Chuxuan's words left a deep impression on the others. The idea of humans unlocking their full potential and becoming beings capable of surviving any situation—essentially becoming superhumans—was overwhelming.
"Imagine this: if monkeys reached their physical limit and evolved into humans, then what would happen if a human reached their ultimate potential?"
Zheng Zha felt a sudden jolt of realization, but when he tried to focus and think it through, it slipped away from his mind, like a fleeting thought.
The usually quiet Zero suddenly asked,"How does one unlock the genetic lock? Is it a drug or something else?"
Chuxuan waved his hand dismissively."It requires a substance similar to adrenaline. This substance can only be produced by the human body itself. But the crucial point is... it's highly toxic. I'm sure you've all heard the stories about grandmothers lifting cars with one hand to save their grandchildren, only to die soon afterward. Scientists discovered a trace amount of this substance in their blood."
"So, it's impossible to unlock the genetic lock with external help. At least, with our current technology, we can't. To unlock it, one must rely on their own effort... of course, we don't even know the direction to work toward, so for now, it's just a theory. I suspect this entire space is connected to unlocking the genetic lock. I even suspect... it's an artifact created by the first humans who unlocked it."
Zhang Jie laughed heartily."You think ancient monkeys somehow predicted we'd be watching horror movies now? And that we'd have all these high-tech future weapons to exchange for? Do you really believe the monkeys could foresee all of this?"
Chuxuan smiled calmly."Monkeys may not have, but what if they created intelligent computers? Computers don't age, and they could record our horror movies. Then, they could let us experience these endless cycles of terror until we either die or break through our limits and unlock the genetic lock. Once we do, we'd earn enough reward points to leave. What do you think of that theory?"
Zero suddenly gestured for silence, lowering his voice."Maybe you're onto something, but let's focus on our current situation… The scent of blood is coming from around 30 meters to the left. Who wants to check it out?"
Zheng Zha gritted his teeth."I have the highest physical enhancement, so I'll go."
The others didn't speak, but they moved aside to make way for him. Zhang Jie readied his Desert Eagle, while handing grenades to a few others.
Zheng Zha took a deep breath, forcing down the overwhelming fear. As he carefully walked toward the left, his nerves were so tight that he could hear his own heartbeat, feel the slight tremors in his blood vessels. It was a strange feeling—difficult to describe—but he also felt a strange clarity, as if he were on the verge of unlocking the genetic lock himself.
However, this state didn't last long. As he cautiously peeked around the corner of the hallway, he was immediately struck with terror. The eerie sensation vanished as his heart skipped a beat, leaving only raw fear.
The hallway to the left was filled with an indescribable mass of shredded meat. There was nothing left of the human bodies—just bones, organs, and vile, disgusting pieces of flesh piled together. Only a few torn clothing fragments remained scattered on the ground. Anyone would have a hard time believing this was once human.
Zheng Zha let out a violent gag and immediately vomited, clutching the wall as he retched. When the others heard, they rushed to join him, and soon, even Zhang Jie, who had previously been tough, was visibly shaken. The only ones who remained calm were Zero, Bawang, and Chuxuan, who crouched silently near the remains.
Bawang picked up a few strips of cloth from the ground, exchanging a look with Zero before speaking in halting language,"It's those three thugs... but two other bodies are missing flesh."
The others stopped vomiting for a moment, but as soon as the word"flesh" was mentioned, they all retched again, even more violently.
"No, I don't think that's it," Chuxuan said, carefully examining the remains."I've done some minor dissection work before. The flesh here seems to have been crushed and torn by sharp teeth. There's also some viscera that's hard to digest. And look—this is a shoulder bone fragment. I've counted three different shoulder fragments here. I think the Alien took what they could, leaving behind these bodies' remains."
The others could barely even gag anymore; their insides twisted with disgust. Thankfully, Zheng Zha's physical condition allowed him to recover faster than the others. After vomiting for a while, he managed to regain some strength, while the others were still weak and had to cling to the walls for support.
After Chuxuan finished his analysis, he returned to the group. He frowned as he observed the weakened group and said,"We need to leave now. Things are much worse than we thought. There's already a fully developed second-stage xenomorph nearby... and it's likely in this area."
Before anyone could respond, both Zero and Bawang suddenly dropped to the ground, their eyes full of terror. Zero urgently whispered,"Something's wrong… danger is coming."
Being people who lived on the edge of life and death, they had a special sense for danger. As Zero and Bawang crouched, Zheng Zha also felt a sudden pang of anxiety, though he couldn't explain why. Instinctively, he turned to look behind him.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of something massive and dark darting toward them. The creature moved with such speed that only Zheng Zha's heightened reflexes allowed him to catch it. The thing was a nightmare made real.
At the back of the group was Li Xiaoyi, who had been leaning weakly against the wall after vomiting. He was still too weak to react when Zheng Zha saw his face twist with fear. Li Xiaoyi barely managed to turn his head, but before he could even react, the giant alien's tongue shot out, spearing him through the shoulder with terrifying speed.
Zheng Zha could only see a blur of darkness as Li Xiaoyi was dragged away by the monstrous tongue. The young man's frantic cries echoed through the hallway, but his struggles were useless against the overwhelming strength of the xenomorph. He was pulled around the corner, his hand slipping inch by inch from the wall as the alien's tongue dragged him to his fate.
"Ah! No! Zhang Ge, Zheng Ge, help me... I don't want to die!"
Li Xiaoyi's screams were desperate, but his strength was no match for the creature. As his nails were ripped from the wall, his body was dragged out of sight, leaving only bloody marks on the walls. The horrified sounds of his death reverberated as his screams mixed with the sickening sound of flesh and bone tearing apart.