A terrifying roar came from the depths of the forest, a sound from two different creatures.
One was a large feline, with sleek fur covering well-proportioned and muscular physique, its elegant form like a noble dancer. There was not a single speck of color on its entire body, only pure black like the night. This made it the most perfect killer in the dark.
A rare black jaguar. However, compared to its kin, besides its rare black fur, its size was even more unusual. With a shoulder height of approximately five feet, it looked almost as large as a mature bull. From this alone, it had already become a giant among its kind.
It was almost impossible for there to be a larger jaguar in this World, or even a larger feline. Even a Siberian tiger would be a dwarf in front of it.
And now, this giant black jaguar was pinning a figure to the ground in an awkward posture, growling at the figure, who was also roaring back at it. The other terrifying roar came from the figure's mouth.
It was a muscular adult male. Bald, and covered in explosive muscles. His tall stature combined with those intertwined, steel-cable-like muscles made him look even more impactful than a so-called bodybuilder. However, he was a mad dog.
From the moment he appeared until now, he had been roaring, desperately trying to attack the jaguar on top of him. Using his hands and feet, he even tried to bite. You couldn't see any trace of reason belonging to an intelligent creature in his eyes—only madness, bloodlust, and extreme aggression. He was no different from those zombies.
And in fact, he was a zombie. A zombie that had received treatment.
Invisible psychic energy concentrated on his head, pulverizing everything there. This immediately stopped the struggling man's madness; his massive body twitched a few times, and soon lost all movement. After the commotion beneath its feet ceased, the black Big Cat began shaking its large head, looking at the person standing by.
Zhou Yi, having completed all this, shook his head at the corpse, a look of regret on his face.
He had initially hoped that his power, the healing strength of Sun's Grace, could turn zombies back into humans. But he found that he was far too optimistic.
Although Sun's Grace could make a life reach its healthiest state, that was only physically. Zombies, in essence, were not just physically broken; more significantly, their brains were broken. The moment they became zombies, it already meant their brains had died, and even power from a deity couldn't bring them back from Death.
At most, it would only make them stronger zombies.
To be honest, Zhou Yi was a bit disappointed with this result, but not surprised. He had been mentally prepared for this, and the current situation was merely a bad estimate turning into reality. Moreover, there was still a certain surprise.
With a whistle, the giant black jaguar moved with elegant strides, quietly approaching Zhou Yi. Its large head nudged Zhou Yi's chest, then gently rubbed against it.
Like a pampered domestic cat.
Zhou Yi gently scratched the Big Cat's chin, making it purr contentedly.
For Zhou Yi, this Big Cat was the unexpected surprise of the day. Like the zombie just now, it was also an animal infected with the virus, but before it was completely transformed into a zombie animal, Zhou Yi saved it and used the Sun's Grace on it.
The virus was stopped before it could destroy its will. And a miraculous mutation occurred in its body; the virus did not destroy it, but instead prompted its body to undergo changes like evolution. Its body became larger, its muscles stronger, and its brain also seemed to have been developed.
Zhou Yi could clearly feel that it was far smarter than a Beast. Because it could not only understand Zhou Yi's meaning but was also very willing to accept Zhou Yi's commands. It felt as if this Big Cat was a pet he had raised for many years.
This meant his power could cure the virus, as long as he could treat those infected before they were completely transformed. This wasn't easy, but it was much better than being unable to cure them. Because no matter what, this was still a hope, a hope that could save lives.
The Big Cat was still rubbing against Zhou Yi's chest, seemingly hoping Zhou Yi would scratch harder. But Zhou Yi did not continue; he pushed the Big Cat's massive head, and in its puzzled gaze, he spoke to it.
"Sorry, good girl. This is not the time to play with you. I have more important things to do."
The Big Cat stared with a pair of brownish-yellow eyes, letting out a low, human-like whimper from its throat, just like a Child who had been wronged.
Ever since it was saved by Zhou Yi, it had instinctively developed a sense of dependence on him. A feeling like that of a Child for its parents. This feeling was very pure, because its birth contained no Impurities. It came entirely from the most primitive instinct.
It was precisely because of this that when Zhou Yi expressed his intention to leave, it immediately felt immense disappointment. And it instinctively expressed it.
