Chapter 240
The two people chatting suddenly stopped, quickly stood up straight, and silently recited:
"The Commander-in-Chief has ordered that the relationship with the reinforcements be adjusted to the trust level, all investigations be moved to covert operations, and every effort be made to deploy them to the wormhole battlefield. Anyone found disobeying orders must not be suppressed by force unless they can be definitively identified as an infiltrator; appeasement should be the preferred approach."
The two exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat flustered and uneasy.
Has the situation become so critical that they've skipped the probing phase entirely? It's almost like they're desperate for a solution.
The decision not to use force to suppress the resentment of the reinforcements was made to avoid provoking resentment from the entire force. This essentially placed the Command Headquarters in a weaker position. But would appeasement really work?
Call.
Chris suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. Whether the reinforcements they had just encountered were trustworthy or not, at least they had the will to fight.
Oh right, what was his name again?
This planet is strange; it gives me a faint sense of despair.
At the same time, Yuki was analyzing the information from the dungeon. He had already finished reading the data and had keenly noticed some problems.
The characteristics of the insect swarm are described in great detail, and even summarized concisely:
First, there is a clear division of labor. Each type of insect has its own job and focuses on a specific area. Each swarm also executes simple commands and will not abandon its advance just because its allies are not keeping up.
Second, their behavior is rigid. For example, if one swarm is allowed to patrol a certain area, other swarms will not interfere.
Third, don't judge friend or foe by appearance. Looks, voices, and smells are useless to them. The Defense Force have tried various methods to infiltrate, all of which have failed. But in the player's eyes, the swarm's criteria for judging friend or foe are already written in the hints:
Reputation?
Yuki put down the documents. The contents should be credible, being a summary of many years, but there was one strange thing about them.
The description of the insect swarm is very detailed, but the situation of the Defense Force themselves is only briefly mentioned, without even a map, let alone information on city distribution and troop deployment.
"Trying to protect yourself from the players, huh? But based on what I've observed, you have no choice but to use it, even if you know it's poison, you have to drink it down."
Yuki had already noticed the manpower shortage. The battles he wrote about were thrilling, but they couldn't hide the losses.
With territory and population constantly shrinking, there are hardly any survivors on such a large transport plane, and besides, the player is truly skilled.
Although their numbers combined are less than the soldiers in a single guard post, their quality is high. Given the inherent flaws of Reincarnation Game, the strength gap between factions participating in a dungeon won't be too large, and there will definitely be no shortage of Transcendental Grade or even monster-level players.
The second point is to infer from the swarm itself. Their evolutionary direction is clear. For example, the 'Soldier Bug' is obviously geared towards firearms and has maxed out physical resistance, while the Brain Bug is specifically designed to deal with various intelligent missiles.
This kind of evolution is precisely useless to the player; Yuki doesn't know how many strange abilities the player actually has.
"Their reaction speed is very fast, their individual strength is extremely strong, and they have rich experience in squad battles. It's as if they were born specifically for wormhole warfare." Yuki had personally experienced it. Before the wormhole was formed, the speed at which he and his seniors could block it would only be faster.
The last point is about tip number 2: do not disclose any information about the Reincarnation Game. This way, the natives will not understand things like factions, teams, and other such nonsense, and will only see the players as a whole.
"I'm 90% sure they'll treat me politely and cooperate with this Defense Force until they confirm I'm an infiltrator. I'm safe."
Yuki a sigh of relief, almost confirming his earlier guess, and then realized that being a 'lurker' wasn't so bad after all.
Seizing or destroying the Fire Seed —in other words, it doesn't matter if I don't destroy it—doesn't create any irreversible conflict with my seniors.
Whether to rob or destroy, we'll talk about that later. As long as the Command Headquarters gives enough benefits, I don't need to be a bad guy.
Yuki got up and stretched his shoulders, pacing back and forth in the cramped cabin. The key to the faction mission was the reward, and he was very interested in the battle merit reward. Besides that, there were also game rewards.
Two reward points—it was honestly the easiest one yet, since all he did was provide cover. But asking him to block the hole by himself is something he couldn't do alone.
