As the Xenomorph drew nearer to Zheng Zha, he sensed the lethal danger that did not diminish despite his increased strength. With his current power, being impaled by the creature’s tail or having his skull pierced by its tongue would still mean certain death. Given the Xenomorph’s terrifying speed, blocking such an attack would be incredibly difficult; his offensive power had merely improved compared to his state as a mere Facehugger host.

With a dull thud, just as Zheng Zha’s eyes glazed over in an attempt to evade, the Xenomorph’s tongue slammed into the empty space above him, generating a translucent defensive layer. This barrier trembled violently, appearing ready to shatter at any moment. Zheng Zha knew that an adult Xenomorph’s attack was infinitely stronger than a Facehugger’s lunge. The shield seemed destined to break; perhaps it could withstand the force of the Xenomorph’s teeth, but certainly not the immense power of its tail.

A chill ran down Zheng Zha’s spine. He instantly dropped the Qiang Rong Gun, drew his battle saber, and slashed horizontally. With a hiss, a third of the Xenomorph’s abdomen was sliced open, unleashing a torrent of internal organs and highly corrosive acid. Fortunately, Zheng Zha feared none of this; although his outer garment began to corrode instantly.

However, the acid barely managed to etch a shallow mark on his skin before seemingly dissolving, behaving like ordinary colored water dripping harmlessly to the floor to continue its corrosive work.

The Xenomorph let out a mournful cry, convulsed its massive body, and lashed its tongue toward Zheng Zha’s head again. The strike was so fast that Zheng Zha couldn't fully track its trajectory. Another sharp crack echoed as the tongue was once again blocked by the shield, though the barrier now looked faint and unstable.

The shield's energy was likely nearly depleted.

Alarmed, Zheng Zha shot toward the nearby wall, pushing off with tremendous force, reversing his body mid-air to leap toward the Xenomorph’s skull. Simultaneously, the creature’s tail pierced toward him. In the split second before the tail shredded the remnants of the shield, Zheng Zha activated his Hong Yan skill, bringing the fiery blade down in a sweeping arc onto the center of the Xenomorph’s head, leveraging the full force of his descent.

He managed to cleave the Xenomorph entirely in half down the middle. A massive spray of yellow, corrosive fluid erupted, mixed with countless organs and shredded flesh. The scene was horrific and repulsive.

Only after stopping did Zheng Zha feel a faint pain in his arm.

He looked down. The tail’s impact had been so powerful that it had punched through the shield and buried itself several centimeters deep into his flesh. Luckily, it hadn't struck bone or a major blood vessel; it seemed to be a mere surface wound.

The entire fight had lasted mere seconds. While Zheng Zha appeared to have dispatched the creature swiftly, it was far from easy. If not for the shield, his reaction speed—even after unlocking the first stage of the Gene Lock—would have been completely insufficient to keep up with the Xenomorph's attacks. Perhaps the Xenomorphs in this horror world were significantly stronger than those in Alien.

Zheng Zha picked up the Qiang Rong Gun from the ground and sighed. Its destructive power was indeed impressive; it could instantly kill a single Xenomorph on impact.

However, its rate of fire was slow, and it was strictly a single-shot weapon. A fully automatic weapon, like a submachine gun, would pose a much greater threat to the creatures.

Yet, he reconsidered: this weapon used energy, costing no 'Branch Plot Points,' only Reward Points for ammunition, and its sheer destructive power was undeniable. If it were an energy assault rifle, he guessed it would require at least C-Grade Branch Plot Points or higher.

Zheng Zha quietly approached the heavily damaged main door and shouted toward the interior, “Everyone inside, fall back! Stay away from the door!” Immediately, chaotic clattering sounds echoed from within, followed shortly by wails of distress; several people inside began sobbing uncontrollably.

Zheng Zha retreated slightly, aiming the Qiang Rong Gun at the doorway. After a flash of intense light, the steel door melted into slag. A massive circular breach appeared where the door once stood, the molten impact sinking into the floor by over ten centimeters—the power of the Qiang Rong Gun was irrefutably displayed.

Inside were four researchers: three men and one woman, all fair-haired Caucasians. They froze upon seeing Zheng Zha, their expressions deepening in shock when they witnessed the terrifying efficacy of the Qiang Rong Gun. Zheng Zha ignored them; the aperture was intensely hot. He thought for a moment and addressed them, “Is there any water inside? Bring out all the water you have.”

