As Roy had suspected, something unexpected had indeed happened between the Xenomorphs and The Thing.
It started when a Xenomorph captured a freshly infected human who hadn't mutated yet, using them as a host for a facehugger.
The result? A new hybrid: a Xenomorph mutated by The Thing. We could call it a Thingomorph, or maybe a Xenothing.
Hmm, Thingomorph sounds catchier.
Anyway, this new Thingomorph seemed immune to the Xenomorph Queen's control, and its genetic form had stabilized—no weird mutations like the other Thing-infected creatures. Its color had even shifted to a vivid red, making it stand out.
It was a lot like those beings infected by the Color Out of Space, radiating pure malice.
Roy figured the Thing's genes must have complemented the Xenomorph's in some way.
How did Roy know all this? Well, shortly after he entered his Fraud Space state, the Thingomorph passed right by him.
The Thingomorph's senses were incredibly sharp. Even in Fraud Space, it instinctively sensed something off and stopped to sniff around Roy's location.
The thing even unfolded its exoskeleton, releasing a bunch of pink tentacles to probe the area.
But it was no use—Fraud Space isn't something you can just detect easily. Otherwise, that Ironhook Jack guy wouldn't have escaped Roy so many times back in the day.
After sensing around for a while without finding anything, the Thingomorph spotted something else. It quickly retracted its shell and silently headed toward the target.
Roy was curious about what this thing was up to, so he didn't attack. Instead, he followed behind it.
Xenomorph physiology is naturally suited for silent movement in complex environments—humans are way behind in that department. So, tailing it was pretty tough for Roy.
Before long, Roy watched as the Thingomorph forcibly restrained a regular Xenomorph and stabbed its tail into the other's body, like it was... inseminating it or something.
But regular Xenomorphs don't have that ability, even though their social structure is a lot like an ant colony.
With the Queen at the center, different types of Xenomorphs serve her to ensure the hive's survival and reproduction.
Unlike ants, though, the Xenomorph Queen doesn't need males to fertilize her eggs, so no need for reproductive organs or abilities in the males.
Regular male Xenomorphs are basically the bottom-tier workers—drone Xenomorphs, or worker bees.
So, what the heck was this Thingomorph doing?
Roy got his answer soon enough.
After receiving the Thingomorph's "forced love," the drone Xenomorph started mutating too.
First, its color shifted from black to red. Then, red tentacles began sprouting from its body, though they quickly retracted back inside.
It seemed like the Thingomorph had turned a drone Xenomorph into one of its own through this forced method.
Now Roy knew why they hadn't killed Bruce—it was obvious the Thingomorph's main goal was to forcibly "love" other Xenomorphs, not help the Queen find hosts for facehuggers.
With fewer drones available, the Queen couldn't break free from her restraints. Even though more Predators were participating in the trial, they couldn't complete it without enough drones.
Yeah, once the pyramid's mechanisms activate, the only way out—unless you're Roy and just demolish the place—is to kill the Queen, since the exit is in the chamber where she's held.
And every shift in the pyramid's layout funnels everyone toward the center, right to the Queen.
Once Roy understood the Thingomorph's objective, he dropped out of Fraud Space and decided to test its strength.
The two Thingomorphs were clearly startled when they suddenly spotted Roy, growling at him like a hissing Hakimi.
"Quiet down! Wanna spar? I'll show you what real dirty fighting looks like!"
One of the Thingomorphs seemed provoked by that and lunged straight at Roy.
You could see its explosive power was way beyond a regular drone—its sprint speed was nearly double.
In stat terms, it'd be around 50+ agility. Heather and Penny probably didn't even hit that.
"Interesting!"
Roy pulled out the Leviathan Axe and shifted it into a folding shield, slamming it perfectly into the Thingomorph's head with a shield bash.
Thud!
A dull smack echoed as the Thingomorph was smacked flat to the ground, its head ringing.
A normal person—or even a Predator—might've been brain-dead on the spot from that hit.
But the Thingomorph actually struggled back to its feet.
"Deep breaths—dizziness is normal."
The other Thingomorph saw its buddy get wrecked and charged in too, but the outcome was the same.
