Chapter 254
He struggled to lift his head and saw a huge machine in the center of the room, flashing countless electronic lights.
Central Database...
The good news is that he's in, and with the General Bug, all those sacrifices have finally paid off.
The bad news was that as soon as he opened his mouth and spat out a spore covered in blood, a shadow loomed large in his field of vision.
Splat
Without uttering a single wasted word, Yuki stomped on its head, crushing it. As red and white liquid splattered, the man, towering above, wiped his foot on the red military uniform, as if—
I stepped on a cockroach.
Chapter Nineteen: Demons, Cursed Spirits, and Yato (5K)
Out of respect for his profession, Yuki had given it his all. When his skill level was far superior, trying to stall for time was just wishful thinking.
Saito died swiftly, and the two insects were crushed without causing Yuki any ripples. The key to this battle was not the fighting itself, but breaking through the blockade and finding the insect swarm's true target.
What a coincidence! If I hadn't also wanted the Central Database, I would have been fooled by you too.
Yuki glanced at the massive server, several stories high, in front of him, and felt like he was being watched. He looked around and finally stopped at the dense array of surveillance cameras.
Electronic life?
Yuki's eyes were filled with curiosity. It would be a huge loss to expose themselves after getting this far. The door was already open, Hiyori would take care of the rest. No matter how intelligent the electronic life inside was, no one would come to help now, no matter how much they screamed.
It might be able to detect the Void Puppet, but that thing couldn't possibly uncover any results. Shiina Hiyori was just a bookworm who loved mystery; what did the Void Puppet have to do with her?
'Since they're electronic lifeforms, then this is Johnny Silverhand's battlefield. There shouldn't be any problems.'
Yuki couldn't participate in the battles in the online world. Other players would probably be full of doubts, but Yuki wasn't worried at all.
That's Johnny Silverhand, the Ghost of Night City. If you can't even do that after becoming a player, you're just too pathetic.
What happens in the future is none of my business; I will only remain loyal to the end.
Yuki knew when to play dumb. Even though he could sense a spirit passing by, he pretended not to see anything and picked up the spore from the disgusting brain matter.
[Special Item: Electronic Bug Spore]
[Able to hack into technologically advanced computers, read data, modify permissions, or destroy them; one-time use item]
This is a great product, but how do I use it?
Yuki promptly put it away, not caring if it was recorded. After all, players fight for profits; not looting corpses would arouse suspicion.
Next, he carefully examined Saito's corpse again and found that the insect armor could not be removed, so it should not be a prop or anything like that. In fact, its hardness was quite impressive, enough to save one's life in a battle against a Transcendental Grade player.
The samurai left behind two swords. Yuki took them and examined them, only to discover that they were a pair of special level 4 items.
[Phantom Twin Blades (Transcendental Grade) - Forged Three Times]
[Allows players to have a phantom effect, which has a bonus effect when combined with related Transcendental Grade skills. Forging effect: Increases the number of phantoms.]
[Side effect: Temporary disorientation]
[Description: The world is like a dream, a true swordsman must combine illusion and reality]
"Unfortunately, I don't have the corresponding Transcendental Grade skills. However, this kind of flashy swordsmanship is only good for beating up novices. It's really useless against a true powerhouse who can overwhelm you with both strength and speed."
Yuki tossed the twin swords back into his storage space. "If I don't need them, I can just sell them," he thought. He picked up the Demon-Breaker Longsword and pondered the scorching marks on it.
This sword is already outdated. It's only a level 3 weapon, known for its hardness and energy defense, but he has no intention of upgrading it. In terms of energy defense, the special items obtained from the dungeon are no less effective than this sword.
Is the battle almost over?
Sheathing his sword, he looked up and could hear the sounds of battle outside gradually subsiding. After all, it was just a feint; the swarm's infiltration power couldn't be sustained. After unleashing their three attacks, they were doomed.
[Player Yuki, you performed exceptionally well in the 'Command Headquarters Battle' with a participation rate of 90%, and have been awarded 2 Specialization Points.]
[Player Yuki, you have defeated the Puppet Bug Jackson. Reward: 1 Enhancement Point]
[Player Yuki, your Zerg reputation has reached 'Hateful'.]
[Player Yuki, your Human reputation has reached 'Exalted'.]
A continuous murmur arose, almost overwhelming.
The unexpected encounter came to an abrupt end, Yuki somewhat unsatisfied.
"That's it? What's with this 'participation' level?"
He glanced at his player panel and saw that he had already accumulated 2 specialization points and 6 enhancement points. The progress was not yet complete, but the gains were already comparable to 'Demon Hospital'.
But Yuki felt it was only natural. Every point he earned was earned by fighting his way through the swarm of insects. Although there were points gained by chance, he wasn't involved in this battle. The swarm had already corrupted the Central Database and obtained all the information.
There was also a pair of swords, a spore, and Johnny Silverhand opened a door, propelling the player's progress forward significantly...
"We've hit the jackpot. Now we just need to see if Johnny Silverhand will be respectable enough to share the information he's gathered with me."
