Marvel's Death Merchant

Jack regained some of his senses and said to Bill, "Sir, I can't remember anything from my past, but the person you mentioned seems familiar. He was a great help to me in the past."

A voice came from afar. Francis, one of Bill's three companions, said, "It seems Bill has found his target. Although this place is better than the zombie outbreak area that Mr. Donald mentioned, it's still better than our world."

Three people walked in through the iron gate. These were the people Tang Tian had brought back from the Survival Road world. They had now joined the Umbrella Corporation, which pleased Tang Tian greatly. The T-virus outbreak was just the beginning; the virus might engulf the entire world. (To be continued...)

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Chapter 223 Plan

While Tang Tian was dealing with an escalating biohazard crisis, in another special dimension, the mission Tang Tian had assigned to Tang Xing was just beginning. Tang Tian's side was, for the time being, absolutely safe. However, Tang Tian still needed to work harder, because the number of superheroes in the Marvel universe was increasing. Although Umbrella Corporation was now a well-regarded company, it still needed to be careful, otherwise being discovered by numerous forces would be very troublesome.

In the "Infinite Terror" dimension, Tang Xing and Zheng Zha easily dealt with a portion of the aliens, and then cooperated with Chu Xuan. As everyone knew, this was the only way to get through the movie's plot, and it proved that their combat power was not very strong.

Just like in the original storyline, when Chu Xuan proposed using the native power of this world to eliminate the aliens, before anyone else could say anything, Zheng Zha, a member of the temporary team, had already expressed his opinion.

Zheng Zha looked around at the people and spoke first: "I don't know what you all think, but even if I weren't from this timeline, even if I might live a few more years, I absolutely couldn't do that, absolutely couldn't..."

He hesitated as he said this. He had originally wanted to say that he would fight on even if he was the only one left, but he couldn't bring himself to say the last sentence. After all, he was still afraid of dying.

Chu Xuan nodded and said, "Everyone must be thinking that the second plan is crazy enough, right? Actually, I think that if conditions allow, the second plan is the most reliable plan for all of us to survive. However, this plan has two flaws. If these two flaws cannot be resolved, the plan may fail. The first flaw is that since the plot has already changed, who can guarantee that the Earth government won't blow our merchant ship up outside the atmosphere? With the technology of the interstellar era, do you all think that Earth doesn't have outer space defense measures?"

"The second vulnerability is that I'm worried about whether the adjacent layer can completely stop the aliens. Their blood is extremely acidic. I remember in the Alien 4 sequel, they escaped their cages precisely because of the corrosive nature of their blood. If they use the same method to corrode and break through this isolation layer... I think when we wake up, we might be directly facing a lump of flesh lunging at our faces, and the aliens will be parasitizing our bodies."

Zero said coldly, "Since this plan has so many flaws, why did you even bring it up? I don't need your nonsense."

Chu Xuan waved his hand helplessly and said, "But even with two vulnerabilities, it's still the safest option. You need to understand that if we choose the first option, we'll have to defeat the aliens face-to-face. The isolation wall won't save us after we fail. Failure means total death... and this death rate will happen several times in a row. Are you all confident you can survive these multiple trials?"

Tang Xing said without any fear, "Choosing which one is not important. We must fight to the end to complete this mission. I believe that as long as we cooperate, we will definitely be able to leave this place."

Zhang Jie immediately nodded and said, "I also think we should choose the option that we can control. Although it is dangerous, it means that we control the battle ourselves, rather than relying on luck to survive."

The others nodded silently, and Chu Xuan sighed, "Alright then. Let's vote, majority rule. I think that's the fairest decision, right?"

The voting results were quite unexpected. While the first option—fighting the aliens—was indeed chosen, only four people opted for it: Zero, Overlord, Zhang Jie, and Zheng Zha. Surprisingly, besides Chu Xuan and Tang Xing choosing the second option, even Zhan Lan chose the second option.

