Chapter 272
At first, when this bastard said he was going to find the Thorny Rose, he was both surprised and disdainful, thinking to himself, "At a time like this, he still has the mind to pick up girls? Doesn't he know that women only slow down his swordplay?"
It turned out that this bastard's method of picking up girls opened his eyes to a whole new world. It turned out to be a physical act of picking up girls. He beat up several beautiful women, and they even had to thank him.
"Stop looking, Reiner Braun. You won't be able to learn that. Hayasaka could break your defenses." Levi Ackerman glanced at the burly man beside him and snorted softly.
"Captain, I'm only at the Transcendental Grade level, how could I dare to learn that? But Mr. Yuki is really amazing, I've never seen such a forceful way of picking up girls before."
Physical strength—using his powerful body to blast through defensive barriers, grabbing Mai Sakurajima by the neck and slamming her against the metal wall—could this be the legendary "wall slam"?
She dodged the gunfire, the released flames forcing the ghost to revert to its physical form, and then a Rising Dragon punch sent the blonde girl sprawling. She caught the incoming arrow, leaped over, and kicked it like a soccer ball...
"But I always felt they had a grudge against each other, and this beating was too brutal."
"On the contrary, the relationship between these two factions is abnormally good. How could players dare to simulate real combat? Who can guarantee the simulation won't become real?" The Smiling Lady walked over gently and asked the blue-haired boy beside her.
"Mr. Wolf, do you dare to practice with him?"
Aslan immediately shook his head like a rattle-drum, afraid that Yuki Sorajima would dismantle his Gundam.
While each move appears deadly, the opponent actually holds back at every turn, creating a sense of real combat pressure without actually killing the person. This tacit understanding and trust are clearly not the first time.
They watched as the brief battle ended, and the bruised and battered girls were taken to the infirmary by the Defense Force. There were cell repair devices there; a quick dip inside would restore them to full health. Then, the group would immediately summarize their findings and prepare for a second round.
It's a very scientific training method. With a monster-level expert as a sparring partner, his combat experience will increase rapidly. Even Reiner Braun was a little envious. Captain Levi and the Smiling Lady rarely had any interest in 'torturing' him.
"There's definitely something fishy about this group." Levi Ackerman figured it out, and all the players were puzzled as well.
They're clearly from two different camps, so why are they so closely connected?
"It doesn't matter. The closer they are, the better it is for us. Now is the time to unite. Women, if you talk to them properly, they'll always listen." Johnny Silverhand leaned against the wall, smoking. He didn't care about Yuki's personal feelings.
"You're being vulgar. What kind of 'intercourse' are you talking about?"
Johnny Silverhand shrugged, too lazy to argue with this brat. "The details of Fire-Chasing Plan have been revised, mainly increasing the role of us players. I've already covered the satellite orbital cannon issue, and that Yuki Sorajima has also proposed a final solution."
Everyone was prepared to go all in; holding back at a time like this would be tantamount to sabotaging themselves, so everyone seemed exceptionally sincere.
"This would increase our chances of winning, but I don't want to go all the way to the end." Levi Ackerman looked at the fierce battle behind the glass window, his gaze fixed on the black-haired youth.
"Who would want to? The Fire Seed is priceless if taken away. Do you think this Yuki Sorajima is trying to Momo others' labor?"
The Fire Seed is definitely worth tens of thousands of points, and giving it to a faction like the Mechanical Believers would be a huge boost; everyone wants it.
"If he really wanted to Momo after the war, he wouldn't have exposed his relationship with Thorny Rose. With that Miss in Mai Sakurajima's abilities, stealing it wouldn't be difficult for her." The Smiling Lady gently shook her head, convincing the other players as well, before finally letting out a sigh.
"Things definitely won't go as planned. Our primary goal is survival. If we actually kill the Queen, the mission evaluation won't be low, so everyone shouldn't be too greedy."
"According to the Defense Force's description, only his bloodline skill can be used to achieve that kind of use of the Fire Seed, and it also carries the risk of his own death. Who among you is willing to do it in his place?"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone shook their heads. They either couldn't do it or didn't dare to. Taking on such a major responsibility requires both willingness and ability.
