The moon was high and the wind was strong. In this silent village night, everything felt chilling.
From the swamp, several mud-covered monsters gradually crawled out. These monsters looked similar to humans, but when they stood up, it was clear they were indeed monsters. Their eyes were blood-red, suggesting they were infected with some kind of virus or the Plaga.
Sophia, drowsy and just about to fall asleep, was shaken awake.
Eddie tossed her a gun. "Monsters are coming. Take care of yourself."
Startled, Sophia quickly picked up the gun and said urgently, "Are you abandoning me?"
Eddie was speechless. "Madam, nothing has happened between us. This isn't called abandonment."
Sophia straightened up. "I'm not a madam, I'm a miss. I'm not married, and I don't have a boyfriend!"
"Suit yourself. Just be careful." After saying this, Eddie fired a shot out the window into the darkness.
A miserable scream followed; it was a villager whose head had been shot open.
Jill and Hilda could both see in the dark; everything was perfectly clear to them.
Eddie was originally planning to leave, but Jill didn't agree. She hadn't been out on a mission for a while and needed a satisfying fight.
Jill, who usually suppressed her violent tendencies, began a major outburst, kicking the swamp monsters away one by one.
She freely used close-quarters combat to break the necks of the roaring Swamp Majini running toward her. After a head was shattered and the parasite burst out, Jill unhesitatingly took out her Samurai Edge and killed the insect with a single, perfect shot.
Eddie simply stood in front of the house, smoking a cigarette and watching his wife unleash her violence.
The virus brought powerful strength, but it also bred violent tendencies. Letting off steam occasionally was a good thing.
Sophia gradually adapted to the dark environment. She saw Jill occasionally floating directly in the air, and that heroic, valiant demeanor completely stunned her.
"Do you want power?" Eddie's voice suddenly sounded in her ear.
Sophia was slightly uncomfortable. "Are you kidding me?"
"I'm serious. I'm asking you, do you want power?" Eddie asked again.
Sophia took a deep breath. "What price do I have to pay?"
"Absolute obedience to me. As long as it doesn't harm our interests, you can feed some benefits back to your family. Remember, it's *us*. Once you join my team, you can't stand idly by!" Eddie's voice carried an invisible magic.
Sophia's breathing was ragged, her beautiful eyes fixed on Jill outside the house. That power, that incredible strength, the ability that completely defied the laws of physics—it all seemed dreamlike to her.
The most important point was that Sophia noticed Jill looked extremely young. By all accounts, Jill, who should have been over thirty this year, shouldn't look so youthful.
Not only was she young and had good skin, but her physical fitness was also excellent. This was something no woman could refuse: beauty, youth, powerful strength, and perfect health. It was impossible to reject.
"What do I need to do?" Sophia's breathing was quickening.
"Think. Think about whether you can put your family aside and prioritize our cause first, before all other trivial matters!" Eddie's voice sounded like a demon, leading Sophia step by step toward temptation.
Chapter 535: Not Jill, Then Who Is It?
"You truly are a devil!" Sophia said reluctantly, then lowered her head. "Can I think about it?"
"Of course. But can you tell me why you couldn't beat a few villagers?" Eddie smiled, deciding to help answer the question of a puzzled reader.
Sophia looked up and glared at the man. "Those weren't ordinary villagers. After taking fatal damage, parasites would burst out of their necks. Those parasites have sharp appendages, and they killed all my guards."
"I was just negotiating weapons with a local armed faction, but they were perfectly normal until they suddenly went mad halfway through the discussion. You have no idea I'd been dodging them for two days. By then, I had very little strength left, my ammunition was gone, and everyone was dead. Do you know that despair?" Sophia roared, sounding like a wounded lioness.
Eddie nodded. "Yes, I've experienced that kind of despair too. In the Mansion in the Arklay Mountains, Jill and I encountered a huge number of zombies and Zombie Dogs. Our ammunition ran out, but luckily, we were strong enough to survive."
"You two were very lucky," Sophia said softly.
"That's why relying on yourself is better than relying on others. Do you know what my dream is?" Eddie leaned in and whispered with a mischievous grin.
"What?" Sophia was intrigued.
"To live better, stay eternally young, and achieve immortality! Look, I've already taken the first step. Those poor souls are still hesitating because of the threshold." Eddie whispered again.
"Look at this power, this strength, this youth! As long as it doesn't harm our interests, I don't mind you helping your family, just like Excella. I never question her actions." Eddie offered another condition that was hard to refuse.
Sophia looked up, her eyes showing struggle. "Is everything you're saying true?"
"Of course. I don't object to you funding your family. They raised you, and then they'll marry you to me so you can bear my children. Even if they don't get credit, they've certainly put in the effort." Eddie chuckled mischievously.
Sophia gritted her teeth. "Then I accept. Count me in!"
"Very good. You will get what you want. But before that, I will observe your performance. Only if you pass will you gain power." Eddie nodded with satisfaction. He felt strange, though—it was starting to feel like running a pyramid scheme and brainwashing people!
Half an hour later, the Majini mob lurking here had been completely wiped out. Jill didn't even break a sweat; this level of fighting was just a warm-up.
Eddie tossed her a cigarette. "Satisfied?"
Jill lit the cigarette, took a drag, and exhaled the smoke, looking incredibly cool. "Absolutely. This trip out was well worth it. It was fantastic!"
Early the next morning, the four of them continued their journey and arrived at another marked village. Chris and his team had also arrived here and were fighting some parasitic villagers in front of the village, along with some Zombie Dogs.
Under the attack of professional forces, the firepower coverage was sufficient. Many combat strategies against these monsters had been developed, so they did not cause the massive casualties seen in Raccoon City.
"Eddie? What brings you here?" Chris asked, confused.
"We followed some clues. Our camp was attacked by local armed groups. It's not safe around here, so we're fighting and retreating. What about you? Where is Sheva and her team?" Eddie countered.
"Sheva's squad went to corner Irving. We are chasing him here, pushing him to the brink," Chris explained.
There were quite a few advanced Majini in the village, including tall, obese black men who were immune to assault rifles, and Executioners dressed terrifyingly and wielding large axes.
However, without exception, they all died under grenade launchers. If bullets couldn't handle it, bombs would solve the problem.
Pushing forward with overwhelming firepower, these primitive, crude rioters could not inflict much effective damage.
Firearms versus cold weapons—it was a massacre!
Everyone arrived at the control room and saw Leon pointing a gun at Irving; the two were talking about something.
Chris kicked the door open and raised his gun. "Don't move, Irving, you are under arrest. Leon, he's a wanted criminal. Stay away from him."
"Tell me now, where is Morpheus?" Leon shouted, pointing his gun at Irving.
This scene made Eddie's expression strange. Was there some secret between these two?
Irving, however, chuckled. "I don't know who you're talking about, but I do know there was a weird guy named Morpheus or something in a lab near the volcano. I don't know if he's the person you're looking for. You cover me, and I can tell you the location."
Chris shouted, "Don't listen to him, Leon! We can find the clues. If you need to save someone, let us cooperate."
"I'm just tracking a case!" Leon explained.