Chapter 259

Chris was leading the way, closed the map. The group saw that the mountain range in front of them finally came to an end. They walked forward for a few minutes and then all froze.

It was as if he were standing on a cloud, looking ahead at the purple plains stretching to the horizon. Only at this moment did Yuki finally understand why it was called the 'Wall of Sighs'.

The side where the mountain range meets the plain is vertical, with a smooth and flat surface, full of the wonders of nature.

Yuki immediately thought of the Wall in A Song of Ice and Fire —no, after seeing it with his own eyes, the two were simply incomparable.

A colossal wall, 1,000 meters high and more than 10 kilometers deep, has surpassed the Limit of human imagination.

He glanced furtively at Levi Ackerman not far away, whose usually expressionless face showed uncharacteristic astonishment, his eyes wide open, lost in thought.

'They probably think that if the Eldians had this wall, they could live happily ever after.'

Even Giant would never be able to climb over such a massive wall in their entire lives. They're no different from Giant compared to giants.

Yuki didn't interrupt Levi's fantasy. Looking around, he saw no defensive weapons on the wall and no insect corpses at the foot of the wall. Switching to his Devil's Vision, his pupils contracted slightly.

This is...

The walls were ablaze with invisible flames, making them look even more spectacular. No wonder the insect swarm couldn't burrow or climb over them; they would probably turn into corpses if they touched them.

"No, the flames aren't intense, but the fluctuations are regular, making it seem more like a specialized insecticide? Then why isn't it used in war?"

"And this is Soul Flame? How come I've never seen it before?"

Yuki didn't quite understand; he only knew that the existence of this wall prevented the insect swarm from touching it, forcing them to find other ways to overcome the obstacle.

"It's spectacular, isn't it? Actually, this is my first time here by the wall." Chris walked over silently, opened her mask, and stared at the purplish-black plain, slightly lost in thought.

"It's truly spectacular. A circle with a circumference of over a thousand kilometers is impossible even in science fiction novels; it's too absurd." Yuki licked his lips as he witnessed another unforgettable sight. "The Wall of Sighs is valuable. Without it, countless swarms of insects would have filled the basin long ago, and we wouldn't have won so many defensive battles."

The captain tilted his head and thought for a long time, "You're right, this is humanity's guardian angel. As long as we plug the loopholes, we'll definitely be able to hold on. By the way, what is science fiction?"

Chris is full of curiosity about everything. Her life is filled with battles and training. She has never read the novel and is completely taken aback by the fashion her senior talks about. It's as if the Wall of Sighs in Yuki's eyes is something from another world.

"Ask Hiyori later. By the way, why don't we need to patrol since it's our first time here?"

"There are no soldiers patrolling, I don't know why, but do you know how I feel standing here?" Chris didn't Yuki's reply, her face pale, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

"Despair, a despair born from World of the Living, is far more direct than any amount of information."

She was wavering, emitting a strange mental fluctuation. Yuki even felt that the smell was somewhat familiar, so he glanced outside the wall.

For a moment, even he felt a sense of despair.

Humanity is trapped in a corner, the entire planet is a world of insect swarms. Outside this wall, there should have been a brilliant human civilization, huge cities, and beautiful fields, but now there is only desolation.

Before Yuki could think further, she stood on tiptoe and shielded Chris's eyes, her tone gentle. "Then don't look. Just think: this land will eventually return to human hands."

"Real?"

Of course it's fake, I'm just trying to comfort you.

Yuki ultimately refrained from uttering the cold words, nodding gently. "Of course, isn't this my way of fighting back against the wall, taking a giant step for the future of humanity?"

Through Yuki's words, Chris and the other warriors finally discovered the true meaning of the 'Sentinel Plan'.

Yes, this is humanity's counterattack against the insect swarm, trapped within its confines. Bringing the flames of war back to their homeland will surely boost the morale of their compatriots.

The strange mental fluctuations have disappeared?

This surprised look made Yuki realize something, and he blurted out, "Huh, has no one ever come out of the wall to fight back before?"

"No, there's a fungal carpet outside the wall, so we can't participate. Besides, for such an exciting event, anyone who participates, win or lose, will be a hero!" Chris replied confidently.

Logically, that makes sense, and it wasn't mentioned at all in the special materials given to the reinforcements, but Yuki still felt that this didn't conform to common sense.

Even the Eldians would try their best to sneak out of the walls to investigate, the Defense Force wouldn't be this cowardly.

