Chapter 275
It was like stirring up a hornet's nest; countless insects rushed into the Red Wall, followed by a burst of intense gunfire, like beans being popped.
The humans arrived as expected, but unlike others, they landed precisely in the core Zerg hive.
"Someone inside is sending precise coordinates." Kamui's expression showed interest, realizing that his previous thought was not an illusion. "They're quite united. That player named Mai Sakurajima dared to take such a big risk to penetrate deep into the insect hive and still wasn't discovered. Is that queen an idiot?"
"They must have taken precautions. Even you and I couldn't sneak in. It's probably because that Mai Sakurajima's skills are too powerful." The Mahito stretched and stood on tiptoe to look inside, but of course he couldn't see anything.
"What if the queen dies? It seems those people are serious."
"It's none of our business, and that airship hasn't even shown up yet. It's probably run into some trouble." Kamui rested his chin on his hand, squinting as he asked, "Has that ghost sent back any information?"
"He arrived at the battlefield. Hmm, interesting. The enemy is all wearing power armor; it's impossible to tell which are the players."
"Huh? Then who should we kill? We can't just run to the front and become cannon fodder, can we?" Kamui was immediately disappointed. He had no interest in killing grunts, and he kept his distance from any grunts who could threaten him.
Just like on the main battlefield, hundreds of Psychic Warriors were fighting against tens of thousands of insects. No matter how strong an individual was, running in would be of little use.
One Blaster Rifle, but what if dozens of them fire at once? Players below Monster III level would probably be killed on the spot.
The battle turned out differently than the two expected, and they didn't know how to intervene. Just then, a voice without any emotion came from behind them.
"You want to slaughter your own kind? I have a good place for you."
The two were startled and turned to look, where they saw a dark-skinned creature with dreadlocks standing on the rooftop. It was none other than Aldrich, the only General Bug.
"Why aren't you guarding the area? What are you doing here looking for us?" the Mahito asked casually, though he already knew the answer in his heart.
After his mission outside the walls, he had already raised his reputation with the Zerg to 'Exalted'. Apart from some blessings, the Zerg simply ignored them. It turns out that this freedom was reserved for now.
"Because it's unnecessary. Human arrogance has sealed their fate, and the Queen knew they would come."
The answer was as expected, but a mocking smile appeared on Kamui's face.
Bullshit! Humans definitely didn't follow their plan, and no conspirator would lure the enemy into their own living room before striking. Humans' surprise attack was absolutely unexpected, it's just a pity they didn't do it perfectly.
"Since you're handling this so easily, there's no need for you to come looking for us. Just tell me directly; I don't like beating around the bush."
Kamui was clearly slapping him in the face, but the General Bug showed no signs of anger; its lifeless eyes turned towards him.
"The location where humans landed is too strategic; I need your cooperation in this operation."
"By the way, honesty is the best policy for cooperation. Could you explain what makes it so subtle?"
"No, but their current territory restricts the Zerg swarm's movement, and relying solely on numerical superiority would result in too many losses."
This sentence contained an infinite amount of information, allowing Kamui and Mahito to exchange a glance and roughly deduce the situation of the battlefield:
The human raid was partially effective; instead of storming in through the front door, they appeared directly in the living room, where the Queen wasn't watching television, but she was certainly not far away.
And because this is inside their 'home,' the swarm wouldn't destroy their own home.
No wonder those dandelions didn't react.
Kamui glanced at the plaza not far away, where there seemed to be a field of sunflowers. He knew that the 'flowers' were just ahoge (cowlicks), and below them were giant Anti-Star Bug, as big as buildings—the kind of biological cannons used to bombard spaceships.
After thinking for a while, Mahito clapped his hands lightly and said playfully, "Hey, it sounds like Her Majesty the Queen was quite lucky. She didn't have anyone sneak into the bedroom and then summon a bunch of strong men to break down the ceiling and take care of it."
Aldrich didn't understand his strange analogy, but the content was indeed somewhat similar. The Queen hadn't expected the assassins to be so powerful, infiltrating the core of the Zerg hive silently. If it weren't for the 'Saint's' legacy, these hundreds of warriors would probably have landed right next to the Queen.
