Very quickly, the group reached the periphery of the Red Stripe Clan's subsidiary base. After exchanging information with the Spore Dragons and Hosts of the nearby Black Spine Clan flying overhead, Fang Senyan and his team obtained a comprehensive overview of the defensive layout. Since the Red Stripe Clan's main strength was focused on guarding against large-scale airdrops, their "miniature" force, composed only of Hosts and Spore Dragons, was easily infiltrated without much resistance.

The bustling, bizarre labor, the grotesquely huge scarlet organic structures, and the ground carpeted with viscous organic matter—it was all identical to the Black Spine base. The sole difference was the distinct red striping adorning the surfaces of both the architecture and the creatures.

Surrounding the base, scattered about, were at least ten Spore Anti-Air Spitting Turrets. These emplacements were oddly shaped, resembling severed pig snouts thrust upright from the ground, colored a dull brown. Several thick, barbed tentacles grew out from the earth below, anchoring the main body of the turret. The turret surface was interlaced with vine-like vascular cords. Though immobile and strictly anti-air, its attack range was considerable. Upon detecting enemy aerial forces, it would unleash a high-velocity barrage of acidic spore projectiles in powerful, continuous assaults.

Based on combat analysis data obtained from the Black Spine Clan, under normal circumstances, each Spore Anti-Air Spitting Turret could neutralize at least several Spore Dragons, illustrating its formidable power. Its construction cost was a mere 175 units of Pandora Crystal Ore. Naturally, its immobility and need for sustained nutrient supply were its weaknesses.

Gazing down at the turrets, Reef couldn't help but remark: "It seems the Black Spine Clan must have raided this place by air previously. Several of those Spore Anti-Air Turrets down there still show damage and are actively bleeding."

Mogansa squinted, observing the scene in the distance: "Yes. There were probably only five or six Spore Anti-Air Towers initially. The rest were newly constructed following an attack. It seems the last Black Spine aerial raid inflicted significant damage. Beside the large beasts mining Pandora Crystal Ore, there's only a single Lashing Stinger Tower."

"GD," Fang Senyan was already naturally projecting the aura of a team leader. "See that Spore Anti-Air Spitting Turret on the cliff one kilometer to the west? That’s our target. I’ll handle the Raptors. If there are Hydralisks, Mogansa, you take them. Reef, your 'Heartrending Wail' ability should be capable of instantly wiping out the surrounding Raptors, right? Consider that move an emergency fail-safe for the team. Unless I call for help, concentrate solely on the turret."

In the battles immediately following their arrival in this world, Fang Senyan had remained a detached observer, letting the rampaging Hanick/Joel and Reef lead the team. Strictly speaking, this was the first time the three of them had cooperated in a structured way.

The happiest among the three was undoubtedly Mogansa. In the previous world, this dark-skinned man had been desperate, lacking even a single specialized Tank (T) core talent. Now, he enjoyed the premium treatment of being escorted by two Tanks. To put it plainly, as long as the two thick-skinned brutes in front held the line, Mogansa’s life was secure, drastically increasing his survival rate, leading him to be overjoyed.

"Wait a moment!" Just as they were about to move, Reef suddenly pulled out two items and traded them to Fang Senyan and Mogansa. These objects were palm-sized, resembling miniature handguns, but Mogansa was immediately astonished upon receiving his. The item was the "Honor Potassium-Selenium High-Protein Injector," purchasable only with Honor Points. Moreover, this potion was tradable, and its purchase price was even higher than the untradeable version, with an official price tag of 5 Honor Points + 5000 Universal Credits.

Mogansa had actually initially intended not to save Reef, so receiving this item felt somewhat like an unearned benefit. However, he felt no guilt, chuckled, took it, and tucked it into his vest. Fang Senyan examined his potion and noted its biggest drawback was a lengthy cooldown period of forty-eight hours. Calculated this way, one could likely use only one bottle per world traversal.

The moment the trio stepped onto the mucous carpet of the Red Stripe Zerg, they were immediately spotted by a hovering Host which issued an alarm. Although Mogansa promptly blasted the Host out of the air, turning it into a shower of gore, Fang Senyan's team’s presence was inevitably exposed. Such tight and swift defensive measures clearly indicated that the Black Spine Zerg had attacked this location more than once.

