Chapter 383: The Second Keystone Fragment! Terazine Monopoly! Alliance Secured!
"Someone's coming!"
Luke, standing guard near the climate control system, suddenly flung his lightsaber into a corner. With a sharp squelch, the blade pierced clean through a shimmering, translucent figure—an incoming Blood Hunter mid-stealth.
The intruder was promptly dispatched.
Moments later, with Luke's precise strikes and Tosh's ghost operatives providing support, the remaining Blood Hunters were swiftly eliminated.
After enduring countless battles, Luke was no longer the inexperienced farm boy he once was. He stayed calm throughout the encounter, deftly reading the Death Scythe strikes of his enemies and exploiting every opening for a lethal counter.
In less than half a minute, the fight was over.
Watching the efficient display, Tosh couldn't help but remark, "Not bad at all. I've tangled with these things a few times myself, but I've never seen Anyone deal with them so cleanly."
He could tell Luke was using some kind of psionic ability—that fluid combat style was no ordinary martial skill.
Even among Ghost operatives, close-quarters combat with Blood Hunters was ill-advised. The risks were too high.
In the StarCraft universe, humanity's true strength didn't lie in martial prowess, but in resource management and economic buildup. Winning through superior numbers and production was the real path to victory.
Few could ever stand toe-to-toe with the Protoss in direct combat the way Luke just had.
With the Blood Hunters attempting to sabotage the climate system eliminated, the storm above the Taldarim forces began to subside.
The battlefield below was littered with Taldarim corpses—very few had escaped the thunder, the shattered Colossi, or the resulting chaos.
But Universal Megacorp wasn't about to give them breathing room. Everyone knew: when the enemy is down, you hit harder.
"Commence the assault!"
Raynor seized the opportunity and gave the order to push. Now it was their turn to dominate.
At the forefront charged Universal Megacorp's Chimera tanks, leading the Raiders and AI Sentinel bots into the jungle.
Though the electrical storm hadn't completely passed, the rain was already pouring down on the disoriented Taldarim warriors, who couldn't even tell where the enemy was coming from.
Until, that is, the massive Chimera tanks rolled onto the field, stomping them into the muddy earth and grinding bodies and armor into bloody mush.
Injured and unable to move, the remaining Taldarim could do nothing but watch in despair as they were trampled underfoot. AI Scorpelion drones hovered above, assisting in precise target identification for the advancing troops.
Even lightweight units like Slayers were no match—blown apart by a single shell or crushed underfoot like insects.
Universal Megacorp's counterattack surged forward unhindered.
The Taldarim who had survived the storm were severely wounded, incapable of retreat or resistance. As the Chimeras advanced and the Raiders cleaned up with precision shots, the slaughter was thorough.
Two to the chest, one to the head—no saving Anyone after that.
Watching his elite forces crushed by humans, Naeon was driven into a rage that drowned all reason. Madness from years of Terazine abuse twisted his thoughts, and he bellowed irrational orders:
"Summon every last soldier! I want these human bastards wiped out!"
Naeon's mental state had long been unstable due to chronic Terazine use, and this devastating loss only pushed him further into hysteria.
Terazine, much like spice, boosts psionic power—but its long-term use is highly addictive and severely damaging to both mind and body.
Even the Protoss chosen by the Xel'naga aren't immune.
As Naeon ignored his officers' protests and prepared for a suicidal final stand, a worse report arrived.
"Executor, sir—Hyberion has raided our sanctum! The Xel'naga artifact has been taken!"
The moment the report landed, Naeon was struck like lightning. Only now did he realize—he had fallen for a diversion.
With the bulk of his forces lured to the human front lines, the sanctum defending the artifact had been left understaffed.
When Hyberion attacked, only a few ineffective defense turrets and leftover warriors remained to resist the Raiders.
Under the battleship's constant bombardment—and with Tychus leading the assault team—the Taldarim had no choice but to watch the artifact fragment be stolen.
And as Hyberion withdrew, it even bombed a few more sanctums on its way out!
Even if the Taldarim now regrouped and attempted to pursue, they'd still have to deal with Universal Megacorp's dreadnoughts in orbit above Bysel.
Blow after blow—Naeon had no choice but to force down his fury. The situation was clear: the artifact was already gone.
Even if they repelled the ground assault, there was no hope of reclaiming the fragment from the Wanderer-class dreadnoughts.
At this point, fighting Universal Megacorp to the bitter end was meaningless. It would be wiser to retreat, reorganize, and one day return to reclaim the sacred relic and restore honor.
Grinding his teeth, Naeon gave the only order left: "All forces retreat. Leave Bysel—for now. But we will take back what was ours."
Once the order was given, the remaining Taldarim began a full withdrawal. Elite warriors activated warp jumps, extracting Naeon from the battlefield.
Soon, the Taldarim on Bysel receded like the ebbing tide, abandoning the high ground and leaving Universal Megacorp's base untouched. Unlike the Zerg, the Protoss had poor reproduction rates—even humans could outbreed them.
Every loss was irreplaceable.
Despite his rage, Naeon had to prioritize preserving what forces he had left.
