Matthew lay on his oversized bed, bathrobe loose, eyes scanning the System panel glowing in the dim light. The interface was clean, intuitive, and featured only three core functions: [System Pass], [Experiment], and [Warehouse].
The [System Pass] allowed him to earn System Points through missions or daily accumulation. Once his points hit a certain threshold, he could unlock level rewards. The T-Virus Prime Concentrate he had received earlier was one such reward. The feature operated on a seasonal update mechanism, with the theme changing and progress resetting every six months. Notably, the more System Points he accumulated in the current season, the richer the rewards would be for the next.
'Wait... is this for real? What kind of T-Virus theme is this?'
Matthew stared at the rewards listed in the Pass: Zombie Dogs, Zombie Crows, Lickers, Hunters, and various Tyrant models. His lip twitched. If the System had not repeatedly emphasized its goal of "Benefiting the People," he would have sworn he had been handed a villain's script.
Aside from the Pass, the System offered [Warehouse] and [Experiment] functions. The [Warehouse] was straightforward; it was a storage space for rewards. The [Experiment] function, however, was where things got interesting. By spending System Points, he could modify, optimize, or fuse items.
After grasping the potential of the [Experiment] function, Matthew sat bolt upright.
'So, as long as I have enough points, I could completely strip away the side effects of the T-Virus Prime Concentrate and keep only the benefits...'
With a thought, Matthew placed the T-Virus Prime Concentrate onto the Experiment Platform. The moment it touched the slot, the previously greyed-out section flared to life.
[Please select your 'Experiment' path.]
[Optimize: Spend System Points to improve the item's inherent functions, enhancing performance or removing side effects.]
[Modify: Spend System Points to customize the item's functions based on your needs. (Certain special modifications require additional items).]
[Fusion: Spend System Points to fuse this item with another. Low compatibility may result in failure. (Additional points can be spent to increase the success rate).]
After reading the descriptions, Matthew tentatively clicked the [Optimize] option.
It was common knowledge that zombies were merely a by-product of the T-Virus. Its ultimate purpose was to catalyze human evolution and create cheap, durable biological weapons. Unfortunately, its flaws were glaring. Mental degradation was a hurdle no one had been able to clear, leading to the mindless undead.
But now...
[Flaws available for optimization: Zombification, Drowsiness, High Lethality, Low Intelligence, High Infectivity.]
[Performance metrics available for enhancement: Endurance, Cellular Vitality, Strength, Nerve Reflexes.]
Seeing that the System could actually purge the T-Virus of its drawbacks, a look of pleasant surprise washed over Matthew's face. In the Marvel world—a place where the rich rely on technology and the poor rely on mutations—he knew exactly what happened to ordinary people. If he did not want to end up as a cold statistic in some world-ending event, he had to find a way to get stronger.
And as for how to get stronger...
"I came to Umbrella for three things! To benefit the people! To benefit the people! And to goddamn benefit the people!"
Within the Umbrella Corporation, crisis and opportunity coexisted. If he could leverage this platform correctly, it would be his greatest asset in rising to power in the Marvel Universe.
Excitement flashed in Matthew's eyes, but it was quickly followed by a wave of soul-deep exhaustion. The mental strain of transmigrating and the crash after his adrenaline spike made his eyelids feel like they were made of lead. Even though he wanted to keep tinkering with the System, he did not have the strength. Before long, he drifted into a heavy sleep.
***
He was jolted awake by a sharp, rhythmic knocking.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Mr. Lawrence, are you in there?"
"Mr. Lawrence?"
"Mr. Lawrence?"
The voice, carrying a refined London accent, pierced through the door. Matthew rubbed the sleep from his eyes, let out a long yawn, and pulled the door open.
Standing in the hallway was a woman who was a total assault on the senses. Her tall frame was defined by elegant curves, and her jet-black hair was pulled back into a neat bun. Her icy blue eyes were as clear and cold as a mountain lake. She wore a perfectly tailored black professional suit, and the gold-rimmed glasses perched on her nose blended intellect and elegance seamlessly. But the most captivating detail was the beauty mark just below her right eye—it gave her entire face a soul.
Seeing the door open, the woman's frosty expression instantly melted into a professional smile. She extended a hand.
"Hello, Mr. Lawrence. I am Eleanor Ross, your late father's most trusted assistant."
Still half-dreaming, Matthew stared at the hand in front of him and shook it instinctively. "Uh... hello, Ross."
"But... why are you here so early? Is something wrong?" Matthew peeked into the hallway. Seeing she was alone, he invited her inside.
He did not doubt Eleanor's identity. If she meant him harm, she would not have made such a scene knocking and calling his name; she would have picked the lock and put two in his chest and one in his head while he was snoring.
Once Eleanor was seated, Matthew calmly went to the bathroom to splash some water on his face before brewing two cups of coffee.
Eleanor took a polite sip of her coffee and got straight to the point. "Mr. Lawrence, as far as I am aware, you signed the equity inheritance documents left by your father last night. As of 6:00 AM this morning, you have officially become one of the directors of the Umbrella Corporation."
"In other words, since you have accepted the inheritance, you must also take over your father's responsibilities starting today. Of course, to ensure that neither I nor your employees lose our jobs, I will do everything in my power to help you adjust to the role."
With that, Eleanor pulled a laptop from her bag and set it in front of Matthew.
"According to my investigation, your father kept his distance after you were born to ensure the company's internal power struggles would not affect you. That is why you have lived such a meager life all these years... but all of that changes today."
"These are the projects your father was responsible for and the departments he managed. Please, take a look."
Still in his bathrobe, Matthew crossed his legs. He hesitated for a moment before reluctantly taking the laptop, his eyes scanning the lines of text.
"Theodore Lawrence... former NATO arms dealer. Later co-founded the Umbrella Corporation with Oswell E. Spencer, James Marcus, and Edward Ashford. One of the original shareholders. Responsible for managing the company's Security Department..."
"The Security Department?" Matthew raised an eyebrow.
He immediately realized why the old vultures in the company had not tried to assassinate him yet. It was either because of his position in Security or because his cheap old man had left some failsafes behind. Otherwise, knowing Umbrella's track record, they likely would have offed him before the ink on the agreement was dry to carve up his shares.
His gaze shifted to the time displayed in the bottom right corner of the screen.
[2007/11/30]
'2007... so there is only about a month left before the events of Iron Man 1 begin?' Matthew mused. Then, another thought struck him. He quickly typed "Raccoon City" into the search bar.
After the browser loaded, Matthew did not find the answer he was looking for. It seemed the Raccoon City incident had not happened in this world.
Or perhaps...
'The truth has been covered up.'
Matthew snapped the laptop shut and stood up. "Ross, you said you would help me adjust to the job. Let's not waste any time. Take me to my office."