Chapter 37: Tracking the Trail

After saying goodbye to Rebecca and Richard, Chris entered the deep, dark corridors of the Spencer Mansion alone. The cold air, heavy with the stench of decay and blood, hit him instantly. The floorboards, long neglected, creaked with every step, sounding jarringly loud in the deathly silence of the building.

He gripped his assault rifle tightly, his eyes sharp as a hawk's, scanning the corners and shadows on both sides of the hallway. His finger remained on the edge of the trigger, maintaining the highest level of vigilance.

The brief respite of reuniting with Rebecca and settling Richard had not allowed him to relax in the slightest. Every corner of the Spencer Mansion was fraught with danger. His teammates were missing, and the secrets of the Umbrella Corporation hung over this place like a fog. He had to race against time, continuing his investigation by following any possible clues.

He turned back toward the west wing, thinking he might catch up with Jill. Having someone by his side would provide extra security. He followed the bloodstains and scattered signs of combat, advancing step by step toward the west corridor.

The scenery along the way grew increasingly dilapidated. Layers of bloodstains covered the walls, many having already turned black and dried. Scattered documents and shattered furniture were everywhere, and occasionally, a zombie would shamble out from a dim room.

Chris never lingered in a fight. He would either take a precise headshot to end it quickly or sidestep to save ammunition, maintaining a steady pace and never letting minor enemies delay his progress.

Soon, he reached the corner of the second-floor west wing. The air here suddenly became thick, and a pungent, nauseating stench replaced the original smell of decay—it was distinctly different from the zombies or mutant dogs he had encountered before.

Chris instantly tensed his muscles, slowed his pace, and even deliberately lightened his breathing. He could clearly hear the harsh hissing coming from behind a closed door ahead, along with the rustling sound of a massive body dragging across the floor. Just by the sound, he could tell that a terrifying mutant creature was behind the door.

He approached the door slowly, pressing his ear against the mottled wall to listen, while peeking through the crack in the door. A single glance made his brow furrow.

In the center of the room lurked a giant mutated snake, far larger than any normal viper. Its body was covered in hideous, colorful patterns. Its triangular head was raised high, its scarlet tongue flicking in and out, and its cold, vertical pupils glinted with malice in the dim light. Its thick, coiled body had a diameter far exceeding a person's waist, and the muscles beneath its scales pulsed with destructive power. It was the very culprit that had bitten Richard.

Chris quickly withdrew his gaze, his mind racing. He only had his assault rifle and a backup pistol, and his ammunition was already mostly depleted. A large mutant creature with such thick hide would be hard to kill with ordinary bullets. A forced fight would not only waste a massive amount of ammo but also risk being severely injured by the giant snake. Finding his teammates and uncovering the truth were his top priorities; there was no need to engage in a head-on clash here.

Sticking to his pragmatic judgment, Chris did not hesitate at all. He retreated slowly, deliberately avoiding the area near the door, and took a detour along the corridor on the other side, completely steering clear of the room where the giant snake was. He did not make a single sound the entire time.

After bypassing the giant snake, Chris continued along the corridor, and before he knew it, he arrived at the exit connecting the Spencer Mansion atrium to the outside.

He had been focused on exploring the interior of the Spencer Mansion and had never ventured into the outer areas. Now, looking at the wooden door leading to the outside world, he thought his teammates might have escaped there in search of survival, so he pushed the door open and stepped onto the edge of the Arklay forest outside the Spencer Mansion.

The heavy rain outside had not stopped. The cold water lashed against him, instantly soaking his combat uniform. Gale-force winds whistled through the forest, shaking the trees and grass. From the distance, the low growls of unknown creatures drifted over, adding an extra layer of unknown terror compared to the interior of the Spencer Mansion.

The ground was muddy and slippery. Chris took cautious steps. Not long after he walked out, the radio in the side pocket of his backpack suddenly emitted static, the jarring sound piercingly clear in the silent forest.

He stopped immediately, quickly pulled out the radio, and furrowed his brow while adjusting the frequency. The signal on this radio had always been extremely poor; he had never received any useful information before, and it could barely stay in standby mode, making communication impossible.

But at this moment, clearly mixed into the static, was a fragmented voice filled with urgency and despair: "This is Brad... if you can hear me... please, make any sound..."

It was Brad! Chris felt a jolt in his heart. Brad had left alone in a helicopter shortly after the team arrived in the Arklay Mountains. Everyone thought he had abandoned his teammates long ago; he hadn't expected to receive a signal from him.

He immediately shouted into the radio, trying to respond repeatedly, but no matter how he adjusted it, the radio was left with nothing but endless static. Brad's voice had disappeared completely and did not appear again.

Chris gripped the radio, his face grim. After a brief moment of disappointment, he quickly calmed his emotions. He knew now was not the time to dwell on the radio. Brad's signal proved he was still nearby; perhaps there was a chance to reunite. For now, he could only keep this in mind and continue exploring.

He walked along the muddy path in the forest, passed through a low thicket, and a gloomy graveyard appeared before his eyes. The tombstones were crooked, and many coffins had been washed out by the rain, lying exposed. The soil was soft and damp, permeated with the scent of decay, identical to the eerie aura of the Spencer Mansion. Clearly, this graveyard was also inextricably linked to the experiments of the Umbrella Corporation.

Chris gripped his assault rifle and stepped into the graveyard, carefully inspecting every suspicious spot.

