Chapter 245
After wandering around the complex interior of the ship for more than ten minutes, the two finally arrived at a new area.
The automatic door opened, revealing a garden-like space where even the steel walls were covered in vines. From a distance, Yuki could see the other players.
It's easy; among all the military uniforms, a few people dressed in strange clothes do indeed stand out.
It was them.
Among the six figures, Yuki saw Johnny Silverhand smoking a cigar, the Smiling Lady swaying on a swing, and a man in a gray kendo uniform with a samurai-style topknot.
A young man in a purplish-red coat, dressed rather elegantly; and a bald middle-aged man with a deathly pale face, looking like a walking corpse.
Finally, there was the quiet girl in the corner, head down, reading a book, standing out from the others.
Shiina Hiyori, phew, they're all alright after all.
His fingertips trembled slightly Yuki forcefully suppressed his excitement. According to the plan, he didn't know his senior and the others, and they weren't even on the same side. Under close surveillance, he absolutely couldn't reveal any clues.
He scanned everyone equally, returning a gentle smile to each player who looked at him, without showing the slightest discrimination.
Hiyori's acting was excellent, and fearing she wouldn't be able to contain her excitement, she focused all her attention on the novel and didn't use the Spirit Particle Communicator.
The young man in the purple coat was enthusiastic, the bald middle-aged man had an indifferent expression, while the warrior sat upright like a stone Buddha, raising his eyelids slightly and then nothing more.
No, there are far fewer players. For example, only Johnny Silverhand showed up among the Mechanical Believers, and there's no sign of the sadness of their fallen teammates.
Yuki a beat, and he opened his mouth to ask, "Is this all the reinforcements?"
"No, it's just a representation. How could we possibly bring all of you to Command Headquarters?" the captain replied coldly, turning away as he escorted him to the courtyard gate. "Go assemble. The people from Command Headquarters will take you to redeem your reward later."
He just left like that, leaving Yuki alone to face scrutinizing gazes, which was undeniably somewhat awkward.
This means that seven teams passed the test. Teams like the Monster Front certainly have no interest in coming up to their deaths, so there are still many player teams remaining.
Seven days was enough to eliminate a large number of people, and he only recognized three of the seven representatives, which he found somewhat ironic.
In the past, veteran players would meet at the start of a dungeon, but it's been a week, and this is the first time they've actually met.
"Hello, what's your name?" A soft female voice came, and a blonde beauty suddenly appeared before them, her gentle smile contrasting sharply with the greatsword behind her.
Monster-level player, trying to intimidate me right from the start?
"Yuki Sorajima, hello, Smiling Lady." Yuki nodded in greeting, then added, "I went into the dungeon alone, and it took me longer than you all."
Every player wore Loyal Guardian Medal on their chest, which meant they had raised their squad reputation to Friendly.
"I know, we met on the spaceship. There are very few lone players now, and every single one of them is very capable," Teresa said softly, not as if she were deliberately flattering her.
"Time doesn't matter. It would have taken until now to max out reputation on the first day." Johnny Silverhand snorted from a distance, exhaling a smoke ring. "What kind of shitty observation period is this? Damn it! If it weren't for getting intelligence on the Zerg, I wouldn't be helping these bastards."
As expected of a cyberpunk hero, he dares to swear even when being monitored.
"Don't look at me like that, you coward. These bastards are smart. Do they even know what this is?" Johnny Silverhand patted his badge dismissively and said bluntly, "It's an admission ticket traded for the corpses of the swarm. Whether we live or die, they don't lose out."
The words may be rough, but the principle is sound; it really hits the nail on the head. The Defense Force treat players with courtesy because the players are useful.
Yuki glanced at him, then silently walked to a corner and sat down. He didn't fully understand the main storyline of the 'Guardians,' such as their attitude towards the 'Fire Seed,' so it was best to remain silent at this time.
"Mr. Silver Hand, it's best to keep a low profile on someone else's turf," the Smiling Lady advised.
"Tch, these people have no good intentions. It's just a transaction, everyone gets what they want." Johnny Silverhand stubbed out his cigarette and raised his voice. "What would you think if you couldn't stand this and killed me?"
"Of course, we'll take them down," the young man in purple immediately agreed.
"Yeah, damn it, two of our team members died. We fought tooth and nail to get enough reputation, and these bastards are not only ungrateful, they're also always on guard against us." The bald middle-aged man cursed, but his face was expressionless, which looked very strange.
"More than that, they want us to fight each other so they can completely control us and use us as cannon fodder."
"Why should we take the blame for the mistakes we made in the past? This reputation was earned through our own hard work and dedication!"
"They've really angered us. I'll use my Shadow Domain to ambush their transport convoy. It's not certain who will win or lose then."
The young man and the bald man seemed to hit it off immediately, their sarcastic voices rising and falling, while the others remained much calmer.
The samurai remained seated in meditation, which Hiyori great interest, while the Smiling Lady continued to smile.
Yuki gave Johnny Silverhand a strange look, thinking to himself that this guy was indeed a born demagogue.
