Chapter 169: Welcome Hell!

First floor of the mall.

The lack of power makes this place unusually dim, but that is no problem for Joel and the police officers who have holographic glasses.

The visual assistance system of the police holographic glasses, though inferior to the military version, at least lets the officers see the situation clearly.

Leon's model, however, has dynamic tracking and other features; it is Umbrella's internal, non‑sale version, so its view is even clearer.

Because of that, Leon can clearly see unknown symbols with many dark‑red markings painted on the shop windows inside the mall.

The rust‑like putrid smell indicates that the paint used for those graffiti symbols is blood—human blood.

Joel and the other officers can't see clearly, but they can smell it.

This makes everyone realize that the cultists' earlier claim "we won't harm the hostages" was merely a ruse against the Ohai town police.

The group passes through a side door on the east side of the mall, reaches the central area, splits into four squads that cover each other, and moves toward the escalator that has already stopped working.

"For the leader's descent!"

"Hell! Welcome hell!"

"Kill every human who dares to block us!"

Suddenly, a group of cultists shouting loudly, armed with 5.56 mm or. 308 caliber weapons, rushes into view.

These guys wear thin clothing, each possessing massive muscles that can support their garments, and their skin is the color of red earth.

What surprises the officers most is that the cultists' eyes emit a faint red glow.

What are these?!

The officers, who normally deal with criminals, are stunned and bewildered after the holographic glasses show phenomena far beyond their comprehension, Joel included.

Leon, accustomed to anomalies, is unaffected.

"They are no longer human!"

Leon loudly alerts the officers while using his holographic glasses to calibrate his shot, locking the barrel onto one cultist and pulling the trigger without hesitation.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" The distinctive gunfire roared.

"Pop! Pop!" The projectile instantly hit that cultist.

If an ordinary human were hit by an MA5D attack, they would have died long ago.

Yet that cultist withstood several shots, even after his left eye was blown out, tried to find cover, but eventually collapsed under the blows, his body convulsing uncontrollably.

?!

The cultists didn't expect the officers to have night‑vision devices, so they stopped shouting and immediately began to dodge.

At the same moment the above occurred.

Joel and the officers regain their composure, and as police near Los Angeles, they naturally don't adhere to the principle that only a suspect's initial attack justifies a counter‑strike.

Seeing Leon fire and the cultists' physiques far surpass ordinary humans, they begin to coordinate, using their experience and advanced gear to help Leon deal with the clearly abnormal cultists.

"Pow!"

"Bang!"

In an instant, both sides launch a fierce clash.

The mall's floor tiles, walls, and shop windows are all damaged by the crossfire, leaving the scene in ruins.

Soon, the situation clears.

Seven cultists came to block Leon and the police; one was taken down by Leon's preemptive strike, so there was no numerical advantage, and the weapons and gear were equally lacking.

The MA5D also uses 5.56 mm FMJ rounds, a 45‑round magazine, and its electronic components work with the auxiliary calibration system, allowing the officers to achieve absolute fire superiority.

The Ohai town officers are suppressed by the cultists' fully automatic fire and a light machine gun, mainly because their equipment and firepower can't keep up.

Leon's combat proficiency aside, Joel and the officers of Oxnard, though far inferior to elite green berets or dragoons, are still not comparable to the cultists' "armed civilians."

In less than half a minute of brief firefight, Leon and the police advance steadily, continuing toward the escalator's location.

When about to pass the seven cultist corpses, Leon reminds, "Don't forget to reload these guys."

"Bang! Bang!"

Saying that, Leon pulls the trigger twice on the head and left chest of one of the cultist corpses.

"Bang! Bang!" Joel immediately reloads.

The officers shrug at each other and also reload those bodies.

Pass the corpses.

Approach the escalator.

The crew driving the pickup, together with Leon and two other comrades, are the first to step onto the escalator toward the mall's second floor.

As they move upward, they can still clearly hear gunfire from the second floor and above, indicating that the police on the mall's south side remain steadfast, easing much of Leon's burden.

Arrive at the second‑floor platform hall.

Leon and three other officers find several burning torches lighting the second floor, and not only the shop windows but also the floor are covered with dense blood‑stained rune markings.

The runes also emit red light.

Seeing this, the three officers who went ahead of Leon gain a considerable boost in abnormal ability, showing little confusion or hesitation.

Joel and the remaining officers take the escalator, reunite with Leon's four, and continue forward, but after a short distance they encounter a massive counter‑attack by cultists.

Both sides erupt into fierce battle again.

The mutated cultists realize that Leon, Joel and the well‑equipped officers are the real threat to them.

"The ritual has been disrupted by those humans! Eliminate them!!"

"We cannot let them stop the leader's descent!!"

"Die! Humans! Die!"

Having shed their human identity, they scream madly, fearlessly charging the officers.

"Whoosh—Pop!"

"Ah!"

Half-squatting not far from Leon, that is, the partner driving the pickup, his left forearm suddenly shattered, he cried out in pain, instantly losing the ability to move and fight, he collapsed to the ground.

The believers' weapons are either 5.56mm, 7.62mm, or. 308 Winchester rounds; a single hit is beyond what the human body can withstand.

Officer shot!

Quick, drag Hans away! Quick!

Seeing this, two colleagues rushed forward, dragging the wounded partner away from the open area to the entrance of the restroom on the right.

Leon also hurried over to examine the partner's injury.

Only a small flap of skin remained at the break, connecting the left hand and half of the left forearm about to detach, and blood gushed out uncontrollably.

But with a 'pah‑chi!' sound, that tiny flap of skin gave way, causing the left hand and half of the left forearm to fall off completely.

Damn… it really fucking hurts… newcomer, you owe me an arm…

The wounded partner glanced at the severed limb, his lips pale as he weakly joked.

"Hold on." Leon solemnly took out the bio‑foam, staunching the bleeding while he assured in a low voice:

I'll compensate you, don't worry.

(End of chapter)