Virus Mimicry

Various types of T-Virus-infected creatures crowded inside the cages, snarling and roaring at Xia Tianming with hideous faces, eager to burst out and tear him apart.

Xia Tianming had no intention of indulging the twisted curiosity of those secretly watching him. He continued searching for an exit.

The fragments of memory he had absorbed from the hazmat-suit researchers contained no detailed information about this place, either. They had probably been dragged here temporarily.

Wesker saw that Xia Tianming showed no desire to fight and paid no attention to him or his people. It made him very unhappy.

So he simply let the Zombies out!

He pressed the switch, and the enormous cage in the middle of the arena unfolded automatically. The various Zombies packed inside had been itching to get out. They surged forth in a frenzy, roaring hungrily for flesh as they charged at Xia Tianming!

Now he had no choice but to fight.

Dozens of ordinary Zombies ran at the motionless man like students rushing to the cafeteria, charging at him with crazed strides and bared teeth.

Xia Tianming couldn't be bothered to even raise an eyelid for ordinary Zombies like these. He swept his Blacklight Claws sideways, tearing through a swath of enemies and turning them into nourishment for the Blacklight Virus inside him.

"Roar!!"

Next, the faster and more agile Zombie Dogs roared as they closed in from every direction!

They were the products of the research lab's experiments, all mutated Dobermans, a breed renowned as one of the world's finest hunting dogs. Their gaping maws were packed with hundreds of closely set fangs. A single bite could easily crush bone!

Umbrella Corporation had used these Zombie Dobermans, with their keen sense of smell and extraordinary speed, to eliminate many enemies hiding in dark corners.

A single Zombie Doberman had once torn through and wiped out dozens of resistance fighters in an underground hideout!

These Zombie Dobermans moved so fast they were almost impossible to see clearly. All anyone could make out were fleeting shadows!

Of course, that was only true for ordinary people.

With the Blacklight Virus enhancing him, Xia Tianming's senses and reflexes were naturally far beyond those of an ordinary person. Every movement the Zombie Dogs made was clear to him.

Awooo!!!

One Zombie Dog crouched low and leaped, shooting forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. Its jaws, packed with fangs, opened wide as it lunged for his throat!

But Xia Tianming was clearly faster. Just as its teeth came within a fist's breadth of his throat—

He struck like lightning, grabbing the Zombie Doberman by the neck and stopping its fangs from advancing another centimeter!

Then he clamped one hand around its throat and slammed it hard into the ground!

Bang!

The Zombie Doberman's head shattered on impact, and Xia Tianming devoured it completely!

After consuming the Zombie Dog, Xia Tianming's body changed once more!

He dropped to all fours, his back arching like a hunting dog's. His limbs grew slender but remained muscular, and his teeth sharpened until they rivaled a Doberman's!

Wesker and the others watched from inside the Safe House, their faces full of astonishment.

Had he mimicked its appearance after devouring it?!

Xia Tianming had now transformed into a humanoid hound. On all fours, he bared his teeth and growled low, leaving the surrounding Zombie Dobermans intimidated.

What was wrong with this guy?

How was he even more of a dog than they were???

Then Xia Tianming, in his hound form, clashed with the Zombie Dogs. Their shrill barks rose and fell around the arena!

When a Zombie Dog bit into Xia Tianming, he turned and savagely bit its head apart, devouring it. He truly fought fire with fire!

His even more savage and brutal appearance shocked everyone. The Zombie Dobermans were quickly slaughtered, until only two remained. They tucked their tails between their legs and whimpered as they fled.

Dr. Virus, watching from inside the Safe House, felt deeply humiliated. The Zombie Dogs he had developed had been slaughtered without the slightest ability to fight back—and had even been frightened?!

Just who was that man???

"What do you think? Impressive, isn't it? His ability to adapt to his surroundings and mimic other creatures has already surpassed that of every G-Virus test subject we've developed so far! If we could extract that ability and enhance every one of us with it, we could adapt to any environment on Earth. We'd change and evolve with our surroundings, preserve the superiority of our species—and usher in a new era for humanity! It perfectly aligns with our company's mission!!"

Wesker grew more and more excited as he stood up from the sofa, his eager eyes behind his sunglasses fixed on the man in the center of the arena.

He felt Xia Tianming was worth even more than Alice!

But for now, the man was still an untamed beast. Neither threats nor persuasion could make him obey, so they could only keep him confined here for the time being.

"Impressive? What if he turns into a nightmare? Are you sure you can control him? This guy is a dormant nuclear bomb. You haven't even analyzed what he's made of, and you still dared bring him here? Aren't you worried he'll turn on us?! So stop playing around and just kill him!" said a young shareholder who had long disagreed with Wesker's ideas, frowning.

Wesker stared coldly at him. "Kill him? Even the Rod of God couldn't kill him. Do you have a way? I suppose you could strap him to a nuclear bomb and detonate it yourself. Maybe that would take care of him. Besides, isn't it safer to keep him under our company's control than let him develop freely in the wasteland?"

Wesker's words left the young shareholder speechless. He snorted and turned away.

The other shareholders watched the test arena with interest. The dull life of living underground year-round was driving them crazy. Now that they finally had some new entertainment, Wesker seemed to understand what they wanted.

By now, Xia Tianming had wiped out nearly all the various Zombies that had poured from the cage. Only a scattered few remained around the arena.

He couldn't be bothered to hunt down these lesser Zombies. Xia Tianming continued looking for a way out.

He could sense that quite a few people were secretly watching him. They were probably senior figures in the company, staring at him as if he were a monkey on display.

If he devoured them, he could probably gain access to all of Umbrella Corporation's important information—including the rocket's exact location!

He just didn't know whether absorbing so many memories would affect his own.

Whoosh!

Suddenly!

Xia Tianming felt his ankle tighten, as if something had wrapped around it.

He looked down. A scarlet tongue covered in barbs had snaked from behind and wrapped around his ankle!

Its sharp barbs pierced his skin. The tongue was incredibly strong, and it threw him off balance, making him topple to the ground before he could react!

Splurt!

Several more scarlet tongues shot toward him, wrapping around his limbs and neck in an attempt to tear him apart alive!