You tell me, this is called daily youth?

"Monster-level players, each one has a unique skill." Yuki muttered to himself. This is a system pushed to its limit, and the Captain can also explain many problems.

He is just an 'ordinary person', proving that those who come from the low-level martial arts world can also reach the top, and the core of skills and tactics have not changed.

Dual swords, close combat, agile warrior.

It was indeed unexpected to see Levi so fierce, but if you think about it carefully, it is reasonable. It would be beyond imagination if the captain directly used artillery to attack.

This proves that players of the "improvement" type will also stick to the previous route. My foresight is still useful, but the blank sheet of paper coming out of the everyday world is impossible to predict.

Yuki glanced at Hayasaka Ai who was in amazement. If he hadn't experienced it himself, no one would have imagined that this maid would carry a revolver and shoot everywhere.

"He's trying to intimidate me, and by the way, give you guys some confidence."

There are too many people in the Thorn Rose, and among them there are "battle wastes" like Shiina Hiwa, who are easy to control at first glance. Only Yuuki is alone, so it is not surprising that he does anything.

"Who told you to look so much like a bad guy? It always makes me uneasy." Mai wrinkled her nose and quickly stopped her little tricks. "The winner was decided in 53 seconds. Why do I feel like I'm even more powerful than you?"

The warrior worm's legs had been cut off, and the whole worm was lying on the ground. Levi held the light blade in his backhand and removed the joints expressionlessly. As for the soldier worm, only half of it was left.

While others were chopping giants, I was still thinking about how to pick up girls. It was obvious that I was upgrading faster.

Yuki felt a little unconvinced, and burned with red lotus fire, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

It was indeed a waste to move with a burning heart, but the girl was watching, so how could he fall behind? When the whole person emerged from the embers, Levi was so frightened that he took half a step back.

Seeing is believing. This Sky Island Jiecheng's sprint speed is faster than his. He is indeed a master as Denise said.

"It's solved. It looks like it won't alert other insect swarms." The captain said calmly, stepping on the warrior bug that was struggling to get up.

Yuki nodded and squatted beside the broken insect body. He saw the limbs grow back and then be cut off again immediately. His dark compound eyes were full of madness.

He was not interested in studying to be an entomologist, so he switched to the demon's vision and saw the soul light in the head. He suddenly drew his sword and split the hard insect armor.

Its face was split in two, but the warrior bug continued to struggle, its recovery speed unchanged. Yuuki waved, and Mai came over, turned on a powerful flashlight, and held her breath.

"It's emerald stone."

The samurai worm's head was empty, with no visible brain tissue. Dense blood vessels were connected to a stone emitting a faint purple glow, which made Yuuki look as if it was as expected and yet unexpected.

He stood up and immediately dissected the soldier bug. The result was the same. Except that the stone was as small as a grain of rice, there was no essential difference.

He then conducted in-depth experiments, and as a medical student, he returned to his old profession.

As the insect slowly absorbs the energy inside, its recovery speed will slow down. After absorbing all the energy, it will curl up into a ball and become a corpse.

Similarly, pulling out the stone will have the same effect, which means there is no need to cut off the head at all. The insect can be killed by simply destroying the stone accurately.

The results came out soon. The so-called swarm is a killing machine that uses emerald stone as its core energy source. As long as the energy remains, it can be restored to its original state even if it is cut into pieces.

"This thing is not a normal life form at all. No wonder I have never seen insects eating or devouring people." Yuki wiped the sweat from his forehead. This answered the biggest question he had after seven days of fierce battle.

A group of people stood among the insect corpses, looking at each other. As players, they all felt like they had discovered a huge secret.

The Zerg is also driven by Emerald Stone. Does this mean that this war is a battle for resources?

"No, why did the Defense Force conceal this news?" Kaguya Shinomiya was very confused. She felt that there was nothing to hide.

"Either the people below don't need to know this information, or they also have problems with the use of the emerald stone." Levi replied coldly, with a familiar taste.

The soldiers struggling desperately and the senior officials hiding secrets, the sense of déjà vu is too strong.

It brings back memories, right?

Yuki glanced at him, he had actually started to doubt it a long time ago.

The defense forces' use of the emerald stone was more like pure energy, but the Wall of Sighs burned with fiery soul energy, completely different from that in guns and war machines.

The most important point is that the souls of those traitors were dyed purple by the Zerg. Even if I kill them, I won't gain any soul energy.

Similar things happened in the "Blood Disaster". The warriors who were included in the killing cycle gave him the same feeling. The souls of the dead would not be taken away by the Demon Heart, but went to another place.

"Have you done a lot of research on the soul?" Levi turned his head and noticed that Yuuki had special abilities.

"I wouldn't call it research, but the souls of those I kill become energy and are absorbed, like players and the Zerg. Of course, I haven't killed ordinary people yet, so I can't be sure."

The captain immediately showed an expression of disgust. The ability to kill people's bodies and take their souls was extremely evil.

