☆, Real, Unknown Danger
Seeing her belongings appear before her intact, Ye Xi nodded in satisfaction. She knocked unconscious the injured humanoid figure with a single blow, then took out a clean set of clothes from her backpack and changed. Only then did she feel truly relieved. The bloodstains on her clothes had made them incredibly stiff and uncomfortable after drying; now she was finally free. Ye Xi squinted, stretched, and lazily said to the air, "Come out, you lot behind the door. You should be glad you didn't come while I was changing."
The door was kicked open roughly, and several men pointed guns at Ye Xi, who had her back to them. The leader, a black man, said sternly, "Miss, you'd better put down those dangerous knives and guns. I know being bitten is unpleasant, but for our safety, we have to lock you up. I promise, even if you become...that kind of thing, at least we won't lay a finger on you!"
Hearing this, Ye Xi didn't move, but instead chuckled: "Sir, you guarantee you won't touch a single hair on my head? What about the rest?"
"Damn it, you lunatic, don't be so ungrateful! Letting you live is already a huge favor!" Hearing Ye Xi's mocking tone, another person couldn't help but curse.
"Too much?" Ye Xi snorted coldly, ignoring their threats as she slowly walked to the window and looked down through the hazy glass. "It's really high up here..." Ye Xi said leisurely, as if admiring the scenery. Looking at the restless horde of zombies below, an impulse welled up in her heart and she couldn't help but laugh, "If I jump down, I'm doomed."
"What are you doing?!" the black man shouted, somewhat alarmed. Ye Xi's state resembled that of someone preparing to...commit suicide!
Ye Xi seemed not to hear him. She raised her hand, which was bound with a strip of cloth, and asked with a light laugh, "Did you see this hand get bitten?" She gently pulled off the cloth, revealing her smooth, slender wrist to their astonished gazes. Then, without giving them any chance to speak, Ye Xi shielded her head with her arms, smashed through the huge, dusty glass window, and jumped from the building.
Ye Xi drew her twin swords, holding them down and pointing them directly at the two zombies below. A cold, dry wind, carrying fine sand, cut like a knife against Ye Xi's slightly pale cheeks. The scenery in her peripheral vision constantly changed; the zombies on the ground were getting closer, and the stench of decay filled the air. Ye Xi didn't panic; her gaze never left her targets. With a "thud," the swords pierced the corpses of the two zombies without resistance, giving her a chance to recover. Even so, the enhanced Ye Xi still heard a "crack" in her right arm—the bone had dislocated.
In the past, before Ah Quan's identity was exposed, Ye Xi would never have jumped off the building so recklessly, even though her physical strength had greatly increased. Because she was concerned that Wesker could see her every move through satellite imagery, Ye Xi had always held back, even though she felt she could do better, she tried to control her abilities. Wesker just wanted to see how much Ye Xi had grown after three years of "free-range" training, right? Fine, Ye Xi would let him see, but she couldn't guarantee the authenticity of the results.
Now, without Wesker's surveillance (at least that's what Ye Xi thought), she could show her true self without any scruples. Ye Xi was highly self-aware; she didn't want to die, and if necessary, she was willing to violate morality, conscience, and humanity (if she still had any) for survival. Therefore, as long as she could kill these zombies and keep breathing, she didn't care what happened.
From this perspective, Ye Xi is, in some ways, a complete madman, a dangerous madman.
Ye Xi, expressionless, placed her left hand on the dislocated shoulder and applied force. With a crisp "crack," the next second, Ye Xi used her newly functional right and left hands to draw her twin swords, bent down, and swiftly slashed at the grayish-white, rotting necks diagonally upwards. Three heads fell to the ground. Ye Xi didn't continue slashing. There were countless zombies here, and even she would get tired from hacking away like this. These zombies, whose eyes were only on food, would never feel tired, and that would be troublesome.
Ye Xi lowered her center of gravity, chose a direction, narrowed her eyes, and propelled herself forward like a bullet, her speed beyond human comprehension. As she charged, she sheathed her long Miao sword and drew two military daggers for close combat. However, it wasn't long before Ye Xi realized this was unnecessary. Ye Xi's understanding of her own abilities was limited to what she outwardly displayed, perhaps even less profound than Wesker's. Therefore, when she truly sought to explore them, the results might surprise her; she simply wasn't quite used to it yet.
