Imperium of Man Terra Aeterna Season 01: Rise of Humanity's War Machin

In the middle of the darkness, Alice and the others switched on their flashlights. Their beams pierced the heavy shadows, forming small circles of light on the metallic walls.

"Click… Click… Click… FZZZT!"

Suddenly, bright white lights flickered on from the ceiling, illuminating the entire room. A vast hall stretched out before them—clean, sterile, almost absurd in a world already torn to hell.

"There's no one here… everyone's gone down there," Chris muttered, sweeping his gaze around, brows furrowed.

Alice crouched down and placed her palm against the floor.

"I see… they're below."

Reuel stepped toward a metal rack and picked up an electronic tablet resting on top. He swiped across the screen, pulling up a database.

"All the survivors are recorded here," he murmured, scanning through the names.

"Reuel, release them. Everyone they've captured," Alice ordered, her voice sharp and cold.

Reuel nodded and tapped the screen.

A thin white mist hissed out from the cracks in the floor. Moments later, tall glass columns began rising from underground—one after another—until the hall was filled with them. Each column contained one human, frozen in suspended sleep.

"So many people…" Crystal Waters whispered, transfixed by the sight.

Reuel stared coldly at the rows of capsules. "They've been stored here, detained… waiting to be turned into experimental material."

Alice clenched her fists, her eyes blazing with fury. "Goddamn Umbrella. I'm going to slaughter every last one of them."

Suddenly, Reuel stopped scrolling. A name appeared—K-Mart.

A young girl. Sweet. She wasn't supposed to be here.

Still trapped in the same cycle of fate. Just like in the Resident Evil films.

Reuel tapped her name on the screen. "Let her out," he thought.

The glass capsule containing K-Mart began to rotate. The door slowly opened. Her small body dropped weakly, and Reuel stepped forward quickly, catching her before she hit the floor.

K-Mart flinched in panic, her hands moving instinctively to push away.

Alice rushed over and embraced her gently. "It's okay. We're not the bad guys."

Reuel glanced at K-Mart's chest. A mechanical spider was latched onto it.

"Rip that off her chest," he said quickly.

Alice reached out and yanked the metallic creature. A sharp "crack!" echoed as it detached and clattered onto the floor with a metallic thud.

Reuel handed the tablet to Chris. "Release them all. Now."

Chris nodded and began executing the command.

Across the room, Ada Wong stopped in front of two capsules that looked different from the rest. Their surfaces were smeared with dried blood, as if they had silently witnessed a massacre.

"Reuel, get over here—now!" she shouted, her tone tight with urgency.

"What is it?" Alice stepped closer, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the blood-smeared capsules.

Reuel knew exactly what had likely happened—the people inside those capsules had been devoured by Wesker. To maintain his mental stability, Wesker required a constant supply of human genes. But Reuel chose not to reveal that truth.

"Go and see for yourself. You'll understand."

Without another word, they followed the trail of blood leading to a large metal door.

It opened automatically, revealing a long corridor with a large helicopter parked inside.

"Let's move," Reuel said curtly. They proceeded down the corridor, through the stifling silence, until they reached the next door.

As it opened, a horrifying sight greeted them. Rows of operating tables stretched out before them, and atop each one lay a corpse—decaying bodies abandoned without names, without mercy.

A large electronic screen stood in the middle of the room, obstructing their view beyond.

"Ding. The host has arrived in the main area. Please proceed to check-in beside Wesker's corpse," the system's voice suddenly echoed, then fell silent again.

The sound made the hair on the back of Reuel's neck stand up. It had been a long time since this system spoke.

Reuel stayed calm. Deep down, he knew this moment would come.

Check-in is finally active… beside Wesker's corpse? he thought.

The system is subtly asking me to finish him. But that's exactly why I came here.

He turned to the others. "Be careful."

They moved forward together. Once they stepped past the screen, the figure waiting at the far end of the room came clearly into view—a man lounging in a white chair. His dominant aura hit them instantly.

