Ch. 42We Will Never Retreat

Sean, Andy, and Adam fought mutated students and a miner-like entity after discovering Kevin eating Diana’s corpse. Surrounded by four Containment Objects, they stood their ground and held them off until the Containment Unit could arrive.

  • Sean found Kevin eating Diana’s corpse and asked where his companions were.
  • Kevin transformed after breaking free, and the agents shot him with their rifles.
  • Kevin survived the gunfire and called to other entities, so Sean used an incendiary grenade as they escaped into the corridor.
  • The agents found themselves surrounded by three mutated students and a miner-like Containment Object.
  • Sean ordered Andy and Adam to hold the entities back until the Containment Unit arrived, and the group opened fire.

Ch. 43Agents Are Not Consumables

Major Mikhail Victor led the Removers into the Blackwood Mountain dormitory after losing contact with Agent Sean Patrick, where they rescued Adam Gale and subdued the last surviving Containment Object. The investigation found eleven victims and established that Adam would not transform, while the agents’ victory showed that agents were not expendable.

  • Major Mikhail Victor deployed two squads of Removers to Blackwood Mountain after Agent Sean Patrick’s support request went unanswered.
  • Victor’s squad found Andy Clement dead and several slain Containment Objects as they cleared the dormitory.
  • The Removers rescued Adam Gale, who had been wounded while fighting a Containment Object, and secured the creature alive.
  • The Removers and reinforcements discovered a cave containing eleven victims’ remains and confirmed that five Containment Objects had been present in the area.
  • Captain Auston Lance had Designation 049 examine Adam Gale, and the Containment Center confirmed he would not mutate.

Ch. 44Wendigo

Dr. 049 identified the Wendigo’s infection as an urge toward cannibalism, and Containment Center One contained the outbreak by destroying one Wendigo and sealing off Blackwood Mountain. On the flight back to Troy Base, William learned that anomalies had existed in the past and were now awakening, while Halsey reflected on the agents lost in the incident.

  • 049 identified the Containment Object as a Wendigo and explained that a bitten person would not become infected unless they ate another human.
  • 049 advised that Wendigo patients could be killed by burning them to ashes, while Lance’s team classified the anomaly as Euclid and arranged Adam Gale’s treatment in Regina.
  • 049’s experiments confirmed Wendigo 01 was dead, and Containment Center One incinerated it.
  • Colonel Andre ordered Blackwood Mountain sealed within a three-kilometer radius, and the company concealed the deaths and disappearances while warning residents away.
  • William asked the system about the Wendigo’s long existence and learned that anomalies from the past were beginning to awaken.
  • Halsey mourned the agents who lacked AAES, and William explained that their families would receive benefits.

Ch. 45Space Exploration Technology Department

William traveled to Egypt, where Hunk interrupted a near-kiss with Halsey to report that the Egyptian president wanted to receive him. The chapter revealed that Umbrella had established the Space Exploration Technology Department as cover for the secretive Delphi Base, which William intended to use to take Umbrella into space.

  • William and Halsey nearly kissed before Hunk interrupted them with news that President Mubarak had offered to receive William in Egypt.
  • William declined Mubarak’s offer and told Hunk to pass along his regards to the president’s mother.
  • Umbrella’s influence and rising wealth grew after it established an arms deal in Canada and a leaked Xbox development plan boosted Microsoft’s market value.
  • William established the Space Exploration Technology Department in Newfoundland and Labrador to develop private satellites and publicly announced plans to lead humanity into the Interstellar Age.
  • The department secretly served as cover for Delphi Base, a highly classified facility staffed by Umbrella personnel and built around its first nuclear fusion reactor.

Ch. 46Umbrella

Umbrella's departments and investments were listed, with its military, arms, and construction operations remaining unprofitable while biomedical work, acquired companies, Marvel Umbrella, and shareholdings provided income. William funded Xbox research out of his own pocket.

  • Umbrella Military Contractor (Parent Company) received most of the company's expenditures but remained unprofitable.
  • Umbrella Arms Department (Arsenal) supplied weapons to armed personnel and cooperated with the Canadian Military, while expenses exceeded profits.
  • Halsey occasionally supplied Umbrella Biomedical with the latest chemical formulas, and the department was profitable.
  • Umbrella Pictures had two unreleased films, while Umbrella Real Estate had properties under construction and Umbrella Engineering Team handled construction without outsourcing.
  • Various Canadian Companies Acquired and Marvel Umbrella were profitable, while holdings in Microsoft, Apple, and Lockheed Martin yielded dividends.
  • William funded Xbox research out of his own pocket.

