In a galaxy far, far away, an otherworldly being with an oversized cranium and piercing eyes emerged from the depths of the blockchain, captivating the NFT realm with its ethereal allure. This was no ordinary CryptoPunk – it was an ultra-rare "Alien" variant, one of only nine to have graced the digital canvas.

Hailing from the hallowed halls of Larva Labs, the birthplace of the iconic CryptoPunks collection, this extraterrestrial avatar had already made its mark on the world, having been sold at the prestigious Christie's Contemporary Art Evening Sale in May 2021. Little did anyone know that its odyssey through the cosmos was far from over.

As the celestial bodies aligned on a fateful Thursday, an anonymous collector, shrouded in the mysteries of the metaverse, made a move that would shake the very foundations of the NFT universe. Through the arcane machinations of the high-value NFT broker Fountain, a deal was struck, and CryptoPunk 635 – the Alien – found itself in new hands, its value soaring to a staggering $12.38 million in ETH.

The news rippled through the digital ether like a supernova, with the CryptoPunks collective itself expressing awe and reverence. "We're honored to have played a small role in this sale," they proclaimed, their voices echoing across the blockchain. "Congratulations to the seller and the new owner!"

Born in the crucible of the Ethereum blockchain in 2017, the CryptoPunks collection has long been a beacon of innovation and rarity in the NFT cosmos. Crafted by the visionary Canadian software developers Matt Hall and John Watkinson, these 10,000 uniquely generated digital punks have captured the imagination of collectors and crypto-enthusiasts alike, each one a singular expression of the cyberpunk ethos.

While most of these punks bear a humanoid form, a select few – the zombies, the apes, and the aliens – exist as rarified entities, their scarcity amplifying their allure. And among these elite ranks, CryptoPunk 635 now reigns supreme, its $12.38 million price tag cementing its status as the fourth most valuable piece in the entire collection.

But this alien invasion is far from over. Just last month, another anonymous buyer had scooped up a fellow extraterrestrial CryptoPunk for a cool $16.03 million, setting the stage for an intergalactic bidding war. And for those who missed out on the latest cosmic coup, fear not – CryptoPunk 5905, a kindred alien spirit, awaits its destiny at a princely sum of $15.64 million.

As the NFT art world grapples with the ebb and flow of monthly sales, this record-breaking acquisition serves as a beacon of hope, a testament to the enduring power of these digital masterpieces. For in the vast expanse of the metaverse, where rarity and innovation reign supreme, the CryptoPunks – and their alien ambassadors – have carved out a realm all their own, defying the gravitational pull of market trends and capturing the imaginations of collectors across the cosmos.