Chapter 40: Monster Immobilized!

Yes. It is live birth.

Under normal circumstances, the Xenomorph originates from the parasitism of a Facehugger, developing within the chest cavity of its host before bursting out.

But!

On the set of "Alien Resurrection," military-led experiments utilized Ripley's DNA as a sample to clone a series of Xenomorphs, including an Alien Queen. This Queen possessed human genes, granting her a second method of reproduction: live birth.

These human-like Xenomorph monsters could even learn human language, possess human intelligence, communicate with humans, and forge bonds known as "kinship."

That was the evolved Xenomorph the Main God had mentioned!

"The key is right here."

Qian Gu chuckled to himself. With a flick of his hand, his Barrett pistol landed in his palm. "Well then..."

*Rip—*

A sound that induced phantom pain echoed.

It was Zhao Yingkong!

The genius assassin’s shoulder had been almost entirely dislocated as she forced herself off the Alien Queen’s barbed tail. Falling to the ground, she adjusted her position in mid-air and landed steadily, though blood flowed freely beneath her.

Seemingly oblivious to the pain, she constricted her muscles to stop the bleeding. With a pale face, Zhao Yingkong prepared to charge back in to duel the Alien Queen, intent on proving that her earlier lapse was merely a moment of carelessness.

However...

"Take a rest."

Qian Gu placed a hand on Zhao Yingkong’s shoulder and pulled. With a force she could barely resist, he dragged her behind him. He cast a quick "Cure Wounds" to mend her injury.

"My turn now."

An Alien Queen, huh...

Along with the Devil Team, it was considered one of the two great curses of the China Team—a hurdle that seemed nearly impossible to overcome. In reality, it was nothing of the sort.

It was the kind of creature that could be easily shredded by a standard Second-Stage Gene Lock user with some enhancements. In terms of combat power, it really wasn't such an insurmountable foe for the current China Team.

"So then..."

His ears twitched.

Qian Gu stepped to the right, his left arm grazing the Alien Queen’s tail. His Mage Armor was shattered by the force of the strike; it was only a basic version, not yet optimized with runes, so its durability was just barely sufficient.

"A nimble monster, is it? Then I’ll use this to deal with you."

Qian Gu snapped his fingers.

The Dragon Power within his mind surged. The robe he wore, woven with strands of extraordinary materials and infused with intricate rune structures, began to light up one by one. This included the suit of armor he wore underneath.

*Stoneskin.*

*Barkskin.*

The "Bull's Strength" enhancement constant on his robe was activated.

Layer upon layer of protection was enabled. Qian Gu could feel immense power coursing through his body—a strange, surging energy ready to burst forth, held back only by the artifice of his spell-casting. With this power, Qian Gu could even suppress Arnold with one hand.

Indeed.

Although he was a spellcaster, the physical enhancement granted by his Draconic bloodline meant that while he might not clash with those who had spent years honing their raw techniques, crushing those weaker than himself was effortless.

The Alien Queen let out a roar.

She transformed into a streak of black wind, charging at Qian Gu, intent on smashing him into a pulp against the wall and taking the others back as food for the next generation.

But!

Everything was merely a hypothetical.

"Sorry, that was just an insurance policy. It’s how I make a living."

Qian Gu tapped his head and pointed at the Xenomorph.

*5th Level Spell: Hold Monster!*

An invisible ripple formed a vast net, capturing the Alien Queen.

The Alien Queen's psyche repeatedly slammed against the invisible net, but every collision only sent her rebounding back, leaving her completely disoriented.

In the physical world, the Alien Queen came to a sudden, jarring halt.

The wind she had whipped up was enough to send the two newcomers, Li Shuaixi and Kong Mingde, flying, but the sheer force of her massive body shifting from extreme motion to total stillness nearly tore the Queen apart.

There are two "Hold" spells: the 2nd-level "Hold Person" and the 5th-level "Hold Monster" that Qian Gu had just cast. The former only affects humanoid creatures, while the latter affects monsters—it is, in essence, a pure "Hold" spell, as the definition of a monster is broad enough to cover everything else.

The Xenomorph’s mental stats were not high; lacking the psychic strength to break through the spell’s binding effect, she could only remain frozen before Qian Gu, struggling desperately but in vain.

Seeing this, Qian Gu raised his gun and pulled the trigger.

*Bang!*

[Killed Alien Queen. Obtained one D-rank horror side-story, 1,000 reward points.]

An easy kill.

From start to finish, he had only lost a layer of renewable Mage Armor; otherwise, he was completely unscathed. Qian Gu’s spell preparations seemed almost redundant.

"Brother Qian is amazing!"

Li Shuaixi could only muster this phrase.

It seemed that no matter the situation, in the eyes of this veteran, everything was just a trivial matter that could be resolved with a wave of his hand. As for Kong Mingde, there was no need to mention him; he was already prepared to pledge his loyalty.

As for Zhao Yingkong...

She said nothing.

Qian Gu walked forward and glanced at the Alien Queen. "It seems my current strength is already quite high."

Then...

Qian Gu looked ahead.

Let’s go!

Continuing forward.

As they delved deeper, the space within the Auriga joint ship seemed to have transformed into an alien dimension. The super-alloy walls were gone, replaced by slime; the ground beneath their feet was soft and viscous.

On both sides of the path were circular cocoons.

"Brother Qian," Li Shuaixi asked curiously, "should we take care of these Facehuggers?"

"Mm."

"Brother Kong, go for it!"

Submachine gun fire erupted.

For these Facehuggers still in their cocoon state, standard submachine gun bullets were enough to finish them off. One by one, they died under the hail of fire from Li Shuaixi and Kong Mingde.

After a certain number of kills, the two heard the Main God’s notification.

Rewards?

The two fired even more enthusiastically.

'Newbie benefits, I see.'

Qian Gu clicked his tongue. He wasn't surprised.

Kill rewards, after all.

The number of Facehuggers wasn't infinite, and under the baptism of gunfire, they were soon wiped out.

The two newcomers followed behind Qian Gu, moving quickly into the depths.

Zhao Yingkong walked beside Qian Gu like a bodyguard, though the bodyguard’s combat prowess wasn't necessarily higher than the person being protected.

When they finally reached their destination, a voice echoed in their ears.

"Who... are you..."

The speaker was human, and yet, not human.

The surrounding walls had become increasingly alien. Embedded within the gelatinous, slimy wall layers were faces—one after another. Each face was etched with immense agony, yet their eyes were locked firmly on Qian Gu and his group, filled with indescribable terror.

"Save... save... me..."