He appeared honest and loyal enough, yet he was still subjected to constant scrutiny by the Ministry of the Interior Ministry. The Defense Force's attitude was ambiguous and twisted, and with the two men stirring things up, Yuki felt somewhat annoyed.
In squad battles where wormholes are sealed off, the player's strength is indispensable, as it can greatly reduce casualties, which is crucial for the Defense Force that are already running out of manpower.
However, due to historical reasons, they are wary at every turn, using every means to monitor, test, and instigate. The representatives here are even treated more like hostages.
Yuki suddenly missed the simple and honest people of Bloodlight City; the people there weren't so cunning.
"So we need to unite. Regardless of whether there are any 'lurkers' among you, at least we should treat the natives here the same way." Johnny Silverhand clapped his hands lightly, seeing that the time was right.
"The mission must be completed, but we can't let the natives be used as cannon fodder. What haven't we seen? How can we let a bunch of natives take the lead? By the way, none of you are getting too caught up in the role, are you?"
A burst of snickers erupted from the crowd; these were all seasoned players, accustomed to simply pulling out their cards and leaving.
It seems this arrogance is widespread, which makes sense, since players are, after all, beings of a higher dimension.
Yuki observed silently, never offering his opinion. Based on his understanding of the players, he knew that this sense of shared hatred was just a facade; everyone was secretly harboring their own ulterior motives.
'There must be undercover agents playing Muken inside, and most of them want to take this opportunity to gather intelligence on the Defense Force, especially this Johnny Silverhand. He's a digital life form, and he's probably looking for a chance to hack into the Central Database.'
Yuki knew perfectly well that the players had no interest in protecting humanity; their primary goal was survival, and their secondary goal was reaping rewards. Most of them were insatiable, and the rewards from the Command Headquarters simply couldn't satisfy their appetites.
What they want is the bio-binding technology, the surgical data of the Psychic Warrior, and if possible, they even want to take this airship back.
As for the potential danger in tip 4, without any evidence, even if the commander-in-chief could see through the identity directly, revealing it would only backfire.
At that moment, a strange energy appeared, Yuki immediately turned his head to look at Teresa beside him, seeing that the latter gave him a reassuring look.
"I have blocked all the natives' detection capabilities. Don't worry, this little action won't cause a backlash." The Smiling Lady walked to the center of the garden and said softly:
"As Mr. Silver Hand said, players need to unite in the dungeon. Don't forget that we have two identities this time, and the other side is also trying to take us down."
So you're playing a double act, huh? If I remember correctly, these two factions joined forces on the spaceship.
Yuki continued watching the two perform, but secretly glanced at Hiyori while the surveillance was blocked.
When their eyes met, the girl's bright eyes seemed to speak volumes, making one understand what it means to 'express emotions through glances'.
Yuki immediately turned around and nodded in satisfaction.
I'm relieved to know that my senior classmates are all safe.
Because the game prohibits players from discussing main quests, the players present couldn't identify the traitor by comparing answers on the spot, and on the surface, everything seemed harmonious.
Finding the traitor is a matter between the players, so why should the Defense Force benefit from it?
The players quickly reached an agreement to band together and fight the dungeon forces together. They then began introducing themselves, with Johnny Silverhand even pulling out a strange doll.
[Faction Doll]
Its purpose is to allow players to hold it and check whether they are lying when describing their faction; it's basically used to catch traitors within the same faction.
It's impossible for two teams of players from the same faction to participate in a single instance, so conversely, this can also confirm whether or not someone is lying.
Since it didn't involve any individuals, and being in a powerful faction provided a status bonus, no player objected, and the message was passed down from one player to another.
Graveyard Guard, Mechanical Believers, Hunters, Shadow Realm...
Yuki noted them down one by one. Apart from Johnny Silverhand and Teresa, he wasn't familiar with the appearances of the other players. But these strange factions might be encountered again in the next mission. Before he knew it, the doll was already in his hands.
"Mr. Sorashima, which faction are you on?" The blonde beauty asked with a smile, as if she valued him highly.
Which faction am I on?
This really Yuki. Thorny Rose Hiyori had already mentioned, 'no faction' was her biggest secret. Under the piercing gaze of those silver eyes, she decisively answered:
"I am Headhunter."
Chapter Twelve: Battle Merit Exchange (5K)
A week after the instance began, the Guardians finally gathered together.
With seven representatives, assuming an average of four people per team, that's 30 players, which surpasses the scale of 'Calamity of Blood'.
Each team of players belongs to a different faction. According to the rule that "different factions cannot team up or sign contracts", this cooperation is very fragile. Some people are even planning to make their teammates take the blame and go to the Fire Seed themselves.
As a socially awkward person, Yuki wasn't used to participating in interactions between players, so he sat in a corner and thought.
'Whether they are infiltrators or guardians, they should all be connected to the Fire Seed. Now everyone's task is to figure out what exactly the Fire Seed is under surveillance.'
This is very important; things like Psychic Warrior surgery and bio-locking technology are secondary.
These players are quite an eye-opener; some are even going for a romance theme.
