1 extra chapter per 35 power stones.
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"…Ramon?"
The hallway suddenly became silent.
Leon's body tensed slightly as memories from years ago resurfaced all at once.
The island.
The research building.
The emergency alarms screaming endlessly through the facility while smoke spread across the corridors.
And Julia—
Terrified but still trying to stay strong while Leon fought desperately to get her out alive.
Leon could still remember every detail clearly.
The giant mutated snake crashing through the walls.
The collapsing floors.
The sound of Julia screaming his name.
And the moment everything went wrong.
Leon had tried to save her.
God knows he tried.
But despite everything he did…
Julia still died inside that building.
That failure haunted him even now.
Then came the final memory.
Ramon laughing while the facility burned around them.
Leon killing him before the madman finally fell into the flames below.
Leon watched him disappear into the fire with his own eyes.
There should have been nothing left.
Leon slowly tightened his grip around the phone until faint cracks appeared across its surface.
"How are you alive?" Leon asked quietly.
His voice sounded cold.
Dangerously cold.
"I killed you."
Chris and Jill immediately looked toward him after hearing that.
Ramon burst into laughter from the other side of the phone.
"Hehehehahahahaha!"
"Oh, Leon…" Ramon mocked. "You still sound disappointed."
Leon's jaw tightened painfully.
"You should've died in that fire."
For several seconds, silence followed.
"…I killed you."
Leon's voice became colder than ice itself.
Chris and Jill immediately noticed the dangerous shift in his expression.
Memories continued flashing inside Leon's mind relentlessly.
The burning research facility.
Julia dying in front of him.
Ramon laughing even while the entire building collapsed around them.
And finally—
Their last confrontation.
Leon remembered standing inside the burning laboratory while flames consumed the walls around them. Smoke filled the air while alarms screamed endlessly throughout the collapsing facility.
Ramon stood across from him, bloodied but still smiling like a madman.
"You lost everything, Leon!" Ramon laughed hysterically. "And you still couldn't save her!"
At that moment, something inside Leon snapped completely.
The air around him suddenly grew hotter.
Dark red magma began dripping slowly from Leon's right arm before rapidly expanding across it like living volcanic armor.
The ground beneath his feet cracked from the unbearable heat.
Ramon's expression finally changed.
Fear.
Real fear.
Leon slowly raised his magma-covered fist while staring at Ramon with cold blue eyes completely devoid of mercy.
"You should've never touched her," Leon said quietly.
Then—
Leon attacked.
"Hell Hound."
His magma-coated fist exploded forward like a volcanic beast unleashed from hell itself.
The attack struck Ramon directly in the face.
For a split second, silence filled the room.
Then half of Ramon's head exploded instantly under the overwhelming force and heat of the magma attack.
Blood and molten fire scattered across the burning laboratory walls while Ramon's body was launched violently backward.
The remaining half of his face twisted in horror before his body fell into the flames below.
Leon remembered watching the corpse disappear beneath the collapsing fire while the laboratory crumbled apart around him.
There should have been no way Ramon survived that attack.
No human possibly could.
Yet now…
That same monster was speaking to him through the phone once again.
Ramon suddenly burst into laughter once again.
"Hehehehahahahaha…"
The unstable sound echoed through the hallway, making the atmosphere feel even heavier than before.
Then Ramon finally spoke.
"If you want answers, Leon… then come here personally."
Leon remained silent, his cold blue eyes fixed ahead while his grip around the phone slowly tightened.
"I'll tell you everything," Ramon continued mockingly. "How I survived… why I returned… and why fate keeps dragging us back together."
A brief pause followed.
Then Ramon's tone became darker.
"The location has already been sent to your email."
Chris immediately frowned after hearing that while Jill crossed her arms uneasily.
"But remember one thing carefully, Leon," Ramon said quietly.
"Come alone."
The hallway became silent again.
Leon's jaw tightened slightly while anger slowly burned beneath his calm expression. The memories of Julia, the burning laboratory, and Ramon's laughter continued replaying inside his mind relentlessly.
This wasn't just another mission anymore.
This was personal.
Leon slowly tightened his grip around the phone hard enough for faint cracking sounds to appear across the device.
Then he finally replied in a cold voice,
"…I will."
Ramon laughed softly one final time.
"Good."
The call ended immediately afterward.
Silence filled the hallway.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Leon slowly lowered the phone from his ear while his expression remained unreadable, though the dangerous coldness in his eyes had deepened noticeably.
Chris stepped forward first.
"You're seriously planning to go alone?"
Leon glanced toward him briefly before looking down at the cracked phone in his hand.
"Yes."
Jill frowned immediately.
"Leon, this is obviously a trap."
"I know," Leon answered calmly.
But despite his calm tone, both Chris and Jill could feel the restrained rage hidden underneath it.
Leon slowly opened his email.
A new message had already arrived.
Coordinates.
An isolated location.
