Blade of Tassadar

The battle continued until 5:20 a. m., and the walls of the defensive fortifications in all directions of Mar- Sara were piled high with the corpses of infected humans and Zerg, and the entire battlefield was stained red with blood.

The defensive line was repeatedly breached by the Swarm, only to be retaken by Augustus's warriors. The number of casualties had already exceeded the total number of deaths suffered by the Guard Division in all previous battles.

The number of Infested Terran has exceeded Augustus's estimates, seemingly surpassing the total number of missing and dead in Mar- Sara. Revolutionary Army scientists can only speculate that either Mar- Sara's Confederacy alien labs are experimenting on people from other planets, or that the Infested Terran are even capable of reproducing on their own.

The Jormungand Brood facing the Korhal Revolutionary Army is not only Zerg main Zerg hive that executes attack commands, but also one of the most numerous and powerful Zerg hives. It is only a matter of time before they overwhelm the abandoned Mar- Sara colony.

As the last batch of transport ships departed from the airport and took off, countless corpses of Infested Terran were already piled up in front of the defensive wall where Augustus was located. The corpses were piled up to a height of four or five feet, making it possible for Infested Terran to climb the wall of fortifications even if they did not know how to use ladders.

This undoubtedly indirectly lowered the height of the defensive fortification walls, allowing the alien creatures surging in from behind to climb the high walls by stepping on the corpses of the former. Countless infected Terrans, as numerous as the sands of the sea, staggered towards the fortification walls on all sides, like a black tide.

Meanwhile, transport ships continued to take off from the launch pad on the high platform in the airport center, with a large number of transport ships rapidly climbing up every half hour, trailing reddish-orange tail flames.

Large numbers of Zerg flying creatures closely followed the spaceships, engaging in thrilling high-altitude battles with the brave human fighter pilots as they surged toward the ever-increasing altitude of the transport ships.

Occasionally, enormous, flesh-colored bats, named "Scourge" by the Revolutionary Army's alien scientists, would crash into the propulsion mechanisms at the stern of the transport ship, blasting the straight-climbing vessel into a fireball. The fragments of the transport ship, disintegrating amidst shrieks, would fall to the earth like fireworks, killing the humans inside instantly before they could react, or burning them alive.

When the Scourge hit the ground, they undoubtedly become a terrifying living bomb.

Anyone who experienced it will never forget that terrifying night.

"How many groups of people have been evacuated this time?" Augustus swinging his Gauss Rifle, which had run out of magazines, at the Infested Terran had climbed over countless corpses to the top of the wall, shooting his brains out.

Meanwhile, Kerrigan, standing beside Augustus, precisely fired her C-10 canister pistol, blasting two distorted Infested Terran with pinpoint accuracy. Then, she tossed her fiery red hair, turned, and picked off the Infested Terran climbing up the other side of the fortification wall one by one.

Even Kerrigan was exhausted after fighting all night, her forehead covered in fine beads of sweat. Faraday, clad in crimson CMC-300 Power Armor, gripped a railgun and fired at a Hydralisk mixed in with the Infested Terran army. A single MK-12 piercing round shattered the monster's spiked and fanged jawbone, and each spent casing hit the ground with a dull thud.

Corpses were everywhere around them, including those of the Revolutionary Army soldiers, as well as large numbers of Infested Terran and Zerg. The Infested Terran, who were so different from their original appearance, were now just monstrous creatures resembling humans, writhing, twisted flesh formed by the fusion of mutated carapace tissue and curled tentacles.

Their clothing, hats, Power Armor, and what they wore when they were still human had become a mixture of veins and tendons, looking like a tumor studded with scraps of metal and fabric.

"Control tower swore that was the last group; everyone was successfully evacuated," a communications officer in the command center replied.

"Fleets transport ships that are supposed to pick us up will arrive on the ground in fifteen minutes. General Warfield said they're tied down by the Zerg air force and can't provide any more support."

"Listen, lads. Rescue will arrive in fifteen minutes. Hold on, we'll be rescued soon. Take care of the wounded. If we can't take our comrades' bodies with us, we'd rather burn them than leave them for the bugs." Augustus switched to the command channel while changing the magazine in his hand.

"Korhal's tough guys, every one of you is a hero."

As Augustus spoke, a Mutalisk with a bright purple carapace descended from the sky amidst the whistling of bullets. This monster, with a wingspan of over thirty feet (about ten meters), swooped down from the low sky like a snow owl pouncing on the ground, landing on the heads of the two marshal's guards beside Augustus.

