As Fang Senyan tossed the bottle over, SNAKE paused for a beat, then accepted it with equal heartiness, taking several deep pulls of the harsh liquor.

It was evident from the violence of his drinking that the amber liquid occasionally escaped his lips, tracing a path down his neck onto the artificial muscle fiber suit beneath.

After a moment, he spoke, his voice a low rumble: “Brigadier General, have you come because of the disturbance at the Temple?” “The Temple’s… disturbance?” Fang Senyan looked startled.

“No, no, that’s not it at all.” Fang Senyan promptly laid out his true intentions… “As far as I know, the miraculous abilities of your GOHST operatives, while certainly boosted by psychic power, ultimately rely on sophisticated technological gear.

For example, superhuman strength comes from the enhancement of the artificial muscle fiber suit, invisibility is achieved through specialized fabric, and your locking projectiles utilize powerful psychic amplification devices.

I haven’t misstated anything, have I?” He nodded slightly, clearly unaccustomed to the spirit’s bite, as he usually quenched his thirst with simple water.

He coughed lightly a few times: “That is correct.

Our primary focus is on spiritual cultivation.” Fang Senyan stated earnestly: “Then have you ever considered one possibility—making humans intrinsically more formidable from birth?” He looked inquiringly at SNAKE.

“Hasn't the Empire already attempted such things, only to fail spectacularly? The stimulants seem to be the only successful product that specific research team ever released.

Rumor has it the Flamewarriors were also their creation.

Then, that team was forcibly disbanded for violating human ethics.” Fang Senyan fixed SNAKE with a sardonic gaze: “Do you truly believe that mere excuses of ethics could ever halt the ambition of true experimenters?” SNAKE froze, stunned.

He could only manage a choked, rough whisper: “Then, what are you implying?” Fang Senyan smiled faintly.

“The experimentation never stopped; it simply moved underground, and it has advanced to an astonishing degree—my very existence is the proof…” The shock and doubt that had filled his eyes immediately gave way to a vacant stare upon hearing Fang Senyan’s final statement.

He fumbled for a cigarette, but his hand shook so violently that he failed to light it after several tries.

The light cast dark silhouettes across his cheeks, making him appear profoundly silent and defeated.

Fang Senyan continued seriously: “Among those of us who underwent the bio-enhancement calibration, there were one hundred and thirty-seven subjects initially.

Only seven of us survived to the end.

Of those seven, three ended up physically disabled, mentally deficient, or psychologically shattered.

Only four of us remain sound.” “And of those four, I am considered the weakest in terms of capability.

We learned through secret channels that… the Protoss Dark Templar succession process has begun, and one of our group, after assessment, was deemed fit to receive that legacy.

So, he departed a month ago.

Since then, we have lost all contact…” SNAKE looked at Fang Senyan as a child might stare at a UFO or an alien.

After a long moment, he exhaled slowly, letting out a wry laugh: “General, if I hadn't witnessed your terrifying power today with my own eyes, if I hadn't seen you emerge unscathed from a photon cannon blast, if I hadn't seen you actually slay a Zealot with your bare hands! Otherwise, I would have dismissed every word you said with utter contempt.” “But even now, I find it unbelievable! The Dark Templar legacy… that requires completing a terrifying trial within the Dark Shrine.

It’s almost impossible to imagine a human surviving such a trial!” A thought stirred in Fang Senyan’s mind: “You must know something, don’t you?” SNAKE nodded, sighing deeply.

“General, do you know why this planet is called the Lost Temple?” Fang Senyan answered solemnly: “No, I do not.” SNAKE hesitated, then suddenly transmitted a message into Fang Senyan’s mind using his psychic energy: “What I am about to tell you is top-secret intelligence, strictly forbidden from disclosure.

However, for a legend like yourself, there is no possibility of leakage, so I will share it with you—it appears the seemingly united Protoss experienced a major schism long, long ago.

That period is known as the bloody Kalath Mediation era!” “During that split and civil war, two major political factions, already holding clear doctrinal differences, engaged in brutally bloody conflict and friction! Much powerful technology was lost forever in that conflict.

But now, the Protoss are cornered, and they have lifted the ancient taboos! According to our confirmed intelligence, the Protoss High Council has recovered several pieces of that lost technology, with newly verified units including the advanced form of the Dragoon: the Immortal, and a new aerial vessel: the Phoenix!” “Your information is correct.