And attached beneath it—
A single photo of Emma sitting unconscious in a chair.
The moment Leon saw the image, the temperature around his body rose slightly.
Thin traces of heat escaped from his clenched fist unconsciously.
Chris immediately noticed it.
Leon's magma powers were reacting to his emotions again.
Leon stared at the photo for several silent seconds before quietly muttering,
"…Ramon."
The coldness in his voice alone was enough to make the atmosphere tense.
Because both Chris and Jill understood one thing clearly now—
Leon wasn't going there just to rescue Emma.
He was going there to end something that should have ended years ago.
Without wasting another second, Leon closed the email and locked his phone.
The hallway remained completely silent.
Chris and Jill could both feel the dangerous atmosphere surrounding him now. The calm expression on Leon's face had returned, but this time it felt different.
Colder.
More dangerous.
Leon slowly lifted his head and looked directly at both of them. His sharp blue eyes carried a level of determination neither of them had seen in a long time.
"Prepare the helicopter," Leon said calmly.
His voice was quiet.
But the restrained rage hidden beneath it was impossible to miss.
"I'll end this soon."
Chris immediately frowned.
"Leon, don't rush into this blindly," he warned seriously. "Ramon clearly wants to lure you into something."
"I know," Leon replied instantly.
Jill crossed her arms while studying him carefully.
"Then let us come with you."
Leon remained silent for a moment before shaking his head slightly.
"No."
His answer came without hesitation.
"He specifically asked for me alone."
Chris stepped closer immediately.
"And you actually trust him to keep Emma alive?"
Leon's eyes darkened slightly.
"No," he answered honestly.
The hallway fell silent again.
Leon slowly placed the phone into his pocket before walking past both of them toward the exit.
The cold sound of his boots echoed through the hallway with every step.
"This isn't about trust," Leon continued calmly. "It's about finishing something that should've ended years ago."
As he walked away, faint heat waves began escaping from his clenched right fist unconsciously.
The temperature in the hallway slowly started rising.
Jill noticed it first.
"Leon…"
But he didn't stop walking.
The memories inside his mind continued replaying endlessly.
Julia dying inside that burning building.
Ramon surviving his Hell Hound attack somehow.
And now Emma sitting unconscious somewhere in enemy hands.
The rage inside him continued building quietly beneath the surface like magma preparing to erupt.
Leon finally reached the exit doors before stopping briefly.
Without turning around, he spoke one final time.
"If Ramon wants me that badly…"
A dangerous silence followed.
"…then I'll make sure I'm the last thing he ever sees."
Leon had only taken a few steps toward the exit when he suddenly stopped.
The heat surrounding his body slowly faded away, and within moments, the rising temperature in the hallway returned to normal.
Chris and Jill immediately noticed the change.
For several silent seconds, Leon remained standing there motionless.
Then the memories returned again.
Julia trapped inside the collapsing building.
Leon rushing forward blinded by rage.
The giant mutated snake attacking while everything around them burned.
And the feeling that haunted him ever since—
Failure.
Leon slowly lowered his head.
He had been so focused on killing Ramon back then that he failed to save the person who mattered most.
He wasn't repeating that mistake again.
After a long silence, Leon finally turned back toward Chris and Jill.
His expression looked calmer now.
More focused.
More controlled.
"I have a mission for both of you," Leon said seriously.
Chris frowned slightly.
"What is it?"
Leon looked directly at them, his sharp blue eyes colder than before.
"If anything goes wrong inside that facility…"
He paused briefly.
"…your priority is Emma."
Jill immediately understood what Leon meant.
"You think Ramon might use her against you."
Leon nodded slowly.
"He already is."
The hallway became silent again.
Leon continued calmly,
"I'll deal with Ramon myself."
Chris crossed his arms.
"And if you need backup?"
Leon remained quiet for a moment before answering,
"Then it means I already failed."
Chris immediately frowned after hearing that.
"Leon—"
But Leon interrupted him calmly.
"Listen carefully."
For the first time since the call began, genuine emotion appeared faintly in Leon's eyes.
"I lost someone once because I focused too much on killing the enemy instead of saving her."
Julia's memory flashed through his mind again.
The burning building.
Her hand slipping away from his.
And his helplessness afterward.
Leon's jaw tightened slightly before he continued.
"I'm not letting that happen to Emma."
Jill studied him silently for several seconds before finally nodding.
"We'll get her out."
Chris gave a slow nod as well.
"You have my word."
Leon looked at both of them quietly before turning back toward the exit.
"Good."
His voice became colder again.
"Because once I find Ramon…"
Faint heat escaped from his clenched fist briefly.
"…I'm not holding back anymore."
Without wasting any more time, the three of them immediately headed toward the rooftop of the building.
Cold night wind greeted them the moment the rooftop doors opened. The sound of rotating helicopter blades echoed loudly across the dark skyline of Raccoon City while two military helicopters waited nearby with their engines already running.
