The tightly packed Hydralisks and Zerg Stalkers, caught under the sweep of the Psychic Storm, were almost instantly paralyzed before exploding into vast pools of shredded gore. Swarms of Spore Attackers shrieked mournfully, beating their wings helplessly as they tried to flee, but only a scattered few, grievously wounded, managed to escape!

In that instant, the Protoss lines were rendered strangely bare, as if an invisible, massive broom had swept across, wiping out the vast majority of the Zerg forces.

Even the mighty Mammoth Beasts, with their thick hides capable of shrugging off several full Psychic Storms, suffered attacks from all directions following the sudden loss of their allies, meeting swift death on the spot.

Fang Senyan finally let out a soft breath, but he noticed that the gaze in the eyes of the fellow named SNAKE, fixed upon the Psychic Storm, was filled with hatred, and certainly, rage! Fang Senyan suddenly realized that the Psychic Storm was not just a nightmare for low-tier Zerg units; it was the nightmare for all non-mechanized human units!!

Whether it was SCVs, Marine Riflemen, Firebats, or Ghost Soldiers, their cripplingly low health values were always their fatal flaw. Against the area-of-effect persistence of the Psychic Storm, even the cloaked Ghost Soldiers would suffer damage, lasting at best only two or three seconds longer than the other infantry.

Those extra two or three seconds might not be enough for the GHOST to escape certain death, as they were not known for exceptional speed.

Therefore, although SNAKE never voiced it, Fang Senyan was almost certain that his son had perished under a Psychic Storm.

On the distant battlefield, after suffering massive casualties from the Psychic Storm, the Zerg forces completely pulled back. Fang Senyan was quite astonished, as this did not match the bloodthirsty, frenzied style of Zerg warfare at all.

Just as Fang Senyan was pondering what the enemy Cerebrates intended to do, the ground suddenly shuddered, unnoticed by most.

Immediately after, that trembling rapidly intensified, and the entire battlefield was soon enveloped by a deep, resonant rumbling rising from beneath the earth! Watching small stones tumble down from the nearby cliff face, a sudden realization struck Fang Senyan, causing him to gasp sharply: "Could it be... could that thing have been deployed? That's a specialized, non-mass-produced unit. Whoever possesses the blueprint to create such a creature must be a Queen who previously visited Planet P (the planet where Starship Troopers takes place). If that’s the case, then the one commanding the battle here might be my old adversary."

With a tremendous BOOM! The earth directly in front of the Protoss defensive base violently churned and exploded, as if seventy or eighty tons of TNT had detonated! The soil shot fifty to sixty meters into the air!

Immediately following, a Protoss Photon Cannon was upturned from below. The earth beneath it collapsed with a roar, revealing a massive pit from which a gigantic beetle clawed its way out!!

Yes, this thing was a Burrower from the world of Starship Troopers. This version had clearly been enhanced by Zerg war genetics; its size was slightly reduced, perhaps three meters high and five meters long. Its entire exterior was covered in a tough, rubber-like gray-white membrane. Symmetrical respiratory spiracles lined its sides, and it sported eight sets of symmetrical legs. The armor plates over its vital joints protruded and swelled, radiating destructive power.

This beetle flipped the Photon Cannon, then incidentally spat out a gout of corrosive acid. Two nearby Zealots were instantly drenched, engulfed in searing emerald-green flames, and having already sustained injuries, they died agonizing deaths in moments.

When the surrounding Dragoon artillery and Photon Turrets attempted to focus fire on the Burrower, it twisted its bulky body and retreated underground at an astonishing speed. Most of the photon projectiles served only to vent fury and energy into the dirt, achieving nothing else.

Simultaneously, at least thirty more Burrowers surfaced silently beneath the Photon Cannons, churning up the earth, causing fissures and collapses that utterly devastated the Protoss defensive structure.

Even more perverse, they appeared to possess powerful psionic abilities; the dirt they kicked up could momentarily form rock shields protecting their carapaces, making it difficult to inflict significant damage upon them even when they were briefly exposed on the surface. Clearly, once the Burrowers had thoroughly dismantled the Protoss defenses through their unpredictable assaults, the Psionic Storms of the High Templars would become useless.

