Cell Evolution System: The Rogue Queen

4

POV: Leon

Without hesitation, I drew my beast card and pointed it at Mark like a sharp blade leaving its sheath.

"So... so handsome! I can't take it!" someone in the crowd swooned. Even though they scoffed at my decision, they had to admit my charisma was undeniable. A drop of cold sweat slid down Mark's forehead. "As expected of the top ten," he thought privately, "the pressure he exerts before even making a move is insane."

"What’s wrong, Mark? Aren't you going to strike?" I shouted. My ordinary words sounded like a lion's roar in his ears.

"There is one thing I must clarify first," Mark said, bolstering his courage. "The one I’m going to defeat isn't just you, Leon! The entire top ten of Evergreen Academy will be my stepping stones! You just happen to be the one I ran into first because I was hungry. If it were Sophia or Alexander, I would have challenged them just the same!"

I was getting impatient. What is he babbling about? If you want to fight, then fight. Enough talk. Though, he seemed to have done his homework mentioning the other top-ranked students.

"Are you done?" I asked. "Then let’s begin!"

"Bring it on, Leon!" Mark didn't waste another word. He threw his card and shouted, "Awaken, Spirits! Break the Seal!"

*Ping!* A notification popped up on my interface. [Do you accept Mark’s challenge?]

I narrowed my eyes and clicked "Accept" without a second thought. My head spun, and when I opened my eyes, I was back in my taming space—but this time, it was connected to a strange new territory.

There were endless mountains, rivers, waterfalls, and even a luxurious log cabin with smoke rising from its chimney. I stood there, staring at my own tiny patch of dry grass. "This... this isn't right. Is this the power of the rich? Damn them!"

A majestic roar echoed through the air, deeper and rougher than any tiger I remembered. The ground began to tremble as rhythmic, heavy footsteps approached.

"Listen well, Leon," Mark’s voice boomed with newfound confidence from his home turf. "My beast isn't a common species. It's a super rare Ancient Species! Since middle school, my family has hired tutors from top universities. My knowledge of ancient species is second to none!"

In ancient times, the oxygen levels on Earth were much higher, making organisms from that period not only larger but far more powerful than modern creatures. My eyelid twitched. This guy was a total "pay-to-win" player. All that confidence came straight from his wallet.

A golden Triceratops came charging toward the boundary. Its horns were thicker than my thighs, its body larger than a minibus, and its skin was a gaudy, wealthy gold.

"Yes! This is my beast! How powerful! How beautiful!" Mark breathed in, looking intoxicated by his own creation. Then he turned to me: "Come on! Show me your beast!"

"My beast..." I suddenly realized something. "Where the hell is my beast?"

I looked left and right. My tiny taming space was so small you could see everything in one glance, yet the Queen was nowhere to be found. When I left earlier, she was already over two meters tall. How could she just vanish?

Mark looked baffled. "What’s going on? Where is it?" All he could see in my space was overgrown weeds. He began to wonder if I was just a fraud—someone who could pass exams but knew nothing about actual taming. "Hey! Where’s your beast!" he yelled.

I ignored him, running through the possibilities until I saw it: a deep pit had been dug not far away. At the end of the pit was a pitch-black tunnel opening.

"I see..." I muttered, the realization hitting me. "The social structure of the Xenomorph is based on a hive mind. After obtaining enough food, the Queen undergoes parthenogenesis to lay eggs. Because of the hive mind instinct, she won't lay eggs in an open plain. She seeks out dark, damp caves to hatch them..."

"What are you whispering about! Are we fighting or not!" Mark shouted. If tamer laws didn't forbid crossing into the opponent's territory, he probably would have charged over to punch me himself.

I continued to ignore him. Since I hadn't provided a proper hive, she had to dig one herself. But according to my plan, she needed at least two more days to reach full adulthood. Could maxing out the resource card have accelerated her growth?

Looking at the size of that tunnel, I had a bad feeling. "Mark, it's not too late to forfeit," I said quietly. Although the Triceratops had ancient genes the Queen could assimilate, Mark didn't seem like a bad guy. I felt a twinge of guilt.

"Forfeit? Have you lost your mind?" Mark couldn't comprehend it. He had the environment, the power, and the beast, yet I was asking him to quit? What a joke. His ancient Triceratops was bred specifically for war. Look at those muscles...

But in the next second, the ground shook violently. Fissures opened up, spreading right to Mark's feet.

"What’s happening?" Mark gasped, his bravado vanishing.

The previously fierce and confident Triceratops now looked like it had seen a ghost. Its eyes filled with terror, and its massive neck began to retreat.

Unlike the thunderous roar of the Triceratops, the sound coming from the dark cave was low, raspy, like a gas leak. It wasn't loud, but it echoed in Mark's ears, making his skin crawl. It felt like nails scraping against glass—a deep, visceral discomfort that made every hair on his body stand up.

What is going on? This guy Leon... what on earth did he breed?