Chapter 26: Zombie Horde Incoming, Feel the Charm of the Apocalypse!

"Zi Xin, have you truly decided to watch it?" Shen Qingqing was equally pessimistic about this cinematic adaptation. As a loyal enthusiast of the biographical novels, she naturally understood that changing the main protagonist was the absolute greatest taboo.

Xu Zi Xin chuckled helplessly. "It just so happens that I rather prefer new things. Perhaps it won't be so bad after all."

"Let's enter the game first." Song Qingfeng chose to ignore her entirely, turning instead to Lin Shao and the others. "With any luck, we might just clear it within these next two days."

Nearby, after Xu Zi Xin finished paying her spirit crystals, she quickly discovered that the movie version of *Resident Evil 1* in the Super Theater had been unlocked!

She hastily double-clicked to enter!

Immediately afterward, she noticed a red-and-white icon appear before her eyes, an emblem frequently seen within the game's manor—the logo of the Umbrella Corporation.

Yet on Xu Zi Xin's computer screen, there remained only a single poster, with no other display appearing.

Fang Qi stared blankly. "Encrypted?"

Fang Qi had originally wanted to see how this system-produced movie version differed from the one he had watched in the past, but now it seemed: "Do I have to boot up a computer for myself?"

Fortunately, though his system was miserly, as the internet cafe owner, his own playtime cost him nothing, a fact he found somewhat comforting.

He simply turned on a machine for himself.

"At the dawn of the 21st century, the Umbrella Corporation became the largest commercial entity in the United States."

The movie began, and Xu Zi Xin discovered that she was not merely watching; this background information flowed into her mind like streams of knowledge, allowing her to clearly comprehend the meaning behind every unfamiliar term.

"Nine out of every ten homes used their products."

"Its political and economic tentacles reached into every corner; it was publicly known as the world's largest producer of computer hardware, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare products."

"But even many of its own employees did not know that its primary profits were derived from military weaponry, genetic experimentation, and bio-organic weapons."

"..."

"So that's how it is...!" Having absorbed this background, she could now clearly understand what a bio-weapon was, and what genes were! This knowledge was stamped clearly upon her mind, just like the facts she had learned from textbooks!

Soon, she found herself standing inside a research facility. A researcher clad entirely in a protective suit was operating a console, from which light blue and light green test tubes were being extracted one by one!

Though dressed in a researcher's garb, he behaved less like a scholar and more like a thief. Having plundered all the reagents, the figure casually tossed a light blue test tube aside; it struck the hard metallic table and shattered instantly!

If Fang Qi were watching, he would recognize that this was the test tube containing the T-Virus!

The light blue liquid gradually evaporated, flowing through the ventilation shafts into every corner of the laboratory!

Swiftly detecting the anomaly, the Red Queen began sealing all pathways, trapping every human potentially exposed to infection inside this subterranean laboratory to contain the spread of the virus!

Until the rescue squad dispatched by Umbrella arrived, the biohazard... began!

She felt as though she had traveled across time and space into another realm, where everything unfolded right beside her!

The sensation was far too real; had she not been unable to touch anyone, she would have believed she had truly entered this world, becoming one of them!

She could clearly witness everything transpiring within the protagonist's group!

It had to be said that the movie version of *Resident Evil 1* was far more effective at building tension. Xu Zi Xin stood directly before the researchers; they could not see her, but she could see everyone, even watching helplessly as they transformed into zombies bit by bit!

She witnessed the entire process of a human turning into a zombie!

This plight of seeing with her own eyes yet remaining utterly powerless was even more suffocating and despairing!

The mere thought that these humans, gathered together in such close proximity, would later turn into zombies was enough to make one's scalp tingle!

One had to remember that encountering a few zombies at the same time in the game was already terrifying!

Yet these humans, densely packed together, would soon turn into zombies amid utter despair, forming—a zombie horde!

A few zombies together were already difficult to handle; what was one to do when facing a whole horde?!

She could not help but feel relieved in her heart: "Thank goodness I don't have to experience this myself. Is this place even meant for humans?!"

This place was simply hell!

Her heart hung in suspense; even though she knew these zombies could not harm her, the sheer size of the horde was enough to strike a chill into her soul.

When she saw the protagonist's group break into this subterranean laboratory that had already degraded into a living hell, her heart tightened along with them.

