Wesker watched through the surveillance satellite as the soldiers emptied a magazine, then asked, "How did it go? How did the target react?"
"Reporting, sir. The target showed no reaction. Maybe he really was killed..." a sergeant replied.
"Maybe? From now on, don't use vague words like that when reporting to me. Throw a few more grenades down there. If the target still shows no signs of life, then pull him out from below and escort him to the lab!"
"Yes, sir!"
The soldiers did as ordered. They pulled the safety pins from their grenades and threw them all down at once.
Three seconds later, a deafening explosion echoed from the bottom of the crater. When they leaned over to look again, the target still showed no signs of life, like a corpse. Grenade shrapnel covered his charred body.
It seemed the man really was dead. Sure enough, no living creature could survive an attack from Rod of God.
A soldier drove over in the armored vehicle that the man had left with several terrifying claw marks gouged into it. Using the mechanical arm mounted on its rear, he grabbed the charred corpse at the bottom of the crater and carefully lifted it.
The soldiers nearby kept their guns trained on it the entire time, their hearts pounding so hard they nearly leaped out of their chests.
They knew that if the man came back to life, bullets wouldn't do him any real harm. Keeping their guns aimed at him was mostly just a way to reassure themselves.
Having lost their captain, the soldiers followed the order from their commanding officer, Wesker, and carefully, gently pushed Xia Tianming's coal-blackened corpse into the troop compartment of their last remaining armored vehicle.
This U.S.S. combat squad had been able to run rampant through the apocalypse. Yet, in their attempt to capture this Mutant, they had lost two Black Hawk Helicopters, one M1A2 main battle tank, three armored vehicles, 95% of their forces, and their commander, Kromi!
They might as well have been completely wiped out!
Once the target was loaded into the vehicle, the remaining soldiers fought over the driver's and front passenger's seats. Those who couldn't squeeze in had no choice but to climb into the troop compartment in abject terror, crammed together with their enemy's corpse, which lay on the deck.
They pressed themselves against the sides of the vehicle, keeping as far as they could from the charred body sprawled in the middle, its limbs twisted and clawing.
The terror this man had inspired in them would probably haunt them for the rest of their lives—assuming they lived long enough to have a rest of their lives.
Next, the soldiers would make the entire journey back to base with the corpse, gripped by fear all the way.
None of them noticed that the charred shell of the enemy's corpse, which Rod of God had blasted to pieces, was slowly cracking and flaking off.
Through the fissures, they could just make out the fresh skin beneath...
*********
Two hours later.
At Wesker's direction, the armored vehicle carrying Xia Tianming's corpse drove to an open area and stopped.
Strangely, there were no Zombies or other infected creatures anywhere within a twenty-mile radius.
As soon as the armored vehicle came to a halt at a certain spot—
Rumble!!
Without warning, the ground suddenly shook violently!
The ground directly in front of the armored vehicle split open, the fissure widening as the surrounding sand slid into it.
Before long, a massive metal passage leading underground came into view!
The underground passage was ten meters wide and more than twenty meters high, large enough for several different types of vehicles to enter at once!
This was one of the entrances to the Umbrella Corporation's underground base.
There were actually several entrances leading to headquarters, but only a handful connected to important locations. The rest were dead ends, traps, or led to unimportant departments.
The Umbrella Corporation had made its fortune in security, and it certainly showed in how cautious they were about everything.
Even the driver didn't know about this secret passage. Wesker had guided them the entire way there.
The driver steered the armored vehicle into the huge passage. A moment later, there was another rumble as the entrance closed behind them.
The spacious passage was pitch-black. Its dark depths seemed to lead straight to Hell. The only sound was the steady whoosh of ventilation fans, like the low murmur of demons.
Only as the vehicle moved farther in did dim yellow lights switch on one by one along the walls, guiding them into the unknown depths.
Nobody knew how deep the underground base was. The armored vehicle drove downhill at full speed for nearly ten minutes before they finally reached a second entrance.
On Wesker's instructions, the driver steered the armored vehicle carrying the corpse and the soldiers through it. They found themselves inside an enormous space the size of a soccer field.
Gray metal walls surrounded them on every side, tall and formidable, as sturdy as a fortress. Apart from the entrance they had come through, there were no other exits.
As soon as the vehicle stopped, the soldiers who had spent the whole journey in the troop compartment with Xia Tianming's corpse rushed out in a crowd, fear still lingering on their faces.
Anyone would have been at risk of a heart attack after sharing such a cramped space with the corpse of that terrifying enemy. It was clear how deep a psychological scar Xia Tianming had left on them.
"What are you panicking for? Is this the military discipline of U.S.S. special forces soldiers? Stay where you are and don't let your guard down!"
Suddenly, Wesker's stern voice rang out from somewhere, echoing through the vast, dimly lit enclosure.
At their superior's command, the soldiers quickly lined up and waited for further orders.
They noticed dried bloodstains on the floor and walls, along with a few horrifying claw marks. The air also carried a lingering stench of blood.
Could this be one of the corporation's secret testing grounds?
Had they brought the enemy's corpse straight here to conduct some kind of research or experiment?
Their suspicions were soon confirmed. A series of crisp clicks rang out, and all the lights in the cylindrical chamber switched on, illuminating every corner like an underground sun!
This enclosed facility was nearly a hundred meters tall, with a sturdy metal ceiling as well. If they sealed the only entrance, not even a fly could escape!
Rumor had it that this enormous testing ground had been built before the apocalypse. It had been converted from an air-raid shelter dating back to the Cold War and reinforced to withstand a nuclear bomb detonating on the surface without sustaining the slightest damage!
About thirty meters above the floor, on the metal wall directly ahead, was a one-way mirror. The people inside could see out, but those outside couldn't see in.
The soldiers outside had no idea that Wesker, the superior who had just given them their orders, was standing behind the one-way mirror. A group of middle-aged men in suits stood with him, along with a bald man in a white lab coat who was clearly a top researcher.
Wesker had ordered the soldiers to bring Xia Tianming straight to this impregnable secret testing ground so they could observe the infected creature's extraordinary physiology firsthand.
A portly middle-aged man in a suit had grown tired of standing. He sat down and asked with a frown, "Wesker, where's the surprise you promised us? Are these battered survivors what you meant?"
These men in suits looked completely out of place in the apocalypse. They were all senior decision-makers and shareholders in the Umbrella Corporation, the sort of people who never missed an important corporate meeting.
Wesker smiled. "Be patient. I guarantee what's about to happen will leave you speechless."
With that, he waved a hand, and a team of workers clad head to toe in white protective suits entered the testing ground.
Before you continue