Fortunately, the assassin was ultimately misled by the legacy and sent out the coordinates as soon as he entered the core of the Zerg hive. This caused an error and gave the Zerg swarm a chance to adjust.
"But humans don't realize they almost succeeded, so it's them who panic."
You don't know? That's interesting. Hmm, on the surface it does look like a deliberately set trap.
"So you want us to help drive them out?" Kamui snapped out of his daze and shook his head vigorously. "I'm not interested in grunts. If you can identify who's one of my kind, I can step in."
"There's no need for you to intervene in exhausting humanity; it's just that this unexpected event has tied up the Zerg's forces, preventing them from carrying out their true plan." The General Bug, as expected, was too lazy to beat around the bush and pointed to the sky:
"That ship has definitely arrived, but we don't know where it's hiding. Once we find it, I want you all to fight your way inside. There are plenty of your kind there."
What kind of tactic is this, swapping bases? Wait, why are they so fixated on that ship? Could the 'Fire Seed' really be on it?
The Queen didn't know what the Lurkers' mission was, but from her own experience, she was always on guard against the players. However, because the humans directly broke into the core Hive, she had no choice but to borrow our power.
Kamui looked at the Mahito, their eyes met, and they both burst out laughing.
It's like searching high and low without finding it, only to suddenly turn around and find the opportunity to complete the main quest.
In that case, I must thank you.
While Yato and Jurei were overjoyed, the bridge was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The commander's expression changed continuously, and veins appeared at the corners of his eyes. He did not doubt that his senior had deceived him, but he did not expect the swarm to be so cunning, setting up this trick of feigning indifference.
The staff officers were discussing the matter, their faces flushed and spittle flying everywhere. It was clear they had stepped into a trap that the insect swarm had already set.
The assault team was isolated and surrounded by insects; a single barrage of fire would obliterate them.
If they are all wiped out, humanity will lose everything, not even its underwear.
"Hope, descend immediately and unleash full firepower to support them."
"Yes, the swarm was lying in ambush; they won't last more than half an hour."
"Commander-in-Chief, give the order quickly!"
The burly man with the square face remained silent, not because he wasn't anxious, but because he felt it was pointless. What good would unleashing full firepower do—bring the assault team out?
The arrow is already on the bowstring; could it be fired again?
He didn't know what to do. Even if he deployed the Hope, that would mean throwing all his forces into it. But now that he couldn't find the Queen, going all in would be suicide.
"Mr. Yuki, what do you think?" the commander-in-chief asked instinctively, his tone tinged with gratitude.
Without the changes just made, he wouldn't even have a choice now.
The noisy discussion did not disturb his thoughts. Yuki raised his head, expressionless but not bewildered. His red eyes were bright, and he still appeared full of confidence.
"I think we should wait and see, then contact the commando team as quickly as possible."
These words caused an uproar, with many people even casting disdainful glances at them.
The assault team wouldn't last long. This was cowardice and fear of battle; they were willing to risk everything to save their lives, even sacrificing their dignity. They were more willing to charge forward and die alongside their comrades.
"You want to gather intelligence and plan before you act?" The commander-in-chief raised his hand to calm everyone down, and pondered, "That takes time. If we wait until then to make a decision, it might be too late."
Johnny Silverhand has already deployed the detectors, but they need to drill through the incredibly hard fungal caps before he can receive the signal.
"It's too late. The question now is whether they die or die together. It doesn't matter if it's a little later." Yuki was as cold as a machine, forgetting that besides his comrades, there were his closest relatives below him.
His military boots pounded the ground as he strode forward, his voice icy cold. "But I don't want to choose how to die, I just want to win!"
You still want to win at a time like this?
To everyone watching, it was like looking at a madman, desperately searching for traces of a coward making excuses for himself.
To put it bluntly, with the raid failing, humanity's Destiny is already sealed. Now, the only hope is to inflict maximum damage on the Zerg swarm before dying a dignified and glorious death.
