Chapter 108: Meeting Again

The cable car doors slowly closed behind Leon, the light clatter of metal echoing across the empty platform.

Ada leaned against the cold wall of the carriage. The wound on her left leg was still throbbing, and every movement brought a tearing sensation of pain.

She watched Leon's retreating back as he disappeared into the carriage, her fingers unconsciously touching the lips he had just kissed. A flicker of complex emotion, which even she hadn't noticed, flashed in her eyes.

"Don't die, rookie," she whispered softly, raising her hand to press down on the blood-soaked bandage.

Leon gripped the identification wristband Ada had given him and walked quickly through the pure white corridors of the NEST.

The wristband felt slightly warm against his wrist, still retaining Ada's body heat. The gunshot wound on his shoulder was still aching, but he couldn't worry about that now. Ada had bet her life on trusting him; he could not let her down.

He entered the security room next to the reception desk, which was in a state of total disarray. Leon scanned the room warily. Scattered on the desk were several Shotgun shells and half a box of unopened 12-gauge buckshot. Next to them lay a yellowed paper map pinned down, marked in red pen with "Research Laboratory North Area."

Leon quickly stuffed the ammunition into his tactical vest, picked up the map, folded it, and tucked it into his pocket. The map clearly marked the layout of each area; the central elevator platform was like a giant cross, connecting the north, south, east, and west research zones.

Leaving the security room, he followed the map's directions toward the west corridor. The smell of disinfectant in the air grew faint, replaced by a heavy stench of blood and decay.

Turning a corner, he found the Staff Cafeteria ahead. The glass doors had been smashed to pieces, and the low growls of zombies drifted from within.

Leon gripped his Shotgun, pressed his side against the wall, and slowly peeked inside. At least seven or eight zombies were wandering the cafeteria, wearing white researcher uniforms and roaming aimlessly among the dining tables. Overturned trays and rotting food were scattered on the floor, where a few rats were gnawing on a mangled corpse.

There was no room to bypass them. Leon took a deep breath, kicked open the remains of the glass door, and the Shotgun spat out lethal tongues of fire.

The first two zombies were blown back instantly, their heads exploding into a mist of blood. Hearing the noise, the remaining zombies turned their heads and lunged toward him with stiff limbs.

Leon took a step back, sidestepped a zombie's bite, and slammed the butt of his gun hard into its temple. The zombie collapsed, and he immediately followed up with a finishing shot.

The roar of the Shotgun echoed in the enclosed cafeteria as shell casings clattered onto the floor. His marksmanship was precise, each shot hitting the head, and he soon cleared the zombies from the hall.

Catching his breath, Leon walked around the cafeteria to ensure no enemies were left. In the far corner of the cafeteria stood a metal ladder leading to a second-floor vent. He climbed the ladder, pushed open the heavy iron grate, and crawled into the narrow ventilation duct.

The duct was pitch black, and he had to rely on the faint light of his flashlight to move forward. Dust and spiderwebs brushed against his face as Leon lowered his body and crawled carefully through the pipe. About ten minutes later, he found the exit to the breakroom, kicked open the grate, and jumped down.

The breakroom was empty. Leon didn't linger; following the map, he headed south through a long corridor and reached the central elevator platform.

The elevator control panel in the center of the platform flashed with a red light. A USS operative's corpse lay on the ground. Leon knelt down and found a still-functioning recorder on the corpse's combat suit.

He pressed the play button. After a crackle of static, a male voice came through:

"Unit 1 calling Ghost. The target is heading to the West Area, definitely to retrieve the G-Virus and the antiviral agent..."

"This is Ghost. Understood. Rendezvous at W-3..."

"Copy that... This is Unit 1, I've reached the destination..."

"Understood. Waiting for target to appear..."

The recording cut off abruptly, leaving only piercing screams and the roars of a monster.

"P-4 Level Testing Laboratory, West Area." Leon turned off the recorder and gripped his Shotgun. Just then, an ear-splitting roar erupted from the west side of the platform, followed by intense gunfire and a woman's shouting.