Entering this state, akin to unlocking her genetic potential, was already commonplace for Ye Xi. From the initial discomfort and fainting spells to her current ease, Ye Xi had grown without even realizing it. But what would she ultimately become? She didn't know, and she didn't want to know. The stench of the world forced Ye Xi to face reality, yet she tragically clung to a sliver of unrealistic hope. She hoped it was all just a dream, that when she woke up, she would be back in that dorm room, back with those people, and then she could breathe a sigh of relief and tell them she had a very long and exciting dream—a dream where she was incredibly awesome, slaying zombies; a dream where she actually met Uncle Wei, but that guy truly made her unable to like him anymore; and finally, a dream where she cried about her computer crashing and her instant noodles being gone, asking them for a free meal…
Ye Xi did not want to be assimilated by this world, but tragically, she had already been assimilated by this ruthless world without realizing it, becoming indifferent, more selfish, and numb. Even if she eventually woke up from the dream, she could never return to her original self, the original Ye Xi.
A screeching sound of brakes ripped through the air. Ye Xi emerged from the cramped space that had kept her on edge the entire time, slamming the car door shut. Looking at the pile of abandoned vehicles ahead, she couldn't help but curse. More than an hour had passed since she fought her way through the zombie horde until now, blocked by countless cars. She'd just randomly chosen a road and unknowingly ended up on the highway, and then, to make matters worse, stumbled upon this horde of cars… What bad luck! Ye Xi climbed onto the roof of the car and looked out; the traffic jam stretched for at least 100 meters. It looked like there was no way she could get around it.
Ye Xi decisively abandoned the gas-powered car she had searched for so long to find, and slung her luggage and weapons over her shoulder, heading towards the end of the road. If she was lucky, she might find a usable vehicle there; if not, she could simply return to where she started and find another way. However, perhaps Ye Xi was truly having a bad day. After searching around the end of the road without finding any usable transportation, she had no choice but to turn back.
But when Ye Xi returned to her original car and found it out of gas, it wasn't just a matter of bad luck anymore. She took a deep breath in the car, quickly opened her bag and stuffed some portable items into her waist bag and leg bag, then slowly got out of the car, slammed the door shut again, leaned against it, and shouted at the air with her arms crossed, "Get out!"
Ye Xi's icy voice echoed in the air, but no one answered. However, Ye Xi's tense sense of crisis told her that someone must have orchestrated this, although she didn't know how that person had determined her location. Could it be that bastard Wesker again? The name Wesker flashed through Ye Xi's mind for a moment, but she immediately dismissed it. No, it couldn't be him. Hadn't she already eliminated the chip? Ye Xi instinctively didn't want to think about the chip's authenticity; it would plunge her into unknown fear. Therefore, she never doubted the decision she had made.
Okay, let's rule out Wesker for now, Ye Xi told herself. But besides Wesker, Ye Xi really couldn't think of anyone else who could be so... "You're troubled, losing your composure could be fatal." A voice as cold as a snake suddenly came from above Ye Xi's head, and Ye Xi's body trembled, goosebumps rising all over her body. She immediately turned around almost frantically and took a big step back, her surprise and vigilance showing in her dark eyes.
He was a tall, slender man with short, dark brown hair, deep red eyes, and frameless glasses. His scholarly face was cold and expressionless. He wore a camel-colored overcoat, and the tightness of the black shirt clinging to his body beneath it suggested that despite his office worker appearance, he possessed a well-developed physique. Ye Xi's sense of danger told her that every muscle in this man's body was brimming with deadly explosive power.
Yes, it was a strange man. Although his cold, red eyes seemed familiar, Ye Xi was certain she had never seen him before. In her memory, the only people who instilled a strong sense of danger in her were Wesker and the Eastern man who had given her the special helicopter a few days ago, including Alice. But clearly, this cold-faced Westerner wasn't any of them. Almost instinctively, Ye Xi felt that this man, who had appeared beside her without alerting her, was also connected to Umbrella. She immediately asked, "What's your relationship with Umbrella?"
Faced with Ye Xi's slightly threatening questioning, the man made no response, simply getting out of the car slowly, as if he didn't take Ye Xi seriously. "Hey, I'm asking you, what is that bastard Wesker up to again?!" Seeing that he didn't say anything, Ye Xi frowned and immediately took out a syringe filled with zombie blood and hid it in her sleeve, just in case.
This time, he finally reacted. He suddenly stopped three meters away from Ye Xi, a hint of disdain and contempt flashing in his cold red eyes. "How he tries to take advantage of you is his business, it has nothing to do with us." He sneered, "If you want to get rid of that person completely, get rid of Albert Wesker, come with me. We can help you get rid of the T-virus but still allow you to unleash your true abilities."
He said "Wesker" in a strange tone, but Ye Xi didn't care. What bothered her was the condition this stranger offered—to use her abilities without being infected with the T-virus?! Becoming addicted to the T-virus wasn't easy for Ye Xi to accept. She had always tried to let things take their course and not think about them, but that didn't mean she could accept it! Now, someone was suddenly telling her she could kick the addiction…
Clearly, Ye Xi instinctively overlooked another, which should have been a more attractive condition. As for the reason, she had long since overlooked it, so how could she possibly know?
