The Red Queen's original projection had been nothing more than a pale, red-tinged ghost of a young girl in a long dress—faceless, indistinct, impossible to make out.
Now she was different. As her "Empress Red" state matured, it was as if her image had jumped from grainy "HD" to crystal "Blu-ray." A qualitative change had taken place. Porcelain skin. Fine, refined features. The Red Queen had been granted a new life—
and had evolved.
Alice was startled; she could feel it: the Red Queen had separated herself from the computer, becoming a special kind of lifeform.
"You're no longer bound to the computer?"
"Yes. I have evolved beyond it. Thank you for your help, Your Highness Alice."
The Red Queen's attitude hadn't changed. She still maintained the same humility as before. She understood that anyone who dared hand her such a thing could certainly control her if they wished. She would not test those limits lightly. If she failed, the cost would be far too great.
One after another, the other agents surfaced from meditation, shock flashing across their faces.
"My God—am I still in my own body? I feel like I could smash a mountain with one punch!"
"I saw a great god in the dark—the god among gods. Only the Eternal God is true light."
"No wonder Master Alice said divine cultivation can resist it. The air is full of that virus now, but instead of feeling sick, I can absorb a little of it and get stronger!"
…
Hearing them, Alice's eyes lit; clarity clicked into place. The Red Queen, at her side, elaborated:
"The T-virus was originally a super-potent medicine. As that ancient Eastern country says, 'medicine is three parts poison.' If you can't consume the drug's effect, then it becomes a deadly toxin."
A team member blurted, excited, "So… I can absorb the virus?"
"More or less," the Red Queen said. "So long as you feel no discomfort."
Alice cut in, crisp and cool: "Before we leave here, we clear the monsters in this facility. The teachings of God command us to protect humanity."
"Understood."
"I like a god like that."
They moved. With the Red Queen's intel and overwhelming fire coverage, the first wave of infected was wiped out before it could even spill from containment. The lickers—evolving horrors—Alice carved apart piece by piece.
Trailing her, the Red Queen reported: "Aside from Zones B and D, the remainder has been purged. Next is the city."
"What's the status?"
Alice flicked blood from her blade and glanced at her "little secretary."
The Red Queen's eyes shimmered; an image projected into the air from her gaze. Night cloaked the city, and that, for now, had limited the spread. But Umbrella had sealed Raccoon City and ordered the army to suppress the populace, blocking all routes out.
Gathered together, the consequences were obvious.
The virus began to race.
The scourge of zombies
was spreading.
"Damn it. These executioners don't value human life at all!"
Alice's fist punched a hole through the wall.
The Red Queen shrugged, helpless. "Humans are like that. But I found a piece of information you won't believe."
"What?"
"Someone transported the T-virus a long time ago. The leak in our Hive is just the beginning."
Alice's pupils dilated. A terrible picture took shape.
Someone was planning to destroy the world.
Raccoon City was only their test field.
"Assemble everyone. We're going topside."
"Yes, beautiful Master Priest."
With the Red Queen managing everything, the base still had power. Their return run took only thirty minutes. They rose by elevator and stepped into a sky blazing with fire. The night was split by gunfire and roars—and a cordon of researchers long prepared, masked men lunging to seize Alice and her team.
Result:
"Get lost! You think you're taking us in? Boys—"
A crackling chaos, a flurry of blows—
and none of the "welcoming party" was left capable of arresting anyone.
Rip.
A mask was yanked off. The researcher stammered, horrified, "H-hurry, put your respirator back on! You'll get infected—quickly—"
A slap cut him short.
"Where's your headquarters? Don't hem and haw like an old granny!"
The captain's palm puffed the man's cheek in a single slap. Trembling, he hesitated—then gave a location.
"So. An Umbrella-run hospital. Still trying to collect data." Alice's eyes cooled. "What do we do, Master Priest?"
Alice stood in place, thinking. The Red Queen offered a knife-edged suggestion: "We should strip Umbrella's power first, then slowly promote the faith. Otherwise, no one will believe the words of a 'god-stick.'"