"Don't forget, the swarm's goal has never been to exterminate humanity; they only want to reproduce and evolve, which is why they're trying to seize the Fire Seed." Yuki paced back and forth, as if trying to convince himself.
"There's no need to set a trap just to eliminate the commando team, and there's no reason to let us go this deep. If the Queen simply wanted to wipe out humanity, she could have hidden herself and focused all her efforts on conquering the fortress. Why bother with all this fancy stuff?"
His words were thought-provoking. Indeed, the Queen didn't need to stay so close to the front lines. She only needed to hide, and humanity could only die helplessly and resentfully.
"You mean, it still wants the Fire Seed?" the commander-in-chief asked tentatively.
"Of course, and did you notice the details? Those swarms of insects all rushed to provide support from the periphery, which means the Queen didn't expect the assault team to land directly in the core area." Yuki waved his hand, and the scene on the screen began to reverse.
Upon closer observation, it was clear that the swarm of insects was indeed rushing to reinforce from the periphery, and there was a sense of unease about it.
"Theoretically speaking, the Defense Force only know that the Queen is in the city. They should start searching from the outside in, which means a strong assault. They will create resistance to make the warship charge inward, and then gather elite troops for a counterattack. This is the safest way to obtain the Fire Seed."
It's essentially a repeat of the last sneak attack, because humans aren't stupid; they really have no other choice but to destroy the 'Fire Seed,' which they can't get from anyone.
From the commander-in-chief to the lowest-ranking staff, everyone put themselves in the Queen's shoes and considered her perspective and goals. This was indeed the safest tactic.
"But you've met the Queen, wouldn't she turn the tables on you?"
"I did see it, but it didn't know my identity," Yuki replied firmly. Since the Blood Demon had chosen to slack off, this matter wouldn't be exposed. "This isn't wishful thinking; I have other corroborating information."
Some footage was pulled up separately, showing nearly a hundred Bat Dragon divided into ten teams, flying in a spiral towards the sky. Now that they had calmed down, the staff officers immediately realized that this behavior was very abnormal.
"Are they searching for the Hope?"
"Yes, no matter how intense the fighting gets, the swarm's real objective is still to find this ship." The commander-in-chief had also considered this point, but still shook his head. "This won't solve anything. At most, the swarm won't immediately eliminate the assault team; they're trying to lure us out."
This was an open strategy; unless the cowards ran away, they would eventually show up. But the commander-in-chief agreed to wait, at least understanding that the assault team wouldn't be so easily wiped out.
"If they are truly finished, I will destroy the Fire Seed immediately!" The commander-in-chief made up his mind, even if it meant taking everyone down with him.
Yuki remained silent, his thoughts running deeper and further. To lure the Hope out, the assault team would naturally have to stay, but was this a conscious or involuntary decision?
He looked at the glowing dots on the map. Even if he was under an illusion, the location his senior had sent back was much deeper than the Bone Land. Killing them wouldn't be difficult; he just needed to use some of the insects to entangle them and then let the Anti-Star Bug cover them with firepower.
"Play the last footage transmitted back by the assault team," Yuki and quickly pulled up the image.
Yuki had been too flustered to observe carefully before, but now that he had calmed down, he scanned every detail.
Caves inlaid with Emerald Stone, gaping holes blasted open by railguns, stalactite-like insect eggs, piles of white bones on the ground, and rock walls covered with veins.
This doesn't look like a dug-out pit; it looks more like the inside of some giant creature.
The detector detected the Queen's energy signature, but why can't it be seen visually? Why is the pointer spinning wildly?
Interference, or...
Yuki's pupils contracted slightly, and he blurted out, "What exactly is a Queen?"
This question stumped everyone. The Queen's various characteristics were recorded in detail in the documents. Johnny Silverhand snapped his fingers and retrieved dozens of papers from the database, as well as top-secret information on 'Thunder Plan'.
It was a long-haired shadow with powerful psionic abilities. Its appearance was unknown, but it had once instantly killed Psychic Warrior in front of the Commander-in-Chief, and there was even a few minutes of footage of it.