Since the Psychic Storm caused indiscriminate damage, without a defensive line, the Dragoons and Zealots would have to form the front line. Therefore, deploying the Psychic Storm would equate to self-mutilation! Given the overwhelming disparity in forces, this course of action would be akin to drinking poison to quench a thirst! Moreover, the Psychic Storm could not be unleashed indefinitely; it was constrained by the mental fortitude of the High Templars...

Just as the Protoss were plunging into immense crisis, Fang Senyan was also facing a monumental danger!!

Despite his extreme caution, he still managed to fall into a trap by carelessness.

Whose trap?

Naturally, SNAKE’s trap!

There was absolutely no proof that SNAKE had deliberately tapped his fingers on a rock to attract the attention of a Burrower.

In fact, many people have habits of making small movements while thinking through problems; at worst, he could only be accused of being too careless. SNAKE could even argue that he knew nothing about this unconventional unit. But the reality was that a Burrower had been lured in, and then... SNAKE activated his cloak and vanished.

Of course, there were countless ways he could explain his actions: for example, being a Gunslinger, retreating to a safe distance for melee combat was the most logical excuse.

Then why didn't he reappear to attack after creating distance?

SNAKE could still claim he was targeted by a host capable of innate anti-cloaking, or perhaps he suddenly felt an urgent need to use the restroom, or maybe his menstrual cycle had started and he forgot his Midol... More importantly, the dead needed no explanations.

Yes, in SNAKE’s estimation, Fang Senyan, already noticed by the Zerg, was a dead man.

Regardless of his Brigadier General rank, regardless of his legendary status.

Because SNAKE had pulled similar stunts before; he was practiced at it.

However, SNAKE’s situation wasn't entirely comfortable either, because the moment Fang Senyan noticed SNAKE’s deviation, he pulled out a vial of mutagenic serum and hurled it to the ground!

The surging genetic mist immediately coated SNAKE’s body, providing him augmentation, but! This particular vial of mutagen was specially formulated by Fang Senyan; the scent was intensely pungent!

The Zerg possessed incredibly keen senses of smell. After being tainted by that odor, even with his cloaking ability, SNAKE was certain to provoke suspicion from the Zerg and attract the tracking attention of flying Hosts! In fact, after fleeing several hundred meters, he too was targeted by several Zerg Stalkers, leaving him in an equally precarious situation, scrambling desperately while remaining extremely wary.

Even better, if both of them survived, and even if they met again in the future, Fang Senyan could shamelessly feign sudden realization and regret: "I clearly intended to augment you! But I didn't expect the side effects of this substance..."

Yes, the only effective way to deal with a scoundrel was to be even more unscrupulous! Fang Senyan understood this lesson deeply.

A Burrower materialized directly in front of Fang Senyan. Emerging from the soil, its thick carapace looked like plate armor and a steel helm. Blood-red light glowed in its eyes, and its complex mouthparts continuously twitched, presumably mixing various compounds internally, ready at any moment to spray lethal acid.

The Burrower must have been encountering the Protoss for the first time, so they were caught completely flat-footed. But what no one knew was that Fang Senyan knew this creature inside and out.

Years ago, after passing the Black Thorn Mother challenge, he had meticulously reviewed all its data. Although this creature had certainly undergone optimization and modification via the Zerg’s evolutionary process, its fundamental nature and physiological structure would not have changed; just as rice, no matter how modified, will remain short, water-loving, and grow grains, it won't suddenly sprout three meters tall and thrive in the desert.

Therefore, facing this ferocious Burrower, the first thing Fang Senyan, who knew it intimately, did was run away.

In the eyes of the other Zerg, noticing a weak human was no big deal, and for this human to flee was the most normal reaction. Did they expect this small creature to turn around and fight?

Evidently, in their simplistic thinking, the mighty Burrower would catch up and consume the fleeing human as an after-dinner snack.

What? Send more troops to assist the chase? Were they insulting the might of the great Burrower? Or was a mere human more important than conquering the sacred Protoss site before them?

So, Fang Senyan retreated while engaging, the Burrower relentlessly pursuing him. Fang Senyan’s raw speed was no match for the frantic paddling of the Burrower’s six long legs, but for him, as long as he vigilantly dodged the spray of acidic flame, the other attacks—stomping, charging, etc.—were all within a manageable range. Thus, although he appeared utterly harried, seemingly on the verge of being crushed or flung away to be eaten the next second, he managed to escape to the edge of the main battlefield, barely unharmed. (To be continued...)

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