(Is this the true technique? A marvelous concept. Although it gains power by wounding the enemy—a double-edged sword in a sense—it is perhaps slightly inferior to my Black Flame. However, its instantaneous destructive power is somewhat greater... Come, I have always been waiting for you here...) Zheng Zha looked up at the sky. Lightning flashed across the heavens, suggesting rain was imminent... A downpour was coming.

The North Sea Team, the first to enter Raccoon City, was not making smooth progress. The entire periphery of the city was unnervingly quiet; not a single zombie or decaying corpse could be found. Yet, ruins from explosions littered the landscape, and the roads were largely blocked by abandoned vehicles. Although the North Sea Team did find vehicles, driving them into the city center presented a significant challenge. Thus, they reluctantly abandoned all thought of using transportation, entering Raccoon City on foot.

"Damn it, this city is too big. The mental scan shows nothing but identical buildings. Where is the Umbrella Corporation headquarters?" a large white man grumbled discontentedly. The alluring girl leading the formation suddenly turned, offering a slight smile that terrified the large man. He immediately clamped his mouth shut, bowed his head completely, and dared not utter another word.

The girl smiled coquettishly again before saying, "The 'Main God' has clearly expanded the city. Just how many times larger, I can't confirm yet. There's only one thing certain... the map we hold is basically useless." She waved the piece of paper in her hand, then tore it into confetti without hesitation.

The eight members behind her hesitated. After a long pause, a young man cautiously asked, "Captain, what should we do now?" "What to do? Keep advancing, naturally... What other choice do we have but to move forward? You lowly men. Advance, for your Empress..." The girl covered her mouth, laughed a few times, then cracked her whip with a sharp crack before walking forward again.

By this time, a light rain had begun to fall from the sky... "Raining? It can rain even in such a dry place?" Zheng Zha looked foolishly at the sky, from which tiny, faint raindrops were drifting down. As his words faded, the drops grew steadily larger. In less than forty seconds, the sky poured down water as if a massive bucket had been overturned. The light rain had finally become a torrential downpour.

"...Is this luck?" Chu Xuan also looked up at the sky. Under this immense curtain of water, the entire world appeared blurred. This small detachment of the Central Continent Team, consisting of six members—Zheng Zha, Chu Xuan, Zhang Heng, Zhao Yingkong, Cheng Xiao, and Imhotep—kept advancing in this hazy environment. The edge buildings of Raccoon City were just faintly visible.

This six-person squad was composed entirely of members with formidable individual strength. Even when compared to the Demon Team or the Celestial Team, this squad's average caliber was certainly not low. However, it was peculiar that they had not brought Zhan Lan, the mental controller. In other words, compared to other Reincarnation Squads, this small team had a significant defect: the absence of a mental controller. Yet, this was a deliberate result requested by Chu Xuan. Beyond the necessity of protecting members of another team, the more crucial reason was precisely that Zhan Lan could not be brought along...

"...Since orderly confrontation has reached an absolute disadvantage, we need 'chaos'... whether it's chaos on the battlefield or chaotic fighting, victory through disorder is our only hope..." These were Chu Xuan's exact words, but Zheng Zha was entirely certain the man was not telling the whole truth, perhaps even lying outright. In any case, Chu Xuan was surely laying intricate plans and schemes behind the scenes, as he always had, until the entire battle situation was completely under his control. By then, he wouldn't need to tell you what to do; you would discover the truth through the clues yourself.

(But this guy is always by my side. When and where did he possibly do anything? The only possibility must be... the other detachment? Did he leave arrangements in the other detachment?) Zheng Zha muttered inwardly. At this moment, he also knew that the Demon Team possessed some form of omniscience. For instance, if he were to voice his question now, the Demon Team might learn of Chu Xuan's plot. Of course, based on Chu Xuan's past performance, even if they knew what he was planning, they often couldn't stop him. But thinking deeper, the strategist of the Demon Team was also Chu Xuan. Assuming their intelligence levels were equal, if the duplicate Chu Xuan learned that the other detachment had a plan, there was no guarantee he wouldn't interfere... (This situation is truly complex; my head is starting to ache from thinking.)

