Chapter 262
But moving forward is extremely difficult; being discovered at this point would be too risky.
'The third and fourth groups encountered enemy players, and a fierce battle ensued, with casualties on both sides. The Defense Force provided full cover, even sending Psychic Warrior to cover their retreat.'
Yuki already knew about the other squads; a large number of bugs had been killed, and the Defense Force had no grounds for blame, but overall, the guardian players suffered a great loss.
The third group, in particular, encountered the "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons," and only Rebecca Chambers survived.
Yuki 'knew' two of them, but the information mentioned a red-haired boy who was also very fierce, so he didn't know who he was.
"How's Smiling Lady doing?"
"We've penetrated forty kilometers into the plains, but haven't been discovered yet," Hiyori immediately reported.
The Smiling Lady and Reiner Braun led members of the 'Mechanical Believers,' who were more reliable and willing to take risks, but were limited by their abilities and could not go as deep as Yuki.
Did they gain anything?
"Based on the intelligence you provided, we also investigated some outposts, but the swarms inside were much smaller."
That's right. It's almost certain that the main force of the Zerg swarm is here. Of course, there are so many of them that even if it's just a detachment, humans will have to expend a lot of manpower to defend against them.
Yuki seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and ordered, "Tell them they can expose themselves now, then retreat as quickly as possible. We'll rest for a few hours before setting off again."
"Wait, you want to use them as bait to attract the Zerg swarm's attention?" Levi Ackerman, who had been listening in, immediately interrupted; those were his teammates.
Retreat is not so easy; we must fight our way out.
Yuki met her gaze and nodded slightly. "Yes, because Smiling Lady thinks the same way I do, betting on the West, otherwise she wouldn't have sent you to help me."
That's to monitor you!
Levi Ackerman glared at him, but ultimately didn't say anything. The two had worked together for a whole day and could barely be considered comrades-in-arms.
What if the insect hive isn't here?
"Gambling is all about probability. If we don't have that, we should give up on the idea of doing the second main storyline." Yuki paused, then sighed heavily. "We'll just have to stick together and see how long we can hold out."
This is tantamount to slow suicide, which made everyone's faces darken. They had personally gone outside the wall and seen how bad the situation was. It could be delayed, but it certainly wouldn't last long.
"But we have limited time. To the west, all the way to the sea, there are hundreds of thousands of square kilometers, with hundreds of city ruins and mines. Can you really search them all?" Levi Ackerman pressed.
"So we need to choose a place for a focused search." Yuki raised his hand to signal him to slow down, and stepped aside. "Miss Hiyori, you can speak there."
She?
Levi Ackerman frowned slightly. This girl had never participated in a battle before, yet she kept writing in her notebook without any stage fright, and immediately made a light tap on the map.
That place was once the capital of humankind, and with the Defense Force deliberately obscuring its history, it is unknown when it was lost.
"The mines without Emerald Stone contradict our previous analysis." Levi Ackerman's brows furrowed even more, a sense of unease creeping over him.
"Yes, Captain, but my judgment is not based on political considerations." Hiyori smiled sweetly, but her smile was full of confidence. "While you were fighting, I was in charge of gathering all the information. We've gradually come to terms with it, and now I'll explain the reasoning process to you."
If it weren't for Levi Ackerman, things wouldn't have been so complicated, but Yuki was a stranger to them, so he also looked like he was asking for advice.
Hayasaka brought over coffee as if on cue. Ignoring the eerie atmosphere, Hiyori felt as if she were reading a novel she had written herself.
"From a military perspective, if the Zerg's plan is to Unfallen Fortress, their main base cannot be located too far away, because the Zerg's movement speed is limited, and they need to replenish their forces as close as possible to ensure timely replenishment."
Everyone nodded; this could be confirmed through on-site investigation and comparison with other groups.
"That makes sense, please continue." Levi Ackerman was also intrigued; this girl was more useful than he had imagined.
Hiyori, already accustomed to acting as a strategist, took a sip of coffee and began reasoning from multiple perspectives.
First, the city is large enough to accommodate a huge swarm of insects, and as the capital of humanity, it may not have mines, but it must have storage warehouses or something similar.
Secondly, we can Repulsion this from the swarm's troop movements. Two kilometers from the forest is Highway 0504, where hundreds of insects frequently march past; judging by their size, they don't seem to be a patrol. This highway runs straight west to the city, and the Bat Dragon swarm in the sky is also flying from that direction.
Third, when other groups are exposed, the swarm will not move a single soldier from any of its strongholds. Just as the Defense Force data says, the swarm has a clear division of labor. Those digging holes will not slack off, and those gathering will not leave. Therefore, the mobile forces that can be used are the main base.
Fourth, fifth...
Accompanied by a gentle voice, clear evidence unfolded slowly. Yuki didn't need a reason; he could unconditionally trust Hiyori. But seeing the amazed expression on Levi Ackerman's face, he felt a sense of pride.
This is my Hiyori. She's terrible at murder mystery games, but her observation and reasoning skills surpass most players.
