Chapter 257
It was a success.
Reingor remained alone in the room, Yuki had excitedly run out to discuss the matter; he made no attempt to mock the other's greed.
Having something to ask for is better than having nothing to ask for, since we don't have many chips left anyway.
The general thumped his lower back, slowly walked out, entered the elevator, went through identity verification, and ascended from Area D to the top of the Command Headquarters.
This is actually the bridge, the smallest area, with large windows offering views of the vast sea of clouds and the dilapidated deck.
A large number of Psychic Warrior clad in heavy power armor stood guard, their armor far more ornate than Chris's, and their stature much larger. They stood in a line along the corridor, one guard every three steps and one sentry every five.
After undergoing several checks by various instruments, General Reingor finally entered the deepest part of Area A. The heavy protective door opened, revealing a windowless room inside.
The lights on both sides flashed, displaying hundreds of images, including fierce battles against wormholes within the mountains, hundreds of monsters and fighter jets clashing in the sky, and Assassin Bug being hurled into the walls like catapults and then exploding.
The war was far more than just the flames along the walls; from the sky to the ground, there were battlefields everywhere. Troop movements were more frequent than Yuki had imagined, but those without sufficient authority had no idea how bad the situation was.
In the center of the hall stood a Steel Throne, upon which sat a tall figure with gray hair, a square face, and an imposing appearance that instantly commanded loyalty.
Behind him was another door, the destination of which was unknown to anyone, only a dense network of pipes connected to the door, leading in all directions.
"Commander-in-Chief, they have agreed to carry out the plan." The general saluted, his hunched back straightening instantly.
"Well done, Reingor." The man's voice was deep, tinged with weariness and authority. He raised his hand to stop the general's concerned words. "That General Bug Laplace can't kill me, but it did surprise me that it dared to come out as bait."
"The records General Bug remained, which is indeed a great victory."
"A meaningless victory. Aren't we humans just moving from one victory to another, only to eventually perish?" The commander-in-chief showed little excitement; he sat upright, a bitter smile on his face.
"It is precisely because of these continuous victories that those extraterrestrial visitors have gone from supporting roles to leading roles. History tells me that only a decisive victory can secure survival."
"Fire Seed Plan has effectively failed. We are no match for those monsters in a war of attrition. Even if the 'Fire Seed' prevents us from sustaining our war effort through combat, we will perish before it splits and runs out of resources."
Upon hearing this, Reingor's expression darkened. Humanity had indeed struggled desperately, implementing hundreds of plans, but the result was that the insect swarm evolved faster and faster, growing from ants to adversaries, and then from adversaries to overwhelming forces.
The Sentinel Plan is essentially meaningless; the Zerg swarm will find a solution within ten days, and then another despairing wave of evolution will arrive.
Simply reacting to each move won't solve the problem. There's only one way to win—
"Eliminate the core insect, deprive the swarm of its ability to evolve and divide, only then can we have a chance of survival." The commander-in-chief seemed to be roaring; he was in a difficult position too.
The goal is to find the Zerg king, kill it, and launch a counterattack, but the Zerg have long been prepared for a decapitation strike, so only the player can go looking for it.
But players won't just die for nothing; revealing the real purpose would definitely deter anyone, so a bait has to be thrown out.
"Forgive my bluntness, but it's almost impossible. Those reinforcements are very shrewd; they might overdo it." The general shook his head repeatedly. If they used tricks and schemes, they might end up becoming enemies.
"Reingor, I know them. These people are incredibly cautious and incredibly greedy. Once they're out of control, they'll definitely cause trouble for the insects." The commander-in-chief laughed, then rubbed his wound and began to cough again.
"Even if they see through us, we can just confront them. These people need to achieve some goal before they can leave, and given the current situation, they'll definitely understand."
Look at these surveillance cameras. You have to understand them, whether you like it or not, unless we all die together.
"But we've executed this plan several times. Last time we came closest to success, but the traitor ultimately triumphed over the hero." Reingor's fingertips trembled slightly as he recalled the painful past.
