Chapter 42: Main Quest - The Leech Crisis

"Senior, look at this!" exclaimed Rebecca to Zhang Fan as they walked together. They had only taken a few steps when a capsized troop carrier appeared before them, along with two bodies lying on the ground, evidently dead for quite some time.

New development? Zhang Fan immediately went to investigate, while Rebecca called the rest of the team. Soon, everyone gathered and frowned at the sight of the gruesome scene.

Rebecca's discovery of a document then cleared everyone's confusion. The overturned troop carrier had been transporting a prisoner named Billy Coen, a former Navy lieutenant, 26 years old. He had been convicted of murdering 23 people during a mission in Africa and was due to be executed.

From his photo, the young and dashing Coen seemed an unlikely death row inmate.

"These poor soldiers were just doing their duty and were killed by this scum!" exclaimed pilot Edward, holding the file, his hatred for such criminals evident in his voice.

"It's not that simple!" Zhang Fan unexpectedly found a new clue that startled everyone.

"What's the matter?" everyone asked, gathering around him. Wasn't this just a simple case of murder and escape?

"Look here, this unusual slime," Zhang Fan pointed to the overturned troop carrier, shining his flashlight on it. Everyone then noticed a transparent, slowly oozing slime that clearly didn't belong to the vehicle. What was it? All eyes turned to Zhang Fan.

"Why are you all looking at me? I don't know everything! But if I'm right, this slime is connected to those things we've encountered before," Zhang Fan said, somewhat helplessly. He couldn't be sure, but it was clear that the wounds on the bodies were not inflicted by a human in such a short time.

The scene suggested that Lieutenant Coen hadn't had the time to commit these acts. There were no signs of a struggle. Would these two soldiers have been so easily overpowered without resistance? It seemed unlikely, so Coen was temporarily ruled out as a suspect.

"Those things..." Everyone shivered at the thought of those horrifying creatures they'd encountered before. Was it happening again?

"Continue the mission, but keep a close eye on the distance between each other. Keep it within three meters," ordered Captain Enrico. He had no choice but to proceed with the mission. Just then, Zhang Fan received a new mission.

Main Mission 1: The Leech Crisis - Kill the Leech Queen. Reward: 3000 game points and a random bronze-level weapon.

Side Mission 2: Save the members of Team B. For each surviving member at the end of the mission, earn 1000 game points.

The Leech Crisis? The Leech Queen? What were these things? This abrupt and baffling mission left Zhang Fan bewildered and frustrated. He regretted not playing the Resident Evil series more, which might have prepared him for this chaotic situation.

As for the side mission, it seemed straightforward: save his teammates. Zhang Fan wasn't a savior, but he couldn't stand by and watch his comrades die. He couldn't prevent the outbreak of the biohazard, but he could save his friends.

The seven members of Team B cautiously navigated the dim forest. Zhang Fan, trained by Xiaolei and Xiaotong, was adept at night operations. But Rebecca struggled with the dim light and the glare from the tactical flashlights, feeling dizzy.

"Don't just focus on the light from the flashlight; let your eyes adjust to the darkness," Zhang Fan advised Rebecca softly, helping her understand.

"Thank you, Senior Zhang Fan," Rebecca gratefully acknowledged his help, blushing slightly. She scolded herself internally, reminding herself to focus on the mission at hand.

"What's that!" Suddenly, Kenney cried out, having glimpsed several swift shadows. What were they?

"What did you see?" The team quickly gathered around Kenney, but no one else had seen the shadows. Enrico's brow furrowed deeply. If even the vigilant Kenney couldn't identify them, how fast were they?

"I don't know, just some shadows," Kenney shook his head.

"There! Zombie dogs!" Zhang Fan sharply noticed movement at the seven o'clock direction. Four figures, unmistakably the infamous zombie dogs from the Resident Evil universe.

The team, familiar with zombie dogs, knew of their speed and ferocity. If an ordinary person faced them, it would likely end badly. But these four zombie dogs were no match for a team of S.T.A.R.S. elites.

As Zhang Fan fired his P5K, the rest of the team quickly followed suit, efficiently killing the zombie dogs before they could get too close.

The zombie dogs yielded only 20 points each, and Zhang Fan was credited with killing only two, missing out on 40 points.

"Such creatures exist!" The team breathed a sigh of relief after defeating the dogs, but they were unaware that this was just the beginning.

"Good job, Zhang Fan," praised Foster, as Enrico gave further orders. Zhang Fan's quick reaction had spared the team from a potentially disastrous encounter. They were fortunate he was there.

Their cautious advance continued, with Zhang Fan now experienced in nocturnal operations thanks to Xiaolei and Xiaotong's training. Rebecca, however, still struggled with the dim environment and the flashlight's glare.

"Stop focusing on the light from the flashlight. Let your eyes adjust to the darkness," Zhang Fan gently advised Rebecca, helping her understand.

"Thank you, Senior Zhang Fan," Rebecca gratefully acknowledged, her cheeks flushing with gratitude. She scolded herself for being distracted, reminding herself of the mission's importance.

"What's that!" Suddenly, Kenney cried out, having spotted several swift shadows. What were they?

"What did you see?" The team quickly gathered around Kenney. No one else had seen the shadows, and Enrico's brow furrowed deeply. If even the vigilant Kenney couldn't identify them, how fast were they?

"I'm not sure, just some shadows," Kenney shook his head.

"There! Zombie dogs!" Zhang Fan sharply spotted movement at the seven o'clock direction. Four figures emerged, unmistakably the infamous zombie dogs from the Resident Evil universe.

The team, familiar with zombie dogs, knew of their speed and ferocity. If an ordinary person faced them, it would likely end badly. But these four zombie dogs were no match for a team of S.T.A.R.S. elites.

As Zhang Fan fired his P5K, the rest of the team quickly followed suit, efficiently killing the zombie dogs before they could get too close.

The zombie dogs yielded only 20 points each, and Zhang Fan was credited with killing only two, missing out on 40 points.

"Such creatures exist!" The team breathed a sigh of relief after defeating the dogs, but they were unaware that this was just the beginning.

"Good job, Zhang Fan," praised Foster, as Enrico gave further orders. Zhang Fan's quick reaction had spared the team from a potentially disastrous encounter. They were fortunate he was there.