Ethan fired the last bullet in his magazine, blowing the head off the final zombie. He recalled how, back when he first got firearms, his shooting skills had been completely outclassed by Arthur's.
After so many years of diligent practice, combined with his improved physical fitness and powerful mental strength, it had become much easier for him to "lock onto" targets. Now, landing headshots with every shot was no longer difficult.
And then there were the people beside him. Leon, a rookie police officer who had received comprehensive training. Claire, a tough girl who had been specially trained by her formidable older brother. And Robert, a gun store owner who had been playing with guns for years.
As for Selene, there was no need to mention her. She didn't even need to act. There weren't enough zombies in this room for these few people to handle.
She was curious, though. Under normal circumstances, unless facing absolute danger, Ethan wouldn't be interested in dealing with such low-level enemies. Selene didn't know that when Ethan had killed Marvin just now, the Holy Light within him had undergone an unknown change, which was why he specifically used these zombies for an experiment.
"It seems Marvin's situation was special. Do I need to find those unlucky people infected with the T-virus who are already beyond saving?"
Ethan wasn't entirely sure, and he didn't have time to carefully study the Holy Light Cross right now, so he temporarily put the matter aside, waiting to see if another opportunity would arise later.
He ejected the empty magazine, but didn't discard it. In a real battle, no one would throw away a magazine. Bullets were easy to find, but compatible magazines were not. The correct practice was to store empty magazines and reload them during downtime.
After clearing out the zombies, the group didn't continue forward. Instead, they returned to the lobby and used the card Marvin had given Leon to unlock the two locked doors.
"What should we do next?"
The door locks were undone, but no one moved forward. They didn't know what their next step should be. Previously, they had believed the police station would be the safest place in the city, but now it was clear that the station had completely fallen. Staying here was definitely not an option.
"First, let's look around for survivors."
As a police officer, Leon made his decision. He would continue to fulfill his duty and determine whether there were any survivors left in the police station.
"After that, we'll leave this town together."
Raccoon City was just a small town, not a major city. Under normal circumstances, they could have driven out of the city quickly.
But the chaos outside and the blocked roads meant they couldn't rely on vehicles.
At the same time, the densely packed zombies on the main roads made them too dangerous to use. They could only travel through small paths, which would take more time.
"We need to gather all usable supplies, including weapons, ammunition, food, and clean water." Ethan glanced around. There was some clean water scattered nearby, but no one had moved to collect it. "For the latter two, try to choose sealed ones."
No one objected. In fact, after learning that the outbreak originated from a type of bio-virus, everyone preferred not to touch any food or water if possible. However, since they didn't know how long it would take to escape the city, and strenuous activity required constant hydration, they had no choice.
"Then let's search the police station interior first."
Leon looked up. From where they stood, it was clear the police station had three floors, and there should also be underground facilities.
"Which side should we start searching from?"
No one suggested splitting up. In this environment, sticking together was the only way to ensure safety. Looking out for one another was safer. Splitting up was something only horror movie protagonists, whose intelligence was being manipulated by some mysterious force, would do.
"Any side is fine. Honestly, I don't have high hopes of finding any survivors here."
The police station was too quiet. Robert felt that even if there were survivors, they were likely immobile like Marvin. Anyone still able to move would have already found a way to escape.
"I want to find the STARS office first, to see if there are any clues."
Claire still cared most about her brother. She had learned from Marvin that Chris hadn't been at the station recently and might not even be in Raccoon City, but that was just speculation. She wanted to see if there was any message left at Chris's desk in the STARS office.
"In that case, we need to go this way, then follow the corridor all the way to the end, and take the stairs at the corner up to the second floor." Robert was very familiar with Barry from STARS and knew where their office was.
With Robert's guidance, the group chose a direction and proceeded toward the larger door.
Ethan knew a Licker was waiting for them next. Originally, he hadn't planned to warn the others, but because the group was larger this time, as the Licker climbed past the window, Robert, who was at the back, saw a fleeting red figure.
