Arlo stepped into the sterilization chamber, the sliding metal doors closing behind him with a hiss. Red lights pulsed on the walls. Steam rolled along the floor in thin coils like the place was breathing.
"Sterilization process complete," a synthetic voice droned overhead.
Arlo looked around and muttered, "Even in '98, this is more advanced than half the facilities I've seen in my previos world." He wasn't exaggerating. The infrastructure—the biotech, automated security systems, and self-regulated sterilization—meant Umbrella wasn't just ahead. They were operating twenty years in the future. In secret. Underground.
"Umbrella really went all-in with the evil megacorp blueprint," Arlo muttered, pacing through the glass-walled chamber."They had the power to revolutionize the world. Instead, they made bioweapons and wrecked their own future."
It didn't sit right. Not because he was surprised—they were villains, sure—but because of how careless it all was. They crossed lines no one should. Creating monsters wasn't the worst part. Believing they could control them? That was the real stupidity. And now, the city was a graveyard for that arrogance.He and Link stepped into the adjacent lab hallway.
Overhead lights flickered. Every few seconds, a backup generator whined in the distance.Link barked softly.
Arlo crouched. "What is it, buddy?"
Link nudged his nose toward a sealed door—Experiment Storage was printed in red on its face.
Arlo pulled his Pit Viper, chambered a round, and quietly opened the door. Inside, a zombie shuffled near the back wall. He aimed and shot it through the head. It dropped instantly. But then he saw them—two more creatures staggering toward him. One of them had skin like wax paper, almost ash white skin tone.
The other had its entire head engulfed by some organic mass. Arlo's narrowed his eyes. "This was the other type of zombies I saw in the Underground..."
He activated his [Observe]. Two identifiers popped up in HUD:
---
Pale Head
Race: Undead (T-Virus)
Level: 12
HP: 125/125
MP: 0/0
Stats:
Strength: 12
Dexterity: 7
Intelligence: -5
Charisma: -10
Luck: 0
Endurance: 15
Wisdom: -5
Skills: T-Virus Mutation LV: 5/10, Cannibal LV: 5/10, Infection LV: 5/10, Regeneration LV: 6/10
Status: Modified T-Virus
Remark: This type of zombies ca regenerate from damage. Unlike regular Zombies, its body parts can't be dismembered due to its regenerative capabilities; furthermore, it moves and attacks significantly faster than its normal counterparts. This combination makes the Pale Head quite difficult compared to an ordinary Zombie.
Weakness: Hi-Powered Weaponry
Threat Level: Mid
---
NE-α Parasite Zombie
Race: Undead (T-Virus)
Level: 12
HP: 135/135
MP: 0/0
Stats:
Strength: 13
Dexterity: 19
Intelligence: -5
Charisma: -10
Luck: 0
Endurance: 17
Wisdom: -5
Skills: T-Virus Mutation LV: 5/10, Cannibal LV: 5/10, Infection LV: 5/10, Tentacle Generation LV: 5/10
Status: Infected By NE-α Parasite
Remark: A parasite infused into a zombie's head, the NE-α Type would completely merged with its skull encasing it with its own biomass like sort of "helmet" and controlled the rest of its body.
Weakness:Enough damage to the Host to expose its weak point
Threat Level: Mid
---
Arlo's expression hardened. "Of course. Umbrella didn't just mess with viruses—they had DLC content for their zombies." He shot the Pale Head in the face, watched it go down… only to watch its tissue stitch itself back together. "Figures."
Switching tactics, Arlo snapped his Threaded Cane into whip form. With a crack, he lashed both Pale Heads across the face, then wrapped the end of the whip around one's neck and yanked. While they stumbled, Link darted forward, charging the NE-α Parasite Zombie.
"Link use Rock Throw!" Arlo shouted.
A cluster of energy-formed stones burst from the ground near Link and slammed into the NE-α Parasite Zombie's chest. The monster screeched and lashed out with its tentacle, barely missing. Link dodged left, circled around, and launched another barrage—aiming high.The parasite's head burst with a wet pop.
"Like cracking open a coconut," Arlo muttered, cracking his cane back into its cane form.
One Pale Head lunged. Arlo slashed it across the chest with the cane's blade end, spun, and struck the second one across the neck.
[EXP Gained +200]
They both dropped. Their bodies twitched once… then stopped.
Arlo exhaled. "Good. That's done."
Link padded over, tail wagging slightly, tongue out.With the room cleared, Arlo checked his ammo, reloaded his Pit Viper, and slung the cane back onto his hip."Let's move. We're not here for XP farming."
They exited the room. The corridor ahead curved left—leading deeper into the core of NEST 2.
***
[Nest 2: 1st Floor - Server Room 2]
Arlo and Link stepped into Server Room 2, the air cool and dry. Rows of humming machines lined the walls, blinking with low green indicators. Unlike the carnage outside, this room was untouched—clinical, sterile, and humming with secrets.