Yuuki knew nothing about Yuki or anything like that, but he knew this plan had a high chance of success, and the reason was quite simple.
Da da da da...
With heavy footsteps, dozens of tin cans were rushing towards them; no single team of players could withstand so many Psychic Warriors.
Yuki, standing on the insect corpses, gripped his long sword and stared at them expressionlessly. His gaze fell on the girl in front of him, whose shoulder was painted with white flowers, whose helmet was shattered, revealing a small face.
Every soldier was covered in wounds, and the air was thick with the scent of steel and blood, enough to make one's heart tremble. Yet this torrent of steel rolled into the hall and stopped abruptly ten meters away from Yuki.
Tap-tap--bang.
Standing as neatly as one person, they glanced at the chaotic Area B and looked somewhat bewildered at Yuuki standing at the Yuki to the top-secret building.
Players are strictly forbidden from setting foot here, yet the insect corpses beneath the man's feet speak another Truth:
This person turned the tide of the battle and saved humanity.
Thump.
After a few seconds of silence, Chris was the first to raise her right hand and strike her left chest, standing ramrod straight.
Thump.
As if waking from a dream, all the soldiers raised their right arms in unison, their helmets opening to reveal their faces.
There were men and women, young and old, but their expressions were all so similar, a look of determination and admiration on their faces.
Yuki's bravery and loyalty were transmitted to every soldier in the battle via data link, and his deeds would be included in the data, making him comparable to a legendary hero.
"Because Johnny Silverhand wouldn't dare lie to me; he still needs me to clear the dungeons."
The thought flashed through his mind, Yuki smiled. Like a chain of iron links, each link connected to the next, a true schemer holds the reins of power in his own hands, and every swing of his sword is never in vain.
Yuki smiled, glancing at the golden can that had walked in through the hole. The man's power armor was even more magnificent and taller, suggesting he was a true high-ranking member of the Defense Force.
This person glanced at Yuki, then silently retreated, leaving the stage clear.
Given the prevailing trend, he had no choice but to offer his respect.
Yuki withdrew his gaze and looked at the steel forest before him. In a daze, a thought flashed through his mind:
There's still a considerable distance between monsters and epics, but this scene before him gave him an opportunity. Could he prepare in advance and break through the 'epic' bottleneck ahead of time?
Beyond the mountains lies an endless plain, the ground covered with a deep purple carpet of fungi. In the past, humans could come and go freely, devising all sorts of ingenious schemes and occasionally launching a brilliant surprise attack.
However, once the insect swarm evolved into a fungal carpet, humanity was essentially in a passive and defensive position. From the sky, this capillary-covered fungal carpet covered the entire planet except for the Emerald Basin, spewing invisible spores into the air.
These spores are highly poisonous, and more importantly, they create a fog of war, blocking all detection methods such as optical and infrared sensors. As for sending soldiers to conduct hand-to-hand reconnaissance?
Anyone who sets foot on it, other than the player, will be like prey stepping into a trap, attracting countless hunters. Therefore, the Defense Force know almost nothing about the world outside the Wall of Sighs.
A war of attrition is not scary; what is scary is a war of attrition in which you cannot fight back.
One hundred kilometers west of the Unfallen Fortress lies the ruins of a vast city, once the capital of humankind, now filled with towering skyscrapers.
But now these buildings are either covered in disgusting growths that sway like seaweed in the breeze, or they are filled with tumor-like lumps that beat like hearts and occasionally spew out foul-smelling liquid.
"So beautiful."
The young man with long gray hair and his body covered in stitches admired the beautiful scenery before him. He reached out and stroked the snail-head-like insect next to him, and with a little force, the insect sprayed out a milky white liquid.
All sorts of strange insects walked past the Mahito, occasionally stopping to stare at him emotionlessly, but eventually they would obediently walk away.
"Even those humans who chose the infiltrator camp probably couldn't accept this scene. Hmph, clinging to such a pointless aesthetic." Akaza, sitting to the side, swung her legs and asked, somewhat bored.
"There probably aren't many groups of Lurkers left. Most of them wouldn't dare to face the swarm's challenge and would only be wiped out by both sides."
The swarm's challenge is troublesome. First, players must find the Puppet Bug liaison hidden among humans before they are qualified to accept the quest and earn reputation.
This first step alone stumped most players. How could someone like Yuki, who parachuted into the battlefield, possibly have a chance? Even if he landed in a city, he would still have to face the Interior Ministry' relentless investigation.
Successfully infiltrating is just the beginning. Without special skills, you won't be able to find the Puppet Bug at all. The Interior Ministry will also use various baiting tactics, so you'll either face encirclement and annihilation or fight each other with the players.
Only after all these things are done can the mission truly begin. Most of these involve Reconnaissance or assassination. Only by raising the General Bug reputation to 'Trust' can you have the opportunity to come here and enjoy the various rewards from the Swarm.
Strength, intelligence, and methods are all indispensable. For Undercover to return to the organization is much more difficult than playing Muken agent like Yuki.
