"Even now, in a society with highly advanced science and civilization, we still cannot escape that bone-deep sense of fear."
"Before the great works of nature and the universe, humanity is so humble, so tiny."
"We can no longer live in fear. Whether it is a Biohazard Crisis, mysterious disasters, or the arrival of alien species, nothing can protect us. We must protect ourselves."
"While others live beneath the sunlight, we must fight them in the shadows and keep them from being exposed to the public, so that everyone else can live in a sane, ordinary world."
"But at the very least, shouldn't you forge proper swords and shields for these nameless heroes?"
"I don't want my teammates to use their flesh and blood, their very lives, to contend against all kinds of monsters!"
"Do you understand, Miss Lara?"
That grave narration made Lara feel an invisible fear from the unknown.
She deeply related to it, because as an archaeologist, she had once witnessed countless unbelievable beings amid the ruins of fallen civilizations.
This was a crazy world. This was a terrifying world!
We must remain fearful! We must learn reverence!
"Alright, I agree!"
After pondering for a long time, the Countess gave her solemn reply, and the commander's face blossomed with the most sincere smile.
PS1: Since I'm laying out the worldbuilding, the setup before the official missions begins will be more detailed. I hope everyone understands.
By the way, feel free to guess which interesting setting this chapter borrowed from.
PS2: A little self-exposure here. There were once only four classic female screen portrayals that truly amazed and shocked me.
1. Angelina Jolie as Lara in "Tomb Raider";
2. Milla Jovovich as Alice in "Biohazard Crisis";
3. Kate Beckinsale as the vampire woman in "Underworld";
4. Anne Hathaway as the White Queen in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland."
Sometimes, I want to show everyone the most beautiful live-action images, but I don't know why some readers always have so much criticism for live-action pictures.
Every one of them received widespread praise and recognition from viewers. Even Jill's appearance in the second Biohazard Crisis film, shown in Chapter One, was statistically the most faithful adaptation.
So I don't understand why, in some readers' eyes, they became so ugly.
I don't just like anime-style characters; I like live-action characters even more. I hope everyone can be a little more tolerant.
In the future, the author will try not to upload images, lest they start arguments.
History's Turning Point
"If the new genetic enhancement serum can be developed, I request that the BSAA field teams be the first to receive it!"
"Once we obtain authorization from the United Nations, our weapons and equipment must also be upgraded!"
Kevin simply raised all the remaining detailed requirements at once.
"No problem. As long as there are sufficient profits to support it, the Crawford family will fully support the BSAA's development."
Lara's answer was equally straightforward. To obtain something, one had to give something in return.
"The BSAA will become your sharpest sword and strongest shield!"
Kevin smiled brightly. The unease that had plagued him for so long finally faded somewhat.
Then, while the iron was hot, the commander sent Lara the proposal concerning the BSAA's personnel restructuring and facility requirements, receiving her authorization in return.
After a brief silence, Kevin finally brought up the subject Lara truly cared about.
"Countess, how much do you know about the Holy Trinity Church?"
Lara frowned slightly, carefully searching her memories for information about the Holy Trinity Church before giving a general answer.
"The Holy Trinity Church originated from Christianity and has relatively radical doctrines. They believe that God speaks through nature, and that miracles exist within history..."
"That is why they have always used aggressive means to collect mysterious objects passed down through history in different regions..."
"They hope to use them as mediums to harness supernatural power, even transcend life and death..."
"And they are also inseparably connected to my father's disappearance!"
Kevin nodded impassively. This was similar to the Holy Trinity Church he remembered, so the information he possessed would most likely apply to this world as well.
"While organizing my parents' belongings, I once came across an old notebook..."
"Its contents repeatedly mentioned an archaeologist whose name had been blacked out..."
"And this mysterious person often discussed an undiscovered historical site with them..."
Lara's gaze sharpened. A mysterious person?
Then he was very likely her missing father—Richard Crawford.
Compared to his daytime self, Kevin was more candid and direct when discussing business at night.
"Fortunately, they wrote down specific information about this..."
"Japan's Dragon Triangle Sea Area, Queen Himiko of Yamatai!"
With Lara's intelligence, she naturally understood at once.
"You mean they kidnapped my father and were excavating Queen Himiko's tomb?"
Queen Himiko was an extremely mysterious figure in history. Legend claimed she could use sorcery to control wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, and even possessed the ability to live forever.
Could her father have discovered the tomb of Queen Himiko of Yamatai?
And the Holy Trinity Church had most likely coveted Queen Himiko's mysterious power, which was why they kidnapped Count Richard at Angkor Wat, Cambodia, forcing him to lead them in search of the lost Yamatai Kingdom.
Kevin secretly nodded in satisfaction at the Countess's reaction. Talking to smart people was convenient.
But in truth, the commander had never seen any notebook belonging to his parents.
Everything was a convincing lie fabricated from memories of his previous life, yet its contents were flawless.
Even the "notebook" had never mentioned Count Richard's name. There was not the slightest weakness to exploit.
After all, every conclusion had been drawn by Countess Lara herself under Kevin's guidance.
Even if the truth came out later, he could still wash his hands of it with ease.
Clearly, the grateful Countess had not noticed the commander's sinister intentions.
Years of fruitless searching had made even Lara, who had always believed her father was still alive, unable to help questioning whether her judgment was correct.
Yet the crucial information Kevin provided brought her a ray of hope.
"Excellent! I'll immediately look for hydrographic records of the Japan Dragon Triangle and historical accounts of the Yamatai Kingdom!"
