🎉🎉DOTM: Chapter 274/277

Chapter 274: List

Standing on the stern castle of the Goddess of Dawn, Ethan looked back at the distant horizon behind the ship. The massive island that had previously blocked the sea route and everyone's path forward was slowly collapsing, breaking apart from a single landmass into segments, and then into even more fragmented islands.

Ethan estimated that it would take a long time for such a large piece of land to completely sink to the seabed, and the waters in this area would remain unstable during that time. Even though the energy that had affected this sea region had dissipated, the waves caused by the island's collapse were still quite intense.

"It's not truly over yet."

Ethan turned his gaze south. Although they had resolved the issue in the northern sea route this time, they had already learned from Bruno that Beckford had gone to the southern sea route to do something similar.

Moreover, unlike this time, Beckford himself was personally present, and Ethan wasn't sure what kind of power he possessed.

"Judging by his skill and proficiency in using energy, perhaps he has broken free from the constraints of magic stones and equipment and has truly mastered death-attribute energy on his own."

Most adventurers in this world utilized energy by activating specific attributes within magic stones through equipment, thereby indirectly tapping into the power stored inside.

Wilson had been like that, and Brent, who was not far away, was the same. Ethan didn't know much about Christina's situation. The first time they clashed, it was only a clone, and the second time, she didn't even get a chance to speak before being killed by Ethan's blizzard.

If Ethan's guess was right, he would have to treat Beckford as an opponent similar to himself. To be safe, he should even consider Beckford to be more powerful.

"In that case, just rushing over there would be suicide."

As they moved farther away from the region, the turbulent waves gradually subsided, and the sea surface became noticeably calmer. However, the few ships returning to the Central Island did not slow down. Everyone seemed eager to return as soon as possible.

Brent wanted to return early to inform the guild of the bad news and hoped the guild would mobilize more powerful adventurers to deal with Beckford.

Beckford had now become a threat to everyone. This was no longer something Brent could resolve alone by relying on his personal reputation and calling in a few helpers.

A major battle was about to erupt, and Ethan would likely become the most critical combat force in it. His name would soon spread throughout the entire sea region.

Ethan could already guess as much. He didn't care about becoming famous; what he cared about was whether his current strength was enough.

"Should I ask Diana to help hold the line?"

Ethan thought it was a good idea, but there was no need to summon Diana immediately. He could make that decision based on how things developed. If the situation worsened, he could go to Paradise Island for reinforcements. Then he would unleash Diana and teach Beckford a lesson within minutes.

Now that the issue had been resolved, Ethan relaxed again. He pulled a lounge chair onto the deck, lay back to bask in the sun, enjoyed the gentle sea breeze, and read a book, as if he were on a leisure cruise.

Naturally, his behavior was seen by people on the other ships. This "expedition" had actually resulted in heavy losses. The adventurer teams that came with Brent had lost many members, and several captains had even died in this sea region. After experiencing all that, and knowing the mastermind was still stirring up trouble on another sea route, many people felt uncertain about what the future held.

From time to time, people would stand on the deck in a daze, only to see Ethan lounging without a care in the world.

Some thought Ethan's behavior was inappropriate. Of course, others believed this powerful captain was simply full of confidence. After all, all the dangers they had encountered had been trivial in front of Captain Ethan and were resolved with ease.

Ethan didn't care what others thought. He was thinking about other matters.

Having wasted so much time on this island, he began considering his next traversal.

His previous plan was to settle this issue first and then fulfill the promise he had made—to find a way to resurrect Tony's parents.

He had considered many possibilities, including the Dragon Ball anime world. However, he didn't plan to go there directly because that world was far too dangerous, and with his current strength, he wouldn't even be able to protect himself.

After careful thought, the first world he considered was the Mummy world, which contained the Book of the Dead and the Book of the Sun. Although the resurrection spells there were tied to local deities, as long as Ethan mastered the "soul summoning" part and integrated it into his magical knowledge, resurrecting Tony's parents wasn't out of the question.

