Chapter 123 - The Otherworld, and a Divine Artifact from Two Thousand Years Later!
"So I was being too naive all along?"
Jill's face showed a bitter smile. She had originally believed she was on the side of righteousness. When she had refused Bai Ye earlier, she had been completely convinced she was right — she had even considered the possibility of confronting him in the future and making good on her promise then.
However, after truly experiencing the Tyrant's pursuit, and coupled with what Bai Ye had said, she fell into deep doubt. Could she really resolve this apocalypse on her own?
"That's right, you really were too naive. If you have some free time later, you're welcome to come find me. I'll give you some proper guidance — and I mean proper guidance!"
The more you insist on that, the less I believe you.
Jill complained inwardly, but before she could say anything, Ada Wong's voice came through Bai Ye's walkie-talkie at just the right moment: "Bai Ye, we've got the item and are ready to move. Annette wants to hear Sherry's voice."
"Mama?"
Sherry leaned forward toward the walkie-talkie. Upon hearing Annette's name, she immediately stepped closer, and Annette responded at once: "Sherry, it's me. Are you safe?"
Now that Bai Ye had found Sherry, Annette on the other end couldn't help but breathe a quiet sigh of relief. She had witnessed Bai Ye's strength firsthand.
Her greatest fear had been that her daughter would die or become infected before reaching Bai Ye. If that hadn't happened, then Sherry was more or less safe now.
"I'm safe. I'm with Big Brother right now, and we're on our way to you, Mama."
After Sherry finished speaking, Annette exhaled on the other end of the line, then turned and gave Ada Wong a nod.
With Sherry confirmed safe, she could evacuate alongside Ada Wong.
"Don't come to us — evacuate Raccoon City as quickly as you can. It's about to be bombed."
Ada Wong warned them. They were already preparing to leave. The objective of the mission had been secured. Although there was still time to spare, waiting until the last minute was not something she was willing to risk. She had no intention of cutting it that close.
Moreover, since she had broken away from Simmons's organization, using his helicopter was no longer an option.
"It's going to be bombed?"
Jill looked at Bai Ye in shock. Although Raccoon City had long since fallen to the zombies, there were still living people trapped inside.
Once that missile came down, every last one of them would die.
"Yes. Umbrella Corporation has decided to level this place entirely to bury what happened here."
It was a shame, though — the truth would still come to light eventually.
"Those bastards!!!"
Jill gritted her teeth, a flash of fury crossing her face. She hadn't expected Umbrella Corporation to be this depraved.
To cover up their crimes, they were prepared to drag everyone in Raccoon City into the grave with them.
"Oh, picked up another girl, have we?"
"Ada, there's no need to put it like that. Is it so wrong to have company?"
"Let's move."
On the other end, Ada Wong dropped a location and hung up.
That woman was clearly paying him back for his earlier remarks.
"Is she your girlfriend?"
Jill looked at Bai Ye with mild interest. Had she just inadvertently caused a small rift between them?
"You seem rather pleased about that."
"Not at all. I just feel a little bad about causing an unnecessary misunderstanding because of me."
Then perhaps you could stop smiling like that?
Bai Ye complained inwardly. So much for pretending, then.
What did she mean, 'feeling bad'? If she genuinely felt bad, she wouldn't be wearing that expression.
"Alright, I'll admit there's a small part of me that is, but I have no ill intentions. I'll explain things to her later!"
Jill said. She had wanted to see how Bai Ye would react, but she had no intention of making things genuinely difficult for him. She would clear things up with Ada Wong later.
"No explanation needed. She's not my girlfriend. We met recently — she's the second-in-command of the organization."
Bai Ye wasn't interested in having anything explained on his behalf.
He and Ada Wong didn't have that kind of relationship.
"So your organization was just formed?"
"That's right. You were originally the first person I invited."
"And you're already on such casual terms with the second-in-command, which makes me third-in-command? Your organization..."
Jill felt a wave of helpless exasperation wash over her.
Were positions handed out this casually?
Anyone could apparently walk in and become second-in-command, third-in-command — and later, no doubt, fourth and fifth.
