Deeper In

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

Following the map Ada Wong had provided, Lee, 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 was utter darkness, like the gaping, bloody maw of some giant beast, exuding dampness and rot as it waited for its prey.

"Be careful. According to the intel, both the security systems and the test subjects here have been specially modified." Ada Wong stepped inside first, her red qipao flickering like a dancing flame in the dim light as it swayed lightly with her movements, elegant yet dangerous. Her tactical flashlight swept across the walls, revealing yellowed surfaces covered in claw marks. Some were so deep they seemed to cut to the bone, layered upon one another in countless overlapping tracks—the handiwork of who knew how many monsters. Those marks seemed to tell of the brutal battles that had once taken place here, sending a chill down everyone's spine.

Natasha suddenly raised an arm to stop the others. Her eagle-sharp gaze fixed on Ada Wong's back as she subtly shifted her gun muzzle, the click of the safety coming off nearly inaudible. "Wait. How do you know this place's layout so well? And this map—why didn't you take it out earlier? Why wait until the police station shook before showing up?" Her voice was cold as frost, every word seemingly squeezed through clenched teeth and laden with suspicion. Years as an agent had taught her to remain highly vigilant toward anything or anyone suspicious, especially someone as mysterious and unfathomable as Ada Wong.

Ada Wong paused but did not turn around. A meaningful smile curved her lips, looking particularly eerie in the dimness. "This lady is certainly vigilant. But now isn't the time to discuss trust. Do you want to stay here and feed the bugs?" Her tone carried a hint of mockery and an almost imperceptible threat. The dagger in her hand gleamed coldly under the tactical flashlight.

Gwen hurriedly tried to defuse the situation. The detector in her hand emitted steady beeps as data continued to jump across its display, its red warning light flashing without pause. "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. Getting out of here is our top priority." Her voice held a trace 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 her eyes remained fixed on Ada Wong's every movement. She leaned forward slightly, maintaining a stance that allowed her to attack at any moment. The group followed behind and stepped into the darkness filled with unknown dangers. Every step made the floorboards creak uneasily beneath their feet, as if they might collapse at any moment. The air was thick with a pungent stench, like rotting flesh mixed with chemical agents, making them want to vomit.

Before the words had even faded, the pipes above them suddenly let out a piercing scrape. The sound was as sharp as fingernails dragged across a blackboard, making their scalps tingle. Lee instinctively shouted, "Spread out!" A black blur shot from the pipe opening and lunged straight at Ashley. It was a mutated insect covered head to toe in carapace. Its huge mandibles gleamed coldly like two sharp sickles, while its six jointed legs skittered rapidly across the floor with teeth-grinding clicks, leaving trails of dark slime with every step.

Natasha reacted swiftly, firing both pistols at once. Sparks flew as the bullets struck the insect's shell, leaving only shallow dents. "Hit its abdomen!" Lee activated his Shock Gauntlet and sprang into the air. Wind howled around his fist as he slammed a punch into the insect's back. Cracks spread across its carapace, and green slime gushed out, releasing a suffocating stench. The insect recoiled in pain, then wheeled around and pounced at Lee, its massive mandibles narrowly missing his throat.

Wanda forced her weakened body to hold on, her trembling hands gathering magic. Her face was pale as paper, her lips bloodless, and beads of sweat as large as beans covered her forehead. The instant scarlet light flared, dozens more identical mutated insects burst from the pipes. "I can't hold them for long!" Wanda gritted her teeth as a magical barrier temporarily held back the swarm. But blood began to seep from her nose, dripping onto the floor and forming small, bizarre red flowers. She had clearly overdrawn her strength.

Ada Wong moved nimbly through the swarm. Her red qipao fluttered amid the battle as her dagger precisely pierced the insects' compound eyes and joints. Natasha fired while watching Ada Wong out of the corner of her eye. She could not shake the feeling that, though Ada Wong's attacks looked fierce, she was deliberately avoiding the insects' most lethal weak points. Alarm bells rang in Natasha's mind, deepening her suspicion of Ada Wong.