"You don't have to be sure. I once hunted down a soul-sucking 'Aether Particle'. It killed many people on its way out, but it showed no signs of recovery."

Yuki didn't know what a soul sucker was, but he remembered Liuguna's words "soulless blood" and guessed what it meant.

The Soul Sucker should absorb souls to recover from injuries, but it can't absorb them, which proves that this is not my problem. So -

"I understand. The defense forces are either a bunch of soulless puppets, or their souls were transferred to other places when their lives ended. That's why Mr. Yuki and the soul suckers can't plunder their souls!"

A clear voice suddenly rang out. Shiina Hiyori listened to the entire process, combining each piece of information with "future reasoning", and her petite face was filled with excitement.

It’s an interesting assumption. The second situation is more likely. Then what is the point of transferring the souls of the deceased?

Yuki thought of the "ignition ceremony" and Levi thought of the top leaders concealing information, and the two looked at each other.

It involves the soul, giving simple science fiction a magical touch.

"Sure enough, this stone is the core, but humans and the Zerg use it differently."

Yuki hadn't thought of exploring outside the wall, but instead connected it to the Defense Force's top secret. He didn't need to consider any operating principles, he just had to reverse-engineer from the main mission -

Fire, this thing definitely plays a key role.

"Continue exploring. The emerald stone definitely didn't appear out of thin air. Since the swarm's biological core is the emerald stone, their key nodes must be related to it."

Yuki opened the electronic map and kept zooming in and out.

It's unknown how many years old this map was, but judging by the situation of the settlements, the information in it is fairly accurate. The fungal mat is just a layer of coverage and has not changed the topography.

Settlements, mines, cities...

Yuki tapped his hands a few times, roughly defining the area: "Let's go to these places and take a look."

Everyone looked at it and saw that these were all mines or cities with mines, and they all understood what Jiecheng meant.

Emerald stone is a specialty of the planet. Although we don’t know how the bugs are made, it definitely requires a carrier.

"But this map is from who knows how many years ago. Is there still mines there?" Hayasaka Ai asked.

"It's not about prospecting for minerals, but the war is escalating. The Zerg must be nearby to replenish their forces. With this crucial information, we might be able to find their lair."

If we find the lair, we will have a way to complete the second main line and have more options. We don't have to put all our treasures on Johnny Silverhand.

Yuki quickly assigned the tasks and synchronized the information to the other three teams. As for whether the latter dared to go deep outside the wall, he had no control over it. At least the group led by Ms. Smile would not have much of a problem.

Communication with the players will be handled by Hiyori, while senior Mai will be responsible for contacting the "Mechanical Believer". Several days have passed, and Johnny Silverhand should have some news.

......

After a short rest, he made sure that there was no problem with the information about the insect swarm provided by the defense army, dug a hole and buried the insect corpses. Then he let the captain lead the way and walked into the woods according to the map.

All the plants were covered in a thick layer of fungal mat, blocking out the sunlight. Outside the wall, the demons' vision would be affected, but fortunately, there was a professional scout in the team, so the marching speed was not slow.

They first went to two mines to make sure there was nothing unusual there, then killed several Zerg patrols along the way, using Highway 0504 as the main trunk to search the towns and mines on both sides.

There's no need to get close, just observe with a telescope. If you really have any questions, ask the senior to activate the special feature and go up directly for physical investigation.

Some mines are filled with insects, so many that it makes people's scalps numb, but when comparing with the insect swarm information, no high-level insect swarms are seen. If it is really a nest, it is impossible that it is full of miscellaneous soldiers.

Yuki asked Hiyori to record everything he saw and heard on the road and not stay in any stronghold for too long. At the same time, more and more news was passed on.

First of all, there was some bad news. The third and fourth groups heading east had been exposed, and their coordinates had been hastily launched and they were retreating.

Yuki wasn't surprised, this 'Sentinel Plan' sounded reasonable, but it seemed like a joke at first.

Not every player dares to take the risk. If any sentinel array is leaked, the Zerg will quickly become alert.

The two sides have been fighting each other for countless years. The Zerg must know the purpose of this array and will soon send a special team to search around the Wall of Sighs.

The ideal placement of the sentry array is 20 kilometers outside the wall. No matter how well hidden it is, it is not difficult to find it. Besides, most players dare not leave the wall so far.

"It's confirmed that this Sentinel Plan is not feasible at all."

Yuki stood on a high place, looking out at the surrounding plains and 'woods'. There was a roughly 'T'-shaped mechanical outline at his feet.

He didn't send any coordinates at all. Looking at the map, he was stuck at a position of 20 kilometers.

"Your path may be correct, but it may be dangerous to go deeper." Levi seemed hesitant. The chance of encountering a swarm patrol was getting higher and higher, and he already needed Kaguya's help.

They even came across a wormhole construction site. The dense swarms of worms made everyone hold their breath and quickly retreat.

"Don't worry, I'm sure of it." Yuuki said expressionlessly, turning to look at Hiyori, "What's the situation with the other teams?"

