Faced with such a dire predicament, Heige closed his eyes, quieting the surging and frustrated emotions within him. After a heavy sigh, he placed a sincere hand on Fang Senyan’s shoulder and said earnestly, “Boss, no one has it easy. With fifteen days remaining, we can hunt a few Legendary creatures to bring some of our losses back. Those damned Viper Wolves will be upon us in ten minutes at most—we absolutely cannot hold them off.”
Fang Senyan let out a cold snort, then sighed again. “Do you think I’m upset about failing the Golden Branch Quest? Ha. This situation was within my expectations. I’m only lamenting the inability to farm massive amounts of general points and equipment. That fellow is likely going to reap the benefits.”
Morgana and Jiao Shi couldn’t help but exchange a look of astonishment. “What else can you possibly do?”
Fang Senyan didn't answer then. He seized every second, controlling the host to descend to the ground, and sprinted directly toward the core of the Zerg base. He ran with such ferocity that vast splashes of fungal growth splattered from beneath his feet, yet Fang Senyan’s gaze was already fixed on a Zerg egg undergoing emergency incubation.
This egg had been hatched the moment Fang Senyan saw the scale of the approaching Viper Wolves. Judging by its rapid growth rate, it was likely to be a creature of considerable size. Time slipped away rapidly; every second felt intensely critical—“Finally, the egg burst open with a crack. Out flew a brown creature resembling a bellows, marked with black stripes, propelling itself by contracting the membranes on its surface!
This creature was none other than a special Zerg unit.
The Queen!
At that moment, every living thing within the massive Zerg base was under Fang Senyan’s control, so the Queen flew straight toward him. In the Zerg unit hierarchy, the Queen is a rare unit with little direct offensive capability yet possessing the power to dictate the outcome of an entire battlefield, further boasting the ability to control and occupy human bases. Its psychic power was immense—a fact confirmed back in the Starship Troopers world.
Fang Senyan approached the Queen, pressing his forehead against one of its antennae. After three or four seconds, a profoundly familiar voice suddenly echoed in his mind. It wasn't transmitted through the eardrums but resonated as if from the very depths of his soul.
“My, old friend, you seem to have discovered a rich star-nose!”
The voice sounded somewhat clumsy when first articulating human language, but it quickly smoothed out. Hearing this voice, Fang Senyan’s taut expression immediately relaxed. He replied instantly, “Indeed. Long time no see, my friend Heiji. You should be glad the contact method I left behind still works. The crystal ore reserves here surpass the planet you inhabit by hundreds, perhaps thousands of times! More importantly, aside from the planet’s native species, you will have absolutely zero competition!”
The Heiji Overmind immediately transmitted a direct message: “My friend, I need this planet!!”
Fang Senyan feigned surprise. “Didn’t you already claim that rich Prololar crystal mine that could be exploited for ten years?”
Heiji Overmind’s voice lowered. “But the Queen’s direct forces discovered it—I cannot contend with the Queen…” So I had to yield that treasure to her~~…”
Its voice suddenly rose again. “But as a reward, the Queen bestowed immense power upon me! I have advanced again, my friend! I need your base, this resource—no, this entire planet! With this, and enough time, I could grow powerful enough to challenge the Queen myself! My friend!!”
By the end, Heiji Overmind’s voice was trembling. Fang Senyan coughed, deliberately pausing before asking, “Then will you help me? If I make a request, will you exert your utmost effort?”
Heiji Overmind replied proudly, “Of course. Haven’t we already established mutual trust and cooperation?”
Fang Senyan recalled that this stout parasite…” Wait, it has evolved into a dung beetle now…” has never lied. He agreed readily, “Very well. But I estimate the distance separating us will be measured in light-years. And I have a piece of unfortunate news: in five minutes at most, a terrifying tide of native creatures will arrive here. They will flatten the current base in ten seconds—note that, ten seconds maximum! They are incredibly powerful!”
Heiji Overmind urged anxiously, “There’s still time! All you need to do is grant me ownership of everything in this base that currently belongs to you! I only need three minutes to send aid! As for power—when has the great Zerg ever feared a powerful foe? Even the strongest enemies must tremble beneath the Zerg’s claws!”
“My deductions were correct…” Fang Senyan clenched his fist. “The Heiji Tribe has mastered that Zerg technology! It seems even the most impossible mission leaves a sliver of opportunity for those who know where to look…”
“…Otherwise, I would have to start contemplating an escape.”
