Fang Senyan gazed upon the terrifying war machines before him. Though they were still incomplete, a surge of profound awe and intense impulse flooded his heart. The sheer power emanating from these constructs, even across such a vast distance and the gulf of time, was still palpable!

This power was so immense it could traverse mountains and waters, capable of crossing the very boundaries of long ages!

Yet, at this moment, Pantan, standing beside him, muttered to himself: "It's wrong, wrong. How can this be?"

His voice began low but grew steadily louder, the echoes reverberating so strongly they made people’s ears buzz. Those nearby looked at him, yet he remained utterly oblivious.

Suddenly, Pantan lunged forward toward a nearby corridor as if driven mad. Fang Senyan quickly grabbed him, but Pantan struggled violently, shouting: "Let me see! Let me see! Their design philosophy here runs entirely counter to Project Thor! It has no chance of succeeding! I must see how they managed this place, Brigadier, please!"

"Project Thor?" Fang Senyan blinked in surprise, then released Pantan. The technician immediately bolted down the adjacent corridor, the sounds of his passing a chaotic crash, like an enraged bull smashing its way into the inner rooms—likely in search of the design office.

Annelu looked on with deep concern, wanting to follow, but Ronnie blocked her path: "Pantan will be fine. What exactly is Project Thor?"

Annelu glanced at them but hesitated to speak. Fang Senyan narrowed his eyes slightly: "Do you not trust me?"

Annelu lowered her voice: "But, even with your clearance, sir, you are not authorized to know the secrets of Thor."

A faint smile touched the corner of Fang Senyan's mouth: "Is that so? Then why do you and Pantan know?"

Annelu gathered her courage: "Because Pantan's older brother was involved in Project Thor, which is how he learned about it."

Fang Senyan nodded thoughtfully: "Very well. Since you believe I have no right to know, then I certainly have no reason to help you. Regarding matters connected to this, I will remain hands-off."

"Please don't!" Annelu cried out urgently. After a moment of silence, she sighed: "Fine."

She then produced a tattered, hastily scribbled notebook: "I found this on Pantan while treating his injuries; it’s how I came to know this secret... Regardless, you absolutely must help Pantan, sir!"

Fang Senyan immediately took the notebook and eagerly flipped it open, instantly spotting a sentence written on the flyleaf: Steel is humanity’s best friend. We use it in place of skin to protect fragile bodies; we use it in place of wood to construct towering edifices; we use it instead of teeth and claws to strike down enemies too strong to be defeated!

...

January 5th. I received transfer orders to the Ximensen Armaments Factory. The orders were resolute, and the terms offered were so generous I could not possibly refuse. I had no choice but to say NO, as I still value my own life.

The project is proceeding smoothly. The surrounding defenses are incredibly tight. To safeguard this secret, we were even relocated to... a planet. Any spy who dares to peek behind the veil of secrecy will be instantly pulverized into fragments weighing no more than three ounces.

One spy was captured alive. He was attempting to lift the mysterious veil shrouding the Thor construction plan.

The man confessed to belonging to the Protectorate organized by the Umojan group. Their intelligence source was reliable; upon discovering the Federation government’s intent to develop a terrifying new weapon of mass destruction, they immediately began monitoring this site.

Three hackers penetrated the defenses, but were repelled in an instant. They must have managed to obtain some of the cargo manifests: heavy, high-alloy steel plates, the size required for a battlecruiser, were listed among the items. Project Thor is about to become impossible to conceal.

The probe I designed located three hundred and eighty-three stealth sensors around the factory. Clearly, these were planted by spies. It is certain that these sensors detected the powerful electromagnetic waves and rhythmic seismic tremors generated when Thor was tested.

Although much disorganized data has been collected, and while Umojan is desperate to crack this puzzle, I would bet that from these fragmented pieces of information, they still cannot grasp what the Federation government is truly brewing.

Damn it, these bastards overturned my fundamental concept! What they are proposing is absolutely not the Thor I envisioned! It is supposed to be a massive, bipedal war machine armed with two gigantic particle beam cannons and a dorsal artillery battery, boasting firepower comparable to a battlecruiser. More importantly, this gigantic monster can be assembled in an extremely short time by ordinary construction robots!

I was right, I must be right... So the Terrans also had the ambition to develop the ultimate ground combat weapon.

After reading this data, the same thought surfaced in everyone's minds.