"Lanzel, fire at your heads!" Augustus raised his Gauss Rifle and began firing at the charging Mutalisk. His grip on the gun was no longer as steady as before, causing many bullets to miss.

Upon hearing the sound, the two marshal's guards immediately raised their guns and fired upwards.

The Mutalisk was, after all, just flesh and blood. Its outstretched wings quickly developed many holes, as if they were punctured membranes. But this did not affect the Mutalisk's normal flight. It truly resembled a monstrous dragon descending from the sky, casting a rapidly moving shadow on the ground.

A few hours ago, the Zerg flying creatures, under the cover of the Revolutionary Army's anti-aircraft missiles and machine guns, could not recklessly invade the airspace above the airport and defensive positions, but now their numbers are increasing, while the human anti-aircraft firepower is constantly weakening.

After descending to a height of forty or fifty feet, the ovipositor at the end of the serpentine tail of the Mutalisk precisely projected at least a dozen bright green symbiotes.

The lowest Revolutionary Army soldier was immediately blown to pieces after being hit, along with his armor and bones dissolved by the acid; his screams ceased in that instant.

Then some other symbiotes bounced and landed at the feet of another soldier not far away. The symbiotes withered into a bright green color in an extremely short time, becoming a short life cycle from birth to decay.

Bang--

"Sarah, take it down!" Augustus shouted.

Kerrigan turned around at Augustus's call. Psionics for shooting was almost innate; she aimed and fired in a matter of seconds. The 25mm canister bullet, accompanied by a sharp whistle, struck the Mutalisk's body, which immediately screamed and fell to the ground, smashing into the protective wall and creating a dent.

Even so, the Mutalisk was still alive after the fall. One of its wings was clearly broken and hung limply, its body was covered in bullet holes, and blood flowed from the wounds all over its body to the ground.

On the cratered alloy ground, the Mutalisk roared and struggled like a runaway beast, opening its blood-red maw at the nearest enemy until Augustus accurately threw an Electromagnetic Grenade into its open reproductive organ, scattering shattered flesh and blood all over the ground.

Augustus could even celebrate, another massive wave of Infested Terran climbed the fortification walls, and by this time, only one-tenth of the warriors guarding the area remained.

Corpses were everywhere, and everyone's death was extremely gruesome. Some were corroded into black ash by acid, some had their hands cut off at the root by Hydralisk, and some were dragged off the fortification wall by the feet by Infested Terran and torn to pieces.

"The reserve battalion must reinforce the front lines immediately; we need support." Augustus took a deep breath and rushed toward the nearest Infested Terran.

It was an infected Omega Squadron Marine. On his black CMC Power Armor, one could still faintly see the marks of past honors. The white inverted U-shaped badge and skull insignia were now covered by a layer of overgrown tissue and pulsating tendons.

The Omega Squadron Marines' orange Matte Helmet resembled broken eggs, with a large, dark hole in the visor, from which several flesh-colored tentacles protruded from the jagged edges. The built-in computers in their Power Armor were still functioning, but their communication devices emitted only static and no other sound.

The Confederate Marine Corps still gripped his Gauss Rifle tightly, but he had forgotten how to fire it, less skilled than a chimpanzee who knew how to use a stick.

Before enlisting, all new Confederacy recruits swear an oath that they will never abandon their rifles; the rifles are their best friends, their lives. However, the Swarm has now truly bound him to his rifle forever; the weapon, covered in tentacles and lumpy skin, has become a part of him—an organ rather than a weapon.

He may have once been a brainwashed and neurotomized prisoner, a soulless walking corpse, but becoming part of the Swarm did not bring this soldier freedom; perhaps death is the only eternal release.

The Jormungand Brood assimilated him. This soldier, who used to be able to keep up with hoverbikes at full speed, was no longer as agile as before. He dragged his convulsing, twisted body slowly, muttering the same old words over and over again. Nothing more than loyalty to the people of the Confederacy —the kind of words that are commonplace on recruitment posters.

The spikes and long claws that grow from the joints of Infested Terran are enough to tear apart a fully armed human soldier. Anyone who underestimates these pathetic monsters ends up as mincemeat or one of them.

For humans assimilated by the Zerg, pain and other sensations have vanished, and fear is merely a distant memory. He is simply a Sentinel existing to guard the Jormungand Brood.

In an instant, Augustus fired a Spike Bullet at the monster, the sound of bullets hitting the armor ringing out incessantly.

Under the powerful firepower of the Gauss Rifle, the monster fell without any honor or dignity. Its appearance and posture in death were vastly different from those of a celebrated Confederacy soldier. Only its appearance could vaguely reveal that it had once been human.

