"Hmph...!"
After the catalyst and recovery agent were fully injected, Wesker let out a deeply satisfied grunt, like he'd hit a massive high. Clear, dark-green blood vessels began to stand out on his skin—a sign that the Progenitor Virus was accelerating its evolution.
Wesker's muscles suddenly swelled, tearing his tight police shirt. His skin glowed with a red-hot color, and heat emanated from his back. The light in his scarlet eyes became even more ferocious, his canines sharpened, and small patches of skin on his arms and neck began to ulcerate—the distinct side effect of the T-Virus. It was clear that Wesker hadn't found a way to suppress the T-Virus's flaws with the Progenitor Virus yet; he was beginning to slide toward the traits of a zombie.
However, the change wasn't all bad. The lower leg that Javier had shattered with the .50 caliber Magnum was now completely healed. The broken bone and flesh quickly reattached, and the wound scabbed over in less than a minute. The scab soon fell off, revealing a glaring scar, and his leg was fully restored. This recovery speed was a medical miracle, defying biological laws, and explaining the researchers' obsession with the virus.
"Ho-ho..."
As mentioned, while the T-Virus speeds up metabolism and strengthens recovery, it rapidly consumes energy, in line with the law of conservation of energy. Wesker couldn't help but let out a low, hissing sound, identical to that of a zombie. The muscle mass in his abdomen retracted significantly, as if he'd been starved for days, and his eyes began to look at Javier with open hostility, seemingly viewing him as food.
Wesker quickly adjusted, however, his eyes regaining a measure of rationality. To become the ultimate Progenitor host, he couldn't afford to be ruled by the T-Virus's ravenous side effect.
"Do I still have a chance to escape...?"
"And do you think I have one, or rather, do I need to run, recruit?" Wesker scoffed, his cold eyes fixed on Javier, his bestial fangs exposed as he lightly licked his lips. Fully recovered and having accelerated his viral evolution, Wesker's power had surged.
Wesker was convinced Javier was no longer a threat. He felt his vision had amplified to see every detail—dust, rust, even skin pores—like a magnifying glass. His hearing and smell were similarly enhanced. This was the confidence of a man who believed he had truly evolved.
The Duel of Super-Abilities
Facing the "second form" Wesker, Javier maintained his composure.
"Is that so? Well, have you ever been kicked at the speed of light...?" Javier challenged with an incredibly smug tone, hinting at his remaining ace.
Wesker narrowed his eyes, seemingly contemplating the literal meaning of the phrase. Javier didn't stall and explained directly:
"[Bullet Time]—they say it's a miraculous state only the truly gifted can enter. When your heart rate exceeds two hundred beats per minute, adrenaline spikes, and the brain runs on high load, you gain strength beyond human limits. That mode is called [Bullet Time]—a state you can only enter briefly."
Javier raised a finger, speaking earnestly. This wasn't a bluff; it was a genuine, self-taught advanced technique of Gun-Fu, originating from the Wanted universe, where it was the signature ability of top assassins. It was essentially a way to enter an accelerated time-perception state, akin to the "Fixed Time Control" sorcery used by Kiritsugu Emiya. It boosts physical abilities, skyrockets excitement, allows the user to track and shoot down bullets, and flawlessly execute Gun-Fu techniques.
But Wesker remained unimpressed. He'd dismissed Javier's nonsense once, and he wasn't going to believe it now. He saw it as nothing more than a contest between Biohazard [Progenitor Virus: Unevolved] and Assassin's Creed [Bullet Time], and he was confident his viral power would win.
"Bullet Time? It's time for you to die! Let me see what tricks you have left!"
With no hesitation, Wesker instantly moved. There was no breathing wind-up this time; pure muscle explosion launched him forward like a phantom, faster than any Hunter.
"Clang—!!!"
A terrifying gleam of silver flashed—Wesker's tactical knife. Since his pistol was gone, he opted for the swift lethality of the blade. The cold steel rushed toward Javier's face.
This made Javier instantly curse: "Goddammit, Wesker! Can't you wait for my skill's wind-up?! I had to let you take two vials; now you can't let grandpa take one?!"
Javier panicked. Bullet Time requires the heart rate to hit 200 bpm, a state he couldn't reach on his own without chemical assistance. He hadn't had time to take his drug yet!
"Bang! Bang! Bang—!!!"
Time was running out. Wesker was right on him. Javier frantically fired the last few rounds from his Desert Eagle.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh—!!!"
The bullets flew out in their bizarre arcs. But Wesker ignored the trajectory. He merely focused on dodging the point of impact, treating the bullets as meaningless obstacles as he charged toward Javier, knife first, intent on stabbing his head.
"..."
"The same move won't work on a Saint twice, huh?" Javier muttered, realizing his trick was obsolete.
The remaining Magnum rounds attempted their "turning shot" maneuver, curving back to hit Wesker from behind. But Wesker was too fast to fall for the same trick. He rapidly swung his tactical knife like an impenetrable wall. With several strong, rapid strikes, he shattered the incoming bullets, which scattered as sparks on the floor. The shots posed no lethal threat.
With the Desert Eagle now empty, Wesker gave Javier no chance to resist. He lunged again, reversing the knife grip for a heavy, vicious downward chop aimed at splitting Javier's skull.
"Whoosh... Splat...!!!"
The sound of the blade tearing the air signaled the imminent blow.
It was exactly at this moment that Javier quickly retreated, holstering the empty Desert Eagle. His left hand pulled a yellow syringe of Adrenaline from his back pouch, bit off the cap, and plunged the needle into his neck vein, letting out a satisfied gasp: "Sigh...*!"
His right hand, simultaneously, pulled the pin on a dark-green, long-tube grenade and hurled it directly at Wesker!
"This is my last ripple... JOJO!!! Cough, cough... No! This is my last Flashbang/Stun Grenade, Wesker!!!"