Ryan quickly drew his Matilda pistol and, with his left hand, tossed Elvin's notebook containing the crest code to Leon, whispering:
"You go get the crest—I'll cover you!"
Leon nodded firmly and immediately moved to the goddess statue, rotating the combination lock according to the code.
Ryan checked his magazine, then focused on the movement above.
The creature on the ceiling moved rapidly, constantly shifting positions. The rustling sound alone was enough to send chills down their spines.
Leon had never encountered such a monster before—but Ryan knew exactly what it was.
A Licker.
A mutated creature formed after further infection by the T-virus. Its skin had rotted away, exposing raw muscle and even parts of its brain. Its claws were razor-sharp, and its long tongue was a deadly weapon. Even its only major weakness—its heart—was hidden beneath its body.
Normally, it crawled low and never exposed that weak point.
Back in the game, Ryan had been killed by Lickers countless times. Every encounter demanded extreme caution.
But this wasn't a game.
And right now—
He was facing one alone.
Even though Leon was nearby, Ryan felt an overwhelming sense of pressure.
The sounds above were completely different from zombies—faster, sharper, more terrifying.
Leon was clearly affected too. He had input the code correctly several times but failed to complete the process due to broken concentration.
Ryan crouched slightly, pacing back and forth.
He didn't dare stay still. If the Licker lunged, even one hit could be fatal. Its claws and tongue could tear him apart instantly.
Then—
Silence.
Ryan froze.
He knew what that meant.
The attack was coming.
A red blur dropped from the ceiling.
The Licker landed.
Its exposed muscles twitched as it faced them.
Ryan swallowed hard and prepared to create distance—
Click.
Leon unlocked the statue.
Both of them froze.
The sound echoed loudly.
The Licker turned its head.
Toward Leon.
Ryan didn't hesitate.
He raised his pistol and fired.
The bullet struck the Licker's exposed brain, interrupting its movement. It instantly redirected its attention toward Ryan and lunged at him.
Ryan dove to the ground.
The Licker flew over him—
Bang! Bang!
Ryan fired upward, hitting the exposed heart beneath its body.
The creature let out a piercing shriek and staggered.
Leon rushed in and pulled Ryan up.
They exchanged a glance—
And kicked simultaneously.
The force of two adult men struck the Licker hard—Leon's kick landing directly on its heart.
The organ ruptured.
The Licker collapsed.
Dead.
---
Ryan let out a long breath and crouched down in relief.
Leon tried to imitate him—but lost his balance and ended up sitting flat on the ground.
Fortunately, Ryan didn't notice.
After catching his breath, Ryan stood up.
"We've got the crest. Let's reorganize our ammo and move."
Leon nodded.
They reloaded their magazines and left the storage room.
---
Beyond the door was the library—a two-story space.
The second crest was located on the unicorn statue in the lounge beside it.
After clearing the zombies in the library, they entered the lounge.
Ryan let Leon retrieve the crest while he searched the room.
He quickly noticed something unsettling—
Items weren't exactly where they should be.
Fortunately, the Spade Key was still on the table.
But the Red Book was missing.
Just as expected, the path toward the S.T.A.R.S. office was locked.
With no other options, they returned to the main hall after collecting the second crest.
---
The third crest was located on the second floor of the main hall.
After obtaining it, they placed all three crests into the slots beneath the goddess statue.
The ground trembled.
A hidden passage opened below.
---
Marvin lay unconscious on a nearby bench.
Ryan stood beside him, his expression heavy.
Leon walked over as well, equally troubled.
Then—
Ryan noticed something on the laptop beside Marvin.
A surveillance feed.
It showed the eastern exit of the station.
A woman in a red vest stood outside.
Ryan pointed at the screen.
"Leon, look—there's a survivor!"
Leon's face lit up.
"Claire! She made it!"
Ryan pretended to be confused.
"You know her?"
Leon smiled.
"We met earlier. We got separated… you almost met her too."
Ryan chuckled—
But Leon's next words caught him off guard.
"I'm going to find her. You stay here."
Ryan immediately grabbed Leon's shoulder.
"You're going alone? That's dangerous—I'm coming with you!"
This wasn't just talk.
They had fought side by side.
Leon had saved him more than once.
Ryan truly didn't want anything to happen to him.
Leon shook his head.
"This is my responsibility. I have to go. You don't need to risk yourself for me."
"If I don't come back… escape through the underground passage."
Ryan wanted to argue—
But when he saw Leon's eyes, he stopped.
They were firm.
Just like his own.
After a long pause, Ryan spoke quietly:
"Set your radio to channel 25. Don't lose contact with me."
He handed Leon the Spade Key.
Then grabbed his hand.
"Come back alive. I'll be waiting."
Leon smiled.
"I will."
---
Leon left.
Ryan sat beside Marvin, sighing.
"Leon… you're really a headache…"
"I just wanted to escape… but now…"
He looked toward the direction Leon had gone.
"…Even if I could go back… I'm not sure I'd want to anymore."
---
Licker - a mutated creature created from a further-evolved zombie infected by the T-virus.
No skin, exposed muscles and brain. Moves on walls and ceilings.
Main weakness: the heart (usually hidden under the body).
Extremely fast and deadly at close range.