Chapter 264
The casualties were negligible, but the surging insect hive suddenly slowed down, showing signs of a backflow.
By turning their retreat into an attack and using the swarm's fixed program to disrupt the pursuit, the insects, unable to bear the consequences of having their base raided, realized that the remote control signal originated from inside the city and hurriedly returned to search.
The second and third explosions unfolded in succession, with fireballs rising up and driving the insect swarm almost mad. They squeaked and filled every entrance to the city, searching every inch of space within. Even the Bat Dragon swarm that had turned back began to circle above the city.
Even though the electromagnetic signals were clearly within the city, they just couldn't find the attackers; it was as if ghosts were attacking.
This was even more terrifying. Like stirring up a hornet's nest, the enraged swarm surged in all directions like a tide. After a few minutes, a subtle and terrifying gaze began to scan the city.
Taking advantage of those few minutes of chaos, Levi Ackerman had already covered nearly ten kilometers, wiping out all the insect swarms he encountered. Any that escaped were dealt with by Hayasaka Ai and the others behind him.
Faster, faster!
The captain was in a frenzy, feeling he had never fought so desperately since joining the Reincarnation Game. He had to retreat to a safe distance before the swarm of insects could react.
That bastard, I told him to retreat a long time ago...
Levi Ackerman moved his lips, but couldn't utter a curse. In this plan, Yuki at the greatest risk.
The second step is to disperse and break out, preventing the swarm from converging in one place.
Yuki is not as fast as him, so he will definitely be detected by the soul force field. The swarm of pursuers will most likely target him first, and the forces blocking his way ahead will also move south in advance.
My own pressure has lessened, but how am I going to get away with that bastard?
Levi Ackerman couldn't think of any other solutions and could only console himself that someone as cunning as Yuki Sorajima must be hiding some trump card.
He completely forgot about his senior's presence, looked at the three people following closely behind him, and felt a subtle gaze coming from ahead.
Dozens of insects jumped out of the town on the right, and these hidden garrison soldiers began to 'meddle,' squeaking and gathering their kind.
Does the Queen personally operate it?
Levi Ackerman took a deep breath. The reaction speed was too fast. Fortunately, the retreat route had been planned in advance and passed through very few strongholds. Fortunately, the players and mobile forces were lured to the north.
The seemingly scattered conditions were linked together one by one, which could be life-saving in this moment, making Levi Ackerman once again marvel at the cunning of the Yuki Sorajima, and think about how to escape from the moment he left the castle.
"Contact the natives, advance with all your might, fight your way through all obstacles, and join them!"
They should have already retreated to a safe area. With the sergeant there, the hastily organized swarm of insects shouldn't be able to stop them.
Yuki walked through the dimly lit sewers, hearing the sound of swarms of insects rushing past. These insects suddenly came to life; killing even one would trigger a reaction, and they would relentlessly pursue him like leeches.
Does the Queen personally micromanage?
He could feel a faint sense of oppression; when one concentrated, one could even sense the falling dead skin. Therefore, assassination was impossible; once the defense mechanism was triggered, even the most powerful assassin would have nowhere to hide.
That being said, Yuki never makes plans based on mere speculation; there are many prerequisites for a retreat:
Leveraging the Queen's importance ensures these 'wasps' dare not leave the hive; outposts along the way lack high-level swarms; mobile forces with high-level swarms head north, and--
Most players are not here.
With these prerequisites in place, chaos can buy time. A monster-level player risked his life to clear a path, and with Hayasaka Ai and others armed to the teeth, those grunts would have a hard time stopping them.
In addition, because the first group is furthest from the wall, the Defense Force eager for intelligence will risk their lives to provide support.
The insect swarms are strongest in the west, but don't forget that the Defense Force are also the most powerful in this direction.
There is at least an 80% chance of successfully returning to the inside of the Great Firewall.
Yuki wasn't too worried; he was surrounded by ferocious insects all around him, and no one was in more danger than him.
The sounds of arthropods grew closer, and tens of thousands of blood-red insects were about to tear the attacker to pieces. At that moment, Mai Sakurajima's presence appeared in her mind.
Tsk, I forgot about my dear senior again.
Mai Sakurajima was another lure. The swarm of insects could track the electromagnetic signals of the remote control, but they couldn't find the person holding it. The senior student seemed to be passing through a sea of flowers without getting a single petal on her.
By the time the Queen personally intervened, she had already vanished without a trace.
The creep cannot detect players. If the Queen is intelligent enough, she will know that this 'assassin' is the biggest threat and will definitely send out elites to search the area.
'Once the two-hour cooldown is over, my senior will disappear from my senses again. It's a pity that the Light-Covering Prayer Rite can't cool down the trait, otherwise my actions could be even more outrageous.'
