After locking onto the target direction, Nemesis strode into the gymnasium.
The zombies along the way did not know to avoid it and were simply flung several meters away by Nemesis, discarded on the spot like rag dolls.
...
Compared to Jill Valentine and the others, Leon and Chris's search operation was much smoother. The zombies on the road were wiped out by them, rooms filled with zombies were cleared, and they also closed the doors leading from the viewing stand into the gymnasium.
Some survivors were comforted by them and continued to hide in the rooms, waiting for the officers to return and move together.
But Leon could barely hold back any longer.
"So, what the hell are these monsters?"
On the road, seeing the exposed remains on the ground, Leon couldn't help but clench his fists.
Judging from the fragments of clothing nearby, it was an underage girl. Now, only bones stained with flesh remained, and a group of zombies surrounded her, feeding frantically.
Perhaps a few hours ago, she was just accompanying her parents to watch a sports event she wasn't interested in, lost sight of them in the chaos, hid in the back of the gymnasium, and was then discovered by zombies.
At the moment death arrived, she must have been very scared, right? Would she have prayed for someone to save her?
Yet, the Raccoon City Police Department personnel were just waiting outside the gymnasium, awaiting further instructions from their superiors.
"Damn it."
Leon punched the wall beside him.
Chris sighed silently and patted Leon on the shoulder.
As they passed an equipment room, Chris suddenly raised his hand to make a stop gesture, then pointed his index and middle fingers at the equipment room door:
"There is someone inside."
Leon understood instantly and knocked lightly on the other side of the door:
"Hello, Raccoon City Police Department, is anyone there?"
The movement inside the door suddenly intensified, and a moment later, a male voice asked:
"Raccoon City Police Department? Isn't it Watchdog Security?"
"Watchdog Security? What is that?"
Leon frowned. Shouldn't they normally ask, "Are you police?"
He cleared his throat:
"No, we are police from the Raccoon City Police Department. Do you need help?"
"Raccoon City Police Department."
The person inside asked, their voice revealing a hint of joy,
"Thank God, there's finally a rescue!"
The door was pushed open a crack. A middle-aged man with short blond hair pulled the door open a corner, and after confirming that the uniforms of the two men outside were indeed from the Raccoon City Police Department, he asked:
"Is it safe outside, Officer? Can we come out now?"
"No, not yet. But we have set up an evacuation point; as long as you follow us, you will be able to escape from here soon," Chris explained.
"Then, have you seen Watchdog Security along the way?"
"Sorry, we haven't seen them."
"Damn it! Then what about my daughter and wife?"
The man in the room immediately became agitated.
"Are your daughter and wife infected?"
"Yes, they promised to send Zombrex!"
"Zombrex? Do you mean this?"
Leon took a box of blue medicine out of his backpack.
"Thank God, you actually have this!"
Curtis Miller snatched the blue medicine and rushed back into the room.
Chris and Leon then entered the equipment room, where they saw a girl and a woman leaning against the wall in the cramped space, pale and unconscious.
Beside them, a beautiful 18-year-old blond girl in a floral dress was taking care of them.
Curtis came over and said to the blond girl:
"It's okay now, they are saved, Angela."
Then, without hesitation, he took out two pills and fed them to his daughter and wife respectively.
"Sir, you..."
Chris wanted to ask about the situation here, but seeing the man holding his daughter and wife in his arms in relief, weeping softly, he stopped his words.
After the medicine was taken, a moment later, the girl's and the woman's complexions improved significantly.
According to the instructions, another pill had to be taken after 8 hours. Although they were still unconscious, at least their condition had stabilized.
Curtis let out a long sigh of relief.
"Hello, Officers, I am Curtis Miller."
"Previously, I requested support from Watchdog Security."
"But I didn't expect you to arrive first. Thank you!"
A faint smile could not help but appear on the stern faces of Leon and Chris; the people here were saved, weren't they?
However, just as the two were feeling emotional, a loud noise suddenly came from the wall outside.
"Boom!"
Even the walls of the equipment room couldn't help but tremble.
The team members hurriedly went out to check, only to see the wall near the inside of the gymnasium suddenly explode. Amidst the smoke and dust, a tall and sturdy figure slowly walked out.
Everyone held their guns in alert, staring intently at the figure emerging from the smoke.
When that sturdy figure was fully revealed, the members of the S.T.A.R.S. Team couldn't help but gasp. It wasn't the sturdy physique or the ugly face that caused the fear, but the fact that this guy was actually carrying a rocket launcher on his back, and it was pointed directly at them!
"Motherfucker!"
Chris cursed angrily, and everyone hurriedly scattered to take cover.
If that rocket hit, the elite team would likely be wiped out on the spot.
However, the technician controlling Nemesis from behind chose "no"!
With such a good opportunity, of course, they had to toy with them. Cat and mouse is the essence of this game, isn't it?
Just consider it a way to kill boredom.
The tall figure watched everyone scatter and dodge, and instead put away the rocket launcher on its back.
Its right hand extended a slender tentacle, which grew slowly, and then with a "whoosh," it was as if the air itself had been torn apart.
It was too fast, so fast that no one on the scene could react.
Nemesis's tentacle emitted a sharp whine in the air. One of the hiding S.T.A.R.S. Team members felt a chill all over his body. Looking down, he saw a blood-red tentacle deeply embedded in his chest, right in the heart area.
"Urgh."
Edward mumbled in his throat, and his consciousness sank into darkness.
"Edward!"
Chris was shocked and furious, raising his rifle to fire violently at Nemesis.
Leon, standing to the side, was also somewhat stunned. This was his first time seeing a teammate die on the spot, without even having time to react.
Having no time to grieve for Edward's departure, Leon quickly found cover and fired at the monster.
However, the bullets hit the black restraint coat without causing a ripple.
Leon decisively aimed at the head, but found that the bullets hit Nemesis's face, only breaking the restraint strap on his face, revealing a very ugly and ferocious face, but it attracted the monster's attention.
The monster just flicked its tentacle, delivering a whip strike!
Leon's reaction was not slow; at the critical moment, he rolled to dodge. The missed tentacle struck the gymnasium wall, leaving a deep scratch.
"Damn it, we didn't bring heavy firepower!"
Chris gritted his teeth.
He stepped back, trying to find a favorable shooting angle, but the monster turned around and locked onto him.
Chris suddenly realized. The Umbrella Corporation mark on the clothing, the tall physique, plus the Tyrant data provided by Jill Valentine, the answer was obvious:
It was Umbrella Corporation!
So, from the very beginning, entering this closed gymnasium was a plot by Umbrella Corporation!
"Retreat!" Chris called out, explaining in a low voice, "This monster's target is us, let's leave here first!"
"What about those civilians?" In the split second of danger, Leon and Chris could still communicate across the distance.
Hearing this, Chris fell silent. He didn't know what to do either; there was no other option.
With just the firepower they had on hand, they couldn't cause any damage to this monster at all.
Meanwhile, the Curtis family, having seen Nemesis's ugly face, had already hidden back in the equipment room.
Just as Nemesis was toying with the two not-yet-matured tough guys like a cat playing with a mouse, footsteps came from the corridor behind.
A girl with flaxen hair wearing a black uniform with the words "Watchdog Security" printed on it walked out of the corridor, her posture as casual as a traveler strolling on a forest path.
Leon hurriedly called out, "Hey, girl, this is not a place for a picnic, go back!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Leon suddenly felt that something was wrong.
He turned his head and saw that Nemesis, who had just been waving its tentacles attacking the team members, had suddenly frozen in place.
Nemesis: (⊙﹏⊙)