Suddenly, a critical failure struck the makeshift human defense line! The ground shuddered violently as a colossal fire-spitting insect burst forth from below, overturning a raised Siege Mechanized Tank. Though not as formidable as the rank-one Legendary creature, the Scorching Maw, that Fang Senyan had previously faced, this beast emerged at its peak strength. It scrambled wildly, its nearly ten-ton mass inflicting considerable damage even without breathing fire; merely surging through the packed soldiers was devastating enough. While its demise was inevitable, the two blasts of corrosive fire it unleashed killed at least two or three dozen men and sowed massive chaos!

Truly beset by internal and external foes, the loss of personnel was manageable, but the firepower gap left by the overturned Siege Tank was starkly evident. Seeing that, although the group of Raptor leaders had been decimated, the massive tide of Raptors behind them surged forward with terrifying madness, causing the already precarious defense line to shatter instantly.

Several machine gunners yelled out, dropping their weapons and charging into the swarm of bugs. Just as they were about to be overwhelmed, a blinding blue light erupted around them, instantly killing or incapacitating the Raptors within a six to seven-meter radius, leaving even those within ten meters in a stunned, paralyzed state. Of course, the machine gunners at the core of the blue light also died instantly, their bodies reduced to ash.

Next, the leading high-rank medic unleashed a powerful ability, causing the Raptors in his frontal area to suddenly turn feral and begin tearing each other apart in chaotic frenzy. This barely held the defensive line together, but it was a desperate measure paid for by the machine gunners sacrificing their very flesh. If the Zerg forces continued to reinforce, it was believed the bug tide could initiate a massacre at any moment; the situation was critically imminent!

At that precise moment, Fang Senyan’s original plan was completely derailed. If he didn't act immediately, the opposing humans might well be annihilated in this current onslaught. He threw his head back and roared—a sound filled with utter madness—then jammed the switch of his flamethrower to its absolute maximum. Two torrents of fire instantly stretched out, nearing thirty meters in length. He then plunged directly into the sea of Raptors surging and crashing towards the human defense line like a rising tide!

Looking down from high above—

A single person!

A figure that appeared as small as a grain of rice!

At this instant, he thrust forward sharply like a drill point, emanating an indomitable momentum, plunging deep into that boundless sea of bugs!

Fang Senyan struggled forward, sweeping the flamethrower left and right, instantly engulfing vast swathes of Raptors in a sea of flame. If one could watch from afar above, it would seem as if a torrent of flesh and blood had been forcibly dammed mid-flow by a great barrier constructed of roaring fire!

Even though the distant machine gunners were locked in fierce combat, many still noticed the reckless actions of that figure trailing a streak of crimson far ahead! Many soldiers simply froze, numb with shock, before one finally managed to gasp out, "Wow, that's insane!" But only Fang Senyan knew the true cost, because using the flamethrower in this wide sweeping manner guaranteed that some "bugs" would inevitably escape, covered in flames, and savagely pounce upon him!

Under these conditions, Fang Senyan's visibility was severely restricted; all he perceived was fire ahead, with the frenzied Raptor hordes surrounding him from all sides!

Crucially, although the Prometheus III Flamethrower was advertised for five minutes of use, this applied only under conventional operation—like a lighter you might use for weeks if you only occasionally lit a cigarette, but if you used it continuously to boil water, it would likely last only ten minutes at most. If he continuously blasted flames from both the left and right nozzles without pause, the operational time for the flamethrower would drastically reduce to a mere fifty seconds!

Fang Senyan gritted his teeth and strode forward! At this moment, he was using his single body to physically sever the terrifying insect tide! Where Fang Senyan passed, he left a deep, scorched trench seven or eight meters wide, littered with smoking insect corpses. Those enraged smaller Raptors, having lost their leaders' effective control, furiously chased and clawed at Fang Senyan’s back. However, Fang Senyan’s rear profile was limited; at most, seven or eight Raptors could engage him simultaneously. Furthermore, their strength was inferior to his, making the probability of knocking him down quite low.

In a mere ten-plus seconds, Fang Senyan reached the very center of the swarm. Behind him, an uncountable mass of smaller Raptors desperately pursued him, so much so that most of the surviving machine gunners at the rear post, after fighting off the Raptors that reached them in hand-to-hand combat, even stood frozen in stunned silence for a perceptible moment!

