With a single, crushing blow, Fang Senyan incapacitated the Zealot, but instead of stopping there, he pressed the attack, closing the distance and slamming another fist into the zealot's jaw!

This uppercut lifted him a full meter off the ground, sending a spray of pale blue fluid violently erupting from the helmet. Upon landing, the body convulsed a few times before going rigid. As soon as the life signs vanished completely, the self-immolation device within the sturdy armor rapidly activated, instantly turning the corpse and the shattered armor into a wisp of blue smoke that evaporated into the air… This was the noble ethos of the Zealot, difficult for outsiders to comprehend: even in death, the unsightly visage of a mighty and sacred warrior could never be permitted, and the body itself could not be desecrated; the proud soul would return directly to the embrace of the divine realm through fire!

However, this unexpected event abruptly increased the pressure on Fang Senyan. His plan had been to use the Zealot’s body as a shield against the others’ attacks, but this complete miscalculation caused him to freeze for a moment.

But in the chaos of battle, a momentary pause was a fatal gap, a golden opportunity for the remaining enemies!

Fang Senyan's sudden, ferocious surge, taking down a Zealot upon first contact, undoubtedly widened the eyes of the Elite soldier observing from afar. Yet, before a warning could even escape his lips, he saw Fang Senyan’s otherwise flawless chain of movement falter, just as the Zealot’s Psi-Blade and the Dragoon’s photon blast slammed into him!

With a tremendous boom, the damp earth exploded under the sheer force of the photon shell, scattering fragments everywhere like rain, momentarily obscuring vision. Even through the haze, a solitary figure could be seen standing tall amidst the dust and smoke.

The Zealot, cold and relentless as a combat automaton, lunged forward without hesitation, its semi-transparent purple Psi-Blade emitting a trembling shriek as it smoothly tore through the air, driving straight ahead.

Despite the blow having landed, the Zealot’s extensive combat experience told it that the strike felt like impacting a human steel bunker; despite putting all its strength into the thrust, the blade threatened to slide uselessly to either side!

But then, a large hand shot out of the dust, gripping the Zealot’s wrist. With a violent twist and squeeze, the Zealot’s wrist, protected by its tough armor, snapped with a distinct crack.

Immediately following this, the dark silhouette burst forth from the swirling dust like a massive mammoth, ramming violently into the Zealot’s chest! The tactical armor on its breastplate let out a cry of protest under the strain, and distinct cracks rapidly spread outward. A cascade of fragments soon shattered and rained onto the ground.

The dark figure abruptly retracted, using the staggering, retreating Zealot as a shield. Another photon shell fired by the Dragoon zipped over its head, impacting the ground three meters behind it and blasting a large crater.

Although the intense heat and shockwave from the photon shell explosion could inflict splash damage, such harm, while lethal to weaker Marines, was mere pinpricks to a monster like Fang Senyan, comparable to a colossal beast.

Meanwhile, the powerful Elite GHOST SNAKE was not idle. A veteran like him excelled at seizing opportunities on the battlefield. He promptly raised his specialized… Spiked Sniper Rifle!

The red dot from the rifle’s low-frequency laser sight was perfectly fixed upon the back of the Zealot’s head, which was being shoved backward by Fang Senyan!

With a sharp snap, the head of the recently recovering Zealot cleanly detonated, splashing blue matter everywhere in a gruesome display.

A headshot!

This devastating blow instantly extinguished its life, and the self-destruct mechanism once again activated appropriately, turning it into another wisp of blue smoke vanishing into the air.

Simultaneously, Fang Senyan, now gripping the severed arm holding the Psi-Blade, leaped high into the air and plunged the energy blade deep into the main chassis of the Dragoon ahead. While airborne, he was struck head-on by another Dragoon particle cannon blast, sending him flying backward seven or eight meters, trailing smoke and flame.

The massive machine-spider of the Dragoon erupted with intense streams of pale blue fluid after being hit by the powerful weapon of its own kind, drenching the ground three meters away.

The Dragoon’s energy shield, previously at full capacity, instantly vanished. In a fit of rage, it charged madly toward the enemy who had been flung away, raising its hydraulically driven mechanical leg to stomp down viciously!

