Fatal Shot

Nursing home. The underground base of the Umbrella Corporation.

“Illidan Stormrage once served in the Federation’s 10th Mecha Unit, known as the ‘Burning Legion.’ However, he was discharged from the military due to a breach of confidentiality.”

“Amumu, a normal employee from a playground called Sherma in the Golden Desert, works as a role-player for tourists on weekdays. He has no record of military training.”

“Rui Wen, a normal white-collar worker…”

Wesker was wearing iconic sunglasses while he sat on his silver metal chair. He quietly watched the virtual screen form on the wall in front of him. On it, a little girl in white reported messages in a child’s voice.

At that moment, the screen displayed the portraits of the dead Gunfire and 14 other Light Armor Warriors, along with some battle scenes.

“These people boarded Aircraft CZ-302 from Storm City and came to Roguetown four days ago. They claim to be a self-funded tourist group… However, based on the pictures taken by the micro-trackers on some of the experiments, these people possess combat powers that do not match with their identities. Moreover, judging from their behaviors, their true identity must be adventurers. Deducing from these judgments, the possibility of them being dispatched to Roguetown by the FBI is up to 92.75 percent…”

Data continually scrolled through the eyes of the girl in white, the brain of the base, as she spoke monotonously.

“Adventurers?”

Wesker looked at the battle scenes playing on the screen. His eyes beneath the sunglasses did not show much surprise. His brows wrinkled a little, and then the corner of his mouth made a smirk.

“This is good. I was concerned that I could not get the most comprehensive combat data using the usual way. Besides, if it were only focused on the fights of normal people or normal guards, Roaring Dragon Lightwind might not be satisfied with the data and battle records collected. For an adventurer, what’s really needed is to fight against other adventurers and have an easy, crushing victory! Ridiculously, William and his gang still have their sights set on the major anti-government armed forces, not knowing that the numerous adventurers with huge amounts of wealth are the real market for our biochemical weapons in the future!”

Wesker’s voice revealed a prideful sort of coldness.

“Shouldn’t the modifications on the group of adventurers sent by Roaring Dragon Lightwind be almost complete by now?”

“They have entered the final bonding stage. Do you want to awaken their consciousness?”

“Wake them.”

Data streamed through the girl’s eyes. Then the screen changed.

A very wide laboratory appeared. 10 transparent spherical nutrient pools were lined up in a row. There was a semi-naked person soaking in each pool with more than a dozen translucent tubes attached to each of their bodies. The tubes were continually transfusing blood and some unknown liquid in and out of the bodies.

Just as the image was fixated, a burly man suddenly opened his eyes with a death stare.

******

“Release me! Let me tell you this, I am the Director of the Guards here. Are you aware that this is illegal imprisonment?”

In an empty office on the Guard Bureau’s second floor, Director Locke shouted, locked to a metal chair. His fat rolls were shaking, and his uniform was bulging.

Bang!

The office door was opened. Feng Luo came in with one hand carrying an M110 and a white box in the other.

When he saw Feng Luo enter, Director Locke immediately shouted while wriggling his body. “So, it’s you! Where is Harley? I want to see him!”

“Captain Harley went to rescue the trapped tourists and residents outside,” said Feng Luo. “He has no time to see you. Say, Director Locke, you’re still not going to admit that you were working with Umbrella Corporation until now? Or about how you helped them plan this biochemical attack?”

Feng Luo placed the box he was holding on the table in front of Director Locke as he spoke to him.

Director Locke showed signs but panic, but his face remained serious as he replied righteously, “Working with Umbrella Corporation? Biochemical attack? I have no idea what you are talking about! I am the Director of the Guards in Roguetown, and even a native here. How could I betray the people here?”

“To be honest, Director Locke, your mouth is zipped more tightly than I expected…” Feng Luo said with a straight face. “Well, it seems that I have to show you what adventurers can do!”

He was sure that this guy was not really informed about the plans of the T-Virus and the Umbrella Corporation. But even though he was in the dark regarding this case, he must’ve learned some of Umbrella Corporation’s secrets. Besides, to bring this guy back to Storm City and send him to the FBI as a suspect, he had to at least plead guilty.

Feng Luo opened the white box that he had brought and revealed a syringe filled with blood that was slight black-colored.