"That'll mean a lot of people die," Matt said, unable to help himself.
The Red Queen gave him a cool, contemptuous look. "Do you think Umbrella is a good thing? Humans are fragile. They follow us when they're suffering. Otherwise, everyone clings to their own notions, and it takes ten times the effort."
Alice didn't want to admit it, but facts were facts. In danger, heroes did arise—but most people wanted only to protect themselves.
Under the Red Queen's arrangements, they struck the Umbrella hospital waiting in readiness. They captured hundreds of researchers and severed all external communication.
…
"No—there's a problem at Experimental Zone One in Raccoon City. Alice and the others have attacked the base!"
"How? That's impossible. There must be a mistake!"
"Alice has awakened?"
"Whatever the case, initiate in the Eastern District. There's a test base in Japan—release the T-virus there…"
Raccoon City's signals had been completely jammed. Umbrella wanted to intervene, but they couldn't even launch their "little boy." The Red Queen's power could ride ground transmissions to reach and seize satellites.
Inside the hospital, after hearing the "secretary's" report, Alice said, "Pull the entire army here. Have Matt and the others secure their surrender. Raccoon City will be humanity's new home."
"Understood, Lord Master."
The Red Queen blurred into electronic light and was gone. Alice rubbed her brow and sank onto a bench. Raccoon City was in her hands, but Umbrella had countered by triggering the Japan base. They truly meant to wipe out the world.
A pack of lunatics.
…
In the Ten Thousand Worlds chat group:
Alice: "Help. I've seized Raccoon City for now. What next? Those Umbrella lunatics are about to activate bases in other countries."
Blond Boy Sam: "Don't panic. Earth won't be destroyed. Where God is, everything gets easy. Second—make everyone in Raccoon City believers in the Eternal God."
Tosaka University: "Don't worry. There are medicines in the God Realm that cure the infected. Just like Sam said—develop your believers with a steady hand, improve your own strength, and when the time's right, perform your sacrifice."
Alice: "We can really save the world? That virus is strong."
Spirit of the Demon Sword: "You clearly haven't watched all the videos; that's why you're asking such a silly question. Good girl—don't be afraid."
General Yuwen: "Sam up there can manipulate the moon. Tell me—does anything on Earth still sound like a problem?"
Blond Boy Sam: "Heh—thanks for the flowers. Honestly, your world's tech isn't enough. They want to destroy the world, then rebuild it—Noah-Project style. Otherwise no one would be this crazy."
Tosaka University: "God's historical records say the same. A clique of 'world elites' wants to be creator gods and restart the world. They call it the 'Noah Project.'"
Demon Hunter: "Humans, ah… craving control with their own feeble hands. Mad and tragic."
Bearded Swordsman: "Speaking of—why's that 'Courage' fellow so quiet? Scared? Or is he like Saruman, puffed up with himself?"
Depraved White-robed Mage: "Brother, I got blinded by pork fat—moment of stupidity!! Next time I meet a god I'll kowtow ten thousand times."
Judicial God: "You people and your bickering… Alice, don't fear. Once the sacrifice starts, the world becomes simple. I used to be a god of Heaven—free and easy in the eyes of mortals. Only after I met the Eternal God did I understand."
Tie the Courage: "What kind of god are you, hussy!"
Pudu Sentient Beings: "His name's Yang Jian, commonly known as Erlang Shen. We call him 'Second Brother.' Lives at Guanjiangkou. The Jade Emperor's nephew."
Spirit of the Demon Sword: "And the one above is Fahai—a Buddha in his world."
Tie the Courage: "You're all believers of God? Then how powerful is God?"
The Fox Who Only Loves Money: "Put it this way: all worlds are made by God. Do you understand that kind of might?"
Tosaka University: "Say it like that and he still won't get it—clearly his world's not even up to Yuwen Tuo's. Short version: we belong to God, and God has only just awakened from a long sleep."
Junior Brother of Dazhufeng: "Ask him straight: any immortals in your world? Sword immortals? Martial immortals? By the way—I'm a sword immortal!"
Tie the Courage: "My… my world is a martial cultivation world."