Alice and the others looked around in confusion, trying to make sense of the sudden changes. Alice turned to Kaplan, the tech expert among them, and asked, "What happened?"
Kaplan, clearly puzzled, hurried to the nearest computer terminal and began typing away. After a few moments, he looked up, his brow furrowed in concern. "I'm not sure what's going on," he admitted, "but Red Queen has gone offline, and the entire system is rebooting."
Kaplan looked at me and then at the others, his expression determined. "I'll go check it out," he declared. Without waiting for a response, he stepped into the hallway. This time, Alice and Medic remained silent, their previous fears allayed. They knew the immediate area was secure, having just been through it themselves.
I watched as Kaplan entered the room where I had stolen the motherboard. This was the perfect opportunity to eliminate him. I turned to Alice and Medic, my expression serious.
"You two should go warn Rain and the others about what's happening here," I said. "Be careful—when Red Queen shut down, all the doors containing those zombies were unlocked. The facility is going to be swarming with them.
I swiftly retrieved guns, grenades, a military knife, and ammunition from the system storage and handed them to Alice and Medic. Their eyes widened in shock as the items materialized out of thin air once again. I met their gazes, my expression earnest.
"I promise I'll explain everything once we're through this, okay?" I said, trying to reassure them.
I stepped closer to Alice, enveloping her in a warm embrace. I kissed her gently on the forehead and whispered, "Take care of yourself." Turning to Medic, I repeated the gesture, kissing her forehead as well. "Take care of each other," I said, looking back at Alice.
Medic looked at me, her eyes reflecting a mix of gratitude and concern. "My name is Alevtina," she said softly. "Take care of yourself too." With that, she turned and joined Alice, both of them making their way down the hall towards Rain's location.
I watched as Alice and Alevtina retreated, their figures growing smaller as they moved away. Once they were out of sight, I quickly floated in the direction Kaplan had gone. It wasn't long before I spotted him, his back to me, frantically trying to access the compartment where Red Queen's motherboard had been.
I reached out, placing my hand firmly on Kaplan's shoulder. Instantly, I activated my ability, DEVOUR. A powerful suction force emanated from my palm, enveloping Kaplan. Within seconds, his form crumbled into ashes, disintegrating before my eyes.
As his remains scattered, I felt a rush of information flooding my mind. I now possessed all of Kaplan's memories and knowledge. With the aid of my MASTERY LEVEL ability, I swiftly assimilated and enhanced his expertise in hacking and technology, surpassing even his own skill level.
Upon reviewing Red Queen's program, I confirmed that Kaplan had not left any loopholes. However, I discovered remnants of Umbrella Corporation's instructions embedded within her commands. Systematically, I deleted these directives and replaced them with my own, ensuring that Red Queen would now operate solely under my control.
With my tasks complete, I paused time and prepared to return to the real world. In an instant, I found myself back in the hotel room. Knowing that my previous laptop had been integrated into the system, I quickly headed to the market to purchase a new one, ensuring I had the tools necessary to manage Red Queen.
Upon returning to the room, I unpacked the new laptop and carefully connected Red Queen's motherboard to it. With everything set up, Red Queen was now running.
My first order to Red Queen was to alter her appearance to that of a mature, elegant woman, and to modify her voice accordingly.
Within moments, the screen displayed an image of a strikingly beautiful and alluring woman. Red Queen had successfully transformed her avatar, now exuding an air of sophistication and sensuality.
Red Queen swiftly connected to the internet and, after a brief moment, made a surprising discovery. "Boss," she announced, "you have the ability to travel to movie worlds. That's why I couldn't find any information about you—you don't originate from my world"
I looked at Red Queen and confirmed, "Yes, I can travel through different movie worlds, as well as any TV series, animations, novels, or even game worlds."
Red Queen quickly responded, "Boss, do you have a system like those described in online novels? A system that assists the main character in traveling to different worlds?"
I paused, looking at Red Queen for a moment before deciding to share the truth. She would be my partner from now on, and it was important for her to understand my background. "Yes, I do have a system," I admitted, "but I created it myself."
I proceeded to tell Red Queen everything about myself—how I acquired my powers and the worlds I had traversed. She listened intently, processing the information with remarkable speed.
After a brief analysis, Red Queen replied with a smirk, "Boss, do you want to capture all the beauties in those worlds?"
I nodded, a determined look in my eyes. "Yes, I want all the beauties to be mine. I've always dreamed of meeting them, of loving them, even when I didn't have these powers. Now that I do, how can I not fulfill my dreams?"
Red Queen, her smirk growing more pronounced, replied, "Boss, don't worry. I will help you fulfill your dreams. Besides, it will be fascinating to travel to different worlds and see what adventures await us."
I swiftly issued a series of commands to the Red Queen. First, I instructed her to locate a secluded bungalow within the city, ensuring it had a large enough perimeter to avoid disturbances and accommodate her servers. I directed her to discreetly acquire funds from seized bank accounts, leaving no trace of the transactions. Additionally, I ordered her to create a new identity for me, given my significantly altered appearance.
Within a remarkably short time, Red Queen had secured a villa that met all the specified criteria. She transferred ownership to me and facilitated an online payment to the seller. I checked out of the hotel and made my way to the newly acquired bungalow.
Upon arrival, I found the property to be brand new, with an expansive perimeter that ensured privacy. There were no neighboring homes or buildings in sight, providing the ideal secluded environment for my purposes.
I stepped inside the bungalow and was pleased to discover it was fully furnished. Making my way to the basement, I retrieved all the servers and data center equipment from the system storage and carefully set them up, ensuring each component was properly connected.