The Final Act

The Final Act

It hadn't been difficult.

Thanks to his control of the early pace, he'd secured a high-energy weapon right from the start and killed the Alien Queen without a hitch. As a result, the rest of the trial had posed almost no challenge for Fang Xiu.

The entire process had felt more like he was getting used to the Uchiha Clan's power and learning to inherit and control this body, rather than relying entirely on memory fragments that were both familiar and strange.

The newbie protection period? Another thought surfaced in his mind.

But Fang Xiu couldn't bring himself to feel happy at the possibility. His current ease was built on the previous generation having just been wiped out.

The easier the early stages, the harder the later ones.

Of course, this was only a guess. He might learn part of the truth after returning.

"Killed 16 Facehuggers. Earned 400 reward points."

"Killed 3 Mutated Drone Xenomorphs. Earned 600 reward points."

A thousand reward points added to his tally.

Unfortunately, the Main God had been stingy with bonus side-story rewards!

So far, Fang Xiu had earned only one B-rank side-story, and that was for killing the instance's final boss, the Alien Queen.

"Honestly, if I had a low enough moral baseline, I could sacrifice my teammates and the three Yautja, turn them into more Xenomorphs, and farm points..."

"But I can't do it."

"Before I crossed over, I was just an ordinary corporate drone. I'm not the sort to do something inhuman. Maybe a real Uchiha, consumed by obsession and driven mad, could do it without a second thought. Someone like Obito, for example."

"Besides, a whole group of adult Yautja, along with an ancient Elder, are watching this trial. If I go too far, there's a good chance I'll trigger some terrifying variable."

As he pondered, the Earth Style Wall bearing the image of a cat's head gradually faded, opening up the sealed battlefield.

At the same time, Fang Xiu could clearly see that the battle in the ventilation shaft on the other side had only just begun.

The last Yautja, Celtic, had quietly arrived to join his companions. With all three together, the three Xenomorphs were at a clear disadvantage. Their deaths were only a matter of time—the Facehuggers lurking at the edges and in the shadows, waiting for an opening, couldn't get close. They'd all been treated as cannon fodder and cleared out early.

Judging by the situation, the trial could end at any moment if nothing intervened.

And that was exactly what happened.

Because Fang Xiu made his move!

For a Reincarnator, stealing kills was a compulsory skill! At that moment, the three highly alert Yautja stood back-to-back, planning to claim a kill during their next counterattack and add to their glory.

But... in an instant, two Drone Xenomorphs, drool streaming from their jaws, were kicked out of the ventilation shaft by some tremendous force. They slammed hard into the ground.

BOOM! BOOM!

Two explosions went off at the same time.

"Killed 2 Mutated Drone Xenomorphs. Earned 400 reward points."

—The Main God's announcement rang out.

After a brief charge, the plasma casters came back online. Combined with Taijutsu, they let Fang Xiu kill the two Xenomorphs in an instant!

The last one didn't fare any better. A Kunai suddenly shot into the gap between its drool-slick jaws.

An Explosive Tag covered in runes was attached to its end...

A hard outer shell and strong resistance to fire didn't mean its insides were just as sturdy.

Only a fraction of a second after the first two explosions, another blast rang out. Acidic blood spattered down, eating away at a large patch of the ground.

The three Yautja seemed stunned by what they'd just witnessed. They didn't speak the same language, but Fang Xiu figured they thought he'd played dirty:

He'd stolen their prey! Cat-Face, in particular, froze for a moment before crouching down helplessly. He used the Facehugger's remains to burn a clan brand into his face, barely meeting the requirements for the adulthood ceremony.

As for Celtic, the squad leader, he already bore a mark on his forehead, just like Scar. Clearly, he'd hunted a Xenomorph alone, relying on his own strength. Now, Celtic had begun silently fiddling with the device on his wrist.

Generally speaking, if a Yautja knew escape was impossible, he would choose a glorious death—taking his enemy down with him.

The self-destruct device was mainly activated through the wrist-mounted computer. After a short countdown, it could trigger a cataclysmic explosion powerful enough to destroy a medium-sized town! "They've probably learned that the Alien Queen is dead and decided this trial ground no longer needs to exist." Fang Xiu had no objection.

Given the commotion he'd caused earlier, he couldn't say for certain, but he was sure it had drawn in more than ninety-five percent of the Xenomorphs and Facehuggers.

"Bro, you're incredible! I knew you'd—"

From a corner, the lucky newcomer darted out to flatter him, acting as if they were old friends.

There were no Predaliens, and the final boss was just the one Queen. He'd killed her right at the start, like a stationary target. Fang Xiu finally let out the breath he'd been holding.

"Come on, we need to get out of here. As long as we leave the pyramid before it explodes, our mission should be complete."

At the mention of an explosion, Tang Tian forgot all about sucking up to him. "Boss! Big brother! Help me! I'm Tang Tian!"

"I'll get straight to the point. When you make a run for it, can you take me with you? We can split the main mission rewards fifty-fifty after we get back! I really don't want to die again!"

According to the official setting, a Yautja's self-destruct device could wipe out three hundred city blocks. Staying underground meant certain death! No amount of luck could help against that kind of power! "Fine," Fang Xiu replied succinctly.

But he was wondering: did this count as exploiting his teammate and starting a breeding operation?

In the original Infinite series, the fate of teams that farmed other Reincarnators hadn't been pretty.

Soon, Fang Xiu reached the entrance ahead of the Yautja, carrying the newcomer in one hand. Of the twelve ziplines originally fixed to the ground, only eleven remained.

He didn't bother investigating the minor detail. He and Tang Tian each grabbed a zipline. Fang Xiu took out a Shuriken and struck the safety catch.

Whoosh! Freed from the catch, the gear at the end of the zipline spun wildly, hauling it upward with tremendous force.

The lucky newcomer shot off first.

Fang Xiu followed close behind.

Before long, the Yautja also chose to use the equipment the expedition team had left behind, racing up toward the surface.

About five minutes later, the earth shook!

Tang Tian, who'd survived by the skin of his teeth, could feel the ancient polar ice trembling beneath him. In the ice cavern, a searing flame rose, its light piercing the passage before the heat could reach them...

Of the eight Reincarnators, only two had survived.

Not a great ratio.

That was why having power was so good...

Fang Xiu sat on the low slope where he'd first stopped, but his moment of reflection vanished when he suddenly noticed three more ziplines moving.

The next moment, three figures with varying degrees of damage to their skin shot out one after another, battered and disheveled.

—Side Mission: Clear the Pyramid Trial Grounds. Complete.

Based on contribution, Reincarnator Fang Xiu received two C-rank side-stories and 2,000 reward points.

—Main Mission: Leave the Trial Grounds Alive. Complete.

All survivors received one C-rank side-story and 2,000 reward points.

The announcement rang out again.