Chu Xuan sighed and said, "Since the battle has been decided, I will respect everyone's decision. Let's face the aliens together... First, Zheng Zha, please bring out the food and fresh water. I think everyone must be hungry, right?"

Facing the intense gazes of those around him, Zheng Zha smiled and channeled his inner energy. After this period of rest, his inner energy had indeed recovered somewhat. Although it wasn't yet usable in combat, it was perfect for activating his storage ring. Tang Xing, of course, also possessed his boss's spatial seed, but he hadn't done anything with it; it wasn't of paramount importance at the moment. If necessary, Tang Xing could even use nuclear weapons to flatten a star.

A few seconds later, boxes of biscuits, cheese, bread, and dried meat were laid out on the ground, along with bottles filled with fresh water. After the food was taken out, Chu Xuan was the first to squat down. He opened a few boxes and then counted the number of bottles of fresh water. He said, "There is plenty of food. If we eat and drink sparingly, the seven of us can last for about a week. But I suggest we divide this food into three days' worth. That amount will be enough for us to eat and drink our fill, so that we can maintain our best physical strength and strongest fighting power for three days."

Since choosing the second option, Zhan Lan hadn't dared to look at Zheng Zha. At this moment, she wanted to raise her hand to touch her forehead, but she forgot that there was a large hole in her shoulder. She hadn't felt anything when she was running away because of the tension, but now that she was calm, the pain was excruciating. She touched her forehead with her other hand and said, "Why not divide it into seven days? As long as we can wait until those aliens are trapped, we can clear a safe passage to the kitchen. That way, we can even starve them to death without fighting them."

The others also looked at Chu Xuan with doubt. The man smiled bitterly and said, "I have also thought about this hypothesis, but there are several reasons that make me have to give up on fighting a protracted war with them. First, we are not familiar with the physiological structure of the aliens. If they are like some desert creatures on Earth, able to hibernate for dozens of days without eating or drinking, then we simply cannot sustain a long battle with them. In fact, after we have eaten and drunk all the food and fresh water, we will be the ones who are trapped and die."

"Second, everyone, please count how many people there are here in total? Seven people. Yes, I remember there were fifteen people when we came here, right? So where did the flesh of the other eight people, or more precisely, the other eight people, go? Adding the corpses of the original characters from the story, this is enough for the aliens to maintain a low level of consumption."

"Third, and this is the most crucial point, I don't want to push the Xenomorphs too far. If we do manage to trap them and obtain food supplies from the kitchen, when they are starving, are you sure they won't use their blood to corrode the isolation layer and then rush at and devour us? Therefore, I would rather fight the Xenomorphs as soon as we are well-fed and watered, which is the only best way I have deduced to fight them."

Zheng Zha exhaled and said, "If we survive this horror movie... then you will definitely deserve the most credit. Now, please tell us if there's anything else. Since we are now partners who will share life and death, we will absolutely trust you."

Tang Xing ignored their words. Although he also longed to return to the Marvel universe, his boss, for some reason, no longer trusted him, so he could only continue his mission here. (To be continued...)

Chapter 224 Bait

The others nodded silently, glancing at Chu Xuan. Although they were unconvinced, this man was indeed exceptionally intelligent, and in this predicament, Chu Xuan's significance to them was self-evident. Tang Xing was also quite capable, but he hadn't demonstrated his strength, so no one believed in his power yet, and therefore he wasn't particularly important at the moment.

Chu Xuan smiled and nodded, saying, "To be honest, I heard Zhang Jie say before that new people are added to every horror movie, and the quality of these new people is really hard to guarantee. In many horror movies, one person's strength is really too insignificant. If we can survive this time, then we will participate in more and more terrifying horror movies in the future. I hope that my team has at least the courage and strength to survive, so that I will use my brain. Otherwise, everything will be meaningless. In our team of several people, at least seven people are highly skilled elites. I am very satisfied with such a team. I hope that we can all survive... at least the seven of us must survive."

