The thought of sneaking into the Queen's private chambers immediately ignited a fervent heat in Fang Senyan's mind. Readers, I believe you too feel your blood surging—the trope of charging into a dragon's lair to return laden with treasure, while cliché, is undeniably epic, thrilling the soul, swelling the senses, and leaving one utterly addicted.

Fundamentally, the risk of sneaking into the Dragon's Lair and the risk of sneaking into the Queen of Blades' chambers were nearly identical. The Queen's individual power likely wasn't far behind that of a giant dragon, and if he could bring along subordinates, any dragon that showed up would probably just be killed until they stopped coming.

But where the difference lay was this: everyone knew dragons loved hoarding shiny things, treasures and whatnot, and they never spent them. Thus, their wealth increased exponentially over time, with growth rates that would surely outpace any financial product currently offered by any bank...

As for the Queen, setting aside whether she had any penchant for hoarding treasures, it was undeniable that she was still a woman... And as is well known, even ordinary women frequently max out their credit cards with their spending. So, even if she did enjoy collecting treasures, the rate at which she consumed them might easily outpace her collection speed. Consequently, the chance of Fang Senyan taking this risk only to return empty-handed was quite staggering.

While wavering, Fang Senyan suddenly noticed the deferentially bowing Old Charlie beside him and couldn't help but ask: "Yuanfang—oh, no, Old Charlie, what do you think?"

Old Charlie replied calmly: "I know what the Master is worried about. However, according to the principles of the space, if there is no gain to be had at the Queen's residence, then the risk we undertake should not be too great."

Fang Senyan's mind stirred: "Even if the Zerg base is severely depleted, there must still be some defensive forces. If I handle things improperly, I might get trapped inside."

Old Charlie spoke with measured gravity: "In my estimation, the Protoss and Zerg forces will not engage in any large-scale combat now; they are in a stalemate. The likelihood of the Queen recalling her army is very small. Instead, it's highly probable she will use the cover of night to execute that attrition tactic again. At this juncture, you could return to the Protoss base, hand in your mission for the reward, rest up, and then rendezvous with the Terran forces to push toward the Zerg base. That would be the safest course of action."

"The Terran forces?" Fang Senyan asked, curious.

Old Charlie stated seriously: "After you departed, SNAKE has not returned either. Pontan has surprisingly played a significant role in the interim; he has advanced again and improved several technologies, subtly boosting mining efficiency. The entire Terran base is now beginning to take shape."

"He actually advanced again?" Fang Senyan exclaimed.

Old Charlie confirmed: "Yes. Pontan's potential was already quite good. When you promoted him, he was close to breaking through to Elite unit status. Therefore, after your promotion, he was only one step away from Hero unit status. Given the intensive work, the hardships of the environment, and the immense pressure, his breakthrough is quite normal. Of course, this is also related to the fact that Pontan originated from the most basic SCV unit, making promotion easier."

Fang Senyan pondered: "If your analysis is correct, the Queen of Blades definitely won't return before dawn. Her timely arrival earlier was likely due to a psychic link with the Cerebrate. The current chaotic retreat of the Protoss forces should buy us some time. So, if I slip back to the Protoss base now to complete the mission and then head out again, I should still make it."

Old Charlie queried: "Then should I go back and mobilize Pontan to help? Master is going back to turn in the mission?"

Fang Senyan replied: "Yes. Have Ramtas accompany you; your combat ability is still too weak. We will meet at coordinates XXX, XXX..." Very soon after, Fang Senyan was back inside the Protoss base, located five kilometers southeast of the Protoss base. The main Protoss force had recovered from the chaos, forming a stable retreat formation while fighting back.

It was obvious that Urakie had also begun overseeing the troops; the losses from a total rout were too immense for him to bear, forcing him to adopt this slow but effective withdrawal strategy.

The Zerg forces, led by the Queen of Blades, pursued like hungry wolves. The moment they spotted a weakness, they would relentlessly pounce, viciously tearing away a large chunk of flesh.

Fang Senyan straightened his appearance, striving to look less disheveled, and entered the Crucible laboratory. The interior was still exquisitely arranged: beige flooring, uniformly slender lines, and near-natural music that gave a sense of spiritual clarity.

