Going Deeper

Dark clouds hung over Raccoon City like heavy slabs of lead. Gale-force winds swept fine rain through the streets like tiny steel needles, lashing mercilessly against the city's ruined buildings. Shattered glass whimpered in the wind, twisted billboards creaked, as though the city itself were groaning in despair, and even the sky wept for it.

Following the map Ada Wong had provided, Li Stark and the others finally found the secret entrance to the underground laboratory. It was located in the basement of an abandoned hotel. A rusted iron door stood half-open, its hinges long since corroded into pitted ruin and covered in dark green moss. Beyond the door lay utter darkness, like the bloodied maw of some colossal beast, exuding dampness and decay as it waited for its prey.

"Be careful. According to the intel, both the security systems and the experimental specimens here have been specially modified." Ada Wong stepped inside first. Her red cheongsam flickered like a dancing flame in the dim light, swaying gently with her movements, graceful yet dangerous. Her tactical flashlight swept across the walls, revealing yellowed surfaces covered in claw marks. Some were so deep they seemed to expose bone, layered atop one another—who knew how many monsters had left behind such handiwork? The marks seemed to recount the brutal battles that had once taken place here, sending chills down everyone's spine.

Natasha suddenly raised an arm to stop the others. Her eyes, sharp as a hawk's, fixed on Ada Wong's back. Her gun barrel shifted almost imperceptibly, and the click of her safety coming off was nearly inaudible. "Wait. How do you know this place's layout so well? And this map—why didn't you bring it out earlier? Why wait until the police station was shaken before showing up?" Her voice was icy, every word seeming to squeeze through clenched teeth, thick with suspicion. Years as an agent had taught her to remain highly vigilant toward anything and anyone suspicious, especially someone as unfathomable as Ada Wong.

Ada Wong paused but did not turn around. A meaningful smile curled at her lips, looking particularly eerie in the dim light. "This lady is certainly vigilant. But now isn't the time to discuss trust. Or would you rather stay here and feed the bugs?" Her tone held a trace of mockery and an almost imperceptible threat. The dagger in her hand gleamed coldly beneath the tactical flashlight.

Gwen hurriedly tried to smooth things over. The detector in her hand emitted a steady series of beeps as data continued to flash across the display and the red warning light blinked nonstop. "Natasha, the energy readings are strongest on the third underground level. There are indeed a large number of irregular biological signals nearby, like some kind of swarm organism. The priority is to get out of here first." Her voice carried a hint of urgency, and fine beads of sweat had already formed on her forehead. In an environment this dangerous, infighting would only doom them all.

Natasha snorted and lowered her gun, but she continued to watch Ada Wong's every move. Her body leaned slightly forward, maintaining a stance that allowed her to attack at any moment. The group followed behind and entered the unknown darkness. With every step, the floor beneath their feet creaked unnervingly, as though it might collapse at any second. A pungent stench filled the air, like rotting flesh mixed with chemical agents, making them want to vomit.

Before anyone could say another word, the pipes overhead suddenly emitted a piercing scraping noise, as sharp as fingernails dragged across a chalkboard. Li instinctively shouted, "Scatter!" A black shadow burst from an opening in the pipe and lunged straight at Ashley. It was a mutated insect covered from head to toe in armor. Its enormous mandibles gleamed coldly like twin sickles, while its six jointed limbs scuttled rapidly across the ground with teeth-grinding clicks, leaving trails of dark slime with every step.

Natasha reacted instantly, firing both guns at once. Sparks flew as the bullets struck the insect's shell, but they left only shallow dents. "Hit its abdomen!" Li activated his Shock Gauntlet and leaped into the air. His punch tore through the air as he slammed his fist into the insect's back. Cracks spread across its shell, and green slime erupted from within, releasing a suffocating stench. The insect shrieked in pain, wheeled around, and pounced at Li, its huge mandibles narrowly missing his throat.

Wanda forced her weakened body onward, her trembling hands gathering magic. Her face was pale as paper, her lips bloodless, and beads of sweat the size of beans covered her forehead. The instant scarlet light flared, dozens more mutated insects of the same kind burst from the pipes. "I can't hold them for long!" Wanda gritted her teeth as a magical barrier temporarily separated the swarm from the group. But blood began to seep from her nose, dripping onto the floor and forming strange little red flowers. She had clearly pushed herself beyond her limits.

Ada Wong darted nimbly through the insect swarm, her red cheongsam swirling in battle as the dagger in her hand precisely pierced the insects' compound eyes and joints. Natasha fired as she watched Ada Wong's movements from the corner of her eye. She had the feeling that Ada Wong's attacks, though fierce, deliberately avoided the insects' most lethal weak points. Alarm bells rang in Natasha's mind, deepening her suspicions of Ada Wong.

In the midst of the fierce battle, one insect took advantage of the chaos and lunged at Ashley. Ashley let out a terrified scream and fell to the ground, instinctively covering her head with both hands. Wanda nearly exhausted the last of her strength to blast the insect away with magic. But she could no longer hold herself up. She stumbled and collapsed, blood spilling from her mouth and staining the corners of her lips red. Li was frantic, but several insects had him tied down. His Protective Suit kept sounding alarms, and he could only watch helplessly as Wanda fell, unable to break free.