Li Shuaixi's face immediately turned red. He was just an ordinary young man with no special skills, so he naturally understood that Chu Xuan was referring to him as the only person. At this moment, Zheng Zha patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, as long as you can survive, you can train yourself and become stronger. Never give up hope."

Tang Xing, of course, couldn't possibly believe Chu Xuan was referring to him. Everyone knew he single-handedly fought the alien, so no one doubted the source of his fighting prowess. It simply gave them even more hope. Tang Xing even offered them a large quantity of weapons for sale. Although Tang Xing's businessman's nature left them speechless, they still bought his weapons for safety.

Li Shuaixi gave him a grateful look, and then Chu Xuan said, "So, my isolation plan is... a decoy! Yes. Open a section of the isolation wall, and then lure the alien into the passageway I designed. The decoy is... Li Shuaixi!"

Everyone stared blankly at Li Shuaixi, an ordinary-looking, ordinary-strong, and ordinary-talented young man. Simply put, he was an ordinary young man with no redeeming qualities. If Chu Xuan hadn't mentioned him, no one would have thought of him at all; he was as ordinary as if he were invisible.

Li Shuaixi stood there for a moment, then suddenly his face turned red and he shouted, "Why me? Why me? There are so many people here, everyone wants to get through this horror movie safely, why do I have to be the one to die? You want to kill me, don't you? If there's one less person to share the food, you can all live a little longer, so you want to kill me, don't you?"

Chu Xuan glanced at him silently and said, "No. I didn't mean for you to go and die. Although being bait is indeed very dangerous, you are the most suitable candidate. Everyone here is better than you. Zhang Jie, Zhan Lan, Zheng Zha, and Tang Xing are all seasoned veterans who have watched horror movies. I can plan all the subsequent actions. Zero's close combat and sniping skills are outstanding, and Overlord is proficient in many firearms, possibly including those in the merchant ship's armory. So tell me, what role would you play for us?"

Li Shuaixi lowered his head and remained silent, but his face grew increasingly red, and the veins on his hands bulged. Chu Xuan then said calmly, "Under normal circumstances, everyone has their talents. I would never measure someone by numbers or abilities. To put it simply, I would never be so pragmatic as I am now. But you must understand our current situation. We are fighting against death. Any tiny mistake could kill us all here! You are one of the extra people among us, so if you want to be accepted and treated equally by our main force, you must show us your usefulness. Otherwise, what's the difference between you and those people still outside the isolation wall?"

Zheng Zha finally couldn't hold back any longer and shouted, "Impossible! I don't agree with your statement. When I first came in, I was just an ordinary person. It was only after being enhanced that I was able to have my current skills. Why is Li Shuaixi superfluous? As long as we give him a chance to watch a few more horror movies, he will also become our reliable partner!"

Chu Xuan remained calm and said, "But... does he have that kind of opportunity? To be precise, do we have any chance of surviving this horror movie? If we have the same reward points and physical enhancements, the six of us will be far stronger than him. Also, don't say you'll take his place. Everyone has their own responsibilities. You are our biggest hope for surviving this horror movie. Do you want to save one person while we all die?"

Zheng Zha was furious. He was extremely afraid of death, especially when he had someone to care about. He was determined to live no matter what. He understood better how it felt to face death and danger directly. If someone with his physical condition could survive, then what hope would ordinary people like Li Shuaixi have when facing the alien?

Zhang Jie quickly hugged Zheng Zha, who was becoming increasingly agitated. He said urgently, "Let's follow the old rules and vote. That's the fairest way... Zheng Zha! Don't act impulsively and disregard our lives. What about your talents? If we die, our creations will also disappear! What exactly do you want to do?"

Zheng Zha shuddered, and finally lowered his head and sat down weakly. Chu Xuan sighed and said, "Then let's start voting now. Those who are willing to accept my plan, please raise your hands. The minority shall obey the majority."

The result was five votes in favor and two against, and Li Shuaixi's fate was decided. He could either obey the plan and act as bait to gain the team's recognition, or he could leave the team without receiving any food or water and lose the team's protection.

