At the strategic command center of F City International Airport, Lin Xuan watched the red dot on the screen gradually recede, a cold smile playing across his lips.
He had just issued the order to hunt down Umbrella Headquarters, and in his mind, he was already beginning to plot how to completely devour this remnant of the old era.
Just then, a crisp system notification chimed in his mind.
[Ding! System Reminder: Due to the host acquiring information on Umbrella, you are rewarded with a viewing of "Black Watch Recruit Selection." After watching, the host can obtain the individual combat capabilities and physique of a Black Watch Soldier. Watch now? Yes/No]
"Yes." Lin Xuan selected confirmation without hesitation. He needed more information about that world, and even more so, he needed to understand the origins of this mysterious unit under his command.
A strong sense of dizziness hit him instantly, and everything before his eyes turned into a blur of light and shadow. When his vision cleared again, he found he was no longer sitting in the command center but was suspended above a frozen landscape of ice and snow from a transcendent, god-like perspective.
The polar storm roared, swirling snowflakes into massive white waves. He saw a military helicopter struggling to hover and land in the gale; the belly hatch opened, and several black figures rappelled down the ropes like spiders.
One of the figures was agile and steady—it was his current ace subordinate, Cross. At this moment, Cross was still very young, wearing heavy polar combat gear and a windproof mask that revealed only a pair of eyes as sharp as an eagle's.
Antarctica, 1998, Operation Ice Storm
The ice field was vast and boundless, with white snow and wind obscuring the heavens and the earth. The helicopter hovered and landed in the bone-chilling wind, the snow mist kicked up by the rotors blurring the vision.
Multiple fully armed special forces soldiers rappelled down from the air, their figures appearing exceptionally small against the vast, desolate snow.
Cross was the first to land, the ice and snow crunching beneath his feet. Without a moment's pause, he walked straight toward a metal hatch covered in snow. His fingertips danced rapidly across the cold keypad, entering a complex string of characters.
"Whir—"
The heavy door let out a low rumble and slowly opened inward, revealing a passage leading into the depths of darkness. The group quickly entered the base as the cold wind and snow swirled behind them, as if to completely erase all traces of this area. The camera zoomed out, revealing a massive underground structure buried in the snow, its former glory forming a sharp contrast with its current silence.
———
Inside the enclosed elevator car, the cold metal reflected the dim yellow light of the emergency lamps. A group of fully armed soldiers stood close together, their breath condensing into white mist in the cramped space, their expressions alert and solemn.
Cross's voice was low and powerful, echoing in the elevator: "You've all read the briefing. Springfield, an underground city built during the Cold War. It was used to hold Russian defectors and prisoners of war—mainly scientists and KGB personnel."
Everyone's gaze focused on Cross, their expressions tense and confused.
Cross continued: "When the Cold War ended, none of the men, women, or children held there were allowed to leave. Three days ago, we lost contact with the lead scientist, Mathieu Doublet."
A young soldier broke the silence, his voice tinged with unease: "I don't understand, sir. What exactly are we dealing with? A bunch of elderly Russians?"
Cross's eyes swept over the group, his tone brook no argument: "Expect heavy resistance and be prepared to sweep the site. That's all we need to know, soldier."
———
The elevator doors opened to reveal a dim street. It was a small town street at night, with streetlights casting a dim yellow glow over the snow-covered ground. The soldiers moved against the walls, weapons gripped tightly and muzzles pointed forward, their movements cautious and every step taken with extreme vigilance.
"Damn... looks like a ghost town," a soldier cursed under his breath. "Everyone spread out, stay frosty!"
———
The squad moved deeper into the town area; the streets were empty, with only the wind and snow howling between the buildings. A deathly silence enveloped the entire town, as if all life had evaporated overnight.
Cross issued orders through the comms: "Bravo Squad, search the west side of town; Rio Squad, with me."
A soldier stepped into a dilapidated house where the furniture was overturned. He crouched down to examine a pile of unknown substance on the floor.
"Sir! I've found something strange."
The group gathered around, and by the light of their flashlights, they saw the pile—a heap of foul-smelling black excrement.
"It's droppings, and I'm pretty sure there are human bones in here," another soldier's voice carried clear disgust.
"Ugh... what kind of thing poops out bones?" a third soldier gagged.
Cross responded over the comms: "Bravo Squad, this is Cross. This town has a zoo; some animals probably got out—stay sharp."
A response came over the radio: "Copy that, Rio Squad."
The soldier who first found the droppings spoke again, a hint of doubt in his tone: "Sir, I grew up in Montana and I've seen big bears, but they don't drop stuff like this. Not unless it's three times the size of a normal grizzly."
