Violent flames and explosions suddenly erupted on the face of Hilda, the aquatic monster. With just one strike, Hilda's protective membrane was shattered, damaging the flesh beneath and causing Hilda to let out a pained shriek.
"Hiss…!!!"
Turning to look, a black arrow was firmly embedded in Hilda's long neck. The barbs of the arrowhead were deeply lodged in the flesh, making it difficult to shake out. Remnants of exploded plastic tape, containing what looked like explosives, clung to the shaft.
And because of this sudden attack and pain, the six long spear-like tentacles that were about to touch Leon and Krauser's backs quickly softened and retracted, allowing the two to barely escape.
But who was it…?
Thinking this, Leon and Krauser glanced around, trying to find the archer who had lent them aid, but found no trace. This indicated that the arrow was shot from a very long distance, and to hit the target from so far away meant the archer's skill was very precise.
Archery…?
Could it be a native hunter from the Amazon Rainforest? That would certainly be possible, as indigenous people's archery skills can indeed reach such a level. But since when did… indigenous people start using explosives?
A cyberpunk Amazon hunter—?
However, before Leon could think clearly, another black arrow swiftly shot towards them.
"Whoosh—!"
"Bang… Boom!!!"
A whooshing sound filled the air as the black arrow streaked like lightning. Before Hilda could react, it struck her body. The arrow, carrying portable explosives, glowed with red light. As the light faded, another violent explosion and flames erupted, their powerful force making Hilda scream in pain—
"Roar, roar, roar—!!!"
With two explosion wounds on her body and an inability to discern the attacker's direction, Hilda, as a monster, immediately decided to retreat.
Her smooth head spotted her dazed daughter, Manuela, nearby. The retracted tentacles instantly lashed out towards Manuela, intending to take her daughter and flee the area.
But unfortunately,
"Bang, bang, bang, bang—!!!"
Leon and Krauser, quick as lightning, instantly took action.
They would not allow this monster to harm the pure and flawless beautiful girl before them.
Their firearms were quickly reloaded, and they fired again towards Hilda. Several golden bullets rapidly embedded themselves in Hilda's body, splattering blood.
After all, Hilda's membrane shell had already been destroyed by the explosive arrows from the bow, allowing pistol bullets to easily penetrate her defenses.
Feeling another jolt of pain, as if electrocuted, Hilda abruptly retracted her tentacles.
Looking at her daughter Manuela, Leon and Krauser standing ready beside her, and the unknown arrows striking from afar, Hilda, as a monster, found herself in a dilemma. She wanted to take her daughter, but it seemed these people would fiercely obstruct her.
Helplessly, Hilda, with her limited intelligence, ultimately followed her biological instinct to temporarily flee. Her massive body suddenly plunged into the river beneath the floating wood of the water church. With a "plop," a large splash erupted, and then she vanished without a trace.
The crisis was temporarily over…
But this did not cause Leon and Krauser, who were inside the water church, to lower their guard. They were still unsure whether the person who had just supported them with the explosive bow outside the church was a friend or foe. They remained vigilant, holding their pistols and guarding the main entrance.
However, before they could speculate for long…
The archer slowly walked towards the water church. He wore a breathable camouflage short-sleeved shirt, tactical pants, and jungle boots. He carried a slightly bulky tactical backpack, and two prominent Desert Eagles were holstered on his thigh, along with a Dog Leg Knife. He had neat black short hair, an unshaven chin, and a mixed-race face.
The person who arrived was Javier—
Behind him was the medical support, Rebecca, wearing a camouflage sun hat and long-sleeved camouflage to avoid insect bites. Rebecca was well-covered, and she also carried a sizable backpack on her back, filled not with weapons, but with various medicines and her medical tools.
After all, as a medic, she only needed to fulfill her duty. Offense was Javier's job. She only carried a Desert Eagle that Javier had given her.
And that explosive arrow just now was not from an explosive hunting bow, but an explosive crossbow.
While hunting bows are fast, their range, accuracy, and penetration cannot compare to a crossbow. The only drawback of a crossbow is its slower rate of fire. After considering the performance of both, Javier resolutely chose the crossbow. In Resident Evil… destructive power is everything!
Besides, a bow requires long-term training for the user, but a crossbow doesn't; it can be learned quickly and even comes with a scope. By all accounts, the crossbow is more suitable.
After all, if it had been a bow just now, given Javier's archery skills, even with the enhancement of the Causal Law Gun-Shake Technique, it would have been difficult to hit the target with 100% accuracy. In that case, it probably wouldn't have been Hilda exploding, but Leon and Krauser!
"Javier…?!"
"How is he here?!"
Without a doubt, Leon was surprised the moment he saw Javier. Since the Raccoon City incident, they hadn't seen each other for four years. Although four years had matured Javier's appearance considerably, even leaving him with a beard, Leon still recognized him.
"You know him…?"
Seeing this, Krauser, who was beside him, was also surprised. After all, to find someone you know in this godforsaken Amazon Rainforest in South America—the probability of that… it was incredibly astounding, like winning a million-dollar lottery. However, Krauser's eyes quickly darkened, and his right hand slowly moved to the dagger at his waist!
"Shh…"
As just mentioned, for two people who hadn't seen each other in four years to meet in such a remote part of the Amazon Rainforest in South America, it was absolutely no coincidence. Only one explanation was possible: the other party was likely on the same mission as them, otherwise, they wouldn't appear at the same time!
And Krauser's speculation was undoubtedly correct. He was indeed an experienced Red Berets special forces soldier. At the same time… since they were on the same mission, Krauser could consider him a competitor for the job. If the other party dared to seize the T-Veronica Virus needed for his mission, Krauser would absolutely show him a thing or two.
