Vile Disintegration

The ground trembled violently and never stopped, as if the planet Char itself was trembling and sobbing. The crimson ocean was surging, and the thick clouds of ash on the horizon were spinning and moving rapidly under the influence of the storm.

By this time, the sun had already risen, and the surface temperature in areas directly exposed to sunlight could reach two to three hundred degrees Celsius. Because Char's atmosphere was filled with thick ash clouds, the internal temperature was even more astonishing.

Jim Raynor stood atop a high ground, where a scorching wind seemed to bake a person dry, blowing through the ash layer beneath his feet to reveal the black volcanic rock beneath.

The high ground is dotted with six anti-aircraft missile towers and a newly assembled Ion Cannon (one of the Tarsonis orbital defense weapons in the Battle of Ion Cannon). A golden-red flag flutters in the wind, and fully armed Revolutionary Army soldiers keep their eyes fixed on the sky and the ground beneath their feet.

This is the position of the 303rd Marine Battalion, who are tasked with guarding this high ground located south of the Char Expeditionary Force command post.

This hill, along with several other Bunker complexes, formed a barrier for the headquarters of the Revolutionary Army's Char Expeditionary Force. Next to it were the command center, the command company's residence, the field hospital, and even a field kitchen where bread could be baked, providing a more comfortable environment for wounded soldiers.

As the Revolutionary Army colonized more and more planets, the soldiers' salaries and benefits also increased. The soldiers Augustus not only for the liberation and freedom he represented, but also for his kindness and care for his soldiers.

"Commander, tactical analysis shows that the Swarm swarm far outnumbers us."

Next to Raynor was a table made of several supply crates, with an open Holographic Projection projector on it.

The holographic screen was displaying intermittent images transmitted from the front lines, with the Adjutant connected to the central supercomputer of the flagship Norad II occupying the lower left corner of the screen.

Next to it was a news report from a week ago, in which the Tarsonis UNN company, now under UED control, broadcast the news of their signing of a ceasefire agreement with the Revolutionary Army to the entire Koprulu Sector.

This caused a huge uproar in the former territory of the Terran Confederacy and even in other human forces. Even mercenaries and pirates were moved by the news, making it even more significant than the news of the fall of Tarsonis.

The Terran Confederacy had such a terrible reputation across its colonies that more people cheered when Tarsonis fell than worried that Earth would demand more land.

At the same time, public opinion was divided, and the Confederacy colonies, which longed for peace, were unwilling to be involved in any more wars.

Public opinion was quite unfavorable to Augustus and the Revolutionary Army, with some considering him a traitor to the Terrans race. However, this also led more and more radicals to see Augustus as the last hope to resist Earthlings. Many more people realized that if anyone could defeat the Earth invaders, it could only be Augustus.

Raynor and Charles knew even more: this peace talk was merely the calm before the storm, a means to convince the Earthlings that the Revolutionary Army was interested in negotiations.

Raynor didn't know why Augustus so certain that the UED would launch a large-scale military operation and deploy a massive force in Char, but in any case, the facts proved him right once again.

Once news of Gerard DuGalle's invasion of Char with a large UED Fleets reaches Augustus, Augustus will immediately launch an attack.

The situation was quite favorable for the Revolutionary Army, as Raynor had seen in Char, Char the UED had already expended a large number of troops.

"Alright, you blockhead, say something useful!" Raynor wanted to kick him a couple of times, but couldn't bring himself to. "I'm not blind."

This Holographic Projection projector has a neat rectangular black box, which is entirely handcrafted using a riveting process. It is a product of Terra Corporation, which is known for its meticulous craftsmanship. The bottom of the box features the wolf crest of the Mengsk Family and the white shield emblem of the Revolutionary Army in painted finish.

It was Raynor's personal item, not issued by the Revolutionary Army's equipment department; it was a gift from Marshal Augustus Mengsk himself, and Raynor treasured it dearly.

From this vantage point, one can clearly see the vast ash plain to the northwest of the highlands, where plumes of smoke rising straight up and black rocks exposed to the blazing sun create a gloomy and desolate scene.

Countless Zerg swarmed across the wasteland, forming plumes of smoke that moved incessantly across the ground. They were kept at bay by an invisible wall outside the Revolutionary Army's positions, moving frantically towards the main hive area like a black tide. In the sky, dark clouds gathered, formed by Zerg flying creatures such as Overlord, Mutalisk, and Brood Guardian.

