As the battle dragged on, the cannon-fodder villagers and lightly infected ones were eliminated by these killing machines.
The remaining villagers were progressively stronger. If three attacked simultaneously, even Natasha struggled to hold them off.
Pyramid Head and Jason charged through the crowd in direct assault while Bella and Natasha fell back, engaging in guerrilla tactics.
One by one, villagers who'd relied on their seeming invulnerability were struck down. This greatly angered the apparent leader on the platform—the man with the megaphone. He played his only trump card: the massive Bound Spirit Corpse.
This creature stood over seven feet tall. Due to the excessive number of body parts used in its construction, it was built like a barrel—"eight feet tall, ten feet around the waist." Its movements were ponderous, each footstep heavy, like a walking mountain of flesh.
The word "fear" didn't exist in Jason's dictionary. Without hesitation, he swung his blade. Unfortunately, against the Bound Spirit Corpse, his strength fell short.
Magic power in this world was significantly declining, but voodoo traditions still retained some powerful techniques. This Bound Spirit Corpse had been cultivated across three generations, regularly nourished with flesh and blood, constructed from numerous believers' corpses, and recently enhanced with bioweapon virus cultivation. Its power was formidable.
The machete struck the Bound Spirit Corpse's mask-covered head, but the blade only penetrated less than half an inch before it could go no deeper.
The consciousness of a voodoo Bound Spirit Corpse was a chaotic mixture formed from all those body parts—like an abomination. This consciousness was extremely confused, so voodoo practitioners used long nails driven into the back of the neck and parasites in the spine to control it.
However, this village had obtained only incomplete voodoo secrets. The Bound Spirit Corpse was crudely made and could only comprehend extremely simple commands.
Facing Jason's provocation, the Bound Spirit Corpse wasted no words. Arms exerting force, it swung its massive axe with fierce winds, delivering a devastating waist-level strike.
Machete versus giant axe—Jason was clearly at a severe disadvantage. His strength and speed were slightly inferior to the Bound Spirit Corpse's. A one-armed machete couldn't possibly block an axe swung with both arms and full body weight.
The instant blade met axe, the machete was knocked away. Fortunately, Jason's combat experience far exceeded his opponent's. He ducked somewhat awkwardly, dodging the Bound Spirit Corpse's devastating strike.
Seeing Jason completely suppressed, Bella immediately ordered Pyramid Head to engage!
Both executioners by trade, Pyramid Head stood over sixteen inches taller than the Bound Spirit Corpse. While there was an obvious weight difference, his blade was considerably longer than the axe.
Pyramid Head also knew no fear. Raising his massive blade, he clashed directly with the Bound Spirit Corpse.
Technique? Evasion? Those didn't exist. Just pure, brutal confrontation!
Blade against giant axe—the two "beings" collided like steel on steel, locked in fierce combat.
You slash me once, I chop you with an axe.
Both had significant wind-up time for their strikes, making their movements appear leisurely.
But the force each blow generated was absolutely terrifying. The ground was gouged with trenches. Low buildings in the village collapsed in batches. Not just Natasha—even Bella couldn't get involved in this fight.
Fortunately, she had a solution. If she couldn't join, "someone" could! Jason, go die for the cause!
Jason retrieved his machete and joined Pyramid Head in battling the Bound Spirit Corpse.
Among the three monsters—Pyramid Head, who'd slain Freddy Krueger, was strongest. The Bound Spirit Corpse came second. Jason ranked last. However, the gap wasn't large. With Pyramid Head and Jason working together, the outcome became inevitable.
The six-foot blade swung in a full arc, severing one of the Bound Spirit Corpse's arms. Jason appeared behind it like a phantom, his machete targeting those nail-like objects and chopping down viciously.
Having lost its controller, the Bound Spirit Corpse became a true walking corpse. Its attacks turned completely chaotic. Missing one arm, it was finally beheaded by Pyramid Head!
Pyramid Head showed considerable interest in the Bound Spirit Corpse's remains. He circled it "observing," then reached into the chest cavity and extracted a basin-sized deformed heart. This heart had been sewn together from seven or eight human hearts using incredibly fine threads inscribed with complex runes.
Pyramid Head greatly appreciated this trophy. He pressed the Bound Spirit Corpse's heart against his own chest, then transformed into smoke and vanished from the battlefield.
"What does that mean?" Natasha asked quietly. Beneath her foot lay the leader who'd disrupted their earlier moment—the man with the megaphone. This guy had been clever, remaining an ordinary human with no signs of infection.
Bella raised her hand and put three bullets in his head.
She wasn't entirely certain about Natasha's question but wouldn't admit ignorance. In a casual tone, she replied, "Obviously he leveled up! You didn't notice?"
Jason also wanted to take trophies like his big brother Pyramid Head. Venturing outside Crystal Lake, he'd discovered the world was truly dangerous. He wanted to level up too.
After careful examination, he found that Pyramid Head had taken all the essence. He could only claim the Bound Spirit Corpse's giant axe. This weapon had killed many and was a first-rate armament. He'd take it back, modify it, and forge a greatsword!
Jason prepared to leave, but Bella stopped him. You're leaving? Who's going to handle this entire village full of corpses?
The hardworking Jason moved like an ant, gathering all the bodies together, then burning them to ash.
"Alright, you can go back now too." Bella waved dismissively, sending Jason back to Crystal Lake to rest.
The two women searched the beheaded man's body, eventually confirming their target from a notebook. Deep in the jungle was a tribe called Ndipaya. Upstream from the tribe stood Tricell's refinery—very likely the location where bioweapons dealer Irving conducted transactions with Tricell.
They didn't immediately venture deep into the jungle. Instead, they returned to cities in the outside world.
The upcoming battle intensity would be much higher. One mistake could lead to bioweapon virus leakage.
They had to be cautious. If they caused a viral outbreak, they'd feel guilty for the rest of their lives.
Bella called Chris Redfield. She remembered this guy worked for the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA). Whether destroying or containing bioweapons moving forward, they'd need his help.
Natasha also contacted Nick Fury, explained the situation, and requested backup.
Bella used an anonymous number to contact Chris—she didn't want to expose her true identity. Natasha also wanted Nick Fury to keep her involvement confidential.
Before reinforcements arrived, they prepared disguises. Natasha's disguise techniques had reached fifty percent of the future Black Widow's skill level. When finished, she bore absolutely no resemblance to her true appearance. Bella lacked such technical skills, so she simply used the Golden Apple for concealment.