Zheng Zha made no demand for Zhang Jie to carry him again. This distance was not excessively long, and he could have used the opportunity to move his limbs, but his right arm, afflicted with a comminuted fracture, throbbed painfully with even the slightest movement. Helpless, he could only use strips of cloth to bind his entire right arm to his body. The agony of securing it was naturally indescribable; anyone could easily discern the severe pain he endured just by observing him break out in a cold sweat. Zhan Lan, watching nearby, felt her heart clench painfully. This slight woman could only grip his left hand tightly, only then realizing that the pain had already rendered even his left hand weak.

After his right arm was secured, Zheng Zha was drenched in cold sweat from head to toe. He forced his body to move slightly and managed a strained smile. “That’s tied well. At least my right arm won't be in the way now. Let’s go; we need to pick up the pace.”

Zhan Lan still held his left hand, hesitating slightly as she spoke. “We… we shouldn’t go, okay? Let’s return to the control room. I know how to shut down the containment walls. We can guard the entrance until the ship returns to Earth in this era, and let the Earth’s military deal with them. We really don’t have to risk it, especially now that you’re already…” Zheng Zha froze. He subtly withdrew his left hand, then pointed toward the floor. “Look at the floor. See all those pockmarks etched out by corrosion? That’s Xenomorph blood. They are intelligent beings; when they sense a threat, they self-mutilate to break through containment walls. Those three Xenomorphs all escaped this way.”

“If we plan to seal the containment walls to get back to Earth, the starving Xenomorphs will absolutely mutilate themselves to break through again. And by then, there might be even more of them. Remember the four people brought into Room Fifteen behind us? Therefore, killing the Queen before those four Xenomorphs appear is our only chance to survive. Otherwise, even with Chu Xuan’s intellect, he wouldn't risk going to the armory, because he knows this is the only opportunity.”

Zheng Zha smiled, using his hand to gently ruffle Zhan Lan’s hair. “You just stay behind us. Don't worry, I absolutely won't abandon my comrades… nor will I pin our hope of survival on fate. I must live, no matter what!” Because of Zheng Zha’s insistence, the other two could only follow him toward the armory. The sound of gunfire ahead was becoming increasingly distinct and ferocious. Zheng Zha’s entire body tensed up once more. Because his right arm was entirely bound to him, he appeared slightly unsteady as he ran. Even so, after sprinting dozens of meters, he quickly adapted to this one-armed method of locomotion.

“Zhang Jie, take the longest spike with you—the spiraled one. I don’t know if this one rigged with a bomb can instantly kill them. If it can’t, I’ll have to rely on you to stand behind me and support the spike with all your strength. I will shield you from the front—whether it’s the Xenomorph’s tail or its tongue, I will intercept it with the spike. But afterward, you must use the spike to hold the creature back. Do not let it get close to us… In my current condition, aside from throwing the spike and blocking one strike, I’m incapable of close-quarters combat with a Xenomorph. Zhang Jie, under no circumstances can you take even half a step back!” Zheng Zha cautioned Zhang Jie several times. He then took the bomb-rigged spike from Zhan Lan and handed Zhang Jie one of the plain spikes. At this moment, the trio was only one corridor away from the armory. Turning that corner, they would see two Xenomorphs… or perhaps piles of human (shattered meat).

(Such intense gunfire. Chu Xuan must have heard the explosion earlier. That means the Xenomorphs’ entire focus is drawn to them now—two mature Xenomorphs… The first strike absolutely has to hit! Otherwise, we’re guaranteed to die… I absolutely cannot die! I must survive!) Zheng Zha took a deep breath, pushed off with his feet, and charged forward with a sudden burst of speed that stunned the two behind him. As he rounded the corner of the corridor, he didn't slow down; instead, he continued rushing toward the wall at the bend, his speed showing no reduction whatsoever.

The air around him thickened once more. Zheng Zha was growing increasingly accustomed to this peak state before unlocking the Gene Lock—a state where all his physical strength, vision, and neural reaction speed were pushed to the absolute limit. Yet, this was also the farthest he could go. That state, which felt like possessing infinite combat instinct and an unyielding will to survive, only manifested on the razor's edge of terror and death; he still couldn't summon it deliberately.

Using his immense speed, Zheng Zha ran several steps up the wall. In that split second between stepping onto the wall and turning, he glimpsed the rear half of a Xenomorph's body right at the armory entrance. The front half of this creature was already thrust into the room, while the second Xenomorph remained completely unseen. This implied the second one had likely already entered the armory.

While still airborne, Zheng Zha bit open the clip on the spike’s attached bomb with his teeth. Then, he hurled the spike with all his might. However, he wasn't left-handed, and the power and accuracy of a throw from his left hand could never match that of his right. He had aimed for the creature’s abdomen, but the thrown spike lodged viciously low on its flank. The Xenomorph instantly recoiled from the armory. As it turned its attention toward Zheng Zha, the spiraled spike bomb embedded in its waist violently detonated! The bomb was virtually cemented inside the creature’s body, and the blast ripped nearly its entire midsection open. Guts and viscous yellow blood sprayed everywhere. The corridor hissed violently, as if drenched in potent acid; the steel corroded intensely, and white smoke from the reaction enveloped the entire passage. Even Zheng Zha could only vaguely make out a massive, prone shadow on the ground.

“Is it dead? Is it finally dead?” Zheng Zha rolled several times on the ground, the pain in his injured right arm utterly disregarded as he focused intently on the dark shape. Just as he prepared to throw another bomb-laden spike, the shadow suddenly sprang up from the ground and charged toward him. The running speed of the shadow was terrifyingly fast; he had no time to launch another spike. A Xenomorph, sporting a massive hole in its waist, burst through the white smoke and, under the gaze of everyone, lunged maniacally at Zheng Zha.

Zheng Zha braced to intercept the creature’s head with his spike, when suddenly a hand shoved him backward. Simultaneously, Zhang Jie lunged out from behind him. As the Xenomorph’s tongue shot out, Zhang Jie violently drove the spike through the creature’s mouth, while the monster’s hideous, tooth-filled tongue simultaneously impaled Zhang Jie’s shoulder.

Instantly, blood erupted, and Zheng Zha’s vision was flooded with crimson! Jumping toward…