"Shit, what the hell was that!"
Startled, Robert nearly raised the shotgun in his hands and fired at the window. Fortunately, his finger wasn't on the trigger, or the startled shot would have gone off.
"What did you see?"
Leon was walking in front. He had just slightly relaxed when the area ahead appeared clear, but Robert's sudden shout put him back on alert.
"I don't know. That thing just flashed by. I feel like we're in for trouble."
Unable to get any clear description, Leon pulled the shotgun slung over his back, gripped it tightly, finger resting on the side of the trigger, and cautiously advanced.
In the original plot, they would have continued down the corridor and only encountered the Licker after turning the corner.
But perhaps Robert's shout had attracted the Licker's attention. The Licker, which relied entirely on hearing to locate prey, launched an active attack. Its extraordinarily long tongue, capable of piercing bulletproof vests, shot toward Leon at extreme speed. If nothing changed, the rookie police officer would at least end up with a hole in his body.
But with Ethan here, how could he give the Licker such a chance? He had already heard the Licker's rapid movements. So, before it could launch its sneak attack, he pushed Leon aside and reached out to grab the Licker's tongue.
At that moment, everyone clearly saw what kind of monster had attacked.
It resembled a skinned human but crouched on the ground like a beast. Its arms ended in huge claws, and just by looking, one could tell how terrifying their destructive power was.
This red monster had no eyes. Its exposed brain took up nearly half its head, and the other end of its several-meter-long tongue was firmly held in Ethan's hand.
"What kind of monster is this!"
Robert raised his weapon, and Leon, who had been shoved aside, also came to his senses, raising his gun and preparing to unload his bullets.
But before they could fire, the red monster pounced toward Ethan at incredible speed.
"Watch out!"
Leon even lunged forward, trying to knock Ethan away from the monster's path.
But the monster was too fast. Leon had just moved when the Licker had already leapt at Ethan, its massive claws raised...
Only to be instantly stabbed through the chest by the iron rod in Ethan's hand.
Uh...
Leon and Robert didn't know what kind of monster it was or what its weaknesses were, but that wasn't a problem for Ethan.
Licker. This name had been given by officers in the Raccoon City Police Department. Unlike the bioweapons specifically bred in the movies, in the game's storyline, this monster had evolved spontaneously from the T-virus.
After being infected with the T-virus, if the host's metabolism accelerated and they experienced extreme hunger but managed to consume enough "energy" in time, zombies infected by the T-virus had a certain probability of evolving.
In the early stages of this evolution, they would move more quickly and have sharper senses than ordinary zombies. As the evolution progressed, their decaying muscle tissue would regenerate and grow stronger, and their hands would gradually transform into enormous claws. Eventually, they would evolve fully into the form of a Licker.
Lickers had no vision. Due to degeneration, they completely lost their eyes and relied entirely on their enhanced hearing to locate prey.
At the same time, Lickers had few weaknesses. Ordinary weapons couldn't cause fatal damage, even if they hit. Their only two vital points were the head—no matter how resilient the creature, blowing off its head meant death—and the heart, which protruded slightly from its chest and had no protection. To shield this vulnerability, Lickers usually crouched, exposing their heart only when leaping into the air.
Ethan had been waiting for this moment. Although the Licker was fast, it wasn't so fast that he couldn't react. With his current reaction speed and strength surpassing human limits, he easily targeted its weak point.
After piercing the Licker's heart with the iron rod, Ethan used the cover of the monster's corpse to quickly extract an item from his space ring with his left hand. He drew a sample of blood from the heart area and immediately stored it away again.
He had successfully acquired the T-virus—an evolved version, no less, extracted from the Licker. Even if he couldn't obtain the original T-virus strain later, this was at least a solid starting point.
His movements had been swift and well-concealed. Aside from Selene, who noticed something, the others hadn't picked up on it at all.
They were still stunned by the sight of Ethan killing the monster with nothing more than an iron pipe.
(To be continued.)
***
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