Chapter 286
But the Defense Force ignored the threat. Everyone knew that without the greater good, there would be no individual family. If they didn't kill the Queen, sooner or later, an entire family would die.
The Queen tried to divide her forces, cutting the insect swarm into pieces and sending them to the humans to kill. But the humans didn't fall for it. She divided her forces, and the humans divided their forces too, creating thousands of small battlefields. The main force followed behind the insect swarm, with armored units occasionally flanking from both sides. Even though they quickly turned into wreckage, they still managed to slow the insect swarm down a bit.
To be honest, when the advanced Zerg were burned to death by the ignited star system, neither side could achieve a decisive advantage in terms of quality, turning it into a protracted and tedious battle.
When Yuki faced the Queen directly, it finally panicked and began desperately trying to bring its offspring back, disregarding casualties and formation. The humans who followed also fought desperately.
The entire air force was mobilized, and dozens of Goshawk deployed their anti-gravity engines before running out of energy, forming a net of light in the air to prevent the Bat Dragon from returning to deliver their prey. Then, the fighter jets would either run into the bat dragons after firing their ammunition, or set up walls of fire amidst the dense attack of anti-aircraft spores.
Humanity had done everything in its power, and when the mountain-sized worm appeared on the horizon, everyone held their breath.
The giant insect was unstoppable; even the Goshawk's strike could not repel it an inch.
As Lieutenant General Motta threw the cooks into battle, his power armor studded with spikes, the shadow of the giant insect still loomed over him, and the swarm of insects was less than two kilometers away from the giant insect.
It's unstoppable.
The general lowered the giant ship. Before the giant insect, he was as small as an ant. Only one-tenth of his guards remained, having run out of ammunition and now carrying power halberds.
"But we still have to stop them; it's a responsibility entrusted to us by Destiny."
Kudus's helmet was knocked off, and his face was blackened—a side effect of the excessive adrenaline injection.
Delay for one more second, and kill one more bug.
This was their last stand. Everyone drew their weapons, pushing backwards while charging towards the giant worm. Their bodies were no match for even a single tentacle of the queen; they could be crushed in a fraction of a second.
The end of the war is just around the corner.
This is the best and last chance. The charge will begin without any command; all the soldiers who see it muster their last strength.
Just one more second!
The Tank, riddled with holes, charged forward, only to be instantly crushed by the giant insect. The resulting fireballs were like firecrackers exploding during a festival, faint yet dazzling.
Fighter jets, Tank, power armor, and even individual infantrymen launched suicidal charges like madmen, crushing orbs of light everywhere, while the Zerg swarm went berserk, forming a pincer movement against the humans in the middle.
Fortunately, Yuki gave everyone a shot in the arm, and with morale soaring, no one wavered; otherwise, they would have been corrupted by the ubiquitous puppet larvae long ago.
But it was still no use; the defensive line was quickly compressed, and swarms of insects had already bypassed the lines to meet the Queen.
"Is this the end?" The lieutenant general pulled the power axe out of the Samurai Bug's head and then severed the insect blade that had pierced his own chest cavity.
He looked around and saw nothing but sacrifice and death, but it was all in vain given the vast disparity in strength. Humanity had long lost its ability to fight in the field, and it was already a miracle that they could hold out in their fortresses and eke out a living.
Ultimately, willpower cannot transcend matter.
The general looked at the distant city ruins, his childhood memories long since blurred, and he could not recall what his hometown looked like for a moment.
Let's go home then.
He drew his power axe and roared into battle, "Follow me, and we'll kill them one by one!"
A thunderous command resounded around them, even though a massive shadow had already enveloped everyone, like the setting sun in the west, and the world was about to enter Eternal Night.
But just then, a bright light came from overhead, and the second rising sun attracted everyone's attention.
What is it?
A blazing flame Piercer through the giant insect's back. It was intensely Incandescence, yet it appeared incredibly small in the face of this 'mountain.' Everyone's gaze dimmed again, only to widen in an instant.
The cracks emerged from the giant worm's body. At the same time, as if its core had been removed, the worm's densely packed legs stopped, and it moved forward only by inertia.
As it moved, large chunks of flesh fell from its body due to gravity, revealing its beast-like skeleton, before it plunged headfirst into the ground.
Thump--
The ground trembled, and thousands of tons of dust rose, making the battlefield seem as if shrouded in a sandstorm. In this dimness, only that single flame remained dazzling.
What happened?
Everyone forgot they were in the middle of a battle. The Psychic Warrior, leaning on his sword, turned around and saw the lieutenant general fall backward. He clenched his fists and looked at the dim sky.
We won.
