It was merely his appearance, yet this scarred man carried an indescribably violent aura, an intensity so sharp it felt like the very tip of a dagger’s blade; just looking at him was enough to make one tremble. This was something beyond mere description—a presence. If the original Zheng Zha was a strong individual slightly above average, gradually acquiring the temperament of a team leader, then this scarred Zheng Zha before him was nothing short of a naked demon. Merely observing him caused the giant Hunter behind the original Zheng Zha to roar, the sheer sense of danger utterly indescribable.

"I am deeply disappointed. It’s hard to imagine how you managed to survive this long with your abilities. Did the previous horror movies fail to kill you? You're incredibly lucky,” the Duplicate (henceforth referred to as the Duplicate when both appear simultaneously, signifying the Zheng Zha from the Demon Hell squad) sneered, simultaneously flicking his hand sharply in mid-air. The original Zheng Zha on the ground was bizarrely struck and sent flying, though in reality, nothing had made contact with his face.

Zheng Zha shot several meters away. This blow was sudden, but not overwhelmingly powerful, allowing him to immediately spring back up from the ground. He was just in time to see the Hunter raise a rotary machine gun and unleash a torrent of fire toward the Duplicate, the massive, visibly distinct rounds accompanied by a muzzle flash extending over half a meter long.

Under this ferocious barrage, anyone should have only been able to dodge or flee, just as Zheng Zha or that giant black-brown bear would have. Instead, the Duplicate held the massive greatsword wreathed in black flame before him. The black flames instantly flared up like a protective shield, intercepting every single round. Upon contact with the black flames, each bullet was immediately incinerated and vaporized, revealing the terrifying heat involved, even as the Duplicate held his hands fully submerged within the inferno.

Zheng Zha knew.

The flames he emitted would not burn him, and using them even shielded him from surrounding high temperatures, so he didn't find the Duplicate’s action of holding his hands in the flames unusual. However, the way the flames seemed to possess independent thought, blocking bullets, filled Zheng Zha with sheer astonishment.

"You understand nothing. Why are you still alive? Just seeing your naive appearance makes me want to kill you, tear you limb from limb. Your woman, Lori, isn't dead yet, is she? Hahaha!" So you look so childish and innocent. How can someone like you become a team leader? How can you possibly grow stronger? Then happily lead your woman and companions back to the real world to dream!” While effortlessly blocking the countless bullets, the Duplicate hurled another punch at Zheng Zha. Judging by his tone, he harbored an intense hatred for Zheng Zha—a hatred that felt utterly inexplicable to the original, as it surpassed mere killing intent or any conventional enmity; it felt more like an irreconcilable feud.

Seeing that the rotary machine gun had no effect, the Hunter hefted its rocket launcher and aimed it at the Duplicate, launching three consecutive rockets. Each rocket streaked toward the airborne Duplicate, followed by three violent explosions. A ball of intensely burning fire erupted in mid-air, momentarily illuminating even the surrounding dark mist with startling brightness. But this blaze lasted only a few seconds before the black flames swept gently, sucking the entire mass of fire into themselves. The winged Duplicate remained serenely suspended in the void, utterly unharmed.

"Zheng Zha, you understand nothing!" the Duplicate coldly fixed his gaze upon the original. "Therefore, you are unworthy to live. You and all your companions must die!" The Duplicate swung his massive greatsword, cleaving down toward Zheng Zha. The black flames stretched out, elongating for dozens of meters; the sword’s edge seemed to grow equally immense. This gigantic black-flame sword plummeted downward. Even with Zheng Zha’s incredibly swift reaction time, the blade grazed past his arm and struck the ground. Instantly, the earth smoked, and in that fleeting moment, the soil began to vitrify. "Ah!" A large strip of skin and muscle was sliced away from Zheng Zha’s left arm, though bone was spared. Furthermore, the black flame was so overwhelmingly potent that a mere touch seared his flesh three inches deep, with the outermost layer turning to black charcoal. His entire left arm began to burn with agonizing numbness.

The Duplicate prepared to strike again with his sword, but unexpectedly, the giant Hunter roared. It pounded the ground heavily, each footfall leaving a deep crater, and then, with a leap of nearly ten meters, it snatched the Duplicate’s ankle, violently slamming him into the earth.