Even if the other party was someone Leon knew, it didn't matter.
After all, he worked for the United States Government, not out of inner justice. No… it should be said that he had very little justice in his heart to begin with—
However, compared to Krauser's vigilance, Javier and Rebecca were much more relaxed. Because Javier was certain that Leon and Krauser could not pose a danger to him, there was no need for caution.
"Long time no see, Leon…"
"I didn't expect us to be so lucky to meet in this godforsaken place. How is it? Being an agent for the United States Government for four years wasn't easy, was it?"
Slowly walking forward, Javier proactively greeted Leon. This friendly gesture immediately eased the tense atmosphere between Leon and Krauser slightly.
"Javier, was that explosive crossbow bolt you fired just now? Thanks, you saved our lives just in time. I still owe you a favor from the Raccoon City incident, and now I owe you again. But how did you two end up here?"
In response, Leon also extended his hand and shook Javier's hand warmly. Politeness before action, after greeting him, Leon directly and bluntly asked Javier about his purpose, which made Krauser on the side break out in a cold sweat. His hand gripping the dagger trembled uncontrollably. This idiot, does he have no skill at all in extracting information through conversation?
So direct, what's the difference between that and prying information out of their mouths?
However, in reality, Leon did have conversational skills for extracting information; it was just that… Leon understood that Javier across from him was far more cunning than he was. Leon had already learned this during the Raccoon City incident. Therefore, when facing such an old fox, there was really no need to beat around the bush; being direct would actually yield better results—
Chapter 11: Defibrillator
Because they didn't know each other, coupled with this unexpected coincidence and Leon's thoughtless, direct conversation, Krauser was so nervous. After all, this was his experience as a Red Berets special forces soldier.
But if a conflict really did break out, he would undoubtedly be the first to thrust his blade through Javier's throat!
After all, just from a first impression, Krauser judged that Javier was not a qualified soldier. He had the ability and confidence to subdue the other party in an instant, even though that explosive crossbow shot just now was indeed very surprising.
But carrying heavy loads in the rainforest, with two heavy Desert Eagles as secondary weapons—even Krauser, who was as strong as an ox, wouldn't carry such a high-recoil, low-capacity weapon.
The Desert Eagle… it's not a weapon suitable for the battlefield. It's a hunting pistol. Using it in real combat? You've watched too many movies!
Furthermore, regarding that Dog Leg Knife, Krauser, as an expert on blades, scoffed. He admitted that the Dog Leg Knife had great power, its heavy blade could easily sever an opponent's joints and bones.
However, precisely because of this, the heavy blade was very tiring to wield, and it only had one edge. Once a move was made, it couldn't be reversed, and it didn't even have a handguard. In a fight, it would be very easy for one's fingers to be sliced off. These flaws alone made Krauser unwilling to choose this knife.
It was nowhere near as useful as his Viper Dagger. The Viper Dagger was long, light, and hard; an inch longer, an inch stronger, it could easily pierce through an opponent's muscles. As for power? Weren't his ox-strong arms enough?
Therefore, apart from that explosive crossbow, Krauser didn't think Javier was a formidable character. After all, he was a former elite special forces soldier who had served in the Red Berets—!
However, Krauser also underestimated one thing.
The only reason Javier chose these weapons was for their destructive power. His weapons were never intended for people, but for bio-monsters. Therefore, it was normal for Krauser to consider him a third-rate soldier.
…
"We are here on a mission,"
"Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Havier Li, an Asian-mixed race, Chinese nationality, and a former member of the Raccoon City S.T.A.R.S. The unit has since disbanded. I am now a soldier working for myself. Hmm… you could also call me a mercenary, it doesn't really matter,"
"This is Rebecca Chambers, a pharmacology expert, biology expert, medical expert, and currently a senior bio-virus researcher for the United States Government. She was my partner during my time in S.T.A.R.S. As logistics, she is here to assist me in completing the mission,"
"As for what mission we're on,"
"It's very simple. There seem to be reports of a bio-virus outbreak here, and it's the latest type of bio-virus. So we came to the Amazon Rainforest to investigate this matter. Additionally, we need to take someone with us,"
Calmly, Javier did not get angry at Leon's direct question. Instead, he explained seriously, though the first two sentences were directed at Krauser, as Krauser did not know Javier or Rebecca.
"…"
"Take someone? Who?!"
Javier's honest answer surprised both Leon and Krauser. Perhaps it was just a feeling, but Javier gave Leon the impression not of righteousness, but of a very clear profit motive. If someone could offer him benefits, then helping to eliminate a bio-virus was no problem, a trivial matter to do on the side.
But occasionally, for some benefit, he would part ways with those who held justice in their hearts, showing a very clear difference in values. Of course, Javier also had his own inner moral bottom line; he could do bad things, but not overly evil ones.
He was a complex and morally neutral guy—
Therefore, when Javier said he was going to take someone, Leon immediately realized something was amiss. Perhaps investigating the bio-virus in the Amazon Rainforest was a pretense, and taking the person was the real objective.
After all, Javier's past personality was like this: he wouldn't do good deeds for no reason, unless it was a threat to him or offered a benefit.
So, this so-called 'taking someone'—that person must be very important! Thus, with almost no hesitation, Leon continued to ask directly.
After all, they were not on the same path. If the person Javier was taking was related to the bio-virus, then Leon could not simply let Javier do such a thing. Bio-viruses… these things should not be researched or developed.
"…"
"This idiot…"
Facing Leon's directness, Krauser's veins were already bulging with anger. He couldn't help but inwardly curse Leon, his foolish trainee. How had he taught this guy? In such a tense atmosphere, this fellow continued to provoke the other party with blunt words?