Li Shuaixi was extremely excited. Lingdian and Bawang stood silently beside Chu Xuan. Everyone thought he was about to explode, but unexpectedly, the young man took a few deep breaths and gradually calmed down. He looked at Chu Xuan with a venomous expression and said, "Fine, I will be the bait, just as you all hope. I will be the bait in a moment!"

Everyone shuddered when they saw the venom in his eyes, but Zheng Zha didn't see any of that. He kept his head down and remained silent. After the voting ended, he quietly walked to a secluded spot in the control room and sat there alone, saying nothing.

At this moment, Tang Xing walked over to him and said, "Do you already know the outcome? That's why you have that expression. I'm asking you, do you want to live?"

“Of course, I really want to. However, your refusal has put me in danger,” Li Shuaixi said with a grim expression.

"No, I will resurrect you in another way. This time, when you are resurrected, you will gain the power of darkness. If you are willing to become my subordinate, leave a drop of your blood, and I will use it to resurrect you," Tang Xing said, his entire body radiating dark power. (To be continued...)

Chapter 225 Preparations for the Final Battle

"I'll become your subordinate, and no matter what, I will resurrect this time and take revenge on these hypocrites," Li Shuaixi said coldly. His demeanor was completely different from before; it was as if he had entered darkness.

“Very well, I will revive you. I will also show you a different world and give you power,” Tang Xing said with a smile, though he gave off a very dangerous vibe.

Zheng Zha quickly asked, "What happened? Why didn't that alien attack them?"

Chu Xuan remained silent, lost in thought. Instead, Zhan Lan touched her forehead and asked, "Is it because of... reproduction?"

The only Xenomorph with reproductive capabilities is the Queen, and for an Xenomorph larva to grow to maturity, it needs a living host. This may be why the Xenomorph didn't kill the four people on screen.

Chu Xuan nodded silently and said, "Yes, it must be for breeding. The bait mission must be carried out as soon as possible, otherwise in a few days... we will face... nine aliens!"

Zheng Zha's ring contained plenty of food and fresh water. There was bread, cheese, lean meat, and a few snacks, all in good quantity and quality. There was also enough fresh water for everyone to drink for a few days. However, just in case, everyone divided the food and water into seven portions, each person receiving enough to last about three days.

Chu Xuan placed Li Shuaixi's food and water on the table and said, "This is your portion. As long as you prove that you are useful to this team and not a burden to us, then this food and water are yours. Moreover, after you prove it, you will also be a member of our team in the future."

Unexpectedly, Li Shuaixi smiled, bowed his head, and accepted the food and water. Then he went to the side and began to eat and drink heartily by himself. There was no fear; Tang Xing knew he was hiding his hatred.

The others ignored him. They each grabbed their food and water and ate and drank heartily. The running and fear of the previous half day had left them both hungry and thirsty. Now that they had finally obtained food and water, and in relatively large quantities, their eating and drinking habits looked somewhat reckless.

While Zhan Lan was eating, Zheng Zha silently tore open the food packaging for her because she had difficulty moving one hand. He also took out a small plastic box and poured her a glass of water. These actions made the petite Zhan Lan giggle non-stop, and she ended up sitting next to Zheng Zha while eating.

Chu Xuan suddenly spoke up and asked, "By the way, now that you have some free time, tell me how you killed that alien? I've always been very curious about that."

Although everyone around was eating and drinking, it seemed that discussing business over food and drink had become a Chinese dining habit. Zheng Zha took a sip of water and said with a wry smile, "Don't make me sound like I'm some kind of genius. The situation was truly a matter of life and death. We almost died there. If I hadn't been lucky enough to cut off the alien's tongue first, we might have been the ones who died."

Chu Xuan thought for a moment and then asked Zero, "If you were using the Desert Eagle, how many meters could you hit the alien's tongue? I mean, a moving alien. And it would be incredibly fast."

