Big Orange Cat was infected.
A variable appeared!
"..." Uchiha Xiu tilted his head slightly and couldn't help widening his eyes.
Even with the basic Sharingan's enhanced dynamic vision, the Messenger's movements were still incredibly fast. It had a clear target: the back of his head.
At the critical moment between life and death, his instincts told him to use the Substitution Technique.
He could escape!
I saved a small amount of chakra in advance precisely to guard against accidents. I can dodge, then... deactivate the chakra-draining Sharingan, endure the painful backlash from the Spinach Pill, and use Taijutsu to keep it at bay.
At that very moment, just as his body was about to move, it felt as if something had broken free.
Gene Lock activated!
Normally, this was a special system exclusive to Reincarnators, unlocked only when a resilient will was spurred on by the combined pressure of life and death.
It was also known as the symbol of human rights in Main God Space.
Sure enough, after arriving in the Infinite Multiverse, anyone who considered themselves human had the potential to unlock it.
And so, time seemed to slow even further.
A special chakra was secreted by the nerves in Uchiha Xiu's brain, spreading to his eyes in an instant.
His mental strength surged.
The Tomoe spun rapidly, and another appeared in each eye.
"No need to dodge anymore."
Uchiha Xiu twisted around.
Thud! Blue chakra covered his fist as he threw a simple punch.
A powerful impact immediately reverberated through him!
The Messenger Xenomorph, fast but poorly defended, had its head blown apart. Its acidic blood corroded the chakra covering his knuckles before spraying away in the opposite direction of the force.
Behind him, the nest exploded violently.
The Queen, slammed against the metal wall beside the engine room, was blown apart along with the Fireball Technique.
"Killed Cat-Gene Messenger Xenomorph. Obtained one D-rank side-quest reward and 500 points."
"Killed Xenomorph Queen. Obtained one C-rank side-quest reward and 1,500 points."
The gold standard had arrived.
"Unlocking it was this easy? It happened naturally."
Uchiha Xiu voluntarily deactivated Gene Lock. He felt no pain and suffered no backlash or side effects. On the contrary, he felt great, and couldn't help wondering:
"Could it be because I built up so much experience in the Ninja World?"
Yin Release Chakra was gradually filling his body.
His total chakra had increased from its previous level, just like when his Sharingan had first awakened during a mission for the village and he'd killed a wandering Chunin from the Land of Water.
—Like the Saiyan trait of growing stronger as they fought in the Dragon Ball world, each evolution of the Sharingan brought a transformation to the body.
"There's no need to feel frustrated or upset... Hahaha!"
His maniacal laughter echoed through the overheated chamber.
Woo-woo-woo—
"Warning! Warning! Warning!"
"The nuclear reactor in the engine room has suffered an irreversible leak. The outer protective casing is continuing to melt. All crew members, please evacuate aboard the escape vessels immediately!"
In the sections of the cargo ship where the electrical system still worked, the lights suddenly turned red.
The electronic warning rang out.
"Was the fighting upstairs that intense?"
"Nuclear radiation is about to leak."
The Shadow Clone carrying out the mission to escort Ripley lowered its hand. Three Phoenix Sage Fire shots scattered, striking the chests of the parasitized Reincarnators with pinpoint accuracy. It didn't worry that Main God would count them as having killed teammates and deduct the corresponding points.
They were already dead.
Their chests were twitching because the young Xenomorphs inside were trying to tear their way out of their hosts.
"Follow me."
With that, the Shadow Clone—whose cold, veteran demeanor had impressed the surviving Reincarnators—set off again.
Before long.
"Pshhh—"
Gas hissed out.
Ripley stripped off all her clothes, leaving only her white panties and bra, then lay down in the escape pod's hibernation chamber.
She didn't say anything about saving the cat. The situation was extremely urgent, and no matter how beloved an animal was, it couldn't be put on the same level as a human life.
"Automatic mode activated. The vessel will detach from the cargo ship in eight minutes. We hope those who are still alive can make it in time."
"Thank you."
Ripley took a long look at the man in front of her, then lay down in the hibernation chamber.
The glass cover closed.
Before that, the pilot, who knew everything about the Nostromo, had also told Uchiha Xiu's Shadow Clone that the cargo ship had no self-destruct system installed.
The story's slight deviation once again confirmed what he'd said earlier:
Never blindly trust established information.
Unless the team had a Chu Xuan who could read the script.
Main God was so sinister!
"But nearly all the Xenomorphs have been wiped out, haven't they?"
"They were either drawn to the living or gathered around the Queen..."
"There can't be many stragglers."
Bang!
Under the watchful eyes of the three rookies, the Shadow Clone that had completed its mission turned into smoke. Its memories and exhaustion returned to Uchiha Xiu.
He was briefly dazed, but it didn't affect his combat readiness.
"The Ninja World's vegetable people should have excellent resistance to nuclear radiation. Even ordinary villagers who haven't become ninja have several times as many basic cells as people on Earth."
The wind howled in his ears.
He searched from top to bottom, enduring the radiation.
At last, he found an unhatched Xenomorph egg in a corner of a ventilation duct near the escape pod at the bottom.
This was the Queen's only backup plan.
And the final step in completing the main quest.
Whoosh! A fireball struck it.
Uchiha Xiu, eager to return to Main God Space, got the team captain certification process he'd been waiting for.
Time stopped for everyone except the Reincarnators.
Everything ceased to move.
Amid the frozen moment, floating before him and the two rookies was the chubby white woman who'd made little impression on anyone, screaming and firing wildly when attacked by a Facehugger.
Her Japanese name was... probably Momotani Eri?
Momotani's gaze was empty, her voice gentle:
"New-generation East Sea Team members who have completed your trial, I am the guide for this team."
As she spoke, her vacant eyes turned to Uchiha Xiu, meeting his pair of two-tomoe Sharingan.
"Reincarnator Uchiha Xiu, you have met all the necessary conditions for team captain certification."
"Now, you must make a choice—will you become the captain of the East Sea Team?"
"Once confirmed, you will receive certain permissions in Main God Space as well as a permanent enhancement."
She'd been hiding that much?
A guide who manipulated people with little schemes like Zhang Jie of the Central Continent Team was one of a kind.
A tool-like guide like the one before him was the best!
"Confirmed."
Uchiha Xiu answered without hesitation.
In the next instant, another layer of shackles broke free.
Second-stage Gene Lock achieved.
The light of return immediately enveloped him from above.
"Main God, repair everyone."
"Deduct the points from each person individually."
Despite completing a series of side quests and claiming the entire reward pool for the rookie instance on his own, the new captain didn't put on a show of generosity and treat everyone.
He'd need to assess the team members a little more...
At that moment, Uchiha Xiu floated in the pillar of healing light, feeling warm, comfortable, and relaxed all over, as if he'd returned to the beginning of life.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself in the plaza he'd imagined countless times between battles:
A huge sphere of light floated above the center of the pure white platform, surrounded by twenty radiant doorways.
"The only safe haven for the Reincarnators of every team in the Infinite Journey."
He let out a soft breath, feeling his chakra grow once more and his physical abilities improve.
Could he match an ordinary Jonin now?
—Main God, privately show me my current gains.
—Compile a list.
His feet touched the ground.
Before you continue