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Chapter 4: Operation Butchers
Thomas felt a surge of hope, a hint of life returning to his face—his savior had arrived!
Just as he was about to cry for help, Tang Fang swiftly intervened, coldly uttering, "I’ll deal with them myself." Before his voice had even faded, a sharp, blade-like bug’s limb pierced directly into Thomas’s throat.
The Empire was a hierarchical place with an insurmountable divide between nobles and commoners. In the past, killing someone like him for Wei Haitao would’ve been as easy as squashing a bug. But now that he had control over a Zerg base, given enough time, not even Wei Haitao’s father and his 305th Armored Division would be more than fodder for the swarm.
Thomas couldn’t escape his fate. His cries for help turned into hoarse gasps, blood foam gurgling back into his windpipe, pushed out by his struggling breaths and spilling from the corners of his mouth in thick rivulets.
Tang Fang exhaled, forcing down the turmoil within. If not for the memories of Tang Yan anchoring him, the pre-travel version of himself might not have been able to strike such a fatal blow.
This was a chaotic era, much like the European colonial expeditions during the Age of Exploration, marked by constant warfare and intricate schemes. To survive, Tang Fang had to be ruthless—not only to others but also to himself.
He yanked out the bug limb embedded in Thomas’s throat, and a fountain of blood followed. Recalling his one surviving Zergling, Tang Fang laid down in an area filled with bug corpses.
Soon, he heard the chaotic footsteps of several people. Three beams of light flickered around the corner, accompanied by low shouts, "Who's there? Rokas? Deng Dong? Thomas?"
Their only answer was Thomas's convulsions and the gurgling of blood in his throat.
The lights flashed, and three men appeared. Judging by their earlier shouts, it was Malovich's squad.
"Look, it’s Thomas!" Sharov was the first to notice Thomas lying on the ground.
Once they were sure there was no immediate danger, the three quickly approached. Malovich nudged Thomas, only to be met with more convulsions. He checked Thomas's breathing—it was faint, and there was no saving him.
"Thomas is done for."
Just as Malovich said this, Yintian Qiu, who had been on guard deeper inside the tunnel, seemed to have discovered something. He knelt to inspect a body for a moment, then shook his head with a sigh, "Conda is dead too."
"Help… help me." A weak cry came from nearby.
Sharov swung his gun around, the light landing behind a rock. "It’s Tang Yan! Thank God, he's still alive."
Malovich rushed over, bending down to help Tang Fang up. "Tang Yan, what happened?"
"Bug… Bug swarm… We encountered a Bug swarm. Thomas and Conda are both dead. I only survived by sheer luck."
"And how are you? Can you move?"
"No, my leg’s injured."
Malovich turned his head. "Sharov, quick, medical gel."
"On it." Sharov pulled a strip of medical gel from his pack and gently applied it to Tang Fang’s leg.
"Captain, I’ve checked. Thomas was killed by a Rock Bug. As for Conda, he was slain by a different, strange creature." Yintian Qiu called out from not far away, not bothering to look back.
"A strange creature?"
"Yes, the body’s right here."
Malovich was startled and ordered Sharov to take care of Tang Fang. He quickly rushed over to Yintian Qiu and peered down with the help of a flashlight.
Malovich couldn’t help but gasp. What an ugly monster. Even in death, it still sent chills down his spine.
"It’s that thing. If it hadn’t been for it, Thomas and Conda wouldn’t have died," Tang Fang shouted from nearby, his voice tinged with lingering fear.
"Sharov, Yintian Qiu, take Tang Yan and return to base immediately," Malovich ordered sternly. The situation on Planet 5 was clearly more dangerous than their intelligence officer had suggested. Judging by the size of this unknown creature, its combat capabilities could be far stronger than Rock Bugs. This needed to be reported to the commander immediately to re-evaluate their battle plans.
Sharov and Yintian Qiu acknowledged the order. They helped Tang Fang up, supporting him from both sides as they headed back. After taking a few photos of the Zerg corpse and collecting the imaging recorders from both Thomas and Conda, Malovich followed them out.
On the way back, the three men were heavy-hearted and silent. Tang Fang, however, was focused on the Starcraft II system in his mind. He had heard the system's notification sound when Thomas and Conda had died. Checking the interface now, he saw that the number representing resources, the crystals, had risen to 10, but the Terran base still remained grayed out and inoperable.
It seemed the Terran base couldn’t be unlocked by merely using DNA as the Zerg base had done. Human deaths evidently generated far more life energy than that of Rock Bugs. As for the Zerglings, they couldn’t be used for other purposes.
Aside from analyzing the system data, Tang Fang also thought about his current situation. Though he knew that Wei Haitao was the one who had ordered Conda and Thomas to kill him, he had no choice but to return to the base.
First, the Empire was strict when dealing with deserters. Punishments ranged from execution to life-long hard labor. Even with the overpowered system he now had, he was still too weak to stand against the behemoth that was the Empire. It wouldn’t take an army or armored division to deal with him; just a few elite soldiers, like the Blood Wolves of the Penal Army, would be enough to take him down.
Second, even if he could fake his death and escape from his unit, how would he survive on Planet 5? This place was far from fully developed, with just a year’s worth of atmosphere conditioning to make it barely livable. Settlements and sustainable living were still a long way off. Without supplies or food, he would starve to death in a matter of days.
Third, from the conversations between Thomas and Conda, it was clear that only Wei Haitao knew how valuable his head was. As long as Tang Fang returned to the base, the presence of the commanding officer and the watchful eyes of others would prevent Wei Haitao from making any rash moves. If he tried anything, he would find himself on trial before a military court. The Empire, despite its polished surface, was rife with factions and hidden power struggles. Many eyes were watching the Wei family, and if Wei Haitao didn’t want to cause trouble for his family, he would have to restrain himself from making any moves.
Tang Fang hated the idea of placing his life in someone else’s hands. It was like walking on the edge of a blade, but to survive, he had no choice.
Three days later, in a cell within the base’s detention area, Tang Fang stared expressionlessly at the line of blood-red text slowly scrolling across the electronic screen. It was the verdict of his case.
"Regarding Tang Yan's abandonment of his teammates, the commander has submitted a ruling to the higher authorities. The verdict is as follows: guilty. However, considering past contributions, he is granted an opportunity to redeem himself through meritorious service. He is ordered to participate in the upcoming 'Operation Butchers.' If he successfully completes the mission objectives, he will be exempt from punishment."
After reading this message, Tang Fang’s expression darkened considerably. Over the past two days, he had learned from the guards' conversations that "Operation Butchers" was nothing more than a suicide mission. Anyone who volunteered for it was a fool.
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