Amid the fierce battle, one insect took advantage of the chaos and lunged at Ashley. Ashley let out a terrified scream and fell to the floor, 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 and staggered to the ground, blood spilling from her mouth and staining the corner of her lips red. Lee was frantic with worry, but several insects had him pinned 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, and flames instantly engulfed a large section of the swarm. The insects' agonized shrieks rose and fell as they burned, while the air filled with the scorched smell of roasted flesh. "Move! There are too many of them!" she shouted, her voice hoarse with strain and panic. Taking the opportunity, everyone ran deeper into the passageway. Behind them, the insects' screeches and the crackling flames intertwined like a symphony of death.

After passing through a narrow passage, 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 gust washed over them. Beyond lay a long corridor, with lights on either side flickering bright and dim like the blinking eyes of demons. They illuminated dense warning signs across the walls: "BIOHAZARD," "NO ENTRY," "T-VIRUS LEAK ZONE." Every word seemed written in blood, brimming with warning.

"The files should be in Laboratory B-07." Ada Wong checked the sign on the wall. "But to get there from here, we'll have to pass through at least three high-risk experimental zones." Her tone was calm, as though she were facing an ordinary stroll rather than a lethal crisis, though a fleeting tension flashed through her eyes.

Natasha suddenly stepped in front of her, leveling her gun directly at Ada Wong's forehead. Her finger tightened around the trigger, ready to fire without hesitation at the slightest movement. "I'll ask one more time. What exactly is your purpose? Is this information evidence that you've been working with the Umbrella Corporation? Wanda is badly hurt now. If anything happens to her..." Her voice was low and dangerous, killing intent churning in her eyes. Wanda was her companion now, and she would never allow anyone to hurt her.

Ada Wong merely raised an eyebrow unhurriedly 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 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 Lee and Gwen, who were holding the unconscious Wanda, then over the trembling Ashley. There was a hint of threat in her voice.

Lee interrupted wearily, "Natasha, this isn't the time for infighting. Once we find the files, we'll settle things properly." His voice carried unmistakable exhaustion and anxiety. His brow was tightly furrowed, his eyes full of concern. Wanda's injuries had him frantic, but he understood that in a place crawling with danger, unity was their only hope of survival.

Natasha gritted her teeth and put away her gun, but she continued to keep Ada Wong within striking distance. Her body remained tense, ready for any sudden development. They had not gone far when a bone-chilling roar echoed from the end of the corridor. It sounded like grinding metal and the roar of some enormous beast, reverberating through the empty hall and sending chills through them. Lee's Protective Suit automatically issued a warning: "Unknown life-form detected. Threat level: SS."

"It's a New-Type Licker." Ada Wong's expression turned grave, and a flicker of fear passed through her eyes. "They're smarter than ordinary Lickers, and..." Her words were cut off by a burst of hurried footsteps. Several dark shapes moved swiftly through the darkness, their scarlet eyes glinting in the gloom like ghostly flames from Hell. These Lickers were more slender in build, with blood vessels clearly visible beneath their skin. Every finger had become a sharp claw, and they even moved in a near-human upright posture, eerie and terrifying.

Natasha raised her gun and fired, only to find that the Lickers were incredibly agile, making them difficult to hit. They ran across walls and ceilings as if on level ground, moving so fast they dazzled the eye. One Licker leaped high into the air, its claws striking straight for Lee's throat. Lee twisted aside, but his shoulder was still slashed open. Even the nanomaterials of his Protective Suit could not fully withstand the blow, and blood instantly stained his clothes red.

Wanda forced herself to stand, gathering Scarlet Magic once more, but its glow was as weak as a dying candle in the wind. Her body swayed precariously. Every thread of magic she gathered seemed to drain away her life. "I'll hold them back! You go first!" she shouted, turning her magic into chains that wrapped around a Licker. Yet the Licker hacked through the magical chains with its claws, then lashed out with a backhand strike that tore a wound across Wanda's abdomen deep enough to expose flesh. Wanda screamed as blood gushed out, dyeing her skirt red.

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