Arlo approached the nearest lit terminal and started typing. He wasn't after generic logs. He wanted data—real contingency info on how to shut Umbrella down.
As he navigated the system, folders began to populate.
---
FAILSAFE_DIRECTORY/
Anti-B.O.W. Combat Protocols
Vaccine Formulas
Nemesis Restraint Systems
Hunter Neutralization Routines
Tyrant Weak Point Analysis
---
Arlo's eyes narrowed. Jackpot.
"Exactly what Chris and Jill could use for the future BSAA that they will co-found in the future," he muttered. These weren't just research notes—these were field manuals. Templates for dismantling Umbrella's horrors.He connected an empty hard drive near the terminal and began downloading. The progress bar crawled, slow but steady. Link sat by the doorway, ears alert.
"Once we're out," Arlo said, "this goes straight to the vault. And maybe—just maybe—this city's nightmare won't be repeated."
[Download Complete]
He ejected the drive and slid it into his inventory, securing it tight behind a triple encryption barrier.
...
[Nest 2 -B1 Floor: Bioweapon Incubation Room]
Then, without waiting, he moved for the B1 stairwell, leading to the deeper sector of the facility. Link followed with quiet paws against the metal.The next checkpoint was the Bioweapon Incubation Room.
The second Arlo stepped in, his danger intuition flared like an alarm siren.His hand hovered instinctively over the Pit Viper as he scanned the cryotube-lined room. There were five large capsules—each one labeled Hunter β - Active.
Oh shit, shit. Arlo though.
Before he could react, the tubes hissed violently. Glass exploded outward as five Hunter βs launched into the room—fully awake and fully hostile.
Arlo raised his Pit Viper. "Guess we're doing this the hard way."
Link stepped forward, not an ounce of hesitation in his stance.He turned to Arlo with a dead-serious look. Like he was saying, Let's finish this together.
Arlo gave a small smile. "Then let's show them what we've got. Link—Double Team!"
Link barked and split into Ten identical copies. The Hunters roared, confused and enraged, attacking the nearest targets. But they only hit phantoms.
Arlo raised his arm. "Link use Rock Throw—now!"
A cluster of jagged energy-formed rocks erupted around the battlefield. Link launched them with force, sending two Hunters flying against the walls. The impact cracked bones, snapped limbs—and ended them.
[EXP Gained +500]
[EXP Gained +500]
Arlo blinked. That... was stronger than before. Way stronger.
One Hunter charged Arlo, faster than the rest. It lunged—claws raised to tear through flesh.
Arlo ducked back, but it clipped his shoulder. He spun and blocked with his Pit Viper, barely avoiding a fatal slash.Before he could recover, Link flashed to the side and struck with a glowing paw—Sucker Punch triggered.
The blow knocked the Hunter sideways. Arlo didn't waste the chance. He activated his Threaded Cane in blade mode and drove it into the side of the Hunter's skull.
Again. And again. Blood sprayed. The Hunter dropped.
[EXP Gained +500]
Arlo exhaled, sweat pouring down his face. "Two left."
The last two Hunters, enraged by their dying pack, lunged toward Link—targeting the real one this time.
Arlo shouted, "Link use Play Rough!"
Link's entire form shimmered with pinkish energy. He tore into the nearest Hunter like a beast. Claws ripping, teeth flashing. Then something strange happened. Link's mouth glowed with dark violet energy.
Arlo seeing this know what move it is Bite. Before Arlo could react, Link bit into the Hunter's neck—hard. The glow pulsed once, and the entire head was ripped off in a single, wet motion.The final Hunter tried to retreat—but Link tackled it, tore its arm off, then finished it the same way. Blood coated the floor. Body parts twitched. Silence returned.
Arlo stood there, stunned. "What the hell..."
Link turned, face dripping in gore, tail wagging like nothing had happened. Like a puppy proud of a trick.
Arlo crouched slowly, wiping blood off Link's fur with a cloth. "You're cute, deadly, and terrifying murder machine. Remind me never to be on your bad side."
Link barked happily, then licked Arlo's face.
"Good job, you little murder machine," Arlo muttered with a tired grin. "We're still alive. That's what counts." He stood up, wiped his blade clean, and looked around the carnage. "No alarms. That's either really good or really bad." He scanned the walls. The walkway at the far end of the room was still open.
"Come on,"he said to Link. "We've still got one more stop."
The rockruff followed without hesitation. Arlo took one last look at the mutilated Hunter B's. They'd been designed to be weapons—smart, fast, lethal. And Link had torn through them like paper. No matter how cute Pokémon are, they are terrifying creatures.
