This time, luckily, the red-cloaked Socada once again extricated Fang Senyan from a tight spot. And this time, he hadn't returned alone; he had brought a companion. Judging by the ribbon-like adornments fluttering around the Protoss figure, and the slender build, it was undoubtedly a woman.

Socada dropped heavily onto a chair whose seat was shaped like a triangle. The furniture immediately let out a sound of profound agony, seeming as if it might shatter at any moment, but it held. He snatched up the large mug beside him and downed the brownish liquid within in one long swallow, sighing contentedly:

“This is the legendary Brigadier Sailor among the humans—the strongest human I’ve ever met. I suspect he carries the bloodline of our Protoss in him... And this is Deimena, our Chief Phoenix Controller, Psionic Councillor, and the most beautiful lady I have ever seen.”

Fang Senyan glanced at Deimena, offering a slight, smiling lift of his cup. Deimena returned the gesture with an icy stare. The surrounding "ribbons" around her coalesced, forming an elliptical, peculiar symbol in the air. She nodded to Fang Senyan—clearly the customary greeting for a Protoss female.

Then, Deimena’s clear voice resonated directly within Fang Senyan’s mind:

“Human, you ingest pure water directly into your system. Are you not concerned that it will strip away the nutrients within you?”

Fang Senyan froze, momentarily unable to process the implication. After a moment of thought, he understood.

But he couldn't exactly explain that drinking pure water aids detoxification and beautifies the skin. This water, ultimately carrying away calcium, phosphorus, uric acid, oxalic acid, and other harmful substances through urination, was an indispensable part of human life.

More importantly, Fang Senyan suddenly realized something else: perhaps, to the Protoss, pure water was inherently a harmful substance... Their internal physiology was clearly vastly different from humans. Their internal structure must constantly maintain a state of perfect equilibrium. Pure water, however, dissolved a wide variety of inorganic and organic compounds.

Thus, seemingly harmless water, when consumed by a Protoss, could subtly disrupt their inherently perfect internal balance by leaching away essential inorganic and organic matter, thereby endangering their health.

As Fang Senyan contemplated how to phrase an explanation to Deimena, the floating "ribbons" around her body drifted over to his side, circling him once. Deimena stated bluntly:

“You need not explain. It seems my understanding was flawed. The physique of humans must be entirely different from that of us Protoss. It was an error to project our physical structure onto yours.”

Deimena seemed about to say more, but Socada pulled her close, embracing both of them in an unrestrained display of affection. In truth, this place existed primarily to ease the pre-battle tension among the Protoss, offering a venue for lively celebration and stress relief. Seeing their centerpiece, Deimena, claimed by Socada, many other Protoss began to gather, nudging Fang Senyan aside in their attempts to win the beauty’s attention.

At this moment, the marginalized "old fellow" approached the neglected Fang Senyan again and struck up a conversation:

“I truly cannot believe you are that legendary Brigadier. Even I, an old man aged to the point of near death, have heard tales of you. I just never expected you to look so refined and delicate?”

Fang Senyan smiled:

“And what should I call you, elder? Surely… there is no absolute requirement for strength to correlate with outward appearance, is there? Look at the frail appearance of the Zealots; their fingers are long and pale, like works of art (Fang Senyan said this deliberately to flatter the Protoss)—yet that does not prevent them from unleashing the most terrifying Psi Storms, vanishing thousands of enemies before them!”

The old man’s hand, which had been deftly wiping a cup, stiffened upon hearing Fang Senyan’s analogy. He let out a low sigh:

“Yes. Such immense power, to make everything... vanish. In the end, what remains? Nothing but scattered bones, is that not so?”

Muttering to himself, he casually tossed aside the cup in his hand and poured himself a drink. It was a pale purple beverage, with tiny, scattered points of light glittering on its surface—remarkably wondrous and brilliant.

A Protoss stepped on the cup the old man discarded. Seeing the drink he was consuming, the newcomer exclaimed in shock:

“Old Qiduo, do you wish to be thrown into the Stasis Prison by the Judication Council? This cup is crafted from the bones of a Cosmic Blue Jellyfish; it’s worth thirteen Medallion Points! And this Starry Sky you are drinking requires fifty Medallion Points! You are finished!”

