"I'm much better..." At this moment, the image of another girl flashed through Zheng Zha's mind. He gently pushed aside Zhan Lan and spoke, his push firm and resolute despite his lack of strength.

Zhan Lan, who had been weeping miserably, froze for a considerable moment upon being pushed away. Then, she managed an unnatural, strained laugh. "Are you alright? You really scared me to death just now. You suddenly started convulsing like you were having a fit, and you kept spitting up blood—it was terrifyingly gruesome..." Zheng Zha felt utterly weak, but compared to the pain that surpassed death moments before, this state felt like paradise. He managed a bitter smile. "Thank you so much. If you hadn't kept... kept helping me breathe, I would have suffocated long ago. In that situation, if I had lost consciousness from suffocation... I think I'd be a corpse right now."

Zhan Lan's expression had returned to normal. She giggled sweetly. "Actually, I should be thanking you. If you hadn't saved me, I truly don't know what my end would have been... What happened just now? Was it some kind of illness?" Zheng Zha shook his head; he truly didn't know how to describe the state he'd been in. At that moment of life or death, he felt as if something inside him had been unlocked. The combat had been impossibly fluid, the control precise to the millimeter, every bit of strength pushed to its absolute limit, a fighting instinct devoid of pity or fear. If he had to compare it to something, it was remarkably similar to an animation he had once seen called "Seed"—he had managed to 'pop his Seed' at the most critical juncture.

Of course, this was more likely the 'Gene Lock' that Chu Xuan had mentioned—the evolutionary peak of humanity capable of surviving any extreme situation. That might explain why he suffered such agonizing pain afterward; it could have been the side effect of the substance that unlocked the Gene Lock.

The pain came quickly and left just as fast. Zheng Zha felt his strength gradually returning, but the feeling of his Gene Lock being unbound was also receding. It seemed the potent toxin was being broken down by his body. His powerful cellular vitality and immunity had saved him, but simultaneously, they had severed the possibility of that substance unlocking the Gene Lock completely in one go. Zheng Zha could almost imagine it: if he could have maintained that level of combat instinct, the Xenomorphs would not have been insurmountable monsters.

Seeing Zheng Zha offer no reply, Zhan Lan didn't press the matter. Instead, she suddenly chirped, "You killed a Xenomorph. See if you got any reward for it? Hee hee, don't tell me you got nothing?" Zheng Zha had already recovered a significant amount of strength. He immediately looked at his watch, and indeed, it displayed 'Killed Xenomorphs: One,' followed by 'Reward Points: Five Hundred.' Perhaps the announcement of the reward had sounded during the fight, but his mind had been consumed only by killing, so he hadn't registered it then.

He suppressed the surge of elation and stated, "I received five hundred reward points. That's fantastic; it's almost half the reward for surviving an entire horror movie."

Zhan Lan beamed, as if the reward points he earned were her own. She laughed happily. "Five hundred points for one! And maybe you can kill a few more Xenomorphs! You could rack up thousands this time... Hee hee, since you say I saved your life, are you going to buy me a little gift when we get back?" Zheng Zha looked at Zhan Lan's perfectly crimson lips, and for some unknown reason, his heart warmed. He heard himself say, "Then I'll get you the most perfect lip balm; that lip color looks beautiful..." Zhan Lan's face immediately flushed scarlet. She shot him a reproachful look, and the man instantly sensed the suggestive tone in his own voice. He coughed. "We should hurry and leave here. The smell of Xenomorph blood is too strong; who knows if there's another one around. I’ve regained a lot of strength; let’s move in the direction you suggested."

Zhan Lan nodded repeatedly, though the blush on her cheeks hadn't fully faded. She just looked down and murmured, "You... you're really alright? You were bleeding quite a bit from your leg and body just now."

Zheng Zha had already noticed the wounds on himself. Strangely, after bleeding for a short while, the muscle and skin on both sides of the cuts were closing up rapidly. Such quick healing was miraculous. It seemed his inherited bloodline genes were taking effect, and the effect was quite pronounced.

He moved his limbs. "I'm fine. I've recovered most of my stamina, and I have a persistent sense of danger approaching. Let's move quickly."

This time, Zhan Lan dared not ignore Zheng Zha's premonition. She hurried forward in the direction she had planned. After passing a few more corridors, another large door appeared before them. Just as Zhan Lan was about to enter alone, Zheng Zha pulled her back sharply. "I'll go first. Your nerve reaction speed is terrible; let me take the point."