Leon's expression shifted, and he immediately sprinted toward the source of the noise.

On the West Area transfer platform, Claire was locked in an unprecedented struggle.

G3 William's massive frame filled nearly half the platform. Every swing of its four giant claws carved deep gouges into the metal floor.

Its speed was far greater than G2's, and its strength was even more terrifying. Claire could only rely on her agile movement to keep dodging, having no chance to counterattack.

Only one round remained in her Acid Launcher, and her revolver was nearly out of bullets.

Claire panted heavily, her back against an alloy wall, watching the approaching G3 William as her palms broke into a cold sweat.

An acid round had just hit its left shoulder, but it only corroded a layer of skin, serving only to completely enrage the monster.

"Roar—!"

G3 William let out a furious roar and lunged forward, its giant claw whistling through the air as it swung down toward Claire's head.

Claire rolled across the floor, narrowly avoiding the lethal strike. The claw smashed into the ground, sending sparks flying and leaving a massive crater in the hard metal floor.

Claire took the opportunity to stand up, raising her gun to aim at its mutated eyeball and pulling the trigger. The bullet hit its mark precisely. G3 William let out a shrill scream, its massive body staggering. But just a second later, it straightened up again, its crimson eyes locked onto Claire, filled with murderous madness.

In this critical moment, a familiar voice came from the corridor entrance:

"Claire! Look out!"

Claire whipped her head around and saw Leon charging toward her with his Shotgun raised. A look of surprise and joy instantly appeared on her face: "Leon!"

"Get behind me!" Leon shouted, rushing in front of Claire and firing his Shotgun repeatedly at G3 William's head. The massive impact forced G3 William back step by step. It roared in anger, swinging its giant claws as it lunged at Leon.

Leon was prepared; he sidestepped the attack and simultaneously tossed a grenade at its feet. With a loud "Boom," the grenade exploded at G3 William's abdomen, splashing dark green bodily fluids everywhere.

"Its weakness is the eyes!" Claire shouted from the side, using her revolver to suppress G3 William's movements.

Leon nodded, using the supply crates on the platform as cover to maneuver around G3 William. G3 William's giant claws kept smashing into the crates with deafening crashes, the sheet metal tearing easily and twisting into various shapes.

Leon caught an opening, peeked out from behind a crate, and precisely hit G3 William's other intact eye with the Shotgun. The monster let out a soul-wrenching scream, its two giant claws flailing wildly in the air, causing the entire platform to vibrate.

"Now!" Claire shouted, firing her last acid round into its eye.

The highly corrosive acid instantly soaked into G3 William's internal organs. It let out a desperate wail as its massive body began to twitch violently.

The giant claws slumped powerlessly, and the body completely lost all signs of life.

As the smoke cleared, the platform was a mess. Both Leon and Claire were panting heavily, covered in sweat and blood.

"How did you end up here?" Claire asked, wiping the dust from her face.

"I came with an FBI agent. She's injured, and I'm here to help her get a G-Virus sample," Leon explained briefly, then looked at the corpse on the ground. "What the hell is this thing?"

Claire looked at the monster with a complex gaze. "He was an researcher for the Umbrella Corporation. To protect his research, he injected himself with the G-Virus and became this." She paused and added, "His daughter, Sherry Birkin, is still waiting for me in the Observation Room. I have to go back immediately."

"I need to get the G-Virus sample," Leon said. "Once I have it, I'll go back for Ada, and then we'll all evacuate together."

"Alright," Claire nodded. "Be careful."

"You too."

After a brief farewell, the two ran in different directions. Claire hurried down the corridor toward the Observation Room, her heart full of worry for Sherry. She didn't know if Annette had made it in time or how Sherry was doing.

The door to the Observation Room opened automatically, and Claire's heart finally settled.

Sherry was lying quietly on the hospital bed. Her face was still somewhat pale, but her breathing had stabilized significantly. Annette was slumped by the bedside, seemingly asleep; her white lab coat was stained with blood, and her wound was still slowly seeping.

