"Indeed, the evidence is overwhelmingly clear." Morgansa suddenly stated, "The Black Thorn Brood shifting from offense to defense is the best possible proof! It now appears that to offset their aerial disadvantage, the main force composition of the Red Stripe Brood relies on Explosive Mosquitoes, Hydralisks, and Zerglings! For a Zerg force operating at a Level II evolution base, this troop combination offers few good options other than a direct head-on confrontation."

"However! If the Black Thorn Brood can secure a certain number of human tanks and deploy them within their defensive lines—then a defense composed of massive amounts of Spine Crawlers, ten or more tanks converted to siege mode, and a moderate number of Hydralisks would suffice. Remember, human mechanical tanks in siege mode possess three times the range of a Hydralisk, their bombardment deals area-of-effect damage, and their sheer destructive power is terrifying. This configuration is the perfect counter to the Red Stripe Brood's current troop makeup, capable of exerting crushing, targeted suppression—they will die as fast as they arrive!"

"To counter such tactics, the Red Stripe Brood, only having evolved to a Level II Hive, must either mass-produce Mutalisks to forcibly eliminate all siege tanks, or directly drop troops beside the tanks. The awkward reality is that they currently suffer from a comprehensive disadvantage in air control... To break this deadlock, the Red Stripe Brood must produce vast aerial forces to seize air superiority, which will undoubtedly be a grueling and lengthy process, trapping both sides in a stalemate of attrition. But for the Black Thorn Brood, possessing a rich vein of high-energy mineral ore that can be mined for a full decade, a war of attrition is precisely the scenario they would desire!"

"Damn it!" Reef also understood, stating gravely, "Since the aid promised by Lieutenant Colonel Dundee and his men is now negligible, the giant Spore Colony defensive towers must be preserved for the Black Thorn Overmind, Mozhi. From a public standpoint, these structures are strategic weapons placed by the Queen of Blades, leader of the Zerg; protecting them intact helps ease relations with the high command. From a personal perspective, having control over these means holding the security of the human supply lines on this entire planet! They can be used as bargaining chips when negotiating with the humans, allowing us to play both sides."

Fang Senyan nodded:

"That is essentially the situation. Beyond this, we must be psychologically prepared for the possibility that the areas surrounding those giant Spore Colony defensive towers are likely guarded by direct sentinels dispatched by the Queen of Blades herself! Eliminating them is expected to be a difficult battle, so we must return for now. First, to consolidate our reputation points, which should allow Reef to exchange for Hive Strength, maximizing everyone's survivability. Second, to exchange for Hosts and combat units, and concurrently, to have Lieutenant Colonel Dundee assign his entire direct contingent to us! If our advance proceeds smoothly, we won't need their intervention, but if the situation turns dire and perilous, we will certainly need them to act as cannon fodder."

Reef considered the matter carefully and ultimately conceded that Fang Senyan's arrangements were flawless and airtight, nodding silently in approval.

Upon returning to the Black Thorn Hive, just as Fang Senyan had predicted, they discovered no fewer than sixteen human Siege Tanks already deployed on a commanding height near the Black Thorn Brood's main base. Those gigantic Fire-Spitting Insects also began appearing on the lines, constantly writhing as they patrolled. Furthermore, based on the original markings on these tanks, they astonishingly belonged to the "Deadly Helm" base—a human base Fang Senyan had previously dealt with! That this human base was the first to cooperate with the Black Thorn Brood was something even Fang Senyan hadn't anticipated.

However, while this incident seemed unexpected, it was also perfectly logical: once the Terran forces from the home planet cooperated with the Black Thorn Brood, they would inevitably establish an outpost nearby. Without a doubt, the "Deadly Helm" base was the most directly affected, so naturally, they would strike first! Stifling the possibility of a home-world landing in its cradle!

As Fang Senyan and the others approached in controlled Hosts, they could see that the sixteen Siege Tanks were also being operated by humans, though most of them had parasitic worms implanted, their lives and deaths controlled by the Black Thorn Overmind, Mozhi. According to Lieutenant Colonel Dundee, however, these parasitic worms could also treat internal diseases, suggesting that for these soldiers, it might be a case of a blessing in disguise. Beside every Siege Tank were densely packed Hydralisks and at least two Zerg Spore Crawlers, clearly positioned to prevent any aerial attack that might try to focus-fire the tanks.