Zhan Lan silently nodded. Zheng Zha instantly darted into the room. It was surprisingly quiet inside. This room was a kitchen, stocked with various packaged food boxes. The two exchanged a look, seeing shared relief in each other's eyes.

Suddenly, a communication device hanging on the wall let out a sharp ring, startling them both so badly they nearly collapsed. Zheng Zha reacted fastest, rushing to the device and pressing the flashing green button.

Chu Xuan’s voice came through the communicator. "We found a dead Xenomorph in the corridor outside Room 22. Was that yours? Have you located the armory yet?" Zheng Zha sighed deeply. "We'll discuss the details in person later. Where are you? And how do you know we're here?" Chu Xuan’s voice replied, "Every crucial room has a number. We are in the Ship Control Room, 27. This place has surveillance systems for all corridors. If you hadn't entered this room, we couldn't have contacted you either. By the way, your location should be the kitchen? The Control Room displays its name. If possible, take enough food and water that won't slow you down, and move toward 27 by following the room numbers."

"The next part could decide your survival. I'll be brief: there are three Xenomorphs trailing you from behind, about ten room numbers away. At their speed, they could catch you in about two and a half minutes. For some reason, they are sticking right behind you!" The smell—it was the scent of Xenomorph blood on Zheng Zha! The two of them immediately understood the reason.

Chu Xuan’s voice continued, "I'll give you two minutes. Run straight ahead. The specific route is: Forward, Forward, Forward, Left, Forward, Left, Forward, Left! That is your path and direction to the Control Room. I will repeat it; memorize it perfectly! Forward, Forward, Forward, Left, Forward, Left, Forward, Left! You have one minute to grab supplies, and you must reach the Control Room within two minutes. I will lower the isolation barrier within one room number distance outside the Control Room at the two-minute forty-five-second mark! If you cannot reach within that barrier in time... I apologize, but I will have to abandon you, as there are five of us here!" "Timer... Start!" Zheng Zha took a deep breath. He channeled his internal energy into his storage ring, then began frantically sweeping up food from the storeroom, especially cases of bottled water. The 1.5-cubic-meter capacity could hold a surprising amount, especially these neatly stacked, block-shaped containers. About thirty seconds later, he scooped up Zhan Lan and bolted from the room like the wind.

Zheng Zha nearly roared, "I'm running at my absolute limit; I can't worry about anything else! You tell me when to turn left and when to keep going straight! Got it?" Zhan Lan nodded obediently, her eyes fixed straight ahead, her mouth constantly chanting, "Keep running, keep running straight. The first corridor is forward, keep running. The second one too... The third one as well... This time, it's left..." Zheng Zha charged forward like a madman, his speed almost maxed out. The sensation of the air thickening began to reappear, yet he could still feel the terrifying danger closing in behind him, nearer and nearer. Compared to the slightly smaller Xenomorph from before, the mature, larger Xenomorph was significantly faster—definitely quicker than Zheng Zha! "Left! This time, it's left!" Zheng Zha pushed off the wall with his feet, shooting into the left corridor like an arrow. As he turned, he caught sight of the massive black shadow behind him. The alien's speed was no less than his own launch speed from the wall, perhaps even greater! He couldn't think; his mind was filled only with the imperative to run forward with all his might! Death was right behind him, pressing the pursuit! He saw it—he saw the massive steel door slowly descending! Zheng Zha could cover several meters with every step, but after taking a few strides, he felt a light prick on his back. The Xenomorph closest to him was now only a meter away, and when its tongue shot out, it landed exactly on the surface of his back, causing only a slight sting! No! I don't want to die! No matter what, I must live! No matter what!! Zheng Zha roared wildly, suddenly turning and leaping up. The Xenomorph was indeed much faster than him. The instant he jumped, the creature closed the distance by another few dozen centimeters, and its tongue slowly retracted. When it shot out again, it would be aimed at exploding his head! After jumping, Zheng Zha suddenly kicked off the Xenomorph's body. Most of his internal energy had been spent running, but now he concentrated every remaining ounce into his feet. Using the Xenomorph's speed and this burst of strength, he shot out like a cannonball toward the steel door, which was already mostly closed. He finally shot through the last narrow gap just as the door sealed. The three Xenomorphs slammed into the door with dull thuds, the impact shaking the entire ship compartment. Zheng Zha lay flat on the ground, utterly unable to move even a finger this time. Live... I must live, no matter what!! Jumping to...