"Back then, the Defense Force were far stronger than they are now, but we still lost. Perhaps it was at that time that Suvimendi's faith wavered, and he became a puppet."
When talking about the betrayal of their old comrade, both of them were somewhat saddened. These past events were completely unknown to the younger generation like Chris. One of the prerequisites for becoming Puppet Bug was a wavering belief, which became a top secret.
The Defense Force tried desperate counterattacks, tried returning to space, tried dissecting extraterrestrial visitors, abandoned all morality, and used every means possible, but the result remained unchanged:
An endless swarm of insects, boundless despair.
"Soviets succumbed to despair, but I will not." The commander-in-chief stood up, his towering height of over two meters exuding an imposing aura. "I will be like a moth drawn to a flame, letting this body burn until the very last moment, either burning away the swarm of insects or consuming humanity."
This is a kind of hysterical obsession, but without this obsession, the commander-in-chief, who understands how bad the current situation is, would have long since become Puppet Bug. The information is strictly blocked, and it's not just the players who are targeted.
"You're still as passionate as you were in your youth; no wonder you became the Supreme Commander." Reingor couldn't help but laugh, like a cunning fox. "But it's not easy. We have to scheme against those extraterrestrial visitors, we have to play games with the insect swarm, and we have to prepare for failure. Of course, all of that is my job."
"This time it's simpler. We don't need to look for a way out. If we fail again, we'll lose all our gambling chips." The commander-in-chief clenched his fist, like a gambler who had lost everything.
Has it finally come to this?
The general didn't speak, but glanced at the portraits hanging on the walls of the hall, both men and women, all sharing a resolute gaze.
The Central Database's backup plan is almost exhausted. Calculations show that the critical point for the wall to break will arrive within two months, and that's in the best-case scenario.
But that's easier said than done. Not to mention the Zerg swarm, even the reinforcements have ulterior motives.
"The Central Database has been hacked. It must have been done by that Silver Hand. Those extraterrestrials probably think we don't know."
Can it be removed?
"Yes, but shutting down the machine for ten days would undoubtedly make the situation worse. Do you dare to give that order?" The general shook his head.
As for a ten-day shutdown, that's simply impossible. It would halt 'Sentinel Plan,' deprive the Command Headquarters of its ability to control the entire battlefield, and worse, cause a rift with reinforcements.
The power of extraterrestrial visitors is indispensable for a final solution.
"The betting has started now. Don't worry, they're not a united front. Breaking through to number 0 won't be that easy. Let's just pretend we don't know anything."
"We can ignore that Silver Hand, but what about Yuki Sorajima? Why didn't you verify her identity?" The admiral's voice suddenly became intense, accusingly asking, "Have you forgotten why we failed last time?"
A seemingly honest man manipulated everyone. The commander-in-chief still remembers the look of utter contempt in his eyes when he left this world. Everyone was deceived by him, becoming pawns like Clown.
He was clearly a guardian, yet he committed an unforgivable act:
He single-handedly killed the former commander-in-chief, causing the Fire-Chasing Plan to fail. The Defense Force were forced to seal off all information and even resorted to brainwashing surgery.
"Times have changed, and I have no room to adjust now. Besides, that one was a guardian, yet he accomplished things that even the infiltrators wouldn't dare to dream of." The commander-in-chief clenched his fists, filled with a hatred akin to wanting to devour his flesh.
"So identity doesn't prove anything. Since we've chosen to gamble, we should bet everything, use reinforcements to find that bug, and kill it at all costs. As for Yuki Sorajima— "
"He is not an infiltrator, nor can he be one!"
Chapter Twenty-Two: Exploring Beyond the Wall (6K)
Yuki wasn't Prophet; he sensed something was amiss, but he didn't know that the higher-ups in humanity were more intelligent than he imagined.
The Zerg swarm has a plan, and humanity is struggling just as much. Johnny Silverhand has already been discovered, yet not a single word has been leaked. Coupled with the lack of knowledge about the overall battle situation, who knows that the Defense Force have reached the point of desperate, all-or-nothing attacks?