***
[NEST 2 - 2nd Floor]
Arlo and Link moved down the walkway leading into the NEST 2 second floor. The metal beneath their boots echoed faintly through the sterile corridors. The deeper they went, the colder and more artificial it all felt.
Ahead, a steel door labeled Incubation Laboratory slid open automatically. A rush of filtered air met them—clean, sterile, but carrying the scent of old chemicals and blood.
"Stay sharp," Arlo muttered.Inside, two Pale Heads turned at the sound, and two NE-α Parasite Zombies lurched from the shadows. The room erupted into motion before Arlo could finish processing. He lunged forward, snapping his Threaded Cane into whip form and immediately striking one Pale Head across the face. The hit disoriented it but didn't slow it down. The other moved fast, forcing Arlo to duck under a swing.
Arlo transitioned into close-quarters mode, switching the cane into its rigid blade form and hacking into the first Pale Head's neck. The flesh resisted, but he kept slashing.
Meanwhile, Link launched at the two Parasites—using Bite to sink into one's shoulder while dodging a tentacle swipe. The second tried to flank him, but Link used Rock Throw, blasting it back with a sudden explosion of jagged stone.The fight dragged. The Pale Heads healed fast, but Arlo kept up the pressure—chopping deeper each time, until one's neck was half-severed. With a hard vertical slice, he drove the blade through its skull.
[EXP Gained +200]
He turned, stabbed the second through the eye, and twisted.
[EXP Gained +200]
On the other side of the room, Link pinned the second NE-α Parasite and bit down hard on its chest. The organic helmet around its head cracked. Another Rock Throw crushed its torso, and it stopped moving.
Link barked, triumphant, tail wagging.Breathing hard, Arlo scanned the space. "That's all of them." He moved to the desk in the southeast corner.
A blood-stained letter was still pinned under a broken monitor."We've lost control of Nemesis. It's adapting faster than anticipated. This strain is beyond protocol."
Arlo pocketed it. "Too late for warnings now." He continued searching the room. In a cold storage unit on the east wall, he found a test tube labeled Adjuvant Sample - Batch #004-NV. He used [Observe] to confirm.
---
Adjuvant Sample [Rare]
Item, Material
Description: A test tube filled with liquid. Boosts the production of antibodies when combined with an antigen. Used to synthesize a vaccine
Effect: 1/2 Vaccine
---
"Perfect, this should help me create the vaccine." Arlo carefully secured the tube in a sample case and turned to Link. "Let's go. Time to finish what we started."
...
They backtracked to the first floor and navigated through the long corridors. Along the way, they passed two corpses—one standard zombie, the other a Pale Head already neutralized
."Someone else has been here."Arlo muttered
Link didn't bark. He simply moved ahead, focused.The hallway led to the Experiment Room. A large machine, sleek and humming faintly, dominated the center.
Arlo stepped inside—hand on his Pit Viper by instinct. The door behind him hissed again. He turned, weapon raised.
A figure stepped in."Whoa!" Jill held up her hands.
"Jesus, Jill," Arlo said, lowering his weapon. "You scared the hell out of me."
Jill stepped forward, looking better. Stronger. Color back in her face. "Tyrell said you and Carlos were ahead. I followed your trail."
"Where is Tyrell?" He asked
Jill's expression dimmed. "He's dead. That monster got him."
Arlo paused. "...I'm sorry."
Jill shook it off. "We don't have time to mourn. Did you find anything?"
Arlo opened his case and showed the test tube. "Adjuvant sample. I found it in the incubation laboratory."
"Good Job Arlo, now I do not need to search the entire floor to floor to find the sample" Jill said. She pulled a container from her satchel. "Antigen sample. Found it in Laboratory 1". She nodded. "Then we've got everything. Arlo we now can create the Vaccine"
"Give me the antigen. I have enough medical knowledge to create the vaccine " Arlo said.
Jill handed it over without hesitation. Arlo walked to the vaccine synthesizer and slid both tubes into the input tray.
A robotic voice activated: "To begin vaccine synthesis, place materials in chamber."
Arlo then move to a nearby laboratory table and started combining the Adjuvant sample and antigen sample it took him several steps to combine the two sample into vaccine base.
In the game you only need to combine then presto! you have the vaccine base but not here you need at least have advance knowledge and not just randomly combine the two, Arlo thought
Arlo followed the prompts and loaded the combined base into the vaccine chamber. A second panel lit up. Three gauges displayed.
He read a note stuck to the nearby terminal:Synthesis Settings: MID – HIGH – LOW
He adjusted the settings accordingly. One by one, the gauges turned green. "Vaccine Synthesis in Progress."
Arlo exhaled. "It's working."
Link watched quietly while Jill leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
Arlo stepped back. "This machine's automated. Shouldn't take long to synthesize the vaccine."
Jill looked at the glowing chamber. "Once we have it, we get out."