Without even looking up, Zero coldly said, "Within 150 meters, the hit rate is 30%; within 100 meters, it's 40%; within 50 meters, it's 50%. That's the limit. I can't increase the hit rate any further if it gets any closer."

Zheng Zha gave a wry smile. A 50% chance was only a 50/50 chance. The alien's tongue was hard enough to cut through gold and iron, and its power was immense when it was first fired. A human head was nothing more than a fragile watermelon in front of the alien. In other words, if Zero's shot missed, regardless of whether the bullet would hit a person, the alien's tongue alone would be enough to instantly kill anyone who got close to it.

Zheng Zha smiled wryly and continued, "I was lucky at the time. I managed to cut off that long tongue by surprise. Because its tongue was embedded in Zhan Lan's shoulder, I was able to hit it easily. If we were face to face, its tongue would have shot out too fast for us to even react."

Chu Xuan nodded and said, "The speed at which the alien tongue pops out is terrifying, almost the same as the muzzle velocity of a pistol bullet. We also have to consider its weight and size. Ordinary steel plates might not be able to block its power. Anyway... let's stick to the plan and isolate the alien first, and then clear the passage from here to the armory. Maybe we can find suitable weapons there."

Zheng Zha sighed and asked, "So how do you plan to isolate the aliens? Will you just send people as bait?"

While eating, Chu Xuan casually pressed some buttons on the control platform. After a moment, a map of the entire merchant ship passage appeared on the large screen, with important rooms and connecting passages marked with numbers.

"We are at location number twenty-seven. According to my calculations, and based on the direction the alien took those four people earlier, the alien queen should be located in... warehouse number one or two. The surveillance system around there has failed, probably because it has been corroded by the alien's secretions. I remember in the horror movie Alien 4, when the alien queen lays eggs, she secretes some spider silk-like substances. These substances are also acidic, but the acidity is not as strong as that of alien blood."

"So the perimeter walls, surveillance systems, and even lighting equipment around there can no longer be used. The area where we can use the perimeter walls is the rooms after number sixteen... I have marked it on the map; green indicates the area where the perimeter walls can be used."

As Chu Xuan spoke, he kept pressing the buttons on the control panel. Before long, a green and red area gradually appeared on the map.

Everyone looked closely at the large screen. On the screen, the green area occupied almost the entire area of ​​the merchant ship, while the red area only covered rooms one through fifteen.

Chu Xuan sighed and said, "You might think that the alien corrosion only extends to room 15, and is still quite a distance from room 17 of the armory, so you feel fortunate, right? But I have to tell you some unfortunate news. Rooms 16 and 17 are located to the left and right of room 15. In other words, we can't lower the partition wall between room 17 and room 15. The electrical circuits there are probably already corroded. If we try to retrieve weapons, the aliens in room 15 can freely hunt us down because we can't isolate them."

"This is precisely why the decoy plan needs to be launched. We must lure all four aliens, except the Queen, into the passageway behind Room 17, and then isolate them one by one. Only in this way can we find a safe path to Armory 17. As I said, I will not waste human lives. Although this plan is extremely dangerous, it is the key to whether we can survive this horror movie. This plan absolutely cannot have any accidents."

Zheng Zha stared at the red and green screen for a long time before sighing and asking, "What if only one or two aliens come? Wouldn't that be both dangerous and make it impossible to complete the plan?"

Chu Xuan smiled but didn't say anything. Instead, Zhan Lan, who was sitting next to Zheng Zha, said, "Actually, there's a way to lure all the aliens over... Remember when we were chased by the aliens? How did they know we were there? And why did they chase us so desperately... It's their scent."

Tang Xing also said seriously, "You're right, that's why we have to go all out." After he finished speaking, black flames emanated from his entire body, making it clear that his power was extremely strong. (To be continued...)

Chapter 226 The Final Battle

Tang Xing followed the original plot without changing anything, so all the team members who were supposed to die died. There was no plot change as if it were a time traveler, and not changing the plot had no impact on Tang Xing.

