The members of the STARS team, although elites...
But... after witnessing Uther, who could grab the bio-monster chasing her and rub it into the ground with his bare hands, Jill quickly recognized the reality.
When you're crashin' at someone's spot, you gotta play by their rules—no questions asked.
The two of them, along with one monster, emerged from the dilapidated apartment.
Uther led Jill across the street to a looted coffee shop, where they met Emrys.
"You... you are Emrys?!"
When Jill saw that the person Uther respectfully called Emrys was actually a handsome, elegant young man with an aristocratic demeanor and a standard caucasian face, a hint of shock flashed in her beautiful eyes.
"What, surprised?"
Emrys sat in a chair, his relaxed and at-ease demeanor making one wonder if he was on vacation.
He was also observing this former 'goddess' of the game.
From her appearance, Jill wasn't particularly outstanding, but she had one very attractive quality: a valiant and capable temperament, especially the aura of military life honed from her time in STARS, which added a certain charm to her.
Of course, the real-life Jill was slightly different from her game counterpart; wearing a sleeveless gray top, clear signs of training were visible, and she didn't have thin arms and legs.
With shoulder-length short hair, defined features, and sharp eyes that hid a hint of vigilance, even when seated, she maintained a posture ready to draw and fire her gun at any moment.
"Miss, your coffee."
Uther brought over a cup of brewed coffee, placed it within Emrys' reach, then voluntarily retreated a few steps, remaining silent like a statue.
"Would you like a cup of coffee, Miss Jill?"
Seeing Jill's gaze fall on the coffee, Emrys casually asked, snapping his fingers: "Uther, brew a cup of coffee for Miss Jill as well."
"Yes, sir."
The stoic Uther glanced at Jill and went to prepare the coffee.
"No, no, I'm not thirsty, thank you." Jill hastily stopped him; she wouldn't dare let Uther brew coffee.
Just a short while ago, this guy nearly beat that Umbrella monster to death; the scene... was too brutal!
"Your injuries look rather serious." Emrys noticed the injuries Jill sustained when she was thrown by the Nemesis, and asked in a softer tone: "If needed, I can help you with your wounds. If they're not treated, they could easily turn into those ghastly things outside."
He, of course, knew that Jill's constitution wouldn't get infected, but this was reality; what if she really did get infected?
"No need, I can handle it myself."
However, Jill didn't seem to care, casually pulling out a green herb from her waist pouch, then tossing it into her mouth and chewing.
"..." Watching this scene, Emrys was greatly shocked, his eye twitching slightly.
Although he had long suspected it, the 'healing' green herb from the game suddenly appearing in reality felt somewhat magical.
"Hmm?" Noticing Emrys' seemingly strange expression, Jill immediately guessed his thoughts and explained: "This isn't witchcraft. The four-color herb is a medicinal plant discovered by Umbrella, with functions of coagulation and hemostasis. Through different formulations, it also has different effects."
"Ahem, sorry, I suddenly thought of something else."
Emrys cleared his throat twice, but his attention was on the herb; he was considering its value.
If it was truly as effective as in the 'game,' the value of the four-color herb would probably increase by several grades.
"Why do you want to see me? What is it about?"
After ingesting the green herb, the cut on Jill's skin indeed stopped bleeding quickly. She then turned to Emrys and asked cautiously.
"Please don't worry, Miss Jill."
Emrys didn't mind, taking a sip of coffee and looking at the peculiar expression on Jill's face, then smiled: "I'm not interested in your identity, nor am I a member of Umbrella. The reason I had Uther bring you to me is simply because I am very interested in you as a person."
Jill could at most believe half of what he said.
Her gaze remained wary. After a few seconds of hesitation, she tentatively asked: "Since you've already seen me, may I leave?"
"So soon?"
Emrys seemed a little surprised, saying: "It's quite cold outside, why not stay a bit longer?"
"No, thank you very much for your kindness." Jill dared not trust such a person of unknown origin and extreme strangeness.
If possible, she wished never to encounter him again, so she made an excuse: "I have more important things to do. May I go?"