When she saw the Black squad member sliced into pieces within the laser corridor, she let out a startled cry of fright.

"What kind of weapon is this?!"

Everything here was so miraculous; a few beams of light could actually kill a person invisibly?! This thing was not a gun; what kind of wondrous magical artifact was it?!

Following that, she saw that the Red Queen, who could control everything, could actually be "shut down" by a tiny black box?

This completely shattered her understanding of the entire world!

At this moment, Fang Qi was also watching.

He discovered that while this movie looked like the original version, it was, in fact, quite different.

For instance, the combat arts were rigorous to a terrifying degree!

Even though Fang Qi had integrated most of Chris's combat techniques into himself, he could still learn a great deal from it!

Yes! Learning! Fang Qi discovered that these combat experiences and techniques imprinted themselves into his mind like an invisible flow of knowledge!

There was also their marksmanship; every movement and every step was equally rigorous and precise!

So rigorous that it made Fang Qi feel this was not a movie at all, but a real war that had genuinely taken place in some corner of the world!

"It seems the system's production truly does not disappoint..." Fang Qi lamented softly.

Meanwhile, Xu Zi Xin watched as countless zombies were released. Gazing at the horde surging forward like a torrential tide, even the agile teammates were dragged into the mass of zombies and torn apart; the entire movie had reached its climax!

Soon, the Licker was also released! Although this monster's strength did not equal the Hunter's, its speed was vastly superior! It even surpassed the limits of human reaction!

Consequently, it could easily evade bullets!

Coupled with those sharp claws capable of tearing through steel and that elusive tongue, this monster was simply a killing machine; whoever crossed its path met with death!

"Too terrifying! To think that besides the Hunter, there exists such a powerful monster! It can actually dodge bullets?!"

Xu Zi Xin watched the entire sequence with her heart in her throat, only breathing a sigh of relief when the female lead and her sole remaining teammate, Matt, escaped to the surface.

Yet swiftly, the final scene played out. Throughout the entire city, as far as the eye could see, there lay nothing but a dead zone?!

Everyone had turned into zombies?!

Every scenario she had previously fretted over was being enacted right here!

It was too shocking!

This terrifying sense of isolation, as if one were the sole survivor left between heaven and earth, threatened to engulf a person like a rising tide!

"Is this... the apocalypse?" Within her heart, she felt only a heavy oppression foretelling the end of days, her breath quickening in response.

That final scene of the female lead standing as the lone human left in the entire city echoed in her mind for a very long time!

She knew not how much time had passed before Xu Zi Xin suddenly heard a familiar voice beside her: "Zi Xin, how was it? Was it good?"

"Qingqing?" She turned her head, hurriedly grabbing Shen Qingqing's hand in excitement. "The movie version of *Resident Evil 1* was simply too shocking! I truly never expected the plot to turn out like this!!"

"Is it really that good?" Shen Qingqing felt a wave of doubt in her heart. "Didn't they say it wouldn't be interesting because the protagonist was changed?"

"Absolutely not!" Xu Zi Xin said. "Do you know that the very things we worried about actually happened! It was too shocking! The entire city was infected! Everyone became a zombie! I truly want to see what becomes of the protagonist in the next installment!"

During that final scene, Xu Zi Xin seemed somewhat emotional. Fang Qi's internet cafe was not as chaotic as those from before his transmigration; at this time, almost everyone was playing their games quietly without making a racket, and thus Xu Zi Xin's words caught the attention of quite a few players.

"Witnessing everything the protagonist experienced with one's own eyes?"

"The T-virus has leaked?!"

"Everyone is infected with the zombie virus?!"

"A zombie horde? The apocalypse?!"

They were mere fragments of speech, yet each was more shocking than the last.

Encountering a handful of zombies in the game was already headache-inducing enough, but now a massive horde was appearing in the movie adaptation? It was utterly terrifying.

Song Qingfeng and his companions—who had initially looked down on *Resident Evil 1: The Movie* and bitterly criticized the decision to swap out the main protagonist—now found their curiosity piqued.

"What are you guys talking about? Where is this zombie horde coming from?" Having learned their lesson over the past two days, Liang Shi and his group arrived slightly later today. Yet, that slight delay meant two of the six in their party were already left without a seat.

"The newly released Resident Evil movie!" Lin Shao explained casually. His resolve was beginning to waver, and he asked hesitantly, "Should we... maybe check it out too?"

.