At that moment, a massive BOOM suddenly echoed from not far away, followed by billowing black smoke. Then, Pantan rushed out, his face completely blackened by soot, wildly brandishing a welding torch: "I found it! I found the master design schematics and the switch!"

Fang Senyan and Ronnie rushed over, discovering that a large hole had been blasted through a wall in the corridor. Stepping inside, they found an incredibly concealed main hall, covering at least several thousand square meters. The floor and walls were dotted with countless miniature crystals, the size of a fist, faintly shimmering!

Yes, this was the Protoss control chamber, directly corresponding to the core control room of the Human factory, filled with gleaming instruments and control sticks.

Ronnie murmured suddenly: "I think I've seen something like this somewhere before."

Fang Senyan considered for a moment before replying: "Yes, in the Lost Temple. I once found a diagram in the archives that depicted a similar setup. Luckily, I seem to remember the activation sequence. Ronnie, call Doc'ger over. Only a Protoss can operate this place."

Doc’ger walked over obediently and, following their instructions, placed its two forelimbs onto the outermost crystal.

Immediately, Ronnie began directing Doc’ger to move its limbs, tapping rapidly across the console as if playing a keyboard. The faint current generated by these taps began to slowly, relentlessly amplify, just as a spark can ignite a prairie fire, sequentially lighting up every crystal that seemed inert. By the end, even everyone's faces were bathed in a hazy, blueish crystal glow—a truly astonishing spectacle!

Even more incredible was that the entire massive workshop simultaneously "came alive." Various machines roared to life, assembly lines spun at high speeds, instantly manifesting the prosperity and vitality of tens of thousands of years ago before their eyes. At this moment, Pantan, who had been sitting there in a daze, burst into loud laughter: "I know, I know!!!"

Accompanying his laughter, a light, visible only to Fang Senyan and the others, suddenly erupted from his body! Fang Senyan checked the attributes: Pantan had instantly broken through the shackles of the Heroic tier, successfully evolving into a Leader-class SCV! Pantan strode over to Doc’ger's side and began shouting excitedly: "Yes, exactly! I will use my own newly perfected philosophy, with Protoss materials, to create the most powerful war machine! I definitely can!"

As Pantan spoke, the light emanating from him seemed on the verge of spilling out. Fang Senyan saw a halo appear around him, capable of influencing the efficiency of all mechanical operations within a one-kilometer radius by 25%, and any unit personally produced by Pantan was instantly elevated to Elite status!

At that moment, Ronnie, Aldaris, and Fang Senyan simultaneously received a mission: "You have triggered the Emergency Protection Mission: Birth of the Ultimate Ground Weapon, Mission Number.... Mission Content: Protect the newly promoted Leader-class unit SCV Pantan until he successfully constructs his newest, powerful war machine. Mission Duration: Sixty Minutes."

"Mission Hint: Pantan is attempting to build a weapon of war by combining the Terran concept for Thor with Protoss materials, seeking to prove that his path, and that of his brother, is correct. You must ensure his wish is fulfilled. However, the activation of the maintenance facility has also alerted some uninvited guests hiding in the shadows; be wary of their appearance. PS: They may also have received destructive missions from other spatial zones."

"Mission Reward: Merit Points +10."

"Do you accept...?" Faced with this situation, Fang Senyan and the others glanced at the ongoing battle between the Zerg and Protoss—judging by the sound, the opposing sides were still locked in fierce combat and would not disengage anytime soon. So, Fang Senyan gritted his teeth and accepted.

Furthermore, Fang Senyan considered something even more profound: if Pantan truly succeeded in creating the strongest ground war machine in history, only then would they possess the qualifications to intervene in the current conflict between the Zerg and Protoss. Otherwise, with their current strength and bargaining chips, they wouldn't be worth a snap of the Queen of Blades' fingers!

A sudden thought struck Fang Senyan: "If that's the case, then... the Protoss and Zerg cannot spare anyone to sabotage our efforts here. Their main focus remains the Artifact. If either side disperses even a small amount of force to attack us, it means handing the Artifact over to the other—which implies! The ones attacking us are likely Contractors from other spaces! Moreover, there’s a high probability they are acquaintances of yours, Ronnie."

Ronnie’s eyes suddenly lit up. He drew his Bloodied Dagger with his free hand, licked the blade, and narrowed his eyes bloodthirstily: "I really hope it is them who receive this assignment."