"Of course, as I said, I have no ill intentions towards you, Miss Jill." Emrys smiled and made a gesture of invitation. Looking at Jill, who was getting up to leave, he smiled and slowly said: "Oh, by the way, something... consider it a gift for our first meeting, I'll give it to you for free, Miss Jill."
"What is it?"
Jill, who was about to take a step, paused again upon hearing this, turning to look at him suspiciously.
"If the 'important thing' you mentioned refers to rescuing other STARS members, then... it's no longer necessary." Emrys smiled meaningfully, picked up his coffee cup, and took a sip.
"What do you mean by that?!"
Upon hearing this, Jill's pupils contracted slightly, instantly enveloped by a strong sense of foreboding. She even forgot about Uther beside her and wanted to rush forward, grabbing the man's collar to question him.
But unfortunately, her intention was stopped by the tower-like Uther before she could act on it.
Seeing the height difference between them, Jill immediately regained her composure: "Sir, could you please explain what you just meant?"
Jill asked anxiously.
"Literal meaning."
Emrys looked up at the anxious Jill, and slowly put down his coffee cup: "The bio-weapon sent by Umbrella to hunt you is called 'Nemesis'. You should have seen such a thing before, at the 'mansion'."
"Is it that kind of virus?!"
Jill recalled the mission they participated in.
The Mansion Incident, like a nightmare, haunted her, often waking her from sleep with its images.
The virus secretly experimented with by the Umbrella Corporation, which could resurrect the dead and turn them into mindless zombies, still sent shivers down her spine upon recollection.
"Not quite the same, but essentially not much different."
Emrys slowly said: "The Nemesis is a bio-weapon with a parasite implanted on the basis of the T-virus, making it easier to control."
After that, he added: "Oh, by the way, you still don't know what the 'T-virus' is, do you? It's the source of the entire ran in Raccoon City during the Mansion Incident."
"Why do you know so much?"
Jill couldn't help but start to suspect the other party's relationship with Umbrella.
Otherwise, why would he know so much?
Including the virus spread throughout Raccoon City, the source of the Mansion Incident, and the bio-weapon that was just chasing her!
All signs indicated that the other party seemed to know a great deal about the Umbrella Corporation and the virus.
"Allow me to properly introduce myself, Miss Jill."
Emrys calmly straightened his clothes, rose from his seat, and with a smile, formally introduced himself: "My name is Merlin Emrys, and I am a wandering merchant. In terms you can understand, I am a nomadic businessman."
In a sense, a wandering merchant... isn't that just a merchant who wanders everywhere?
It's just that his 'scope' of wandering was a bit wide, either in the Milky Way Galaxy or in other Worlds.
"Merchant." Jill was slightly stunned for half a second, then looked at Emrys suspiciously: "With all due respect, you don't look like a merchant; you look more like a..."
She thought about the 'villain' in the latter half of the sentence, and after glancing at the sternly standing Uther, she rationally didn't say it aloud.
"Those two pieces of information just now were a free bonus from me, Miss Jill."
Emrys looked at the increasingly chaotic order outside the coffee shop and said calmly, "As I said at the beginning, I have no ill will towards you. This city will be very chaotic next. I hope we will meet again, beautiful Miss Jill Valentine. I sincerely hope you can safely get through this 'eventful' day."
How could it not be eventful?
The entire Resident Evil Raccoon City storyline erupted over two days: September 28th and September 29th.
And the protagonist, 'Jill Valentine,' from the moment she opened her eyes, was chased by the Nemesis, experiencing events such as falling from a tall building and a subway derailment.
It's no exaggeration to say that Jill in the game was hit by cannon shells, blown up by grenades, and sent flying by a subway explosion. Her physique could definitely be considered that of a 'Superman.'
From the other party's 'blessing,' Jill tasted a hint of something unusual.
Especially the phrase, 'safely get through an eventful day,' she felt it seemed to contain many meanings, intensifying her ominous premonition.
"Excuse me, Mr. Emrys, you just said you were a businessman?"
After a moment of thought, Jill suddenly had a bold idea. She glanced at Uther next to her and plucked up the courage to say, "Then, can I understand that as long as I pay the corresponding price, I can purchase the 'services' I need from you?"