At that instant, Fang Senyan let out a sudden, massive shout and activated his built-in Adrenaline ability. His health bar, already plummeting rapidly, dipped again sharply. But in the next moment, Fang Senyan began spinning centered on himself. At this point, his rate of fire was already doubled by the Adrenaline boost, and being surrounded by the swarm, his kill efficiency reached an astonishing level. When he stopped spinning, a clear area spanning several hundred square meters had been carved out around him. However, those fearless, frenzied Raptors quickly filled this void, ready to pounce on Fang Senyan again in mere seconds.

Fang Senyan executed another stationary spin, incinerating at least a hundred more Raptors, burning open a path back towards the human defense line. He used those precious, life-or-death seconds to shut off the flamethrower and turn back towards the rear. His Adrenaline duration had not yet ended, retaining the 50% movement speed bonus. To be absolutely safe, Fang Senyan also activated the speed boost from his Soul Equipment: Endless Vodka. This made his movement speed even greater than that of the Raptors, allowing him to escape just barely before the surrounding waves of bugs could close in.

The soldiers ahead began roaring with excited, frenzied shouts, whistles, and cheers erupting continuously. Fang Senyan had accomplished something they hadn't even dared to dream of! If not for the restraint of the calm commanding officers nearby, they would surely have rushed out to meet him.

When Fang Senyan finally dove back into the machine gunners' firing range, he still had one hundred and fifty health points remaining. Although this was not yet critical, the sheer stimulation of plunging into that vast insect sea had left his spirit deeply exhausted. Because, had the flamethrower fuel run out or malfunctioned at any point, Fang Senyan would have been burned alive inside, even if he had ten times his current health!

Simultaneously, the machine gunners, who had been aiming all along, pulled their triggers. Long tongues of fire spewed from their muzzles; they were, of course, targeting the enraged Raptors pursuing Fang Senyan. By now, Fang Senyan’s standard armor was shredded, and he bore numerous deep and shallow wounds, blood continuously flowing out. He looked as if he were grievously wounded and near death. The leading medic stepped forward first, waved his arm toward Fang Senyan, and the latter felt a wave of coolness wash over his body, as if bathing in icy spring water. His senses immediately cleared, and he felt much better, letting out a long, deep breath.

Do not underestimate the impact of Fang Senyan’s blockade, which only delayed the swarm for a mere twenty-odd seconds. For the human defense line, which was on the verge of collapse, it was nothing less than a potent stimulant, granting them the crucial buffer time needed to reorganize, reset formations, reload magazines, and take cover. Fang Senyan chose to commit fully to the drama; as soon as he burst into the defense line, he immediately dropped to one knee, gasping for air. Several people rushed up to support him, and professional medics arrived to tend to his injuries.

After resting for a few minutes, Fang Senyan picked up the Prometheus III Flamethrower again and charged to the front. Now, with no worries at his rear, the support of ranged firepower, and medical aid behind him, Fang Senyan fought with utter abandon. With such a powerful ally drawing the attention of the Zerg in the vanguard, the machine gunners behind could fight with confidence. Pushing forward became incredibly difficult for the bug tide; they paid a massive price for virtually every meter they advanced. Not long after, the remaining Raptor leader in the distance recognized that the operation had failed. Without issuing any discernible command, the insect tide retreated like a receding wave, vanishing over the horizon.

Only when they confirmed that the swarm had truly withdrawn did everyone’s tension finally release. Many machine gunners ignored the gore-strewn ground, sitting down right where they were, gasping heavily, and taking off their helmets to light a cigarette. Without question, Fang Senyan had become their hero.

When these soldiers heard that Fang Senyan had been dispatched by the homeworld base to rescue the downed elite special forces soldiers, they suddenly understood everything and became extremely enthusiastic. Even though Fang Senyan's base Charm rating of 2 remained steadfast, most soldiers adopted an attitude of “long admired your name,” a clear result of the +1 Legend rating taking effect.

Although the drop rate for Raptor materials wasn't high, the sheer number killed compensated for it. Fang Senyan’s charge also yielded a large haul of materials. Fortunately, under those circumstances, dropped items were automatically placed into the Nightmare Storage Space, otherwise, he wouldn't have had time to pick anything up. Fang Senyan kept two of the rare deep-blue carapace materials, while the rest of the assorted miscellaneous items earned him nearly 3,700 universal points—a prime example of small gains accumulating into something significant.