The reason this place is called the Lost Temple is because there genuinely is an ancient Protoss Temple here! Furthermore, the inhabitants of this Temple are the Elders who survived that bloody schism.

Thus, their succession rituals differ from those of the current Protoss; the Dark Templars they train are inherently stronger.

More importantly, they guard a secret—a massive secret! This is why my son and I have visited this planet four or five times… our objective! Even our accursed superiors no longer believe us!” “On this world, the Dark Templar Temple is merely a smokescreen.

It was always intended to be extremely discreet.

Anyone who caught wind of something would investigate, be fooled by this front, believe they had found the real secret, and thus leave the fabrication—a manufacturing base that has been dormant and powerless for millennia—to sleep undisturbed until this day.” “That base is the production facility for a formidable, mysterious unit sealed away in history.

Legend says it can traverse any mountain or river, and it was once considered a symbol of the highest Protoss technology, alongside the Carrier! Legend states that even thousands of Zealots would be annihilated before its gaze!!!!” “What?!” Fang Senyan gasped, sucking in a sharp breath.

Indeed, there was no question that the Protoss’s immensely powerful Carrier was the signature icon of the entire race, the symbol of their glory! That crushing sense of presence, emerging slowly from the dark expanse of space, was unmatched by any other unit.

But according to SNAKE, the Protoss possessed another unit whose destructive power and deterrent capability could be spoken of in the same breath! This was like the American imperialists secretly hoarding some X-Weapon capable of rivaling nuclear arms, in addition to their existing arsenal! SNAKE noticed Fang Senyan’s shock and looked at him, speaking each word precisely: “That weapon is called the Colossus! (A unit appearing in StarCraft II).

I came here waiting for a moment of vulnerability in the Dark Templar Temple’s defenses so I could infiltrate the ancient factory that produces them and utterly destroy their fabrication process! My son died seven years ago because of this very endeavor, so I know every detail of this situation and will never abandon my mission!” Fang Senyan looked at SNAKE and said slowly, “My friend mentioned that attempting the Dark Templar succession carried enormous risk.

Dying outright might have been the better outcome.

The true danger was him turning into a monster akin to a Queen of Blades.

Therefore, my mission is to find my friend and bring him home, or… kill him.

With that in mind, I think we should cooperate this one time…” SNAKE nodded in satisfaction, closed his eyes, looking utterly exhausted, and drifted into sleep.

But Fang Senyan had no intention of sleeping.

He leaned against the wall, resting his mind for a while, then stood up, opened the supply station door, and stepped out, twisting the mechanism tightly behind him.

Even deep within the underground mountain cavern, the biting cold air made him shiver violently! Fang Senyan opened his palm.

Shining there was a grain of rice-sized blue crystal.

He had obtained this item after killing that Dragoon; it had materialized directly in his private inventory space.

Curious about its function, he examined it carefully and received the following description: Normal Protoss Essence: Due to residual power from the Noah C vessel lingering in your body, the souls of Protoss units you kill will be forcibly retained.

The stronger the soul, the higher the probability and purity of this Essence appearing.

The quality of this Essence is: 1.4 units.

This item can only be used on friendly narrative characters: Each unit of Protoss Essence will enhance the target creature’s strength by one level of attack, one level of defense, and a 33% increase in health.

The effect will rapidly diminish once the target creature is classified as an Elite creature.

This item cannot be removed from this world.

After gazing at the Protoss Essence for a moment, Fang Senyan tucked it back into his pocket.

He hadn't yet decided how to use it, as the number of available targets was too great.

He needed to weigh the pros and cons carefully.

“That’s strange,” Fang Senyan muttered to himself, recalling one last thing.

“When SNAKE revealed that hidden secret, I assumed I would receive a corresponding mission, but no notification has appeared.

Why is that?” Fang Senyan’s fingers drummed against the rock surface as his thoughts raced: “Does the Space deem this task too simple, something easily within my grasp? So simple that it disdains to issue a mission, saving me from unnecessary point-grinding? Unlikely.

Or perhaps the task is impossibly hard, leaving me zero chance of completion? Okay, that’s plausible.” “However,” he mused, tapping faster, “there might be a third possibility.

And I suspect this third possibility might hide the truth behind the curtain…”