After many twists and turns, the group finally found the Alien Queen. And this queen was much larger than the one in the movie; she was a colossal creature, her enormous and ferocious body already intimidating just standing still, let alone now that she was standing right in front of them!

The Queen's speed was incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, her tail had already sent Zheng Zha flying. With a loud bang, Zheng Zha crashed more than ten meters away. Only then did everyone come to their senses, but they were already standing under the Queen's mouth, with nowhere to hide.

Zero reacted with lightning speed. As Zheng Zha was knocked away, he rolled sharply toward the Empress's side. While rolling, he fired a burst of bullets at the Empress's head with his submachine gun. The bullets hit the Empress's shell and bounced off directly. Sparks even flew between the bullets and the shell, which shows how hard the Empress's shell was.

Fortunately, Zero's aim was good enough, and several bullets hit the Queen's huge tongue with a few muffled thuds. A few yellow bloodstains popped out from the Queen's tongue, and the Queen roared madly. She turned around and slashed at Zero with her claw. Luckily, Zero dodged in time and rolled forward at the last second. The slash only tore a large gash in Zero's back, and blood immediately gushed out from his back.

Chu Xuan was the second to react. His usually calm eyes suddenly sharpened, and he charged towards the Empress, two heavy pistols in hand. When he was several meters away from her, his bullets accurately struck her tongue, several more hitting her in quick succession. With a few sharp cracks, he shattered the tip of her tongue.

Tang Xing pressed his advantage, unleashing black flames that ignited the alien's tongue, instantly reducing its attack power. It must be said that the alien's combat strength is formidable; its attack caused some immediate trouble, but the alien's fighting power is still enough to endanger many.

The Queen's roar grew even louder. Her tail lashed out so suddenly that Chu Xuan didn't even have time to react before it struck his left shoulder, sending him flying more than ten meters away. He slammed into a shipping container with a deafening crash, his entire body imprinted on the container's steel surface. One can imagine how powerful that blow was.

Zero's submachine gun never stopped firing, the relentless barrage striking the Queen's entire body. He moved elusive around her, trying to avoid her tongue and tail, but no matter how fast he was, he couldn't outrun the gigantic alien Queen. The massive monster suddenly turned, and as Zero tried to roll away, the Queen's claws gripped his left shoulder. Almost simultaneously, her enormous tongue slammed in, grazing his head and piercing his right shoulder—no, not just piercing it, but shattering it completely. Zero's right shoulder had vanished entirely.

"what!"

At midnight, he let out a bloodcurdling scream, blood gushing from his mouth. A small piece of his lung had been destroyed by the Queen's tongue attack, leaving him only breathing blood. Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, the Queen's tongue didn't kill him outright; instead, it began sucking the flesh from his right shoulder.

"Indeed impressive, but I wonder if you can devour my virus?" Tang Xing muttered to himself, then took out his laser-cutting sword. He easily sliced ​​off the tongue that hadn't been burned earlier; the rest was obviously done with.

Tang Xing's arm, pierced by the alien's tail, didn't bleed at all after being hit; instead, a large amount of black flames flowed out. It must be said that the power of the Veronica virus is truly formidable. Tang Xing's individual flame attacks weren't particularly powerful, but the flames in his blood were the most dangerous, turning the alien's tail to ash in an instant.

"Die!"

On the other side, while Tang Xing was attacking, Zheng Zha suddenly jumped to the gap in the Empress's waist, his feet landing directly on the Empress's flesh. He was also bloodthirsty, directly inserting the rifle into the Empress's waist, and then frantically pressing the rifle. The sound of gunshots rang out, and it was unclear how serious the damage to the Empress was, but in any case, the Empress's cries of pain gradually weakened.

After firing more than ten bullets, Zheng Zha was finally lifted off the waist by the Empress. Before he even hit the ground, the Empress's claws had already grabbed him hard, and the sharp part of the claws went straight through his left chest. It was unclear whether it had injured his heart, but he coughed up a large mouthful of blood again.

"Tang Xing, give me the Spiral Spike Bomb!"