Diligence in peacetime prevents three-foot grass on the grave

Wang Zhen leaned against the nearby wall, consuming over a dozen pieces of Dove chocolate in succession. Only after resting for a full ten minutes did the slight discomfort from mental overexertion subside; the stars no longer danced before his eyes, and his limbs regained their strength. This made him look forward even more to returning to the God Hall after the plot world concluded, where he could use his earned reward points to commune with the "Gate of Truth" once more and fleece it for more benefits. Through this plot world, he had come to a realization: only with sufficient raw materials and knowledge could he truly elevate his combat prowess.

In truth, Wang Zhen had hoped the plot world would be something akin to reality, as his greatest strength lay in dealing with people. Having taken assassination contracts since the age of ten, his expertise wasn't in weapons or firearms, but in disguise and poisons. As a child, his physical stature was a natural disadvantage, rendering standard weapons and guns impractical. Instead, he relied on his innocent, adorable baby face to approach targets with ease. Given the fragility of humans, a single prick from a poisoned needle or a tiny drop of toxin in their drink was enough to end a life.

However, facing a biological entity like a Xenomorph was entirely outside Wang Zhen's area of expertise. Fortunately, he was a man who favored thorough preparation, simulating various scenarios before executing a mission; this good habit proved just as applicable to the plot world.

Taking advantage of the break, Wang Zhen began to ponder how to deal with the upgraded Xenomorphs. Although these Drone Warriors were larger, stronger, and more ferocious in combat, they were not significantly different from the standard Drones, meaning the difficulty hadn't spiked enough to pose a real threat; he could still handle them with ease.

The problem, however, was whether higher-tier, more powerful Xenomorphs would appear later—such as the Queen, inevitably lurking at the end with her reproductive capabilities, or the Royal Guards protecting her. According to online data, the Xenomorph Queen stood over five meters tall, meaning even the smallest would be at least that height, and the Royal Guards were roughly the same size. Their combat power was estimated to be five times that of a Drone Warrior. Since the defensive strength of a Xenomorph's exoskeleton was directly proportional to its size, the larger the creature, the tougher the shell. If Royal Guards or a Queen appeared, his current methods for dealing with Drones and Drone Warriors would be severely weakened, or perhaps even fail entirely—unable to pierce or shatter their vital armor.

Furthermore, there was the Runner, a Xenomorph born from animal hosts, inheriting their traits. While the smallest in size, it was the fastest and a master of stealth. Most notably, the heroine Ripley on the spaceship had a cat!

If that cat were turned into a Runner, it would likely pose the greatest threat to me! The thought of that cat-Xenomorph, still in a state of quantum uncertainty, made Wang Zhen's liver ache. There was no getting around it: he was the classic "glass cannon" mage of the game. While his attack power was immense, his body was fragile and thin. He wasn't particularly afraid of the two-meter-tall Drones or Drone Warriors, or even the potential Royal Guards or Queen. Despite their massive size and staggering defense, as long as they remained carbon-based lifeforms that hadn't stepped into the supernatural realm of energy manipulation or spiritual erosion, there was always a way to deal with them.

But that yet-to-appear cat-Xenomorph—Wang Zhen didn't even want to imagine the level of speed and agility it would possess. Given the sharpness of Xenomorph claws capable of tearing through steel doors, if he failed to dodge and was even grazed, he would be left half-dead, if not killed outright.

As Wang Zhen chewed on his Dove chocolate, he sifted through the vast, chaotic, yet abundant memories he had pilfered from behind the "Gate of Truth." After searching for a while—and finishing over a dozen pieces of chocolate—he finally found a few pieces of knowledge that would help resolve these two troubles, which lifted his spirits significantly. Feeling better, he popped two pieces of Godiva dark chocolate into his mouth to change the flavor, a symbolic reflection of his shifting mood.

Next, he needed to see if Zheng Zha and the others were still around—or more accurately, if Zheng Zha and Zhan Lan were still alive.

In Wang Zhen's estimation, let alone a mere Drone Warrior with slightly increased strength, even the supreme Xenomorph Queen couldn't perceive Zhang Jie, who was intent on masking himself. Therefore, even if that Drone Warrior hunted them down, it would only find Zheng Zha and Zhan Lan. Not to underestimate them, but even if Zheng Zha unlocked his Gene Lock and let his instincts—fused with ancient combat techniques—take the wheel, the probability of him defeating a Drone Warrior was low!

Because Zheng Zha lacked proper preparation; he wasn't even carrying a decent weapon.

As the saying goes, even the cleverest housewife cannot cook a meal without rice, let alone when facing a near-perfect predator like a Xenomorph.

However, Wang Zhen didn't rush to save them. Everyone was a newcomer to the Infinite Space; no one was more precious than the other. Why should he be the one to save them?

Because you're the protagonist?

To borrow the words of the veteran Chen Peisi: who is the protagonist... that remains to be seen!

Thus, Wang Zhen maintained a normal pace as he moved toward the trio's location. Yet, when he attempted to sense the situation there, he "saw" a bizarre scene through his perception...

"What is going on here?" Although Wang Zhen was puzzled, he still didn't speed up. The situation was already as it was; running over, or even "whooshing" there via teleportation, would be of no use.

Zheng Zha was in an extremely strange state. His eyes flashed with a blood-red light, and the nails on his hands had elongated. While it didn't look particularly monstrous, those hands were easily leaving deep gashes in the thick carapace of the Drone Warrior. Even if he hadn't torn it open yet, it was only a matter of a few more strikes. He moved with the agility of a bat and the suppleness of a snake, circling the nearly three-meter-tall Drone Warrior with vicious, lethal intent. Not only did he dodge every attack, but every strike he landed left another crack in the creature's armor. A single hit wouldn't draw fluid, but the second or third strike on the same spot would pierce and tear through the tough, resilient shell, causing the Xenomorph's internal fluids to leak from the wounds.

As the gashes multiplied and widened, and more fluid poured out, the Drone Warrior grew increasingly frantic, but its movements... were slowing down, becoming slower and slower with every passing second!

On the other side, Zhang Jie was huddled in a distant corner, cowering and curled into a ball, clutching Zhan Lan, who had a gaping hole in her chest, as he watched the battle unfold.