"And from this moment onward, some of the BSAA's intelligence personnel will focus on gathering information related to the coast of Kyushu Island, Japan. Keep a close watch for suspicious individuals entering or leaving the Dragon Triangle region!"
The Countess clenched her fists, filled with fighting spirit, and seemed eager to rush to the study and compare the materials.
"To be honest, I dislike you very much, but feelings are feelings, and debts are debts."
"If you can bring my father back safely, I am willing to give you one-third of my shares as thanks."
Lara stared at the unruffled commander before her, generously dangling a large carrot in front of him to lure this donkey into working for her wholeheartedly.
"Forget it. I can't accept that. You should put more thought into how to divide Umbrella's various resources in Europe."
"And while you're at it, make sure the BSAA's weapons are upgraded."
Kevin hurriedly waved his hands. Having his patron remember this favor was far more useful than receiving a pile of worthless paper.
The Countess did not insist further and rushed toward the study with an excited expression. She would probably be working through the night.
At that moment, the commander's expression in the hall was somewhat strange, because in his memory, Lara was also a typical example of someone who brought disaster to her father.
Before she found Queen Himiko's tomb chamber, the kidnapped Dr. Richard could still jump around the island, engaging in a battle of wits with the Holy Trinity Church.
But once this woman arrived on the island where Queen Himiko was buried, her own father would die because of her.
Therefore, it would be best to find a way to form the BSAA field teams as soon as possible. After sending away Lara, that harbinger of disaster, everyone could head to the island and conduct a professional rescue operation.
He had nearly forgotten. For this mission, he absolutely had to keep those two teammate-killers, Leon and Chris, far away! It would be best if they went to some godforsaken place in Africa to pioneer the wilderness!
Otherwise, even without Lara's interference, Count Richard might end up getting jinxed to death by those two.
That meant the troop integration and "that matter" both needed to be put on the agenda as soon as possible.
Kevin sat on the sofa, lightly tapping the round table as he gazed toward London with deep, unreadable eyes.
It had better not be what I think it is...
Yet neither Kevin nor Lara had expected that, because of the tangled chaos of various Calamity Viruses, the world's original script had already become utterly unrecognizable.
The future had taken a turn in an unpredictable direction...
Meanwhile, on a desolate island somewhere in Japan's Dragon Triangle Sea Area.
Amid a rocky shoal, a handsome young man with white hair tied in a ponytail leaped ashore from a small boat that was gradually sinking.
The uninvited guest, dressed in a simple blue trench coat, looked around. After confirming it was safe, he took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lowered his head to place one between his lips.
Then he raised his hand slightly and gently pulled the trigger. A tiny flame rose from an exquisite black-and-white pistol with a gilded barrel, lighting the cigarette.
The crimson gemstone embedded near the safety catch only added to the value of the precious weapon.
Having completed such a flashy and flamboyant method of lighting his cigarette, the man took a satisfied drag and exhaled smoke.
"Could the intelligence be wrong? What fucking Stigmata could possibly be recovered from a godforsaken place like this?"
His frivolous expression made him look exactly like a playboy out on vacation.
Suddenly, the uninvited guest spat out the cigarette butt and crushed it beneath his foot. The frivolity in his eyes turned somewhat solemn.
Maybe there really is something here!
The man looked toward the distant mountains, the corners of his mouth curving upward slightly.
PS: Thanks to readers @{"reader_id":"145472","reader_name":"Baker Street Requiem"} @{"reader_id":"639217","reader_name":"Crayon Lost Little Star"} @{"reader_id":"146868","reader_name":"Soul of Huaxu"} @{"reader_id":"465040","reader_name":"Want to Sleep In"} @{"reader_id":"1876864","reader_name":"Cold Thousand Wings"} for their tips.
Hide-and-Seek
County of Surrey, England, a newly constructed military base.
Kevin observed the BSAA field team training base and was extremely satisfied with both its scale and equipment.
The two army-green AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, one Black Hawk helicopter, and three armored vehicles being driven into the hangar added quite a few points to his impression.
The first batch of field personnel had already assembled. They wore black combat uniforms from head to toe and carried M4A1 rifles along with other issued weapons.
Their optical visors and gas masks had naturally been removed for the time being, since they were not needed yet, and everyone looked spirited and full of vigor.
Everything had unfolded just as the commander expected. Umbrella Corporation's financial strain had intensified the leak of T-Virus data, and quite a few types of bio-weapons had even entered the black market through various channels.
The Crawford family had tasted enough benefits in the European pharmaceutical market, and Dr. Charles's dedicated laboratory had also fallen into their hands.
Meanwhile, the United Nations had finally remembered the organization nominally under its command—the BSAA.
Because these two teams had shone brilliantly during the Raccoon City Biohazard Incident and turned the tide with their professionalism.
Combined with the Crawford family's financial support and Mayor Warren's endorsement, the organization naturally went from being an empty name to a department with real authority and an initial operational scale.
Faced with the results he had waited nearly a week for, the commander was in a cheerful mood.
"Thanks to everyone's efforts, the BSAA field teams have officially been established. I will now announce the specific group assignments."
"The field teams will currently be divided into two groups, temporarily designated Group A and Group B."
"Group A will consist of Leon, Chris, Barry, Rebecca..."
"Group B will consist of Jill, James, Rain, Kaplan..."
"That concludes my announcement. Does anyone have any objections?"
After reading out the group roster, Kevin asked everyone with a smile. This was the most reasonable arrangement he could devise for now.
With this division, for one thing, the commander had stuffed nearly all the lone-star disasters into Group A, so that after every mission, aside from a few people who could return safely, the rest would not all end up as ashes.
Before you continue