"Wesker. We meet again." Ada Wong flashed a sardonic smile, her eyes sharp and defiant.

"You betrayed me, Ada Wong," Wesker replied coldly, his gaze locked on her, unblinking.

Then he turned to Reuel. "Reuel, is it? So you're the mastermind behind all this chaos. You destroyed our base in the desert? Brought down our aircraft? What happened in Europe and Asia… was that your doing too?"

Wesker narrowed his eyes, his jaw tightening.

Reuel stared back, expressionless. "Of course. I did all of it."

"WHARF-GHAAARH!"

A deep growl echoed across the room.

Two zombie dogs lunged out from the shadows behind Wesker.

"Stop."

"Sit."

Wesker's commands were calm, yet laced with authority.

Amazingly, the creatures obeyed immediately, sitting down on either side of him like loyal sentinels.

Alice and Ada exchanged glances, mildly surprised by the beasts' obedience. But Reuel remained unfazed—he had expected this.

"You've also merged with the T-virus," Wesker said, eyes fixed on Alice with a piercing stare.

"Incredible…" he continued, a thin grin forming on his lips.

"You're still sane. Remarkable."

Wesker's expression shifted, as if he'd just discovered the missing piece of a puzzle.

"Haha… if I devour you, I could perfect the T-virus integration in my body… repair my physical flaws… and become far stronger."

He stood up, his movements filled with fervor. His eyes locked onto Alice—hungry, predatory, like a beast finally spotting its prey.

"You're really asking to die," Reuel growled, his gaze blazing.

Wesker ignored him.

"Ada Wong. Reuel. All of you… will become my food."

His tone was low and threatening now, seething with hatred and the desire to annihilate.

Wesker raised his hand and gave a chilling order to the two zombie dogs.

"Kill them all."

"WHARF-GHAAARH!"

Without waiting, the two zombie dogs lunged forward, their fangs bared, ready to rip and tear.

Reuel reacted fast, leaping backward to dodge the first attack.

"Ada Wong! Alice!" he shouted quickly. "Handle those damn mutts. Let me deal with this bastard!"

As he spoke, Reuel drew both of his pistols and fired straight at Wesker.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

A hail of bullets tore through the air—but Wesker moved with terrifying speed, dodging every single one like a slippery shadow. It was as if the bullets never even touched his skin.

Seeing Wesker dart toward him, Reuel launched a side kick.

"WHAM!"

The kick landed, forcing Wesker back several steps.

Wesker stood up slowly, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. His eyes now glowed a fiery red.

"Reuel, you've made me angry."

"So what, asshole?" Reuel sneered. "Two dogs, huh? From now on, let's call them... 'Dumbass' and 'Even Dumber'. Fitting names, don't you think? Especially considering who their master is." He crossed his arms and grinned wider. "No need to thank me. It's on the house."

"REUEL! You will pay for that insult!" Wesker snarled, his eyes blazing.

But his body remained calm. Fists clenched. Muscles taut.

In a blink, Wesker vanished—only to reappear right in front of Reuel. A solid punch slammed into Reuel's chest, sending him flying backward.

"Shit, that's fast..." Reuel muttered, twisting midair and bracing against the pain in his chest.

Before he could catch a breath, Wesker was already on him again, this time from above—a powerful kick aimed at his head.

Reuel crossed both arms to block it. The impact drove him back five to six meters, the soles of his boots grinding against the metal floor, leaving a trail of heated friction.

Pain began spreading through his arms.

"Wesker..." Reuel let out a heavy breath. "Looks like I really did underestimate you."

Wesker gave a thin smile. His body vanished again, diving from the shadows.

But Reuel had already sensed it.

The air pulsed—rippling with brutal movement. But this time, something was different. Deep in his awareness, something... awakened.

Even though only one percent of his power stirred, the legacy of the Emperor of Mankind began to rise within him.

