Chapter 122: I'll Stop It
"Roar!"
The monster, its brain exposed to the air, ripped open the heavy metal door of the train's conductor cabin in an instant and roared menacingly at Kaplan in the driver's seat.
Kaplan was startled and was about to cry out when a dark figure lunged from the side!
The figure moved with incredible speed, practically gliding through the air, and arrived beside him in the blink of an eye.
In three quick strides, the figure reached Kaplan and delivered a powerful knee strike straight at the Licker!
The impact sent the Licker flying.
Even the creature didn't react in time, and the force of the knee strike was immense; the Licker, which looked to weigh at least 200 pounds, was launched backward as if hit by a speeding car!
It was left behind by the high-speed train.
The dark figure was none other than Jake.
The Licker's strength and agility far surpassed his own, making him acutely aware of the danger. If his combat suit hadn't effectively concealed his body heat, heartbeat, and even his scent, his surprise attack would have been unlikely to succeed.
"Thank you," Kaplan stammered, slumped against the controls, his mouth agape as he thanked Jake, but received no response.
Turning around, he saw Jake staring intently into the distance.
The train had been torn apart by the Licker's claws; through the gaping holes, you could see straight through from front to back.
On the tracks behind them, the Licker that Jake had just ambushed and knocked off the train was rapidly approaching!
Despite the heavy attack, it seemed unharmed, merely shaking its head before resuming its pursuit.
It was incredibly fast, its limbs propelling it along the ground like some grotesque insect, poised to catch up at any moment!
And indeed, the Licker, perhaps enraged by Jake's sneak attack, roared as it ran, heading directly toward him.
"Was this also created by Umbrella Corporation?" Rain stood up, firing two shots at the Licker, but its body was too resilient; the bullets only embedded in its muscles and fell out as it ran.
They didn't cause any real damage.
"You might have seen it before," Jake looked around and spotted a dozen steel pipes secured to the train. He walked over, detached one, picked it up, and hurled it directly at the Licker.
"It came from the dining hall in Research Level B, in the container you were leaning against when you were resting."
Hearing this, the group glanced at the Licker struggling to catch up, recalled the scene, and shuddered. They had been only a wall away from this monster? They were incredibly lucky to be alive.
The steel pipe struck the ground in front of the Licker, but didn't have much effect; instead, it seemed to make the creature even angrier.
If this continued, the only outcome would be them reaching the surface by train, only to be caught by the Licker.
They would still die.
Jake glanced at the Red Queen's mainframe in his backpack; he had left some things in the Hive. Going back like this wouldn't work.
No one doubted the monster's stamina. Looking at its rock-solid muscles, it could probably run for thirty minutes without tiring.
Everyone realized this; continuing like this would only delay the inevitable. When the train stopped, death would be their only fate.
"Roar!"
Suddenly, Rain threw down her gun and roared as she lunged at Alice, who was closest to her.
The turn of events was too sudden; Alice couldn't react in time and was quickly tackled by Rain.
The hideous maw opened wide, attempting to bite into Alice's exposed neck!
She hadn't been able to resist the virus's effects and had turned.
Alice's eyes filled with tears as she looked at Rain with anguish, struggling desperately.
Another person turned into a zombie. Including Jake, only four members who entered the Hive had survived. And this was just now; who knew how many would make it out alive in the end?
"Bang!"
Jake raised his pistol and shot the zombified Rain, freeing Alice from the undead's grasp.
"I was actually considering letting you join," he said, looking at Rain's lifeless body, a hint of sadness in his voice. This was the grim reality of Resident Evil; human life was truly worthless here.
Rain's transformation had delayed them just long enough—the Licker had caught up!
This time, Jake didn't hesitate any longer. He had to return to the Hive to retrieve the Red Queen's full computer system, and he didn't intend to go to the surface with Alice and the others.
Umbrella Corporation would be waiting in ambush outside; it was too dangerous.
So he said, "You guys go ahead. I'll hold it off."
With that, he grabbed a steel pipe from the floor, a pistol in one hand and the pipe in the other, and ignoring the shouts of the three survivors, he leaped off the moving train!
"No!!!"
Alice's anguished cry echoed from the train, fading into the distance as it sped away.
Jake jumped off the train, the momentum sending him tumbling onto the tracks, rolling twice before he could recover.
As he stood up, the Licker pounced!
He immediately raised the steel pipe in his right hand and thrust it forward!
Squelch—
The sound of metal piercing flesh rang out.
The counterattack was purely instinctive; he had only raised the pipe defensively, not expecting the Licker to impale itself. Unfortunately, the attack hadn't pierced the Licker's heart, instead lodging in its right chest cavity.
The Licker howled, its tongue—now evolved into a deadly appendage—suddenly extending and wrapping around Jake's right calf.
The constricting sensation around his leg made him grimace.
With his left hand, he fired a barrage of shots at the crimson tentacle-like tongue!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The Licker's tongue was severely damaged, and it instinctively tried to retreat, but it was too late. Jake had already fired repeatedly, severing the tongue completely!
In a single exchange, the Licker's tongue was severed, and a steel pipe was impaled through its chest, rendering it unable to maintain its normal posture.
Its grotesque body was forced upright, but its hind legs were rather atrophied, making it stand awkwardly like a toad.
The Licker let out a pathetic cry, only to have two gun barrels shoved into its mouth and a constant stream of bullets pumped into its skull!
"Looks like I overdid it," Jake muttered, glancing at the long, winding tunnel ahead. He had no choice but to start running back toward the Hive quickly.
The Licker, which had been fiercely pursuing them the entire way, remained frozen in that ridiculous stance after being shot dead by Jake. Its head was blown open, impaled by the steel pipe, and it now lay collapsed on the ground.
Jake quickly made his way back to the Hive.
Only a dozen minutes later, the scene at the train platform had changed dramatically.
The once empty platform was now swarming with a sea of infected bodies.
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