Sure, the Thingomorph's physical stats were a huge leap over a drone's, but it still wasn't a match for Roy. He outclassed it completely in raw power.
"Tsk tsk tsk! Too bad you can't talk—it'd be way more fun."
Roy felt a bit disappointed looking at the two dazed Thingomorphs. Good punching bags like these are rare.
Their exoskeletons were incredibly tough—even a hit from the Leviathan Axe-turned-folding-shield didn't crack it.
That shield inherited the axe's durability, styled like a Predator's but made from the Jealous King's bones. It wasn't something to take lightly.
Roy decided that after killing the Thingomorphs, he'd harvest their head exoskeletons and see if he could turn them into shields or something back home.
They kinda looked like long shields anyway.
At that moment, the two Thingomorphs' shells suddenly split open, unleashing a swarm of red tentacles.
It was like their bodies were completely overrun by these red tentacles—dense and wriggling enough to trigger anyone's trypophobia.
Roy reacted lightning-fast, backflipping to dodge the red tentacles' assault. Then he reverted the Leviathan Axe to its original form and hurled it with all his might.
Whoosh—boom!
First came the sonic boom as it broke the sound barrier, followed by a massive explosion.
The two Thingomorphs were too close together and got obliterated by the Leviathan Axe on the spot.
No acidic blood sprayed out—the Thingomorph only looked like a Xenomorph on the outside; its internals were totally different.
The clearest proof? After their flesh was destroyed, Roy saw no organs inside—just a mass of wriggling, lively tentacles.
Roy had no idea what kind of condition this was; probably something only a biologist could figure out.
But without the Thingomorph shells, those red tentacles started going haywire, linking up to form a meaty blob.
Roy immediately tossed an incendiary grenade, setting the red tentacles ablaze.
When the flames died down, all that was left was the intact red exoskeletons of the Thingomorphs—everything else had burned to charcoal.
"Hey, you even saved me the cleanup."
Disposing of bodies is specialized work, and Roy hadn't learned it yet, so it'd have been a hassle.
Then Roy heard a faint noise. Turning around, he saw the Predators decloak—they must've heard the commotion and come over, revealing themselves upon spotting him.
"Oh, it's you guys."
Roy noticed one Predator was missing, and another was covered in blood, badly injured and being carried by the others.
Looks like the Predators had run into some trouble too—though Roy wasn't sure if it was drones, The Thing, or Thingomorphs that hit them.
The Predator captain pointed at the two red Thingomorph exoskeletons by Roy's feet.
"What? You want these shells?"
The captain nodded and showed off the Xenomorph skull on his back—that shell was probably proof of completing the trial.
"I get it. How about a deal? I'm heading to hunt the Queen of these things. Know how to find her?"
The Thing's base form was a legendary creature, and Roy suspected the Xenomorph Queen was one too. If so, he had to hunt this thing down.
Mimicry was an unexpectedly useful rune, and Roy was eager for new ones.
The captain hesitated at that—clearly knowing their strength wasn't enough to take on the Queen.
This trial had gone way beyond rookie level thanks to The Thing's interference, and the captain seemed more focused on getting his team out safely.
"Here's the plan: just lead me to the Queen's chamber, and you guys can bail after. Plus, I can help you hunt some Xenomorphs along the way."
The captain was convinced and nodded immediately.
Then Roy glanced at the injured Predator.
"Need me to heal him?"
The captain seemed shocked, projecting text from his helmet.
"We've tried every method to treat him, but his condition keeps worsening."
Roy sensed something off. Predators' constitutions and recovery rates far outstrip humans'. Unless it was a debilitating injury or fatal wound, normal damage shouldn't sideline them.
But this Predator didn't have either.
"Hold on! Your buddy might be infected with a special parasite—get away from him now!"
Roy's words must've tipped it off, because the "injured" Predator suddenly ripped off its helmet and ambushed the one carrying it.
The other Predators were caught off guard. By the time they reacted, the carrier's brain had already been invaded by red tentacles.
The captain was furious, unfolding his wrist blades and slicing the infected Predator in half. But that wouldn't kill The Thing.
Instead, the bisected Thing started mutating further, its red tentacles flailing wildly and nearly hitting the others.
"Physical attacks won't work—you need energy weapons!"
