"Purge?!" Adelin seemed to wither completely. The fervor in her eyes was snuffed out by disbelief, replaced by such utter despair that anyone who saw it felt their heart break.
"This is impossible, impossible! Lord Xel'Naga, I know the Protoss' development has disappointed you, but... but we have never forgotten who we are. We have never given up on returning. Lord Xel'Naga, we..."
"Enough!" The furious roar was like an enraged lion's bellow, making the entire space seem to tremble.
The roar did not come from the Xel'Naga, but from behind Adelin. It came from a Templar concealed within the void—the captain of the Protoss flagship, Xia Zuo. A Dark Templar. A level thirty-six god-tier powerhouse.
He flew to Adelin's side and helped her up, his eyes filled with grief and indignation. "Enough, Chieftain Adelin. The Protoss were not created to beg for mercy. Amon betrayed us. We treated him like a parent, yet he regarded us as tools. We wanted to join the Xel'Naga, yet they saw us as traitors. Then today, let us traitors fight for the dignity of survival. Even if we die, we must not betray the radiance of the Light of the Khala!"
"This little fellow has certainly surprised me... Hmm, what is your name?" The Xel'Naga's arrogance and disdain abruptly vanished, replaced by intense interest in Xia Zuo.
"Dark Templar, Xia Zuo!" Xia Zuo's attitude remained cold. Clearly, the Xel'Naga's sudden change in demeanor was not enough to make him sweet-talk his way into favor.
"Xia Zuo. Very good. I'll remember you. I admire your backbone. How about this? I will allow you to choose five hundred of your people to return with me to Xel'Naga territory and rebuild the Protoss race..." The Xel'Naga stared intently at Xia Zuo.
But Xia Zuo laughed, coldly.