Chapter 93: Steelback Beast Modification Plan (Patreon)

"No wonder S.T.A.R.S. gets treated so well — their combat strength really is fierce."

"Yeah, they only lost three people in that hellhole and still brought the intel back intact. Gotta respect that."

"That's nothing. I could do that too!"

"You? Please. Wasn't it you who wet your pants the second you saw a wild wolf, back on that mountain search-and-rescue mission?"

"You! I just wasn't prepared, that's all. Besides, I don't have S.T.A.R.S.'s training conditions. If we started from the same line, I definitely wouldn't come out worse than S.T.A.R.S."

"Come on, keep telling yourself that, buddy — don't turn yourself into everyone's entertainment for real. The S.T.A.R.S. selection window is always open. If you actually had the skill, nobody could stop you."

That line put a definitive end to the exchange. The man stammered for a good while without managing a single comeback, and finally excused himself to go get a cup of coffee.

For a moment, the air filled with cheerful laughter.

Kevin Ryman, listening quietly to his colleagues' banter, let out a soft sigh. He'd tried to join S.T.A.R.S. more than once, but unfortunately had never managed to pass selection.

Thinking of the newly appointed Captain, Ivan, he wondered whether this time he might finally have a chance.

Meanwhile, back at the apartment building arranged by the police station, Ivan got Billy and Lisa each settled into their rooms, then picked out one that had never been lived in for himself. After washing up, he lay down on the bed to spend one of the only two genuinely normal nights he'd had in this world.

He looked toward the incubation sphere floating in his System Space — the label T-000 was stamped plainly across its surface.

That's right — the Resident Evil 1 storyline had fully settled, and unsurprisingly, Ivan had earned another S-rank evaluation.

This time, facing the newly refreshed [Steel-Back Beast Modification Plan I] option, he chose [Female Tyrant Construction Project] without a moment's hesitation.

[Broken Umbrella Squad] would stay in reserve — he'd decide what to do with it the next time a storyline settled, depending on how things went.

Also, he had to admit, the effects of this [Steel-Back Beast Modification Plan] were more than a little underwhelming.

[Steel-Back Beast Modification Plan]

[Duration: 14 days.]

[Codename: Steel-Back Beast.]

[Unit Price: 500 million USD.]

[Summary: The Steel-Back Beast is a creature discovered in 2077 by White Umbrella, a biotech company in a certain parallel universe. Through research into this creature, biologists found that injecting its genes into a human body would produce the following effects...]

[Steel-Back Beast gene modification ensures you will never develop a hunched back. (Don't worry — your back will still move freely.)]

[Steel-Back Beast gene modification will keep your body posture permanently optimal.]

[Steel-Back Beast gene modification will cause your back to automatically grow spikes and counterattack a target after sustaining a certain frequency of hits.]

[Steel-Back Beast gene modification will grant your entire back defensive strength far surpassing any other part of your body.]

[Through actual testing, we've found that for humans injected with Steel-Back Beast genes, given your current era's weaponry, neither machine-gun fire nor large-caliber sniper rounds can inflict effective damage on the back — that is, they cannot penetrate the skin.]

[As for more powerful weapons, such as RPGs or missiles, we're very sorry to say the current Steel-Back Beast genes offer no protection against those.]

[We are actively working to optimize this issue, and we're confident it will be resolved once the Steel-Back Beast Generation II Modification Plan launches.]

[At that time, we'll also upgrade you free of charge.]

Honestly, if not for that free-upgrade clause, Ivan would have sworn this [Steel-Back Beast Modification Plan] had snuck in through some back door.

Otherwise, judging by Phase I alone, its actual value fell far short of what an S-rank evaluation reward ought to offer.

Still, despite the free upgrade, Ivan chose not to keep this option.

After all, the Steel-Back Beast's effects just weren't worth the slot they'd take up.

Better to leave that spot open for whatever reward refreshed at his next S-rank evaluation.

Setting aside idle thoughts, Ivan turned his attention to T-000.

He shook his head, a little troubled. He'd never expected that simply picturing the Female Tyrant's specific appearance and design in his mind would be enough — the incubation sphere had already received the command and begun running.

It wasn't that Ivan was troubled because he hadn't settled on the design. He was actually quite satisfied with it.

But satisfied or not, even with her loyalty guaranteed absolute, Ivan didn't dare imagine what her personality might end up being like.

"I just hope this doesn't stir up any trouble. Sys, you really are putting me through it."

The System, as ever, offered no response to Ivan's inner grumbling — aloof and cold as always.

The die was cast, and Ivan didn't waste any more energy on it.

Or rather, now that the outcome was already sealed, he found himself almost looking forward to it.

In a way, that counted as finding a little joy amid the misery.

Next, Ivan closed his eyes and thought back over everything that had happened these past two days.

Awakening the System, meeting Rebecca and Billy, the Leech Queen... Marcus... Jill — name after name flashed by, scene after scene surfacing in his mind.

A smile touched the corners of his mouth, and he drifted into a deep, contented sleep.

The next morning, the National Guard arrived right on schedule. The man leading them looked to be in his fifties, dressed in a star-adorned general's uniform, his beard streaked with gray and a scar cutting across the left side of his face.

The powerful presence radiating off him made it plain he was a seasoned veteran of many battles.

At the moment, Brian stood at Tustin's side, briefing him on the recent situation.

Tustin said nothing, but his focused expression made it clear he was listening carefully to everything Brian had to say.

When Brian finished, Tustin's gaze drifted toward the young man standing at the front of the crowd, a faint smile perpetually on his face.

This one was somebody — not for his looks, not for his height, but for the presence Tustin could feel radiating off him.

Though he wore a smile, it was obvious the man carried something extraordinary beneath the surface.

"You're Ivan?"

Ivan answered evenly, neither servile nor arrogant.

"Yes, General."

"Good. I've heard about what you've done. I'd like you to serve as an advisor for this operation."

Ivan thought it over for a moment, then gave a slight nod.

"Happy to serve, General."

"Though — would it be alright if I brought a few more people along?"

Tustin didn't refuse.

"Of course. I trust your judgment."

Tustin went on to ask Ivan a series of questions about the specifics of the Arklay Mountains incident.

The more he listened, the deeper his frown grew — Umbrella's reach had truly stretched too far.

As for their so-called statement claiming the Raccoon City branch had acted alone, Tustin didn't believe a single word of it.

Part of him wanted to seize the momentum and use this whole affair to clean house across Raccoon City in one stroke, severing every hand Umbrella had extended into the city.

But that was impossible... Umbrella's influence ran too deep, its roots tangled everywhere — reaching not just the state government, but even high-ranking officials within the federal government.

Tustin let out a silent sigh. That feeling of wanting to strike down the enemy but being powerless to turn the tide left him deeply troubled.