She suddenly suspected that these so-called ranks were simply assigned in the order people joined, with no actual authority attached to them whatsoever.
"My organization has a flat management structure. Approachable, isn't it? And if you want to catch up with me properly, let's save it for after we've dealt with the immediate situation!"
"Mm."
Following behind Bai Ye, the three of them wound their way out of the police station. Just as they were about to leave, they ran directly into Claire, who was on her way in.
"Who are you?"
Claire gripped her pistol tightly, eyeing the three of them with clear wariness.
Although the group looked like an oddly composed family of three, anyone coming out of the police station right now was not to be underestimated.
After everything Claire had experienced on the way here, if she hadn't stayed vigilant, she would have been dead long ago.
"Model citizen, five stars. And you?"
"..."
Jill rolled her eyes, her exasperation plain on her face.
She was speechless.
She couldn't even find a way to argue with it. And after Bai Ye said "five-star model citizen," Claire herself didn't seem to know what to say either.
"I'm a college student. I'm here looking for my brother — Chris."
Right then.
So that's how we're playing it, is it?
A college student had made it all the way to the Raccoon City police station. Just an ordinary female college student, was she?
Wait.
Chris?
Jill looked sharply at Claire and asked, "Is your brother Chris Redfield?"
"You know my brother?"
Claire's eyes lit up. She had come all this way looking for her brother, and now, of all places, she was meeting someone who actually knew him.
"We used to be on the same team. But your brother isn't here."
Jill nodded. After a brief exchange, the two confirmed enough about each other to feel reassured, which was enough to make Claire reconsider going inside to search.
"Raccoon City is going to be bombed. If you're here for Chris, I'd leave now — he's not in the city."
Jill said.
Now that she had met Chris's sister, she wasn't about to stand by and let her get caught up in Raccoon City's destruction.
Jill couldn't stop what was coming. The only thing she could do was get everyone out.
"Understood."
"By the way — would you like to join my organization? We can look for your brother together. Join now and I'll make you fourth-in-command on the spot. Jill is third. What do you say?"
As expected.
He just hands out ranks like flyers.
Jill complained inwardly, though she also couldn't quite follow Bai Ye's reasoning for recruiting Claire.
Was there really a need to bring an ordinary female college student into the organization?
Or was the organization so desperately understaffed that even Claire was a viable candidate?
"I don't have a problem with it — but if I join, I'd really be the fourth-in-command?"
Claire was a little puzzled. She had initially been on the verge of declining, but learning that Jill was already a member changed things. Jill was her brother's former teammate, and she trusted that Jill wouldn't lead her astray.
Besides, searching alone was never better than searching with a group.
"Of course!"
"Alright. But if I'm not pulling my weight, feel free to replace me at any time."
Claire nodded and accepted.
The two shook hands briefly, then let go — which told Jill everything she needed to know.
So there really were people who could be talked into joining an organization like this.
Though, considering Claire was still a college student who hadn't yet seen much of the world, Jill could understand it. And honestly, it wasn't a bad outcome. By joining, Claire would have people looking out for her. Chris had always looked after Jill back in their unit, so naturally she wasn't going to let his sister come to harm.
And as Bai Ye had said — the world was already in chaos. Whether this college student would even have a campus to return to was genuinely uncertain.
As they ran out of the police station, a young man was just approaching the main entrance, looking as though he was about to report for his first day of work.
A modified car tore through the streets of Raccoon City, heading for the rendezvous point with Ada Wong.
Claire looked at Bai Ye curiously and asked, "Are you from the East?"
"Mm."
Bai Ye gave a short nod, and Claire became a little more animated: "You're the most handsome Eastern man I've ever seen. Your eyes are something else."
People here tended to be more open about these things. From the moment she saw Bai Ye, she had found herself liking him quite a bit.
He really was the most handsome Eastern man she had ever met, and she felt an inexplicable sense of security just being near him.
"Really?"
Bai Ye couldn't shake the feeling he had heard something like that before. Was Claire about to tell him she had somewhere to be soon?
"Mm. By the way, how many people are in the organization right now?"
Claire was already thinking about what role she could play. She didn't think she had any exceptional abilities, but she was willing to contribute — and to train.