Universal Megacorp didn't pursue. Their goal wasn't genocide—they wanted the keystone fragment, the resources, and the territory.
Let the Protoss live—so long as they left the spoils behind.
With no reinforcements and no morale, the remaining Taldarim on the front lines were swiftly captured. Most didn't resist.
This week-long campaign ended with Universal Megacorp victorious, the Taldarim in retreat, and the second keystone fragment in human hands.
As the battlefield was being cleared, Tosh looked at the robotic custodians combing through the ruins. With a mix of awe and apprehension, he said to Paul:
"Your AI army is terrifying. You mass-produced an entire mechanical force capable of steamrolling the Protoss—not even the Terran Federation could pull that off."
Witnessing Universal Megacorp's industrial might convinced Tosh that the future of humanity lay not in brute force or population, but in economy and technology.
If you wanted overwhelming numbers, the Zerg had you beat.
If you wanted elite units, the Protoss already had that covered.
Humanity's only real advantage? Building better, faster, and smarter.
And Universal Megacorp had mastered that path.
Back at Multiverse HQ, Garen Erso—now a lead executive in Universal Megacorp's megastructure R&D—watched every second of the battle.
The Taldarim were physically and psionically formidable—each warrior as powerful as a Jedi—but still lost completely to superior tech.
The truth was obvious: knowledge and science are the real ultimate power.
Only by understanding the laws of the universe can you bend them to your will.
"Boss, I think it's time we force the Protoss to the negotiation table. Make them our allies and accelerate the unification of Universe 008," suggested Morgan Blackhand.
To him, the storm weapon alone had proven the Taldarim's tech was far inferior.
Strength means stomping your enemies into the dirt and making them submit.
Now, with the momentum of victory, why not use it to force the rest of the Protoss into serving Universal Megacorp?
But Li Ang only shook his head. "The Taldarim are just one branch of the Protoss. Beating them doesn't mean much."
"We stick to the plan—gather all the keystone fragments first."
No matter how satisfying it felt to crush weaker foes, Li Ang knew full well that the Taldarim still held one more fragment.
It was hidden aboard a derelict Xel'naga worldship—their final bastion.
Sooner or later, Universal Megacorp would be heading there.
Until then, they needed to keep things quiet, avoid drawing unwanted attention, and ensure no other factions disrupted their plan.
"Yes, sir."
Morgan nodded, regaining his composure. Universal Megacorp had grown too fast—too easily. Even someone as cautious as him had started fantasizing about multi-front domination.
But their final opponent was Amon, a being of high-dimensional technology. Reckless moves now would only risk it all.
"Have David start deploying defenses across Bysel. Begin immediate extraction of local Terazine. The Raiders and joint forces are to remain on standby for further orders."
Li Ang gave his final orders.
"Yes, sir!"
Returning from the frontlines, Tosh and Paul began discussing the business deal they'd been circling for a while.
Tosh, still eyeing a slice of Universal Megacorp's operation, opened with a smile. "Congratulations, Mr. Paul. You've finally gotten what you wanted—Bysel and the keystone fragment. So, about the partnership we discussed earlier—still interested?"
Bysel was rich in Terazine geysers, and now that Universal Megacorp controlled this treasure trove of resources, they could mine the rare psionic-enhancing gas without restraint.
In a xianxia setting, this planet would be a sacred cultivation ground—a paradise overflowing with "spiritual energy," perfect for a male lead like Xiao Yan to absorb and break through.
Tosh was desperate to latch onto this corporate titan. His Ghost operatives required Terazine to train and stabilize their psionic abilities. Training them was expensive, and the gas wasn't cheap.
If he could afford it, he wouldn't have risked his life sneaking around trying to steal Terazine in the first place.
Now that Bysel belonged to Universal Megacorp, Tosh no longer needed to steal anything. All he needed was Paul's permission—and he'd have access to an endless supply.
Paul didn't immediately agree. Instead, he turned to Tosh and asked calmly, "What are your terms?"
Strictly speaking, Paul didn't have the authority to hand out Bysel's resources. But Tosh's Ghosts could be a useful asset. Until Universal Megacorp could cultivate their own psionic warriors, Tosh's squad still held value.
Of course, that didn't mean Paul would tolerate Tosh making unreasonable demands.
Sensing a real opportunity, Tosh quickly laid out his offer:
"First, I want to build a training base here on Bysel. The atmosphere is rich in Terazine—perfect for our conditioning programs."
"Second, I want the rights to five geysers. I can guarantee the gas will not end up on the black market. Your business interests won't be affected."
Tosh still believed that Universal Megacorp had gone through all this trouble—fighting the Taldarim and conquering Bysel—just to monopolize the Terazine trade.
"If you agree to these two conditions, my Ghost operatives are yours to command."
"And if you're planning a strike against the Terran Dominion, I'll even throw in a few more squads. How's that sound?"
Tosh's hatred for the Dominion ran bone-deep. He'd rather take a loss on the deal if it meant sticking it to that old bastard Mengsk.