Yuki was quite disappointed. Ignoring the approaching footsteps, he climbed the stairs, pushed open the manhole cover, and the dense footsteps converged from both sides of the alley.
In this city teeming with raging swarms of insects, no one can escape, unless—
He donned the Fool's Mask, his Shape-shifting Outfit contorting his body, instantly transforming him into Blood Demon with two horns on his head and elegant golden hair.
Bang!
The wall was Piercer directly by the terrifying Samurai Bug. Amidst the billowing dust, the Samurai Bug froze on the spot, instinctively lowering its twin blades.
Unless, of course, I am an ally.
Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Swarm Queen! (4K)
The change in appearance had no effect on the swarm, but his senses told him that this was an allied force with a reputation for 'trust'.
This is strange. We came here following the Queen's instructions, so why did we encounter friendly forces?
The Samurai Bug lacks intelligence and is completely unable to understand the problem at hand. If it were Human Bug, it would at least try to make a judgment, but unfortunately, it wasn't the one that came.
This is the power of rules.
Yuki was no stranger to this feeling. 'Reputation' was a rule set by the Reincarnation Game, enough to solve many problems. Just like when Saito rebelled, the Defense Force still wouldn't take action against him until he was discovered to be with the Puppet Bug.
If humans with subjective consciousness behave this way, then these killing machines are even more likely to behave this way.
Yuki gave a slight bow and walked past the gleaming insect blade. The Samurai Bug behind him paused for a moment before resuming its search orders.
As we turned onto the main street, swarms of insects surged across the road like a tide, filling up the underground sewers and even overflowing them.
They couldn't find it, they couldn't find it at all. Even when Human Bug ran by, they stopped and glanced at Yuki, who was 'helping,' before continuing to direct their subordinates to complete the mission.
It recognizes Luguna.
Yuki's steps remained unchanged, but he breathed a sigh of relief. These advanced insect swarms possessed intelligence, and reputation alone was not enough, but with the Fool's Mask, they would not suspect anything.
As for the real Luguna, we don't know if he's dead or alive, but he certainly won't be here.
The city is in complete chaos right now, with countless insects meticulously searching from the inside out. Even if the player turns into an ant, they will still be found. The Queen is personally taking charge, using micro-management to block them, determined not to let Levi Ackerman and the others return to the walls.
This is a perfect opportunity to fish in troubled waters.
Yuki's mental fortitude was excessive; he truly transformed into the Blood Demon Luguna, going against the tide of insects. While their attention was focused on the city's outskirts, he found a spot and leaped directly into the wall.
The player's feet landed on the soft fungal carpet, where numerous fleshy buds had grown. They slowly brushed against the body, the slippery sensation nauseating. However, this detection had no effect on the player. Several Samurai Bug that rushed past glanced at the player and continued with their mission.
These are 'friendly forces'. The Queen hasn't given an attack order, so why bother with them?
That's right, I'm here to help find the spy.
Yuki grinned slightly, hurriedly slipped into the alley, climbed the tall building like a gecko, and then stuck his head out to survey his surroundings.
The Bat Dragon flew close overhead, its frantic gaze focusing on the target. After confirming the reputation, it moved away again; at least in its eyes, this was a friendly force that knew how to search.
Low- to mid-level insects pose no threat, but high-level insects will find my behavior suspicious.
Knowing he couldn't hide for long, Yuki quickly surveyed the terrain. He saw that the surrounding area was filled with densely packed tall buildings, their surfaces covered with thick, fleshy buds, each over ten meters long, resembling a swaying forest.
They are interconnected, becoming denser the further you go in, until finally they become a Black Hole mass, like a ball of yarn.
These buildings are extraordinary.
Yuki was upstairs, looking inside, and could see that even after the swarm of insects had left, there were still souls inside.
Alive?
Dozens of high-rise buildings form a defensive array, making the city a massive fortress.
He noted this down, then jumped to the roof of the next tall building. With a 'squeak' sound, the swarm of insects outside the wall began to flow back.
Time was running out. The swarm couldn't find the attackers, nor could they catch up with Levi Ackerman and the others who had escaped. They were preparing to return to normal. If they waited for the attackers to come back, there would be no chance for a leisurely search.
What exactly is the core of it?
His red eyes scanned the surroundings, but everything in his field of vision was pretty much the same. His Devil's Vision was useless, as it was completely blocked by the tall buildings and fleshy growths. Soon, his eyes locked onto a few main roads.
Dozens of bright red insects were moving along the road, their thin membranes peeling off as they went, revealing black carapaces. The membranes looked a lot like the amniotic fluid left behind when a baby is born.
Following the path upwards, Yuki's eyelids twitched. He affixed the 'Loyal Guardian' badge to the creeping carpet and vanished in a blur.
