ALL NOVEL Chapter 39: Chapter 39
Ethan stared at the signboard in front of him and felt a sudden urge to turn around and walk in the opposite direction.
"Raccoon City."
A name infamous to anyone familiar with Resident Evil. Whether directly or indirectly, it had appeared in nearly every entry in the series, synonymous with catastrophe.
Ethan frowned, considering the possibilities. The first question was: which version of the story had he stumbled into?
If it was the game version, Raccoon City should be a small town in the northwestern United States, not a sprawling city. In that timeline, Umbrella Corporation had established a secret research facility here that went undiscovered for years.
In this case, Ethan wasn't overly concerned about his or Arthur's safety. Despite the terrifying nature of biohazard outbreaks, they were usually contained within specific, manageable areas. As long as they avoided the immediate epicenter, the rest of the world would remain relatively safe and not all that different from the Earth Ethan had lived on in his past life, albeit slightly more advanced in technology.
The movie version, however, was a completely different beast. If this was that timeline, it wouldn't matter if Ethan and Arthur turned around and left immediately; the virus would inevitably spread and spiral into a global disaster.
Unfortunately, even if he wanted to escape, he couldn't. When they'd crossed into this plane, Ethan had strengthened his control over the energy, ensuring that it was stored safely within the magic circle on his left hand. The downside was that the energy was now locked, and Ethan couldn't trigger it again to send them back to the Sea of Calm, not until the energy stabilized. All he could do was ensure it didn't overflow or dissipate.
Ethan turned his gaze toward the city in the distance. The silhouettes of towering skyscrapers gleamed faintly in the moonlight. Their presence alone was enough to confirm which version of Raccoon City this was.
"I'm pretty sure the game version didn't have cities this advanced or so many skyscrapers," he muttered to himself.
Turning to Arthur, who was standing quietly nearby, Ethan's eyes caught on the gleaming armor the young king was wearing.
"We'll need to change clothes first," Ethan said.
"What?" Arthur looked confused. He understood that Ethan had the ability to travel between planes but was still unfamiliar with how prepared Ethan seemed to be for these journeys. "Is this world dangerous?"
Ethan hesitated. Explaining this fully would mean revealing secrets he hadn't shared with anyone, things he preferred to keep buried deep in his heart. Instead, he vaguely replied, "We're more likely to attract attention dressed like this."
"Then should we wear something simpler?" Arthur offered.
That question immediately gave Ethan a headache. The casual clothes he had with him were all of ancient designs, just as conspicuous as Arthur's armor. In a modern city like this, they'd stand out no matter what.
After thinking it over, Ethan sighed. "Forget it. Let's stick with the armor."
If anyone asked, they could simply pretend to be two teenagers heading to a comic convention. Such events were common in this world, particularly in this part of the world, rivaling those in Asia. With Ethan appearing to be under eighteen and Arthur looking around fourteen, it wouldn't be too strange for people to assume they were cosplayers.
The only issue was making sure no one got too close and realized their gear was the real deal.
"Where to now?" Arthur asked, his voice calm and focused.
"There," Ethan replied, pointing toward the edge of the city faintly visible in the distance. "That city is Raccoon City."
Just as they were about to head out, Ethan stopped and turned to Arthur. "How's your dizziness?"
Arthur shook his head. "Still there, but it won't affect me in a fight."
Hearing that, Ethan abandoned any thoughts of using the spell to teach Arthur English. For now, Arthur would just have to pretend to be mute. Feeling slightly dejected, Arthur followed Ethan as they began their trek toward the city.
Ethan knew they could leave the area entirely. Even if the Resident Evil crisis was inevitable and could escalate into a global disaster, it wouldn't happen overnight. The spread of the virus would take time. He could easily avoid the worst of it simply by staying away from the main outbreaks and departing this plane long before it reached apocalyptic levels.
But that wasn't why he traveled between planes. He didn't do this just to scavenge food or water. That would be a waste of his abilities.
No, the true purpose of his plane-hopping was to collect unique resources from each world and use them to grow stronger. The Resident Evil universe might be rooted in science fiction, but that didn't mean it lacked anything useful to him as a mage.
The viruses developed by Umbrella Corporation, for example, could be valuable raw materials in the hands of a mage. Ethan was particularly interested in the T-virus from the movie version, which had a small but real chance of significantly boosting spiritual power. How could he not be intrigued?
His only concern was whether the virus might taint or corrupt spiritual energy. Other side effects weren't as worrisome, his magical training in potion-making allowed him to extract specific traits from raw materials. He could isolate the mental power-boosting properties of the T-virus while discarding the undesirable ones.
