Chapter 4

Thomas felt a surge of joy in his heart, and a hint of vitality returned to his face; a savior had arrived! Just as he was about to call for help, Tang Fang, with quick hands and eyes, coldly said, "I have them." As soon as the words were out, the sharp, blade-like limb pierced directly into Thomas's throat.

The empire had a strict hierarchy, with an unbridgeable gap between the nobility and the commoners. In the past, if Wei Haitao wanted to assassinate him, it would have been as easy as squashing a worm. But now that he had a Zerg base, given time, not only would Wei Haitao be no match, but even the 305th Armored Division led by his father would only serve as fodder for the Zerg swarm.

Thomas ultimately could not escape death. His cries for help turned into heavy gasps, blood foam flooding his trachea, pushed back into his mouth by the airflow from his chest, and large amounts of blood flowed down the corners of his mouth.

Tang Fang exhaled the turbid air from his lungs, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart. Fortunately, he had Tang Yan's memories as a foundation; otherwise, if it were the pre-transmigration him, he might not have been able to go through with it.

Just like the medieval European countries that embarked on overseas expeditions to establish colonies, this was a chaotic era, filled with smoke and intrigue everywhere. To survive, one had to be ruthless, not just to others but to oneself as well.

Pulling out the Zerg limb, a large amount of blood foam gushed out. Retrieving the surviving puppy, Tang Fang found a place where Zerg corpses were scattered and lay down.

After a while, the sound of hurried footsteps approached, and three beams of light flashed around the corner. A low voice called out, "Who's there, Lokas? Deng Dong? Thomas?"

The only response was Thomas's convulsions and the gurgling of blood in his throat.

The light flickered, and three people stepped forward. From the earlier call, it was clear they were part of Malovich's team.

"Look, it's Thomas." Sarov was the first to spot Thomas lying on the ground.

After confirming there was no danger, the three quickly approached. Malovich pushed Thomas, but only received convulsions in response. Feeling his breath, it was weak and feeble; he was almost certainly dead.

"Thomas is finished."

As he spoke, Yin Tianchou, who had been on guard deeper in the pit, seemed to have discovered something. He crouched down to inspect for a moment, then shook his head and sighed, "Kunda is also dead."

"Help... help." At that moment, a weak cry for help came.

Sarov turned his gun, and the light shone behind a rock. "It's Tang Yan, thank God, he's still alive."

Malovich left Thomas and hurried over, bending down to support him. "Tang Yan, what happened?"

"Zerg... we encountered a Zerg swarm. Thomas and Kunda are dead, only I survived by chance."

"How about you? Can you move?"

"No, my leg is injured."

Malovich turned his head. "Sarov, quickly, medical gel."

"Coming." Sarov took a piece of medical gel from his backpack and gently applied it to Tang Fang's leg.

"Captain, I've checked. Thomas was killed by a rock worm, and Kunda was killed by another strange creature," Yin Tianchou said without turning his head from a distance.

"Strange creature?"

"Yes, the body is still here."

Malovich was startled and instructed Sarov to take care of Tang Fang. He then rushed to Yin Tianchou's side and looked at the ground with the light.

"Hiss." Malovich couldn't help but draw in a breath. What an ugly monster, even in death, it still looked terrifying.

"That's it, that's it. If it weren't for it, Thomas and Kunda wouldn't have died," Tang Fang's voice came from a distance, still trembling with fear.

"Quick, Sarov, Yin Tianchou, take Tang Yan and return to the base immediately." Malovich's expression was grave. It seemed that Planet 5 was not as peaceful as the intelligence officer had described. Judging from the size of this unknown creature, its combat power was likely a hundred times greater than that of a rock worm. This matter must be reported to the commander, and a new combat plan must be formulated.

Sarov and Yin Tianchou responded, one on each side, and helped Tang Fang up, returning along the original path. Malovich took several photos of the Zerg corpse, then removed the image recorders from Thomas and Kunda before turning to leave.

On the way, the three were silent and somber. Tang Fang, however, focused his mind on the StarCraft 2 system in his head. When Kunda and Thomas died, he had heard the system's prompt. Now, checking the interface, the number representing resource crystals in the game had increased to 10, while the human base interface remained gray and unoperable.

It seemed that the human base could not be unlocked simply by absorbing rock worm DNA, unlike the Zerg base. The life energy collected from humans was clearly much higher than that of the rock worms. As for the puppies, they could not be reused.

Besides analyzing the data of the StarCraft 2 system in his body, he also reflected on his current situation. Although he knew that Wei Haitao was the one who had ordered Kunda and Thomas to assassinate him, he still had to return to the base.

First, the empire's punishment for deserters was severe, ranging from execution to lifelong labor. Even with his powerful system, his foundation was still shallow, and he was no match for the empire. To deal with him, they wouldn't need a fleet or an armored division; a few "Blood Wolves" from the military police would be enough to end his life.

Second, even if he could fake his death and escape the company, how could he leave Planet 5? The planet was still in the early stages of development, with only the atmosphere improved over a year to barely support human activity. Without supplies or food, he would starve to death in a few days.

Third, from the conversation between Thomas and Kunda, he knew that only Wei Haitao knew about the value of his head. As long as he returned to the base, the commander would keep him in check, and with everyone watching, Wei Haitao wouldn't dare to touch him. Otherwise, he would face a military tribunal. The empire, though seemingly bright on the surface, was rife with internal factions and intrigue. Many eyes were watching the Wei family, and if he didn't want to cause trouble for his family, he had to keep his ambitions in check.

Tang Fang actually disliked the feeling of entrusting his life to others; it was like walking a tightrope. But to survive, he had to do it.

...

Three days later, in a prison cell in the base's detention area, behind the iron bars as thick as a child's arm, Tang Fang looked at the blood-red text slowly scrolling on the electronic display. It was the result of his punishment.

"Regarding the incident of 'Tang Yan' betraying his teammates, after the commander submitted it to higher authorities for review, the decision is as follows: The charge is confirmed, but considering past contributions, he is given a chance to redeem himself by participating in the 'Butcher Operation' in three days. If the mission is completed, the punishment will be waived."

After reading the message, Tang Fang's face turned extremely dark. He had already learned from the guards' conversations the content of the "Butcher Operation." The idea of redeeming himself was a joke; it was a suicide mission, and whoever went would be a fool.