Yuki turned to look at the somewhat roguish young man, who was spitting as he spoke. He had actually gained reputation by picking up girls, and those simple-minded female warriors were easily won over by him.
Amidst their boasting, they also exchanged information, though the content was all rather superficial. Yuki could even sense the subtle fluctuations in mental energy permeating the air.
The real deals are all in encrypted transactions. Even without a contract, no one dares to renege on their promise or deceive people with false information. So Yuki seized the opportunity and openly took out his Spirit Particle Communicator, handing the extension to Hiyori.
"Let's talk? I'll pay points."
"Okay, Mr. Sorashima, I don't have enough points, so I'll choose to exchange information on an equal footing." Hiyori answered cautiously, her eyes filled with wariness.
I learned the essence from my senior, it really felt like our first meeting in the Demon Hospital.
Yuki chuckled inwardly, put on the communicator, and his tone changed after connecting.
Is someone listening in?
"No, I read all the players' facial expressions, they were all very focused." Hiyori's voice was soft and pleasant to the ear. "Mr. Yuki, have you been alright these past few days? We wanted to ask around, but Hayasaka- san stopped us. She said we'd meet again sooner or later if we continued with the main story."
"Hayasaka's judgment was correct. We need to be patient with this instance. The Reincarnation Game has given us a full month. By the way, how are they doing?"
"Everyone else is in Azure City, north of the mountains. The Zerg invasion there is too severe, and they can't get away. Since I'm the weakest, they sent me as their representative."
Shiina Hiyori recounted the events of the past few days in a concise and logical manner. They had also been thrown into the mountains and encountered an skirmish less than half a day after leaving the landing pod.
Unlike Yuki, the swarm didn't emerge immediately. They relied on teamwork Hiyori's understanding of the Zerg's weaknesses to hold out until the Defense Force arrived.
"Well done. The first encounter with the swarm is the most difficult. After that, you participated in the wormhole raid?" Yuki breathed a sigh of relief. Combat strength is not necessarily based on direct destruction. Finding weaknesses in unfamiliar enemies is more important.
"We've been recruited and will fight alongside the Psychic Warrior. Hayasaka- kun is invaluable."
Its value is immense. As long as you can get close, its Absolute Lethality Mode can blast Brain Bug to pieces with a single shot, making Earthquake Generator completely unnecessary. Kaguya is even more astonishing, providing fire support across several hilltops.
Oh, and there's the senior student too. That shield can detect invisibility, but it can't find her. You can leisurely place the Earthquake Generator around the wormhole, since it counts as an explosion anyway.
After two battles, they had already completed the third blockade operation on their own, gaining reputation much faster than Yuki. In addition, the four girls in a group were very deceptive in appearance, so the Defense Force were much less wary of them.
"Bullshit, this lousy place is all about looks, huh?"
Yuki was somewhat frustrated; his fighting style directly demonstrated his strength, but it also aroused caution.
A slight smile played on Hiyori's lips as she continued, "Because I have no fighting ability and can't be of any help, I was sent here."
"You've already done me a huge favor. Of all the players here, you're the most suitable hostage." Yuki didn't know whether he was praising her or being sarcastic. As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the girl stand up and put the novel in her hand into her own.
After flipping through a few pages, a slight twitch appeared at the corner of my eye.
It turned out to be a hand-drawn map with a scale, showing a massive ring-shaped mountain range and numerous circles that had no names, only being labeled as fortresses or cities.
"While accompanying Mai Sakurajima on her relocation, I started drawing maps. Then the Defense Force brought me here, leaving the windows open. I studied the landscape as I saw it and managed to draw a rough map."
Hiyori could only pinpoint a quarter of the area on the map; the rest she deduced from the contours of mountains and rivers.
Yuki, coming from the opposite direction and using Blue Jade City as a reference, found that there weren't many errors in the map.
Extremely important intelligence, which the Defense Force had concealed at every turn, finally revealed what the dungeon was really like.
Yuki resisted the urge to pick up Hiyori and spin her around, and gently tapped the western side of the mountain range. "Where is this place?"
There was a clear breach in the continuous mountain range, surrounded by a dense array of fortress markers.
"The Unfallen Fortress, a massive military stronghold, where the vast majority of the Defense Force are stationed," Hiyori replied. They had been there once and gleaned a great deal of information from it:
"It consists of a main fortress and dozens of guard posts. The Zerg swarm can directly attack the fortress. From what I've observed, the troops inside are being constantly withdrawn."
Unfallen Fortress? Zerg swarms can attack them directly?
Yuki raised an eyebrow. He had always had a question: those mountains seemed extremely high, but it wouldn't be difficult for the insect swarm to climb over them, so why did they bother digging tunnels?
Unless for some reason they can't climb the wall, they either have to dig a tunnel around it or attack this hedgehog-like fortress.
"What other details did you find in this fortress?"
"I couldn't see the full view, but my senior said there's a giant light curtain on the outside that blocks the gap in the canyon. By the way, this light curtain looks similar to the one with the Brain Bug."