Cross's tone was impatient: "Thanks for the National Geographic lecture. But I don't care if it's a lion, a tiger, or a bear; it's just a pile of shit—we still have a whole town to search, so stow the chatter."
———
Suddenly, a shrill bird cry echoed from the sky, sharp and piercing, cutting through the deathly silent night. The soldiers immediately went on alert, raising their weapons in defense.
"What was that sound? Did you guys hear that too?" a soldier asked tensely.
Before the words had even left his mouth, a massive swarm of giant, mutated green birds dove from the sky like a thick black cloud. They had unnatural green feathers and blood-red eyes, attacking in a fierce, foul-smelling mass.
"What the hell... are those birds?" a soldier shouted in terror.
The mutated birds swarmed the soldiers instantly, sharp beaks and claws tearing at their faces as blood splattered. The others quickly returned fire, the sound of gunshots echoing through the narrow street.
"Kill these feathered bastards!" a soldier roared, pulling the trigger.
Cross didn't hesitate for a second. He whipped out the flamethrower from his back, and searing flames erupted instantly, engulfing the entire swarm. The fire flared up, and feathers scattered in the blaze, turning to ash.
"Nice work! Who's got a bucket? I'll collect the wings!" After the brief moment of terror, one soldier started joking, trying to ease the tension.
———
Several flaming carcasses of mutated birds fell from the sky, emitting a burnt stench.
Cross called over the intercom: "Bravo, this is Cross, do you read?"
The joking soldier looked at the smoking bird carcasses on the ground, his voice tinged with confusion and fear: "Seriously, sir... what the hell were those things?"
Cross didn't answer, only urging again: "Bravo Squad—respond!"
A burst of rapid static came over the radio, followed by a terrified voice: "Sir, we've found something big over here!"
"Sir!" a soldier pointed forward in terror.
A massive beast suddenly lunged from around the corner, fast as lightning. It had the body of a tiger, but its muscles were more knotted, and its eyes glowed with an eerie green light. The beast pounced on a soldier, tearing him apart in an instant; flesh and blood flew, and the scream was cut short.
"Aaaaaah—!!"
———
In the middle of the street, the giant tiger-like mutated creature was mauling a soldier to death, blood gushing out like a fountain and staining the snow red.
The remaining squad members opened fire frantically, muzzles spitting flames as bullets poured down, trying to stop the beast's savage rampage.
"Watch out! It's coming!" Cross roared.
A large number of mutated dogs swarmed into the street, at least eight or nine rushing in at once, their hungry eyes locked onto the remaining soldiers.
"Booth, suppressive fire!"
"They're still coming! What on earth are these things..." a soldier cried out in despair.
The camera cut to a mutated tiger engulfed in flames; it was burning all over yet still running at an incredible speed, charging toward them.
—
A burning mutated tiger opened its bloody maw and let out a deafening roar, its teeth sharp and terrifying, glinting with a bloodthirsty light.
Cross commanded calmly, "Aim, steady shots! Conserve your ammo as much as possible!"
He roared as he struck a monster trying to pounce on him, slamming his rifle butt hard against its head.
"Come at me, you piece of trash!"
"Wilkins, plant the C4 on the key infrastructure points!"
"Sir?" the soldier Wilkins asked in confusion.
Cross's tone left no room for doubt: "We're sealing off the entire area! Retreat immediately!"
The team began to evacuate at full speed, sprinting toward the designated extraction point.
Cross called out over the radio again, "Bravo Squad! Respond if you hear me!"
There was only static over the radio. A soldier said despairingly, "...They're all dead, sir."
"We can't be sure!" another soldier tried to argue, but he knew himself that under an attack of that scale, the chances of survival were slim to none.
Cross's expression turned grim as he cursed under his breath, "Dammit..."
—
Corpses littered the ground, the snow stained red with blood. Mutated lions and leopards were greedily devouring the remains of the soldiers; the scene was tragic and bloody.
Cross looked at this purgatory-like scene, his eyes filled with pain and anger. "Damn it... it's like we're on a suicide mission."
"I don't want to lose another person."
"What should we do?" a surviving soldier asked, his voice laced with despair.
Cross pointed toward a building ahead, his tone firm. "That's the main power station. It handles the gas, oil, and electricity for the entire town."
"We're going to blow it up. If all goes well, it'll cause a massive fire, and once the power is out, any monsters that survive the flames will freeze to death."
—
The squad approached a building in the dark, a prominent electricity symbol plastered on its outer wall.
