LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 41: Chapter 41
"I don't see how this is saving the world," Jill muttered, her voice dripping with skepticism.
Hiding in the shadows of a tree outside the villa, Ethan didn't bother responding. There was no point in trying to explain. Someone like Jill wouldn't believe him unless she saw it all unfold with her own eyes. Words alone would only make him seem more insane.
"You said you wanted to know," Ethan said, shifting slightly to find a more comfortable position as he leaned against the tree. "So now I'm letting you see for yourself. Isn't this part of your job? You're a cop—shouldn't you be used to surveillance and stakeouts?"
Jill frowned but said nothing. Meanwhile, Ethan closed his eyes, settling in for the wait.
Earlier, after returning to the hotel to pick up their already-packed gear, Ethan and Arthur had come here to stake out the villa. Arthur's condition had finally recovered, and there was no longer a need to rest indoors. With the plot potentially kicking off at any moment, Ethan couldn't afford to waste time.
Having Jill around was more of an afterthought. Ethan had only brought her because she insisted on tagging along.
Without a better source of information, staking out Alice's home was their best option.
"You're not planning to steal something, are you?" Jill asked suspiciously.
Ethan gave her an exasperated look. "If I wanted to steal something, why would I bring a cop with me to arrest me?"
"...Fair point."
Jill realized how ridiculous her accusation sounded, but the events of the day had left her with too many unanswered questions. Ethan refused to explain anything, which only fueled her speculation.
Glancing at Arthur, who was resting quietly with his eyes closed, Jill found herself wondering about these two. There was something undeniably odd about them.
"So, what are we waiting for?" she asked finally.
"A chance to save the world," Ethan replied without missing a beat.
Jill rolled her eyes so hard it hurt. Every time he said that, she felt herself questioning her sanity for being here.
It was then that Arthur suddenly said, "There's movement."
Startled, Jill turned to him. "You can talk?"
Arthur glanced at her and nodded. "I had a sore throat before. I'm fine now."
The explanation, while simple, was enough to dispel Jill's suspicions. It wasn't uncommon for people to lose their voice temporarily.
But then Jill remembered what Arthur had said. "What kind of movement?"
She leaned out slightly, following Arthur's gaze. A man was skulking near the villa, his behavior unmistakably suspicious as he moved cautiously around the property, clearly observing something.
Ethan's eyes narrowed. Unlike Jill, who had no idea who the man was, he recognized him immediately.
Matthew Addison.
Or Matt Addison, as he was called in shorthand. His presence confirmed what Ethan had been waiting for—the story was finally beginning.
"So, it starts tonight," Ethan muttered under his breath, a faint sense of relief washing over him.
He had thought it might take a few more days of waiting before the plot kicked off. That it was happening now, on the same day Jill had approached him, felt almost scripted, like fate was giving the main characters a little push.
"If Matt's here, then the mercenary team should be close by," Ethan mused.
According to the story, the Hive's AI, the Red Queen, had gone rogue and slaughtered the entire underground facility's staff earlier in the day. Umbrella Corporation, upon discovering this, had dispatched a team of mercenaries to investigate the situation. They were supposed to arrive at the mansion that night, where Matt would attempt to sneak in and subsequently get caught.
Ethan considered his options. He could either pull back and avoid running into the mercenaries, or he could meet them head-on and join their expedition into the Hive.
His train of thought was interrupted by Jill, who had already moved to confront Matt. She was preparing to step out of the shadows and arrest him.
"What are you doing?" Ethan hissed, grabbing her arm and pulling her back.
Jill instinctively reached for her gun but stopped herself. She shot Ethan a sharp glare. "Why are you stopping me?"
Ethan sighed, frustrated by her impulsiveness. "What are you even planning to do? Arrest him for looking suspicious? You'll just make things worse."
Jill paused, realizing Ethan had a point. But then a new thought struck her, and her expression shifted. "Wait... you knew he'd be here, didn't you? You've been waiting for him."
Ethan didn't deny it. "Not exactly. But his appearance means things are already in motion. The real story is about to start, so don't rush in and mess it up."
Jill's patience was wearing thin. "What do you mean 'the real story'? You never explain anything. I swear, if something bad happens, I'm arresting you as an accomplice."