The captain, the only one with a shoulder cannon, fired off plasma blasts, instantly exploding the split Thing.
Then another Predator used a flamethrower to burn the remains to ash.
Sadly, the ambushed Predator couldn't be saved—its brain was already overrun by Thing cells. It convulsed on the ground, clearly mutating soon.
The captain stared silently at his fallen comrade, his expression grim. He knew this one had to go too—straight-up executed.
"The Thing's cells can infect any organism—worse than cancer cells. Better act fast."
Roy rattled off a bunch of technical terms, not caring if the captain understood.
In the end, the captain had his flamethrower buddy incinerate the downed Predator. No other choice.
After all that, the seven Predators were down to four.
The captain was enraged, pounding his chest repeatedly. After a moment, he projected a question for Roy.
"What... is this thing?"
"It's an alien parasite brought to Earth by another species. I don't know much about them either, just that getting infected means you're done for. You might wanna think about what happens if one of these gets into the Xenomorph Queen."
That hit home—the captain's expression turned deadly serious. The Queen's size was 5 to 10 times that of a drone.
If she got infected, these Predators were toast. Their shoulder weapons were personal gear—maybe enough for a normal Queen, but not a Thingomorph Queen.
Luckily, the Queen probably wasn't infected yet, thanks to her Praetorian guards.
Praetorians are specially bred by the Queen to protect her. Her massive size makes her lousy in combat—she's more of a breeding machine.
So, she produces these guards, 2 to 3 times the size of drones, stronger and tougher, always stationed around her.
A Thingomorph might outclass a drone physically, but no way it beats a Praetorian.
That's why Thingomorphs were wandering the pyramid, infecting as many Xenomorphs as possible before assaulting the Queen's chamber.
But the Queen can sense regular Xenomorphs via pheromones and control them remotely.
Once they turn into Thingomorphs, the pheromones change.
That tipped her off, so she tightened her defenses, keeping drones close and not letting them wander.
The Thingomorphs, out of options, turned to the Predators—controlling them to boost their numbers. That's why the Predators lost three members.
After seeing the captain's projected explanation, Roy looked thoughtful.
"You're stuck between Thingomorphs and Xenomorphs now. Dragging this out will just make it worse! Let's charge straight in!"
The captain projected back.
"You... sure?"
Seeing the Predator still doubting him, Roy flexed and punched the stone wall in front of him, shattering it.
"Very sure!"
(Rookie-level Predator—without helmet)Chapter 428: Forced Conversion
As Roy had suspected, something had gone wrong with the Xenomorphs and the Thing.
It all started when a Xenomorph captured a human who had just been infected by the Thing but hadn't yet mutated, using them as a host for a facehugger.
The result was a new creature: a mutated Xenomorph infected by the Thing. Let's call it a Thing-Xenomorph, or maybe a Xeno-Thing.
Thing-Xenomorph sounds catchier, so let's go with that.
This newly born Thing-Xenomorph didn't seem to be under the control of the Xenomorph Queen. Its genetic makeup had stabilized, unlike the chaotic, ever-shifting forms of other Things. Even its color had turned a vivid red, making it stand out.
It was eerily similar to creatures infected by the Seed of Silence, radiating malice.
Roy theorized that the Thing's genes had somehow complemented the Xenomorph's.
How did he know? Well, shortly after entering his Deception Space state, the Thing-Xenomorph passed right by him.
The creature's senses were incredibly sharp. Even in Roy's Deception Space, it instinctively sensed something was off, pausing to sniff around him. It even unfurled its carapace, releasing a mass of pink tendrils to probe its surroundings.
But it was no use. Deception Space wasn't so easily detected—otherwise, Roy wouldn't have been outsmarted by Jack the Hook Man so many times.
After failing to find Roy, the Thing-Xenomorph sensed something else and quickly retracted its tendrils, silently moving toward its new target.
Curious about its intentions, Roy decided not to attack and instead followed it.
Xenomorph physiology was naturally suited for stealth in complex environments, far surpassing human capabilities. Trailing it was no easy task for Roy.
Soon, he saw the Thing-Xenomorph overpower a regular Xenomorph, stabbing its tail into the other's body as if performing some kind of indoctrination.