If it weren't for the interference field created by the "Big Bill" Psi Disrupter, even the impregnable fortress made of steel would not have been able to withstand the sharp teeth and claws of the vast swarm of insects.

This location is quite close to the main hive area. Right where the Revolutionary Army built its base, Zerg organic structures collapsed everywhere, bombarded by artillery, napalm flamethrowers, and cluster explosives. Those ugly, reddish-brown lumps of flesh have lost the support of bones and tissue fluid, and look like rotten apples, withered and shriveled by Char's scorching sun.

Amidst numerous hatcheries, the Broodmother's Nest, the Defiler Cave, the Ultralisk Cave, and the Nydus Worm passageways lies the enormous cocoon enveloping the newly Overmind, surrounded by countless Zerg, all submitting to the Overmind of the Swarm.

The cocoon looked no different from the ordinary one, covered by a tough, green shell that resembled a skin and was covered with sharp spikes. But the one that contained the Overmind was unusually huge, resembling a mountain made of organic tissue, flesh, blood vessels, and a heart.

The cocoon's height, floor space, and visual impact are equivalent to twenty Terra Family skyscrapers that Raynor saw in Tarsonis.

The newborn Overmind is clearly still waiting to hatch, a process that has lasted for a full six months. Initially, it was just an embryo formed from the aggregation of a few Cerebrate, but now it stands as majestic as a mountain.

Raynor could imagine the scene when the cocoon hatched, and he hoped he would never see it.

Currently, the allied forces have stormed into the main hive area, engaging in an extremely bloody battle for position against the Tiamat and Grendel Brood defending the hive. All sides are fighting with bloodlust, and the battle is incredibly fierce. Even from Raynor's position, one can smell the blood and the acrid stench of burning corpses.

At this point, the Revolutionary Army had retreated to the second line and no longer undertook the main attack mission. Even Gerard DuGalle's UED forces no longer launched a strong attack on the main nest area, instead letting the Hybrid take on the main attack mission.

Char is one of the most treacherous planets in the Koprulu Sector, and the main hive is the most dangerous part of the planet.

The entire underground of the main hive has been excavated by Nydus Worm and is closely connected to all the wormhole networks of Char. Therefore, Zerg from all dimensions of Char emerge from the underground of the main hive every moment. The massive Zerg air force also makes approaching the main hive from the air a pipe dream.

Once deep into the main hive area, the human forces lose most of their advantages, becoming no different from lambs to the slaughter in the eyes of the Zerg. Strategically, their sacrifices are also of little value, less significant than the Revolutionary Army's Psi Disrupter.

The UED army brought from its homeland was already too weak to afford losses and difficult to replenish—even though the expeditionary force had come here with the determination to perish in the wasteland if it failed.

Therefore, those still fighting in the main hive area are now the Protoss and Hybrid, while the humans are responsible for providing fire support and holding their rear.

Although Fenix claimed in a "humane" tone that fighting alongside the Hybrid made the Protoss nauseous and gave them goosebumps, the Protoss resolutely endured their physical aversion and did not kill the Hybrid along with the Zerg.

To kill the Overmind, the Protoss were clearly fighting with all their might. Reinforcements continued to warp in from their homeworld of Shakuras, seemingly an endless Templar Knights, even within the warp matrix they had set up on the surface Char Char.

The Zerg and Protoss seem to be natural enemies, and since the Battle of Aiur, the conflict between the two races has been constantly amplified. The Protoss will not let go of any opportunity to eliminate their great enemy, even if it means fighting to the death.

The Hybrid and Protoss are advancing over the corpses of the Zerg, and although the progress is slow, they are indeed steadily moving towards the position of Overmind.

The Protoss's Psionics battle cries echoed through the heavens, and even from this distance, Raynor could feel the oppressive weight of their approach. Raynor wanted to fight alongside the Protoss, but with so many waiting for his orders, he simply couldn't leave.

"Bang bang--bang bang bang--boom boom boom--"

The area was surrounded by the Revolutionary Army's anti-aircraft machine gun positions, which were constantly firing at the Mutalisk in the sky that had accidentally fallen into the Psi Disrupter's field and were flying and attacking haphazardly.

