RE: Evolution System

Jill and Parker had traveled to the Mediterranean Sea in a speedboat equipped with a tracking system that allowed them to quickly locate the Queen Zenobia.

After Javier accepted the mission, he began preparing his weapons and equipment. When Rachel appeared, she genuinely surprised him. She was wearing a black leather jacket that hugged her body perfectly—especially her chest.

Noticing that Javier was staring at her, Rachel became a little shy and covered her face with her hands. Javier quickly turned away, coughing awkwardly. He hadn't expected Rachel to be embarrassed by his gaze.

They arrived at the pier, where a speedboat was already waiting for them. Once they boarded, Javier took the helm and piloted the vessel toward the open sea.

By then, a speedboat was cutting through the vast ocean, battling wind and waves. The sea was anything but calm—strong winds, towering waves, and heavy rain pounded around them.

Javier stayed focused on steering the speedboat, while Rachel sat silently, an unhappy expression on her face. She had initially refused the mission but ultimately had no choice but to obey Morgan's orders.

"Do you think we'll make it back alive?" she asked.

Hearing her words, Javier looked over and smiled.

"As long as I'm here, there's no mission we can't finish. Don't worry—I'll bring you back safely."

Rachel smiled faintly upon hearing that.

Javier's words gave Rachel some comfort, and the two began chatting casually. Rachel had grown up in an orphanage and was discovered by Morgan, who brought her into the FBC. Since then, she had helped him with many operations.

Despite her experience, Rachel harbored a deep fear of biological weapons. The first time she saw a zombie, she was so terrified she couldn't even pull the trigger. She had strongly opposed this mission.

Out at sea, the two continued talking aboard the speedboat, growing closer as comrades. Soon, they reached the source of the signal. Under the pitch-black sky, a massive cruise ship floated silently.

Tethered to its side was a small speedboat, seemingly the same one Jill and Parker had used.

"Looks like we're here," Javier said.

Rachel joined him and stared at the enormous ship. She read its name aloud: Queen Zenobia.

"Let's board quickly. Parker and Jill must be on this ship," Javier said, grabbing the boarding gear.

Using ropes, the two climbed up to the Queen Zenobia's deck.

The ship was eerily silent and cloaked in darkness, like a ghost vessel. Rachel instinctively moved closer to Javier, who noticed and smiled faintly.

He gently patted her shoulder and gestured for her to follow him. Leaving the deck behind, they moved forward until they reached an open cabin and entered.

Inside, it was extremely dark, lit only by dim emergency lights flashing red. They turned on their tactical flashlights to illuminate the area.

From the overhead pipes, an unknown viscous liquid dripped steadily. When they reached a corner, they discovered a corpse hanging from a pipe. It had mummified completely—its body devoid of moisture—and showed signs of mutation.

They continued forward and eventually arrived at the kitchen, where a monster's corpse lay on the floor surrounded by bullet casings.

Javier examined the scene. "Jill and Parker must've been attacked by this thing."

Rachel looked at the monster with fear in her eyes. She was beginning to regret coming here.

"You'll protect me, won't you, Javier?" she said, clinging to his arm.

Rachel's embrace nearly buried his arm entirely in her chest. Feeling her warmth, Javier ran a hand through her hair.

"I told you I'd protect you. You won't be in danger as long as I'm here. Trust me."

After leaving the kitchen, they continued exploring the ship. The vessel was enormous and its layout was complex. With no map, they could only feel their way forward.

Not long after, they opened a door and found what looked like a laboratory. Two monsters were wandering inside.

As soon as they saw Javier and Rachel, the monsters rushed toward the glass, slamming against it repeatedly. Fortunately, the glass seemed reinforced and didn't break.

Javier reached the door and opened it. The monsters immediately lunged. Javier ordered Rachel to fall back and swiftly shot both creatures in the head, killing them instantly.

After their deaths, the monsters began to dissolve into rotting flesh, releasing a foul stench. Rachel pulled out the biochemical scanner and began scanning the corpses.

"This thing is bulky and can't kill monsters. Why did Clive even give it to us?" Javier muttered.

Hearing his complaint, Rachel looked confused. "Didn't you read the biochemical scanner's instruction manual?"

Javier suddenly remembered the manual had come with the equipment.

He scratched his head awkwardly. "Of course I knew there was a manual. I just didn't read it."

He rummaged through his backpack and finally found the manual.

Rachel laughed and continued scanning the monsters while Javier took time to read the instructions. The biochemical scanner was designed to collect data on bio-organic weapons. As it scanned, it stored specific information, which would later be transmitted to HQ for analysis—critical for developing countermeasures.

After reading the manual, Javier approached a table covered in documents. Among them were notes on virus research and various files referencing both Veltro and Morgan.

As Javier sifted through the data, Rachel stepped closer. After a quick glance, she reached out to grab the files.

"I actually have another mission—to destroy this information," she said.

"I assume Morgan asked you to do that?" Javier replied.

Rachel nodded. At first, she hadn't understood why Morgan wanted the documents destroyed, but seeing his name among them made everything clear.

Javier saw the realization in her eyes. "Morgan seems to have ties to Veltro. He sent you here to eliminate the evidence."

(End of Chapter)

"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."