Immediately afterwards, more infected Omega Squadron scaled the city walls, their power boots with their plates turned outward scraping against the alloy ground with a series of teeth-grinding screechs.

The army of Infested Terran advanced relentlessly, clinging to the corpses of their kind, with more taking their place for every Infested Terran who fell.

"Tychus!" Augustus shouted.

"These alien monsters are endless!" At that moment, Tychus was on the high platform next to him, noticed the situation around Augustus. He immediately gripped the handle of his heavy machine gun and swept it around the Omega Squadron marines until he ran out of bullets.

"Die! Die!"

When the assistant machine gunner yelled that they were out of ammunition, Tychus simply picked up a Gauss Rifle, stepped down, and, shouting profanities like "bastard," smashed the skull open of the last remaining Omega Marine.

At this point, the Infested Terran beneath the fortification walls gradually decreased, replaced by genuine Zerg. Clearly, the Cerebrate of the Jormungand Brood had had enough of playing the Game of humans fighting humans, and were tired of the Infested Terran as their new toy.

A fiercer attack was about to begin. And Augustus knew that his exhausted warriors had no strength left to cope with the next assault.

"I've never fought a battle like this before. I thought we came to Mar- Sara to kill bugs, but now it's turned into a zombie Game." Tychus walked up to Augustus: "Got any cigarettes, boss?"

"Why don't you go check if those people have any cigarettes on them?" Augustus was able to catch his breath while the Swarm reorganized its attack.

"What about Jimmy Boy? I haven't heard from him in ages. It feels like a century ago he went to rescue those Protoss sharpheads." Tychus, hearing Augustus's words, actually rummaged through the Omega Marines' remains, but he was looking for bullets instead of cigarettes.

"This makes me miss him."

"You care about him so much?" Augustus.

"Just a little bit," Tychus said.

"Hmm," Augustus nodded. "Jimmy arrived there more than an hour ago, but the besieged Protoss have no intention of asking for their help."

"To be more precise, those Protoss warriors are here to help us fight off the Zerg. And each of them is capable of taking on a hundred enemies."

"So there's such a good thing?" Tychus grinned.

"These golden Protoss are worlds apart from the Tal'darim. If you hadn't said that, I would never have believed that there were people in this world willing to give up their lives for others, let alone that they were aliens."

"You can't say that, Tychus. There are always good people among humans, and good aliens too," Augustus. "We're just unlucky and lucky enough that these Protoss in the Sara System happen to be the kind who don't want to harm humans."

"It's obvious. You and Jimmy are typical good guys, while I'm a bad guy. But since those Protoss don't need us to save them, then we've made a wasted trip." Tychus shrugged.

"To be precise, I have achieved my goal. The Protoss sensed our goodwill and were therefore willing to have a brief exchange with Raynor. It can be said that we have established a bridge of communication with these Protoss in the Sara System," Augustus.

"I look forward to a direct dialogue with the Protoss Fleets commander."

"So you don't care about those aliens' lives at all. You saved them not out of some damned compassion, but for political purposes. I could tell from your father that politicians are all dirty-hearted," Tychus cursed.

"So, where is Jimmy?" To be honest, Tychus was more concerned about Raynor than anything about aliens.

"Not long ago he said he would be here soon and that he would bring reinforcements." Augustus glanced at Tychus, and flashes of light appeared on the distant horizon.

Five Revolutionary Army patrol boats led the charge, followed closely by the Protoss's gleaming golden fighters and transport ships. These Protoss fighters had elegant fuselages and butterfly-like wings, while Hornet-like interceptors buzzed low overhead, followed closely by crescent-shaped warships and slender cylindrical Scout.

The golden fighter jets and warships resembled countless golden stars flying from the horizon, their dazzling light like scattered gold.

"Reinforcements have arrived, soldiers. Pack your things and prepare to board the ship. Don't leave anyone behind," Augustus said over the communication channel.

A few scattered, not very enthusiastic cheers came from the surrounding area. The warriors were exhausted and didn't quite trust the Protoss who had just bombed Zha Sara.

"Are you sure they're not here to kill us?" Tychus's voice was likely more trembling with fear than surprise.

"That's quite extravagant. These fighter jets must be worth a lot of money. Will they sell them to us?" Tychus shrugged.

"The price is negotiable; we'll resell it to the Umojan people—"

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I've fixed a bug from the previous chapter. The statement that infected organisms ignite upon exposure to strong ultraviolet light should be an exception in Meinhoff; infected organisms on ordinary planets (such as Haven) can appear normally during the day. That description has been removed.