Even if he couldn't reconstruct a body with magic, it didn't matter. With Tony's technology and financial resources, it would be entirely possible to create new bodies using his parents' genes. These would also have high compatibility with the soul. Ethan's task would be to guide the soul into the body and ensure a perfect union of soul and vessel.

Summon the soul, provide a body, and fuse the two together—that would be a perfect resurrection. The specific methods could be adjusted. Although Ethan was a mage, he wasn't a rigid purist who rejected all non-magical approaches.

Of course, it would be even better if he could find a method like the Dragon Balls to resurrect someone in one step.

That had been Ethan's original plan, but now it seemed some adjustments were necessary.

He had Diana, a demigoddess, as his backup, so he wasn't afraid of the threat posed by Beckford. However, he still hoped to solve this problem through his own efforts.

It wasn't about some stubborn pride. Rather, he was concerned that if he became too reliant on others to solve everything, he might lose the drive to keep growing stronger.

He had only just begun his journey. Although the continent formed from his mental power had taken shape, the magic power condensed upon it had only formed a few thin streams, not even rivers or lakes, let alone a vast sea of magic. To lose his motivation now would be to waste all the opportunities he had gained so far.

Not to mention, the Ancient One, Merlin, and the others who had helped him would be disappointed. Even he wouldn't forgive himself.

"So the next step is to find a way to rapidly increase my strength."

He had not slacked off in his magical training. Since obtaining the Book of Inheritance, unless he was in the middle of battle and unable to find time, he practiced almost every day. He had completed all the parts of the Book of Inheritance related solely to mental power. The next stage involved a combined meditation method that cultivated both mental and magical power simultaneously, condensing magic while refining the mind.

He had also continued his physical training. After breaking through his potential limit, his current physical capabilities had already surpassed ordinary humans. As long as he kept training, his strength, speed, and agility would keep improving.

It seemed that as long as he kept cultivating step by step, Ethan would grow stronger—and this was indeed true. What Ethan lacked was time. Even if he traveled to a world without any helpful resources, time could still be converted into magical power.

"The Mummy world will definitely involve a major battle. Even if I don't clash with the local deities, there's no avoiding a conflict with Imhotep."

He was a powerful mage. Ethan now wanted to train, not throw himself into desperate battles. So it was better to visit another world first.

Thinking of this, Ethan closed his book and got up from the lounge chair.

Standing on the deck and looking around, there weren't many people around. Only Logan was at the helm, steering the ship.

Although Selene was no longer afraid of sunlight, centuries of habits were hard to change. Most of the time, she still avoided the sunlit deck and stayed inside the cabin.

Laura wasn't on the deck either. She was either studying with Selene or playing video games.

"Where's Loki?"

Ethan looked around and finally discovered that the guy had gone to the warehouse for food. When Ethan ran into him, Loki was holding a pile of fruit, preparing to sunbathe on deck.

Loki really knew how to enjoy life. Even if he spent only a fraction of his thousand-plus years indulging himself, he would still accumulate more experience in food, drink, and entertainment than most people ever could.

Some time ago, Loki had been enlightened by Ethan. With strong enough motivation, he had trained hard for a while. Now that he had reached a certain level, further improvement required long-term accumulation. There was no need to rush, so Loki had returned to his usual relaxed rhythm.

"Are you looking for me?"

Having spent more time together, Loki and Ethan were becoming more like friends.

"I'm planning a plane traversal. Interested?"

Ethan had asked Logan earlier, and after thinking it over, Logan declined. He had no pressing needs and wanted to stay behind to take care of the ship.

If Logan wasn't going, Laura typically wouldn't go either. Despite how hard Logan could be on her, he cared deeply for his daughter. If he didn't go, he usually wouldn't let Laura go either.

Since father and daughter weren't going, Ethan figured Loki might be interested. He also needed time to accumulate strength. But as it turned out, Loki wasn't interested either.

"I plan to relax for a bit. I don't want to jump into another world with you and stay busy for a year."

