Chapter 105: The Monster Inside the Pyramid

The place where Zhou Shu landed was much brighter than before; it was not only spacious but also well-lit.

Light meant visibility.

Zhou Shu’s eyes had evolved from being nearsighted to normal, then gradually "enlightened," and finally, something beyond human. His constitution, approaching a rating of 2, granted his eyes extraordinary capabilities: he could see further, observe with greater detail, and his vision adjusted rapidly to shifts between light and shadow.

The grand hall contained several luminous points. While they might have served as "background lights" for a film set, they were now replaced by unknown glowing objects, allowing him to see his surroundings clearly. He had sensed something amiss the moment he landed, so he instantly activated "Bullet Time."

Under the influence of Bullet Time, he took in the entire scene. Directly in front of him were three bewildered humans—an old man, a younger man, and a woman—along with the corpse of another human, strangled by a net and pierced by a spear.

Scanning the room, he realized the "temple" atmosphere was intense. Two statues of Predators, kneeling and holding spears by the entrance, added to the eeriness, and various bizarre carvings confirmed this was no ordinary human construction. Furthermore, there was a fallen Predator corpse near the wall.

This scene looked somewhat familiar.

As his gaze returned to his immediate vicinity, the Predator and the Xenomorph noticed him too. One looked like a clumsy brute in a mask, while the other was a hideous, snarling nightmare. They were charging toward the center—where Zhou Shu stood—intending to engage in close-quarters combat. Given their momentum, there was no chance of them pulling back, so Zhou Shu took advantage of the remaining Bullet Time to perform a quick forward roll.

"Boom!"

The moment Zhou Shu vacated the spot, the Predator and the Xenomorph collided. They had no time to spare for the sudden intruder and immediately began grappling.

A weak human, he thought.

"Roar—"

With a powerful charge, the Predator was slammed into a wall by the Xenomorph, shattering the masonry upon impact. As the Predator hit the ground, the Xenomorph seized the opportunity to rake the Predator’s face with its tail.

Taking advantage of the distraction, the three humans scrambled to their feet. The man and woman hoisted the old man up and started to run. In their haste, they didn't get a good look at Zhou Shu's face and instinctively assumed he was one of their own. The woman shouted, "Quick, we have to get out of here!"

Zhou Shu rolled away from the battlefield and stood up. Upon hearing the shout, he didn't follow them; instead, he raised his rifle and aimed at the Xenomorph’s back. Leaving was not an option; he hadn't come here to run away.

The Xenomorph was vicious, killing everything it encountered. Even if it didn't kill immediately, the incubation of a Xenomorph larva meant death anyway. But these creatures were brought here by the Predators. The ancient humans worshipped the Predators as gods, but the "gods" treated humans like livestock. They used humans to breed Xenomorphs, then sent a group of Predators every hundred years to hunt them as a rite of passage, killing any humans who stumbled into the process along the way. If things went wrong and they failed to complete the rite, they would simply "nuke" the world and start over.

In any case, neither the Predators nor the Xenomorphs were good news. He was here today to make them taste the feeling of being treated as "test subjects."

Kill them all!

Bullet Time, activate again!

*Whoosh—*

The flow of time shifted. Whether it was the three fleeing humans or the fighting monsters, their every movement slowed to a crawl.

Using this state, Zhou Shu observed the Xenomorph, which had its back to him. The creature’s exposed skeleton was its most striking visual feature; according to lore, they were composed of silicates. Because the skeleton covered the exterior, it was non-conductive, allowing them to adapt to various external temperatures and pressures without radiating heat. This made them nearly invisible to thermal imaging. Moreover, the exoskeleton acted as a suit of armor; the incredibly hard and smooth silicon shell made bullets largely ineffective, often causing them to ricochet unless the caliber was high enough.

Because of the non-conductive nature of the exoskeleton, high heat, pressure, and freezing temperatures could cause damage but were rarely lethal. Unless, of course, these effects were combined and followed by a heavy blast from a firearm.

However, they did have a weakness: the thin, translucent bone at the front of their heads, which made them susceptible to a "headshot" from conventional weapons. But Xenomorphs were legendary "athletes" and "night hunters." They moved with the madness of a rabid dog and stood as still as statues, hiding in the darkness where they were impossible to find, let alone target—let alone score a headshot on. Even in a direct confrontation, most people would be too terrified of such a horrific monster to stand their ground calmly and aim for its forehead. The most likely outcome would be the monster headshotting them instead.

