Suddenly...

And almost at the same time Yin Kuang endured the immense pain brought on by the G-Virus, a scene related to the virus was unfolding inside a temporary Umbrella Corporation camp.

Dr. Ashford pushed his wheelchair over, his face looking awful. He slapped a stack of papers down in front of Dr. Isaacs and said, "This is the preliminary analysis of that small cup of black dog's blood..."

Dr. Isaacs' eyes suddenly lit up. He snatched the stack away. "Oh, thank you, dear Dr. Ashford. You see? We work together with remarkable harmony. This is exactly what I need right now!"

Then Dr. Isaacs paid Dr. Ashford no further attention. He sat down and pored over the report, turning the pages one by one with meticulous care. He even quietly read aloud a few English technical terms. As he went on, his face grew increasingly flushed. Clearly, he was overcome with excitement.

"So that's how it is... That's how it is! I finally understand! The key was right here! Thank God, thank the omnipotent Creator God for creating such a miraculous substance and bringing it before me... Oh, I can hardly contain my excitement!"

Dr. Isaacs danced around in a frenzy, unable to control himself. He even swept all the electronic equipment off the table and onto the floor, trying to release his indescribable elation. He grabbed Dr. Ashford by the shoulders and shook him violently. "Dr. Ashford, do you see? God has opened a door for us! A door to heaven. Believe me, believe me, you'll be able to stand again very soon. You'll run just like a normal person. Your daughter will become even stronger... Everyone, all of humanity... No one will have to suffer from disease anymore or fear cancer or AIDS. We'll live longer... Everyone will be a strongman, a marathon champion... Can you imagine it? History! This is history! We—you and I—are making history..."

Dr. Ashford merely stared coldly at Dr. Isaacs as he shook him, letting him rattle his bones nearly loose. Only after Dr. Isaacs had finished his last word did Dr. Ashford straighten his crooked glasses and speak calmly. "When God wants to destroy someone, He first drives them mad... Dr. Isaacs, nature's power is boundless, and human evolution follows its own laws. What you're doing is trying to defy nature. If you truly mean to compress hundreds of thousands of years of biological evolution into a day, a month, or a year, then believe me: you won't bring hope. You'll bring destruction!"

Dr. Isaacs was in no state to heed any warning. In truth, he had always done as he pleased. He had even dared to defy orders from the company's board of directors. What wouldn't he do?

"Sorry, I got a little carried away." Dr. Isaacs straightened his lab coat. "Dr. Ashford, I don't think there's any need to continue with that low-level Nemesis Project... I'm going to launch the Alice Project directly. And since Alice can perfectly assimilate the T-Virus, I think she might be accepted by the G-Virus too... With this report and that black dog, I don't think it'll be long before I develop a perfect G-Virus... Then you and I will witness history with our own eyes..."

Dr. Ashford gave a cold snort. "Just keep my daughter safe... What you choose to do is your business. I'm only responsible for helping you research and analyze things. I have no interest whatsoever in your G-Virus."

"That's all right... I'm sure you'll be interested."

After speaking, Dr. Isaacs picked up a wireless earpiece and said, "All units, attention. Order: Terminate the Nemesis Project. Send all data to headquarters. Declare the Nemesis Project a failure and formally apply to implement the Alice Project. Also, evacuate Raccoon City immediately. Send in the Cleaner in ten minutes!"

The usually quiet Raccoon City camp immediately sprang to life!

*************************

"Damn it! There really are Tyrants chasing us! And two of them right off the bat! The Headmaster really did increase the mission difficulty because we got involved... I told you this would happen, and now it has!"

Otaku's already pale face turned even paler. As he waved the thin, black, gnarled staff in his hand, like an old tree root, it drew back a strand of snake-like black energy.

Two hideous, monstrous humanoids lay on the ground not far away. They were unmistakably Tyrants—identical to Matt in the original movie—and products of the Nemesis Project: tall, powerful, ugly, and foul-smelling.

No one could look at monsters like these and feel anything but revulsion. It was no wonder the Umbrella Corporation had abandoned the Nemesis Project and chosen Alice, who had perfectly assimilated the T-Virus, for its so-called Alice Project. Using Alice's genes, the company had cloned hundreds, even thousands, of "Alice clones"!

As ugly as the Tyrants were, there was no question about their terrifying strength. They had immense power, and despite their bulky bodies, they moved quickly. They were also equipped with rocket launchers, six-barreled machine guns, and other devastating weapons. A storm of five thousand bullets pouring down would reduce an ordinary person to a pile of minced meat. Just thinking about it was enough to make your scalp tingle. Even the Teaching Assistant Trio didn't dare face that terrifying storm of metal head-on!

