Chapter 17: One-Shotting Zombies, Our Confident Class President

The Second Forbidden Zone sprawled before him, a desolate city filled with crumbling skyscrapers and lifeless streets. Vincent Fox stood still, quietly surveying the grim landscape.

In the Resident Evil storyline, the T-Virus outbreak in parts one and two was confined to Raccoon City. It wasn't until the third installment that Umbrella Corporation unleashed the virus globally. Judging by the state of this city, this was clearly set sometime after Resident Evil 3.

Realizing that, Vincent sprang into action.

He slipped into a nearby convenience store and began searching. Dust coated the shelves, but after a few minutes of rummaging, he found what he needed an old city map.

Spreading it open, he quickly located Raccoon City.

In the official timeline, the city was obliterated by a nuclear strike. But Vincent knew better. Umbrella's real headquarters wasn't on the surface. It was buried deep beneath the Hive, in levels even the explosion couldn't reach. That was where Dr. Alexander Isaacs waited... and where the airborne T-Virus vaccine was hidden.

Knowing the plot gave Vincent a tremendous advantage.

Alice had wandered the ruins for years before stumbling upon the Hive. Vincent didn't need to waste that time. He could head straight for the heart of the nightmare.

His plan was simple.

Find Raccoon City. Infiltrate the Hive. Defeat Umbrella's leadership. Release the vaccine. Complete Mission Three as quickly and efficiently as possible. It was a bold strategy, but bold was exactly what earned high ratings.

But first, he needed transportation.

Raccoon City was over a hundred kilometers away. On foot, it would take several days. If he could find a working car, he could cut the trip down to just a few hours.

Vincent jogged through the streets, checking several abandoned vehicles. Most were too rusted, their batteries long dead. Just as he was about to give up, he heard something behind him.

A low groan.

He turned to see a small group of zombies shuffling toward him. Their skin hung in rotting folds, and black sludge oozed from open wounds. Their eyes were cloudy, but locked firmly on their prey.

Vincent's grip tightened.

No fear stirred in his chest. His Saitama Physique had not only made him physically superior, it had also given him an unshakable mind.

He grabbed a nearby baseball bat from the sidewalk and raised it.

There was no need to punch yet. He didn't want to destroy his gloves on the first day.

Just as he prepared to swing, a sharp twang split the air.

An arrow flew down from a rooftop, piercing the lead zombie's skull. The monster dropped instantly.

Vincent looked up.

Kneeling at the edge of the roof was Autumn Summer, their class president. Her sleek composite bow was already drawn again.

Twang!

Another arrow whistled out.

Twang! Twang!

Three more zombies dropped in succession. Every shot was a clean hit to the head. No wasted motion. No hesitation.

Autumn leapt from the rooftop, landing lightly beside him.

"Vincent Fox, did you really just stand there? That was dangerous," she said, lowering her bow.

Her voice was stern, but the concern in her eyes was unmistakable.

"You're not ready. From now on, stay close to me. Watch my six."

Vincent blinked in surprise.

Their calm, graceful class president had just revealed herself as a sharpshooter. Her precision and power didn't come from luck. She had clearly trained for years.

He nodded. "Understood."

With Autumn leading the way and Vincent close behind, the two of them advanced toward the city's edge.

And so began their hunt.

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