The four researchers paused, but they complied, retrieving several solid blocks from the room and tossing them into the searing opening. The blocks instantly vaporized, yielding large amounts of fresh water. After just a few blocks were thrown, the entire doorway was enveloped in thick white steam.

Zheng Zha stood silently outside the breach. After about a minute, he saw the others running toward him. When they witnessed the massive, corroded pit in the floor, everyone stopped dead in their tracks.

“We’ll discuss it while we move, Zhan Lan.”

Zheng Zha moved toward the hot opening while speaking. Although the temperature was still high, the continuous pouring of solid water blocks made passage barely tolerable.

Zhan Lan seemed to anticipate what Zheng Zha wanted to say; she quickly stood there, eyes shut, then urgently reported after a few seconds, “It’s clear, no Xenomorphs nearby, but three are closing in on this floor from upstairs; they might have detected us.”

“Naturally. The scent of these Xenomorphs is distinct; their sense of smell can easily detect their kin.”

Zheng Zha let out a breath of relief. He then yelled loudly toward the four people inside the room, “Come out, quickly! Did you hear our conversation? If you don’t emerge now, you’ll attract more Xenomorphs!” Immediately, a fresh flurry of collisions sounded from within. Soon, the four researchers stumbled out. They stared blankly when they saw the whole group. The female researcher muttered hesitantly, “But weren't you already parasitized? How could you still—” She instantly cut herself off, realizing she’d revealed too much.

The mention of parasitism instantly enraged Zheng Zha; the hand holding his saber trembled violently, scaring the female researcher backward until she hid behind one of the men. That man, who seemed to be her husband, though clearly terrified himself, stood firmly in front of her.

Zheng Zha exhaled slowly, “I won’t waste words. Two of us here are parasitized and need your help to extract the Xenomorphs. I know you’ve performed similar surgeries before; don’t you dare tell me you can’t, or I’ll carve you open myself!” The faces of the four researchers paled slightly. One of them immediately grimaced, “We need to run! This ship explodes in fifty-plus minutes. Getting from here to the escape pod takes at least forty minutes. If we perform the surgery, that’s another thirty minutes—we won’t make it! We’ll all die!” Zheng Zha’s heart hammered. He seized the man who spoke, lifting him up, “What do you mean? Why is the ship exploding in fifty minutes? Damn it, explain yourself or I’ll—” Another researcher shouted loudly, “Do you want these Xenomorphs back on Earth? This ship’s programmed directive is to return to Earth if the experiment goes wrong! Only a few of us know the self-destruct code! Do you think we don’t want more chances to survive? But bringing Xenomorphs back to Earth? I’d rather die here! The one-hour explosion sequence has been initiated; even killing us won't change it!” Zheng Zha took several deep breaths, striving to calm himself, but his mind refused to settle. Reaching the escape pod required forty minutes—perhaps slightly less for them to run—but there was absolutely no extra thirty minutes available for a calm surgical procedure, especially since these researchers would never sacrifice their lives to save him. Even killing them was pointless; whether they died or he tried to save his companions, the outcome seemed to be death. How could he possibly save Lori? Zheng Zha felt his thoughts spiraling into chaos. No matter how he reasoned, it seemed impossible to save Lori, no matter which path he considered (If it were Xiao Honglv, he’d fail; his concern would cloud his judgment; he’d be frantic and weep. If Chu Xuan were in my position, how would he save Lori? If it were Chu Xuan...) Zheng Zha’s expression suddenly turned utterly detached, as if nothing mattered anymore. He watched the four researchers in silence until they all lowered their heads. Only then did he speak, “You two are married, right? Let me tell you the truth: there are countless Xenomorphs along the route. If the four of you try to escape alone, the chance of death is seventy percent or higher; perhaps one of you married couples will die. You saw the power of our weapons earlier, didn’t you? My team member will protect one of you, while the other stays behind for the surgery. The protected one will be escorted by my teammate to the escape pod. You choose.”

“I calculated our running speed earlier. If I use Qinggong, my speed is about double yours. This means if you need forty minutes, you only need thirty, and I only need a little over ten minutes. Therefore, once the surgery is complete, I will have ample time to reach the escape pod. Your task is to complete the mission safely, and my survival rate is above fifty percent.”

That calm demeanor, that absolute adherence to the principle of maximum efficiency and highest survival rate—the ultimate strategist, Chu Xuan! Jumping to...