Exploring a New World

Duncan's movements had been under surveillance from the moment he stepped out of the Umbrella Corporation headquarters, so he had never dared to act without restraint.

In a world destined to lose its order, his bottom line kept dropping; if it meant achieving his goal, Duncan didn't mind using the "most efficient" methods.

To put it simply, that meant disregarding the consequences and ignoring the subsequent impact of his actions.

The most convenient way to stop a home invasion is to blow up the house, and the best way to stop the Umbrella Corporation from doing evil is to blow them up as well—drop a nuclear bomb on every underground Umbrella base across the globe, blast them into nothingness, and there would be no need to worry about Resident Evil ever again.

Six modified SUVs and one box truck drove out of the Umbrella Security Force compound. Aside from these vehicles, a helicopter bearing the Umbrella logo rose into the sky, and Duncan sat inside it, watching the city below gradually shrink.

Before long, the helicopter was the first to arrive at the warehouse Susan had rented.

Susan had followed Duncan's instructions and rented a factory building of several hundred square meters in a remote area on the outskirts of Raccoon City to serve as a warehouse.

There was a large open space outside the warehouse, perfect for the helicopter to take off and land.

The blonde beauty, who had been cooling off inside the warehouse, heard the sound of the helicopter and walked out to greet them.

Duncan stepped off the helicopter, followed by four members of the Umbrella Security Force, all wearing full tactical gear and carrying TAR-21 assault rifles, looking murderous from a distance.

The helicopter engine cut out, and the pilot remained on board, waiting for orders from the control tower or Duncan.

Susan, standing at the entrance, was intimidated by the imposing presence of the four men Duncan had brought with him. She stood there stunned and at a loss until Duncan walked up to her, at which point she finally snapped out of it.

"Boss, here are the warehouse keys. Would you like me to take you inside for a look?"

Susan had done her job quite conscientiously, as if she were terrified that doing a poor job would lead Duncan to fire her.

After renting the warehouse, Susan had already toured it once, specifically so she could give a proper introduction when her boss arrived.

Taking the heavy ring of keys, Duncan weighed them in his hand before tucking them into his pocket, then gestured toward the warehouse. "Take me to see it."

The interior of the warehouse was simple: a vast, empty hall, a few tracked loading machines and a pile of miscellaneous items in the corner, a few empty rooms, and an office.

There was even a backup power system in the basement, and the facilities were well-equipped. Most importantly, there were no annoying surveillance cameras here!

"Susan, well done. Now, go to KFC and buy me twenty family buckets!"

After inspecting the satisfactory warehouse, Duncan found a random excuse to send the resentful female secretary away.

Inside the vast, empty warehouse, only the four armed security guards remained, standing face-to-face with him.

All four security guards were blue-eyed, blonde-haired white men. They were tall and looked even more imposing in their combat gear, though their eyes were filled with curiosity.

When they left the compound, their only order had been to follow the arrangements of shareholder Duncan. Even after boarding the helicopter and arriving at this location, they still didn't understand what they were supposed to be doing.

It couldn't possibly be to accompany this major shareholder to show off, could it?

"Introduce yourselves. Name, resume, and your purpose for joining the company."

Duncan stood before the four of them, looking them over. He couldn't really trust anyone he got from Umbrella, but he didn't have many other choices right now.

Time was extremely precious, and taking a few risks in exchange for a bright future was worth it.

The four security guards exchanged glances, and the man on the far left began the introductions.

"Rob Smith. I served in the U.S. Army... I joined the company to realize my self-worth!"

The first man wore a serious expression, saying it as if it were true, but that was just talk.

"Buck Kane. I served in the Army. I joined the company for the money, obviously."

The second man was clearly much more honest, saying it with a smile and a tone that suggested it was a matter of course.

The third man's name was Kevin, and his reasoning was the same as Buck's—he had joined the company for the money.

The last man was named Snow. He shrugged and said, "I'm just here for a job. If the boss has any tasks, just say the word. I still have basic professional ethics."