"That settles it then. Taking the highest risk and reaping the highest reward is the rule of the Reincarnation Game. If he really manages to find the 'Fire Seed,' we should accept it."
Levi Ackerman, Reiner Braun, Teresa, Johnny Silverhand, Aslan, and Rebecca Chambers are not despicable people; they admire Yuki for standing up and are willing to cooperate with him.
This kid's not bad; hopefully, it won't come to that final stage.
Levi Ackerman was quite satisfied with this comrade-in-arms, but when Yuki came out, his dead fish eyes reverted to their usual expression.
"Interested in a match with me?"
"Forget it, I'd have to go all out against 'monster' level players, and I might not be able to hold back." Yuki was covered in sweat. His seniors and the others were used to fighting, but he wouldn't dare to be so relaxed against other players.
"Tsk, what kind of hero bullies women?"
The short man shrugged and turned to leave, leaving Yuki completely bewildered as he looked at the Smiling Lady.
"Don't take it to heart. Captain Levi has acknowledged you. He doesn't usually spar with people." Teresa said gently, beckoning lightly, "Come and sit down. These peaceful days will soon be over."
"Is there some unusual activity in the insect swarm?"
"Okay, take a look first."
Yuki walked to the round table and sat down, with Johnny Silverhand beside him. He had taken over the Central Database and had a thorough understanding of the entire instance.
The Electronic Bug can corrupt human drones, but they can't do anything about the player's own equipment. Johnny Silverhand launched a probe that transmitted an image before it was shot down.
A black tide was surging out from the towns, mines, and forests outside the walls, spreading along the road. Yuki glanced at it and immediately felt a pang of trypophobia.
It was full of insects, countless insects, crowding the sky and the ground. Everyone has experienced insect swarms before, but they are nothing compared to the scene in the picture.
Counting in the hundreds of thousands, they covered the plains, moving silently forward like a disciplined army divided into several groups.
This is an open secret.
"How many troops have arrived at the Unfallen Fortress?" Yuki immediately looked at Johnny Silverhand. The withdrawal of troops from the fortress was both a deliberate act by the commander-in-chief and something he had no choice but to do.
"Aside from losses en route, 65% of the troops will likely not arrive within the stipulated time. Furthermore, the air force has suffered heavy losses." Johnny Silverhand exhaled a smoke ring and said sullenly.
"The intensity of the attack has increased; the swarm is focusing on destroying vehicles, and the Marines simply can't keep up with them on foot."
Without a doubt, this was personally orchestrated by the Queen.
A profound sense of crisis arose. The swarm had played its cards first and gained an absolute advantage from the start. It seemed that only by exerting all its strength could it possibly defend the fortress.
So what good would simply holding the fortress do?
Sweat dripped onto the table. Like the other players, Yuki remained silent. There were still so many things he hadn't figured out, and he didn't know how he would choose between Night Parade of One Hundred Demons and Kamui.
Suddenly, Johnny Silverhand, and the automatic door next to him opened, revealing a somewhat flustered Captain Chris. The two spoke in unison.
"The Zerg swarm has begun its attack on the fortress!"
It was a scene of purgatory, with tens of thousands of spores sweeping across the sky, raining down on a bright blue umbrella.
Within a second, hundreds of ripples rose and fell, colliding with the passing missiles and causing countless sparks to burst forth.
Anti-aircraft guns fired at a rate of thousands of rounds per second, riddling the giant spores with holes. They landed behind the fortress, from which terrifying Samurai Bug emerged. Then, a defense squad of hundreds of men assembled, and electromagnetic rifles tore them to shreds.
The swarm of insects was being reduced to minced meat. Marines were pulling the triggers furiously as tanks, giant robots, and Reaper helicopters arrived. Soon, sandworms emerged from the ground amidst the ranks of soldiers, and a fierce hand-to-hand combat broke out between the two sides.
The Bat Dragon swooped down, its laser turrets slicing back and forth, causing the flying insects to scream as they plummeted to the ground. Then, with a series of explosions, the trident-shaped Gun Bug drilled a hole in the protective shield, and countless exploding insects poured in from the hole.
The watchtower exploded, twisted steel flew everywhere, and humanity retaliated with missiles and lasers, followed by a series of nuclear mushroom clouds.
