Chapter 171

Umbrella in March 2004 launched the cultivation of the first batch of Astates.

Although the ten OriginalBodies were not yet adults, they already had independent capability, and after the Looter incident ended, the cultivation of Astates urgently needed to be scheduled.

The first batch of orphan participants, aged around fifteen, numbered forty in total.

On March 12, 2004, the participants were divided into ten groups, and via surgery each was implanted with a dedicated G gland.

After the G gland implantation, the participants, or rather the proto-Astates, began receiving comprehensive instruction.

Moreover, a nutritional supplement derived from the super-soldier serum was injected only once every two weeks.

Even if Umbrella were immensely wealthy, it could not, as it did when cultivating the OriginalBodies, inject a serum supplement into each OriginalBody every night.

May 10 to 30, 2006.

After two years of growth, the proto-Astates' various bodily data had stabilized, and they successively underwent the final surgical modification procedure, thereby becoming true Astates.

The surgery comprised twenty-five procedures.

The items included a second heart, a third lung, bone reinforcement, enhanced muscles, superconducting fibers replacing nerve dendrites, corrosive glands, and G gland storage sacs, etc.

The corrosive gland, a special organ cultivated based on the Xenomorph, enables Astates to expel a liquid no less acidic than Xenomorph blood, allowing them, even in the most dire circumstances, to break free of restraints and kill enemies.

The G gland storage sacs are respectively located in the neck, thoracic cavity, and abdomen.

The three storage sacs within an Astate's body absorb hormones and genetic substances produced by other organs, and they respectively mature after six, twelve, and eighteen months.

Once the storage sacs mature and are excised from the Astate's body, they can become new G glands, thereby preserving or cultivating new Astate warriors.

After surgery, the Astates have an average height of about 2.5 meters, and when equipped with the dedicated mass-produced Thunder Hammer power armor, their height can reach over 2.6 meters.

Mass-produced Thunder Hammer.

It is the Thunder Hammer III mass-produced model developed by a joint team comprising Umbrella's Sixth Research Institute, Paris, and the Hive.

The Thunder Hammer III left the factory without shoulder cannons or energy wrist blades, but these can be added as needed.

As for the ten OriginalBodies' physical data, they also reached optimal condition in early 2006 and underwent a targeted, more complex surgical procedure, successively becoming true genetic OriginalBodies.

Thereafter, each OriginalBody led four Astates sharing their genes, forming the ten super-soldier squads currently existing in Umbrella.

The GloryFist squad is one of them, its OriginalBody being Rog, who had just notified Leon and the officers to evacuate.

At this moment, the mall.

The massive drop pod that smashed through the mall had its five bay doors diagonally embedded in the mall's first floor.

Around the drop pod lay the disciples' severed limbs and blood-plasma entrails everywhere.

Standing not far from the drop pod, gazing up at the opening, was Rog wearing black-gold power armor styled after ancient Greek heavy armor, with a helmet still recognizably of the Thunder Hammer style.

Rog, equipped with the OriginalBody power armor, stood at a height of 4.3 meters, far beyond what ordinary humans or Astates could compare to.

His right hand also gripped an oversized "Chain Saw".

The Chain Saw's metal sheath was dark red, and the chain inside, especially its numerous fine, long blades, could gleam coldly even in the mall's darkness, relying on the faint firelight seeping from the opening.

"Stormfang" is the name of this "Chain Sword".

The Chain Sword is one of the Astates' standard melee weapons, using a titanium-tantalum alloy blade chain that spins at high speed to inflict damage on enemies.

The titanium-tantalum alloy blade can easily shred light armor, and its damage to flesh is devastating; moreover, its most praiseworthy advantage for Umbrella is its low cost.

Compared to the energy wrist blade, the Chain Sword is the most suitable melee weapon for mass production.

However, Rog's Stormfang is not within the mass-production range.

The metal of its Stormfang does not come from Earth or a prehistoric planet, but is an alloy used by the Ironblood Clan to forge spears and boomerangs,

After all, Umbrella has already reached cooperation with the clans of the Lone Wolf and the Celts, which includes regular trade.

Rog observed for a moment, then opened the thrust device on the back of his OriginalBody power armor, leapt over the opening, and slowly landed on the mall's second floor.

Actually, Rog only needed a light jump to accomplish the above action, but doing so would cause the already fragile floor to collapse.

He and the Astates would be unharmed, but it would inflict lethal injuries on Leon, Jor, and the other officers.

Arriving at the second floor.

Via his helmet's pulse radar, Rog accurately locked onto Leon and company, as well as the surviving disciples on the third floor.

He then announced over the public channel: "Agent Kennedy, please you and the police civilians evacuate the building immediately; the ensuing anomaly will be handled by us, the GloryFist."

"Okay."

Upon hearing Leon's reply over the comm, Rog led the four GloryFist members forward, preparing to thoroughly resolve this anomaly.

"Thud, thud." The noise from the magnetic boots gradually faded away.

At this point, Leon, Jor, and the other officers had stopped cowering with heads covered and had left the shop for an open area.

Watching the departing GloryFist, the officers all exchanged bewildered glances.

Having received support, they felt more than just relief at surviving; they were extremely doubtful, believing that even if they recounted tonight's sights, others would think they were exaggerating.

"Sergeant." Leon helped lift the officer who had lost his left arm and fallen unconscious, and at the same time proposed to Jor:

"We should leave the mall quickly, otherwise we might get dragged in, and even the entire mall collapsing is possible."

"Um… right." Jor had no objection, especially after seeing the physiques of the OriginalBody and the Astates.

He then ordered: "Evacuate the mall, quick!"

"Yes, Sergeant."

The group, carrying the two wounded, retraced their steps, swiftly exited the mall to the outside, then boarded the police car parked in the green park, heading to the south-side main parking lot of the mall to rendezvous with the police colleagues still there.

In contrast, the mall's third floor.

This is the mall's top level, with the south-side shops mostly selling clothing, the north-side a food plaza, and the plaza's center a resting area for visitors to relax and eat.

The resting area occupies a large space, and above it is a skylight that lets natural light pour in easily, making the place not so dim.

Now, the tables and chairs of the resting area have been moved aside by the disciples to draw the diagrams and symbols needed for the summoning ritual.

(End of chapter)