Only logic told him that 'Sentinel Plan' was not so simple. Not to mention that the plan was full of wishful thinking, even if it succeeded, it would be meaningless except to buy time.
"Whatever, I'm finally going to see my seniors!"
Yuki stretched, in a good mood.
This time, the Hunters, Thorny Rose, Mechanical Believers, Shadow Realm, and Graveyard Guard will act together, launching simultaneous attacks from four directions.
With the cover of Psychic Warrior, sneak out of the basin through the underground passages, deploy three Sentinel Array per group, and make sure they are all activated before withdrawing. Then you'll have a chance to obtain a Bloodline skill. This mission is a sure win!
While Bloodline Object are rare, they aren't uncommon. Bloodline skills, on the other hand, are more complicated. They're usually quest rewards, and you can only use Bloodline Object once you've unlocked the necessary skills.
'After two phases, only Hayasaka and I gained bloodline skills. It's not that easy to acquire them; nobody's stupid enough to think this mission is simple.'
"But as a player, as long as the rewards are big enough, I'm willing to brave any danger."
Yuki opened his eyes, which had been feigning sleep. Captain Chris was secretly flipping through a magazine she had borrowed from Hiyori. In her mind, such a thing that eroded one's will was shameful.
Ignoring the girl, Yuki and Teresa exchanged a glance, communicating with their eyes.
"How much longer will Johnny Silverhand take?"
"At least five days. Don't worry, his companions have already joined him; that man won't betray them."
That's true, he's a real man.
Yuki felt a little relieved. As long as Johnny Silverhand could get his hands on the Central Database, he would not only be able to find out the secret of the 'Fire Seed', but also what the high command of the Defense Force wanted to do, and then he could take appropriate action.
As the undisputed person in charge of this matter, Yuki did not hesitate to abuse his power for personal gain.
Except for the Thorny Rose, which acted as a unit, the other factions were randomly assigned to monitor each other. After all, if a traitor leaked information to the Swarm, things would get really messed up.
As for Thorny Rose, she clearly follows a team strategy, with relatively weak individual combat ability, so the others can't really object.
"I'll lead the first group, the second group is yours, Rebecca Chambers will monitor the Graveyard Guard with the third group, and the fourth group will be entirely handled by the Shadow Realm. Is that alright?"
"It's fair and reasonable, but the first group will be responsible for the most dangerous western side. How about I assign Captain Levi to you?" the woman said with a smile, her intentions quite simple.
Yuki, this lone wolf, really wants to do something bad, Thorns Thorny Rose alone can't stop him; they need a player of similar strength to keep an eye on him.
"Yes, that captain is indeed powerful." Yuki wouldn't object; Captain Levi Ackerman was a very reliable person. Thinking of this, she tentatively asked, "Madam, don't you Hunters have any faction talents? How did you find the queen directly?"
That was too direct, more like a joke, but Teresa wasn't annoyed. She smiled and replied, "I need to at least see the enemy before I can drop the Hunting Beacon."
The Goshawk circled the mountains and soon landed on the Smiling Lady to the north. The second squad, mainly composed of Graveyard Guard, was already waiting, and the Defense Force had also sent a liaison officer.
The transport plane continued westward, encountering an attack by Bat Dragon along the way. Yuki didn't need to lift a finger; the accompanying Psychic Warrior quickly dealt with them.
Simultaneously, the creep emerges from the walls in all four directions (east, south, west, and north). Once the position is determined, the coordinates are sent, and the Sentinel Array will transmit them directly. The creep only reacts to living people, so there's no fear of it being pulled out immediately after being planted.
The key is to ensure the safety of the area around the landing site; it's best to find a secluded corner.
The western side, which Yuki was in charge of, was the most dangerous. No one knew where the swarm's lair was, but the 'Unfallen Fortress' was located in the west, which served as the first line of defense between the two sides.
Because Yuki chose the most difficult task, the other players had no reason to object and were willing to take the risk.
"Who knows what's going on once they've gone over the wall?"
Since we can't predict everything, why bother ourselves with troubles? After a few hours, a clearing finally appeared in the endless Black Mountains.
