As Javier, Rebecca, and the Alpha Team entered the mansion, a familiar electronic female voice echoed in Javier's head. The mission briefing was as concise as ever.
[Main Quest: Clear Resident Evil 1 series, Reward 500 points]
[Side Quests: Find residual T-virus sample, Reward 100 points; Kill Wesker, Reward 500 points; Obtain G-virus original sample, Reward 300 points; Help Lisa find her mother's remains, Reward 100 points; Rescue Lisa, Reward 1000 points]
[Hunting Points Catalog: Common Zombie 1 point, Zombie Dog 3 points, Berserker Zombie 5 points, Mutant Spider: 3 points, Hunter 10 points, Tyrant 50 points...]
The quest was simple, centered on killing zombies to gain points and get stronger. It wasn't anything new, but Javier liked the straightforwardness. The side quests, however, got his mind racing. Wesker, the mastermind of the whole story, was only worth 500 points? Was that because the current Wesker wasn't yet that powerful? The quests to obtain the G-virus and rescue Lisa meant that Javier would inevitably have to deal with the most tragic woman in the Resident Evil series.
The mansion dungeon was truly disgusting, but the group had just entered the grand hall when they made a horrifying discovery. In a corner of the windowed corridor, broken glass was scattered on the floor, where a familiar S.T.A.R.S. team member lay.
Kenneth J. Sullivan—the Bravo Team's sole Black member, a man in his forties and a chemistry expert. He was known for his hobby of growing plants and wore a distinctive green vest. He was propped up against the wall, covered in various bite marks, especially on his chest and neck. Blood had pooled on the floor, and some of his intestines had been torn out, a truly gruesome sight. Sullivan's face was a mask of terror, his eyes wide, as if he had seen something horrifying in his final moments.
"Sullivan!"
"He's dead, damn it... The wounds are just like those of the serial murder victims. Are those monsters responsible?!"
Rebecca, a fellow member of Bravo Team, felt a pang of fury as she saw Sullivan's tragic state. She had hoped the Bravo Team would be safe, but they had barely entered the mansion and already found one of their own dead. This situation caught everyone off guard and made them realize that the mansion was incredibly dangerous. A well-trained S.T.A.R.S. member wouldn't die so easily. In reality, due to his age, Sullivan had exhausted much of his strength escaping the Doberman zombies in the Arklay Mountains. By the time he reached the mansion, he was severely fatigued and had used up most of his ammo. When he encountered the mansion's first zombie, he was too terrified and weak to land a killing blow. Most of his shots missed or hit non-vital areas, and with his ammunition depleted, he was tackled and devoured. He had died a truly pathetic, cannon fodder's death.
"Wait..."
"He has a recording device on his chest. We can see what killed him; we might find something useful," Javier said, his keen eye spotting the device on Sullivan's shoulder. It was a fist-sized camera with a black cable connected to a device on his waist. It likely held important information.
Javier reached out and removed the device from Sullivan's corpse, taking the attached pouch with it. He held it up for everyone to see.
"..."
"He was very well prepared to record useful evidence, but unfortunately... he recorded his own death." Javier shook his head regretfully, then quickly removed the tape and inserted it into the playback device. He pressed the play button.
"Click!"
The device whirred to life. Chris, Jill, and the others gathered around, wanting to see what had killed Sullivan.
"Hum..."
"Squelch... Zzz... Zzzzz..."
"Damn it! What kind of monster is this? How can it look so human? I'm warning you, don't come any closer, or I'll shoot! I'm not kidding, stop right now! Or I'll shoot!"
"Bang bang bang—!!!"
"Ah!!!"
Static filled the playback, followed by a blurry image. Sullivan was seen out of breath, having just escaped into the mansion. He hadn't rested for long when he came face to face with a zombie. With a bald head and a hideous face, it slowly shambled towards him. Sullivan didn't immediately shoot. Instead, he yelled at it to stop. Only when it got closer did he start firing, but his terror ruined his aim. Most of the shots missed, and the few that hit its body weren't enough to stop it. With his ammo gone and his strength depleted, Sullivan was tackled. The remaining audio was his horrifying screams as the zombie, with its foul breath, began to gnaw on him. The horrifying scene was too much for them. Javier turned off the playback.
"A humanoid monster..."
"No, it's a human, a monster created from a human infected by a virus. It seems you two were right, Javier and Rebecca. The Umbrella Corporation is in a frenzy of bioweapon research, and what's worse, they're using living humans for their experiments. That is unforgivable!"
