Gérald's POV
After finally defeating that giant, we continued onward until we reached a lake. The sun was beginning to fully set, which unsettled me. The only way forward was across this lake, and if there's one vivid memory I have from the game, it's the creature that ate me after I shot the fish from the dock. (RE4 reference for those who know it!)
Cautiously, I released a few Aquamoths—modified fish designed to detect aquatic predators. But a chill ran down my spine when I saw the massive silhouette of a creature beneath the water, snatching up my Aquamoths with powerful limbs and devouring them effortlessly, leaving behind clouds of blood that clouded the already murky waters.
Suddenly, it lunged out onto the dock, its large eyes locked on me with deadly intent. Reflex and preparation saved me from its initial attack. In quick response, I hurled a napalm grenade directly at the beast—the explosion erupting with a deafening roar. Hit, the creature—Del Lago—dove back into the depths, seeking refuge in the blood-tinged, flame-streaked water.
"Time to stretch your fins, Neptune," I muttered, anticipating the fight to come. Releasing my giant shark—comparable in size and ferocity to a megalodon—I watched as he dove in with terrifying grace, followed by a swarm of great white sharks I had also modified for this kind of battle.
Neptune and the white sharks surged toward Del Lago, transforming the once-tranquil lake into a whirlpool of chaos. The waves created by their battle warped the water's surface, each splash reflecting the furious struggle below. Del Lago, despite its brutal strength and powerful limbs, struggled to fend off the relentless assault from Neptune, who—surprisingly agile for his size—dodged and counterattacked with devastating power.
Clinging to one of the smaller sharks, I stayed back, just out of reach of the monster's slicing limbs. I dove and surfaced, my need to breathe painfully reminding me of my oversight in not packing diving gear in my inventory.
Neptune's jaws sank deep into Del Lago's flesh, tearing out massive chunks with each attack. The blood in the water only drove the sharks into a deeper frenzy. However, in a desperate rage, Del Lago retaliated with violent thrashes, tearing the smaller sharks to shreds.
In response to the unexpected resistance, I kept releasing more sharks to maintain pressure, allowing Neptune to continue his devastating attacks. One especially well-placed strike from Neptune ripped off one of Del Lago's front limbs, making the ensuing attacks from the sharks even more effective.
Employing a strategy similar to the one I had once used to defeat Neptune himself, I decided to release around fifty plant zombies. Being undead, they didn't need air—perfect for underwater operations.
They rooted themselves in the lake's muddy bottom, rapidly extending their vines toward the weakened Del Lago. The vines wrapped tightly around the monster, restricting its movements and accelerating its blood loss.
As the vines fully ensnared Del Lago, the creature visibly weakened, its struggles growing fainter. With a sense of grim satisfaction, I managed to capture the now-feeble beast and transfer it to the lab, further expanding my arsenal of bio-creatures.
In the urgency of battle, I had neglected my own need to breathe. I quickly forced the shark back to the surface to gulp down deep breaths of fresh air, reminding myself of the importance of staying vigilant on all fronts during such encounters.
As I caught my breath, I gazed at the now-peaceful lake—the battle was over. The victory had been hard-fought but decisive, and I felt both exhausted and invigorated by the success of our operation.
I quickly scouted one side of the lake while Claire, Tintin, and Leon took the other. Aside from a strange merchant hidden in a cave—whom I sent to the lab—there was nothing of note except a path leading back the way we came.
I looted everything I could from the cabin, stuffing my inventory full of bullets, keeping only two rocket launchers. As for the weapons in the cabin, I tossed them into the lake to prevent the Ganados from using them.
Night had fallen as we began to head back, but Leon's phone rang—Wesker calling for the second time, according to him.
…
Wesker's POV
Night was beginning to wrap the village in darkness, and I had ensured every campfire was lit to provide maximum visibility in the coming gloom. That's when Kevin returned, accompanied by a man I didn't recognize. Their appearance, unexpected but welcome, immediately drew everyone's attention.
I pulled out my phone to inform Leon of this development, but to my frustration, he didn't answer. The situation could be critical—every team member needed to be alerted and ready to act. I put the phone away, my mind already calculating the next moves.
I approached Kevin quickly, offering a curt nod to his companion while retrieving a rifle from our makeshift arsenal."Kevin, good to have you back. And you are?" I asked, handing Kevin the weapon.
He took it and answered swiftly."This is Luis Sera, scientist and ex-prisoner. There are weird spider-like creatures that are massacring Gerald's leeches quickly. We managed to sneak our way here, but there probably aren't many leeches left in the woods. I counted at least 50 of those spider things," he said, showing me the corpse of one with its small blade-tipped tail.
Realizing the severity of the situation, I turned to the rest of the team, who were finalizing our defenses."Prepare for combat," I called out, my voice cutting through the cool evening air. "I want the fallback plan activated immediately. Make sure every exit is secured—except for the main door."
The team sprang into action, reinforcing the large house that would serve as our primary defense point. Windows were quickly barricaded with thick wooden planks, and furniture was stacked to block any possibility of intrusion.
"Everything must be locked down, except the front entrance. It's our only viable escape route if we need to fall back," I explained, overseeing the final preparations.
The moonless night shrouded the village in an oppressive darkness, making coordination even more difficult. The two battalions of Pascals—combat-trained clones—quickly formed up, ready for any eventuality. As they took their positions, a sudden stir in the air signaled a disturbance among Gerald's giant wasps, which suddenly took flight, clearly agitated by some unwanted presence.