A three-dimensional attack from the sky, ground, and underground unfolded, with battles taking place on the front, above, inside, and behind the fortress, and outer strongholds were constantly being lost.
Every moment, heroes self-destruct and die in the line of duty; every moment, Puppet Bug silently appear and cause trouble. It is a complex game of strategy, with the swarms of insects constantly emerging, and humanity steadfastly defending itself.
The scene left the players breathless. The remaining players were all very strong, but joining the battlefield meant they were just casualties.
No one could survive an attack by hundreds of Bat Dragons, nor could anyone withstand the impact of ten nuclear bombs. It was like two monsters wrestling; a moment's carelessness could crush even a strong ant.
The corpses of the Zerg swarm littered the earth, and the fallen strongholds chose to self-destruct, unleashing towering mushroom clouds. Humans began to assemble armored forces and launch a counterattack, while the Zerg swarm also dispatched giant insects that resembled crocodiles and were the size of mountains.
Yuki clenched his fist and quietly glanced around. Everyone was staring intently at the screen, some in shock, some unable to bear watching.
Meanwhile, the Defense Force members, led by the commander-in-chief, gritted their teeth, their entire bodies trembling.
The hall was eerily quiet. It should have been the highest command post, but all the staff inside had been sent to the front lines to serve as assistants to the lieutenant general, and when the time was right, they would pick up rifles and act as the lowest-ranking cannon fodder.
This warship was supposed to be humanity's strongest fortress, but it broke into the battlefield when the situation was dangerous, suppressing the swarm's arrogance with its powerful firepower.
The warships sailed along the edge of the wall, their commander 'watching coldly' as a group of mortals endured the onslaught of the insect swarm.
But this is the sacrifice, this is the price. Yuki saw Chris open her mouth silently several times, preferring to risk her life on the front lines rather than watch hundreds or thousands of her comrades sacrifice themselves here.
Alas, war leaves players feeling utterly powerless.
Yuki sighed. In such a fierce battlefield, even a few monster-level players wouldn't make a ripple. That's why the second main quest is to kill the queen.
He was powerless and could only watch the war unfold and observe the fireworks exploding on the holographic projection.
"The Zerg swarm has launched its final offensive."
"The first wall has fallen, and the seventh, ninth, and eleventh auxiliary fortresses have also fallen."
"Lieutenant General Motta has voluntarily abandoned the second wall and dispatched the 5th Tank Battalion for a counter-offensive."
A major general from the staff explained the battle situation, while a holographic projection Unfallen Fortress.
The main body of this fortress is the size of a city, crammed with countless gun emplacements and bunkers. Heavy Tank drive through the streets to bombard the area, each deploying defensive force fields like countless umbrellas of light.
Spores rained down like raindrops, and a terrifying torrent surged in from the breach. Gun muzzle flashes merged into one, tearing the swarm of insects to shreds. Missiles occasionally soared vertically, shooting down the diving Bat Dragon.
The giant crocodile's thick insect armor was Piercer, and dozens of laser beams focused their fire. The salvo of tens of thousands of different weapons brought the insect swarm to a halt, but soon, some giant spores fell into the fortress.
All that jumped out were mid-to-high-level Zerg such as Samurai Bug, Human Bug, and Assassin Bug. They engaged in close combat, slicing through the Marines like cutting melons and vegetables, or dissecting heavy Tank, instantly throwing the formation into chaos.
Hundreds of Psychic Warrior were dispatched, as only they could keep up with the pace of this close-quarters combat. However, this time the Psychic Warrior were somewhat clumsy, and although they suppressed the swarm's arrogance, the casualty ratio was not good.
"Because most of them aren't Psychic Warrior at all."
Yuki muttered to himself, "This is also part of the plan. Even though the soldiers wearing the Reaper Mech are all elites and have used huge amounts of stimulants, they are still not as good as true Psychic Warrior."
He turned his head to look at another projection, which was a spacious room with hundreds of strong men in tight-fitting clothes lined up. The one standing at the very front was someone he knew.
Captain Kudus, was he also involved in the plan?
Yuki saw that the man she didn't get along with had no expression on his face. He shook hands with each of his colleagues from the Interior Ministry behind him, took out a photo, glanced at it, removed his name tag, and placed it on the long table next to him.