Honestly, Tosh wasn't asking for much. Bysel had more than enough geysers—five was negligible. And having his base on-planet might help guard against any Taldarim retaliation or Blood Hunter infiltration.
That alone could save Paul the trouble of requesting Jedi from HQ to keep watch.
Paul nodded thoughtfully and added his own counterproposal. "I'll agree—but only if your team helps us study psionics."
Rather than haggle, Paul went straight to the point. Universal Megacorp was eager to start cultivating its own psionic soldiers, and time was of the essence.
"You're interested in the Ghost Program?" Tosh blinked, visibly surprised. With all their advanced tech and AI robots, he couldn't understand why Universal Megacorp would bother with such a difficult, high-cost endeavor.
"I've got to warn you—Ghosts are hard to control. It's not just about throwing money at the problem. Rushing it will only backfire."
Ghost operatives were constantly at risk of losing control due to Terazine-induced psionic instability. Side effects included—but weren't limited to—ravenous appetites, bloodlust, sadism, and various deranged urges.
Tosh had developed his own ways to keep them in check—methods no amount of money could replicate.
"Don't worry. We're aware of Terazine's flaws. That's exactly why we want to improve it."
Paul smiled. Universal Megacorp had already refined spice compounds; they had an elite research team dedicated to chemical innovation. Fixing Terazine's side effects was just another milestone.
His own mother, Lady Jessica, was the director of that department—and if Anyone could create a side-effect-free Terazine, it was her.
Tosh didn't really believe Universal Megacorp could pull it off, but he accepted the deal anyway. After all, any Ghosts lost in testing wouldn't be his people.
His real value came from knowing how to control Ghosts. Even if Universal Megacorp figured out how to train them, they still needed his secrets to avoid creating unstable psionic monsters.
That's where the Terran Dominion had failed—their Ghosts went rogue too easily.
So Tosh wasn't worried about Paul cutting him out later. Without his "black magic," they were helpless.
"Fine. Deal. I'll teach you how to train Ghosts," Tosh said with a gleeful grin.
With an endless supply of Terazine, Tosh could build an entire army of psionic assassins. One day, maybe he'd even topple the Dominion.
"Thanks for your cooperation."
Paul had secured the alliance. He knew exactly what Tosh was thinking—but didn't care.
Universal Megacorp had geniuses from every known universe. With enough research, they'd not only perfect Terazine, but mass-produce controllable psionic elites.
At that moment, Universal Megacorp's transport vehicles were hauling back the wreckage of Taldarim mechs.
Tosh glanced over and frowned. "What are you picking through their junk for? Their tech is all based on psionics. It's not really useful to humans."
The Dominion had tried to reverse-engineer Protoss technology before. It never worked. Their tech paths were fundamentally incompatible, and Protoss psionics gave them an overwhelming advantage.
"This junk might not look like much to you," Paul said, eyeing the wreckage of Slayers, Immortals, and Vanguard suits with a mysterious smile, "but we're very good at reverse engineering."
From Pandora to Star Wars, Universal Megacorp had stolen tech from countless civilizations. And from a theoretical standpoint, if you stole enough tech, there was no such thing as an unreachable tier.
What Tosh saw as worthless scrap, the R&D division saw as new projects.
In the days that followed, Universal Megacorp's expeditionary force fully took control of Bysel.
To hurry along the Taldarim evacuation, Panam even ordered AI bombers to torch several major Taldarim installations.
Terrified, the Taldarim grabbed their families and scrambled onto starships—leaving behind heaps of equipment and supplies for Universal Megacorp to collect.
Paul, meanwhile, returned to the Hyperion with Jim Raynor to inspect the newly secured keystone fragment.
As they passed through the leisure deck bar, they could hear Tychus regaling the troops with exaggerated stories of his heroism.
According to Tychus, he'd personally torn Colossi apart and stomped on Blood Hunters—unstoppable and unmatched.
Raynor, half amused and half annoyed, finally walked over. "Alright, Tychus. Ease up before your ego floats out the airlock. We got the artifact or not?"
"Course we did. It's in the lab. Dr. Hanson already checked it—everything's fine."
Unbothered by the interruption, Tychus even invited Raynor and Paul for a drink.
Fresh off a major victory and flush with Universal Megacorp's payout, the Raiders were in high spirits.
Most of them hadn't been paid in nearly half a year. Even a rebellion needed food and fuel.
Now, with enough funds to live comfortably for years, they were more loyal than ever to their generous patron.
Politely declining the drinks, Paul and Raynor made their way to the Hyperion's laboratory.
As Tychus said, the second keystone fragment hovered inside a containment field.
There, Dr. Ariel Hanson—formerly of Haven—was busy recording data.
When she saw them arrive, she turned and greeted them with a warm smile. "Welcome back, gentlemen. Humanity's newest heroes."
Ariel was a prodigy in bioengineering. Her life's mission had been to find a cure for Zerg infection and save the innocent.
She could've lived comfortably at the top of the Dominion—high pay, cushy benefits—but she had been drawn to Raynor's cause by his bravery and integrity.
Today, she stood as one of the few scientific powerhouses within the Raiders.
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