"I feel like my chances of winning have increased." Yuki glanced at Levi Ackerman, who snorted in agreement and pointed to a city icon forty kilometers away.
"Deploy in search formation and let's check out Emerald Star City."
The sound of bat wings flapping through the air was like muffled thunder, rolling across the night sky. The night sky on Emerald Star resembled the aurora borealis, with a healthy green hue.
The fungal carpet also provides excellent cover in a sense. These Bat Dragon have excellent eyesight and an infrared-like ability, which often allows them to spot hidden remnants of the army.
However, the fungal carpet covering the treetops blocked detection, and the hundreds of Bat Dragon failed to spot the people hiding below.
The second group heading north has already been exposed. Hiyori was right; the mobile forces were indeed dispatched from that direction.
Yuki emerged from the tree hole, already accustomed to the sticky texture. He had dealt with many mid-to-lower-level insect swarms and found them to be as rigid as machines.
Undeterred by life or death, they executed orders flawlessly, without the slightest deviation.
Take patrolling for example. When they encounter enemies, they will run away to relay messages, but after they are all wiped out, the insects at the stronghold rarely interfere and will not come to check.
"Walk."
With a wave, the squad continued on their way, with Levi Ackerman leading the search while the others followed closely. If they encountered the enemy, Kaguya Shinomiya would immediately take up a high ground, while Yuki would circle around to intercept them.
Under the aurora's glow, the forest provided the best cover. The group worked together seamlessly, killing insects and burying their carcasses, and finally reached the edge of the forest as the green light began to brighten.
Ahead were scattered buildings, with Highway 0504 Piercer through the middle, making it look like the outskirts of the city, with Bat Dragon occasionally whistling overhead.
The open area wasn't far; a few kilometers could be crossed in half a minute. Just as Yuki was about to rush over, a bright blue light suddenly illuminated his face.
Like a balloon inflating and then deflating, the light looked somewhat familiar.
Yuki quickly climbed up the tree. The halos that appeared rose and fell, layer upon layer, covering the plain in front of him. He took out his electronic binoculars and could see that the ground was covered with countless large pits.
It's Brain Bug; Brain Bug are buried underground.
Yuki immediately remembered what this thing was: only living beings could enter the 'soul field'; in other words, once a player stepped inside, they would be exposed.
"The Swarm's Wall of Sighs appears to be even more advanced than humanity's."
"That means we've found the right place." Captain Levi climbed to a high vantage point and asked with a sidelong glance, "The Emerald Star City should be the location of the Zerg Hive. Should we go back and report?"
Yuki remained silent; how could he possibly deliver on his promise? If the Defense Force could simply kill the 'Queen' remotely, they would have done so long ago; they could have just bombed all the suspicious locations outside the walls.
"Emerald Star City is very large. We need to confirm its existence, the more precise the better. Don't forget that force field can block all non-biological weapons. How do you think the Defense Force will kill the Queen?"
Based on the situation, they concluded that if humanity wanted to turn the tide, they could only find a way to deal with the 'Queen,' but that now seemed almost impossible.
How do we find the Queen, and even if we do, what then?
A nuclear attack? It probably wouldn't even get past this wall. Besides, the swarm leader isn't stupid; it's not going to stand still and wait to be bombed.
"Only an airborne assassination? How could that be possible? We'd be discovered before we even left the Wall of Sighs." Levi Ackerman shook his head repeatedly; he too had once entertained similar fantasies.
For example, he could find the King of Giant and kill him at all costs, freeing humanity from the Destiny of being domesticated. But in reality, the Survey Corps suffered repeated losses and could not get too far away from the walls.
"Assassination is a gamble, but many people don't even have the right to sit at the table." Yuki used a strange analogy: courage and conviction must be based on intelligence. Without knowing the Queen's location, even the most passionate heart has nowhere to go.
"Regardless of the Defense Force' plans, the purpose of our move outside the wall is to create the preconditions for the second main line of defense; simply defining a general area is not enough."
"But we can't get close." Levi Ackerman rolled his eyes. He knew the logic, but the key was how to do it.
The flashes of light stretched towards the horizon, obstructed by buildings, making it impossible to discern any pattern from a distance. Once you stepped into that area, how could you not make a mistake?
Being found in such a location would be fatal.
The swarm of insects is very rigid; the frequency of their force field release is fixed. However, Hiyori's Reality Reading can only reveal the outer patterns. I can't possibly let her fly into the sky to look down; those Bat Dragons are not deaf and blind.
Ideally, you should venture deep into this light barrier, experience it firsthand, and then come back and tell me what's ahead.
Yuki muttered to himself, his gaze falling on the group of people standing guard under the tree, when suddenly his eyes lit up.
Open the door, let the senior out!
Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Core Hive (7K)
This woman... I actually underestimated her.
As dawn broke, a dark green light shone from the edge of the woods, and Levi Ackerman looked at Mai Sakurajima with a wary expression.
The girl walked straight into the city along the highway. The light emanating from the Brain Bug couldn't detect her, which was fine, as some highly concealed tools could do the same. The key point was that he had completely forgotten about her, and something just felt off.