Looking at the blood-filled syringe within the box, Locke seemed to think of something. He shouted with his eyes widened and his face showing panic. “What…! What are you doing?”

“Director Locke, we adventurers admire people who can keep secrets like you. So, we will usually grant them an ending befitting of a hero!” Feng Luo used two fingers to take the syringe out of the box. “This blood was taken from a Forager. Yup. It’s the monster you saw earlier when one of our companions got infected and turned. Powerful, isn’t it? In general, getting infected via blood injection is faster than being bitten. It will let your skin and body hair fall off within 10 minutes, leaving only the muscles and blood vessels exposed. Then, you will become the same attractive kind of monster!”

Feng Luo was explaining all this while he was stretching out the other hand to flick the syringe. The black blood inside stirred. Director Locke was already soaked in sweat.

“Once you have gone crazy, we will take a few shots to kill you,” continued Feng Luo. “Due to this type of biochemical virus causing the infected to bite or even eat people, the only way to deal with the infected is to kill them immediately. Therefore, the top management will not say anything about it to us. After all, you were accidentally bitten and infected… Well, maybe you can still get the title of a Federation Hero. Then you will have no more regrets in life.”

While Feng Luo was speaking, the syringe in his hand had been lifted to the face of the fat director—within a distance of less than half a centimeter.

“Ahhh!” Locke shouted. His body wriggled as he tried to back away. “No…! Please don’t! Please don’t! I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you! I have evidence… I have evidence… I have evidence of their crimes. I have recorded every conversion I had with them!”

With the blood-filled syringe next to his face, the fat director’s face turned green, and he desperately spilled the beans.

“Plus, to prevent any emergence of big, unsolvable problems, I also sent people to secretly investigate the nursing home. I even uncovered a big secret, which is that they have been colluding with some prisons. They transported prisoners from the outside into the nursing home to conduct human experiments. Footage of it was taken.”

Feng Luo was stunned for a moment, the results were far better than he had imagined. This fatty actually had what they needed most.

“Evidence!” said Feng Luo. “Evidence about human experiments on prisoners! You have it?” Feng Luo thought about it for a while, then showed some doubt on his face. “No. With the technology and savvy of the Umbrella Corporation, you couldn’t possibly get evidence that easily.”

“Don’t underestimate me,” said the director. “I am also a professional. They secretly installed monitors in my office and at my home, and I modified some of their functions—hey, take that thing away from me!”

The fat director shouted as he saw Feng Luo accidentally touch his face with the cold needle of the syringe while interrogating him.

******

One minute later, a system announcement was sounded in the ears of the remaining players.

“Player Feng Luo has obtained the secret chip and information from Director Locke from Roguetown. First stage of investigation on Umbrella Corporation’s secret base mission complete. Second stage: Deliver the relevant information and Locke to the FBI. Warning: If all players die before the chip and data are delivered, the mission fails; if Locke dies, the mission partially fails.”

“What, the investigation mission has already been completed?”

At that moment, on the streets near the Guard Bureau, three players with their bodies stained with blood had just gotten rid of a bunch of zombies. They were panting and looked at each other in disbelief.

“Unexpectedly, they actually completed it already. And it was that guy who did it…”

Young Master Lin’s combat uniform was damaged, and he did not look happy.

“This is strange,” one of the followers, also a Heavy Armor Warrior, said while panting. “They shouldn’t be in the nursing home! How did they get the evidence?”

“But, Young Master Lin, the news we obtained from sneaking into the nursing home was at least as good as them finishing the task. It might even be said that if not for us, the investigation task may not have been completed even if they managed to obtain evidence from the investigation mission. Because everyone will—”

“That’s right! This information is more important than the investigation mission! How could our contribution have been smaller than theirs?”

Young Master Lin’s face became confident again, and he said to the two followers, “Come on, we’re going to the Guard Bureau.”

“But, Young Master Lin, my body…”

Another follower who had not spoken a word, an Earth Manipulator, did not look well. He showed five scratches on his right hand that were still bleeding beneath the rolled-up sleeves of his Energy Manipulator robe.

“Let’s meet up with them first,” Young Master Lin said with a frown. “Otherwise, the other players will have problems with the task if we are to act alone. As for these scratches, keep the energy robe in the backpack and clean the bloodstains. They will not realize it anytime soon.”