Ethan shrugged. If Loki didn't want to go, that was fine. That left only Selene.

Fortunately, Selene didn't refuse and was willing to go with Ethan on this traversal.

Before departing, Logan and Laura each gave Ethan a list, asking him to bring back anything on it if possible.

"You think I'm going shopping?"

Logan and Laura both nodded. They clearly did.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 275: Return

Ethan looked around. This was a modern city, but without skyscrapers or similar buildings, so it likely wasn't a major one.

Although it was already getting dark, the surroundings were unnaturally quiet.

While Ethan was still wondering where they had arrived, Selene beside him let out a long breath.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I was just worried we'd end up in a world like Azeroth again." A smile appeared on Selene's face. "I want to buy some things."

Life aboard Ethan's Goddess of Dawn was relatively comfortable, but there was one major issue: people accustomed to modern life found it hard to adapt to the lack of daily necessities in a relatively backward world.

Before Selene joined the Goddess of Dawn, there hadn't been any female crew members aboard, so naturally, no women's supplies had been prepared. Diana stayed for a short while and later bought many items with Pepper, but she had taken them all back to her own world.

Fortunately, Selene was several hundred years old, so she could adapt to this kind of life. However, for certain personal items, modern products were simply more convenient. She had wanted to restock her daily necessities for a long time but was too embarrassed to bring it up to Ethan directly.

"So that's it." It seemed these ladies treated this like a shopping trip. "Next time, just tell me directly."

Ethan looked at his clothes. He was wearing a pair of jeans with a T-shirt and a jacket. He usually chose this type of outfit before a traversal, as it was relatively common across both modern and recent eras. If he ended up in a slightly older time period, he would simply find a place to change—changing modern clothes was simple enough.

Selene, on the other hand, was still dressed in her usual tight leather suit with a leather trench coat over it.

"I will next time."

The two of them had walked a distance down the street but hadn't encountered a single person. This situation was clearly abnormal.

"Something's not right."

Ethan cautiously surveyed the surroundings, even putting on his detection glasses and activating search mode.

As soon as he put them on, he detected someone rapidly approaching. Based on the image displayed through the glasses, the person seemed to be riding a motorcycle and was heading straight toward his current location from a distance.

"Someone's coming. Maybe we should wait here for a bit."

The person was on a motorcycle and wasn't far away when detected. Ethan waited for only a short while at the roadside before seeing a young woman with a ponytail speed past on a motorcycle.

She also saw Ethan and Selene, but only glanced at them and didn't pay much attention.

Ethan, however, couldn't help but focus on her. The woman's appearance seemed very familiar. After carefully searching his memory and considering the travel destinations he had set, he quickly deduced which world they had arrived in.

"No wonder we haven't seen anyone."

Ethan looked around again, then glanced at Selene beside him.

"Although you can buy what you want here, you'll have to wait a while. This city won't work."

"You know where we are?"

"Yes, if I'm not mistaken."

The woman who had just ridden past on the motorcycle should be Claire Redfield. This was the world of Resident Evil, which Ethan had considered visiting for quite some time.



As for his current location, it was the infamous Raccoon City. The timeline he was in was also the most iconic period from Resident Evil 2, when the young Claire Redfield and Leon S. Kennedy had just arrived in Raccoon City.

"A fated encounter. Maybe I should join the fun."

Ethan wanted to witness Claire and Leon's first meeting, which would begin their journey of eating, sleeping, and fighting zombies. It wasn't just because he was a gamer wanting to insert himself into the story. He needed to deduce this world's "plot direction" based on the situation surrounding their encounter.

"Should we chase them?" Selene reminded Ethan. "They've already gone pretty far."

Ethan nodded, and he and Selene turned around and ran in the direction from which they had come.

Both of them had physical abilities far beyond ordinary humans. They ran very fast, not much slower than Claire on her motorcycle.

So, when Ethan saw Claire again, she was just getting off the motorcycle and preparing to enter the nearby diner.

Seeing this, Ethan became certain that this was the main game timeline, not one of the alternate versions like Darkside Chronicles or Operation Raccoon City.

