Chapter 74: Unlocking the Fifth Level
Wu Fan stared at the few lines of text on the screen, cigarette ash spilling across the table.
How long had it taken him to accumulate over 60,000 points?
Merle was out there working herself to exhaustion. Rick had been fishing for points at the freight station with loudspeakers and fireworks. Glenn was marking targets on the map one by one. Wistle had recently bombed the Atlanta horde, and Sean was also clearing out walkers in the city.
And now—more than 60,000 points had become 20,000.
He had unlocked the fifth level: [Biological Weapon Cultivation Area].
He opened the page, glanced at it briefly, then closed it again. Standing up, he walked to the window.
Outside was quiet.
Searchlights on the walls slowly rotated, sweeping across the wilderness. Occasionally, they illuminated wandering walkers—ashen silhouettes that appeared for a moment before vanishing back into darkness.
He replayed the footage Merle had sent via Red Queen. A wrecked Humvee with a massive RPG hole torn through its hood, steel edges curled like burned paper.
The attackers had waited in the forest, ambushing Merle's convoy at close range.
They weren't a rabble. They were trained, organized, disciplined.
Woodbury was more troublesome than expected.
Wu Fan stubbed out his cigarette and walked out of the office.
He went down to the third basement level of the CDC, entered the Hive, and took the elevator deeper—level by level—until he reached the fifth basement floor.
Red Queen automatically authorized access.
The heavy metal door slid open.
Inside was a vast, cold-lit space—larger than all the floors above combined.
Rows upon rows of incubation chambers stretched into the distance like industrial shelving units. Each one had a glass front with a label:
Biological Weapon Container – Pending Activation
All of them were empty.
Wu Fan walked between the rows, footsteps echoing in the hollow chamber. Cold reflections of himself flickered across the glass.
Umbrella Corporation's underground labs… just like in memory.
Lickers in containment pods. Suicide research teams. A world of controlled monsters.
But now—nothing.
He stopped and placed a hand on the nearest chamber. Ice-cold glass.
"Red Queen."
"Present," the system responded.
"Do we need to buy everything from the Hive Mall again?"
"Yes. From the S-level store under the biological weapons category."
Wu Fan turned away and opened the system.
S-Level Store – Biological Weapons Tyrant (T-103) — Controllable, highly capable, obedientProduction: 5 hours | Usage: 24 hours | 500 points Zombie Dog — Reconnaissance, raidsProduction: 1 hour | Usage: 24 hours | 100 points Licker — Stealth assassination, wall climbingProduction: 2 hours | Usage: 24 hours | 200 points Giant Axe Executioner — Heavy defense unitProduction: 3 hours | Usage: 24 hours | 300 points Nemesis — Tyrant + parasite hybrid, tracking unitProduction: 5 hours | Usage: 48 hours | 1000 points
Wu Fan stared at the list for a long time.
Five hundred points to create a Tyrant—but only for 24 hours.
One thousand points for Nemesis—forty-eight hours.
After that, they self-destruct. Nothing remains.
He exhaled slowly.
"Red Queen… when their time ends, do they die or become free?"
"Self-destruction is mandatory. All biological weapons contain built-in termination protocols. After usage time ends, they decompose completely."
"Can they infect people?"
"Yes. Infection does not spread through air. Infected hosts behave like walkers but with slightly enhanced movement. Airborne spread requires separate T-virus purchase."
Wu Fan's lips twitched slightly.
He turned off the screen.
Back in the elevator, he leaned against the wall as the floors passed.
Down… up… then back to the CDC.
Sitting in his chair again, he lit another cigarette.
Too expensive. Too temporary.
A Tyrant squad wouldn't last long enough. Nemesis even less so. Disposable weapons.
What he needed was something stable. Something permanent.
He glanced at the remaining points.
21,040.
Not enough.
Woodbury couldn't be solved head-on. Not yet.
He exhaled smoke.
"They'll come again."
He picked up the phone.
"Call Merle back."
That night, Merle arrived.
He stood in front of the desk, unusually serious.
"I messed up, boss."
"It's not your fault."
Wu Fan pointed at the chair. "Sit. Those people are organized. You were in the open; they were in the dark. Anyone would lose that round."
Merle sat, hesitated, then put his cigarette away again.
"So what now?"
Wu Fan walked to the map and pointed at Woodbury's red circle.
"Don't move. Just watch. I'll send a group of Sages."
"Group of Sages?"
"You'll see."
Merle paused, then nodded.
As he turned to leave, he stopped at the door.
"So we're just letting that RPG thing go?"
Wu Fan didn't answer.
Merle left.
Wu Fan stood alone in front of the map.
Let it go?
Of course not.
But not yet.
Not until he had enough points.
Not until those incubation chambers were full.
When that time came…
Woodbury wouldn't be solved by an RPG