Jill and the others covered their mouths, their faces full of shock. They now fully believed the secrets Javier and Rebecca had revealed earlier. The Umbrella Corporation was truly a hypocritical and evil organization.
Beside them, Wesker's sunglasses flashed. This was troublesome. The S.T.A.R.S. team had just acquired some very important evidence. He decided he would have to kill every single one of them once he had the combat data he needed.
"Alright," Javier said.
"Now that you all believe me, let's get moving. The mansion is certainly crawling with more bioweapons. We have to find the rest of the Bravo Team, gather crucial evidence, and eliminate these monsters. If they escape and start killing innocent people, we'll have a bigger problem on our hands."
"So, my suggestion is to split up. It's dangerous, but it's the most efficient way to search. To speed things up while maintaining safety, I propose we work in pairs. I'll partner with Rebecca, Jill with Barry, and Chris with Captain Wesker. What do you think, Captain Wesker?"
Javier took command without hesitation, usurping Wesker's authority. He did it to get under Wesker's skin and draw his attention. Wesker, hearing Javier's audacious assignment, showed a flash of cold displeasure. However, he couldn't object to the plan. It was logical, and he would have likely assigned them in a similar way, only replacing Chris with Javier. He despised this "rat" and would have loved to shoot him on the spot. But now, it didn't matter. He could kill anyone he wanted to, it would just take a little more time.
"You have very good leadership skills, private Javier!" Wesker said, his voice laced with venom. "Your plan is excellent. It seems you'll be able to take my place as the new S.T.A.R.S. team captain soon. I look forward to your efforts!"
Every word was a veiled threat. But Javier didn't care. Wesker's expression never changed; he could say whatever he wanted. The pairing also served Javier's own purposes. He could ensure Rebecca's safety, and he knew Barry, though manipulated by Wesker, wouldn't harm Jill. His conscience wouldn't allow him to hurt a woman. Jill was safe. As for Chris... he was a green rookie, but he had plot armor and a passive skill that was a liability to his teammates. Partnering him with Wesker would only cause trouble for Wesker, while Chris himself would be perfectly fine. It was the perfect way to annoy Wesker and keep an eye on him.
With the pairings settled and no one objecting, they quickly headed into the different parts of the mansion. Javier and Rebecca were already at home here, searching for clues without a hint of caution.
Meanwhile...
Shortly after splitting up, Jill and Barry entered a room. Barry looked at Jill's back, a conflicted expression on his face. Javier's pairing was ingenious. Barry was being blackmailed by Wesker to monitor and kill the S.T.A.R.S. members, but he couldn't bring himself to harm Jill. Looking at her, he was reminded of his own wife. He couldn't ruin the life of a young woman. Javier's choice had perfectly exploited his weakness. Of the whole S.T.A.R.S. team, he couldn't harm Rebecca or Jill because they were women. The only man he felt a similar bond with was Chris, whom he saw as a son.
"Shh... shh..."
"Hiss..."
Jill, unaware of Barry's internal struggle, was focused on a strange noise coming from the room. She thought something might be hiding inside.
"Barry, come take a look. There's a sound in this room. I'll open the door, and you get ready to shoot!"
Without hesitation, Jill turned to Barry. She held her small pistol tight and reached for the doorknob, ready for a zombie dog or something similar to rush out. Barry, after a moment of stunned silence, shook his head to clear his thoughts and took up a position to the left of the door, his Colt revolver ready.
"Click..."
"Clang—!"
The doorknob turned, and the wooden door slowly opened. Jill's flashlight beam cut through the darkness, revealing a tattered, bald man with his back to them. A putrid stench emanated from him. He was half-crouched, as if gnawing on something on the floor. A pool of crimson blood lay on the ground, and the smell was overwhelmingly foul.
"Who are you—?!" Jill shouted.
Her pistol was locked on the man's head, and a bad feeling surged through her.
"Gurgle... gurgle..." a low growl came from the man.
Her shout and the flashlight's beam caught the man's attention. He slowly turned his head, revealing the decaying skin on his bald skull. More horrifyingly, half of his face looked like it had been chewed off, with a single eyeball dangling from its socket, barely held by a thread of flesh. His mouth opened, releasing a powerful stench. His teeth were yellow and stained with blood, and a piece of meat or intestine was stuck in the gap. He was undoubtedly eating.
As he noticed Jill and Barry, the zombie's mouth slowly curled into a stiff, macabre smile, as if it had discovered a much more delicious meal. Was this its final glance and smile?