At least, that was the theory. Whether it would actually work remained to be seen. First, he needed to acquire a sample of the virus. Second, he had to determine the current timeline to understand exactly what stage of the story he'd landed in.
From what Ethan could observe, Raccoon City was still functioning normally. The increasing number of cars and pedestrians confirmed that the Resident Evil crisis hadn't yet erupted.
"By the way, did Merlin prepare any gold or valuables for you when you left?" Ethan asked Arthur as they walked. They were in a functioning city, and surviving here would require money—especially since they needed food, clothing, and a place to stay.
"A little gold," Arthur replied.
Merlin had indeed been thoughtful. He had anticipated that copper and silver coins wouldn't hold much value in other worlds, so he had given Arthur some gold instead.
But even in this world, converting gold into usable currency turned out to be more troublesome than Ethan had expected. Regular stores wouldn't accept gold from two teenagers without proper identification, especially gold of unknown origin. Finding someone willing to buy it came with challenges.
After some searching, they located a few private shops willing to take the gold off their hands, though at terrible prices. The low offers made Ethan's stomach turn, but he sold it anyway. They urgently needed cash, and bargaining with profiteers wasn't a luxury they could afford right now.
Unsurprisingly, selling gold so openly attracted unwanted attention. Even after completing the sale, Ethan and Arthur were still carrying cash, which made them prime targets. Before long, a group of burly men surrounded them, clearly intent on robbing them.
The result was predictable. Ethan and Arthur didn't hesitate, and the fight was over quickly.
If not for Ethan's desire to avoid interactions with Raccoon Town's police, those men wouldn't have been let off so easily.
One unexpected benefit of the encounter was the handgun Ethan found on one of the thugs—a Beretta, fully loaded with fifteen rounds.
"As expected of the so-called 'Land of the Free,'" Ethan muttered, inspecting the weapon before putting it away.
The gun reminded him that this world had an abundance of firearms, many of which could be very useful to him. Back in the Sea of Tranquility, no one had the means to counter firearms. Collecting a few could significantly increase his combat options.
After dealing with the gangsters, Ethan and Arthur found a small hotel nearby. Without any form of ID, they had to pay extra to secure a room, which made Ethan realize a glaring issue: when entering modern worlds, establishing some form of identity would be essential in the future.
Over the next few days, Ethan focused on preparing for their stay. He bought modern clothing for himself and Arthur, as well as various conveniences this world offered.
Having lived in a world reminiscent of ancient times for years, Ethan found himself missing the practical luxuries of modern life. Every new item he came across sparked a desire to buy it and take it back to the Sea of Calm.
Of course, he knew this wasn't realistic. Many modern conveniences wouldn't work in the Sea of Calm, and consumables like toilet paper couldn't be stockpiled indefinitely.
He also spent time at Raccoon City's library, using the Book of Inheritance to copy vast amounts of modern knowledge. He focused particularly on books about navigation, ship design, and engineering—information that could prove invaluable back in his home world.
Initially, Ethan planned to visit the outskirts of the city at night to search for the mansion that served as the entrance to Umbrella Corporation's hive facility. However, as he was leaving the library one afternoon, a woman stopped him.
She had short brown hair, wore dark blue tactical pants tucked into black boots, and paired it with a simple blue T-shirt. Her face looked familiar, and after a moment of study, Ethan recognized her.
Jill Valentine.
The name clicked in his mind. Jill Valentine, a key member of the Raccoon City Police Department's elite Special Tactics and Rescue Service, STARS.
Ethan's impression of Jill was stronger from the games than the movies, which was why it took him a moment to identify her, she wasn't wearing the iconic skirt from the film adaptation.
"Raccoon Police, Jill Valentine," she introduced herself, holding up her badge before gesturing for Ethan to step aside for a private conversation.
"Alright, officer," Ethan said amiably, moving to the side. Once there, he glanced at her curiously. "Is there something you need?"
"You've been accused of causing bodily harm and theft," Jill said bluntly.
"Excuse me?" Ethan blinked. He had half-expected trouble stemming from selling the gold or using cash at the hotel without identification, but assault and theft?
The gangsters.
Ethan immediately thought of the men they had beaten up earlier. "Really…" he muttered, at a loss for words. Apparently, those thugs had decided to call the police out of spite.
Jill narrowed her eyes. "I'd suggest keeping your thoughts to yourself. It's easy to see from your expression that you're considering… alternative solutions."
Ethan looked back at her and shrugged. "I didn't say anything, and I haven't admitted to anything. You say someone's accused me. Are you here to arrest me?"
"No," Jill said, her expression serious. "I know exactly who those guys are. I want to know who you are."
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