They then noticed that the tens of thousands of insects, like statues, had lost their desire to attack the humans so close at hand.
Did you win?
No one paid any attention to the sculptures anymore. As a gust of wind swirled dust through the gaps, they saw a pile of shattered flesh mountains and familiar shadows of flesh mountains everywhere.
There were soldiers with the same equipment, a beloved commander-in-chief, and an extraterrestrial visitor whom they were always on guard against, while at the top of the mountain of flesh, a candle flickered.
A man in blood-stained clothes, with black hair and red eyes, wielding two swords, looked down upon all living beings like a god.
Yuki also saw the chaotic battlefield, with burning wreckage everywhere, mountains of corpses, and a long river of blood stretching between the queen and the swarm of insects.
The stench of blood was overwhelming, and countless gazes were fixed upon him, making his skin tingle slightly.
With a flurry of slashes, Yuki chopped the Queen into minced meat, then burned the minced meat to ashes, leaving not a single cell behind.
He was still somewhat dazed until he saw the swarm of insects, which had been like statues, move and plunge their sharp blades into the bodies of their own kind.
With the queen dead, the out-of-control swarm will turn on each other.
[Player Yuki, you have defeated the Queen, participation rate 100%, reward: 2 Specialization Points.]
Reason and murmurs arose simultaneously; Yuki's body swayed a few times, and he quickly steadied himself with his sword.
We won.
The thought was so mundane that Yuki just wanted to lie down in a starfish position and get a good night's sleep, but then a cold voice came from behind him.
"Hey, as the commander-in-chief, aren't you going to do something? Everyone's waiting for you to shine."
Yuki turned her head and saw Levi Ackerman lying on his back on the ground, laughing and cursing, as well as her senior and the others with shining eyes.
They saw the commander-in-chief struggling to climb up; everyone was watching him, awaiting the final order.
He hesitated for a moment, until he saw the commander-in-chief kneeling on one knee with his hand on his chest, then his pupils dilated slightly and he revealed a hearty smile.
Standing at the highest point of the battlefield, Yuki looked down upon the masses of people: they were exhausted, they were excited, they were expectant, they were reverent. The frenzied swarm of insects formed an eerie backdrop.
Limbs and corpses piled high, the man, the center of attention, raised his knife, speaking succinctly as always.
"The Global Insect Calamity has come to an end!"
Chapter Forty-Six: Return and Entry (End of Volume Nine)
[Player Yuki, your reputation has reached 'Unique']
[You have completed the epic achievement, now unlocked with restrictions]
[Player Yuki, you have defeated the Swarm Queen]
[You have obtained the Bloodline Object 'King Insect Carapace']
The murmurs seemed to be the least of his rewards. Lying among the chunks of flesh, smelling the rich stench of blood, Yuki felt as if a raging fire was burning in his heart.
It's so exhilarating to be worshipped like a god by millions of people. Even the most indifferent person would have their heart racing, not to mention the tangible benefits.
The limitations of the monster-level difficulty have been broken, allowing for smooth gameplay even when switching to a pay-to-win strategy, and also gaining a large number of friends.
The Reincarnation Game encourages cooperation among players, and each player receives a reward based on their participation. Everyone is now beaming with joy.
The task of cleaning up the battlefield was naturally left to the natives. The players were treated like royalty, resting under the protection of the most elite warriors. The other warriors, led by the commander-in-chief, supervised the insects to kill each other, ensuring that every single one was wiped out.
The return process has already begun its countdown. You can return in ten minutes after killing the queen. As an 'infiltrator,' Yuki is naturally exempt from this rule; he has to wait until the Fire Seed burns out completely.
"Hey, aren't you really going to have sex with me?"
Rebecca Chambers squatted down beside him, her eyes wide open, uttering words as fierce as a wolf's.
Murderous intent.
Yuki didn't even need to turn his head to feel several gazes coming from behind him; he feared that even uttering a single wrong word could cost him his life.
"You're not impotent, are you?" Rebecca Chambers tilted her head, making Yuki, who was about to answer, gasp for breath.
What the hell is wrong with me?
Yuki glared and saw Johnny Silverhand kick Rebecca Chambers away, getting him out of the predicament.
"Get out of here, time's running out, who's going to give you a handjob?" Johnny Silverhand tossed him a cigarette and lit it for Yuki, saying, "Kids can't keep their mouths shut, don't take it to heart."
"It's nothing, Rebecca Chambers is quite interesting."
"You're really going to sleep with her?" The man laughed, then, seeing Yuki wink at him, he immediately understood. He patted Yuuki on the shoulder. "Brother, players are always living on the edge, so live for the moment. Don't end up like me, saving your lover only to lose her again."
