Sorry, Checkmate!

Even when their heads were blown apart by bullets and their torsos shredded, these damned things could repair themselves at a terrifying speed, constantly compressing the two men's room to maneuver.

"Flamethrower! Now!"

The instant James turned his head, he suddenly realized they had seemingly forgotten a vicious piece of equipment strapped to Barry's back, and immediately shouted a reminder.

Barry slapped his forehead, pulled out the flamethrower from behind him, opened the valve, and unleashed fire on the plant vines closing in around them.

"Screech, screech, screech..." Amid shrill rodent-like cries, the plant vines scorched or ignited by the flames twisted wildly and retreated, instantly clearing the area around them.

Seeing this, the two made a snap decision. James covered the rear while Barry raised the flamethrower and aimed it at the doorway sealed shut by plants.

At once, a stench like burnt protein spread through the air. The tangled, overgrown plant vines either fled frantically or were burned to ashes.

Protecting the flamethrower, the two rushed out through the escape door. Only after racing down several flights of the emergency stairs did they dare lean against the wall and gasp for breath.

Remembering Indian Guy's miserable fate, they hurriedly stripped off their outer clothes and threw them far away.

The killing power of these parasitic plants might not have surpassed that of a zombie horde, but the horror they planted in their hearts still made their scalps crawl.

Compared with such a terrifying death, they would rather swallow a gun and kill themselves.

Thank God... thank God... Barry wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, silently rejoicing again and again.

Before setting out, the captain had somehow gotten hold of a vicious thing like a flamethrower and ordered him to bring it. Otherwise, he might already have been another name on the casualty list.

At first, when dealing with monsters such as Lickers, Tyrants, and The Pursuer, the flamethrower had clearly seemed rather useless.

Even against a horde of zombies, before he could roast those bastards through, his own throat would probably be torn open.

On the way, Barry had repeatedly wanted to throw the overly cumbersome thing away, but his faith in that miracle-making man had made him keep it.

He had never expected that obedience to save both his and James's lives.

"The rendezvous coordinates are in. Let's go meet up with the captain!"

When a dot of light appeared somewhere on the dial of his watch, Barry immediately pulled James up and prepared to link up with Kevin's group. The way he called out "captain" now carried wholehearted conviction.

Meanwhile, at the other end, Leon, the female soldier Rain, and computer specialist Kaplan also received the location information Kevin had sent out.

However, aside from Leon, who was still lively and unharmed, blood seeped from beneath the bandages on Rain's leg, while Kaplan had gained a claw mark across his shoulder.

The two wounded survivors looked hollow and dejected. Rain had even raised her sidearm to her temple.

"Trust me, you won't die! The captain will find an antidote that can save all of Raccoon City!"

Leon snatched Rain's pistol away and shook the female soldier by the shoulders, hoping to rekindle her will to survive.

"You saw what J.D. looked like too. I'm not afraid of dying. I just don't want to slowly turn into one of those monsters!"

Rain shook her head, her eyes dim. Along the way, they had encountered not only Lickers and Tyrants, but even a group of new zombies that moved swiftly and had flexible joints.

What she found even harder to accept was that J.D., the assault trooper who had died in the elevator, had actually dragged his half-body along and bitten her leg.

"Woman, as long as you're alive, there's hope!"

"Come with me. If another Licker shows up, I won't be able to help you..."

With a soft snort, the newly appointed police officer bent down, pulled Rain and the dazed Kaplan to their feet, and started heading toward the lower levels.

Rain looked at the claw mark on the tactical vest over Leon's chest, one that had nearly pierced his skin, and fell silent. It was the wound he had received grappling with a Licker to save her.

Without a word, the female soldier shook off the RPD officer's support, limped along beside Leon, drew her gun, and took responsibility for watching their surroundings.

At least I can get you to a safe area. Consider it repayment for what I owe you...

The three survivors, relying on one another, carefully made their way downward through the dim emergency passage.

Meanwhile, on the 100th Floor.

Dr. Isaacs gently swirled the wineglass in his hand. The crimson liquid within gave off an intoxicating glow.