Leon walked forward calmly, his long dark coat moving slightly beneath the powerful wind created by the blades.
Chris and Jill followed closely behind him.
The atmosphere between all three remained tense.
This was no longer just another mission.
It was personal.
Leon stopped near the helicopters before finally turning toward Chris and Jill. The city lights reflected faintly within his cold blue eyes while exhaustion and determination mixed together silently on his face.
"I want you two to take one helicopter," Leon said seriously. "I'll take the other one alone."
Chris immediately frowned.
"Leon—"
But Leon raised one hand slightly, stopping him before he could continue.
"Listen first."
His voice remained calm, though the emotion hidden underneath it was impossible to ignore now.
"Once we reach the objective, land somewhere nearby instead of directly at the location."
Jill nodded slightly, understanding immediately.
"You think Ramon might be watching the area."
Leon nodded back.
"He definitely is."
The cold wind continued blowing across the rooftop as Leon looked away briefly toward the dark horizon.
Then he spoke again.
"And after landing… move toward the destination on foot."
Chris crossed his arms while listening carefully.
"If things go bad?"
Leon remained silent for several seconds before finally answering quietly,
"Save Emma first."
The moment he said her name, the expression on Leon's face changed slightly.
For the first time that night, the cold mask around his emotions cracked just enough for Chris and Jill to notice the pain hidden underneath it.
Leon slowly clenched his fist.
"I already lost everyone important to me," he admitted quietly.
Julia's death resurfaced inside his mind once again.
The burning building.
Her hand slipping away from his.
The helplessness he still carried even now.
Leon lowered his gaze slightly before continuing.
"…Emma's the only one left."
Chris and Jill stayed silent.
Because they could hear it clearly in his voice.
Leon genuinely cared about her.
After a brief pause, Leon finally looked back at them again.
"She's like a big sister to me."
The rooftop became completely silent except for the sound of the helicopter blades spinning in the background.
Chris slowly sighed before placing a hand on Leon's shoulder.
"We'll bring her back safely."
Jill gave a firm nod as well.
"You have our word."
Leon stared at both of them quietly for a moment before finally nodding once.
"Good."
Then his expression slowly became cold again.
Controlled.
Dangerous.
"Now let's move."
Without another word, Leon turned around and walked toward his helicopter while the night wind howled around the rooftop.
The helicopters continued flying through the night sky at high speed.
Below them, endless darkness stretched across the land while forests, mountains, and abandoned roads passed beneath the rotating blades. Inside the helicopter, Leon remained completely silent, his sharp blue eyes fixed ahead while the coordinates Ramon sent stayed open on the monitor beside him.
The atmosphere inside felt heavy.
Every passing minute only increased the tension building inside him.
Meanwhile, Chris and Jill followed behind in the second helicopter while carefully monitoring the surrounding area for any possible ambushes or surveillance systems.
Nearly forty minutes later, both helicopters finally reached their destination.
The location was isolated deep within a massive forest far away from any nearby city or human civilization. Thick trees covered nearly every direction while enormous hills and rocky terrain surrounded the area naturally like a protective wall.
Even from the air, the place felt wrong.
Too quiet.
Too hidden.
Chris looked down toward the dense forest below while narrowing his eyes.
"This place looks like it was chosen carefully," he muttered.
Jill nodded slightly while studying the terrain map.
"The hills are covering most of the area from aerial visibility," she replied seriously. "Smart choice for hiding a facility."
Following Leon's instructions carefully, Chris slowly guided the helicopter downward toward a narrow clearing hidden between the hills nearly a mile away from the target location.
The landing itself was difficult.
Strong winds moved through the rocky terrain while trees blocked visibility from multiple directions, but the hills surrounding the area worked perfectly as natural cover against detection.
Without those hills, they would have been forced to land dozens of miles away just to avoid getting spotted.
The helicopter finally touched the ground softly.
The moment the blades began slowing down, Chris immediately grabbed his weapon while Jill checked the surrounding darkness carefully.
Cold air moved silently through the forest.
No animals.
No insects.
Nothing.
The unnatural silence alone was enough to make both of them uneasy.
Jill stepped out first, her boots sinking slightly into the damp ground beneath her while she scanned the surrounding trees carefully.
"This place gives me a bad feeling," she said quietly.
Chris exited beside her before looking toward the distant hills hiding the objective somewhere beyond them.
"Ramon definitely prepared this place in advance," he replied.
The forest around them was incredibly dense, making movement difficult without proper visibility. Massive trees blocked most of the moonlight above, causing the entire area to feel darker with every step forward.
Chris looked toward Jill seriously.
"Ready?"
Jill loaded her weapon calmly before nodding once.
"Let's move."
Without wasting another second, both of them began walking carefully through the forest toward Ramon's hidden location while the sound of the helicopter slowly disappeared behind them.
Far ahead in the darkness…
Something was waiting.
.
.
Chapter End.
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