Fang Senyan immediately connected to the Nightmare Imprint: “I wish to transfer ownership of the seven Zerg structures before me and all their Drone workers to the Heiji Tribe Overmind, Heiji.”
“Are you certain you wish to transfer ownership of the seven Zerg structures and their Drones to the Silver-tier Lord Overmind Heiji of the Heiji Tribe?”
“Your actions may result in unforeseen consequences!”
“Upon transfer, you will no longer receive any income or spoils from the units spawned by these structures!”
“Silver-tier Lord Overmind Heiji~~~~ Damn it, wasn't it Black Iron-tier the last time I saw him? How did this bug evolve to Silver-tier?”
“…I am certain.”
“Transaction in progress... Connecting.”
“Transaction complete!!”
In that instant, Fang Senyan’s mental link with the Zerg base before him was severed, much like losing control of your own troops in a game when they suddenly switch to an allied faction.
And at the very moment the transfer completed, a giant cocoon, currently incubating, abruptly materialized upon the fungal carpet west of the Zerg base. It was pure black, writhing violently, suggesting hundreds, perhaps thousands, of creatures struggling within. Meanwhile, the stampeding tide of Viper Wolves in the distance had already closed to within a kilometer of the sinkhole!
Their combined, frantic howling was deafening! It frightened all avian life within a ten-square-kilometer radius into taking flight.
Fang Senyan stood by the edge of the massive mining pit, arms crossed, his gaze coldly fixed on the approaching swarm of Viper Wolves. The wind whipped his hair, lending him the somber air of a doomed hero at the Yi Shui farewell.
Five hundred meters.
One hundred meters.
Ten meters.
Three meters!
At this range, Fang Senyan could see nothing else in his vision; his entire sight was filled only with the frantically lunging claws, slime, and fangs of the Viper Wolves! It seemed he would be submerged by the terrifying beast tide in the next second, leaving not even half a bone behind!!!
But he did not move! He showed no intention of defending himself!
It was precisely at this moment that a vast, cloud-like shadow suddenly rose from beneath the giant chasm behind Fang Senyan! Accompanied by a dull, rhythmic thump… thump… thump… thump… sound so heavy it threatened to stop the heart and lungs.
That sound was like a massive, unstoppable ocean tide swelling upward.
Or like a pair of transparent giant palms spanning tens of square kilometers in the sky, clapping down powerfully!
It was the sound of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of enormous membranous wings beating the air of Pandora!
Just as the claws of the first Viper Wolf in the initial wave were half a meter from Fang Senyan’s body, hundreds of bright yellow, dumbbell-shaped spores shot out from the massive black shadow, peppering the horde of Viper Wolves with loud impacts! They immediately carved seven or eight bloody ravines through the pitch-black mass of beasts!
The Viper Wolf lunging at Fang Senyan was struck by more than a dozen spore projectiles simultaneously and exploded without a sound, manifesting as a ghastly blossom of gore in mid-air!!!
Spore Flyers versus Viper Wolves…
This was the first collision between the Heiji Tribe and the Earth Mother, EVE!
This was the first collision between Zerg organisms and Pandora’s native fauna!
Looking again at the black giant cocoon that had suddenly appeared on the Zerg carpet, it had already shattered. What appeared before everyone was a massive mouth structure studded with seven or eight ivory-white fangs. The maw was wide open, its flanking fangs stretching seven or eight meters long. It stood fifty meters high, and the mouth itself was over thirty meters wide! It was flesh-red, giving the unsettling impression that a terrifying and powerful giant beast was buried underground, attempting to push its mouth to the surface for a breath of air.
What lent the scene a mysterious and ethereal quality was a shimmering film that manifested on the inner surface of the structure’s opening—a surface of deep black, occasionally sparkling, resembling the boundless cosmic starlight, compelling the eye to remain fixed upon it.
Suddenly, ripples moved across the black film, and a swarm of long-legged, spider-like monsters poured out. They moved rapidly on eight limbs, the tips of which glinted like metallic blades. Although their heads bore a resemblance to Hydralisks, they were at least two to three times larger! These were Lurkers, the advanced evolution of the Hydralisk!
And this structure was the representation of one of the Zerg’s highest technologies: the Creep Tunnel!!