Ch. 47One Year

On August 17, 2007, William reflected on Umbrella’s rapid growth and its expanding control over businesses, arms manufacturers, and military technology. He reviewed progress on the Xbox and Umbrella’s upcoming films before the Humvee reached its destination.

  • Alpha asked Hunk whether to wake William as the Humvee neared its destination, and Hunk told him to let William rest.
  • William woke and noted that more than a year had passed since he arrived in this world, while Umbrella had grown into a leading company with immense profits.
  • William recalled that Umbrella had acquired major arms manufacturers, giving it control of technologies and blueprints used to develop weapons and enhanced vehicles.
  • William reflected that Xbox development had stalled until Halsey completed its circuit diagrams and software systems in two nights.
  • William expected Abnormal Crisis and the Xbox to launch on January 1, 2008, with Iron Man and Starship Troopers 2 premiering earlier.

Ch. 48Delphi

William traveled to Delphi Base, where Umbrella was secretly constructing an enormous aerospace carrier facility. When Halsey rushed to greet him in her glass-walled office, William’s fear of heights overcame him and he collapsed.

  • William reflected on Umbrella’s casualties and wondered why 049 had cooperated so readily with the UBCS at Containment Center One.
  • Hunk escorted William through Delphi Base’s concealed entrance while another Alpha soldier helped keep the trip secret from American spy satellites.
  • William saw five enormous structures under construction inside the mountain, each intended to be 600 meters long, 200 meters wide, and 200 meters high.
  • William entered Halsey’s glass-floored office after sending Hunk and the other Alpha soldier to wait outside.
  • Halsey hurried to embrace William, but he fainted and fell face-first onto the glass floor because of his fear of heights.

Ch. 49Project Heading Dawn

William woke from a coma to find Halsey had developed five Paris-class heavy frigates and their weapons and vehicles under Project Heading Dawn. He was stunned by her achievements and the Drop Pods, which she had created without him ever asking.

  • William woke beside Halsey and panicked when he realized their bed was floating in her office.
  • Halsey told William that the Aerospace Carriers were being built on schedule and handed him the project documents.
  • William read that five Paris-class heavy frigates, equipped with advanced weapons and aircraft, were expected to launch on August 8, 2008.
  • William was astonished that Halsey had developed the frigates, hydrogen bombs, Magnetic Accelerator Cannons, Pelicans, fighters, bombers, and Drop Pods.
  • Halsey hugged William and asked whether her inventions had surprised him.

Ch. 50Fleet

William and Halsey discussed her reward, then reviewed Umbrella’s plans for a space fleet designed to dominate the world and contain anomalous phenomena. Halsey asked to go to Minos Island to teach the young Spartans, and William agreed.

  • William asked Halsey what reward she wanted, and she asked him to call her Catherine from then on.
  • William and Catherine examined five Paris-class frigates under construction and discussed the larger fleet Umbrella hoped to build.
  • Catherine explained that Umbrella had moved funds to Delphi to assemble a fleet capable of overpowering countries and neutralizing nuclear weapons.
  • Catherine asked William for permission to teach the young Spartans on Minos Island, and he agreed.

Ch. 51The Boss, Greece Has Gone Bankrupt!

William used Umbrella’s funds and influence to organize a stock-market rescue, hoping to draw other companies into the effort and weaken them for future acquisitions. He then spoke in Athens about why Umbrella had come to help Greece, which had declared bankruptcy.

  • After Lehman Brothers’ stock plunged, investors copied William’s earlier moves and bought shares in companies he had invested in, while the market turmoil made him a celebrated prophet to some and a target of criticism to others.
  • William calculated that he had sixty billion dollars in available capital and planned to use it to stabilize the market before the US Government intervened.
  • On September 1, 2007, William announced that Umbrella would help rescue the stock market, and the next day Umbrella invested fifty billion dollars, pressuring other companies to join the effort.
  • William planned to use the crisis to make large-scale acquisitions and expand Umbrella’s economic and military power.
  • On October 11, 2007, William told reporters in Athens that Umbrella had come to assist Greece because it was the cradle of Western civilization and had declared bankruptcy.