Zheng Zha had unlocked the third stage of the Genetic Lock, but no matter how hard he tried to think, he couldn't grasp the current situation. It was shrouded in a dense fog, and many matters seemed hidden deep beneath the mist. What exactly were these strategists up to...? Using people as chess pieces, the battlefield as the board, and victory in the final battle as the reward? It truly was brutal... Indeed, it was mercilessly cruel. Perhaps Zheng Zha didn't grasp the sheer power of that mutated virus, but Cheng Xiao was frighteningly aware of it—especially what the normal blocks of flesh injected with the virus had mutated into in such a short time... That monstrous visage was far more terrifying than zombies or Lickers. Compared to the transformed flesh blocks, zombies and Lickers looked hardly better than dolls.

"...Remember this: the vaccine only lasts for several hours. This duration is judged based on one's own strength and the extent to which the Genetic Lock has been unlocked. Naturally, it is ineffective for those at the fourth stage, but it will be highly effective for everyone below the fourth stage. Of course, this virus also has an incubation period. If infected, one can usually hold out for about half an hour to an hour before the symptoms flare up. During this time, it relies entirely on one's own immunity and physical constitution to resist. Since the vaccine's effectiveness window is limited, inject it as late as possible—only when you are about to be completely eroded by the virus—to buy as much time as you can..." Cheng Xiao recited Chu Xuan's words in his mind.

Hearing this made the hair stand up on his neck. Recalling the sight of the flesh blocks, an ominous feeling immediately struck him. As expected... he had indeed been selected for this squad. This meant they would spend about ten hours in a city where the mutated virus was about to spread... During this period, they would be surrounded by this mutated virus...

"Let's go. We'll head to the Umbrella Corporation building in Raccoon City first. We should find the entrance to the Hive there." Zheng Zha looked toward the ruins at the edge of Raccoon City, let out a breath, then stepped onto his Green Goblin Skateboard and flew toward the city. The downpour grew increasingly violent...

CRACK!

Thunder roared from the sky. Bolts of purple lightning continually streaked across the horizon like dragons and snakes. Suddenly, with a deafening crash, a bolt of lightning struck the metal window of a high-rise building. With a massive explosion, that section of the structure blew apart. It was as if a high-explosive shell had detonated there; the power of the lightning was immense, and this was just a single strike. Looking at the scene of lightning tearing across the sky, it truly resembled a terrifying monster.

"...We'll rest here for tonight. It seems the 'Main God' has placed significant restrictions on this horror movie world. Even weather like this has appeared..." Inside a basement on the outskirts of Raccoon City, the South Yan Continent Team was resting. They had also entered Raccoon City today. Possessing personal aircraft, they naturally hadn't walked to the city center. They were planning to fly inward when the torrential storm hit. Those violent lightning strikes had undeniably cut off the path for aerial travel. If they weren't afraid of death, they could try flying, but lightning is extremely drawn to metal; ascending to the sky now would be inviting death.

Neos stood at the entrance of the basement with a complex expression, watching the rain pour down and the incessant purple lightning flashing overhead. He felt both relief and helplessness. On one hand, the downpour would certainly slow the advance of all Reincarnation Squads. But it also slowed their own progress, rendering their personal aircraft largely useless. This prevented them from contacting the Central Continent Team quickly, a situation that was a double-edged sword—harming both friend and foe... At the very least, it meant his original plan could not proceed.

"This is troublesome. While this heavy rain will delay the gathering of the Angel Alliance, it simultaneously delays the time it takes for us to find the Central Continent Team. Really, is heaven favoring us, or has fate played another trick on us?" Neos murmured. Beside him stood a man and a woman, both veterans of the South Yan Continent Team—veterans who had fought alongside Neos for a long time, and who had even clashed with the Central Continent Team before. These included the large man possessing a self-created Berserker skill and the mixed-race black girl with a Witchcraft skill.