Johnny Silverhand looked melancholy, as if he had a story to tell, but before Yuki could gossip, he perked up again. "We've been through thick and thin together, and this time it's all thanks to you. The gains are far more than I imagined."
Everyone received rewards based on their level of participation, though not as generous Yuki's. The main quest was almost perfect, so it was quite a windfall.
"It's all thanks to everyone's hard work; I couldn't have done all this by myself." Yuki very modest, which made Johnny Silverhand even more satisfied.
The Reincarnation Game is full of people who seek to repay favors, and whether it's true or not, it always makes people feel comfortable.
With a snap of his fingers, Johnny Silverhand, covered with densely packed numbers.
"After you return, find me at this coordinate at the Borderlands. I'll cover all your expenses."
Upon seeing the words "Iron Faith" written on the card, Yuki knew that this was the organization Johnny Silverhand belonged to, a team under the "Mechanical Believers" camp, similar to the "Ouroboros".
"Okay, may I ask you some information?"
"Open a bottle of wine, and I'll tell you anything you want to know, it's free." The man readily agreed, then tactfully got up to leave, adding, "You must come, I'll be waiting for you."
"That bastard's rambling on and on, wasting my time." Captain Levi Ackerman brushed past Silver Hand, still looking rather unfriendly, and threw something at him.
Yuki reached out and took it, seeing that it was a small short sword covered with magic runes.
"You consider this an invitation for me to be your guest?"
"Our faction doesn't have such troublesome matters. Of course, you're welcome to come if you want; the coordinates of the office are listed above." Levi Ackerman said, sticking his head out and not bothering with further words. "This short sword isn't as boring as that card. It can contact me and issue a hunting quest. Activate it, and a 'Hunters' will come to help."
Wow, that's quite precious.
Yuki's eyes lit up. The 'Hunters' faction Taiyi from the others. Could hunting quests be a faction talent?
"By the way, do you charge points?"
"Buy my ass! It's only because we think highly of you. We only give it to our best friends, um, our assistants. If you don't need it, just throw it away somewhere." Levi Ackerman waved his hand impatiently and turned to leave.
Even after entering the Reincarnation Game, she's still a proud and arrogant person.
Yuki suppressed a laugh and solemnly put the card and short sword into his storage space. Whether they were generous or arrogant, these were friends he would risk his life for.
Mutual reliance and mutual respect—these two kinds of human relationships are worth 2000 points, aren't they?
Due to its unique circumstances, Yuki lacked information. Compared to Frieren, both sides were powerful figures. As for the interaction process, the transmigrator's knowledge still had the advantage.
"In that case, we don't need to give you a gift, do we?"
A familiar voice rang out, Yuki turned around to see her senior's eyes filled with a smile, but also a hint of nervousness.
After the new phase, Yuki's circle expanded rapidly, extending to both factions. People like Johnny Silverhand and Levi Ackerman couldn't possibly be just anyone.
Yuki no longer wanted to emphasize their importance. Friends can be trusted, but it's still important to maintain distance. Family is different. Who but her senior would be willing to infiltrate the insect hive alone?
"The time for our return is almost here, isn't it?"
"Hmm, ten seconds," Hayasaka Ai interjected, then hesitated.
"Then go back and wait for me obediently, I'll be there soon."
They said nothing, yet it said it all. The senior students visibly breathed a sigh of relief, their bodies fading as they slowly disappeared into the air.
I thought they'd send a beam of light to suck it away, but it's so magical.
Yuki couldn't help but complain, looking at the Psychic Warrior around him as if he'd seen a ghost, but when their gazes converged, no one seemed to doubt him.
As a hero who created an epic, Yuki's identity is no longer important.
"You can have many friends, but you still have to go home, especially since there's a huge mess to deal with back home."
Yuki sat back down in his flesh and blood, enjoying a moment of peace. His mind was already planning what would happen after his return, and just thinking about it gave him a headache.
Adding points, gathering intelligence, and dealing with the messes of our own faction—this mission took almost 20 days, and the Outpost have mostly prospered by now.
There are friends and former enemies among them, but Yuki isn't worried. He'll definitely unlock more privileges when he goes back this time. He can take good care of his friends, take care of his enemies, and that'll be all.
"They've already left?"
The commander-in-chief strode over, and Yuki noticed that there wasn't a single living insect left on the plain; instead, there were hundreds of thousands of corpses. Soldiers with spare capacity were cleaning up the battlefield, while war machines that had run out of energy were everywhere.
It was bloody and desolate, but as a scene of parting, it had a certain charm.