But Policewoman Jill was not so lucky. Another monster of the same kind behind the door had already clamped its mouthparts shut and bitten down viciously.
Fortunately, Kevin's loud warning made Jill instinctively twist sideways, sparing her from having her throat bitten through and dying on the spot!
"Bastard!" Coming back to her senses, the commander rolled across the floor, grabbed her fallen sidearm, and fired three precise shots in an angry roar, blowing apart half the Chrysanthemum Monster's head.
"How are you?"
Kevin limped to the stairwell entrance, supporting Jill's weakening body as he reached over and tore the petal-like mouthparts embedded in her shoulder out of her flesh.
"Relax, I'm not dead yet..."
Jill's face was a little pale. She knew full well what being bitten by these bio-monsters meant, but she still forced a careless smile so Kevin would not worry.
Damn it! They're back!
That teeth-grinding scraping sound came from overhead again. Kevin slammed a fist into the ground in frustration, immediately helped the injured Jill up, and staggered all the way toward the hundredth floor.
It seemed that all their bad luck had been used up on that floor. The two actually made it to the ninety-ninth floor without further incident.
Dragging their injured bodies along as they fled had pushed both of them to their limits.
Kevin picked an unlocked storage room as a place to rest for the moment.
After sending out his location, he immediately took off his backpack, pulled out a medical kit, and began dressing Jill's continuously bleeding wound.
After carefully cutting open her clothes, the policewoman's exposed shoulder was a bloody mess. Two sharp teeth were still embedded in Jill's flesh.
"Bear with it!"
For some reason, a surge of anger rose in Kevin's heart. With a cold expression, he clumsily picked the remnants out of her flesh, then cleaned and bandaged the gritting policewoman's wound according to procedure.
At last, everything was finished. Looking at the policewoman's ashen face, the commander could not help smacking her on the head.
"Idiot! You wanted to play hero before dealing with the threat behind you?"
Jill only rolled her eyes and did not resist. She seemed strangely detached from life and death as she pulled a crushed pack of cigarettes from her pocket, placed one between her lips, and prepared to take a few drags to ease her stress.
"Didn't you say we should protect the leader first? Got a light? Let me have one last smoke before I die..."
Kevin angrily yanked the cigarette from Jill's mouth and threw it on the floor. As though venting his frustration, he stomped on it several times.
"Quit giving up, damn it! You won't die!"
The commander's mouth twitched as he pulled a green vial from the cooler in his backpack and loaded it into an injection gun.
"Remember this. You owe me your life!"
The needle pierced Jill's arm vein, and the medicine was slowly injected. The commander's inexplicably cold words made Jill feel both surprised and warmed inside.
The brief calm left the exhausted policewoman half-closing her eyes, drifting into a light sleep.
Kevin, leaning against the wall in the corner, had his back to Jill as he slowly pulled up his pant leg. His mangled calf filled his eyes with gloom.
The barbs on that Licker's tongue had pierced through his clothes and sunk deeply into his calf...
Woman, you really do owe me your life...
Let's hope you still get a chance to repay it...
PS: Sorry, I didn't get back until after ten tonight. I'll write one chapter first, and there'll be another around two o'clock. Tomorrow will be the usual two updates.
Also, the rules here say that from six in the morning today to six in the morning tomorrow counts as one day for authors uploading chapters.
So I haven't broken my promise yet. Please forgive me, everyone.
Chapter 37: Human Plant (Second Update)
Like most ordinary people, Kevin had compassion. As long as it did not harm his own interests, he was naturally willing to lend a hand where he could.
After all, society was generally fairly kind to creatures known as "good people." It made for decent camouflage.
But Kevin was not a purely good person either. He had not reached the level of sacrificing himself for the greater good.
For example, he clearly had a T-Virus antidote, yet chose to keep it hidden, intending to use it as an extra safeguard when he ventured deep into The Hive.
Yet after all his calculations, he ended up unable to use that final antidote himself.
There was no helping it. Seeing this idiot woman genuinely willing to risk her life for him over a promise about a piece of candy...