The two plummeted from the sky, resulting in a tremendous thud. A three-meter-wide depression formed where they landed. The sheer strength of the giant Hunter was terrifying—absolutely several times greater than that which Zheng Zha exerted when activating his Blood Clan powers. While still significantly weaker than the evolutionary form of the Xenomorph from the fourth movie, this level of power was still formidable. The giant Hunter lifted the Duplicate from the ground, but before it could act further, the Duplicate pressed a single hand against the Hunter's chest, using that pressure to slam it into the distant residential buildings. With a thunderous crash, both the large and small figures smashed into the structures, and amid the dust and haze, only the sound of impacts and the Duplicate’s maniacal laughter could be heard.

Zheng Zha remained standing, ceaselessly cycling the internal energy within his body. He was utterly exhausted. After consecutively defeating and killing two melee powerhouses who had unlocked their Genetic Locks, only the powerful regenerative capacity of his Blood Clan Earl bloodline kept him from succumbing to fatal bleeding. Thus, he could only desperately push his internal energy to restore his stamina.

The two energies served different purposes: the Blood Clan energy could fuel magical skills, particularly maximizing power when using Crimson Flame, while his internal energy, besides its corrosive properties, enhanced his physical attributes during circulation. In this state of utter depletion, the internal energy was virtually an auxiliary reserve of stamina; its utility became profoundly apparent in this moment of impending life-or-death struggle.

Seconds later, Zheng Zha, gritting his teeth, sprinted toward the residential area where the two figures had crashed. But before he could reach it, he was shocked to see a massive figure blasted violently outward. The giant Hunter possessed monstrous strength, yet that strength proved insufficient against the Duplicate. The Duplicate kicked the Hunter away, then dissolved into countless bats, reappearing behind it. Catching the Hunter in his grasp, he exerted both hands and ripped an entire arm clean off. Blood mixed with tendrils sprayed incessantly from the severed limb. This gore and these tendrils instantly evaporated upon contact with the Duplicate, whose body was now wreathed in black flames capable of incinerating anything that drew near.

Just as the Duplicate laughed wildly and reached toward the Hunter’s head, Zheng Zha lunged fiercely before him. To counter the scorching black flames, Zheng Zha ignited his own blood-red flames. The two tumbled backward in a tangle of fire, the crimson and the black flames intertwining, becoming the only two colors visible within the dust-choked mist. Zheng Zha’s muscles rapidly swelled. With a roar, he hammered a punch down toward the Duplicate beneath him. However, this blow was caught by the Duplicate’s palm. Then, a colossal force struck—a power indeed worthy of overpowering the giant Hunter, significantly greater than Zheng Zha’s own strength. The Duplicate gripped Zheng Zha’s fist and squeezed hard, instantly dislocating his right fist. Before he could register the pain, the Duplicate violently wrenched his right arm, twisting it brutally backward until the entire limb snapped. The bone was twisted into a corkscrew shape, piercing the skin and muscle as it emerged.

"Ah!" Zheng Zha screamed in agony. The power in his left arm momentarily slackened, and the Duplicate seized the opportunity to create distance. With an inexplicable gesture, the black-flamed greatsword materialized abruptly in his hand. He then brought the weapon down in a forceful slash, severing Zheng Zha’s entire right arm. The immense pain finally caused Zheng Zha to collapse weakly.

"Is that all? Is your strength only this limited? You disappoint me so much, yet you are my primary self." The Duplicate looked down at the fallen Zheng Zha and let out a deep sigh. He reached out and dragged Zheng Zha up from the ground. The Red Flame was clearly no match for the Black Flame; after their brief, intertwined combustion, the red energy vanished. The Duplicate then withdrew his black flames. Zheng Zha’s internal blood energy was almost entirely depleted, and his internal force was nearly exhausted. He couldn't even sustain the unlocked Genetic Lock state, managing only to pry his eyes open to look at the man who was his exact double.

The Duplicate shook his head dismissively. Holding Zheng Zha aloft with one hand, he raised the black-fire greatsword with the other. Just as the blow was about to fall, Zheng Zha managed a strained question: "You mentioned Lori earlier. Did you create her too? What happened to your Lori?" The Duplicate inhaled deeply, then roared in absolute fury.

"You dare mention her!" Leaping toward...