The girl hesitated, then said, "Neos, perhaps we should go into the basement. It's too dangerous out here. That mutated Licker from before was terrifying enough; who knows if there are other such creatures around. Let's go into the basement first."

Neos didn't reply. He took out a chocolate bar from his pocket and bit down hard. The crisp snap was barely audible over the sound of the downpour. Eating the chocolate, he said, "If we cannot deliver the information to the Central Continent Team, or if we cannot stop Adam's madness, then what do those infected monsters even matter? We will face things far more terrifying and dreadful... or perhaps we ourselves will become those things—without thought, without awareness, unable even to wish for death..."

Although he spoke of doom, Neos entered the basement after a moment of thought, following the other two. It was a security room for an underground warehouse. Though abandoned, it didn't look too bad; at least it wasn't severely damaged, just covered in a lot of dust. After carefully closing the basement door, the members of the South Yan Continent Team took out food and began to eat and rest leisurely, leaving Neos sitting on a chair, continuously crunching chocolates.

...Clearly, Adam's plan is already underway. I even suspect he has implemented this plan in the real world. If that's the case, once he wins this final battle, he can immediately become invincible upon returning to reality, perhaps even transcending invincibility to achieve eternity... Therefore, this final battle is critically important to him. He absolutely cannot allow those teams in the Angel Alliance to be destroyed. And our team lacks the strength to disrupt his plan. I must admit, his intelligence surpasses mine. Trying to counter him with schemes and plots is futile. Given this, the Central Continent Team, with whom we have a connection, becomes essential. They can stop Adam. They can defeat him. And with the Central Continent Team's help, we can survive this final battle. As for what the future holds, that is a matter for the future..." Neos sighed as he thought this. He took another fierce bite of chocolate, as if the candy were Adam himself. Only after swallowing it did he speak to a small girl in the team, "Ling'er, you'll likely have to work hard now. You must keep your mental scan active at all times. Inform me immediately of any situation. If you scan the Central Continent Team, contact them with your mental power right away and tell them our location, do you understand, girl?"

The well-behaved girl named Ling'er nodded silently. But just because she didn't speak didn't mean the others were silent. A young black man nearby suddenly spoke up, "Neos, isn't what you're doing too dangerous? Telling the Central Continent Team our position directly... such a powerful team is not something we can contend with. You only said to contact them earlier, but there was no need to go this far, right? If they harbor ill intentions toward us, we won't even have the strength to resist... I think you are being too reckless."

"...That's right. Under normal circumstances, you are correct. Even with a team we have a history with, we cannot afford to be so careless, especially in this final battle. But we have a compelling reason to do this... Time is running short. If Adam manages to rendezvous with his Angel Alliance—I don't know what level he has reached—but if he has reached the final stage and linked up with those squads, then we are finished. While the other teams will essentially be dead too, we certainly don't need to be buried with them. Since there is a glimmer of hope for a solution, we must seize this last chance. This is my order; you only need to execute it. Even if there is danger... this level of danger is far less than the danger after Adam succeeds. Understand?" Neos said with a cold smile, ignoring the black youth's reaction. He picked up another piece of chocolate and began eating it to himself.

The black youth's face was filled with anger. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly asked, "Neos, you keep mentioning danger, danger. What exactly is this danger? What did you see in that ruin? That time wasn't a team battle; how could you be so certain the Celestial Team had entered that ruin? And why did you forbid us from entering? Did you find some treasure in there?"

"...It’s not that I don't want to tell you, but that I cannot..." Neos suddenly gestured toward his heart with a bitter smile. Then he continued, "It is indeed a treasure, a wildly insane treasure. If I had obtained that core, perhaps I would do the same thing as Adam, because that temptation is utterly irresistible. A mad treasure. Or perhaps it was the mad saints and mad mages, the alchemists—they were all utterly insane..."

"...If we fail to find the Central Continent Team before Adam succeeds, or if even the Central Continent Team cannot stop him, then I will bring about my own end. This is my final piece of advice to everyone: death... might be a better release."

"Death is the best release... Do you mean the Celestial Team is seeking release? Are they seeking death?"