A faint stream of psionic energy flowed from his body—weak, unstable, but enough to make the air tremble. An ancient instinct embedded in his blood and soul flared to life, forming an invisible field around his body.

Reuel's yellow eyes blazed, sharp and brilliant like plasma light.

Suddenly, Wesker was violently thrown back—as if struck by an invisible force.

"AARRGH!" he screamed, his body slamming into the metal wall across the room.

Reuel stepped forward. He blew lightly on his fist, as if he'd just finished a light workout.

"How's that feel?" he asked mockingly.

Wesker staggered, slowly getting to his feet. His eyes were wide, filled with confusion and—for the first time—fear.

"You... You don't have the T-virus. But... how the hell are you this strong?"

Reuel grinned.

"Curious?" He stared sharply at Wesker. "Too bad. I don't feel like explaining it to you."

Reuel charged with brutal force. A spinning kick slammed into Wesker's chest, throwing him hard against the wall, his body bouncing off and crashing to the ground.

Before Wesker could get up, Reuel had already pulled a pistol from his system space.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Bullets ripped through the air, slamming into Wesker's head in rapid succession.

On the other side of the room, Alice and Ada Wong had finished off the two zombie dogs. They approached cautiously.

"Is he dead?" Alice asked, eyeing Wesker's motionless body.

"No," Reuel replied flatly.

He knew full well—Wesker wouldn't die that easily. In the films, the guy survived even after being blown to pieces. And so far, the sign-in system hadn't issued any death notification.

"GRRHHHAAAARGHH!"

Wesker rose again.

His mouth had now mutated into a grotesque monstrosity, like slimy octopus tentacles writhing wildly and disgustingly. He leapt toward Reuel, trying to bite him.

"Shit, still trying to bite me? Fuck off!" Reuel kicked him hard to the side.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Alice and Ada Wong opened fire without hesitation.

Moments later, Chris, Luthor, and the others stormed in from the side of the room, unloading a barrage of gunfire. Hot lead rained down on Wesker from all directions, turning his body into a bullet-riddled mess. This time, he dropped and didn't get back up.

But Reuel remained alert. In the Resident Evil films, Wesker had once escaped even after being presumed dead and his plane exploded. More importantly, the system still hadn't allowed a sign-in on his body—meaning only one thing: Wesker wasn't truly dead yet.

Without a word, Reuel walked behind Wesker's throne and pulled a flamethrower from his system space. He handed it to Chris.

"Chris, burn him for me."

Chris stared at the bullet-riddled body for a moment.

"He's dead. Don't worry about it."

"Burn him," Reuel said firmly. "Consider it payback for everyone he killed."

Chris nodded and pulled the trigger.

"FWOOSH!"

Flames burst forth, engulfing Wesker's body.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGGGHHHHH!"

A horrifying scream exploded from the burning body.

"HOLY FUCKIN' GODDAMMIT—HE'S STILL ALIVE!"

Everyone jolted in shock. Survival instinct kicked in. They all opened fire at once, shooting the body again and again. Chris didn't let up with the flamethrower. Wesker's screams echoed—horrific, almost inhuman.

Five minutes. Ten minutes.

Finally, the screaming stopped.

Wesker's body was nearly reduced to ash.

"Ding—Host may now enter. Would you like to proceed with entry?"

Reuel let out a long breath.

"At last..." he muttered.

"System, initiate entry," he said silently.

"Ding—Congratulations to the Host. You have acquired 100 World Compaction Cards."

"Congratulations! You have gained an additional 5% power of the Emperor of Mankind."

"Reuel, is he really dead?" Luthor asked from behind.

But Reuel didn't answer. His eyes were still locked on the newly opened system menu—particularly the part about the World Compaction Cards. But Luthor's voice snapped him out of it.

"Dead or not, I'm going to keep burning him. Until he's ash."

Chris nodded and raised the flamethrower again.

"This guy... had way too many surprises."

"FWOOSH!"

Flames danced through the air once more.

Reuel just stood there, silently watching the fire burn. In his eyes,