But none of this stumped the players; some 'Guardians' even went further, attempting a reverse Muken strategy. However, these shrewd individuals miscalculated one thing:
Unlike the Defense Force, the swarm is not afraid to act rashly, does not need evidence to silence them, and will not deceive themselves.
"Without special items, the 'Queen' can see through a player's identity. Tsk tsk, that blessing isn't easy to bear." The Mahito curled their lips and asked with amusement, "Have you noticed that those players who are 'blessed' Taiyi from these bugs?"
"It's more like parasitism, isn't it? And it doesn't even need that Emerald Stone as a carrier." Akaza thought for a moment, then scratched his head. "But all the humans we captured were killed directly, so why weren't they parasitized?"
They captured many people to use as test subjects, including civilians, soldiers, and Psychic Warrior. Mahito implanted Soul Spike into these people to observe their reactions before they died.
Almost everyone was a real man, preferring death to surrender, and their approach to dealing with the swarm was simple and brutal.
"Not all of them were killed. Some were kept as material for the Puppet Bug. This stuff is related to the soul." The Mahito picked up a jade-green stone and held it between his fingers. "I saw it. The souls of those people were transported away when they died, while some whose wills wavered were buried in this stone and became Puppet Bug."
"You mean, activating this stone requires a soul, and since the natives' souls were sent away, they can only be used as food? And the player's soul exists, so it can be parasitized? Then where do the souls of ordinary insects come from?"
"Hehe, more or less. As for the energy source of ordinary insects, they've evolved a unique way of reproduction." The Mahito looked at the giant worm in the distance, as large as a mountain, and smiled without saying a word.
The tattooed demons weren't interested in researching the dungeon; based on the current exploration, the insects were stronger than the humans, and the stealthy players weren't gaining any advantage.
The sending away of human souls is mostly related to that 'Fire Seed'. Activating the Emerald Stone requires a soul, so the swarm of insects certainly wouldn't destroy the Fire Seed.
"They want that thing too, which conflicts with our main storyline. I guess the Guardians are in a similar situation." The Mahito laughed gleefully, a laugh that sent chills down one's spine.
He's right. The Lurkers' mission is to seize or destroy the Fire Seed; whether the swarm wins or humanity is destroyed is none of their concern.
"But the main quest doesn't matter at all. I just want to see rivers of blood, I just want to see fear and despair fill this planet."
"Killing those humans is so pointless. I really want to reshape their souls, but the Defense Force dared not give me that chance."
Akaza remained silent. The Reincarnation Game had left a way out for the madmen. It had never said that they would be eliminated if they didn't complete the main quest. So they could completely ignore the contradictions and become accomplices, doing things that harmed others without benefiting themselves.
As his companion said, the humans of Emerald Star are completely insatiable when it comes to killing. The moment they are killed, they become mere shells. The real meal is the torment and reshaping of the soul.
"I can barely satisfy myself by tearing flesh apart, and besides, there are quite a few skilled fighters on the 'Guardians' side. I can also find benefits from them." Akaza shook his head, just in time to see someone walking towards him from a distance, and raised his finger.
He was a rather handsome young man with long red hair tied in a braid. He was holding a heavy purple umbrella, smiling with his eyes narrowed, and looked approachable.
"Yes, just like him."
"I'm different from you, Akaza." The young man held up his umbrella, speaking the most ruthless words in the Lightness tone, "I kill not for profit, but just for my own pleasure. For example, after killing those I wanted to kill, I'll come and challenge you to a fight."
"Alright, I'll be waiting." Akaza wasn't afraid at all; instead, he asked with great interest, "Why is the camp of people like you called the Samurai Kingdom? It sounds quite righteous."
"Haha, this was acquired by one of our faction's pioneers. It's alright, I'll kill him sooner or later and change his name."
What are you going to call it?
"Um... what do you think, Yato?"
Akaza didn't understand what a 'Yato' was, but he knew that this boy named Kamui was extremely dangerous; he was a war demon, just like the cursed spirit beside him.
Including themselves, they had no interest in any destructive Fire Seed. Since one side of the population was human, they should hunt, kill, and use them as tools to please themselves.
"Let's not talk about that anymore. I just learned that the swarm's grand plan failed, and they lost several Puppet Bug and one General Bug." Kamui squatted on the fleshy steps, looking completely unconcerned.
Indeed, nobody cares about the swarm's plans. If the main objective is to destroy humanity, they might even lend a hand for the sake of the reward.
"No, you've been a great help. That Saito is already dead, isn't he?" Mahito, with the same harmless smile, mercilessly exposed the other person's lie.
"That's because he's too weak. As for why I helped, it's simple: I need to know who to kill. I'm very interested in their idea of hacking into the Central Database."
"Who to kill? Aren't they those Hunters, like the Smiling Lady and Captain Levi?" Akaza interjected; it had been eyeing these people for a while.
"Wrong, wrong, wrong. Every instance has unexpected surprises, just like this time." The red-haired boy shook his head with a smile, then snapped his fingers. "Someone else killed Saito. Heh, this person is quite well hidden; I almost fell for his tricks."