"Although it's called 'Zombie Butcher,' it doesn't seem to be limited to just zombies," Marcus murmured, examining the new title on his system panel. The description, "infected," suggested a broader scope. Beyond the zombies, it could apply to later-generation Resident Evil monsters, or even figures like Wesker, injected with the Ouroboros Virus. Furthermore, creatures from other worlds, such as the Volatiles from Dying Light or the fungal infected from The Last of Us, would also likely receive a damage bonus.
"I wonder if it will be effective against Nurgle Necromorphs," he mused. Nurgle Necromorphs weren't merely products of viral infection; their bodies were also profoundly influenced by Nurgle Chaos Power, making them far more resilient and contagiously potent than the Necromorphs of the Resident Evil world. Shaking his head, Marcus closed the system panel.
He left the police station and, in a few swift minutes, reached the rooftop of the tallest building nearby. From his vantage point, Marcus could survey most of Raccoon City's urban sprawl. Under the eerie scarlet moonlight and the towering flames erupting from various districts, a dark tide composed of tens of thousands of Slashers violently collided with a pale tide of zombie Necromorphs. The two waves of corrupted flesh instantly intertwined, the zombies' sharp teeth and the Slashers' bone blades engaging in a brutal, ceaseless confrontation.
Enhanced by the T-Virus, even the most common zombies possessed biting capabilities that reached superhuman levels. However, the skin of the Necromorphs, twisted and reforged by the Marker, was incredibly tough. No matter how the zombies bit and tore, they could barely inflict any discernible damage on the Slashers. Even if some zombies managed to create tiny wounds and the T-Virus attempted to invade, it could not affect the Slashers under the Marker's absolute control. Meanwhile, every swing of a Necromorph's blade could instantly destroy a zombie's brain or spine.
After just one round of contact, countless zombie bodies were torn apart by the Slashers' attacks. In less than a dozen seconds, nearly a thousand zombies had been reaped. The casualties for the Slashers, however, were precisely zero. The fallen zombies were quickly twisted by the Marker and swiftly transformed into new Slashers, rejoining the battle. They, in turn, swung their bone blades at the zombie hordes behind them.
"Only a legion-level close-quarters meat grinder battle is truly satisfying to watch," Marcus observed from the rooftop, his gaze fixed on the bloody spectacle below. Unlike modern warfare, which sought quick resolutions, this kind of close-quarters slaughter, especially when both sides were fearless monsters, was far more spectacular than any blockbuster. Under the scarlet moonlight, an increasing number of Slashers steadily devoured the remaining zombie tide. Every street and alley in Raccoon City's urban area was teeming with Slashers.
While relentlessly slaughtering zombies, more and more survivors were also being found by the Slashers, drawn out from their various shelters. Screams of agony and shouts of fear constantly erupted as most survivors chose to fight to the death, raising their makeshift weapons and firing furiously at the Slashers. But no matter how much ammunition was expended, even if the Slashers were shattered into bloody fragments, they continued to writhe and reassemble. Of course, due to Marcus's command, even when attacked, the Necromorphs made no offensive moves towards humans. Just as these survivors were on the verge of a mental breakdown, Isaac and the rescue team he had assembled appeared before them.
Watching this scene unfold, Marcus nodded. There were several reasons why he chose to rescue these Raccoon City survivors. Firstly, Marcus was not a warmonger or an anti-human extremist; he wasn't so insane as to actively slaughter humans and create Necromorphs. Saving these survivors was merely a convenient act. Secondly, these survivors could later expose the Umbrella Corporation's horrifying actions in Raccoon City to the public, undermining the credibility of Umbrella and even the American government. Marcus could also seize this opportunity to properly display himself and the Ishimura's formidable presence to the outside world.
Looking at a nearby clock tower, Marcus confirmed the current time. If nothing unexpected happened, the moment he had previously set was approaching. It was time to reveal everything that had truly happened in Raccoon City to everyone in this world.
In Washington, inside the White House, the already exhausted President slammed a new report onto the floor. "What are those Umbrella Corporation guys thinking?!" he fumed. "I'm already cleaning up their mess! Now they're pushing their luck?!" The President, already overwhelmed by the Ishimura incident, began to curse the Umbrella Corporation.
In truth, days ago, these high-ranking government officials had already known about the zombie virus crisis erupting in Raccoon City. However, since the American government itself was the Umbrella Corporation's biggest customer, the two entities were essentially in collusion. Therefore, the government, alongside Umbrella's public relations department, had issued a statement to the public claiming a radioactive material leak had occurred in downtown Raccoon City, spreading throughout the entire city. To conceal the truth that the Umbrella Corporation had secretly developed biological weapons, leading to the viral outbreak, under the orders of the President and other politicians, the National Guard and other special forces had imposed a strict blockade on Raccoon City. They had also arrested all survivors attempting to flee. Even with the instigation of the "Simmons family," just before the Ishimura incident, the President and Congress had passed an order to launch a nuclear missile to completely destroy Raccoon City, all to hide Umbrella's heinous acts.
And now, according to the report just submitted, the Umbrella Corporation had privately deployed even more advanced biological weapons to Raccoon City, intending to collect combat data amidst the chaos. If it were peacetime, the President would not have been so enraged. But now, due to the profound impact of the Ishimura incident, he began to reconsider whether he should truly launch a nuclear missile. At such a sensitive juncture, when it was still uncertain whether the suddenly appearing spaceship was hostile or not, rashly nuking Raccoon City was clearly a foolish move.
"Call a meeting! Get all senior officials in here!" the President immediately ordered his secretary. Ten minutes later, within the small presidential office, most high-ranking government officials had gathered. After another ten minutes of heated argument, the order to launch a nuclear missile and obliterate Raccoon City was finally canceled.
Among the crowd, a well-dressed figure's eyes flickered. This person was Derek Simmons, the chief architect of the Raccoon City nuclear annihilation plan. Simmons did not object to the cancellation of the plan. Compared to Raccoon City, the Ishimura in orbit now commanded his complete attention.