Both the difficulty and the rewards are an order of magnitude higher than before, no wonder some players on the spaceship are saying they're going to make a fortune.
Furthermore, the souls of those Zerg are powerful and pure, making them an unprecedented high-end tonic.
There are actually three paths to reap rewards: battle merits, games, and soul power.
Thump!
Yuki slammed his fist on the table, almost certain that the instance had returned to normal, and the Reincarnation Game wasn't playing any tricks on him.
[Player Yuki's reputation with the Defense Force has been updated; it is currently at the Trust level.]
"Are you excited?"
A clear female voice and a murmur came at the same time. Yuki his head and saw a blonde girl standing in the doorway. She took off her bodysuit and changed into a dark green military uniform.
His appearance was too youthful, which was honestly a bit strange. His expression was quite subtle, as if he didn't want to talk to me, but I had no choice but to get close.
Forget about using his beauty; he's just a little kid, not Hiyori.
He paused for a moment, recalling the hint he had just received and the girl's expression, then suddenly smiled:
"Hmm, I suddenly realize I'm safe."
"How did you figure that out?"
"Your expression, your smile is too stiff and too forced. You must have received some orders."
Chris was taken aback, quickly touching her face. She thought to herself, "I haven't received spy training, but is it really that obvious? Or does this powerful psychic have mind-reading abilities?"
Then she heard a low laugh.
"What I was just guessing was actually a wild guess. Now I'm completely certain that you received instructions from your superiors, something like to correct your attitude towards the reinforcements."
The girl's smile froze completely. She quietly took half a step back, suddenly remembering that these 'reinforcements' had one thing in common:
Most people are very intelligent and excellent schemers.
"Don't be nervous, updating the relationship can save both of your time."
Yuki is not a monster, didn't that hint clearly? This was just an experiment, and the result was that the faction's reputation and personal favorability did not align.
Chris was now on high alert, and reluctantly extended her hand.
"Yes, we are comrades-in-arms now."
Yuki remained seated, tilting his head as he asked, "If I disobey orders, will I be eliminated?"
Ah?
Chris blinked, clearly not having considered this, her right hand froze, and her face remained expressionless. "You can try."
Give it a try, haha, you've already shown your weakness.
It seems unlikely. The natives here should know that the players are all lawless thugs who disregard all rules and regulations and might even turn their guns on you if pushed too far.
This little girl is interesting; she's completely different from Hayasaka and the others. She's been so hardened by the military that she's lost all common sense. How can someone win people over like this?
"Miss, getting people to help in a war requires benefits; it's too insincere of you to come empty-handed."
"W-what kind of benefits?" Chris looked blank; the notice didn't mention anything about it being this complicated.
Yuki glanced at the childish face, and seeing her dazed look, couldn't bear to tease her anymore.
"What about the military merit awards you mentioned before?"
They're still debating the reward, as expected.
The girl immediately breathed a sigh of relief, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes.
That would be best; otherwise, I wouldn't know what to do if he made any unreasonable demands.
She raised her hand and took out her sidearm from her waist. It was a futuristic-looking pistol, but with a very unusual device on the trigger.
"The Defense Force needs biometric information to use any equipment, and the Command Headquarters can provide you with equipment based on your combat achievements; otherwise, you won't be able to use it even if you receive it."
Creature-locked? Does that mean these items can be taken out of the dungeon!?
Yuki's eyes lit up. He had been wondering why players wouldn't get rich from picking up these high-tech weapons. But wouldn't that just turn them into Chaos Item?
No wonder there are so many Chaos Item in the Borderlands; they couldn't all have been obtained from the game.
"This perk is interesting; it's suddenly given me a fighting spirit."
"Then we're comrades-in-arms." Chris put away her gun and raised her right hand for the second time.
"Don't rush me. I've prepared some questions. Can you answer them for me, and we'll see how it goes?"
Yuki shoved a blank sheet of paper into the girl's hand. She looked down at it and her lips twitched.
It was a densely packed table that didn't contain any of the Defense Force's secrets, but it covered everything from command authority and cooperation objectives to disciplinary constraints and mutual obligations, making it more like a business contract.
This person is such a hassle!