In Raccoon City as well, but in a building situated extremely far from the South Yan Continent Team, this structure appeared to have once been a hotel. Most of the rooms inside remained intact. The Central Continent Team, confident in their skill, had directly moved in. Even without a mental controller, given the individual quality of these six members, even monsters like mutated Lickers or even Stalkers couldn't cause them significant harm, as long as they were cautious. Outside, the rain poured down relentlessly, making the use of personal aircraft impossible. As it was already evening, Zheng Zha decided they could only stop here for the night.

While Zheng Zha was discussing their next move with the others, he curiously asked Chu Xuan about the Celestial Team's movements. After all, the Demon Team's Chu Xuan had made his move, and their own actions were largely geared toward countering the Demon Team. In contrast, the Celestial Team seemed inert, as if Adam were a fool making no reaction while the other two teams plotted.

"Three possibilities. One, Adam is dead. Two, Adam has already begun plotting in secret, perhaps even engaging the Demon Team. Three, if neither of the above guesses is accurate, then the Celestial Team must possess some inherent advantage—a confidence that allows them to disregard us and the Demon Team, perhaps even certain they can suppress the strength of you and your duplicate. Ah... one more possibility: 'Death is the best release,' meaning Adam is seeking death."

Chu Xuan's answer made everyone frown deeply. Logically, the last possibility was dismissed immediately. If Adam sought death, he wouldn't have pulled off that mutually destructive maneuver in The Lord of the Rings—which, despite appearing suicidal, was actually an attempt to survive. The first three guesses... other than the absurd possibility of Adam being dead, the second possibility was highly likely.

Zheng Zha repeated Chu Xuan's question. After thinking for a long time, he couldn't make sense of it, so he decided to set aside the topic of the Celestial Team for the moment. He asked Chu Xuan, "Alright, let's drop the Celestial Team for now. How do you think the six of us should handle the Demon Team? They are coming in full force. If your lure tactic is successful, we will face a fierce attack from the Demon Team, possibly with the Celestial Team joining in. Do you think the six of us can manage? Or can we keep running and enduring until the virus is released?"

"No," Chu Xuan replied directly. "We also cannot rely solely on the virus to achieve victory. I said long ago that the outcome of this final battle must still be decided by King vs. King, soldier vs. soldier. And it won't be the six of us, but the five of us plus you... You cannot participate in any fight except the one against your duplicate. And that is precisely what the duplicate needs to do. He only needs to consume your strength with a few people beforehand, and the result of the battle could be rewritten. You must trust them. Even without you... they can perform well. And you are not the only one with a destined adversary, are you?"

Zheng Zha looked around as he heard this, noticing Zhang Heng's earnest expression... and Zhao Yingkong's faint smile. They were completely different from the cold-faced or smiling-eyed coldness of the positive and negative personalities... They, or rather, the members of the Central Continent Team, were not weak at all. On the contrary, the Central Continent Team was quite strong...

"Moreover, fate has begun to gradually abandon the Demon Team. The outcome of this battle is uncertain; we are not entirely without 'momentum'..." As Chu Xuan said this, he looked out the window where the rain was pouring down heavily. "The mutated virus is different from ordinary viruses. Its adaptability is extremely strong, and it can erode living organisms through physical contact... In this heavy rain, if the virus spreads to the sky or the entire city, its destructive power will be several times greater than in a dry environment, spreading throughout the city in less time than originally anticipated. Furthermore, personal aircraft cannot be used in such rainy weather. In other words, the Demon Team, which possesses mental controllers, and us, who lack them, now have equal movement speeds. This minimizes the utility of the mental controllers... This is fortunate for us, and unfortunate for the Demon Team."

They were truly out of luck; perhaps this streak of misfortune was destined to continue... Chu Xuan took a bite out of an apple, then continued, "There is one small advantage we hold over the Demon Squad... He and I are the same person, but we also possess another intellect.

If Xiao Honglü still possesses the wisdom he has previously displayed... then this battle is not entirely without a shred of 'momentum' for us..." "Hive, let's give the Demon Squad a surprise there." Jump to