It must be said, Jill was very smart; she immediately grasped the key point.
Emrys had specifically pointed out his identity as a 'businessman' in his introduction. If Jill still couldn't understand, he could only say he was sorry.
But since she had voluntarily stepped into the prepared 'pocket,' he naturally wouldn't let her go.
The potential of the Resident Evil world is immense, not just the T-Virus and G-Virus, but later even the Plagas parasite, E-Virus, and even the Progenitor Virus.
The potential of these viruses is no less than 'black water.'
Therefore, he needed to establish a company specializing in virus research in the Resident Evil world, and Jill was one of the members he had his eyes on.
Although, in terms of simplicity, directly controlling Umbrella's senior management would clearly be more in line with the current situation.
But… he preferred a more troublesome approach: directly clearing out Umbrella's senior management, then hollowing out the entire company, retaining the internal research personnel, and fundamentally changing Umbrella.
The reason is simple: Umbrella is fundamentally an out-and-out anti-human company, especially the group's senior management, who are pure troublemakers. Keeping them would only create greater hidden dangers.
It's better to just clean them out.
"Yes, from your perspective, that is indeed how it can be understood." Emrys looked at Jill meaningfully and said slowly and methodically, "Since I am a businessman, as long as you can pay the corresponding price, I will naturally provide you with services within a reasonable scope."
"What do you mean by 'within a reasonable scope'?"
Jill's delicate brows furrowed slightly, finding his choice of words a bit strange.
"To put it simply, the more you pay, the more help I give."
Emrys grinned, revealing a very shrewd expression: "You should be able to understand this, beautiful Miss Valentine."
She understood, she understood perfectly!
Jill gritted her silver teeth; wasn't this just the 'capitalist' way?
Born in the U.S., she knew all too well that when a 'capitalist' said this, it meant he was about to exploit you.
"I want to rent your bodyguard, just for one day."
Jill tucked a strand of hair behind her crystal-clear ear, too lazy to probe further, and went straight to the point: "What price do I need to pay?"
"Too small, the scope is too small."
Emrys shook his head, saying meaningfully, "You can be bolder, don't be so conservative."
"Bolder? How much bolder can I be?"
Jill was a bit confused, not quite understanding his meaning.
"Don't you want to take revenge on the culprit who turned the entire Raccoon City into this living hell and made you experience a nightmare?" Emrys lowered his voice, almost like a devil tempting someone to fall, burrowing into Jill's somewhat stirred mind.
"Yes!"
Jill gritted her teeth, hatred burning in her eyes.
If it weren't for the damned Umbrella, the STARS team wouldn't have been brutally hunted down, nor would they have fallen into that nightmarish mansion incident!
But soon, Jill, realizing the disparity between them, sobered up from her overwhelming hatred.
"But even if I want to, what can I do?"
Jill sighed self-deprecatingly, then looked at Emrys: "You don't understand how powerful Umbrella's influence is; they have deeply infiltrated the government."
Umbrella not only controlled Raccoon City, but its influence was deeply entrenched, with bio-labs in many parts of the world.
Although Jill didn't know the full extent, from the mansion incident and the current chaos in Raccoon City, she could vaguely guess that Umbrella's senior management had definitely infiltrated the government!
Otherwise, with such a major T-Virus leak, Raccoon City completely suppressed the news, and even after the entire city fell into chaos, the government was still helping to conceal the truth!
"I'm asking you again, think carefully before answering me."
Emrys sat back down, his gaze seemingly containing deep meaning, as he stared at Jill: "Tell me, what exactly do you want? Believe me, this opportunity is very rare. Please think carefully before answering me, beautiful Miss Valentine."
Jill was about to scoff, but when she met Emrys' deep eyes, a faint crimson flash in them made her swallow the words on the tip of her tongue.
"I want you to help me destroy Umbrella, can you do it?" When she said this, Jill herself found it a bit laughable.
That was the Umbrella Corporation, deeply entrenched in every aspect of an entire city, with intertwined forces. How could it be so easily destroyed by someone?