Seeing this Big Cat complain like a Child, Zhou Yi also felt a bit regretful. To be honest, he quite liked this Big Cat, and if it weren't for the situation here, he would have really wanted to keep it as a pet.
But now, he couldn't be so willful as to let this Big Cat follow him. A jaguar like a monster appearing in Raccoon City would definitely cause panic. It wouldn't be a good thing for either humans or for it. Unless, everything was over.
But by then, this Big Cat would probably have forgotten this feeling. Just as it forgot its mother.
Hardening his heart, Zhou Yi still pushed away the clingy Big Cat. His figure swiftly darted through the forest, flying towards the city. At his speed, the Big Cat couldn't possibly keep up with him, so he left with peace of mind.
But he hadn't considered the Big Cat's tenacity. Jaguars are natural hunters; they can even track their prey through an entire jungle. So when he left, the Big Cat immediately sprang into action. This black Beast leaped forward, galloping through the forest. It followed his scent, tracking him all the way. This was an animal's persistence; compared to humans, they rarely give up.
Zhou Yi didn't know there was a Big Cat tracking him from behind. At this moment, he was contacting Medusa, hoping to get the information he wanted with her help. Information about S.T.A.R.S.
Soon, Medusa gave him a reply. A set of confidential data appeared before his eyes. Seeing this data, Zhou Yi couldn't help but smile. Everything was pretty much as he had estimated; S.T.A.R.S. was pitifully suppressed at this time.
The leaders of both teams had unexpectedly died, and most of the members had met with accidents. Only a few survived. And those who survived were not doing well either; they faced accusations and punishments of varying degrees, two of them even being suspended for investigation and publicly reported to the media under the guise of having mental problems.
As for the reason, it was very simple. It was because these two survivors spread rumors, claiming that man-eating monsters existed and caused some chaos within Raccoon City.
Very clearly, this was Umbrella's doing. And people who could be targeted by Umbrella in such a way could not possibly be Umbrella's people. So, at this time, they had value for Zhou Yi to win over.
While Zhou Yi was still making every effort to overthrow Umbrella and protect the people of this city.
Raymond, who had been desperately searching for Zhou Yi, was staring at a document with a very grim expression.
It was an order jointly signed by Umbrella's most core Advanced personnel. This order held the highest authority within Umbrella, and its content was very simple: it required Raymond to restart the Hive by today.
Everything that happened inside the Hive had been classified as a spy invasion. The higher-ups, worried that their greatest research achievements would be stolen, could no longer tolerate Raymond's procrastination. Their wording was severe, and they repeatedly emphasized the deadline for this matter.
The restart of the Hive was an irreversible matter. If Raymond continued to procrastinate, he would receive the most severe punishment.
Seeing this order, Raymond became gloomy and angry. He really wanted to severely scold these core members to their faces, but this was just his fantasy; he didn't have the courage. The cruelty within Umbrella was enough to turn even the most spirited person into a trembling little quail. Moreover, he had never been a spirited fellow.
So in the end, he chose to compromise.
"Issue the order. At 4 PM this afternoon, precisely open the Hive! Mobilize as many of our people as possible and prepare all protective measures."
Hearing this order, his Deputy was momentarily stunned.
"Officer, it's less than three hours until 4 PM. We are short-staffed, and isn't it a bit too Late Stage to prepare now?"
"If we're short-staffed, mobilize from here. Anyone with experience in this area, send them all. Also, preparation work starts now. No matter what, the restart of the Hive must begin on time. This is an order from above, the Advanced level. I don't think I need to explain what that means to you, do I?"
Hearing this, the Deputy's face also changed. He rushed out immediately to issue Raymond's order. The highest order was like a guillotine hanging over his head, forcing him to give his all. Because he knew that if this matter failed, there would definitely be no good outcome waiting for them. He was Raymond's Deputy; to some extent, they were tied together.
Watching his Deputy run out as if being chased by a mad dog, a hint of gloom once again appeared in Raymond's eyes. He had long been dissatisfied with those damned old geezers at headquarters. And now, these dissatisfactions were like explosives piled together, just waiting for a spark of Fire to ignite them.
And in this place, Umbrella, would sparks be scarce?
Thinking of this, his expression became even more ferocious. A low growl escaped from between his teeth.
"Don't let me find an opportunity, you damned old bastards. Otherwise, that will be your Death."