Old Qiduo fixed the other Protoss with a look reserved for an idiot, then silently extended the two whisker-like straws attached to his lower jaw into the cup and drank the entire measure of "Starry Sky" in one gulp! His expression suggested that a mere fifty Medallion Points meant absolutely nothing to him.

Not only that, but Old Qiduo immediately ordered a glass of the house specialty: the Ocean of Stars, which he promptly downed in a single, unrestrained gulp—and then, as if to provoke, raised the empty glass toward the shocked Protoss!

The complaining Protoss stared, dumbfounded, at the scene. Feeling deeply insulted and provoked, he immediately summoned several Zealot Enforcers clad in single-sided red armor. However, the Enforcers he summoned merely glanced at Old Qiduo, then spun around, grabbed the neck of the accuser, and dragged him away.

Old Qiduo watched the commotion without a hint of triumph, his expression deeply sorrowful as he turned to Fang Senyan:

“Do you know why he was arrested?”

Fang Senyan had a strong suspicion but cautiously shook his head. Old Qiduo sighed:

“Because he falsely accused me. He assumed I wouldn't have enough funds to cover the bill. But in reality, I am far wealthier than he imagined. That is because... all seven of my children—four sons, three daughters—are listed on death notices. Their demise provided me with staggering death benefits, allowing me to drink the most expensive and finest liquors. Yet, I would rather be penniless and drink plain water like you—forgive me, I meant no offense.”

Fang Senyan’s eyes flickered:

“Then, what would you wish me to do for you?”

“You possess great power; even that fellow Socada seems to hold you in high regard. Therefore, I presume you possess the strength to eliminate some of those zerg bastards,” Old Qiduo stated calmly. “Only the death and wails of the Zerg bring me any measure of comfort. At all other times, even drinking the most expensive wine here feels as agonizing as drinking plain water. First, show me your strength. Kill fifty Zerg.”

Fang Senyan instantly received a prompt:

“You have obtained Hidden Chain Quest I: Old Qiduo’s Wrath.”

“Quest Objective: Old Qiduo, burdened by blood vengeance, wishes you to eliminate fifty Zerg. Report back upon completion.”

“Quest Notes: If you aim for the minimum rating, eliminating fifty Zerglings is the optimal choice for reward. Strive to target the most powerful Zerg species available, ensuring a diverse roster. Only by completing the mission with a high rating will you stand a chance of obtaining subsequent quests.”

“Warning: While the quest is rewarding, you must gauge your own capabilities. Your life is paramount—this chain quest has a time limit of 24 hours.”

Afterward, Fang Senyan spoke with Old Qiduo for a while longer and gleaned another valuable piece of intelligence: A considerable number of Protoss came to drink until they were broke. Faced with the arriving Enforcers, most chose incarceration, but a small fraction opted to pawn their valuable possessions on the spot as collateral.

Half of these pawned goods might be reclaimed by their original owners, but the other half would become permanently forfeited assets. Fang Senyan immediately sensed that this pool of equipment represented a massive potential boon, at least for **.

Regrettably, his relationship with Old Qiduo had not yet reached the necessary depth, meaning he couldn't even catch a glimpse of these potential treasures. This left a faint sense of longing in Fang Senyan’s heart.

At that moment, the Protoss seated near the bar entrance suddenly tensed ** and bolted outside, drawing the attention of everyone present. Fang Senyan followed their gazes into the distant, vast darkness, sensing an indescribable weight and oppression pressing upon him. Immediately afterward, terrifying crimson lightning flashed across the heavens!! A bizarre Psi Storm!

Upon seeing this lightning, whispers erupted into a sudden panic. That blood-red Psi Storm could only be unleashed by one entity in the entire universe: the Queen of Blades, Morrigan!

Yet, everyone clearly recalled that the Queen of Blades Morrigan had recently fought Lord Uul’Aki to a mutual crippling defeat not long ago. How could she have returned so swiftly! And Lord Uul’Aki was obviously still recovering. The balance of power between them now seemed painfully clear!

The arrival of the Queen of Blades Morrigan signaled that the Zerg attack had shifted from a frontal assault to flanking maneuvers—a strategy of multi-point harassment. Such tactics were usually employed by forces with inferior numbers, requiring extremely high coordination across all fronts. But if executed well, they could be devastatingly effective... Imagine the sheer humiliation of a force holding overwhelming numerical superiority being harassed into staying bottled up like a turtle! RQ