"What is this place, sir?" the soldier asked.
Cross's tone held a hint of helplessness. "I plan to ask that same question when we get back to HQ. For now, let's just focus on getting out of here in one piece."
The squad entered the building; the interior was pitch black.
Cross tugged at a heavy iron door and found it locked. "These oil and gas reserves should be in the basement... they wouldn't keep them on the ground floor."
"This base was built during the Cold War. How do they get the fuel down there?" a soldier wondered.
Cross guessed, "Airdrops and fuel drums, probably."
"It's locked, as expected."
"In a gated community like this, I guess there isn't much crime," a soldier tried to make a joke.
"This whole place is a crime scene itself. Hurry up and turn on the flashlights."
Everyone entered the room, the flashlight beams illuminating the interior. They saw a large number of animal carcasses piled in a corner, emitting the stench of decay.
"These animals...?" a soldier exclaimed.
Cross's eyes were cold. "Clearly products of an experiment. Regardless, our mission is to finish this place off for good. Set the explosives."
The soldiers moved quickly, beginning to set the explosives.
"Sir, it's almost ready," a soldier reported.
"Damn, there's something here... God, that smell..." another soldier suddenly caught a pungent stench.
Just then, two massive mutated Wolf Packs suddenly lunged from the shadows. With blood-red eyes and razor-like fangs, they killed a soldier instantly.
—
The fierce battle inside continued, with gunfire, roars, and screams mixing together. Cross fired calmly, hitting a giant wolf in the back with one shot, but it seemed unharmed.
"Get those explosives set, now!"
A mutated wolf tried to tackle Cross from behind, and his gun was knocked from his hands. But Cross reacted instantly, drawing his tactical knife and engaging in close-quarters combat, plunging it into the monster's throat as blood sprayed out.
—
Cross quickly set the last explosive and shouted, "Explosives are set! Retreat! We can detonate them remotely to buy some time!"
The only two remaining members of the squad evacuated at full speed, running toward the exit at the end of the corridor.
However, one soldier was tackled by a beast while fleeing, letting out a piercing scream.
Cross glanced back, his gaze resolute yet pained. He knew he couldn't stop, nor could he turn back.
"Keep running, soldier," he said, his voice raspy and tinged with frustration.
—
The two approached the exit, but giant lion-like mutated beasts were already closing in on them. They let out low growls, closing in step by step like the Grim Reaper.
They turned and fired, trying to intercept the beasts, but the bullets had little effect on their tough hides.
The last soldier following Cross was tackled by a beast; sharp claws and teeth tore through his body in an instant, blood splattered, and his screams were heart-wrenching.
"Save me—!!!"
Cross fell to the ground and fired at the monster, roaring back, "Go to hell, you beast!"
—
The camera cut back to Antarctica; the snowstorm continued.
Cross walked out of the destroyed building alone. The snowfield was silent, save for the whistling of the wind and snow. A helicopter was already on standby nearby. Cross carried the carcass of a mutated lion in his hand, its eyes having lost their luster.
A man in a black uniform, Randall (General Randall), stood by the helicopter with a playful smile on his face: "Good afternoon, captain Cross."
Cross's face was stained with blood and dirt, his eyes full of anger and exhaustion: "Good afternoon, my ass! My men are all dead."
Randall's smile remained unchanged, his tone cold and cruel: "It's a pity you lost your subordinates, but this was also the final step of your recruitment test."
Cross's pupils constricted sharply: "What the hell are you talking about..."
Randall reached out in an inviting gesture, his voice full of allure: "Welcome to Black Watch."
Cross looked at Randall with a gloomy, expressionless face, then pressed the detonator in his hand.
"Boom—!"
The violent explosion echoed across the Antarctic ice fields, flames soaring into the sky, completely swallowing that former underground city.
Cross's eyes were cold and firm. He knew that from this moment on, he was no longer the captain Cross he once was; he had become a part of Black Watch.
...
Lin Xuan suddenly pulled away from that god-like perspective, gasping for breath.
He felt Cross's despair, his anger, and the numbness and coldness when he was finally recruited by "Black Watch."
[Host has obtained the individual combat capabilities and physical enhancement of a Black Watch Soldier.]
A warm current instantly surged through his entire body. Lin Xuan felt his muscles become tighter, his reactions faster, and even his senses became extraordinarily sharp.
He knew this wasn't just a physical enhancement, but a mental assimilation—he began to understand Black Watch, why they were so powerful and so cold.
Cross, his ace subordinate, had actually been recruited into Black Watch this way. This gave him a deeper understanding of the organization's cruelty and efficiency.