"What do we do next?"

Selene's question was also what Ethan was considering. The main reason he had chosen this world was to acquire its various viruses.

Viruses like the Progenitor Virus, the Leech Virus, the T-Virus, the G-Virus, the Parasite Virus, and that especially difficult-to-pronounce virus that had been repeatedly enhanced later.

As for the later C-Virus, he wasn't considering that for now. The viruses on the list had various effects, and if he could eliminate their side effects, Ethan could guarantee they would significantly enhance both his mental power and physical abilities.

His focus had always been on the viruses. As for what to do or how to proceed, he hadn't thought it through in detail. He hadn't even figured out how to obtain the viruses yet.

"The T-Virus is easy. It's all over the streets."

Ethan looked around. It seemed quiet now, but he knew it was just an illusion. At any moment, a horde of zombies could rush out and try to eat him alive.

While lost in thought, he vaguely heard gunshots. Ethan knew that Claire and Leon had just met, but unfortunately, he had missed the exact moment.

"Let's follow those two for now."

Ethan remembered that, according to the game's plot progression, they would definitely come into contact with the G-Virus. This was because they would meet Sherry Birkin, the daughter of Dr. William Birkin, the creator of the G-Virus. The little girl carried a pendant containing the G-Virus.

If he wanted to get the G-Virus, the simplest way was to stick with Leon. After all, the current Leon was just a rookie police officer, a sunny and naive young man full of a sense of justice. In this situation, Ethan wouldn't even need to say much. As long as he showed up in front of Leon, the rookie would probably ask Ethan to follow him so he could "protect" them as a police officer.

"Let's go."

While contemplating all this, Ethan wasn't idle. He even circled around to the back of the diner. By the time he and Selene arrived, a young man in a police uniform with neatly parted hair was rushing out to the street with Claire.

This young police officer was Leon S. Kennedy. On his first day on the job as a Raccoon City cop, he stumbled into a life-altering catastrophe. Of course, he didn't know any of that yet. What Ethan noticed now was—was this guy just a bit too handsome?

When Leon saw Ethan, his first reaction was to raise his gun.

Ethan might not be afraid of a handgun, but he didn't want to get his face full of bullets for no good reason.

"Don't shoot!"

As soon as Ethan spoke, Leon immediately recognized that Ethan was a normal person, unlike the creatures chasing them. What surprised him was how calm the two newcomers appeared, as if they were completely unfazed by the chaos around them.

Leon would become a top-tier agent in the future, and his natural instincts played a big role in that. Though young and inexperienced now, he could still sense that something was off.

However, there was no time to dwell on that. The fact that Ethan wasn't one of the monsters was enough. As a police officer—even if not officially on duty yet—he had a responsibility to protect civilians.

He glanced around, and a police car parked nearby caught his eye.

"Get in the car."

"Wait."

Ethan immediately stopped Leon. He remembered that a zombie was hidden in this car, which had led to Leon and Claire getting into a crash and being separated.

"Given the current situation, we should check carefully before entering anything." Ethan pointed at the police car. "Even vehicles."

Leon had initially wanted to tell Ethan not to waste time and that they could talk once they were in the car. But after hearing Ethan's words, he had to admit they made sense. If one of those "madmen" was hiding in the car, it would be far more dangerous than facing them on the street.

"You're right."

Claire responded quickly. She had already moved to check the police car and was inspecting it carefully. Soon, she spotted a figure lying under the backseat.

Sweat beaded on Leon's forehead. He imagined what could've gone wrong and gave Ethan a grateful look. Then, he cautiously tried to pull out the unmoving figure, unsure whether the person was dead or alive.

Just as Leon grabbed the collar, the body that had been still like a corpse suddenly moved. But Leon, already prepared, immediately shot it in the head. His earlier encounters had taught him that only headshots could "quiet" these madmen.