He glanced at Levi Ackerman furtively, made several guesses in his mind, and then waved his hand dismissively.

Let's go.

Hidden on the wall is a secret elevator that leads directly to a depth of a thousand meters underground. Once the elevator doors open, it leads to a narrow steel passage.

The passageway didn't even have any bends; it stretched straight into the distance, with openings and various detectors scattered throughout the ceiling.

It's clearly designed for defense. Even if the Puppet Bug get access to top secrets and transmit this passage to the swarm, they can't possibly sneak through the Wall of Sighs. If a large army is sent out, this narrow passage will become a slaughterhouse.

Of course, modern Zerg swarms can dig their own tunnels, so they no longer need these tunnels.

"The commander-in-chief is staring at me." Yuki felt like he was being broadcast live. He activated his Devil's Vision, looked around, and then couldn't see anything.

It's somewhat like the fog created by Assassin Bug; the air is filled with invisible energy particles, and looking up from the bottom of the wall, the energy appears even more dense, almost tangible.

This wall is not simple; at least the outermost layer is not simple.

The Black Mountains stretched for over ten kilometers, and the energy on its outer layer was extremely concentrated. This made Yuki glance again at the figure at the very front, a malicious thought forming in his mind:

Could there be some colossal Giant buried inside?

'Yuki Sorajima is giving me that weird look again.'

Levi Ackerman was getting a little angry. The slightly similar worldviews already made him very unhappy. He wanted to fulfill certain obsessions, but he was also bound by the players' creed.

Players shouldn't get too immersed in the story, but how could he not be drawn in by this plot?

Chris and the other Psychic Warrior stood tall and proud, feeling a sense of pride in having crossed the Wall of Sighs; Mai Sakurajima and the others didn't think too much, quietly observing everyone's expressions, which Hiyori then recorded.

With their own thoughts, they walked for more than ten minutes. A musty smell began to appear in the air, and the lights on both sides began to dim, as if the energy system had been interfered with.

The soldiers closed their helmets, went on high alert, and turned on their flashlights to illuminate the way ahead. The passage had come to an end, and a pitch-black gate appeared in front of them.

We were now deep inside the wall, and everyone slowed their pace. When we reached the door, two soldiers stepped forward, grabbed the handle, and together they lifted it.

Click click.

The sound of mechanical gears filled the air as the door slowly opened, instantly Black Hole, musty outside with an even stronger, nauseating stench.

Yuki was already used to the smell, but was curious about this primitive way of opening the door. He suddenly realized that there was no energy core inside the door, so it was made into a simple mechanical structure.

The light in the passage gradually dimmed until it disappeared; it felt like it was beyond the control range of the signal base station.

Yuki looked back, but unfortunately the passageway was completely blocked by the tin cans.

"Mr. Yuki, this is the best we can do for you. Remember, once you find a suitable location, send the coordinates, and the Sentinel Array will be launched and activated within two hours." Chris placed something that looked like a pistol in Yuki's palm and hesitated for a moment.

"Also, you must be careful."

To her, the outside world was hell, and anyone who dared to leave was a hero.

The passageway was pitch black, but the beam of a flashlight could illuminate the dust particles floating in the air—no, they were some kind of microorganisms.

"Has no one really ever fought outside the walls?"

"No, I really don't know anything about it." Chris shook her head vigorously, then looked at the other soldiers. "Uh, there are some things I can't remember from my childhood. Do you know of any similar cases outside of the official documents?"

"How could that be? The Command Headquarters would issue a notice for such a feat, wouldn't they?"

"Who remembers anything from their childhood? My mind is filled with all sorts of combat techniques."

The soldiers all shook their heads, wondering Yuki was so concerned about such a thing.

Can't remember things from the past?

Yuki glanced at Hiyori, then turned around and saw that Levi was already getting impatient.

"Captain, guard the entrance for me until I return."

"No matter what happens, I will stay until the very end." The girl in power armor gave a military salute.

Yuki glanced at her, knowing there was definitely something wrong with the high command of the Defense Force, but the soldiers' feelings were pure.

That's enough.

Yuki walked into the dark passage, followed by Hayasaka Ai and Mai Sakurajima. Looking ahead, Levi's silhouette could be seen in the dim light of the flashlights.

Those Wings of Freedom that break free from their cages and fight desperately for survival.

Chapter Twenty-Four: Captain Levi Ackerman

The captain's silhouette is perfectly suited to the current environment; it represents the path that humanity on Emerald Star takes towards freedom, and also the beginning of the player's escape from their cage.

