Fang Senyan might have paused to consider the reasons and consequences behind the order, but the people here seemed to be absolute fanatics of Ulazki; a single command would send them leaping into a veritable sea of fire and blades. Fang Senyan felt profoundly uncomfortable with the fervor of the atmosphere, leading him to instinctively search for allies.

Fortunately, although Aldaris was outwardly a Protoss Executor of Light, his heart seemed to still belong to the murky Contract holders. Thus, when Fang Senyan cast a probing glance his way, the two quickly exchanged understandings through their eyes. While some personal friction existed between them, the matter at hand was serious business, and since Fang Senyan had also accepted a mission from the old Qi Duo, he nodded in assent...

Within the base, a contingent of high-speed Protoss units had already assembled, accounting for roughly one-third of the mobile forces. These were mainly ground troops: Zealots, High Templar, and Dark Templar.

Under the protective escort of the High Templar, several transport ships laden with cargo were flying low—under normal circumstances, these transports ensured that slower but devastatingly powerful units, like the Immortal or the High Templar, did not lag behind. Any enemy attempting an aerial assault on the transports would be met with a barrage of Photon Cannon fire from the surrounding High Templar escort.

This configuration was standard for Protoss ground engagements, a battle-tested, all-purpose combination refined through countless wars—provided, of course, that the forces were evenly matched or the disparity was not overwhelmingly in the enemy's favor.

At this moment, Fang Senyan donned the armor of a Zealot, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Socada. The latter had been forced to relinquish his iconic massive hammer and crimson cape, and he was voicing his extreme dissatisfaction through a string of utterly foul mutterings.

Doche-ge mixed in with a large group of High Templar; with its extra two legs, it didn't look particularly conspicuous among its brethren, especially after being deliberately disguised. The transport ships carried the visibly distinctive Hero units, with only a sparse number of the actual Immortals and Void Rays (High Templar) loaded inside.

As for Diwena, the ace Phoenix pilot, she naturally remained at the base. Her high mobility meant she could provide immediate support if needed.

Fang Senyan brought Ramtas along; he intended to leverage his servant's olfactory senses to secure the maximum benefit for himself. Suddenly, violent explosions and sounds of combat erupted from the southern perimeter of the base. This waiting force remained utterly still, knowing that the fight was far too distant. By the time they arrived, the only thing they could do was watch the Zerg disappear into the darkness.

This force, adhering strictly to Lord Ulazki’s plan, prioritized the timing of their insertion—they aimed for an attack that guaranteed a decisive victory! Otherwise, they preferred to remain submerged in the shadows.

Indeed, they were executing a seemingly foolish strategy: waiting for the opportune moment.

They would wait for the next wave of Zerg aggression in the immediate vicinity, then charge out with overwhelming force!

The one leading this force in place of Ulazki was situated inside a specially concealed Hero transport. This individual possessed an incredibly powerful psionic ability to project his will onto every unit. Fang Senyan had not yet seen this leader’s true form, nor did he know what Protoss unit type they were, only sensing that they were an immensely powerful entity. This commander was like a vigilant spider pressing its forelegs lightly onto a vast web, maintaining tight control over the entire force through those dense, silken threads!

Suddenly, Ramtas, also disguised as a Zealot, twitched his nostrils twice, then subtly glanced at Fang Senyan, clenching his left fist while opening his right hand, his left foot angling slightly—a silent signal that he had caught the scent of the Zerg, and it was emanating precisely in the direction his toes pointed.

Fang Senyan certainly didn't issue a warning immediately; he merely wanted to test Ramtas's accuracy. Sure enough, about twenty seconds later, the sound of exploding Photon Cannon shells, the enraged shouts of Zealots, and the piercing screams of Zerg Zerglings erupted from that direction.

The entire force sprang into action at once, shooting out like an arrow released from a bowstring, plunging into the heart of the fray. Having waited patiently like the most enduring hunters for half an hour, they now descended upon the attacking Zerg units—who thought they had succeeded—like the fiercest beasts!

The Zerg chose an attack zone not far from their position, so by the time the leading Zealots arrived, they could just glimpse a few defensive Zealots being destroyed, dissolving into blue smoke, and the Photon Cannons defending them having their shields shattered by a swarm of Zerglings, their structures igniting with faint blue flames.

However, the Zerg's moment of triumph ended there. Generally, the combat effectiveness of one Zealot equaled three Zerglings. This meant that even if the Protoss held a slight numerical disadvantage, their elite troops could compensate, not to mention that the reinforcements arriving now held a numerical superiority sufficient to crush the small Zerg raiding party?