But Xenomorphs don't have that ability. Despite their ant-like social structure—centered around the Queen, with various Xenomorphs serving different roles for her and the hive's reproduction—they don't reproduce like ants.
Unlike ant colonies, Xenomorph Queens don't need male Xenomorphs to fertilize them, so males lack reproductive organs or abilities. Regular male Xenomorphs are essentially worker drones—grunts of the hive.
So, what was this Thing-Xenomorph doing?
Roy soon had his answer.
After enduring the Thing-Xenomorph's "forced conversion," the drone Xenomorph began to mutate.
Its black exoskeleton turned red, and red tendrils sprouted from its body, though they quickly retracted.
It seemed the Thing-Xenomorph had turned the drone into one of its own kind through this forced process.
This explained why the Xenomorphs hadn't killed Bruce. The Thing-Xenomorph's primary goal wasn't to find hosts for facehuggers but to convert other Xenomorphs.
If the number of drone Xenomorphs dwindled, the Queen would struggle to break free from her restraints. Even with more Predators in the trial, they couldn't complete it.
The pyramid's mechanism, once activated, trapped everyone inside unless the Xenomorph Queen was killed—her chamber held the only exit. Every shift in the pyramid's layout pushed its occupants toward the center, where the Queen was.
Understanding the Thing-Xenomorph's goal, Roy emerged from Deception Space to test its strength.
The two Thing-Xenomorphs were visibly startled when they saw him, growling low like hissing cats.
"Quit yowling! Wanna go a round? I'll show you what a real black hand can do!" Roy taunted.
One of the Thing-Xenomorphs, provoked, lunged at him.
Its explosive speed was far greater than a drone Xenomorph's, nearly double. In numerical terms, it probably had an agility stat of 50 or higher—beyond even Heather or Penny's capabilities.
"Not bad!" Roy grinned, pulling out his Leviathan Axe and transforming it into a folding shield. With perfect timing, he smashed the shield into the Thing-Xenomorph's head.
Bang!
A dull thud echoed as the creature was slammed to the ground, dazed.
A human—or even a Predator—would've been brain-dead from that hit. But the Thing-Xenomorph struggled back to its feet.
"Deep breaths. Feeling dizzy is normal," Roy quipped.
The second Thing-Xenomorph, seeing its companion floored, attacked as well, but the outcome was the same.
While the Thing-Xenomorph's physical prowess was a leap above a drone's, it was still no match for Roy, whose stats were overwhelming.
"Tch, tch, tch. Shame you can't talk—would've made this more fun," Roy said, eyeing the two dazed creatures with mild disappointment. They were rare punching bags.
Their carapaces were incredibly tough, withstanding a hit from the Leviathan Axe's folding shield—crafted from the bones of the King of Envy, no less—without breaking.
Roy decided to kill them and take their head carapaces back to see if they could be fashioned into shields. They certainly looked the part.
Suddenly, both Thing-Xenomorphs' carapaces split open, releasing a mass of red tendrils that seemed to dominate their bodies, dense enough to trigger trypophobia.
Roy reacted swiftly, leaping back to avoid the tendrils' attack. He transformed the Leviathan Axe back to its original form and hurled it with force.
Snap—Boom!
The axe broke the sound barrier, followed by a massive explosion.
The two Thing-Xenomorphs, standing too close together, were obliterated on the spot.
No acidic blood sprayed out. While they resembled Xenomorphs externally, their internal structure was entirely different.
Most tellingly, when their bodies were destroyed, Roy saw no organs—just a writhing mass of lively red tendrils.
He wasn't sure what to make of it. That was a question for a biologist.
But after losing their host bodies, the red tendrils showed signs of losing control, linking together to form a fleshy mass.
Roy quickly tossed an incendiary grenade, setting the tendrils ablaze.
When the flames died down, only the red carapaces remained intact; everything else was charred to ash.
"Well, that saves me the trouble of disposing of the bodies," Roy remarked.
Disposing of corpses was specialized work, and Roy hadn't learned how, so it would've been a hassle.
Then he heard a faint noise. Turning, he saw Predators decloaking. They must've come to investigate the commotion and revealed themselves upon seeing Roy.
"Oh, it's you guys," Roy said.