"The third and fourth squads engaged in a firefight with the bugs, but were unable to completely wipe them out. They then encountered a mopping-up team. After determining they could no longer resist, they transmitted their coordinates and are now retreating."

This can be considered a mission failure, right? Well, the coordinates were released as soon as a problem arose, proving that they were still unwilling to accept the result.

Yuuki chuckled secretly. He knew the players too well. If they had the chance to obtain bloodline skills, they would definitely fight for it. But when they found out there was a risk of losing their lives, they would cower faster than anyone else and drag other players into it.

"It's a loss for ourselves. The Zerg is definitely studying the Sentinel Array and will send a special team to investigate. In other words, the Zerg are already behind us."

Yuki's words made Levi snort coldly and made everyone nervous. It would be bad if they were blocked outside.

"Shall we retreat before the swarm of insects reacts?" Kaguya asked tentatively.

"No, this is just an opportunity to conceal our true purpose." Yuuki shook his head and looked at Levi, "I think Ms. Smile thinks so too."

Levi's mouth twitched and he chose to default. This had little to do with courage. The stronger the player, the more he liked to take risks.

It is known that the Zerg's strength is not infinite, and several battles are being carried out simultaneously.

They have to besiege humans, block retreating players, and send troops to search for the sentry array. Given the huge area outside the wall, even a perpetual motion machine would take time.

"There are also players who are on the side of the Zerg. They will hunt the first players to be exposed. We are actually the safest."

The familiar taste of fishing, using other players, or even the entire defense army, as bait.

Mai and the others wanted to laugh, but had to pretend to be amazed. At this time, Hayasaka, who was watching from a distance, whistled, and the people standing on the high ground scattered and hid.

Half a minute later, a dark cloud flew over the head. The insects looked very strange, with bat-like wings and sausage-like bodies.

"A group of bat dragons, are they coming to find us?"

"They don't need such a large scale, do they? Haven't you noticed a characteristic of the Zerg? Most of them have evolved for group warfare, and lack the ability to detect and hunt."

Yuki hid in a shallow pit and saw hundreds of bat dragons rolling past his head.

Not only the bat dragon, he also saw giant insects like dandelions along the way, which were spewing giant spores towards humans. Those spores were slowing down like parachutes, which was obviously a means of delivery.

Wow, a joint air-ground operation. If you hadn’t seen it with your own eyes, you wouldn’t have heard of it at all.

"The Defense Forces aren't telling the truth. Their troubles are definitely more than just the wormhole. Even if the Sentinel Project is perfectly executed, it will only be a drop in the bucket."

"Why don't you tell the truth? Are you afraid of scaring us? Then there's no need to send us out of the wall. Haven't you discovered the truth?" Kaguya Shinomiya didn't quite understand. She felt like she had taken off her pants to fart.

"Perhaps seeing is believing. Players who dare to go beyond the walls must be powerful, and powerful players will only find a way to solve the truth after discovering it." Yuki explained on behalf of the defense forces, looking around.

"With just a few of us, there's no chance of changing our allegiance."

This is the truth, which makes people feel that there is a conspiracy among the top leaders of the defense force. Everyone is in the same boat. The worse the situation is, the harder the truly powerful players will work.

"It's a form of provocation." Levi nodded in agreement and gave Yuuki a questioning look: "Keep going?"

This Sky Island Yuuki is not a coward, and is quite to his liking.

"Well, this place is facing the Undying Fortress, so it's the most likely possibility."

"Are you saying that the swarms of insects in the sky and underground are just feints? Or do they want to make the final move?"

"After the failure of the raid on the headquarters, the conspiracy is no longer useful. Why not turn to an open conspiracy?" Yuki snorted. This was a guess, but also inevitable.

No matter the defense forces or the players, what they fear most is this move, breaking through the Wall of Sighs with absolute strength. If the defense line is really impregnable, why would they go out of the wall?

The two men quickly reached a consensus that based on what they had seen along the way, the situation was worse than what the defense forces had revealed.

There are still fifteen days.

Even if Johnny Silverhand finds the fire, it will be difficult to use conventional strategies. As for destroying the fire and completing the protection mission once and for all?

Yuuki could guess that there was a trap, so how could Levi not guess it? It’s the same old saying:

If the fire is destroyed, the players cannot return, the Wall of Sighs loses its function, and the swarm of insects pours in from all directions. It will be too late to regret.

From this perspective, the second main line is actually "simpler".

"First, find the queen. Then, combined with the information Johnny Silverhand has found, we can freely choose which main storyline to complete."

Yuuki clapped his hands and made a decision for all the human players. It was so rational that there was nothing wrong with it, which made Sakurajima Mai dazed.

If I hadn't known that Yuuki was a sleeper and that his main mission was to destroy the fire, even I would have been deceived.

The goal has been determined, and everyone is brainstorming on how to execute it. They first set a limit of two days. If the time is exceeded, they must return no matter what. Saving their lives is the top priority.