Chris roared inwardly, but after confirming that it didn't involve any secrets, she had no choice but to patiently answer, then slammed her hand on the dusty table in annoyance.
"Is this alright now? I feel like I've figured out your trick?"
It's not a misperception; I'm testing your patience to determine how valuable a player is during the 'trust' phase.
Facing a pure young girl who only knew about war, Yuki, like a cunning fox, waited until she raised her hand for the third time, her patience reaching its Limit, before slowly and deliberately asking:
"May I have your name?"
Didn't I already tell you?
"I forgot, this is a formal self-introduction, and you've never asked my name before."
Yeah, I don't even know his name.
Chris straightened her uniform, her boots clinking together. "Lieutenant Chris, captain of the 15th 'Crimson' Squad, Special Response Unit of the Defense Force."
"Hey, aren't you the vice-captain?"
Didn't you just say you forgot?!
The girl took a deep breath and said coldly, "The captain led the charge to the death, and now I'm taking over."
The captain was the one who went to self-destruct? What a hero!
Yuki recalled the warriors who went to commit suicide, and for some reason, he'd been drawn to tough guys lately.
But such people deserve respect.
Yuki suddenly stood up, straightened his trench coat, and reached out to grasp the girl's hand.
"I am Yuki Sorajima."
Chapter Eight: A Villain Appearing as a Loyal Man (6K)
The deal was struck, interest was piqued, and Yuki officially joined the fray. His first impression of him was that it was all too normal.
There are no mystery elements like the Demon Hospital, no absurd Calamity of Blood, and the main quest is simple and clear:
Humans want to survive, while the insect swarm wants to exterminate them.
Building upon this foundation, the swarm's targeted evolution, the Defense Force's attitude towards the players, and the 'Fire Seed' form a logical chain that ultimately constitutes a massive instance.
Global Insect Calamity.
Yuki's strategy was very simple, and he didn't care about his identity as an 'undercover agent' at all.
Following the Crimson Squad, they blocked caves everywhere, accumulating battle merits to exchange for equipment, and killing swarms of insects to gain reward points and soul energy. This allowed them to further increase their reputation, climb the ranks of the Defense Force, uncover the secrets of the Fire Seed, and incidentally use the natives' intelligence network to find their senior and others.
Killing multiple birds with one stone, simple and joyful.
Seven days later, the silver-white 'Goshawk' flew away from the Black Mountains, its wings covered in corrosion marks and its fuel almost exhausted.
Yuki stood in the cockpit, staring blankly at the sky ahead, his eyes filled with a hint of numbness.
There's not much to say about those seven days. After refueling at a fortress, the Goshawk immediately embarked on their journey, traversing thousands of miles across the northern mountains, frantically plugging leaks with their allies.
Strangely, the fueling process was top secret and only the captain could participate. Yuki wanted to take a look, but almost became a suspect, so he had no choice but to accept being a killing machine.
Once a wormhole forms, the watchtower reports it and, depending on its size, coordinates with friendly forces to launch an attack, eliminate the worm swarm, seal the wormhole, and then move on to the next location.
The intense and monotonous battle cycle repeated five times. Aside from the travel time, there was almost no day without fighting, which seemed extremely long for Yuki.
Seven days is enough to clear a dungeon, and he has never spent seven days doing only one thing. Now, with his eyes closed, all he can think about is the swarm of insects, all sorts of disgusting spores, and his hand, which is wielding his sword, is a little numb.
In the past few days, he has also collected a lot of clues and sorted out many questions, such as one of them:
Having participated in so many battles, the insect swarm never eats humans; they simply slaughter them. What grudges Yuki exist between the two sides is none of their business. But they don't eat—are they perhaps a perpetual motion machine?
And I'm never asked to participate in cleaning up the battlefield. What is the Defense Force hiding?
"Mr. Yuki, one can, please."
Just then, the bald captain handed him a can of coffee. This stuff couldn't compare to the coffee Hayasaka made, but it was invigorating.
Unscrew the bottle cap, and the bitter liquid flowed into his mouth. Yuki his head slightly, and he could see respect and appreciation in the other person's eyes.
Yes, he really has been fighting these past few days, and that's the only way to gain favor.