A purple afterimage flashed by, and a powerful burst of soul energy erupted, slamming dozens of Psychic Warrior against the wall before slaughtering them one by one like chickens.
When the commander-in-chief saw this footage, his fists clenched tightly, veins bulging. It was the first and only time he felt fear.
Monster III or higher are worthy of the title "BOSS".
Yuki watched from the sidelines as the massive laser beam blasted into him, piercing right Piercer him, and the restraining force field couldn't hold him for even a second.
It was like a ghost, and the battle took place hundreds of kilometers away, while the Defense Force were still maintaining their positions outside the wall.
From the video, Yuki can see the wreckage of buildings and vehicles, and the ground is not covered with a fungal carpet. However, the video is still dark, with the umbrella-like canopy obscuring the view, and countless insects emerging from the darkness.
"Are you also launching a surprise attack on the Zerg hive?"
"No, it was an encounter battle. We ran right into the Queen. If he hadn't leaked the plan beforehand, we would have succeeded." The commander-in-chief, as someone who experienced it firsthand, spoke with murderous intent.
"If it was an encounter battle, why is the battlefield like this?"
The man opened his mouth, a look of reminiscence on his face. The Thunder Plan was different from the Fire-Chasing Plan. Back then, the Defense Force still had a slight advantage, concentrating a large-scale mechanized force to launch a coordinated air and ground attack and retake the capital that had just fallen, which is now Emerald Star City.
The Zerg swarm was slaughtered, leaving corpses strewn across the land. Emerald Star City contained a massive amount of Emerald Stone, a strategic resource that the Zerg swarm could not afford to give up. Thus, the Queen had no choice but to come to their aid.
Subsequently, a thousand Psychic Warrior, along with a dozen players, ambushed and killed several General Bug. The human side also suffered heavy losses. The last warriors, led by the former commander-in-chief, faced the Queen directly.
"I remember at the beginning there was no cover on the battlefield. We just followed the energy reaction forward and somehow ended up inside the fungal umbrella. Then he betrayed the commander-in-chief, forcing us to retreat in panic."
"Is the mushroom cap the same as the one we have now?"
"Pretty much, it can also block communications, but the Hope's long-range fire support didn't play a significant role that time."
Thunder Plan was a one-off deal; cutting off communications wouldn't make much difference. Watching the footage from those few minutes, Yuki suddenly had a bold conjecture:
Perhaps, the mushroom cap isn't used to create a favorable geographical position, but rather to conceal something.
The Queen is like a ghost, impossible to kill or trap, which is abnormal in itself. The Thunder Plan also failed to see what was in the depths of darkness, General Bug and making it impossible for them to advance an inch.
Logically speaking, there's no need to fight so desperately. If the goal is to wipe out humanity, the better they should lure them into the depths of darkness. The deeper they penetrate, the harder it will be for them to retreat.
"Unless, they dare not let you go any further and would rather let you retreat."
"What do you mean?" Johnny Silverhand seemed to have grasped some key word.
"What is the swarm hiding? Using conventional methods, let alone entering such core coordinates, we can't even get through that red wall." Yuki drew a circle on the map. The second ring of Emerald Star City is huge, covering nearly 60 square kilometers.
"If it were the Hidden Queen, it would be the size of a normal human, so there would be no need for such a large area of fungal caps to cover it. Besides, its speed in the video is so fast that there's no need for it to hide at all."
The Queen's charge can exceed the speed of sound; lasers cannot hit her, force fields cannot trap her, and even if surrounded by a large number of troops, she can easily break through.
"From a biological point of view, since the Queen used split souls to create the swarm, it shouldn't only be the size of a human. In the final scene, weren't there swarm eggs in that tunnel?"
"Also, do you remember the information the detector reported? The pointer was spinning wildly, but it did indeed detect a strong energy response."
Yuki practically had the answer on his lips. From the Commander-in-Chief to Johnny Silverhand, from the Smiling Lady to Captain Chris, a crazy hypothesis was brewing.