Turning around to look behind him, the group of monsters that had chased them out of the alley was being gunned down by the woman in the leather trench coat. Almost every shot was a kill. At this rate, their pursuers would be wiped out before they got close. However, the gunfire had drawn even more attention, and numerous figures were beginning to appear in the distance.

Seeing this, Leon moved faster, rushed to the driver's seat, started the car, and shouted to Claire and Ethan.

"Hurry, get in!"

But Ethan hesitated slightly. He deeply regretted being too slow… and not grabbing the driver's seat himself.

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to mikestarling101 for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉
Chapter 276: Inescapable Fate

In the future, Leon would develop a peculiar trait: most vehicles he touched, whether cars or planes, rarely ended well.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Ethan still sat in the passenger seat. With his current strength, even a car crash wouldn't hurt him, while the two women sat in the back.

The back seat of a police car was extremely uncomfortable, with barely enough room to move one's legs. It was designed to restrict criminals' movement. Even if Ethan weren't a big, muscular man like Logan, it would still be quite uncomfortable.

So Selene and Claire considerately left the passenger seat for Ethan. The two of them, being much slimmer, sat in the back.

It looked like Claire was about to miss out on her "starting gear," but Ethan didn't let that awkward situation happen. As soon as he sat down, he rummaged around and found the pistol, then handed it to Claire in the back seat.

"Aren't you keeping it for yourself?"

Ethan smiled and nodded at the young woman, then pulled a Beretta from inside his coat (actually from his storage space), indicating that he already had a weapon.

"What exactly happened here?"

Leon assumed Ethan and Selene were locals. He had just arrived and hadn't even officially started his job yet, so he had no idea what was going on.

"I'm not sure either. Actually, I just got here too, and then I saw these zombie-like monsters everywhere."

Ethan didn't want to reveal too much too soon. Leon might be a little naive, but he wasn't stupid. If Ethan started spouting too much information, this righteous rookie cop might just try to arrest him.

Even if he were going to reveal the truth, it should only be after they had built a certain level of trust. Right now, they were still strangers.

"When I rode in, I think I saw you on the road."

Claire had felt the two looked familiar from the start. Now, she remembered that shortly after she rode into Raccoon City, there had been two people standing at the roadside. They must've been Ethan and Selene.

"Yeah. That's why we specifically followed you."

Claire didn't know how these two had managed to catch up to her on a motorcycle, but they seemed well-intentioned. She couldn't figure out why they hadn't stopped her earlier. Still, in an environment full of monsters, it wasn't fair to assume the worst of others.

She was a smart girl. Though she had many questions, she still expressed her thanks at this moment.

Whether or not it was due to Ethan's interference, the car didn't meet with any disaster this time. However, they couldn't continue forward either.

"The whole street is blocked by all kinds of debris. We might have to find some side paths."

Ethan tried hard to recall what he remembered from Resident Evil. He recalled that the official story often had the protagonists traveling through side routes. Although it was more troublesome on foot, it prevented them from being overwhelmed by the endless monsters on the main streets.

So the game's "escape route" involved winding through back alleys, minimizing encounters with monsters.

"Are you familiar with this place?"

"I only know the general direction."

Leon shook his head helplessly and pointed into the distance—the direction of the police station, which was also their current destination.

According to Leon, with something this serious happening in the city, the police station must have a final line of defense. There might be survivors there or people who knew what was going on.

At the very least, they could restock their weapons and ammunition. He only had one pistol with very few rounds left. Claire, aside from the pistol she'd just received, only had a dagger.

Ethan naturally had more than enough weapons, but there was no need to show them off for now, so he only took out a Beretta for the time being.

The one carrying the most weapons was Selene. She was used to carrying gear. Inside her trench coat were two Beretta 93R automatic pistols and plenty of spare magazines.

"Want to hear my suggestion?"

"What suggestion?"

Ahead on the street were several wandering zombies. These things were trivial in Ethan's eyes, but Leon, as a rookie cop, was a little nervous. He was torn between clearing them out carefully or rushing through the gaps. These monsters were slow to react and didn't move quickly.

"Try smashing their heads with melee weapons."