Zhou Shu had Bullet Time, so steady aiming was no problem. But the current Xenomorph had its back turned, hiding its vulnerable brow. According to the data, his rifle wouldn't inflict sufficient damage on other parts of its body. How unlucky.

He reached behind his back, felt something, and smiled. He still had two grenades!

*Whoosh—*

Time returned to its normal flow. However, using Bullet Time twice in succession began to put a strain on Zhou Shu’s body.

*Thump-thump, thump-thump.*

His heart raced, pumping oxygen-rich blood throughout his body. Adrenaline surged, pushing him into a state of heightened agitation. This state granted him incredible dynamic vision even without Bullet Time, especially when combined with his near-2 rating in physical constitution.

The two monsters hopped around the floor, trading blows. Zhou Shu seized his chance, pulled the pin on a grenade, and counted down in his palm. When his danger-sense ability began screaming at him, he tossed the grenade, landing it right in the gap between the brawling Predator and the Xenomorph.

"Boom!!"

The grenade detonated precisely between them, leaving them dazed. Zhou Shu didn't waste the opportunity; he sprinted forward after the explosion and emptied half a magazine into the Xenomorph’s head.

"Rat-tat-tat—"

A direct headshot. Corrosive blood splattered everywhere. Zhou Shu scrambled back—this stuff was lethal to the touch. Sure enough, where the blood hit the floor, it hissed and smoked.

Having dealt with the Xenomorph, he felt a gust of wind behind him. His danger sense flared. He ducked violently, and two blades whistled over his head. The Predator had recovered—a testament to its status as a formidable warrior. Of course, its armor had likely absorbed some of the blast, aiding its survival.

Zhou Shu wasn't without options. As he ducked, he delivered a powerful back-kick, slamming into the Predator’s leg.

*Crack.*

The Predator stumbled to the side. But unlike the beastly Xenomorph, the Predator was a tactician. Even as it fell, its shoulder cannon locked onto Zhou Shu. His danger sense went haywire; he tilted his head just in time, and a bolt of blue plasma sizzled past his ear. He could feel the intense heat searing his scalp—his hair was definitely gone in that spot.

"Damn it!"

Seeing the Predator regain its footing and swing its wrist blades again, Zhou Shu had no time to dodge. He gritted his teeth and activated Bullet Time once more!

*Whoosh—*

Time slowed again. Zhou Shu’s head throbbed, but he forced his body to twist, narrowly evading the blades. He raised his rifle and unleashed a barrage on the Predator’s unarmored spots, sending green blood flying. However, such minor injuries meant little to a Predator; they kept their vital areas well-protected, and wounds elsewhere were trivial.

Zhou Shu frowned, scanning his surroundings. He spotted a spear embedded in the human corpse. It was the Predator’s signature weapon—incredibly powerful!

*Why not fight fire with fire?*

With the final sliver of Bullet Time remaining, Zhou Shu adjusted his position to avoid the line of fire of the shoulder cannon, and as time resumed, he lunged for the spear.

The Predator knew what he was aiming for and charged, its shoulder cannon tracking him.

*Biu.*

A plasma bolt fired. Zhou Shu ducked, and the stone wall behind him was blown to pieces. The Predator, possessing extensive combat experience and having already killed several humans, had anticipated his ducking maneuver. It lowered its body to strike, intending not only to land a lethal blow or decapitate him but also to prevent Zhou Shu from using the spear to counterattack while drawing it.

But Zhou Shu, feigning the motion of pulling the spear, wore a mocking smirk. He used strength far beyond that of an average human to press down on the spear, snapping the stone beneath it with a *crack* and leveling the weapon.

*One inch longer, one inch stronger!*

The charging Predator ran straight into its own spear.

*Squelch!*

The spear met no resistance, instantly piercing the Predator’s helmet and skull.

"Whew."

Zhou Shu exhaled. He heard a startled cry—the three humans hadn't gotten far, and in their panic, the young man and woman had dropped the old man.

Seeing this, Zhou Shu kicked the Predator’s corpse aside, pulled the spear free, and gave it a flick. It transformed into a short staff with spikes on both ends. It felt roughly the same length as the staff-blades used by the Demon Suppression Division.

He held the weapon and looked at the trio. "Don't be afraid. I'm actually a scientist."

The three were stunned. They looked at the two monsters lying dead on the ground, then back at Zhou Shu, completely unconvinced by such a ridiculous claim.

Zhou Shu noticed their skepticism and raised an eyebrow. "What? You don't believe me?"

The three looked again at the two monsters that had just been killed by this "human." This time, they didn't hesitate for a second. They nodded vigorously. "We believe you, we believe you. You're definitely a scientist."