Inside the sealed cultivation chamber, dark green fluid drained away automatically. As the chamber door opened, a graceful figure tore free of the electrodes and fell out.

Inside the metal case ejected from the wall, a black Nano-suit came into the woman's view.

In the darkness, the red-and-white umbrella-shaped emblem gleamed brightly within her emerald-green eyes.

With his back turned toward the changing room, Isaacs appeared every bit the gentleman.

The corner of his lips lifted. Then he drained the wine in his glass in one gulp, and the empty double-helix glass tube in his hand rolled onto the floor.

Then, the game would begin...

We would surely become... the new gods of this era!

P.S. 1: Does anyone know what other famous film franchise Rain, the female soldier from Biohazard Crisis 2, appeared in?

P.S. 2: Mira is still gorgeous. She really was a goddess back then.

P.S. 3: Thanks to readers @{"reader_id":"5462118","reader_name":"Tianwu"}, @Eternal Reincarnation, and @UC0096RX for their monthly votes and tips.

The second update would be posted a little later.

Sorry, Checkmate, General!

"Captain!"

"Commander!"

Having endured countless hardships on the way and finally reached the rendezvous point, everyone instinctively saluted the youngest boy among them.

"Let's go, everyone. Off to hell..."

Kevin woke Jill from her half-asleep state, then nodded faintly at the comrades who had gone through life and death alongside him, tossing out a joke to ease the mood.

After checking their weapons and ammunition once more, they protected the wounded behind them and headed for the lowest level.

As for Indian Guy and the female agent Ada, no one asked after their whereabouts.

In this enormous, gloomy Bio-testing Ground, those who went missing had either deserted in fear or become food for the zombies.

Somewhat unexpectedly, the core control room and experimental area on the lowest floor had their doors wide open, as though warmly welcoming guests.

Having learned his lesson, Leon had wanted to scout ahead alone, but the commander pressed a hand to the RPD officer's shoulder and ordered everyone to enter.

Because Dr. Isaacs, the instigator behind it all, stood before the floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor of the lowest level, waving at them from afar like a host welcoming visitors.

This was the final battle. A certain proud and stubborn man probably would not resort to despicable tricks. He needed to prove his talent to the world!

Once everyone entered, the doors to the lowest level slowly shut, and the lights connected to the generators flicked on one by one.

Kevin looked around and discovered that they were standing in a circular hall resembling a Roman colosseum.

The seven- or eight-meter-high alloy walls all around bore stains of flesh and blood, along with impact marks from violent destruction. No amount of disinfectant could completely conceal the stench of rot and blood.

"Welcome, everyone, from so far away. As The Hive's temporary master, please forgive this host for his inadequate hospitality."

Standing at the best viewing spot on the second floor, Dr. Isaacs bowed like a gentleman, smiling pleasantly.

Kevin raised his right arm, signaling his teammates not to bark and curse like beaten dogs. Then he got up, smiling as he stepped forward.

"Fuck you, you old coffin-dwelling bastard! Who the hell are you trying to impress with all that blather? If you want to fight, then fight! Can you quit talking shit? I'm in a hurry..."

The string of exquisite profanity left everyone, who had thought their commander was going up to reason with the man, staring in stunned disbelief.

The old man's composed, arrogant demeanor vanished the instant he heard every female member of his family being thoroughly insulted. His blood rushed to his head and his face twitched continuously.

But before Dr. Isaacs could speak, Kevin gave the signal to attack.

At once, the survivors opened fire with weapons light and heavy alike, pouring bullets madly toward the second floor.

Yet the transparent floor-to-ceiling window only developed a few tiny cracks, showing no sign of being breached.

"All right, greetings are over. Now we can all be civilized people and talk about life and dreams."

Kevin waved with a beaming smile, signaling his team to cease fire. His imitation of refined elegance looked awkward no matter how one saw it.

The height of the alloy walls and the bulletproof glass surrounding the second floor gave this bastard double protection. This would be difficult...

Outwardly relaxed but inwardly troubled, the commander stroked his chin and casually changed the subject.

"Why do I feel like the captain is asking to get punched sometimes?"