The four finished their introductions. They weren't exactly elites, and their abilities were only at the level of average soldiers; one shouldn't expect to find super-special-forces drifters in the security force.

Duncan didn't have high expectations for their abilities. Until the rest of his manpower arrived, these four would be the vanguards exploring another world, so he had to confirm a few things.

"Do you have families?"

The four were slightly taken aback, and their answers were uniform: none of them were orphans. Buck was married and had a son, while the other three only had parents and siblings.

Hearing that they all had families, Duncan nodded and said with serious gravity, "The things I am going to have you do are full of uncertainty. You might encounter danger and easily lose your lives. I can tell you now: if you sacrifice yourselves during the mission, your families will receive a pension of one million dollars. If you survive, you will receive rewards beyond what an ordinary person could imagine. How do you choose?"

Hearing the pie-in-the-sky promise Duncan had painted, the four men held their breath, and their expressions turned serious.

A one-million-dollar pension was something they would have to work at Umbrella for over a decade to earn; it was already a sum of money that would make an ordinary person willing to take a risk.

Corresponding to this money was the risk of the mission Duncan spoke of!

Starting with a million, the difficulty of the mission certainly wouldn't be low. Ignoring the "unimaginable rewards," whether this million dollars was worth the risk became the crux of the problem.

"Boss, can you reveal the content of the mission?" The four thought for a moment, and eventually, Buck couldn't help but ask.

After all, he was the only one among the four with a family, so he had more concerns.

However, Duncan only shook his head and did not reveal the mission details.

There was another silence.

Finally, Rob gave a wry smile. Unable to resist the temptation of the money, he laughed and cursed, "Shit... that's a lot of money! I'm in."

With someone taking the lead, the remaining three hesitated before agreeing as well, and even the originally wavering Buck chose to accept the mission.

Bark's explanation was, "With this money, my son won't have to sell his body for a living like I did."

"Good!" Duncan was very satisfied with the four men's choice. After all, the world was on the verge of destruction; if the four of them didn't get on his boat, their only ending would be to be discarded by the Umbrella Corporation. Following him, however, might carve out a path to survival.

The phantom of the door that had been lingering before his eyes began to solidify. Duncan focused his mind, turned his body, and, following the usage method that appeared in his mind, attached the illusory door to the office door of the warehouse.

The attachment process was silent and seamless. The once unremarkable office door would now become a gateway to another world the moment it was opened.

"Get ready. I suggest you chamber your rounds and put on the masks at your waists. I don't want to see anything unpleasant happen."

As Duncan spoke, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a gas mask he had taken from the Umbrella Security Service, pulling it over his head.

The four men looked around in confusion; the surroundings didn't look dangerous in the slightest. However, they were still influenced by Duncan's incredibly serious tone, and they chambered their rounds and donned their masks.

Duncan placed his hand on the doorknob, pressed down gently, and pushed the door open. What met their eyes was no longer the office, but a wide road.

The sound of cars driving by reached clearly into the warehouse, causing all five of them to widen their eyes in shock.

Even Duncan, who had caused all of this, felt dumbfounded by a scene that felt like a bug in the world's programming.

"Go, my four warriors. Explore this new world; this is one of the rewards I have for you." After snapping back to reality, Duncan stepped aside to let Rob, Bark, and the others get a clear view of the other world.

The four men, completely stunned, looked at Duncan with the kind of gaze one might reserve for a deity. Upon hearing the order, they recalled their duties and slowly calmed down.

"Let's go!" Bark, the oldest among them, took temporary command. He gripped his firearm tightly and was the first to step through the gate into the new world.

It was a new world in the literal sense; the moment they passed through the door, they had arrived.

The four men passed through the gate without any discomfort. The most significant sensation was like stepping out of an air-conditioned room into the sweltering heat of the outdoors.

The moment they crossed the threshold, all four of them had the same reaction: they turned around to look behind them.

However, when they turned back, they didn't see their boss. All they saw was an approaching sedan and the terrified expression of the Black man behind the wheel.

Screech!

The sharp sound of tires screeching against the pavement announced the Umbrella Corporation's first major step into another world.