Moreover, the fact that they could develop the T-Virus and even the 'Nemesis' gave a glimpse into Umbrella's strength.
Looking at the young man in front of her, although his origins were unknown and he had a powerful bio-bodyguard, no matter how she looked at it… the gap between him and the behemoth Umbrella was simply too great.
"Yes."
However, after taking a sip of coffee, Emrys calmly stated that he could fulfill this wish.
"…Are you serious?!"
Jill's eye twitched slightly, her impression of Emrys plummeting. She felt that he was either boasting or simply unaware of Umbrella's true strength.
"Of course, I never joke, Miss Valentine."
Emrys smiled and nodded, saying calmly, "Please do not doubt the strength of a wandering merchant. There are many things I cannot do, but this thing you want to do… is not among them."
Jill felt that she was most likely insane, otherwise why would she believe the words of a 'madman'?
But after witnessing various strange 'miracles,' she couldn't help but believe what Emrys said. So, after a moment of hesitation, she asked the most crucial question: "What price do I need to pay? Just as you said. You are a businessman, so what is the corresponding price?"
Looking at Jill, who had finally taken the bait, Emrys chuckled meaningfully, then raised his index finger: "I want… you, Miss Jill Valentine."
However, Jill's understanding seemed to have led to some ambiguity.
Her expression was a bit strange, as if she were looking at a hooligan. She subconsciously took half a step back, crossed her arms, and stared at him warily: "I'm not that kind of person, Mr. Emrys."
Emrys was speechless and explained, "Don't misunderstand, Miss Jill , I am not a hooligan. My meaning is that you will lose your freedom and pledge allegiance to me, do you understand?"
Despite Emrys' re-explanation, Jill still harbored significant doubts.
Of course, it wasn't that she truly thought he was lewd; it was purely because of the phrase, 'needing to give up freedom and pledge allegiance to an unknown wandering merchant.'
From Jill's perspective, having come from STARS, this was the most unacceptable part.
"I'm sorry, I think I need some time to consider." Jill, wary of offending the mysterious Emrys, carefully and cautiously declined the offer: "My teammates need me. If there's nothing else, may I leave now, Mr.?"
"Of course, you are free, Miss Valentine."
Emrys smiled like a true gentleman, raising his hand to indicate she could leave at any time.
Jill faced him, maintaining her guard as she slowly backed out of the cafe. Once she confirmed she was truly free, she turned and, without hesitation, ran towards the police Station.
"Sir why didn't you let me stop her?" Uther, standing nearby, seemed somewhat confused by his Master's decision.
She was just an ordinary human; wasn't using the simplest form of violence to make her submit the most convenient way?
"Because she isn't the most important one."
Emrys finished his last sip of coffee, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Consider it making up for a past regret."
Watching Jill leave, he wasn't actually in a hurry.
Regardless, the Umbrella high-ups had to be eliminated. As for who to choose to control it afterward, there were many options, not limited to just a few people.
Even if Jill didn't agree now, once he fully controlled Umbrella, he could still bribe the U.S. government and indirectly control STARS.
Jill, Chris, Leon, Ada, Sherry. He would catch the entire protagonist group in one fell swoop!
No one would escape, he said.
Setting down the empty coffee cup, Emrys then asked, "Did you deliver the gift I asked you to prepare?"
"As per your instructions, it has been delivered, sir."
Uther nodded, his voice deep: "During the battle with Nemesis, I deliberately feigned being ambushed and, in the process, injected one milligram of 'black water' into her body."
It turned out that his being ambushed from behind during the fight with Nemesis was purely intentional.
Otherwise, how could a representative product of the Alien universe's highest technology be ambushed by a backward Biohazard virus creation?
It's worth noting that during Uther's manufacturing process, Peter Weyland, considering the dangers of exploration, specifically used special spacecraft alloys for his entire skeletal structure, taking into account both flexibility and hardness. It's no exaggeration to say that Uther's skeletal hardness is comparable to that of a diamond.
In addition, Uther's core incorporated the Engineer's biological core, allowing the outer skin that grew from it to have self-repairing functions.