Barry leaned beside Jill and could not help muttering in a low voice.

"Don't worry. You're not the only one thinking that..."

Jill patted her old teammate's shoulder and answered irritably. Everyone beside her nodded in agreement.

However, Dr. Isaacs upstairs clearly had no interest in continuing the small talk.

Just as he picked up the remote control on the table and prepared to press the button that would open the gates, a few casually spoken words from the hall immediately stopped his hand.

"You found a way to perfectly merge the T-Virus with the human body, but there should still be some risks and uncertainties..."

"Afterward, a certain man who cherished his life wanted everything to be perfect. He hoped to reduce the risks of merging with the T-Virus to the lowest level through large-scale testing..."

"And the Modified T-Virus had enormous market value. To monopolize it, he would have to pay a terrible price..."

"What could he do? So someone came up with a brilliant solution—turn Raccoon City into a testing ground for the Modified T-Virus. There was plenty of material here to squander..."

"Besides, deliberately releasing the Modified T-Virus would not only eliminate those in The Hive who knew too much, but also let him dump the blame onto Umbrella Corporation afterward..."

"The Divine Stairway to the Sun, a T-Virus extracted and developed from West Asian Sun Stair Flowers, was originally intended to let humans... become gods!"

"I'm curious. What's the success rate?"

Dr. Isaacs's pupils contracted again and again, the shock in his heart beyond measure.

At last, faced with his guest's question, he fell silent for a moment. When he spoke, his words carried a little more weight.

"Even with the Modified T-Virus, the chance of perfectly merging with a human being is only one in ten..."

"Of course, that requires injecting the neutralizing agent that I personally extracted from that woman. Otherwise, the T-Virus remains lethal to most people."

The corner of Kevin's lips rose. Ever since hearing the words Divine Stairway to the Sun, he had formed all kinds of guesses along the way.

"Doctor, a cautious man like you should have prepared a large-scale antidote capable of stopping the plan at any time, right?"

"After all, if the ones who came weren't us but an unforgiving U.S.S. unit from Umbrella Corporation, that thing would be your bargaining chip."

Geniuses were proud. As someone who had always been overshadowed by Dr. Charles, the developer of the T-Virus, Isaacs constantly dreamed of surpassing him.

But geniuses could also be lonely. They longed to be understood and appreciated.

Therefore, in response to Kevin's questions, Dr. Isaacs displayed unprecedented tolerance and patience.

"Of course. This concentrated antidote disperses with the wind at three times the speed of the T-Virus, but it must be used within forty-eight hours. Otherwise, those who have already turned into zombies can only be discarded by history."

The instigator placed the tube of emerald-green liquid on the metal table before him and calmly explained its effects without the slightest attempt at concealment.

Because he did not mind sharing secrets with the dead. From the moment these pitiful castoffs stepped into The Hive, every one of them had become a sacrifice on his path toward God's Ladder.

"Humanity is so small, so fragile. We are far too distant from godhood, yet my achievement will pave a shortcut to Eden!"

Kevin answered that impassioned speech with a cold laugh, his gaze occasionally drifting toward the ventilation duct above Dr. Isaacs's head.

There, a vivid splash of red flickered in and out of sight within the darkness...

"Don't make yourself sound so noble. You and the people behind you are merely afraid of death. They want to use the T-Virus to live longer."

"Someone who used all of Raccoon City as an experimental site has no right to talk about helping humanity..."

Having learned the truth, everyone was shocked, but equally filled with righteous indignation.

"All right, the gentlemen's discussion is over. Next, please help me complete an experiment."

"S.T.A.R.S. officers, Umbrella mercenaries... every one of you is an elite among elites. You should be proud to witness the birth of a new god..."

With a faint smile on his lips, Dr. Isaacs reached out, preparing to press the remote control on the table.

"Move!"

At that moment, Kevin stepped back and roared, ordering his team to concentrate their fire on the second floor once again.

But it was all to provide cover for the figure gracefully descending from the ventilation duct!

"Sorry, checkmate, Doctor..."

Ada pressed the HS2000 against the back of Isaacs's head and gave the commander below a seductive wink.