Just as he reached the center of the graveyard, the soil beneath his feet suddenly shifted. Immediately after, a dilapidated coffin was violently pushed open from the ground. The lid fell heavily to the ground, and a zombie, covered in mud with bruised and decaying skin, scrambled out of the coffin. Its movements were slightly faster than an ordinary zombie, and it lunged straight toward Chris with its mouth full of filthy blood.

Having been prepared, Chris quickly stepped back, raised his rifle steadily, his eyes cold, without a trace of panic. He aimed at the zombie's head and pulled the trigger decisively. With a "bang," the bullet hit the target accurately. The zombie froze instantly, its head hanging limply, and it collapsed straight into the mud, completely motionless.

After disposing of this unexpected zombie, Chris scanned the graveyard. Finding no other clues, he only saw a hidden entrance to the underground next to a broken tombstone. The entrance was narrow, the steps were covered in moss, and it was pitch black below, exuding a chilly aura.

He did not rashly enter the underground but first confirmed that the perimeter of the graveyard was safe. Then, he followed the forest path and continued walking deeper into the woods.

He didn't know how long he walked before a dilapidated cabin in the forest came into view. The cabin's walls were mottled and peeling, one corner of the roof had collapsed, the doors and windows were broken, and it was overgrown with weeds. It looked like it had been abandoned for a long time, yet it exuded an indescribable eeriness.

Chris recognized at a glance that this was the only hidden building around the Spencer Mansion. It was highly likely to contain clues to the Umbrella Corporation's experiments, and it was also highly probable that his teammates had been here.

He approached the cabin slowly, his footsteps extremely light. Just as he reached the door of the cabin, the radio in his backpack rang again. This time, after the static, came the calm yet deliberately grave voice of Wesker: "Answer if you can hear me... the monster in shackles... bullets are ineffective against it... be careful..."

Wesker's warning made Chris's eyes darken. He had worked with Wesker for a long time and knew his captain's capabilities well. If he had specifically issued a warning, it meant that the shackled monster was extremely troublesome.

He had just put the radio back into his backpack when the sound of heavy shackles being dragged came from inside the cabin—"clang, clang"—the sound of metal rubbing against the ground was jarringly loud in the silent forest, accompanied by a hoarse, inhuman roar that made his scalp tingle.

Chris immediately backed against the wall, raised his gun toward the cabin door, his muscles tensed, and made preparations for battle. A moment later, a hunched figure slowly walked out of the cabin. Its clothes were in tatters, soaked with sewage and blood. It wore heavy, rusted shackles on its hands and feet, the chains dragging on the ground. Its skin was twisted and deformed, its expression was frantic and violent, and its eyes were bloodshot, locked firmly onto Chris, exuding a strong, fierce aura.

It was the very monster in shackles that Wesker had spoken of!

Without a second of hesitation, Chris pulled the trigger decisively. The assault rifle's bullets fired in succession, hitting the monster's body accurately, but the bullets hit it like a stone sinking into the ocean, causing no substantial damage, not even making it pause for a second.

The monster was completely enraged by the sound of gunfire, letting out a deafening roar. Dragging its heavy shackles, it lunged crazily toward Chris, its speed far exceeding his imagination.

Chris understood in his heart that Wesker's warning was correct. Ordinary firearms were useless against it, and a head-on fight would only lead to death. He immediately changed his strategy, no longer shooting blindly. While using the trees and tombstones in the forest as cover, he kept dodging to the side, firing sporadic shots at the monster's limbs, trying to slow it down. He fought while retreating, always maintaining a safe distance from the monster.

His retreat route was extremely calm. He did not run away in a panic but deliberately moved toward the direction of the underground entrance to the graveyard he had discovered earlier. Every dodge was precise and clean, and every shot fired was only to buy time for his retreat, never wasting a single bit of ammunition.

The monster's roars pursued him relentlessly, the clanging of the shackles never ceasing. Its crazy lunges missed time and time again, yet it never gave up the pursuit.

Soon, Chris retreated near the underground entrance of the graveyard. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted, hidden next to the entrance, a rusted small cargo elevator. The elevator car was dilapidated, and although the control panel was covered in dust, he could still see that it was intact, clearly still usable. This was his only chance to escape!

Chris seized the gap, suddenly turned, and rushed toward the elevator, quickly pressing the down button, while turning back to fire a few more shots at the monster, completely pinning it down.

The small elevator door opened slowly. He did not hesitate, leaped into the elevator car, immediately pressed the close button, and simultaneously operated the elevator to descend into the depths of the underground.

The moment the elevator door slowly closed, the monster had already rushed to the elevator entrance, crazily slamming its body against the elevator door, making a dull, loud noise. The shackles hit the metal door panel heavily, sending sparks flying.

Chris leaned against the inner wall of the elevator, panting heavily. He quickly checked his condition, confirmed he was not injured, and although his ammunition had been consumed, it was still enough to deal with subsequent crises.

The elevator descended slowly. The surroundings fell into pitch darkness, with only the slight sound of the elevator running. The cold air poured in from the gaps in the elevator, carrying the unique chill and dampness of the underground.

Chris gripped the assault rifle in his hand, his eyes firm. Looking at the endless darkness below, he already knew in his heart that this Spencer Mansion, the secrets of the Umbrella Corporation, the whereabouts of his teammates—all the mysteries might be hidden in this unknown underground facility.

He took a deep breath, calming his heartbeat from the recent fierce battle, and prepared himself to face even more terrifying crises underground, waiting for the elevator to reach the bottom floor to start a new round of exploration.