However, the photon blast had only caused superficial damage to Fang Senyan. Seeing the massive steel foot descending, he raised both hands and squarely met the impact. The Dragoon’s hydraulic leg was instantly caught mid-air, effectively embedded as if set in stone; no matter how furiously its energy systems cycled, it was useless!

Even more astonishingly, Fang Senyan slowly managed to push himself up from this disadvantageous position and exerted incredible force! The hydraulic leg snapped backward with a crack, and the entire Dragoon was then flipped onto its back by this immense power.

Witnessing this terrifying spectacle, not only Gilgisna, who was watching from the sidelines, but even SNAKE was stunned. Nevertheless, they understood they were on a battlefield and immediately provided Fang Senyan with overwhelming supporting fire. Harassed under Fang Senyan’s sustained pressure, the overturned Dragoon could never right itself and ultimately met a tragic end under the welding torch of an SCV, a unit usually beneath their notice…

Dealing with the remaining locked-on Dragoons thereafter proved to be trivially easy. But once the fighting concluded, Fang Senyan was regarded like a monster. Only the Elite Ghost Soldier SNAKE managed to maintain some composure, though the shock in his eyes was undeniable. Frankly, it was his first time witnessing such a terrifying individual—a human warrior daring to face a Protoss Zealot head-on while effectively bare-handed!

Seeing Fang Senyan approach as if nothing had happened, SNAKE suddenly felt his mouth go dry, unsure of what to say. But Fang Senyan strode over nonchalantly, clapped him on the shoulder, and stated, "I am the respected Brigadier General." The arrogant and haughty Elite Ghost Soldier lowered his head.

Fang Senyan spoke seriously:

"I have one piece of advice for you…" He immediately snapped to attention, adopting an attitude of rapt attention. Fang Senyan continued:

"I know you harbor certain prejudices, but there are always exceptions. At times, the superiority of military rank and combat capability can indeed be proportional."

After speaking, Fang Senyan laughed heartily. SNAKE was usually stern and rigid, but the man before him was legendary, whose reputation had already preceded him, and now he had witnessed his strength firsthand. Thus, despite being uncomfortable with Fang Senyan's casual warmth, SNAKE felt no aversion; instead, he sensed a lack of condescension or official airs, finding him charismatic.

But at that moment, SNAKE’s expression changed. As the local expert, he clearly sensed something amiss and immediately stated:

"The Protoss's next patrol is coming; we need to move quickly…" A warm sensation spread through the synthetic plastic panel. Although the other side was cold, hard metal, the energy from the crystal transformed into heat, instantly warming the entire body. Compared to the biting cold outside, hovering near minus thirty degrees Celsius, the eighteen degrees inside felt like spring.

This was a newly constructed supply station.

Under SNAKE’s guidance, the group had easily arrived in a concealed mountain cavern. Here lay an exposed branch of a crystal vein, holding reserves of at least nine thousand units—certainly not insignificant. The Zerg had originally mined here, but because the vein was narrow enough to admit only one Drone at a time, and the Protoss assault was too rapid, efficiency was too low, leading the Zerg to abandon it.

After securing sufficient crystal resources, the engineering SCVs constructed this underground supply depot first, establishing their lodging. To secure a safe haven in this desolate place to properly rest and recover fatigue was more than they could have hoped for.

Fang Senyan gazed at the field stove, where the ration bricks inside were slowly emitting an aroma. These rations were compressed from one-third meat, one-third flour, and one-third dehydrated vegetables. Adding a few handfuls of snow and boiling them created a pot full of stew.

The others were breathing evenly, their snores uniform. Even Gilgisna was curled motionless in her sleeping bag; the psychological strain of the emergency landing had been immense, not to mention the fierce battle that followed.

Soon, the contents of the pot began to boil, forming a thick, viscous sludge that gave off a tantalizing aroma to the hungry men. Fang Senyan ladled a bowl, then retrieved a semi-transparent, coffee-colored bottle from beside him. He bit off the stopper and took two deep gulps of the whiskey inside before casually tossing the bottle to SNAKE.