Fine. Kevin had to admit that he was fucking moved.
But now, he had another reason to risk his life to save Raccoon City, because he was already completely tied to this sinking ship called Raccoon City.
There were still four hours until eight tonight. It was enough!
The commander leaned against one side of the storage room wall, quietly resting with his eyes closed as he waited for his teammates to arrive.
Hopefully, a few more of the people I dragged into this mess can survive...
A soft murmur flowed silently from between his lips.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the lower levels of The Hive.
RPD officer Barry and Umbrella Squad captain James kept the Indian researcher, whose combat ability was practically nonexistent, between them as they offered him some protection.
Though this Indian Guy was useless in a fight, the fact that he had safely escaped to the upper levels of The Hive proved that he definitely had some skills when it came to survival.
Along the way, Barry and James had relied on this Indian Guy's familiarity with The Hive to avoid danger several times.
"I think this is the botanical garden where Dr. Isaacs often conducted secret research. There might be valuable information inside..."
"Yes, and antidotes! If we find those, we'll have another safeguard!"
Following the Indian Guy's suggestion, Barry and James hesitated briefly before deciding to blast open the gate and search the place.
Fortunately, while ammunition was scarce, Barry still had two C4 charges in his backpack, making demolition easy.
This is...
The moment Barry blasted open the gate, the three of them were stunned by the sight before them.
It was a lush botanical paradise. Emerald vines tangled and grew together, creeping into nearly every corner of the hall.
Even more unbelievable was that dozens of standing human shells in the center of the hall were covered in vine tendrils.
They had burrowed through the openings in the human bodies, using blood vessels and muscles as soil to grow thickly, turning people who had died for unknown reasons into horrifying, sinister works of garden art.
And atop the most conspicuous stone platform, a crimson plant with thick petals had been cultivated in black soil.
But for some reason, this plant had already withered, and most of its petals had fallen away.
"Aishwarya..."
After looking around, the Indian Guy spotted a "Human Plant" dressed in a white lab coat and wearing a red agate necklace around her neck. His expression changed sharply as he rushed over and hugged her, weeping bitterly.
"You know something, don't you?"
James, the Black commander, narrowed his eyes. He immediately put some distance between himself and the Indian Guy, aiming his gun at the grieving man.
The Indian researcher, whose behavior had been somewhat abnormal, first carefully removed the red agate necklace from the "Human Plant." Then he wiped away his tears, turned around, and explained to the two men.
"She's my younger sister..."
"When the Red Queen network went down, those of us still alive prepared to escape The Hive together..."
"But when we were attacked by bio-monsters on the way, we had no choice but to split up and retreat..."
"Aishwarya and I were separated then. I never expected to see her here..."
Facing the grieving Indian Guy, James could not press him too hard. After exchanging a glance with Barry, the two decided to believe him for now.
The Indian researcher also seemed to realize that his conduct had been improper. In order to regain the trust of his two "bodyguards," he immediately began searching through the materials with great effort.
In the end, he found some damaged notes in the hand of a "Human Plant."
"We found it! The raw material Dr. Charles used to develop the T-Virus—the Sun Stair!"
"This strange flower came from the Ndipaya Tribe in West Asia. It possesses a viral substance in an RNA form that can enhance the human body's abilities, including physical strength and mobility, and prolong human life, but it is highly toxic."
"The Ndipaya Tribe is a local indigenous tribe scattered across West Africa. People know of the Ndipaya Tribe because the local tribe possesses mature construction abilities and heritage preservation techniques."
"However, what people do not know is that beneath the present-day Ndipaya settlement lies the vast ruins of the ancient Ndipaya Empire!"
As the three gradually deciphered the notes, they gained a general understanding of the withered scarlet monster flower before them.
Ancient West Africa had been ruled by the Ndipaya Empire. Its king possessed absolute authority and was revered by his people as a deity "closest to the Sun God."