Without a doubt, on the battlefield it would be a human-shaped tank!

Take the two Tyrants the three Teaching Assistants had just beaten into a bloody mess. With a formidable 250 health, skin so thick it was ridiculous, and the fight taking place in cramped quarters, it had taken the Teaching Assistant Trio nearly twenty minutes to bring them down. None of the trio had suffered any serious injuries, but the fight had still left them furious!

But what good did getting mad do? The legendary Headmaster had forcibly cut their strength by 50%. They had nowhere to vent their anger!

"Give it a rest," Xiong Ba said gruffly. "That crow's beak of yours only ever works when you predict something bad. Don't go jinxing us with four more Tyrants charging out. They'd wear you out just by existing. Stop using so many curses and build up some good karma."

By then, the three had taken an extremely well-hidden passage out of the Hive and reached the mansion above it. That was where they had run into the two Tyrants. The welcome they'd received had been two flaming rockets! But they had dealt with both Tyrants by now.

Ji Wen checked the time. "There's still time, but we need to hurry. I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling, like something's about to happen."

Xiong Ba raised his straight, prominent nose and sniffed. "You're right. I can smell something off, too. Ever since that huge explosion we encountered, I've had a strong sense of unease. I've been trying to figure out what went wrong the whole way here, but I still can't put my finger on it."

Otaku's expression gradually grew serious. "You noticed it too?"

An ordinary person might have laughed it off. It was just a feeling, after all. What was there to worry about? They only needed to relax. But for students at this "university," the thing they valued most was often a feeling—the elusive sixth sense. That was because this intangible thing had saved their lives time and time again!

It was a special ability honed through countless brushes with danger and death, and so they trusted it completely.

The mood grew heavy. Finally, Xiong Ba said, "If we can't figure it out, there's no point worrying about it. We'll take things as they come. We've been through plenty of dangers already. We even made it through an A-difficulty scenario, didn't we? Don't forget, this is only F difficulty—and first-year F difficulty at that. So let's hurry up and complete that 'ultimate mission' for its reward."

"We may as well do what you say. Still, we should stay alert," Ji Wen said.

With that, she stepped forward and gripped the doorknob with her soft, delicate hands. She pulled!

But what the Teaching Assistant Trio hadn't expected was that the moment the door opened, a brilliant light suddenly streamed through the gap, illuminating their faces in an instant!

They were stunned!

The bright white light shone across their faces, revealing three expressions of utter shock...

How could there be such a dazzling light in the dead of night?!

Because the all-powerful Headmaster was at work!

"Attention, all students and teaching assistants of Class 04 of Season 12!"

"Due to an unexpected incident, the difficulty of this Entrance Exam will be raised to first-year C difficulty!"

"As you are Freshmen, you will be given the following choices!"

"First: Immediately leave the Entrance Exam scenario. All students who are still alive will receive a passing grade! Reward: 200 Study Points, 5 academic credits, and 2 Comprehensive Evaluation points. You will receive the title of Freshman! This scenario will then appear in the 'exam missions' during the second half of the first semester, and you may continue exploring it."

"Second: Continue the Entrance Exam. The difficulty will be raised to first-year C difficulty!"

"Mission change: Protect the female protagonist, Alice, and help her escape Umbrella Corporation's control.

"Mission failure: Lose 20 years of life, lose 2 points from all base attributes, and randomly lose one skill! You will also be unable to enter the Resident Evil series of scenarios again.

"Restrictions: None! Teaching assistant strength restored to 100%!

"Reward change: 1,000 Study Points, 15 academic credits, 5 Comprehensive Evaluation points. Class 04 of Season 12 will receive the title of Special Honor Class. Randomly obtain one 'first-year skill.'

"Bonus reward change: Kill Dr. Isaacs and receive 3,000 Study Points, 20 academic credits, 10 Comprehensive Evaluation points, and 1 C-rank Evaluation point. You will also have a chance to obtain Dr. Isaacs' latest research findings. Destroy the Umbrella Corporation's Chicago branch and receive 5,000 Study Points, 25 academic credits, 15 Comprehensive Evaluation points, and 1 B-rank Evaluation point. But you will become an enemy of America, and all American forces will be hostile toward you in future scenarios set in America!

"Headmaster's reminder: Children, this is punishment for your reckless behavior. You can also consider it a reward—of course, if you admit your mistakes, I'll be generous and forgive you."

"Oh—shit!!"