Furthermore, there was a faint, metallic scent in the air—a smell Fang Senyan knew well: the mingling of Zerg fluids and Protoss fluids from the battlefield.

Upon entering the bar area, Fang Senyan immediately understood the source of the smell. There were already three or four weary-looking Protoss casualties inside, being treated and slowly recovering, their bodies still bearing bandaged wounds.

One of these, a Zealot, had been aided by Fang Senyan before. Upon seeing him, the Zealot immediately rose, intending to buy him a drink. Fang Senyan certainly wouldn't refuse hospitality, but in a rather unconventional move, he opted for plain water, drank it under the surprised gaze of the other Protoss, and then hastily pulled Old Qiduo to the back.

It was worth noting that the Protoss shared certain habits with horses; they preferred sleeping standing up. Some Protoss chose to sleep seated, while lying down was only done in situations of absolute necessity. Thus, Old Qiduo’s private quarters contained no bed.

However, when sleeping, they had a custom of pressing a small piece of Pylon crystal against their foreheads. Consequently, every Protoss sleeping chamber invariably featured a pillar embedded with such a crystal.

This was Fang Senyan's first time inside a Protoss's private space, sparking some curiosity. But he quickly set aside his thoughts, pulled out the mission tokens dropped from killing those powerful Zerg heroes and elites, and laid them out one by one on the table—cores, hearts, and the like. Old Qiduo carefully verified each one, exclaiming with admiration: "WOO, such a massive Zerg joint! This fellow must have been an Elite." "A lymph node the size of a fist from a Hydralisk! Truly exhilarating, I believe it must have reached Hero status." "Alright, even if it’s just a matching cusp from a common Ultralisk, it passes." "A Lurker wing? Did you manage to take it down by leaping into the air? Oh? The Phoenix carrier's gravity tether caused it to fall, hah! That was a hell of a move... Waaaaaah... Child, do you see? These are the offerings I lay to commemorate you. May those damnable Zergs rot in hell! Human, you are truly mighty. Well done!"

As Old Qiduo finished speaking, Fang Senyan received the notification: "Hidden Consecutive Quest I: Old Qiduo's Wrath Completed." "Old Qiduo’s evaluation of you: A+." "Quest Objective: Most of the Zergs you eliminated were substantial foes. While the result cannot be called 'perfect,' the vengeful Old Qiduo is quite satisfied." "Quest Note: Do you wish to immediately claim the reward (random draw of one Silver Tier plot-related equipment) or accumulate the reward until the next round of the Hidden Consecutive Quest?" "Warning: The next Hidden Consecutive Quest will likely be significantly harder; you must be prepared for the possibility of failure."

An A+ rating was within Fang Senyan's expectations. On that terrifying battlefield, his individual strength was too limited; had the team been present, he was confident they could have secured an S. The reason he chose to accumulate the reward was simple: the random draw of a single Silver Tier plot item held no real attraction for him.

After Fang Senyan selected to continue, Old Qiduo sat back in his chair, wiped his tear-filled eyes, and spread his hands: "I knew you were an ambitious person. You disdain such trivial rewards—no problem. My life's savings would make even the Devil envious. As long as you keep fulfilling my desires, you will certainly obtain what you seek!"

Fang Senyan shrugged: "Then, what else do you desire? More Zerg remains?"

"No, no, no. I am sick of looking at that foul flesh. More importantly, the Zerg's terrifying reproductive capacity is an eternal nightmare. You kill one, and two more will immediately hatch in some distant Hive. I want you to solve the problem at its source!" Old Qiduo ground out through clenched teeth.

Soon, the follow-up quest popped up: "You have obtained Hidden Consecutive Quest II: Old Qiduo's Expectation." "Quest Objective: Within forty-eight hours, destroy one Zerg Hive and at least five Creep Growth structures. Report back upon completion." "Quest Note: Eliminate as many Zerg structures as possible to cause decay." "Warning: This is an exceedingly difficult task. Therefore, if your completion rate for the previous quest was high, you might benefit from discussing matters further with Old Qiduo."

Following the warning, Fang Senyan chatted with Old Qiduo for a while, repeatedly stressing his difficulties. Finally, he managed to secure two items. The first was a Crystal Bomb, a mission item that could only be placed inside the Hive; upon detonation, it would destroy three-quarters of the Hive's health.