The most critical areas even utilized some of the latest technological achievements of 'black water' and 'Alien'.
From Emrys' perspective, Uther was essentially a degraded version of a Thunder Warrior. If he were equipped with a full set of power armor, he alone could sweep through the entire Umbrella.
Tyrants, Hunters, Lickers. In front of Uther, they were mere playthings.
Perhaps only a fully mutated, third-stage Nemesis might be able to fight Uther, but that's on the premise that Uther doesn't use any weapons.
"Very good. Remember to constantly record the data."
Emrys nodded slightly, not forgetting to instruct: "Implement control measures to prevent too wide a spread."
His initial plan was to fuse Nemesis with an alien embryo, but he later considered that the parasite implanted in the Tyrant might interfere with each other, so he abandoned that idea.
Instead, he implanted one milligram of 'black water' into Nemesis' body.
This way, Nemesis, fused with the parasite, the T-virus, and black water, might give him an even greater surprise!
"Please rest assured, sir I took precautions in advance." Uther pointed to his eyes, indicating it was all under control: "Before implanting the 'black water,' I also implanted an Engineer's nano-monitoring device. If diffusion damage occurs, the self-destruct program can be immediately activated to eliminate all black water residue."
It's hard to say how extensive the black water's diffusibility is, but if a creature more terrifying than an 'alien' emerged and the affected area became too wide, that wouldn't be the result he wanted to see.
Biohazard was the mess Umbrella created; he didn't want to take on the 'blame' for crimes against humanity himself.
"Well done, Uther." Emrys showed an approving look, gazing at the increasingly chaotic city, and said, "Help me find out how to get to the Raccoon City police Station."
"Yes, sir."
Uther didn't have a computer implanted, but with his extraordinary memory, he directly memorized the entire city's map.
After half a second of searching in his mind, he found a route: "Sir the Raccoon City police Station is to the southeast, about a fifteen-minute walk."
Fifteen minutes, not too far.
It was just right to give Umbrella a little shock on the way.
"Good, let's go."
Emrys gathered his things and called Uther to depart.
As night approached, the T-virus had fully spread, and almost all of Raccoon City had fallen into a state of collapsed order. Zombies were everywhere on the streets, emitting chilling, terrifying growls.
Moving their stiff limbs, one by one, they seemed to have completely lost their minds, reduced to bodies controlled by bestial desires. Upon seeing Emrys and Uther, they rushed forward from all directions like mad, their numbers almost filling the streets in an instant, truly looking quite terrifying and horrifying.
But... the next second, the rushing zombies were sent flying like bowling pins, one by one, by Uther's cannon-like fists.
This scene was indeed quite spectacular!
Uther fully demonstrated what it meant for one man to hold off ten thousand.
Alone, he scattered hundreds of zombies all over the street, sending them tracing countless graceful arcs in the air.
Then they were either embedded in walls, crushed to bits, or hung on lampposts, their deaths varied and spectacular.
With Uther clearing the way, mere zombies were naturally swept aside.
Time: September 28, 1998, 01:13 AM.
Looking at the police Station's entrance, which resembled a museum, Emrys glanced down at the time: September 29, 1998, 01:13 AM.
"Hmm, there are still over a dozen hours until the 'Three Lights' arrive at the police Station."
In the game, Leon S. Kennedy's first day on the job happened to coincide with the Biohazard, making it probably the most eventful day of his life.
He kept getting lost in this damned police Station, which was like a maze!
Just thinking about this made Emrys feel an uncontrollable fire rising to his head. What kind of decent person designs a police Station like a maze?
Especially the zombies playing dead everywhere in the police Station, the Lickers clinging to the ceiling, and the Tyrant, which was so oppressive back then—all of it was still fresh in Emrys' memory.
But now... the tables have turned!
"Watch closely, I'll only demonstrate once."
Emrys looked at the police station with full confidence, muttering softly: "Open your eyes wide. I'll show you a speedrun of the Raccoon City police Station!"
The Tyrants, Lickers, zombies playing dead, William Birkin, zombie dogs—none of them would be spared. They should all get ready for him!