Ethan picked up a pipe from the roadside. He didn't know what it came from, but it was usable. He lifted it and charged straight at the nearest zombie, plunging the pipe into its head before it could react.

The virus had corroded the zombies' skulls, making them fragile. It didn't take much force to destroy them.

Ethan casually pulled the pipe back out, then returned to Leon's side.

"Pipes or fire axes work really well."

Leon nodded. He saw it too. These creatures were slow to react and move. As long as they didn't swarm all at once, they could easily be handled with a pipe or fire axe.

This also saved what little ammunition they had. However, this kind of task clearly wasn't suitable for the two women, so it seemed the work would fall to him and...

"Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Leon Kennedy."

They should have introduced themselves in the car, but with all the chaos, they'd forgotten. It wasn't until now that they realized they didn't even know each other's names.

"Claire Redfield."

Claire wasn't a fragile girl. Under her tough brother's influence, this nineteen-year-old had become just as resilient. Without needing a reminder, she had already picked up a pipe from the roadside.

"Selene."

Selene didn't pick up anything. But Claire and Leon both recognized the automatic pistols in her hands and felt reassured knowing someone was ready to provide covering fire if needed.

"Ethan."

Leon nodded and didn't ask further. Just knowing what to call him was enough. He looked around, eventually grabbing a similar iron rod, and began clearing the street with Ethan.

Fortunately, there weren't too many zombies. The two of them easily handled them. But their way forward was blocked, so they had to cut through a nearby alley.

There were also two zombies wandering in the alley. Ethan and Leon took care of them too. They didn't consider turning back, since a gun shop was right ahead.

Ethan had always wanted to complain about the shop owner. In a situation like this, he hadn't reinforced the giant floor-to-ceiling glass wall... Where did he get the confidence that it could stop zombies?

The four entered the gun shop and encountered the unlucky shop owner. This time, he didn't come over to lock the door—Ethan had already done it himself.

Before the owner could speak, Ethan pointed at the glass wall beside them. "You don't have a security shutter or anything?"

The owner seemed to realize his mistake and quickly activated the automatic shutter to cover the glass wall.

"Thanks for the reminder, young man." The shop owner extended his hand to shake Ethan's. "It's rare to see normal folks these days. Sorry I was a bit agitated earlier."

As soon as they'd entered, the owner had pointed a shotgun at them. Fortunately, he hadn't fired immediately. Otherwise, Ethan couldn't guarantee Leon, who entered first, wouldn't have been shot dead.

After all, this was the real world. No one knew if the guy's hand would tremble and pull the trigger.

"We're heading to the police station. Want to come with us?"

"I don't think that's a good idea. There are damn monsters everywhere." The shop owner didn't want to leave his stronghold. He had weapons here and felt it was safer to hold out.

But Ethan quickly shattered that illusion. "If the city really is overrun with those monsters, then staying here is just waiting to die. You've got plenty of weapons, but they're still limited. What about food and water? In a situation like this, do you think rescue will come in a couple of days?"

The owner thought it over and had to admit Ethan was right.

This was just a small shop, and he usually didn't store food or water. He could maybe hold out for a day or two. If no rescue came by then, he wouldn't even have the strength to run to safety.

"You're right."

The shop owner finally agreed to go with them and introduced himself: Robert Kendo. The team of four became five. Their next task was to make the best use of the resources here.

This was a gun shop. If they didn't take full advantage and stock up, were they really going to just walk out with two boxes of 9mm bullets like in the game?

After restocking on ammo and grabbing a few long guns, Leon breathed a sigh of relief. Now he didn't have to face a city full of zombies with only a pistol and a few bullets.

Even though he had enough ammo, Leon still took a fire axe. He felt Ethan's advice was solid. Against a small number of enemies, the axe worked better and wouldn't attract more attention like gunshots would.

At that moment, there was a sudden explosion outside. Given the chaos in the city, an explosion wasn't unusual, but this one sounded close.

Ethan suddenly had a strange feeling. Maybe the car they had abandoned earlier still hadn't escaped its predetermined fate.