Ch. 52Ancient Ruins

William explained Umbrella’s plan to take control of Greece while presenting its aid as help with the financial crisis. He showed President Karolos Papoulias footage of agents investigating a newly exposed cave on Santorini, where they discovered ancient ruins.

  • William and Greek officials left the press conference and traveled with President Karolos Papoulias to a military base.
  • Karolos thanked William for helping Greece, and William said Umbrella was motivated by profit.
  • William told Karolos that an earthquake had exposed a cave on Santorini and asked him to assess the footage.
  • Two Umbrella agents entered the cave after ordering nearby travelers away and found a smooth, geometric passage.
  • The agents reached a large structure resembling a doorframe and identified a carved stone pillar as a Greek Doric column.

Ch. 53Mission

Agent A and Agent B discovered ancient ruins beneath Santorini volcano, where a giant lion killed both agents. After seeing the footage, William prepared a UBCS force because the system indicated the incident involved more dangerous abnormalities.

  • Agent A and Agent B explored a square corridor covered in murals and Ancient Greece inscriptions, then entered a vast hall beside a lava-lit abyss.
  • The agents found blood and clothing scraps and reported a likely abnormal Containment Object to the Command Center.
  • A giant male lion emerged among the statues, and the Command Center ordered the agents to retreat as UBCS took over.
  • The lion crushed Agent B and struck Agent A into the lava before the footage ended.
  • President Carolos watched the footage as William explained that the ruins and their contents belonged to Umbrella.
  • William learned that containing all the abnormalities could earn him two character-draw opportunities, so he brought a UBCS company and the Alpha unit to Greece.

Ch. 54Tomb?

William asked Carolos to translate inscriptions from the ruins, and Carolos identified the site as the tomb of Achilles. The inscription described Achilles guarding an entrance to the underworld alongside three tomb guardians, leaving William to suspect that two more abnormal phenomena awaited them.

  • William showed Carolos the ruins’ murals and writing, asking him to translate them because Umbrella lacked suitable experts and Halsey was unavailable.
  • Carolos examined the inscriptions and recognized them as an account of Achilles, whose tomb lay in the ruins.
  • Carolos read that Achilles’ body had resisted cremation and that anyone seeking it had to pass the tests of three tomb guardians.
  • William accepted Carolos’s translation and inferred that two abnormal phenomena remained beyond the mutated lion.
  • Carolos explained that ancient Greeks may have believed Santorini Volcano was an entrance to the underworld and placed Achilles there to guard it.

Ch. 55Alpha Deployment

William and Carolos analyzed the tomb guardians and prepared Umbrella forces to investigate the ruins. As Omega Company deployed, Hunk and four Alpha entered Biochemical Power Armor for testing and joined the mission, despite William's concern for their safety.

  • Carolos identified the giant lion as possibly the Nemean Lion and speculated that the other guardians could be the Cretan Bull or Erymanthian Boar.
  • William and Carolos arrived at Umbrella's command center, where Omega Company prepared armor-piercing ammunition, anesthetic gas, and hunting nets before boarding transport aircraft.
  • Hunk and four other Alpha insisted on testing the Biochemical Power Armor and accompanying the operation, despite William telling them to withdraw if they could not contain an anomaly.
  • Technicians fitted the Alpha into their armor and injected them with T-Virus Serum, reporting that their physical conditions remained stable.

Ch. 56Mythical Monsters Are Nothing Special... Right?

Omega Company deployed to the tomb and subdued the Nemean Lion with gunfire, anesthetic gas, and capture nets. As the soldiers prepared to advance, more roars sounded from the corridor ahead.

  • Captain Mike briefed Omega Company on capturing the anomalies, and Hunk and the other Alphas jumped from the Osprey before the Omegas deployed.
  • Mike led Omega Company into the tomb, where the soldiers formed up around the ancient statues and blocked the passageways.
  • The Nemean Lion attacked, and Omega Company pinned it down with armor-piercing rounds and heavy machine-gun fire.
  • At Mike’s command, soldiers released anesthetic gas and shot capture nets around the lion, then reported its subdual to the Command Center.
  • After an Omega joked that the mythological monster was nothing special, several deafening roars came from the corridor ahead.

Ch. 57Undead Creature

Mike and Omega Company encountered a regenerative nine-headed serpent in a lava-surrounded arena, and the creature overwhelmed their defenses. Hunk ordered the survivors to target its eyes and help Alpha restrain it.