On the table were wine bottles, photos, letters, and piles of plaques.
These are the soldier's belongings.
Because the holographic projection was so clear, Yuki could even see the fear in Kudus's eyes, his trembling fingers, or rather, he saw that same look on the faces of many people in the room.
This is waiting for death.
The captain walked out of the room, came to another area, stood on a small platform, took the syringe handed to him by the robotic arm, gritted his teeth, and plunged it into his neck.
Biopotential stimulating agents.
Yuki has exchanged quite a few of these things. For beings above the Transcendental Grade level, they are but a drop in the ocean, but for ordinary humans, they are practically divine artifacts.
It's like an overdose of adrenaline, which can instantly elevate even the most physically gifted human to an extraordinary level, but at the cost of burning up completely.
The extreme pain caused Kudus to curl up into a ball, and then the mechanical arm forcibly tore his body apart, placing various parts of the Reaper Mech onto his body, thus equipping him as a 'Psychic Warrior'.
Hiss.
Yuki gasped. Even if Kudus didn't die in battle, he would only have a day left to live, and he knew the dangers of the drug. As an officer in the Ministry of the Interior Ministry, he shouldn't have been the one to receive it.
"But he still chose to die a heroic death." Yuki narrowed his eyes, feeling his wrist being gripped. He turned his head and saw that it was his senior looking at him with concern.
"I'm fine, but my fighting spirit has just strengthened a bit."
He looked at the other players, most of whom shared the same sentiment. There were no villains or heartless people standing here; most of them were originally warriors, and the impact they had suffered was only deeper than his own.
Levi Ackerman's eyes flickered as he thought of many scenes, yet he had to admit that these people were even more courageous than the Survey Corps —no, their feelings were exactly the same.
"They inherited the will of their fallen comrades, and though they die here, they entrust the meaning of their existence to the living and leave the hope of survival to future generations. This is the meaning of sacrifice."
The captain's muttering to himself caused a subtle change in the expressions of all the players.
Yes, no one can deny the significance of sacrifice. They firmly believed that the war could be ended through sacrifice, and the loss of tens of thousands of lives created a profound sense of unease.
Their souls entered the Fire Seed, and their hope was poured into everyone.
Seeing the flashes of self-destruction and the corpses crushed by the swarm of insects, Yuki felt a heavy weight on his shoulders and couldn't help but raise his head.
"How much longer!?"
This sense of oppression was driving him crazy. He had only been in the instance for half a month, and the soldiers who had died in droves were all strangers, but warriors always share a deep connection.
The commander-in-chief remained silent; if the players were already in such a state, he would only be in greater pain.
As the planner, he had anticipated this scene; he could have chosen to shut himself off and simply listened to Motta's signals.
But he wouldn't. He faced the sacrifice head-on and took responsibility. That was the duty of the commander-in-chief. Even if he saw it and his eyes were almost bleeding with tears, he would still etch every scene firmly into his mind.
Anger was brewing, and the soul was burning fiercely. This infectious power surpassed all spiritual erosion, until an excited voice rang out.
"The General Bug 'Moscato' has been discovered!"
The Zerg swarm's central bloom was suppressed by hundreds of 'Psychic Warrior,' and the Zerg swarm that had been airdropped behind it was also entangled. This resulted in heavy losses for the main force attempting to breach the wall, yet they were unable to break into the fortress.
Just like playing cards, the only ones who can deal with Psychic Warrior are always high-level Zerg. With the General Bug and the Royal Guard taking action, dozens of Psychic Warriors were killed in seconds.
The fact that the General Bug personally took to the field proves that the Zerg swarm has finally launched a full-scale attack regardless of the consequences, and that this army has finally lost its flexible command structure. After all, the Queen cannot micromanage such a large battlefield, General Bug is a crucial command node.
"Gentlemen, it's our turn to go on stage." The commander-in-chief finally spoke, and unexpectedly, his tone was not enthusiastic, as if it were a very ordinary battle.
Emphasizing the importance of combat now is meaningless; though separated by great distances, everyone has witnessed the tens of thousands of sacrifices.
They bravely faced death, all for a chance—a chance that lay in their own hands.