The entire farm was engulfed in flames. Ethan, with the sole survivor Elena, escaped to the garage.
After a quick search, Ethan found the truck keys and tried to ram the truck out of the warehouse. However, although the warehouse had a wooden frame, its outer walls were built with stone, and the flames had completely spread. The truck only managed to break through one wooden door before it couldn't move further.
The fire grew larger. Ethan glanced upstairs and led Elena upwards, as there was a vent up there, which might offer an escape route. Covering their mouths and noses, they climbed continuously, almost falling into the inferno several times, but thankfully they made it through without serious harm.
“We can get out from there,” Ethan pointed to the skylight.
But Elena was incredibly pessimistic, weeping, “And then what? It’s full of monsters outside! We have nowhere to run!”
Just then, someone emerged from the sea of flames.
Like Old Jack in the original Resident Evil who just wouldn't die no matter how many times he was hit, it was still the old man. “Elena…” The old man, who had transformed into a werewolf, seemed to regain some sanity, calling out Elena’s name.
As if it were the final straw, Elena disregarded Ethan’s warnings and jumped down to stand before her father. The continuous changes had clearly made the girl lose her mind, completely abandoning any will to survive. In the end, both father and daughter perished in the flames.
Dead… died!?
Song Ren stared blankly at the two figures falling into the fire. He had genuinely thought this girl would be one of the important characters on their journey, especially since the moment she fired her gun earlier reminded him of Sadie Adler, the Valkyrie-like character in Red Dead Redemption. Moreover, for a horror game, having a companion by your side would provide an immense sense of security. But now, how long had it been? She got written out of the story so quickly?
At that moment, Song Ren felt the overwhelming malice from Chen Xu.
“Why does everyone have to die?!” Ethan in the game furiously hammered a wall with his right hand.
“That’s my line to complain about, Ethan! You’re stealing my lines!” Song Ren in the game was speechless when he heard Ethan’s words.
Shouldn't he be the one saying that? Why does everyone have to die! Is this official game trying to steal players' jobs?
Continuing to explore for clues, Song Ren was now completely absorbed. Compared to the previous installment, Song Ren clearly felt the changes this one brought.
It was ‘gentler.’
Are there scary, terrifying moments in the game? Yes, the initial atmosphere, the jump scares from monsters turning around, and door jump scares were all frightening and horrifying. But it lacked the previous game's visceral, 'grounded to the underworld' feeling. Moreover, the gameplay was richer; for example, resource collection, and it seemed there would be corresponding upgrades and item purchases later, which, combined with the game's combat system, made the gameplay considerably better. Compared to the previous game's sole focus on horror, this one was clearly much milder for a timid player like him.
While musing, Song Ren found another stone sculpture and opened the back door of the village.
The castle was now in sight.
Crossing the drawbridge and a gloomy corridor, Ethan arrived in a room filled with wine barrels. An iron gate stood silently ahead, with a pullable switch beside it.
Song Ren didn't think much of it and stepped forward, ready to pull the switch and enter the old castle.
Just then, a voice resounded. “Ah… didn’t expect there’d be one survivor left? You must be quite sturdy, eh?”
Turning around, he saw a man in a cowboy hat and round sunglasses, wearing a trench coat and carrying a large hammer, walk out from the door. One of the Four Heavenly Kings.
And then something that baffled Song Ren happened: the surrounding metal objects slowly began to rise with the man's footsteps.
“Wait! What the heck kind of ability is this?! Isn’t this Resident Evil? Are you telling me a virus can do this?!”
Song Ren was completely bewildered by everything before him. Was this something a bio-virus could achieve? This is completely unscientific! And not bio-engineered!
Regenerating limbs and mutations could barely be linked to bio-engineering. But what the heck was this metal-manipulating ability?!
As Song Ren was astonished, Ethan in the game was once again brutally impaled in the abdomen by rebar.
“This is too much! It’s really too much! Is there no end to this?! So, my Ethan can’t have a single good spot on his entire body? Hands, legs, and now it’s the stomach?!”
Looking at Ethan, impaled by rebar through his abdomen, Song Ren was a little numb now. Ethan, a man whose plight saddened those who heard it and moved those who saw it to tears. He hadn't even fought the BOSS yet, and there wasn't a single good spot left on his body.
Despite his laments, Song Ren wasn't too worried about Ethan's situation now. After all, he was the protagonist, and the Hand Sanitizer Warrior wasn't kidding around; a quick wash of his hands would fix everything.
Ethan, his entire body encased in metal parts, was being dragged away by one of the Four Heavenly Kings, destination unknown.
After passing through a narrow, dark passageway, Ethan shook his head, finding himself dragged into a large hall. Before him was a small platform, where Mother Miranda, seen in previous portraits, was seated. To her right sat two figures: the sunglasses-wearing man who could control magnetism, and a hunched, deformed dwarf. To her left was a doll, and a very elegant lady.
“Holy cow! So big! Really so big!”
Song Ren’s gaze fixed on the elegant lady, his eyes lighting up. Even the chatter of the Four Heavenly Kings vying for control over Ethan was temporarily ignored by him.
His eyes were solely on this lady.
Everything about her was absurdly large. Standing up, she was easily twice as tall as the man in sunglasses. What kind of tough guy can handle such a ‘big vehicle’?
Song Ren professionally and rigorously calculated the elegant lady’s body proportions.
Soon, while Song Ren was still admiring, the chattering of the Four Heavenly Kings was interrupted by Miranda. “My decision is final. No more words are needed.”
Three black wings unfurled, like a fallen angel. Miranda looked at the man in sunglasses. “Heisenberg, I task you with disposing of this man.”
“Thank you, Mother Miranda.”
Heisenberg, the man in sunglasses, stood up, raising his hands under the gaze of countless monsters and the other three Heavenly Kings. “Esteemed guests, thank you for your patience!”
“Let the games begin!”
“Let’s see what you’ve got, Ethan Winters?”
As he spoke, Heisenberg raised his great hammer and directly smashed Ethan’s leg irons, then immediately began a countdown. “Ten… nine… eight…”
“Three… two… one!”
“Go!”
“Holy cow, if you’re going to kill me, just kill me! Why play this kind of game when you have a hammer to smash my head?!” Song Ren grumbled while frantically controlling Ethan to flee. Werewolf villagers, the White-Maned Lion King, spike traps, and rolling blade traps—a continuous string of deadly traps and enemies.
However, after a series of maneuvers, nothing happened to Ethan. Instead, he used the last blade trap to break open his hand shackles and successfully escaped.
(End of Chapter)
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