New Enemies Require New Tactics

Wang Zhen jumped directly into the true Xenomorph nest beneath the floorboards. This was the spaceship's cargo hold, so the space was vast and appeared exceptionally empty since it hadn't been loaded with freight yet. It was devoid of light, shrouded in a darkness so thick it felt as though it could not be dissolved.

Dead silence, emptiness, darkness—and the knowledge that several massive, terrifyingly powerful apex predators were lurking here. Would you be afraid?

Wang Zhen was not among them.

Although he lacked psychic-type skills, his mental power was far stronger than that of an ordinary person, allowing him to easily sense the hidden Xenomorph Queen and the Royal Guard-class Xenomorphs.

Wang Zhen had felt his mental perception sharpen slightly after burning away those viscous white substances, though it hadn't been obvious. Now that he had jumped into this true nest, however, his perception suddenly became crystal clear!

As expected, a sentient race like the Xenomorphs wouldn't rely solely on that conspicuous white adhesive to dampen and confuse mental power when constructing their nest.

At this moment, Wang Zhen discovered that two Royal Guard-class Xenomorphs were closest to him, positioned almost exactly where he had predicted they would be—directly beneath the spot where someone would fall if they stepped on the trap above.

They had truly mastered the art of waiting for a rabbit to hit the tree!

After a brief glance, Wang Zhen guessed that these two were guarding the trap; the moment someone fell through, they would launch a sneak attack. Unless it was a cheater like himself or a talented newcomer like Zheng Zha who had unlocked the Gene Lock, no one would be able to escape their ambush.

Wang Zhen didn't bother with a "talk-no-jutsu"; after all, the opponents were Xenomorphs. They couldn't understand him, and talking to them would be like playing the lute to a cow—a complete waste of effort!

He used the Metal Transmutation Array again to animate the metal, utilizing dozens of metal strips to coil around and bind the two waiting Xenomorphs!

However, to Wang Zhen's surprise, this smooth little combo that had already sent several Xenomorphs to their graves failed!

These two four-meter-tall Royal Guard-class Xenomorphs reacted with extreme speed and agility, completely at odds with their massive size. In Wang Zhen's projection of his "small universe," the moment the metal walls began to animate, the two had already become alert. By the time the animated alloy plates ejected the metal strips, the Xenomorphs had already found their footing and were prepared for battle!

It was precisely this powerful reaction capability that rendered Wang Zhen's tried-and-true tactic ineffective.

Fast reactions and keen senses—truly exciting!

Wang Zhen didn't panic. Alchemy was an extraordinary profession with a massive gap between its floor and ceiling; it required the user to think outside the box. The more creative the user, the better the development of alchemy, and the greater its power!

"Combining the Metal Transmutation Array with the Explosion Transmutation Circle is powerful, but the speed is too slow, and it requires the 'metal animation' wind-up. This makes it easy for enemies with keen senses and fast reactions to exploit the opening—whether by dodging or blocking. Any enemy who senses the animation in advance can evade this little combo." Wang Zhen recalled the various alchemical combos he had deduced, looking to select one.

"Let's try this first." Wang Zhen chose one at random.

Wang Zhen used the Metal Transmutation Array again. This time, instead of animating the plates to eject strips for binding, he simply and brutally fashioned a massive iron coffin for the two slow-moving Royal Guard-class Xenomorphs as they approached him!

Although the iron coffin wasn't sturdy and the massive creatures could easily tear it apart, they were a step too slow. Before they could begin their demolition, Wang Zhen detonated the coffin!

The detonation caused the interior of the iron coffin to act like a fragmentation shell, shattering into countless shards. Driven by the sudden explosion, these fragments instantly turned into high-speed blades, striking the massive bodies of the two Xenomorphs. While the defensive capabilities of the Royal Guard-class Xenomorphs' exoskeletons were astonishing, a fragmentation shell would usually only hit with a few pieces; these two, however, were facing a near-infinite barrage!

As long as the two Royal Guard-class Xenomorphs didn't break out of the iron coffin in the first instant, they would be forced to stand there and be shredded to death by the high-speed metal fragments.

The reason was simple: Wang Zhen wouldn't just stand there watching the show. He would continuously repeat the process—trapping the Xenomorphs in an iron coffin, detonating it, trapping them again, and detonating it again...

As long as the rhythm wasn't broken, Wang Zhen could keep the combo going until the two Xenomorphs were dead!

Wang Zhen was having a blast!

He felt that while this new combo was simple and brutal, that was precisely its strength. Its weakness was that it wasn't suitable for fast targets, but for these two Royal Guard-class Xenomorphs, it was surprisingly perfect!

The defense of these two Royal Guard-class Xenomorphs was indeed terrifying; they managed to hold out for a full minute before their thick, tough exoskeletons were finally pierced by the high-speed metal fragments!

Seeing the two Royal Guard-class Xenomorphs beaten into a pile of honeycomb—and not the intact kind, but rather a mess of debris in various sizes—Wang Zhen felt quite pleased.

After all, these were Royal Guard-class Xenomorphs, far stronger than the Drone Xenomorphs he had killed earlier!

Wang Zhen carefully recalled every detail of his use of the Metal Transmutation Array and the Explosion Transmutation Circle. After some "I-reckon" contemplation, he optimized the details of the combo, wanting to make this simple, brutal sequence even faster, stronger, and smoother!

After all, there was still a Queen and three more Royal Guard-class Xenomorphs hiding inside. Looking at the four of them, they refused to budge. Even after these two Royal Guard-class Xenomorphs had been beaten into a pile of mush, the three guards blocking the Queen showed no intention of moving, not to mention the Queen herself, who was squatting inside doing who-knows-what.

"Are they really that dedicated?" Wang Zhen muttered while pondering.

Although it was a timed mission, Wang Zhen believed his progress was the fastest, so he didn't rush in blindly, instead carefully deducing all possibilities.

"Could it be that this Xenomorph is laying eggs and I just happened to catch her?" A possibility suddenly occurred to Wang Zhen, making him feel excited.

It is well known that creatures in the middle of mating or reproductive activities are at their most vulnerable! Not only are they effectively stationary targets, but their stamina, reaction time, and focus are all at their lowest.

The strongest of the Xenomorph race, the Queen, was actually laying eggs?

"Damn! A plant! Using something like this to tempt me! Am I the kind of person who would take advantage of someone in such a state?" Wang Zhen curled his lip and whispered to himself.