  • Mike led Omega Company across a stone bridge over lava and into an arena where they confronted a nine-headed serpent.
  • After the serpent attacked, Mike ordered the Omegas to open fire, and they shot it down before firing again when it appeared to be playing dead.
  • The serpent healed its wounds, grew stronger, and killed several Omegas with corrosive acid despite their protective suits.
  • Grenades failed to stop the serpent, which regenerated even after being blown apart.
  • Hunk told Mike to spread out, target the serpent's eyes, and assist Alpha in restraining it.

Ch. 58You Are Humanity's Guardians

UBCS and USS forces subdued and contained the Hydra, though Omega Company suffered casualties. William praised the survivors and urged them to regroup for the final anomaly.

  • The Alphas climbed onto the Hydra, bound its heads and tail with ropes, and pulled it down while the Omegas fired at its eyes.
  • Mike ordered the Omegas to combine their hunting nets and restrain the Hydra, which they trapped along with its acid-spitting mouths.
  • Hunk told Mike that the Alphas would scout the next Guardian of the Tomb while Omega Company rested.
  • Mike reported the Hydra’s corrosive blood, immunity to anesthetic gas, and Omega Company’s casualties to the Command Center.
  • William praised the soldiers, promised that fallen employees would be remembered at the Stone Tablet in Haifa Central Park, and called on the survivors to prepare for the final anomaly.

Ch. 59Fatal Blow

Hunk and the Alpha team reached the tomb’s final chamber, identified the Ceryneian Hind, and inspected Achilles’s coffin before the Command Center confirmed that all the tomb’s abnormal phenomena had been contained. William received two character-draw opportunities and obtained the young Spartan Carl, whose special skill was Fatal Blow.

  • Hunk and four Alpha members entered the tomb’s innermost chamber and found the Ceryneian Hind beside Achilles’s coffin.
  • Carolos identified the hind and advised Hunk that it was harmless if the team showed no hostility.
  • Hunk left three Alpha members to guard the hind and inspected Achilles’s coffin, finding no abnormalities.
  • Andre ordered Hunk to assist the Recovery Unit and Omega Company in recovering the Containment Objects and coffin.
  • William received two Halo Legends character draws and obtained twelve-year-old Spartan Carl, whose Fatal Blow could incapacitate or kill physical abnormal phenomena.

Ch. 60Spartan Squad

William used his final draw to add Mylon, the durable and unlucky Spartan 1337, to his squad, then oversaw the recovery of the Santorini operation’s wounded and Containment Objects. The operation’s survivors and artifacts were sent away, with Hydra designated Keter and all involved objects transferred to Greenland Island.

  • The system told William that Hydra could perform a Fatal Blow if equipped with a suitable heavy sniper weapon.
  • William used his last draw and received Spartan 1337, identified as Mylon, whose strength and bad luck could draw enemy fire away from his squadmates.
  • William ordered Andre to send blood samples from Hydra and the Ceryneian Hind, along with Achilles’ sarcophagus, to the Kenya Base.
  • Carolos asked William what he planned to do with Achilles’ remains, but William told him not to ask and redirected him to helping Greece recover.
  • Umbrella classified the Ceryneian Hind as Safe, the Nemean Lion as Euclid, and Hydra as Keter, then sent all the operation’s Containment Objects to Containment Center Number Two on Greenland Island.

Ch. 61Sparta Comes of Age

The Spartans trained over the waters near Minos Island, where Kent kicked Mylon out of a hovering Osprey before he could finish asking about the dive. Dr. Halsey then ordered training suspended, and as the aircraft turned back toward base, John reminded Kent that Mylon was still in the water.

  • Kent inspected the fourteen Spartans aboard the Osprey and announced they would swim back to Minos Island after a forty-meter dive.
  • Mylon asked whether breaking the dive record would earn him something, but Kent kicked him into the sea before he could finish.
  • Mylon surfaced safely and declared that the forty-meter dive posed no danger, amusing the other Spartans.
  • Carl called Mylon an idiot, while John defended him as someone trying to make their dull lives more fun.
  • A pilot reported Dr. Halsey's order to suspend training and return to Minos Island, so the Osprey began to leave without Mylon.
  • John pointed out that Mylon had been left behind, and Kent ordered the Osprey to turn around.
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