Ethan smirked faintly. "It's already started. But once you see what I'm about to do, you'll thank me."
Jill rolled her eyes again. "Stop making bold claims. I just hope I didn't make a huge mistake coming with you."
Jill kept her eyes locked on the villa, her body tense and ready to spring into action. She didn't fully trust Ethan's cryptic words and was already planning to take him down and cuff him if things went sideways.
Before she could act, Ethan suddenly leaned back and dragged her with him. She opened her mouth to protest, only for him to clap a hand over her mouth.
Jill instinctively prepared to retaliate—her knee was already halfway to smashing into him—when she noticed his expression. Ethan's face was serious, his eyes focused on the night sky. At the same time, he made a silent hand gesture to her, signaling caution.
"The show's starting."
Jill froze. She didn't hear him speak, but the words echoed clearly in her mind, as if transmitted directly.
Beside them, Arthur quietly reached into his backpack and began pulling out equipment. He worked with precision, fitting the pieces onto his body.
"Armor?" Jill whispered, her sharp eyes catching the details. It didn't take long to realize these weren't the plastic props used for cosplay. This was real armor, designed for protection, and it looked more functional than ceremonial.
Her doubts deepened when Arthur drew a long sword and strapped it to his waist. For a moment, Jill felt like she was staring at a knight who had stepped out of the Middle Ages—albeit a very young one.
Turning to Ethan, she saw that he was doing the same, suiting up with similarly "outdated" gear. By the time he was done, he looked just as eccentric as Arthur: a long sword at his waist, a steel rod in hand, and a thick, hardbound tome secured to his back.
"What exactly are you guys doing?" Jill muttered, her head spinning as the situation veered into the bizarre.
Before Ethan could reply, the loud whir of helicopter blades tore through the night air. Jill's attention snapped upward as the unmistakable sound of a military chopper filled the quiet.
"They're here."
Ethan, Arthur, and Jill crouched lower, covering their armor with cloth to avoid the glint of moonlight giving them away. Together, they watched as the helicopter hovered briefly over the mansion, deploying a team of heavily armed soldiers before taking off again.
It didn't stay long, but Jill's sharp eyes caught the symbol painted on its side: the Umbrella Corporation logo.
"Umbrella's private security? Why are they here?" Jill murmured, her voice tinged with confusion.
Her mind swirled with questions, and the two teenagers in medieval gear next to her weren't helping. For a moment, Jill wondered if she had fallen into some kind of fever dream.
Inside the mansion, events began to unfold just as Ethan had anticipated. Alice, the heroine of the story, had lost her memory and wandered through the halls in confusion. Meanwhile, Matt had been apprehended by the mercenary team as they searched the premises. The team's leader, James "One" Shade, was in the middle of explaining their mission to Alice.
But before the conversation could go any further, one of the team members interrupted, his voice crackling over the radio.
"Captain, we've got movement. Someone's approaching."
"Who?" James asked, his tone sharp.
There was a brief pause before the team member replied, sounding both confused and embarrassed. "Uh… it's two… young people in cosplay… and a woman."
The radio fell silent for a moment, and then the man added, "I think."
The absurdity of the situation was enough to give James pause. The mercenary turned to his team, his expression skeptical. "What?"
"I don't even know how to explain it," the man on the radio muttered. "It's just… weird. One of them looks like a kid. And the other two don't look much older."
Ren, one of the female mercenaries, raised an eyebrow. "Dude, are you sure you didn't knock back something before the mission?"
"I didn't!"
His indignant response only made the situation seem more ridiculous, and even he sounded unsure of himself.
They didn't have long to speculate. Ethan, Arthur, and Jill moved faster than the mercenaries expected, entering the mansion before the team could properly process what was happening.
Despite their confusion, the mercenaries were professionals. The moment Ethan and the others entered, the team snapped into action, forming a defensive line with their weapons trained on the intruders.
Jill froze, her instincts screaming at her to pull her own gun. But Ethan seemed completely unfazed.
He raised his hands in a gesture of peace, a small smile playing on his lips. "Relax, Shade. I'm here to help."
***
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