Accumulate Thickness, Burst Forth? The New Captain!

The Big Orange Cat was infected.

A variable had appeared!

"..." Uchiha Xiu tilted his head slightly, his eyes widening in shock.

Under the dynamic vision of his basic Sharingan, the Messenger's movements were still incredibly fast, and its target was clear: it intended to bite into the back of his skull.

At this life-or-death moment, his instinct screamed to release the Substitution Technique.

He could escape!

He had reserved a small amount of chakra in advance specifically for such accidents, enough to complete an evasion, and then... he could deactivate the chakra-draining Sharingan, endure the painful backlash of the Spinach Pill, and engage it in a skirmish using taijutsu.

Yet, at this critical juncture, his body, just about to move, felt as if it had broken free from something.

Gene Lock opened!

Normally, this was a special system exclusive to reincarnators, unlocked only through the dual stimulation of indomitable willpower and the pressure of life and death.

Also known as: the symbol of human rights in the Main God Space.

As expected, upon arriving in the infinite multiverse, as long as one identified as human, they possessed the qualifications to unlock it.

Consequently, the flow of time slowed down even further.

A special type of chakra was secreted from Uchiha Xiu's brain nerves, instantly spreading to his eyes.

His mental energy surged.

The tomoe spun at high speed, with one more appearing on each side.

"No need to dodge."

Uchiha Xiu twisted his body.

Bang! He threw a simple punch covered in blue chakra.

Immediately, a powerful sensation of impact surged back!

The high-speed, low-defense Messenger Xenomorph's head exploded, its acidic blood corroding the layer of chakra on his knuckles before splashing in the opposite direction of the force.

Behind him, the nest exploded violently.

The Queen, pinned against the metal wall of the power cabin, was torn to pieces along with the Great Fireball.

"Killed Cat-gene Messenger Xenomorph, obtained one D-rank side quest, 500 reward points."

"Killed Xenomorph Queen, obtained one C-rank side quest, 1500 reward points."

The golden standard descended.

"Is unlocking it really this easy? It felt as natural as water flowing into a channel."

Uchiha Xiu, who had voluntarily deactivated the Gene Lock state, felt no pain at all, nor any side-effect backlash; on the contrary, he felt great, and couldn't help but speculate:

"Could it be that my accumulation in the Ninja World was just that deep?"

Yin-natured chakra was gradually filling his body.

His total chakra volume increased beyond its original baseline, just as it had when he first awakened his eyes while executing a village mission, counter-killing a wandering Chunin from the Land of Water.

--Similar to the trait of Saiyans in the Dragon Ball world who grow stronger the more they fight, every evolution of the Sharingan brought a metamorphosis to his body.

"No need to feel frustrated or pained... Hahaha!"

His wild laughter echoed through the high-temperature cabin.

Woo-woo-woo-woo--

"Warning! Warning! Warning!"

"The power room nuclear reactor is experiencing an irreversible leak, the outer protective shell is continuously melting, all crew members please board the escape ship and evacuate immediately!"

In the areas where the freighter's electrical system could still be maintained, the lights turned red.

The electronic alert blared.

"Is the battle up there that intense?"

"Nuclear radiation is about to leak."

The Shadow Clone, tasked with escorting Ripley, let his hands drop. Three Phoenix Sage Fire projectiles scattered, landing precisely on the chests of the parasitized reincarnators. He did not worry that the Main God would judge him for killing teammates and deduct the corresponding reward points.

Because they were already dead.

The reason their chests were twitching was that the gestating baby Xenomorphs were attempting to tear through their hosts.

"Follow me."

With those words, the Shadow Clone, maintaining the cold and aloof impression of a veteran for the surviving reincarnators, hurried on his way again.

Before long.

"Hiss, hiss--"

The sound of gas venting.

Ripley stripped off all her clothes, leaving only her white panties and bra, and lay down into the cryo-pod of the small escape shuttle.

She didn't mention saving the cat, because the situation was extremely critical; no matter how beloved a beast might be, it could not compare to human life.

"Automatic mode activated. The shuttle will detach from the freighter in eight minutes. I hope those still alive can make it in time."

"Thank you."

Taking one last deep look at the man before her, Ripley lay back into the cryo-pod.

The glass lid closed.

Before this, the flight officer who knew everything about the Nostromo had also told Uchiha Xiu's shadow clone that this freighter was not equipped with a self-destruct system.

This minor deviation in the plot once again verified what had been said before:

Never blindly trust stereotypical intelligence.

Unless there is a Chu Xuan in the team who can read the script.

The Main God is insidious!

"However, the Xenomorph lifeforms have been almost completely annihilated, haven't they?"

"They were either drawn to the living bait or gathered around the Queen..."

"There won't be many fish that slipped through the net."

Poof!

Under the gaze of the three newbies, the shadow clone that had finished its mission turned into smoke, and the flow of memories and fatigue returned to Uchiha Xiu himself.

He felt a slight moment of trance, but it did not affect his combat readiness.

"The nuclear radiation resistance of the plant-based humans from the Ninja World should be quite good; even in the bodies of ordinary villagers who haven't become ninjas, the basic cells are several times stronger than those of Earthlings."

Wind whistled in his ears.

From top to bottom.

Uchiha Xiu withstood the radiation and began a layer-by-layer search.

Finally, in a corner of the ventilation duct near the bottom escape pod, he discovered one unhatched Xenomorph egg.

This was the Queen's only contingency plan.

It was also the final step to completing the main mission.

Whoosh, a fireball slammed into it.

Uchiha Xiu, who couldn't wait to return to the Main God Space, waited for the captain certification segment he had been expecting.

Time outside of the reincarnators stopped.

Everything ceased to move.

And within this frozen time, floating before him and the two newcomers was that unremarkable, slightly chubby white woman who would scream and fire wildly when attacked by a facehugger.

Her Japanese name... was probably Momotani Eri?

Momotani's gaze was hollow, her voice soft:

"New generation members of the East Sea Team who have completed the trial, I am the guide for this squad."

As she spoke, her hollow pupils turned toward Uchiha Xiu, meeting his two-tomoe Sharingan.

"Reincarnator Uchiha Xiu, you have fulfilled all the necessary conditions for captain certification."

"Now, you must make a choice—whether to become the captain of the East Sea Team."

"Once confirmed, you will gain partial authority over the Main God Space and a permanent enhancement."

Hiding it so deep?

A guide with petty schemes like Zhang Jie of the Central Continent Team is, after all, one of a kind.

A tool-type guide like the one before him is the best!

"Confirmed."

Uchiha Xiu gave his answer without the slightest hesitation.

The next moment, another layer of shackles broke free.

Second-stage Gene Lock, achieved.

The light of return immediately enveloped his head.

"Main God, full restoration for everyone."

"Deduct the reward points from each of their own accounts."

Even after completing a series of side missions and monopolizing the entire reward pool of the newbie instance, the new captain still didn't act generous enough to treat them.

He still needed to observe his team members further...

At this very moment, Uchiha Xiu floated within the pillar of restoration light, his entire body feeling comfortable, warm, and gentle, as if he had returned to the origin of life.

When he opened his eyes, appearing before him was the plaza he had imagined countless times during the gaps in battle:

In the center of the pure white platform hovered a massive sphere of light, surrounded by twenty radiant portals established around it.

"The only safe haven for reincarnators of all teams within the Infinite Journey."

He exhaled softly, feeling the renewed growth of chakra within his body and his enhanced physical constitution.

Can I stand on par with an average Jonin now?

--Main God, secretly inform me of my current gains.

--Summary list.

His feet touched the ground.