Speculation

Although they had achieved another stage victory, there was still nothing to celebrate until they successfully captured the Zerg Queen and completed their ultimate objective.

"The radiation intensity has dropped. The soldiers' protective suits are enough to withstand this level of exposure. We need to find the Zerg Queen before the Zerg launch their next assault!"

"Not 'need to'—we must. We'll have a hard time holding off the Zerg's next assault. We have to capture the target during this window!"

"Continue deploying mechanical soldiers and automated defense modules to the battlefield. Have them take over the defense, and send all soldiers to search for the target. She has to still be there!"

The X-576, upgraded with the Epoch Clan's new manufacturing process, was better suited to the battlefield than its earlier models. It could create a brief zone of intense radiation, but after a few minutes, the radiation intensity would rapidly decline, allowing friendly personnel to enter and clear the battlefield.

But it only declined; it was not completely eliminated. Though the reduced radiation level could no longer harm Epoch Clan soldiers wearing protective suits, it remained a deadly poison to ordinary lifeforms.

Clearly, while the Zerg's small combat units that had appeared earlier were far stronger than ordinary creatures in battle, they had not fundamentally surpassed that category.

That was why the Epoch Clan staff officers said their soldiers would likely be unable to withstand the Zerg's next offensive. After all, the units capable of charging across the battlefield would undoubtedly be weapons created through space-biological technology.

And in the Epoch Clan's experience, no Zerg unit produced using space-biological technology was ever easy to deal with.

"Tunneling Worm activity has been detected beyond the radiation zone!" an instrument operator suddenly reported.

Since the X-576 did not produce particularly powerful