Dio Brook, the Devil Team's psychic controller, stared at the information on the Reincarnation Watch, utterly speechless.
"Dead?! Arno!? How is this possible?"
He knew Arno's strength well.
With a C-rank Muscle Fruit, Arno's physical defense had been boosted to an incredibly terrifying level.
On top of that, the second-stage Gene Lock made him nearly untouchable.
In most horror movies, Arno was the kind of tank you sent in just to lure enemies.
And yet, this purely defensive powerhouse… had been killed?
By that seemingly brainless idiot from the Central Continent team?
Did Toguro even have such a lethal ability?
How could this be?
Could it be…
Dio Brook hastily used his Mental Chains to link with Captain Fuming's vision.
"C-Captain!"
"Hm. Miscalculation. The enemy seems to have some kind of clone ability. They killed Arno and Zang Ting with two simultaneous strikes."
Listening to Fuming's calm, almost indifferent voice in his mind, Dio Brook felt anxious but helpless.
To Captain Fuming, in truth, anyone could die…
Because the Devil Team's focus had always been on him, the Golden Core-level sword cultivator.
On the bloodied front lines, Meng Yao pocketed the demon skateboard that had fallen to the ground.
Nearby, Da Qiang's eyes were almost bleeding from exertion.
This woman was not human!
He had been fighting for what felt like forever, exhausted to the point of collapse.
And she—taking advantage of the moment when that pointy-headed guy was distracted—snatched up the prize!
Not only did she earn 7,000 reward points and a B-rank side quest, but she also took the enemy's Green Demon Skateboard…
Da Qiang clenched his fists, silently swearing, "Once I get Toguro upgraded to A-rank, I'll strangle you with my bare hands!"
Arno's death was like a stone thrown into a thousand-layered wave.
All three factions were making adjustments because of it.
In the forest, Yujin and his two companions had finally arrived at the Engineer Plaza.
The place had once been vibrant and full of blooming flowers, bustling with life.
But under the influence of the bio-mechanic David, black water spread across the ground, leaving nothing but bones.
No one had survived.
Decades had passed, and these bleached skeletons had been abandoned.
Because on this entire planet, apart from plants, no other life existed.
Zhang Jie sighed, "The Covenant really knows how to gift-wrap trouble. David was worrying about where to find containers to breed the Xenomorphs, and here we are, delivering them on a silver platter."
"Maybe you didn't watch the movie carefully," Yujin said softly to Zhang Jie, turning his back to the heroine, Daniels.
"In the company where the Covenant is stationed, there's a rule: when colonists detect a life signal, they must drop everything and investigate immediately."
"In other words, this was all planned. David's creator intended from the start to breed Xenomorphs. He just couldn't directly send six thousand Earth colonists to feed the Facehuggers."
"That's terrifying!" Zhang Jie wiped cold sweat from his brow. "If these Xenomorphs were intelligent enough to pilot ships on their own…"
"Would there still be any life in the universe?"
"You're overthinking," Yujin said, pointing at the sky. "The universe is far bigger than you imagine. Enemies can come from anywhere, unstoppable and unpredictable."
"Ever seen Alien vs. Predator? When we get to the kind of world in those movies, you'll understand what real terror means."
"After all, most of the Alien series focuses on the heroine versus the Xenomorphs."
"But the Predator—Arnold Schwarzenegger-level human elite—faces a completely different kind of fear."
Yujin glanced at Daniels, who was cautiously exploring ahead, and continued softly, "She can kill two Xenomorphs on her own. If you can overcome your fear, this thing is basically no different from a wild boar. Maybe even easier to handle than a boar."
"Pfft!" Zhang Jie couldn't help but spit out a laugh. "You really know how to lighten the mood."
"Of course. If you lose your calm, when we face the black water, I'm afraid you'll slow me down."
Zhang Jie: "."
"Contact made!"
Daniels's loud shout immediately drew their attention.
After a few swift operations on a device resembling a tablet,
a strong wind blew in the distance, and a rectangular spaceship approached them!
It was the same vanguard ship they had used when first landing on the Engineer Planet!
The vanguard ship had been stranded in the forest after being attacked by unknown monsters.
Now, unexpectedly, it had become the trio's lifeline.
"Are we going on that ship to perform surgery?" Zhang Jie's eyes lit up again.
"No, Daniels said there's no medical bay on the ship."
"Then what should we do?"
"Don't ask. Just follow me."
Above them, the engines of the vanguard ship roared as it slowly descended toward the open area of the Engineer Plaza.
Zhang Jie and Daniels watched tensely, hoping the ship could offer them a chance to survive.
But just then!
A blinding golden light descended like divine punishment, striking the hull of the vanguard ship!
The metal exterior screeched under the impact, the entire ship shook violently, lost control, and began plummeting toward Yujin and the others!
Yujin reacted instantly. He shoved Zhang Jie aside, then sprinted to Daniels, scooped her up, and ran frantically toward safety.
Zhang Jie realized the danger as he was thrown and rolled quickly to dodge.
Bang!
Screeee—
The piercing screech hurt their ears!
The hull of the vanguard ship was strong. Despite the terrifying strike, when it hit the ground, it only slid a short distance and didn't explode.
Yujin, Zhang Jie, and Daniels survived by sheer luck. When they looked up, they saw a scene they would never forget.
The man who had once ridden a flying sword now stood above them, looking down on the three!
His eyes were filled with contempt, as if he were looking at trash, which made Zhang Jie's heart skip a beat. He dared not meet them directly.
(This is the kind of look Fuming always had.)
But Yujin was different. He stared fixedly at Fuming above him, his eyes burning with an unyielding flame.
In front of the captain of the Devil Team, any fear or hesitation was useless. Only by facing the challenge head-on could there be a chance to survive.
Fuming's movements were swift and decisive. He raised his hand, and the flying sword in it carved a golden trail through the air, pointing straight at Yujin.
The sword's tip hadn't reached him yet, but the sword aura had already cut through the air, carrying a sharp, killing intent.
This was the overwhelming pressure of a Golden Core cultivator!
The strongest of the Devil Team! Fuming!
In Yujin's eyes, the tomoe of his Sharingan spun rapidly, releasing a profound and mysterious light.
The activation of the first-level Gene Lock instantly enhanced his physical abilities, pushing his reflexes and combat instincts to a new level.
The power of the Cursed Seal of Heaven surged within him, granting extraordinary strength and endurance.
Without a moment's hesitation, Yujin ran, unleashing both his Clone Technique and Substitution Technique at the same time.
The Clone Technique left a blurry image of him in place.
But under the influence of the sword aura, the image lasted less than a tenth of a second before vanishing into white smoke with a loud pop.
Fortunately, the Substitution Technique worked, delaying the golden sword aura just enough.
Yujin didn't need to look back; he knew the terrifying golden light was still chasing him.
It was close!
Very close.
The sword tip hadn't arrived, but the sword aura had already sliced across Yujin's back, leaving a deep wound.
"Water Release: Water Wall Formation!"
"Iron Block!"
Clang!
A flash of golden light struck Yujin squarely on the back!
He felt a heart-wrenching pain tear through him from behind!
Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to endure the agony and stumbled headfirst into the dark main hall.
*********
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