Yes, Levi Ackerman forgot about Mai Sakurajima's existence until she suddenly appeared in the morning, causing him to instinctively draw his sword.
'What terrifying skills! If she were even slightly stronger, wouldn't she be the perfect assassin? No, concealing murderous intent is extremely difficult, yet she managed to stealthily follow me.'
First came the brilliant strategist Shiina Hiyori, and now comes the 'invisible person'. The Hunters are elevating the importance of the Thorny Rose. These women may look delicate, but each of them has a unique skill.
"If you have this ability, why don't you just go into the city?"
"Captain, the skill's duration is limited, and with my strength, I can't afford any unexpected events," Mai Sakurajima replied politely, maintaining her usual confident and decisive demeanor.
There are indeed limitations.
Levi Ackerman felt a little better and turned his attention to Yuki, who was sitting cross-legged, summarizing the various intelligence he had gathered.
He would occasionally ask the girls a few questions about the patterns unfolding in the soul force field and the various traps leading to the city, then silently plot his scheme.
This Yuki Sorajima is even more extraordinary.
Levi Ackerman had seen many audacious players, but very few who combined meticulousness and wisdom, which reminded him of an old friend.
Just as he had planned, the swarm was indeed lured north, along with the players who were on the swarm's side, including 'Night Parade of One Hundred Demons' and 'Aether Particles'.
Strangely, this Yuki Sorajima seemed to recognize those players; I only recall him interacting with the few who Aether Particles.
"There are four of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons,' so everyone's here. Please double-check."
"The red-haired boy killed two 'Mechanical Believers' players? Hiyori, find a way to get their images recorded so I can identify who it is."
"Did the Blood Demon escape into the walls after being wounded? Report back to me with details."
Yuki, he fully utilizes his cognitive abilities and analyzes the situation together with Hiyori's 'Future Deduction.' Because of their coordinated operations, he can know what's happening hundreds of kilometers away.
To the north of the wall, the first to arrive were indeed the players, mainly consisting of the red-haired boy, the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, and Aether Particles. Their mission was to entangle the enemy and wait for the main swarm of insects to arrive.
Similar to the battles in the south, the red-haired boy seemed unusually obsessed with fighting, completely forgetting about the mission.
A fierce skirmish broke out between the two sides. This time, however, the 'Mechanical Believers' and 'Hunters' were much stronger, and with the Defense Force providing cover in advance, both sides suffered heavy losses.
Especially in the battle between the Smiling Lady and the Red-Haired Boy, Yuki witnessed firsthand that the Smiling Lady was no less powerful than himself, so naturally he wouldn't be defeated as quickly as the 'Graveyard Guard'.
"These slippery Aether Particles refused to join the main battle, and ended up running into the supporting Defense Force?"
Yuki laughed. Only the Blood Demon and the Ringwraith remained in that faction. Neither of them had ventured into the 'monster' level, so they dared not participate in the blood battle. They went around to the rear to intercept them, but unexpectedly, dozens of Psychic Warrior took the initiative to attack.
"Hmm, the Command Headquarters should have been prepared. Those Psychic Warrior, along with the intelligence you shared, are the easiest players to deal with." Hiyori laughed, lamenting which faction was the most unlucky. Actually, there were quite a few 'Aether Particles' members, with a team of more than five players.
"It was indeed a great battle. Did the Blood Demon die?"
"Unknown, but definitely seriously injured."
Seriously injured? Then he must not be dead, and he hasn't joined the swarm yet?
Yuki's thought, Hayasaka Ai, who was standing guard nearby, a wink. "Tell Smiling Lady and the others to stop that Blood Demon; I have a use for his identity."
As for how to use it, this look is enough.
Levi Ackerman didn't participate in the discussion, but felt that this scene was familiar; a blond man had also gathered his companions together to brainstorm solutions to difficult problems.
It's a pity that scene will never happen again. If the Reincarnation Game could grant wishes, I would definitely...
"Captain, do you have anything to add?"
The gentle voice startled him awake. He looked up and saw Shiina Hiyori's bright eyes. The more he looked at her, the more she seemed to resemble someone from his old team—equally weak in combat but quick-witted.
"Captain?"
"Nothing to add, just arrange it as you see fit." Levi Ackerman turned his head and subconsciously asked, "El, no, Yuki Sorajima, what are your plans?"
"The plan is simple. The primary objective is to confirm the Queen's existence, ideally by pinpointing her location, and then hide one of the badges nearby." Yuki raised his head, his red eyes filled with excitement. "But considering the risks involved, I've prepared 15 contingency plans, three of which are the most effective."
That bastard wasn't him after all.
Levi Ackerman rarely sees someone who, before even starting a fight, is already preoccupied with how to escape, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
"Stop talking nonsense and keep it simple."
"Divide into groups. Hiyori and Kaguya will stay behind. Give them the delayed launchers to draw the swarm's attention at crucial moments. Mai Sakurajima, wait for your skill to cool down. Once it's off, place explosives throughout the city. Remember, use the Defense Force's detonators and wait for my signal."