All of it was in service of finding her brother.
"Not counting Sherry — Sherry's mother is our researcher, and there's another member meeting us up ahead. Add the three of us, and that's five people total!"
Can you please stop sounding so proud of that?
Jill nearly lost her grip on the steering wheel, and the car almost swerved off the road. Only Bai Ye could announce a five-person organization with that kind of confidence.
And when Claire processed what she'd just heard, her expression went completely flat. She had been building herself up for something significant — and this organization had five people?
No wonder she was fourth-in-command.
She ran the math again: if the researcher didn't count toward leadership, then there was the second-in-command, Jill as third, and her as fourth — meaning she had been completely swindled.
"I think I've boarded a pirate ship! Let me out! Let me out!"
Claire pressed her hands to her face, the picture of despair. She had barely stepped into the real world and had already been thoroughly deceived. It was a formative lesson in how the world worked.
Naive.
She really had been far too naive. How had she let herself be taken in by a man's words? A man's mouth is a liar's instrument.
"Alright, stop being so dramatic. We're all founders. As more people join, you'll take on more responsibility and carry more weight. Don't look so defeated — we grow, we strengthen, and we build something worth being proud of!"
Mm.
A leader who really knows how to paint a picture.
Jill glanced sideways at Bai Ye and said nothing. She had a distinct feeling she had encountered this particular talent somewhere before.
As for Claire, she had gone from utter despair to something resembling cautious optimism.
It was true — in a large, established organization, there was no way she would jump straight to fourth-in-command.
To earn real respect later, she would have to work hard, push herself, and make Bai Ye genuinely take notice of her.
The moment they cleared Raccoon City, Claire was already quietly fantasizing about proving herself and becoming a fourth-in-command worth the title.
She never noticed the road sign they passed on the way out — a sign for a place called Silent Hill — as the car rolled on by.
[Ding! Changed Jill's fate — gained one lottery chance.]
[Ding! Changed Claire's fate — gained one lottery chance.]
A shame.
William hadn't yielded a chance.
Bai Ye felt a quiet pang of regret.
Still, two chances weren't bad.
He silently willed to use them.
[Ding! Used two lottery chances. Congratulations on obtaining: Otherworld (Item), Thor.]
[Otherworld] (Item): From the Silent Hill world — a domain shaped by Alessa's will. The Otherworld shifts and transforms in accordance with its controller's inner state and intentions.
Unlike Alessa's Otherworld, the one Bai Ye now possessed was simply a dark, uncultivated void — a world not yet given form. How it would take shape going forward depended entirely on what Bai Ye wished to make of it.
This felt like it would be enormously useful for his future plans, and there was no church in his Otherworld — no outside power to answer to.
This was a world under his control alone.
That was a power Alessa had obtained by making a bargain with a demon, trading away part of her soul.
Then Bai Ye's attention moved to the second item.
[Thor]: From CSOL — an electromagnetic rail sniper rifle driven by electromagnetic launch technology.
A weapon from two thousand years in the future.
Still, it felt a little lacking. It would have been even better to receive something more extraordinary — cultivation-tier weapons, perhaps.
But Bai Ye wasn't in any rush. With this weapon in hand, he could have Red Queen begin working on her own designs later, keeping him at the cutting edge of technological development.
---
Biochemical Bai Ye: [The Raccoon City arc is wrapped up. The Otherworld is my biggest gain!]
Part of the biochemical storyline was now complete.
Running experiments inside the Otherworld would be far simpler than doing so in the real world.
And if he used it as an experimental space, he could generate all manner of test subjects. What kind of experiment had no test subjects?
---
Everyday Bai Ye: [The Otherworld — why is it an item?]
If it were an ability, they would all have one.
Biochemical Bai Ye: [Probably because I didn't make a deal with a demon.]
After all, it seemed to stem from Alessa sacrificing part of her soul, and from the unique nature of her soul to begin with.
Pirate Bai Ye: [Sounds like your world is full of treasures!]
Biochemical Bai Ye: [It really is. I also have an improved T-Virus now, which I can share with everyone later. It's just a shame that the Resident Evil 2 and 3 storylines are essentially wrapped up for me here!]
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