One of the things Ethan hated most in his previous life was when someone who thought they were incredibly knowledgeable would open with, "You don't know anything at all." And when you thought they might be impressive, you'd find out they actually only knew a little.
Ben Bertolucci was clearly one of those types, so Ethan had no intention of indulging his bad habits.
He patted Leon on the shoulder, signaling the kind-hearted police officer, who was still trying to reason with Ben, to move aside. Then, under Leon's astonished gaze and Ada's curious one, he kicked the cell door into a C-shape.
"Hmm? A bit sturdier than I thought."
Although he hadn't kicked the door flying, bending a metal door specifically designed to hold people into such a shape was no small feat. Leon could only complain internally, "Aren't you supposed to be a mage?" while forcing a wry smile. He felt that ever since Ethan had "revealed" his identity, he'd become increasingly unrestrained. Things were simpler when he quietly pretended to be a regular person.
Even though the door wasn't blown off, Ethan had still terrified Ben. The reason Ben chose to lock himself in was because he believed this door was secure enough to guarantee his safety.
But now? Not only had someone just kicked the door until it warped, but that person also casually grabbed the twisted metal and ripped the entire door off, tossing it aside as if pulling out a weed.
"I don't care how much you know, because I guarantee you don't know more than I do. You'd better recognize the situation for what it is. The entire city has turned into hell. We're the only survivors left in this police station. No one is coming to save you."
The simplest way to deal with someone like this was to make them realize they were in a desperate situation.
"You have two choices now. Insist on staying here—we won't stop you. There are a few empty cells nearby; lock yourself in one if that's what you want. Or, work with us and find a way to escape this city."
Leon wanted to say something, but Ethan stopped him before he could speak. He knew Leon wanted to try persuading Ben, but Ethan didn't believe someone who didn't want to be saved was worth the effort.
Ben was so shocked he stood frozen for a long time, slowly processing what Ethan had said.
"No one else is left in the police station?"
"Correct. We searched it thoroughly. Everyone you see here is all that's left."
Realizing how dire the situation really was, Ben cursed under his breath a few times to vent, then glanced cautiously at Ethan before finally agreeing to join the group.
"I'll go with you. It seems a lot safer to be with you guys."
As he spoke, his eyes repeatedly drifted toward Ethan. Leon and the others noticed too, and for some reason, they felt Ben had a point.
No matter how they looked at it, moving with Ethan, this "mage from another world," felt far safer than a group of ordinary people wandering through a city full of monsters.
"As a mage, he must have plenty of experience dealing with all sorts of monsters… You could see it in how easily he took down that monster earlier."
Only Ada didn't quite understand why everyone was so fixated on this man named Ethan. Out of curiosity, she started to pay more attention to him as well.
She couldn't help it. Watching Ethan kick and rip off a metal door like it was nothing had left a strong impression.
As an elite agent, Ada even suspected that this man might have some connection to Umbrella.
"Could he be enhanced with some new type of bio-serum? Is this outbreak being used as a field test?"
Once that thought occurred to her, Ada realized something didn't add up. If Ethan were part of a field test, why would he be hiding among survivors? Wouldn't he be out on the streets fighting monsters? Why pretend to be one of them and flee?
"Could there be a deeper motive?"
Ada's gaze swept across the group. Naturally, she noticed the little girl being cared for by Claire. Recognizing her identity, she filled in some blanks and assumed Ethan's real purpose might be the same as her own.
"Is he here for the G-virus sample?"
By chance, Ada had guessed Ethan's true goal. But what she couldn't have imagined was that Ethan already knew exactly where the G-virus sample was—he simply hadn't taken it yet.
Moreover, what Ethan wanted wasn't just one sample of the G-virus.
Under Ben's guidance, the group found the passage to the underground facility near the dog kennels. From there, they could enter Raccoon City's sewers.
If they were lucky, they might be able to escape the city through the sewers.
Seeing a glimmer of hope, the group, who had been showing signs of fatigue, became noticeably more energized. After replenishing their water and eating a few pieces of chocolate, Leon and Ethan once again took the lead and climbed down first.