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to mikestarling101 for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉
Chapter 277: Going to the Police Station

Fully armed, the group exited the gun shop through the back door. Following Robert Kendo's directions, they could navigate through the alley behind his store to reach the vicinity of the police station. With the main road completely blocked, they had no other choice.

Leon, holding a shotgun, led the way. He insisted on taking point to scout for the group, and no one objected. At least he was wearing a full set of gear, which provided some degree of protection—better than the others, who were dressed in regular clothing.

Especially Claire. She was wearing a sleeveless denim vest and hot pants, leaving her arms and legs completely exposed. If a zombie ambushed her and took a bite, she'd be at least half-crippled, and likely infected.

Ethan recalled that, according to the lore, the T-virus wasn't 100% infectious. About one in ten people were naturally immune. This was why, despite the widespread outbreak in Raccoon City, there were still many uninfected survivors, and quite a few managed to escape from this living nightmare.

Leon and Claire hadn't said whether they were immune, but the odds were high.

What was certain was that Ethan had no fear of the T-virus.

"Which way now?"

Leon, walking in front, had been navigating the alley for some time but couldn't determine the exact direction. He had to turn back to Robert Kendo, hoping the gun shop owner could guide him.

Robert looked around, then shook his head helplessly. "A lot of roads are blocked. We'll have to take a detour."

Although the most direct route was impassable, this didn't stump Robert, the local expert. He quickly pointed out a new path, and the group continued to move cautiously.

The alley wasn't easy to traverse, but compared to the main roads swarming with zombies and monsters, the occasional lone zombie here was far more manageable. Leon didn't need any help or even his firearm. Wielding a fire axe, he cleared a relatively safe path for the group.

"Young man, you'll make a reliable police officer."

"Thanks for the compliment. But right now, I just want to get everyone safely to the police station."

Ethan shook his head inwardly. While watching their surroundings, he was also paying attention to the group and didn't miss the conversation between the two ahead. Hearing Leon's words, he poured a bit of cold water on the idea.

"We shouldn't be far from the station now, right?"

Robert didn't quite understand the intent behind Ethan's question, but still nodded. "If the roads weren't blocked, we'd have already reached the police station."

Despite the detour, the straight-line distance to the station was quite short.

"At this distance, if the police station had established a defense line, there's no way we wouldn't hear gunfire."

Not only Leon, but Robert and Claire also froze in place.

Gunshots are loud—generally exceeding 110 decibels, even with a suppressor. At such close range, if the station had a defense line and with so many zombies around, firefights would have occurred. In other words, there should be sounds of gunfire.

But they had been walking for at least twenty minutes since leaving the gun shop and hadn't heard a single shot. It didn't feel like a place with a functioning defense line. The realization dampened their spirits, and for a moment, they hesitated—should they still head to the police station?

Ethan understood their reaction. The police station was their only hope, the driving force behind their progress through this dangerous environment. And now, before they even reached their goal, Ethan had casually cast doubt on it.

"No matter what, we still have to check it out. There's no turning back now."

When they left the gun shop, the sound of zombies banging against the rolling shutter and front door was already echoing outside. Judging from the noise, a large group of zombies had gathered. Going back would be suicide.

Their only option was forward. Reach the police station, then assess the next steps.

"That's right. Even if the police station has fallen, at least we can resupply and then escape the city together."

Leon quickly composed himself. There was no better alternative. He only hoped the station's condition wasn't too dire, and ideally, there would still be survivors.

Even if Leon hadn't insisted, Claire would have. She had come to Raccoon City to find her brother, Chris, who had been out of contact for some time. Worried something had happened, she came to investigate personally.

But the moment she arrived, she found the city in chaos. She now understood why Chris had lost contact. Her concern deepened, and she wouldn't rest until she checked the Raccoon City Police Department to confirm his situation.

It had to be said, Claire's mental fortitude was impressive. Despite the danger, she never considered retreating. Instead, she pushed forward even more decisively.