It was a mountain hollow with a massive fortress in the middle, several times larger than any other outpost I'd ever seen. Chris told me that this was the outer outpost of the Unfallen Fortress.
The center of the fortress was a helipad, just big enough for a Goshawk to land. With its nozzles pointing downwards, it descended vertically. As the tail hatch opened, Yuki finally saw her senior and the others she had missed for so many days.
Mai Sakurajima, Hayasaka Ai, and Kaguya Shinomiya were all there. To ensure concealment, they had all changed into grass-gray military uniforms, but none of them had the iron-blooded aura of Captain Chris.
'It's more like a uniform fetish.'
The two stared at each other like strangers, with Kaguya Shinomiya even displaying a hint of disdain. Yuki's gaze quickly fell on the famous Captain Levi's face; this short man with dead fish eyes seemed more attractive than the beautiful girls.
"Captain, you go and rest. I'll discuss the rest with them."
Chris had been secretly observing Mai Sakurajima and the others. There was nothing she could do; they really didn't fit in with the Ironblood Corps. Hearing this, she reluctantly raised her hand in salute.
"Major, are you sure you don't need my help?"
Each team is equipped with Psychic Warrior. If anyone betrays them in battle, they are responsible for throwing them over the wall. Chris's team consists entirely of warriors directly under the Command Headquarters, making them the most powerful.
"No need, just execute the order."
"Uh, okay." Chris waved her hand, dismissing the dozen or so Psychic Warrior in the cabin, while she was pulled aside by Hiyori, who said she had a gift for her.
The two became acquainted along the way, which could be considered an open bribery.
Yuki stepped forward and extended his hand. "Let me introduce myself, I'm Yuki Sorajima. Everyone has signed the contract, so now is the time for us to work together to conquer the dungeon. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have."
Fortunately, Mai Sakurajima and the others were excellent actors, so my serious demeanor didn't make them laugh. They all came forward to introduce themselves, making us look like a group of strangers.
Anyway, Levi Ackerman didn't see anything wrong with it. At most, he felt that Yuki's gaze was a bit strange, and he kept sneaking glances at people's legs.
Could this man be a lecherous scoundrel?
He thought to himself that it was indeed rare to see a player team composed entirely of women, but Levi Ackerman wasn't interested and coldly extended his hand.
"Captain, I hope you keep your word and don't try anything funny."
"There's no need to wait until now to pull off some tricks. The Sentinel Plan isn't that simple, but we can't just sit around and wait to die." Yuki remained composed and unassuming. He had seen too many 'acquaintances' before, and he wasn't even excited to see Levi Ackerman in person.
"The surgery for Psychic Warrior can grant a bloodline ability; the risk is worth taking."
"Don't you have any bloodline abilities?" Levi released his grip, his eyes sharp.
Each player can typically only have one bloodline skill, so the benefit isn't significant enough.
"Yes, but I'm willing to bet that the core materials for this surgery can be taken away; they'll be priceless in the Borderlands."
Yuki's greed is written all over his face; it makes sense that players would take risks for profit. If the trade could actually be completed, it would be worth thousands of points.
"I trust you." Levi Ackerman had the same plan. He glanced at the busy fortress. "We're leaving in 15 hours. Is there anything else you need to tell me?"
"Not yet, I need to check what it looks like outside the wall first."
"Okay, call me when it's time to assemble." Levi Ackerman said no more, turned and left, not giving anyone a chance to get closer.
"That guy is really cool." Mai Sakurajima watched the figure walk away. She didn't recognize Levi, but she found that the players she encountered in this new phase were different from those before.
The race is not limited to humans, nor does it seem to originate from the normal world.
"Of course it's cool, he's a natural Hunters." With the bystanders gone, Yuki relaxed. He didn't know what stage Levi Ackerman was at, but he was certain he had joined the Survey Corps.
It's simple. He's still wearing the Wings of Freedom uniform, and considering that the Hunters include 'Emperor' Reiner Braun, he's very curious about the current state of that world.
"Mai Sakurajima, won't you invite me to your room for a cup of coffee?"