"If we go this way, we shouldn't run into too many zombies, right?"
After everyone was down, Leon looked at the quiet sewer and felt optimistic that the road ahead might be easier. But before Ethan could throw cold water on his optimism, Ben beat him to it.
"Umbrella's T-virus doesn't just infect humans."
"What do you mean?"
"Did you forget what you saw in the kennels?"
There had been several police dogs in the kennels, and when they'd passed through, those dogs had already turned into dangerous zombie dogs. Fortunately, most were trapped in cages and easy to deal with.
This reminded Leon that if dogs could be infected and turn into monsters, what about the other creatures living in the sewers?
"Don't get your hopes up. The sewers aren't necessarily safer than the surface. We still need to be cautious."
Many areas in the sewer were convenient hiding spots for monsters, like water tunnels where they could ambush from below. Virus-infected creatures didn't need to breathe, so they could remain submerged indefinitely.
"Should we go back upstairs?"
Robert, upon hearing that even the sewers weren't safe, suggested they go back to the surface. At least up there, he knew where he was and which direction to take to escape.
"Honestly, it makes no difference. And... this sewer probably doesn't lead out of the city."
The group walked through the sewer for a bit and quickly found that the area was unusually clean and led to a dead end. Except for Robert, who was just an ordinary gun shop owner, everyone else was sharp enough to realize something was off about this sewer.
"Where does this lead?"
Without wasting much time, they found a large door. Just by its construction, it was clear this wasn't a regular door. Something major was likely behind it.
Ben Bertolucci, who claimed to know a lot, gave a serious guess: "Could this be Umbrella's secret facility?" He already knew the Raccoon City Police Chief was colluding with Umbrella, so it wasn't hard to believe they'd hidden a facility beneath the police station.
"You can figure out what this is later. Right now, we have a guest."
Just as the group gathered in front of the door to discuss whether to go in, they heard Ethan speak, and everyone turned to look where he pointed.
They were in a relatively open area with no obstructions and working lights overhead, so visibility wasn't an issue.
When Ethan pointed it out, everyone saw a figure slowly approaching them from the other side of the corridor. It looked humanoid, but its arm was disproportionately large compared to its body.
The monster was holding a steel pipe. After letting out a deep roar, it began approaching step by step.
"It's that monster!"
Sherry had mentioned earlier that a monster had been chasing her near the police station, which was why she had been running around in panic. Ben also knew that a terrifying monster was nearby, which was why he had chosen to hide in the cell, believing it was safer there behind a wall of armed officers.
In other words, none of them wanted to encounter this creature. Yet, here it was.
"Damn it."
Leon raised his weapon and fired a few shots, but the bullets didn't even draw blood. Realizing this, he immediately switched to the Desert Eagle he'd picked up earlier.
"Die, monster!"
The Desert Eagle lived up to its reputation as a high-caliber firearm made for big game. The shot visibly staggered the monster. But after regaining its balance, it continued its approach, as if completely unfazed.
Ethan still hadn't acted. He knew this monster was William, mutated after injecting himself with the G-virus. He was observing the actual power of the G-virus, and from what he could tell, it was comparable to the best T-virus product: the Tyrant.
Of course, the G-virus's defining feature was uncontrollable mutation. After suffering heavy damage or absorbing large amounts of energy, it would continuously evolve into more powerful and terrifying forms.
This mutation was entirely uncontrollable. That was why, despite its potential, the G-virus had never been fully developed. A mutation could evolve in a beneficial direction or regress into grotesque forms like William's later stages.
Ethan didn't care about that. What he wanted was the G-virus's potential for positive evolutionary outcomes. As for its drawbacks—if science couldn't solve them, he could always optimize the process through magical means.
But for now, it was best to deal with William while he was still in his first form.
This time, Ethan didn't even need to say anything. After everyone else had fired several shots and the monster continued marching forward without pause, they all turned their eyes toward Ethan.
Even Ada lowered her weapon slightly, not understanding what these people were doing...
(To be continued.)
***
For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on P/treon to read 30+ advanced chapters: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves
(Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)