NOTE: Alien and Xenomorph will be used interchangeably. Later on, I only call them Xenomorph.


    ...


    The first time someone sees an Xenomorph egg, it''s common to feel a certain unease.


    However, this was not Duncan''s first time encountering one. Not only was he unafraid, but he also stepped forward, smiling as he reached out to gently caress the egg, feeling the pulse of life emanating from within.


    That''s right. Every Xenomorph, from the moment it is born, forms a psychic link with him.


    Normally, in the Xenomorph species, only the Xenomorph Queen possesses the natural ability to command all other Xenomorphs, even newborn Facehuggers, with absolute control. This authority is encoded in the Xenomorph''s genetic structure.


    "Absolute dominion... After my experiments, even the Queen is beneath me."


    Duncan looked at the Xenomorph beside him.


    The skull of a typical Xenomorph is smooth and elongated, but this Xenomorph''s skull was crowned, a symbol of authority and power.


    The Queen.


    Among the Xenomorphs, only one can lay eggs—the Queen.


    "Thank you for your hard work. You''ve spent so long evolving into a Queen and painstakingly laid these five eggs," Duncan chuckled.


    Xenomorphs are genderless. If the Queen dies or becomes isolated, the Xenomorphs will follow their genetic instincts, tapping into hidden factors in their DNA to spontaneously evolve into a Queen and gain the ability to lay eggs.


    Duncan had stayed with this Xenomorph for a long time, waiting for it to evolve into a Queen and lay eggs, which finally allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.


    Xenomorphs are born for combat. They can parasitize without discrimination, inheriting their host''s best genes, making every Xenomorph theoretically stronger than the host.


    Five eggs, five Facehuggers to parasitize five creatures and evolve into fully grown Xenomorphs.


    Honestly, there was a moment when Duncan was tempted by the idea of using a warrior like the Blade as a host. This individual was already an extraordinary being. If he could get him, the Xenomorph bursting out would be incredibly powerful.


    But Duncan quickly dismissed such evil thoughts.


    "Let''s start with some cats and dogs, at least they''ll bolster my combat strength for now."


    Duncan glanced at the Queen, who was silently waiting for orders.


    Honestly, compared to the Queens in the movies, this one was pitifully small. It would need to be fed a lot of meat to recover and grow stronger.


    This led to a tragedy for the small animals nearby. For several nights, terrifying and swift shadows moved in the darkness, and with each flash of movement, life was extinguished.


    At first, it was just a single shadow, but over time, their numbers began to grow.


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    The savage killings intensified, the blood of various animals spilled across the earth, eventually coagulating into dark, mottled stains.


    Eventually, a few police officers arrived after receiving a report.


    "Chief, we''re here. According to the report, there''s been a mass disappearance of wildlife in the area," one young officer complained. "There''s so much work in the bustling neighborhoods of New York City, why are we wasting precious time on a case like this? Is it because those animal rights activists are hard to deal with?"


    "Don''t forget who we are," the more composed middle-aged officer, George Stacy, surveyed the surroundings.


    Moreover, the person who made the report wasn''t one of those so-called activists...


    "Ever since that self-proclaimed ''Iron Man'' playboy returned, our workload has increased."


    "Wake up. At least it''s better than staying in New York City. Trouble always seems to pop up there."


    "That''s right, at least we aren''t dealing with a bunch of armored idiots flying around."


    George remembered some news he had heard recently and silently clicked his tongue.


    Some information couldn''t be made public, but as an insider, he was aware of the details—there had been a massive explosion at Stark Tower recently, caused by two armored men fighting.


    From the results, it was clear the winner was Tony Stark, and the one who was knocked out was probably Obadiah Stane, the second-in-command of Stark Industries, who had since gone into hiding.


    After that incident, it seemed to have sparked some sensitive issues, with various cases cropping up, putting even more pressure on them.


    George returned to focusing on his work. He put on gloves, took out his tools, and began carefully collecting all the evidence in the area.


    "It''s so quiet, it''s a little too quiet. It''s like all the animals disappeared overnight."


    "There are scattered bloodstains on the ground. Someone must have attacked these animals."


    George frowned, as blood made him uneasy.


    Soon, they wouldn''t need to worry about this for much longer because someone was approaching.


    "Gentlemen, what are you looking for?"


    "Who are you? Show me your hands!" Several officers drew their guns, wary of the approaching figure.


    But the man didn''t stop; in fact, he moved closer, revealing sharp fangs in his open mouth, illuminated by their flashlights.


    The officers fired their guns immediately, but the bullets only left holes in the pale man''s body.


    Within moments, the wounds healed, and the bullets were pushed out by the regenerating flesh.


    Whoosh!


    The man moved swiftly, leaping over ten meters and sinking his teeth into one of the officer''s neck.


    "Vampire?" In a flash of insight, George thought of the possibility.


    "Chief, there''s more than one enemy!"


    Several more pale-skinned figures emerged, rushing to the officer who had been bitten, greedily feeding on him.


    The grisly scene sent shivers down the spines of the officers, and even though they fired, the bullets were ineffective in delivering any fatal damage.


    The leader of the vampires wiped his mouth, casting a playful glance at the officers, as if assessing them like a group of tasty meals.


    "It seems we''re not the only ones targeting this place. Why are NYPD officers here? I don''t recall assigning you to this case." He asked.


    "Pfft. Since when do vampires give us orders?" George took a deep breath.


    "Heh. You know nothing of our power. Since you refuse to speak, I''ll tell you this—I''m not here for you."


    The vampire licked his fangs, his interest piqued not by these ordinary humans, but by the strong acid weapons that the Daywalker had procured from this area, and who had provided them.


    "It''s clearly corrosive, whether injected or detonated, it would be effective in killing certain mixed-blood vampires... but for some reason, I can distinctly smell blood in these liquids."


    As a member of the thirteen vampire clans, Dennis had a responsibility to strengthen his clan''s power. His base was raided by the Blade, many died, but it wasn''t a total loss.


    Whether intentional or not, the Blade didn''t try to hide his movements over the past few days, allowing Dennis to track him using security cameras and motorcycle traces, pinpointing several areas.


    Dennis was very interested in these strange blood-like liquids.


    As everyone knew, vampires derive energy from blood to enhance their strength, and any blood would suffice.


    But unfortunately, these peculiar liquids evaporated quickly upon contact with the air, offering him no opportunity to collect them.


    "Get rid of these food sources," Dennis waved his hand.


    "In this territory, killing without my permission—what are you thinking?" A voice echoed from a distance.


    Under the flashlight''s beam, Duncan''s figure became visible over a hundred meters away.


    "Blade a real piece of work. I asked for a few vampires, not to handle it this way."