I had finally managed to establish communication with Leon to explain the situation. Gerald had encountered a creature so massive that he had to deploy his giant animals to fight it—a troubling sign of the dangers that might still lie ahead.
"Wesker, let us know if things get too dangerous, but Gerald wants to push forward," Leon told me, his voice betraying a hint of anxiety despite his usual resolve.
"Okay, we'll try not to slow him down," I replied, tightening my grip on my gear as I took command of the operations. I scanned the perimeter, ready to give orders at the slightest sign of trouble.
The fragile silence was shattered by gunfire echoing across the village as the first Plagas made their appearance. Fortunately, our efforts to clear the area had given us a clear line of sight. The wasps, in an initial aerial skirmish, dove into the swarms of Plagas now numbering in the hundreds. The hostile creatures, armed with twisted limbs and tentacles, advanced with frightening determination.
The Pascal clones, supported by covering fire from their team, opened fire with precision and discipline. Bursts of bullets cut through the night, intermittently illuminating the grotesque figures of the Plagas collapsing one after another under the combined assault of gunfire and wasp attacks.
Despite their size and agility, the wasps struggled to maintain the upper hand against the Plagas, some of whom managed to snatch them out of the air with sudden and precise movements.
As tension escalated around the village, cries in Spanish rang out into the night, followed by the sudden appearance of people in mismatched clothing at the village's edge. Their clothes resembled those of local villagers, but the most alarming detail was that many were armed and began shooting at us.
I immediately grabbed my phone to contact Leon. "Leon, it's urgent. Hundreds of Ganados just appeared out of nowhere, and it looks endless," I reported quickly as bullets whizzed around us.
On the other end of the line, I heard Gerald answer with clear urgency in his voice. "Shit, it looks like they've infected way more people than we thought with their Plagas. I'm on my way as fast as I can," he said before hanging up.
Relieved to know that reinforcements were on their way, I shouted the agreed signal: "Alpha!" At the command, Brad triggered the first trap—a series of carefully placed explosions about a hundred meters from the defensive perimeter. The detonations thundered, sending waves of dirt and debris into the air, wiping out the last Plagas trying to breach our defenses.
Edward, beside me, frantically adjusted his rifle while watching the advancing Ganados. "They're not stopping—fuck!" he shouted, as Kenneth, next to him, quickly reloaded his weapon, ready to continue the defense.
Enrico, using a spotlight to illuminate the scene, allowed us to see the full extent of the approaching horde. The remaining hundreds of wasps dove onto the Ganados, stinging and distracting them, but the infected continued pressing forward relentlessly. Under the harsh glare of the spotlight, I estimated the crowd to be at least a thousand strong. The most heartbreaking sight was that even children were among these poor infected souls.
"They even have children..." I murmured, a heaviness in my voice, to Kenneth who stood ready beside me."This is a nightmare," he replied, his grimace visible even in the dim light.
I took a deep breath, preparing to issue new orders."Stay focused, eliminate the threats, and save your strength for what's coming. Brad, Enrico, prep the next barrage. We hold the line until Gerald arrives," I commanded, each word weighted with the gravity of our situation.
Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound pierced the air, followed by the violent impact of something crashing behind the crowd of Ganados. Everyone turned, intrigued and confused.
Before our stunned eyes, the horde began to thin out—without us firing a single shot.
Enrico quickly redirected the spotlight toward the source of the disturbance. That's when we saw Gerald, cutting through the infected like a grim reaper, reducing their numbers simply by touching them. It was both terrifying and mesmerizing. Gerald spared the human lives, eliminating only those whose heads had been replaced by blade-armed tentacles.
As the enemy advance was halted, Gerald exhaled a cloud of orange mist from his mouth, triggering shrieks from the armed Ganados. The battle ended swiftly, with no injuries on our side—only a few Pascal clones hit by bullets, but nothing serious considering the caliber of the enemy weapons.
In a fit of frustration, Gerald commanded,"We're done here. Contact base and cut all terrestrial communications with this area. According to the map, there are only two bridges leading to this strip of land, and beyond that—it's the sea. Make sure no more reinforcements can come through the mainland," he yelled, his voice laced with anger and anxiety."Damn it, I'm trying to be discreet, but that bastard is forcing me to reveal my cards one after another," he added, clearly frustrated by the situation.
Kevin, feeling guilty and useless despite his biological enhancements, stepped forward."Gerald, I'm sorry. I failed to protect Sherry and Lisa," he said, bowing his head in respect and remorse.
"Kevin, this isn't your fault—but for now, come here," Gerald replied, touching Kevin and sending him into his factory for reasons unknown to us.
Luis Sera, witnessing the scene, tried to back away but was blocked by Brad behind him."Listen, señor, we can work something out, I—" Luis began, but before he could finish, Gerald sent him into the factory as well.
"They've been with those people long enough to have a Plagas egg in them, so they'll stay in the factory until I kill Saddler," Gerald declared before taking flight, carried by his Aquila, which grabbed him by the shoulders.
"You heard him—I want those bridges destroyed, now!" I shouted, sending Kenneth and Brad with a Pascal battalion each to carry out the order."Next time, I'm bringing tanks," I muttered to myself, surveying the devastated state of the village.
The team, feeling ashamed for having unintentionally forced Gerald to reveal his assets, fell silent in the shadow of his power.
(Author's note: I hope you enjoyed this passage. The next one will take place in the castle, but I'll include a paragraph or two from Wesker's perspective. I'm leaving here an image of Del Lago facing off against Neptune^^)