Hearing the door open, Sherry immediately opened her eyes. Seeing Claire, a bright smile appeared on her face: "Hey, I knew you could do it!"

Claire walked quickly to the bedside and gently stroked her head. "How are you feeling? Do you feel unwell anywhere?"

"I'm okay, just a little tired." Sherry shook her head, then looked at Annette and whispered, "My mom needs help. She seems to be in a lot of pain."

Claire gently tapped Annette's shoulder. "Dr. Annette, wake up."

Annette startled awake. Her first reaction was to grab Sherry's hand, asking anxiously, "Sherry! Baby, are you okay?"

"Mom, I'm fine, but you're not doing well," Sherry said worriedly, looking at her mother's pale face.

Annette tried to stand up, but because her injuries were too severe, her body went weak and she nearly fell. Claire quickly supported her. "You're hurt, don't move around."

Annette took a breath and signaled for Claire to look at the vital monitor nearby. "Look, thank God."

Claire followed her gaze. All the data on the monitor had returned to normal. "So Sherry is okay?" she asked with delight.

"She'll be weak for a while but... yes, there's no G-Virus in her body anymore." A long-absent smile appeared on Annette's face, her eyes full of relief.

"Did you hear that!" Claire happily stroked Sherry's head.

Just then, Annette suddenly began to cough violently, spitting out a large amount of fresh blood that stained the white sheets red. Her body went limp, and she fell into Claire's arms.

"Mom!" Sherry cried out in fear, grabbing Annette's hand. "Please, Claire, save my mom..."

"She was attacked by that monster..." Claire gently patted Sherry's back to comfort her, then looked at Annette. "Hang in there, we're taking you out of here right now."

"Don't worry about me... baby." Annette smiled weakly, reaching out to wipe the tears from Sherry's face. "I'm sorry... Sherry, I owe you so much. I wasn't a good mother; I spent too much time in the lab and ignored you. Now, the most important thing is your safety. You must live on."

She turned to Claire, her eyes full of pleading. "Take my daughter... to a safe place, please."

"Taking care of Sherry is your responsibility." Claire hooked her arm under Annette's and slowly helped her up. "If we go, we go together. I'm not leaving anyone behind."

At that moment, the NEST's broadcast system suddenly activated, a cold electronic voice echoing throughout the facility:

"Attention! The system has detected unauthorized removal of a Level 4 virus sample. Level 1 lockdown procedures are initiating. Upon completion of lockdown, self-destruct mode will be implemented. Repeat, self-destruct mode will be implemented. All personnel evacuate immediately!"

Claire's expression changed as she looked at Annette. "What does that mean?"

"It means a self-destruction setting..." Annette panted, speaking with difficulty. "The Umbrella Corporation set a self-destruct sequence to prevent the G-Virus from leaving the NEST. Someone must have taken the G-Virus..."

Meanwhile, inside the P-4 Level Testing Laboratory.

Leon stood before the open cryogenic storage unit, looking at the G-Virus sample tube in his hand. The pale purple liquid sloshed gently inside the vial, emitting an eerie glow. He raised an eyebrow and remarked, "That was easy enough. Alright, back to find Ada."

He carefully placed the sample tube into the inner pocket of his tactical vest and turned to leave. Just then, the same broadcast echoed through the lab.

Leon's face darkened instantly. He now had to rush back to the cable car station to meet Ada and evacuate this hellhole before it exploded.

He didn't hesitate any longer, sprinting out of the lab and toward the central elevator platform.

And in the Clone Observation Room on the fourth basement level of the East Area.

Chloe had just finished injecting the t-epsilon inhibitor, and her body was recovering rapidly. Angela stood beside her, tilting her head as she watched, her blue eyes full of curiosity.

The broadcast suddenly sounded. Angela looked up in confusion. "Self-destruct mode? What's that?"

Chloe's gaze sharpened, and she immediately grabbed Angela's hand. "It means this place is about to blow up. We have to go, now."

She pulled Angela along as they sprinted out of the Observation Room toward the elevator, her silver-white hair flying behind her and a look of determination flashing in her eyes.