He noticed one Predator was missing, and another was badly injured, covered in blood and being carried by the others.
It seemed they'd been in a fight, though Roy couldn't tell if it was against drone Xenomorphs, the Thing, or Thing-Xenomorphs.
The Predator captain pointed at the two red carapaces by Roy's feet.
"What's that? You want these carapaces?" Roy asked.
The captain nodded, showing off a Xenomorph skull he carried—a trophy proving he'd completed the trial.
"I see. How about a deal? I'm hunting the Xenomorph Queen. Do you know how to find her?"
The Thing's motherform was a legendary creature, and Roy suspected the Xenomorph Queen was too. He had to hunt her down.
The Mimicry rune had proven incredibly useful, and Roy was eager to claim a new one.
The Predator captain hesitated, likely aware their group couldn't defeat the Queen.
This trial, thrown into chaos by the Thing's interference, was far beyond a rookie's level. The captain seemed more focused on getting his team out safely.
"Here's the deal: just lead me to the Queen's chamber. After that, you can leave, and I'll help you hunt Xenomorphs along the way."
Convinced, the captain nodded.
Roy glanced at the injured Predator. "Need me to treat him?"
The captain, surprised, projected text from his helmet: "We've tried multiple treatments, but his condition keeps worsening."
Something felt off to Roy. Predators had far superior physiology and recovery compared to humans. Unless it was a crippling or fatal injury, they shouldn't lose combat ability.
But this Predator's wounds didn't seem to fit either category.
"Wait! Your buddy might be infected with a special parasite. Get away from him now!"
Roy's warning came too late. The injured Predator, unable to keep up the act, ripped off his helmet and attacked the one carrying him.
Caught off guard, the other Predators didn't react in time. Red tendrils invaded the carrier's brain.
The captain, furious, unfolded his wristblade and sliced the infected Predator in half. But that wouldn't kill a Thing.
Instead, the halved Thing began mutating further, its red tendrils flailing wildly, nearly hitting the others.
"Physical attacks won't work! Use energy weapons!" Roy shouted.
The captain, the only one with a shoulder cannon, fired plasma blasts, obliterating the split Thing.
Another Predator used a flamethrower to burn the remains to ash.
But it was too late for the attacked Predator. His brain was infiltrated by the Thing's cells, and he convulsed on the ground, on the verge of mutating.
The captain stared silently at his fallen comrade, his expression grim. He knew there was no saving him—he had to be eliminated.
"The Thing can infect through any cell. It's worse than cancer. You'd better act fast," Roy said, throwing out technical terms without caring if the captain understood.
In the end, the captain had his flamethrower-wielding teammate burn the infected Predator. There was no other choice.
After this, only four of the seven Predators remained.
The captain, enraged, pounded his chest before projecting a question: "What is this thing?"
"It's an alien parasite brought to Earth by another species. I don't know much about it, only that contact means infection. Think about what happens if it infects the Xenomorph Queen."
The captain's demeanor grew grave. The Xenomorph Queen was five to ten times larger than a drone. If she were infected, the Predators would stand no chance. Their single-soldier weapons could handle a regular Queen, but not a Thing-Xenomorph Queen.
Fortunately, the Queen likely hadn't been infected yet, thanks to her Xenomorph Guards.
These Guards, bred specifically to protect her, were two to three times larger than drones, stronger and tougher, always at her side.
While Thing-Xenomorphs were stronger than drones, they were no match for the Queen's Guards.
That's why the Thing-Xenomorph was roaming the pyramid, infecting as many Xenomorphs as possible before attacking the Queen's chamber.
But the Queen could sense her drones through pheromones and control them remotely.
When a Xenomorph turned into a Thing-Xenomorph, its pheromones changed, alerting the Queen. She tightened her defenses, keeping her drones close.
So, the Thing-Xenomorph targeted the Predators to bolster its forces, explaining their losses.
After reading the captain's projected explanation, Roy looked thoughtful. "You're caught between the Thing-Xenomorphs and the Xenomorphs. The longer this drags on, the worse it gets. Let's rush the Queen."
The captain projected: "You confident?"
Roy, seeing the Predators' doubt, punched a stone wall, shattering it. "Very confident."
(Rookie Predator, no helmet)