Twenty or so Zerglings and thirty Hydralisks instantly turned into pools of gore on the ground, but this sight did little to satisfy the bloodlust currently coursing through the Protoss. To them, this attacking Zerg contingent was like an octopus tentacle extended from the darkness; though the tip had been severed, the remaining tendrils were rapidly retracting.

Their task was simple: pursue the frantically retreating Zerg forces straight to their lair, delivering a lesson so brutally unforgettable that the enemy would never recover!

This incredibly elite force rapidly pursued the rear-guard Zerg units, plunging fearlessly into the depths of the darkness!

The Zealots' Psi-blades brutally impaled the Hydralisks, spraying thick, viscous green fluid that was instantly vaporized, while the High Templar's Psionic Storms exploded over the Zerglings, turning them into balls of scorched, stinking refuse...

This decisive and frenzied Protoss contingent drove forward like a bayonet, relentlessly chasing the Zerg forces and stirring up a bloody tempest within the gloom!

Until...

Until the measures laid out by the Queen of Blades before her departure played their decisive role!

Fang Senyan lunged out with a look of utter disarray. Behind him erupted an ear-splitting, metallic grinding sound. The earth churned, and sharp waves of kinetic energy, nearly half a meter high, surged forward like a tide.

This was no mere force wave; it was the hidden blades of the Lurker, imbued with deadly intent. Once burrowed, Lurkers could launch their spines through the soil toward a target. These spines inflicted identical damage on every unit in their path to the target.

Having evaded one Lurker attack, Fang Senyan's survival was deemed a coincidence. But before the next Lurker assault arrived, he could no longer conceal his true capabilities, for a scorched yellow Hydralisk appeared in the distance, seemingly playing a game as it spat corrosive acid here and there.

However, the moment Fang Senyan's peripheral vision caught sight of this Hydralisk, his heart sank. Because every time that damned special Hydralisk spat, it precisely targeted a near-dead Protoss unit, ensuring a kill!

Seeing the yellow Hydralisk slowly pivoting its body in his direction, Fang Senyan couldn't help but shout,

"Help!!"

His cry was met with a faint, delicate "ding-dong" sound. On this chaotic battlefield, everyone understood the clear meaning of that distinct tone.

It was the sound emitted by a Protoss "Observer"—these small, unmanned aerial vehicles were used to scout vast, unexplored areas or to monitor and record battles for the study of Protoss Sages in their archives.

Because they were equipped with extremely complex sensor arrays, they had no residual energy left for defense. However, they could easily detect magically cloaked or hidden units, a capability that vastly increased their importance on the battlefield.

Furthermore, when Observers scout surrounding areas at low altitude, they typically carried no defensive systems. But if deployed within a combat zone, they could activate a field of subtle cloaking to prevent detection—much like a Dark Archon, they required no additional energy to maintain this stealth field.

With the appearance of this Observer capable of detecting invisible units, the Lurker attacking from underground was forced to reveal itself, positioned just forty meters away behind a cluster of rocks!

That was sufficient.

Fang Senyan had been locked in a desperate, silent struggle with this completely invisible enemy. Though only ten-odd seconds had passed, it felt as long as centuries. This time, as its body materialized before him, Fang Senyan charged halfway, then dropped to one knee, curling his body tightly to withstand a direct hit from the Lurker's scythe attack. Blood sprayed across his armor as he endured the blow, then he erupted, breaking through dozens of meters, smashing his clenched fist fiercely onto the soft earth!

Dirt flew everywhere. The underground Lurker felt the immense power and pain radiating from above, emitting a mournful, unwilling shriek. Fang Senyan, feeling utterly choked by the predicament, roared in frustration and brought down seven or eight more blows until the Lurker below let out a final "whirring" cry and burst into a large puddle of ichor before he stopped.

But at that moment, Fang Senyan realized he had become the target of another ferocious enemy... the languid, yellow Hydralisk! This creature turned out to be a Hero unit! This explained why the entire expeditionary force, despite possessing numerous Hero units, was still locked in a bitter struggle.

Because although the Queen of Blades, Morrigan, had retreated, she had clearly anticipated this strategic move by the Protoss,

and so she, too, had left behind sufficient Zerg Hero units!!!!

It was Hero against Hero, elite against elite!

It seemed that not only in terms of raw strength, but even in tactical maneuvering, Queen of Blades Morrigan had proven a step ahead of the legendary Protoss Ulazki!