At the critical moment, Gwen raised her modified flamethrower. Flames instantly engulfed a large portion of the insects. Their screams as they burned rose one after another, while the air filled with the charred smell of roasted meat. "Move! There are too many of them!" she shouted, her voice hoarse from strain and panic. The group seized the chance to run deeper into the passageway. Behind them, the insects' shrieks intertwined with the crackling flames like a symphony of death.

After passing through a narrow corridor, the group arrived before a heavy blast door. It was covered in rust and bullet holes, evidence of the fierce battle it had once endured. Ada Wong inserted a USB drive into the port beside the door, and the electronic lock gave a soft beep. The door slowly opened, and a cold, damp breath of air rushed out. Beyond it stretched a long corridor, its lights flickering on and off like the blinking eyes of demons. They illuminated dense warning labels on the walls: "BIOHAZARD," "NO ENTRY," and "T-VIRUS LEAK ZONE." Every word seemed written in blood, filled with warning.

"The files should be in Laboratory B-07." Ada Wong checked the sign on the wall. "But getting there from here means passing through at least three high-risk experimental zones." Her voice was calm, as though she were facing not a deadly crisis but an ordinary stroll. Yet a flicker of tension passed through her eyes.

Natasha suddenly stepped in front of her, aiming the gun directly at Ada Wong's forehead. Her finger tightened around the trigger; at the slightest suspicious move, she would fire without hesitation. "I'll ask one more time. What exactly is your goal? Is this information proof that you've been working with the Umbrella Corporation? Wanda is hurt like this now. If anything happens to her..." Her voice was low and dangerous, murderous intent surging in her eyes. Wanda was her companion now, and she would not allow anyone to harm her.

Ada Wong merely raised an eyebrow calmly and gently pushed the gun barrel aside. Her fingers were pale and slender, yet full of strength. "If I wanted to harm you, I would have done it back in the insect swarm. But if you want to turn on me now, why not ask your friends first whether they want to leave here alive?" Her gaze swept over Wanda, unconscious in Li and Gwen's arms, then over the trembling Ashley. There was a trace of threat in her voice.

Li tiredly cut in, "Natasha, now isn't the time for infighting. Once we find the files, we'll settle accounts properly." His voice carried undisguised exhaustion and anxiety. His brow was tightly furrowed, and his eyes were full of worry. Wanda's injuries had him frantic, but he also understood that in a place crawling with danger, unity was their only hope of survival.

Natasha clenched her teeth and put away her gun, but she kept Ada Wong within striking distance. Her body remained taut, ready for any sudden development. They had barely gone any farther when a spine-chilling roar came from the end of the corridor. It sounded like grinding metal, yet also like the roar of some colossal beast, echoing through the empty hallway and sending shivers through them. Li's Protective Suit automatically issued an alert: "Unknown life-form detected. Danger level: SS."

"It's a New-Type Licker." Ada Wong's expression turned grave, and a flicker of fear flashed in her eyes. "They're smarter than ordinary Lickers, and..." Her words were cut off by a burst of hurried footsteps. Several shadows moved swiftly through the darkness, their scarlet eyes gleaming in the gloom like ghostly fires from hell. These Lickers were more slender in build, with veins clearly visible beneath their skin. Every finger had become a sharp claw, and they even moved in a disturbingly human-like upright posture, radiating eerie terror.

Natasha raised her gun and fired, only to find that the Lickers were incredibly agile and difficult to hit. They ran across the walls and ceiling as though walking on level ground, moving so quickly that they dazzled the eye. One Licker leaped high into the air, its claws shooting toward Li's throat. Li twisted aside, but his shoulder was still sliced open. Even the nanomaterial in his Protective Suit could not fully block the attack, and blood instantly soaked through his clothes.

Wanda barely managed to stand. Scarlet Magic gathered in her hands again, but its light was as weak as a candle flame in the wind. Her body swayed unsteadily. Every trace of magic she summoned seemed to drain away her life. "I'll hold them off. You go first!" she shouted, turning her magic into chains that wrapped around one Licker. Yet the creature tore through the magical chains with its claws, then lashed back and carved a wound so deep that flesh showed across Wanda's abdomen. Wanda screamed as blood gushed out, staining her skirt red.

"Wanda!" Li's eyes went bloodshot as he charged toward her without hesitation, his heart filled with rage and regret. Gwen swiftly threw a homemade flash grenade, and the intense light temporarily blinded the Lickers. The group seized the opportunity, picked up Wanda, and sprinted toward the laboratory. Behind them, the Lickers' furious roars drew ever closer, like Death's footsteps closing in step by step. Ahead lay not only unknown lethal traps, but also Ada Wong's unfathomable secret and Natasha's suspicion, ready to erupt at any moment. Every step was fraught with danger, every second could be the end of their lives, but they had no choice except to keep moving forward.