The Ndipaya Tribe also passed down a myth: their king possessed a lifespan of several centuries, was brave and fearless, and could not be harmed by blades or bullets.
But becoming king of the Ndipaya Empire was an extremely arduous path. The Ndipaya Empire did not pass down its throne through bloodlines. Instead, it maintained the primitive tribal tradition of choosing its leaders.
The chosen leader had to pass the Sun God's trial to become king. That trial was the Sun Stair ritual.
When Dr. Charles was young, he traveled everywhere in search of medicine that could overcome his family's hereditary illness.
Later, he was invited to join archaeologist Richard Crawford on a trip to West Asia. By chance, the two discovered a burial chamber of the Ndipaya Empire and found a flower bed in its underground core.
Growing in that flower bed was Ndipaya's sacred relic—the Sun Stair Flower!
This flower contained a highly toxic substance. Only a few people acknowledged by the gods could survive after consuming it. To become king, eating the flower was an unavoidable trial.
In return, the flower granted the new king a long life and immense power. Thus, despite his companion's warnings, Dr. Charles secretly took several samples of the Sun Stair from the sacred site.
In the end, the T-Virus was born, but it still possessed major flaws, and pharmaceutical research repeatedly stalled.
Driven by profit, this miracle drug, originally meant to overcome disease and improve human function, was ultimately applied to the field of genetic weapons.
The T-Virus's original purpose had actually been healing and evolution?
Having learned part of the truth, the three could not help sighing at the Umbrella Corporation's current descent down the wrong path.
"The Divine Stairway to the Sun..." Could Dr. Isaacs have found a way to develop the Sun Stair Flower's true effects?
The Indian Guy's heart stirred with a guess. Just as he was about to share his thoughts with the two beside him, Barry and James suddenly jumped back, as though they had seen something terrifying on him.
"Don't come closer! Look at your hands!"
Barry's scalp went numb. He fired a warning shot at the Indian Guy's feet.
The Indian researcher instinctively lowered his head to inspect his arm, only to discover tiny green shoots sprouting from his skin.
An unbearable tingling had even appeared on his neck, chest, and face. Even if he pulled the shoots out with his hands, only sickly green fluid would spill forth. He seemed to have become a plant!
"Save me!" Terror filled the Indian Guy's eyes.
PS0: The information on the Sun Stair Flower is a story created by combining the game and movie settings.
Also, there's a little Easter egg. I wonder if anyone noticed it. Hint—archaeologist.
PS1: I finally made it and didn't break my promise. The updates for the fifteenth have been completed.
There will be two updates today, probably finished this afternoon. Thank you all for your trust and support. Also, more than twenty readers checked in, which was really heartwarming.
It is a very happy thing when your work is anticipated and recognized by others.
Chapter 38: We Shall Become Gods!
"Save... me..."
The Indian researcher staggered toward them, moving slower and stiffer by the second as countless plant vines extended from his flesh and rooted deeply into the ground.
"Pfft!" When two thick vines burst from the Indian Guy's eye sockets, this Human Plant had completely formed.
The eyeballs rolling to their feet had shriveled from dehydration. Their unfocused pupils stared blankly at the two men.
Barry and James' scalps went numb as they immediately prepared to turn and flee. Yet without them realizing it, the passage through which they had entered had already been completely sealed by green vines.
Even their continuous gunfire had little effect on the wildly growing plants.
Left with no other choice, Barry threw a C4 bomb into the vegetation blocking the sealed entrance, then detonated it remotely.
But to the two men's astonishment, the green web of vines that had been temporarily blasted open was completely woven back together in less than two minutes.
As for why they had not rushed out during those two minutes, one look at the Indian Guy's miserable state was enough for them to know that these plants and the "Human Plant" garden art most likely carried parasitic spores.
If the two had recklessly touched those plants from the start, they would probably have ended up like the Indian Guy, with a primeval forest growing from their bodies.
Then, seemingly enraged by their resistance, the plants shook their vines with a rustling sound. One Human Plant after another actually drew in its roots and staggered toward the two men.
Before you continue