After the three gathered to discuss, they exchanged points for Reef's Hive Strength: Increase all your attributes by 1 point. Next, Morgansa exchanged for Zergling Gene-Enhanced Adrenaline: Permanently increase your base movement speed by 33%. This boost is calculated based on base unequipped Agility, yielding an effective speed increase equivalent to about 8 Agility. The Hydralisk Thoracic Muscle Contraction Hormone—which increases ranged attack distance by 15%—was deemed less essential for Morgansa, so they saved that exchange.

Finally, the three pooled their resources, accumulating twelve thousand Common Points, and used the accumulated Reputation to purchase Zerg units, spending everything. They then sought out Lieutenant Colonel Dundee and successfully acquired command authority over all his soldiers except for himself. Thus, the final force composition upon departure was as follows:

"Elite Human Marines: 7. Seven Hydralisks, thirty Zerglings."

"Twelve Explosive Mosquitoes, 6 Hosts, four Spore Mutalisks."

This contingent, combined with the three of them, represented a formidable fighting force. It was estimated they could easily overwhelm an ordinary Zerg force of under a hundred units in a direct engagement. Against a force of two hundred units, they could fight on even terms.

After a brief stop at the Black Thorn base, Fang Senyan anticipated that the fighting ahead had reached its zenith, and ordered the departure. The six fully loaded Hosts were escorted in the center by the four Spore Mutalisks, with the twelve Explosive Mosquitoes forming the outermost screen to mitigate any sudden incidents.

After flying for nearly half an hour, the intensity of the battle ahead was already beyond imagination. Looking down from high altitude, they saw a terrifying horde of Hydralisks and Zerglings pouring out of the Red Stripe Brood's main base, resembling a vast, dark, suffocating torrent. Ahead, this horde split into four streams: three rushing towards the three sub-bases to provide aid, while the largest contingent hurtled directly towards the Black Thorn Brood's main base!!!

According to Morgansa's estimation, the military ratio at this moment reached a terrifying suppression level of 3:1, suggesting the Red Stripe Brood still held the advantage.

Perhaps due to their complete lack of air control, the Red Stripe Brood likely remained unaware of the siege tanks. Therefore, Fang Senyan expected that this operation, upon which the Red Stripe Overmind had placed immense hope, was doomed to fail! Under the sustained bombardment from the sixteen tanks strategically positioned on the vital high ground, the Red Stripe forces would likely suffer over half their casualties before even getting close.

Fang Senyan cautiously maneuvered his subversive force, giving the Red Stripe main base a wide berth, and began attempting to approach from the rear. According to the electronic map markers, the dozen or so giant Spore Colony defensive towers were situated atop a steeply sloped rocky hill. The hill resembled a gargantuan tree stump magnified countless times, flat-topped with precipitous edges, which the humans had dubbed 'Spore Plateau.'

The Red Stripe Brood's main base was not far from the Spore Plateau; after observing the battle from the periphery for a while, it became evident that although the Black Thorn Brood controlled the air, not a single Spore Mutalisk dared to attack from above the Spore Plateau in the rear. This was either due to fear of the authority of the Queen of Blades, the Zerg Lord, or because the Queen's direct subordinates on the Spore Plateau tolerated no encroachment on their airspace, shooting down any flying object that dared trespass!

In the distance overhead, a mixed force of the Red Stripe Brood's Explosive Mosquitoes and Hydralisks clashed once more with the Black Thorn Mutalisk force. The units looked like two massive, roiling storm clouds engaging in a violent confrontation, with dozens of units falling every second—a truly brutal defensive battle.

Seizing this opportunity, Fang Senyan gave the order, and his small contingent angled in from the rear, approaching cautiously. Especially the Hosts, packed with personnel, flew exclusively close to the ground, the reason being to avoid a sudden strike that would result in a tragically devastating air crash. They managed to slip into the vicinity of the Spore Plateau without incident.

Upon nearing the Spore Plateau, everyone peered through the tangled crevices of the Host roots at the mountain face ahead and were abruptly stunned. The rock walls of the Spore Plateau were riddled with massive, root-like organic tentacles, their surfaces bulging with blue veins, gripping the rock face tightly. It looked as though a colossal tentacled monster had sprouted from within the entire Spore Plateau, an image of sheer terror.

The Spore Plateau was not excessively tall, perhaps only five or six hundred meters, but its sheer vertical ascent made it appear breathtakingly sheer. Looking up from below gave a distinct sensation of one's neck straining. While this sounded absurd, one only needed to consider the feeling of looking up from the base of a hundred-meter skyscraper—and then multiplying that height by five. Perhaps because this area was considered forbidden territory by other Zerg broods, not a single Red Stripe Zergling could be seen nearby.