Weaving through the swaying fleshy buds, the distance of each step remained constant. Yuki felt as if he had plunged headlong into a dark, dense forest, where even direction was hard to discern. Eventually, there was no light at all, and in such circumstances, no one dared to provide illumination.
150 meters, 200 meters, 300 meters, turn southeast at 30 degrees, 100 meters, 200 meters...
He silently counted in his mind that those moving Soul Flame were the best Lighthouse. Yuki ran past them, he could feel the constant gazes directed at him. Then, these pearl-like Soul Flame became denser and denser, and the soft sensation under his feet hardened.
Click.
With a cracking sound of bones breaking, Yuki suddenly stopped, bent down, picked up something and stroked it, his expression growing increasingly surprised.
Human skull?
This was the first time he had seen a skull in the city, and as he touched it, he began to form a mental model.
The adult male skull had a two-centimeter round hole between his eyebrows, with a smooth cut, indicating that something had pierced through it directly. His eyes twitched, and he picked up another skull and began to feel around, but the result was the same.
A kill couldn't be that precise; it should have been a direct piercing without any resistance. Is this some kind of brain-stealing attack?
Here's the question: given that the swarm doesn't eat people and its energy source is Emerald Stone, what is it doing sucking brains?
The Defense Force's research data didn't mention it, and Yuki wasn't a worm expert. Just as he was about to move forward, a male voice that sounded like an electronic synthesized voice rang out.
"You shouldn't have come here, Collaborator."
His blood froze instantly, every hair on his body stood on end, Yuki instinctively squeezed his skull until it shattered.
We've been discovered. Is "cooperator" what the Zerg swarm calls the players? And players who chose the Lurker class obviously can't get inside these walls.
His monstrous physical abilities allowed his rapidly beating heart to quickly calm down. Yuki knew that revealing his identity at this moment would mean certain death; at least judging from the way the newcomer addressed him, they hadn't discovered his true identity.
His mind raced, Yuki's expression became a mixture of fear and forced elegance.
"I am filled with curiosity about the wonders of life."
"If you are truly curious, then demonstrate your value and embrace the highest blessing." The male voice rang out again, accompanied by a bursting orb of light that finally illuminated the surroundings.
Yuki as the light shone, his gaze shifting from confusion to surprise, and finally revealing fervor and excitement, mixed with a hint of regret.
This was a park or a square, and everywhere he looked was covered with skulls, densely packed, reminding him of the Skull Mountain in 'Calamity of Blood'. The difference was that there was no 'preservation' technology here, and most of the skulls were full of antiquity.
Every skull has a round hole in the center of its forehead, all the same size and location, indicating it's definitely not the result of a battle.
Countless insects stood on the skull, surrounding a 'person' with a robust physique, dark skin, and snake-like 'dreadlocks'. Yuki feared he might start rapping at any moment.
The General Bug, Aldrich.
Apart from the Puppet Bug, the Defense Force's data all list the names of the advanced swarms, although the swarms themselves do not have names.
This is a truly advanced swarm; after the Command Headquarters lost one, two remain.
Aldrich was also scrutinizing Yuki; perhaps the latter's gaze was familiar to him, and he lowered his raised hand.
Thank goodness, he knew Luguna.
Yuki marveled at his own cleverness; if he had given the wrong look, he would have been finished. Only he could pull off something like that.
Having fought once doesn't make you acquaintances; you can't fake it convincingly no matter what. Only by being familiar with the Blood Demon's personality can you play the role perfectly.
The excitement stems from the desire to kill, but the regret lies in the fact that demons prefer to eat people rather than gnaw on bones.
"Weren't you supposed to be going north to provide reinforcements? You're back so soon?"
Stared at by thousands of insects, Yuki concealed her nervousness with elegance and bowed slightly, saying, "You know we have many strange abilities. We happened to encounter chaos in the insect hive and realized that one of our own had intruded. For the Queen's safety, I wanted to do my part, and of course, I was also a little curious."
The swarm was unaware that protecting the Queen wasn't part of the Lurkers' main questline, and Yuki's reasons were passable; the best at dealing with players is always the players themselves.
"So, did you find it?"
"No, but I suspect they have skills like minimizing their presence, allowing them to infiltrate silently."
The General Bug paused for a moment, but since each insect's top priority was protecting the queen, it was naturally interested.
What does it mean to reduce one's presence?
"It's very simple. Unlike physical invisibility, it's about detaching yourself from this world..." Yuki decisively 'betrayed' his senior. The theory of Adolescence Syndrome sounded very fantastical, and he was better at changing the subject and diminishing his presence.
The General Bug believed it; it was true after all, and it had no choice but to believe it, and then its breath became restless.
A species with a honeycomb structure cannot tolerate its own brain being threatened, yet all of its evolution has been ineffective in addressing this so-called 'sense of existence'.