Chapter 35: Encountering the Xenomorph Once More

"A truly interesting grouping."

Qian Gu disconnected the communication spell and cast a chuckle toward his teammates. Three newcomers, and he hadn't even managed to keep Arnold for himself.

"And besides..."

Qian Gu looked up at the tail-stinger intercepted by his mage armor, then toward the three looming Xenomorphs in the distance, a faint smile on his lips. *Alien 4*, of all things. After spending so much time fighting war machines, he had almost forgotten the theme of this horror movie.

"Little girl, let me give you a buff."

*Bull’s Strength, activate!*

With his multiple enhancements, Qian Gu's spellcasting speed had been boosted significantly, and he quickly applied the buff to Zhao Yingkong. The standard mage armor, combined with the muscular tissue enhancement of *Bull’s Strength*, increased the combat power of this genius assassin from the Zhao family by more than double or triple—pushing her to nearly six or seven times the level of an ordinary human.

And at this level...

*Hum!*

*I was too hasty. I forgot about the unique techniques of the Z-style,* he thought.

In the blink of an eye, Zhao Yingkong vanished from everyone's sight. No, "vanished" wasn't the right word. Just 0.5 seconds later, she reappeared in their vision, a continuous stream of images flooding their retinas, leaving behind visual afterimages that were impossible to ignore. These afterimages seemed to envelop the Xenomorphs; each one possessed its own motion, appearing so real that even a world-class heavyweight champion would be unable to discern which strike was the genuine one.

A skill? No, it was a technique.

As everyone knew, in the "Infinite" multiverse, technique was also a grand path. Within martial arts, there was *Guoshu*. Practitioners who underwent grueling training for years could master the fourth-stage power of "micro-manipulation," where one unit of force could act as a hundred. Once they possessed an energy cycle—such as the ability to emit *Gang* force or enhance their physical constitution—they underwent a rebirth, allowing them to strike down all manner of demons and monsters.

What was technique? This was technique.

As a genius assassin of the Zhao family, although her experience was currently wiped, she hadn't completely lost her persona. The various assassination arts of the Zhao family remained embedded in her memory. As long as she didn't encounter Zhao Zhui-kong, she could perform at her baseline level—the kind of skill that could cut through Zheng Zha's skin and shear through steel with her fingernails.

And then there were the assassination footsteps used to interfere with infrared detection.

Now, under the augmentation of Qian Gu's buffs, Zhao Yingkong's physical stats were elevated, and the techniques she wielded naturally rose with them, achieving a terrifying level of performance.

*Rip!*

A sound like tearing cowhide echoed through the air. Highly corrosive fluid sprayed from the top of the Xenomorph's head as Zhao Yingkong sliced its skull open with her nails, exposing its organs to the air. The two nearby Xenomorphs shrieked, rushing forward to assist.

*Bang!*

Gunfire erupted. Kong Mingde and Li Shuaixi gulped, gritted their teeth, and pulled their triggers. Bullets sprayed out like they were worthless, weaving a barrage that engulfed the two Xenomorphs, shells clattering incessantly against their dark, chitinous shells. Both of their submachine guns had been enchanted by Qian Gu with "Magic Weapon," increasing their penetration power significantly. After several volleys, the dense rain of bullets tore through the Xenomorphs' armor and shredded them.

"Yes!" Li Shuaixi felt a surge of excitement as the God's notification sounded in his ears. Reward points!

Just as the two Xenomorphs collapsed, Zhao Yingkong’s finishing blow arrived. Her sharp nails, acting like daggers, dissected the remaining creature with the precision of a master chef, ignoring the corrosive blood. After all, in such close-quarters combat, her mage armor did not protect her hands.

*She really is a berserker...* Qian Gu’s mouth twitched. He now had a much clearer image of this youthful-looking assassin.

After disposing of the three Xenomorphs, Zhao Yingkong returned to the side of the three men. The flesh on her right hand had been visibly corroded; without a high-cellular-activity lineage like the vampires to sustain her, and with *Bull’s Strength* only boosting muscle density, it was her own muscular integrity that had prevented her hand from being reduced to bone.

"Hold out your hand."

"Hm?"

"Just a quick fix."

A mangled, bloody hand reached out.

*1st-Level: Cure Light Wounds.*

It wasn't a miracle capable of raising the dead or regrowing bones, but a simple healing spell that stimulated the victim's cellular activity, accelerating natural recovery. Within seconds, Zhao Yingkong's right hand had scabbed over.

It would have to do. Complete restoration was impossible, and Qian Gu had no intention of wasting dragon power on it.

"Thanks," Zhao Yingkong murmured, barely audible.

Qian Gu shook his magical storage pouch, shaking out some scrap materials he had intended for Mu Gang’s gauntlets, along with a small stone tied to a piece of rope that could be worn around the neck. With a flick of his finger and a bit of minor alchemy, he shrunk the scraps to fit Zhao Yingkong's hand.

"Here." He handed them to her. "Your combat ability is impressive. You can be listed as an official member."

Zhao Yingkong looked at the gauntlets and the stone, then back at Qian Gu. "What are these for?"

"A Transmuter’s Stone. Theoretically, it shouldn't be something a warlock can make, but I took a shortcut," Qian Gu chuckled. "I designed this one for acid resistance. Combined with your current muscle density, it should help you avoid some of that Xenomorph blood corrosion."

A Transmuter’s Stone. These were artifacts belonging to the Transmutation School of magic, capable of amplifying spell effects and providing various buffs, such as darkvision, elemental resistance, or constitution saves. Normally, these were exclusive to wizards; while a Transmutation wizard could give one to someone else to use, a non-Transmutation wizard had almost no chance of crafting one.

But there was always an exception. Like Qian Gu, or the enlightenment of Z-style arcanists. Possessing the power of an arcanist, he didn't need to worry about the standard spell list. To a certain extent, he could bypass certain limitations to create things that were theoretically impossible, like this stone. He still adhered to the rule that only one Transmuter’s Stone of his making could exist at a time.

"What now?" Zhao Yingkong asked, wearing the gauntlets and standing beside him.

"To the central control room."

"Isn't the path blocked?"

"No one said there was only one way," Qian Gu sneered. "Besides, I have a big gift to deliver to them."