"You must confirm your brother's whereabouts?"

Along the way, Claire explained why she had to go to the station. This solidified Leon's resolve as well. Robert, upon learning that Claire was Chris's sister, also voiced his full support.

Then the three of them turned to look at Ethan.

They thought Ethan might object, since he had been the first to suggest that the police station might not be in good condition and didn't seem supportive of going there.

What they didn't know was that Ethan was the one most eager to go. If he didn't go to the police station, he wouldn't meet Sherry Birkin. And without Sherry Birkin, how would he get the G-virus?

"What are you looking at me for?" Ethan shrugged. "Alright, I'll go ahead with Leon and scout."

The group smiled, then continued carefully through the alley. When they finally reached a road, the side of the police station was already in sight.

"As long as we can get past these obstacles."

A large bus was parked diagonally ahead, and along with surrounding debris, it blocked the entire road.

Fortunately, this wasn't a game. They could climb over the obstacles or even pass through the bus. In short, the blockage wasn't insurmountable, but they still had to watch out for zombies approaching from the front and beyond the barrier. The monsters had already sensed fresh human flesh and were shuffling toward them.

"The zombies aren't attacking the station, and there's no sound from inside. That can't be good."

No one was stupid. Robert was particularly glad he hadn't stubbornly stayed behind in his shop. He had hoped the police would stabilize the situation and come to his rescue in a few days. But now, it seemed the police couldn't even save themselves. Hoping for a rescue was unrealistic.

As Robert became slightly distracted, someone suddenly yanked him backward. He stumbled a few steps. Claire helped steady him, and then he saw a seemingly dead body on the ground suddenly twitch. If he hadn't been pulled away just now, he might've been bitten.

Ethan, the one who had pulled Robert, raised his hand and bashed the zombie's head in with the iron pipe. In this world, he didn't have many chances to show his true strength. These zombies were weak and posed no threat to him. It wouldn't be wrong to say he was here for a "live game experience."

Looking at the horde in front of him, Ethan twirled the iron pipe in his hand with practiced ease. With a few flicks and swings, zombies fell one after another. Leon was deeply impressed. He couldn't help but wonder if Ethan had trained professionally. How could his movements be so fluid?

"Have you trained in something? Swordsmanship? Staff techniques?"

His police training hadn't taught him how to use a fire axe to fight zombies. And he certainly couldn't wield an iron pipe like Ethan, defeating enemies so effortlessly. He thought he was doing pretty well with the axe, struggling through one zombie at a time. But when he looked up, Ethan had already dropped several. The gap was obvious.

"You're just not suited to this weapon."

How could a stylish protagonist like Leon go around wielding a fire axe? That was more fitting for someone rugged, like Robert. Leon needed something cooler.

"I've studied some swordsmanship, and from a professional point of view, you've got potential. I suggest you try a two-handed greatsword. That would suit you better."

Leon thought Ethan was joking. Where was he supposed to find a greatsword in this kind of setting? Still, he started wondering if maybe he really wasn't suited to the fire axe. So he swapped with Robert, grabbed an iron pipe, held it with both hands like Ethan, and began swinging it at the zombies' heads.

He quickly realized that it was indeed much easier to use than the axe. Was it possible he really had a talent for swords?

With the two men leading the way, the two women and the older man took up the rear, watching for threats from behind. Working together and watching each other's backs, they quickly reached the side door of the police station.

The door was locked, presumably to keep out zombies. But it didn't stop the group. Claire knew how to pick locks. Using a random tool she had picked up earlier, she deftly opened the door, and they successfully entered the station.

Passing through a small garden, they cleared a few zombies along the way as usual, then finally stepped into the main police building.

"The situation… doesn't look good."

The spacious police lobby was in disarray. Items were strewn everywhere, and bloodstains covered the floor. Temporary beds had been set up, and judging by the piles of discarded bandages and first-aid tools nearby, this had clearly served as a triage area.

But no one focused on that.

What worried them most… was that not a single person was in sight.

(To be continued.)