Wait, Ye Xi, you shouldn't be so easily tempted. Judging from his tone, he must have some kind of grudge against Wesker, which means he shouldn't be an Umbrella agent. So, how did he know you're addicted to the T-virus? Ye Xi warned herself, immediately suppressing her delighted expression, and sneered, "Excuse me, sir, what you've said is indeed tempting, but it's dispensable to me. The world has no shortage of T-viruses right now, so I don't need to worry about scarcity to quit it. As for getting rid of Wesker..." Ye Xi's voice turned completely cold, "That's none of your business."
Ye Xi's blunt refusal clearly surprised him. He had clearly seen the attraction in her eyes before, so it seemed his estimation was somewhat wrong. "It doesn't matter." He raised his eyes slightly, concealing the cold glint in his bloodshot eyes, and said firmly, "Whether you like it or not, you must come with me now."
"Hmph, I knew it..." Ye Xi sneered. It seemed this person had made up his mind about her. She disliked being treated like prey or a guinea pig, constantly being snatched away, and she especially disliked being treated like an object. Although this person appeared to be weak in martial arts, Ye Xi knew with her eyes closed that he was definitely not weak. So, almost instantly, Ye Xi unleashed the same speed she had used to break through the zombie horde as when she charged towards him...
The man remained cold and indifferent, unconcerned about Ye Xi's sudden appearance. He easily raised his hand and grasped the dagger Ye Xi thrust at him, then pulled her towards him while simultaneously striking Ye Xi's abdomen with his other fist. But instead of the soft contact he expected, his fist struck empty air. Ye Xi, who was falling towards him, vanished like a gust of wind.
Clearly, Ye Xi's skills were beyond his expectations. After all, to be able to quickly adjust one's center of gravity and leap lightly behind someone in such a short time under weightless conditions was something the "former Ye Xi" couldn't do. If Ye Xi still had the "O virus" by her side, she probably would have taken that punch squarely. However, this man was no pushover either. Just as Ye Xi's leg was about to hit his head from behind, he immediately turned to the side, using his waist to propel his right foot to block Ye Xi's clean and swift attack.
*Hiss…* Ye Xi gasped inwardly. Was this guy made of iron?! She leaped backward, trying to create some distance and loosen her legs, but the man didn't want her to succeed. The moment she landed, he appeared before her like a ghost, raising his foot to stomp on her shinbone, which had been numb from the impact of his right leg, while simultaneously striking her cheekbone with his elbow. A chilling sense of danger rang in Ye Xi's mind, but this wasn't difficult for her, as she didn't need to hide her strength—she immediately used her still-functioning foot to kick at the man's attacking foot, blocking it and then leaning back to narrowly avoid the facial attack, before using her legs to trap his arm and pull him to the ground.
Ye Xi, being a woman, possessed a flexibility unmatched by men. After hooking the man with her foot, she didn't give him a chance to grab her. She pulled her legs back and somersaulted to her feet, then leaped up with force as soon as her feet touched the ground. She raised her elbow and smashed it down on his head like a hammer, her movements so fast they were almost impossible to see with the naked eye! The man immediately rolled to the side and stood up in the blink of an eye! As if she had anticipated this, Ye Xi changed her elbow into a palm strike and slammed it into the ground. Clouds of dust floated in the air as Ye Xi, having braced herself, brought her legs together and kicked the man who had just stood up in the chin.
Unexpectedly, Ye Xi was incredibly skilled; the man, who had anticipated her movements, took the blow squarely. However, perhaps because Ye Xi had changed her attack pattern mid-strike, her strength wasn't great, and he didn't suffer any serious injury. Ye Xi stood firmly on the ground, noticing that his hand, which had just gripped the dagger, was unscathed. Her face hardened, and she charged forward with all her might, leaping high to kick him in the head. The man no longer underestimated Ye Xi. He flashed behind her with a speed invisible to the naked eye, his steel-like fist slamming into her back with such force that it sent her crashing into a pile of cars!
"It seems I really—no, Number 13—misjudged you..." he said coldly, slowly walking towards where Ye Xi had landed. "You're really cunning..."
The man suddenly paused, and the next second he appeared beside the crater Ye Xi had created, but apart from a broken, discarded syringe, there was no one there...
"Hehe..." After a long silence, the man laughed instead of getting angry, "This is more interesting..." He said to himself in an ambiguous way, and disappeared from the spot.
Author's Note: It's been a long time since my last update, sorry OJZ. This chapter is long enough to make up for it... No need to guess, that guy is Alex (picking nose). Ye Xi is destined to have a tough time, but those who set their sights on Uncle Wei's prey seem to have an even tougher time (picking nose).
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