However, this operation was never intended to be stealthy; Fang Senyan's team planned a direct, forceful assault combined with harassment, aiming to make as much noise as possible. Fang Senyan lowered the visor of his helmet and charged headlong toward a group of charging Raptors, engulfing them in fierce flames that resembled two fire dragons. Any remnants were casually finished off by Mogansa’s precise shots.

Next, they executed the plan: a fierce assault on the Spore Anti-Air Spitting Turret. This turret was built upon a protruding high ground, positioned exquisitely to cover the majority of the sub-base's area. Receiving direct nutrient supply from the sub-base's Overmind, its health pool reached several thousand points, and its regeneration rate was quite rapid. Even with Mogansa and Reef attacking relentlessly without distraction, it would still take several minutes to destroy.

Reef was now largely convinced of "Sailor’s" strategic leadership capabilities. However, as a former core member, possessing a natural defensive talent and formidable personal ability, he harbored a degree of arrogance. When Fang Senyan assigned him a role, Reef was in a state of near-unconsciousness from the previous engagement, so he was completely ignorant of Fang Senyan's true capabilities. Furthermore, being used as a pure damage dealer for the first time—a position ten times safer than being on the front line—naturally gave him a feeling of being underestimated or looked down upon.

As time wore on, more Zerg support troops rushed in from below. Fortunately, Fang Senyan's deduction was precise; they were overwhelmingly composed of small Raptors, with only a few Hydralisks appearing sporadically. Regular Hydralisks already presented a relatively large target with lower health pools. Mogansa’s Gold A, now equipped with a Black Quality Annihilation Particle High-Energy Alloy Rapid Fire Magazine, could easily achieve five-round bursts, killing almost every Hydralisk the moment it appeared, significantly easing the pressure on Fang Senyan.

Although the Prometheus III Flamethrower had infinite fuel, it could only sustain continuous flame output for five minutes. Thus, Fang Senyan dispatched the few remaining small Raptors with his fists. Even so, after only two or three minutes of combined flame and melee, a high pile of Zerg corpses had accumulated around him. Reef watched from below, inwardly startled. With his own extensive combat experience, he made a quick estimation and couldn't help but ask Mogansa: "Sailor probably can't hold out much longer, can he? Should I switch out and cover him?"

Mogansa, adept at grasping the flow of battle, saw everything clearly. Chewing gum while aiming and firing, he chuckled darkly: "No rush, plenty of time left."

Reef was surprised: "What?! Those damned bugs aren't easy to deal with. Even if I didn't take my shield, I would have lost at least two hundred health points just holding the line until now. Sailor seems like a Strength-based melee fighter, perhaps he learned some kind of health-regaining ability?"

Mogansa roared with laughter: "Boss Reef, why couldn't he be a Tank like you?"

Reef was utterly shocked: "What! That... that's impossible! While my knowledge might be shallow, Tanks at this difficulty level are few and far between—I probably know most of them. You’re famous for your Gold A; you should know that someone without a natural defensive talent cannot be called a Tank."

Mogansa shrugged, fired another five-round burst. Two bullets struck a Hydralisk's eye sequentially, collided inside, and detonated in its brain! The unfortunate Hydralisk, spraying yellow-green fluid, tumbled down the slope. He whistled excitedly before saying: "I know those rules, Boss. Even the swaggering Prybar from the Symbiotic Society wouldn't dare call himself a Tank. But it's true. Boss Reef, if the Boss didn't have innate defensive talent, why would he jump alone into the Host, into that sea of a hundred thousand Zerg, to fish out your life?"

Reef was left somewhat dumbfounded: "If Sailor himself possesses the capability to be a solo Tank, then why did he need to save me? If that's the case, he should be much stronger than me, so why have I never heard of him before?"

Mogansa shook his head, chuckling darkly: "No, the Boss’s current overall strength is still below yours, but his potential as a Tank is likely somewhat greater than yours. As for why he did it, I don't know. Just focus on the mission he assigns. By the way, one thing: I didn't defect from the Symbiotic Society."

Reef suddenly realized: "Now that you mention it, it is strange running into you here. Although the Symbiotic Society doesn't have a dedicated Tank, the combination of Metal Mentor and Slave’s terrifying Carnosaur was incredibly formidable, possessing an almost overwhelming advantage in this difficulty. You were supposedly deeply trusted by Metal Mentor; how did you end up in this newly formed temporary team?"