Several miles away, the Arclite Siege Tank positions were bombarding the Nydus Worm webs of the main hive area with their 120mm Thor's Hammer Siege Cannon. The fire was incessant, and each salvo consumed enough shells to turn the logistics officer's face ashen.

The Protoss and UED were also firing, with blue particle cannon shells and sky-covering rockets falling into the main hive area with hoarse, sharp whistles, creating huge "Fountain" hundreds of feet high on the ground covered with ash and dark Creep, revealing the black rocky ground below.

Countless shrapnel and energy-filled shockwaves tore everything apart in the main hive area, blasting countless Zerg into dust. The overwhelming firepower simultaneously ripped apart the corpses of the dead and the living, reducing everything to ashes.

"This is Magan Torres, Assault Team B calling command. Your Excellency, we have broken through the lines and are approaching the Overmind." At this moment, a communication channel marked with emphasis appeared on the Holographic Projection screen.

That was one of Raynor's special operations units, each squad led by a Ghost operative. Their mission was to follow the attacking Protoss and Hybrid as they deployed Psi Disrupter in the main hive. In emergencies, these squads could contact Raynor directly.

"Well done." Raynor said with a sigh of relief. "Lieutenant Torres, once the Psi Disrupter is deployed, evacuate immediately. What about the rest of the team?"

The sensors on this ghost agent were still transmitting some unstable images. He was moving at a speed that ordinary people could not possibly achieve. Renault could only see the fleeting remains of the Protoss Dragon Knight and the corpse of the giant Thunder Beast.

"I'm sorry." Like many Ghost operative, Torres's voice behind the mask was unusually hoarse. "I carry their nameplates with me, as if their souls are with me."

The Revolutionary Army's Ghost operative all have their own names rather than code names; they are seen as part of humanity, not monsters or killing machines.

"As planned, Azma, the Protoss Dark Prelate, is leading the Dark Templar Overmind; they are close to success." He continued:

"I can sense the immense power within the Overmind, but it has not yet awakened. Before the Dark Templar, it is as weak and feeble as a Cerebrate."

In the Revolutionary Army, those familiar with this meme know that the Ghost operative is joking about their pet Cerebrate Alpha, since it can't even beat a Krusas turkey. That's the Ghost operative ' cold, hard humor.

"..." Just as Raynor was about to give another order, Ghost operative Torres spoke up.

"The UED has also sent a small team to approach the Overmind," Torres said. "I need to know what they're doing—these Earthlings can't see through my disguise."

"Step back, Lieutenant!" Raynor said immediately.

"I'm approaching them, General. It's a special operations team, four medics." Torres's communications equipment seemed to be malfunctioning; he couldn't hear Raynor at all.

"This isn't right—my God, they're trying to control the Overmind with a neurotoxin. How is that possible? How can a human control a monster like that?" he said.

"This is like using a dog leash to lead a hungry tiger."

"Stop them!" Raynor was so shocked he broke out in a cold sweat.

Once DuGalle successfully controls the Overmind, the Char Swarm will be under his control, and the Revolutionary Army will have no chance of defeating the UED.

"What about the Protoss? They can read minds too, and they won't let DuGalle succeed!"

Just then, Torres stopped in his high-speed march with a scream. The footage from his helmet showed that a sharp claw had pierced his chest from behind. The sharp black claw protruded from his chest, which was covered in blood.

It was a finger from Hybrid, much larger than a human, and this attack from behind lifted Torres off the ground.

Then, the Hybrid carried Torres and ran quickly toward the main hive area, while a sinister laugh continuously entered Raynor's mind through the Ghost operative's devices.

"Are you still clinging to a sliver of hope?"

"Bastard!" Raynor slammed his fist into the Holographic Projection device, immediately producing a metallic creaking sound.

Before Torres died completely, the sensors on his helmet were still functioning properly, so Raynor could see four UED medics injecting nerve agents using nanoinjectors on their Power Armor.

As expected, the dose of nerve agent they carried was sufficient to control the Overmind. However, the squad apparently failed to notice the sudden appearance of the Dark Templar.

--UED knows very little about the Dark Templar.

Dark Prelate Azma emerged from the shadows and swiftly killed three of the four medics in a flurry of swordplay, but failed to prevent the last medic from injecting poison into the Overmind.

In the final scene, the Dark Templar are locked in battle with the swarming Hybrid.

Wow, this is amazing! I woke up to a flood of 99+ messages, and my fighting spirit is back!