Inside the walls, the tight surveillance always made communication difficult; once outside the cage, one could finally speak freely.

The dark cave slowly extended upwards, proving that the exit was not beneath the wall. The only smell in the air was musty decay; all that could be heard was the faint sound of footsteps.

The thought of the countless insects outside sent chills down everyone's spines, including Yuki's, and they couldn't help but admire Levi Ackerman's mental fortitude.

The captain silently led the way, seemingly quite accustomed to venturing into unfamiliar and dangerous territory. However, his eyes were constantly scanning his surroundings, indicating that he was not blindly reckless.

Top-notch scouts.

Yuki nodded slightly, then noticed the girls following him. They were either looking around or flipping through documents, which were bound to contain insects.

A reliable teammate.

Yuki relaxed; this team was professional and united.

On the surface, players are taking risks for the reward, but Yuki has a slightly deeper plan: to strike while the iron is hot and get that epic achievement.

But deeper down, some players harbor the seeds of heroism, wanting to maintain their values within this twisted game.

"We're almost at the cave entrance."

With a cold reminder, everyone looked up and saw a hole in front of them, emitting a greenish light. Then the nauseating smell reached its Limit, as if they were standing in a rotting garbage dump.

"Prepare for battle."

Yuki groped his way forward in the dark, the clanging of metal echoing behind him; even heroes need strength.

This godforsaken place stinks.

Yuki suppressed his gagging and poked his head out like a groundhog, only to find himself on a small hill surrounded by purplish-black fungal carpet.

These fungal carpets undulate with the terrain, and to the left there is a dense 'forest' that seems to be evenly wrapped around the trees. Further east, a mountain range rises at the horizon.

It appears to be more than ten kilometers away, with no obstructions in between.

"It's too far. If something goes wrong, it won't be easy for us to get close to the wall."

"You really think bloodline skills are so easy to obtain?" Levi Ackerman sneered, his tone laced with interrogation. "How are you planning to do it? Or should we just find some random coordinates to launch it, and then go back and report?"

"How could that be? The Defense Force said they would guarantee activation. Besides, we finally got out here, we need to find more clues. If we can't complete the first main mission, this is the opportunity to complete the second main mission." Yuki replied calmly.

"You really want to complete the second main quest? Aren't those Mechanical Believers causing trouble?"

"First, I can't place my hopes on others; second, if I were forced to do anything to that Fire Seed, it would kill everyone in this instance, and I can't bear to do that."

Feeling guilty? Would you?

Levi Ackerman raised an eyebrow. He didn't trust what the players were saying. At least Yuki didn't seem too immersed in the role. The women, on the other hand, were more believable.

But he didn't press the matter, because in the other person's mind, he didn't seem to be too deeply involved in the role.

Yuki ignored Levi Ackerman's strange look; some things cannot be explained by reason. He beckoned Hiyori over.

"Miss Hiyori, have you memorized the route?"

With outsiders present, Yuki was very polite.

"Yes, I've been drawing electronic maps and marking the coordinates of the underground passages on the surface." The girl nodded and showed the tablet to the two of them. "If anything goes wrong, we can break through the ground and jump directly into the underground passage. With the narrow terrain there, we won't have to worry about the numerical advantage of the insect swarm. I've also tested the rock layers; players of the Transcendental Grade level and above can break through them."

The winding passage is outlined on the electronic map, which also indicates its approximate depth.

It wasn't just a decorative vase.

Levi Ackerman was surprised and put aside his contempt. Some players were terrible at killing, but their skills were crucial, and this map required exceptional observation skills.

"But the entrance might be blown up by those Psychic Warriors, and then we'd be trapped inside and die an even worse death."

"No, as long as Captain Chris is alive, she'll stay until we return." Yuki shook his head firmly, seeing the doubt on the captain's face. "You don't trust my judgment?"

"I just think you shouldn't get too involved." Levi Ackerman snorted, offering no explanation, and leaped out of the cave. "Now that we've secured an escape route, let's go find those bugs."

His words were contradictory. If he didn't trust Captain Chris, how could he guarantee his escape route? Mai Sakurajima looked at Yuki and silently mouthed something.

Tsundere?

Uh, I guess so.

Yuki couldn't help but grin and quickly followed.

According to the electronic map provided by the Defense Force, there should be a settlement outside the exit, or rather, it used to be a settlement.