discouraging words, his expression resolute. "We will survive, and we must survive."
Silence again. This belief had been instilled in me since birth, but things were getting worse.
The history of the Infiltrators, Puppet Bug, Bat Dragon Swarms, and the Defense Force is filled with countless battle victories, but the result is that their territory is shrinking and humanity is on the verge of extinction.
It is a slow death, like being choked by a giant hand, dull and hopeless.
But what can be done? Humanity has nowhere left to retreat. Besides the instinct for survival, all that remains is the sliver of hope brought by these uncontrollable reinforcements.
"Can their landing craft be recovered?" the captain thought of something.
"The research department has gone there, and the result was that it disintegrated on its own; they couldn't find any of the technologies needed for 'Ark Project'."
"Is... is that so?" The captain's face turned pale instantly. He gave an awkward smile and slowly turned around. "Highest alert. Beware of Bat Dragon attacks. I... I'll go back to my room to rest."
He left, his steps faltering. Chris and Kudus watched his retreating figure, both speechless.
This was clearly against discipline, but the captain didn't intend to pursue the matter.
"Felix lost a hand and a leg to this war, along with two sons and a daughter. Now, all that's left is his grandson." Kudus took off his military cap and tucked it under his arm. "That boy is thirteen years old now and will be serving in the military next year. A breakthrough in Ark Project is his only hope."
The Ark Project was supposed to be successful, but the relevant data was completely lost during the colonial era. The Defense Force couldn't even make it into space, let alone cross star systems, under the surveillance of the swarm.
Those mysterious reinforcements were their only hope. The Defense Force had never received any intelligence about their identities, but it was certain that these people came from another distant planet.
"That's our only hope." Chris possessed psychic talent and was already considered lucky to have trained until she was 16 before enlisting.
"Distant water can't quench immediate thirst. Let's figure out how to weather this wave first. Every time a new bug appears, it means a new battle is about to begin."
The girl nodded. Humanity wins all the time and still suffers so badly. If they lose even once, they might go extinct. At that moment, a red stream of information appeared on the projection.