After getting ready, the group stepped out and returned to the place where they had first found the videotape.
“Hey, Alan Han, are you sure there’s another iron door this way?”
“Of course.
While you two were charging ahead, Sherry and I were busy searching for clues.”
Alan Han shook the hand holding Sherry’s calf.
Sitting on his shoulders, Sherry nodded with a smile.
“That’s right.
While you were complaining about the smell, we were working really hard… looking for clues!”
Claire looked at the filthy sewage in front of her.
“Fine.
I hate puzzles.”
Sewer Company: Enjoy the process, dear customers.
(polite bow)
Claire: I really want to blast you with a shotgun.
Leon, Alan Han: We’ll supply the ammo.
Sherry: I’ll watch.
The three adults and one child stepped back into the sewer and retraced their route.
Bang, bang, bang.
After taking down three zombies crawling out of the sewage, they turned left and finally made it back onto solid ground.
This time, Claire took the tool, inserted it into the slot, and twisted it hard to the left, opening the iron gate.
“Alright, let’s go in.”
Alan Han took the tool back and led the way.
They walked down a long flight of stairs and looked toward a distant mound of garbage.
Around it wandered several massive lumps of flesh, each with a huge, flower-like mouth hanging from its surface.
“God, this just keeps getting worse.
What the hell are those things?”
“They look like the ones we blew up earlier, but these can move.”
Alan Han glanced toward the red-lit area behind the garbage heap.
“We have to get across.
As for those things, they might be rats.”
Leon immediately thought of the videotape.
“The rats that got into the chemicals?
You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Claire shuddered.
This place was filthy beyond belief.
Leon and Claire moved ahead, with Alan Han covering the rear.
A sharp roar suddenly rang out as a creature burst from a narrow path between the trash piles.
Its massive mouth opened wide and lunged at Leon.
Boom.
A shotgun blast slowed it down.
Leon immediately pulled out his knife and stabbed it into the creature’s neck.
The monster recoiled in pain and threw him aside.
Seizing the moment, Claire raised her revolver and aimed straight at the center of its mouth.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
The creature shrieked.
Leon followed up with two more blasts.
Boom.
Boom.
The monster struggled briefly before collapsing into the sewage.
Hearing the noise, another creature began moving toward them.
“Claire, get ready!”
“I’m always ready!”
Leon pulled the pin on a grenade and threw it forward.
Boom.
Taking advantage of the opening, Claire rushed in with her knife and drove it into the creature’s neck.
It thrashed violently.
At the same time, Leon shoved his shotgun straight into another monster’s mouth.
“Here, have some buckshot!”
Boom.
Claire pulled back, drew both revolvers, and fired repeatedly.
Bang, bang, bang.
After emptying her guns, she holstered them, leapt forward, and landed on the monster’s back, stabbing its neck again and again.
The creature roared and threw her off.
Damn it.
Looks like I need the grenade launcher.
“Claire, catch!”
Alan Han tossed the Lightning Hawk to her.
“Nice.
This’ll do.
Hey, monster, try this!”
Claire crouched slightly and aimed at the eye on its back.
Boom.
A Magnum round shot out with a heavy muzzle flash.
The creature let out one last roar before collapsing.
Leon reloaded his shotgun and finished off the still-twitching body with a final blast.
Boom.
Sherry’s eyes widened.
So cool.
A small seed took root in her mind.
The idea of becoming an agent.
Alan Han silently disagreed.
“Looks like we’re safe for now.
That felt like running a marathon.”
Leon lowered his gun and joked.
They moved forward.
After circling around the garbage heap, they finally climbed back onto solid ground.
“Cough… I can’t… breathe.”
Claire covered her nose.
“Unforgettable… right?”
Leon waved his hand in front of his face.
“Hope you still remember what food tastes like, Leon.”
Alan Han walked up beside him.
“Of course I do.
I’ll treat you to burgers later.”
“Count me in.
Sherry, you too.”
“Mom says I’m not allowed to eat those.”
“Then we’ll just sneak some.”
The four of them shared a smile and headed up the stairs ahead.
Then noticed there was another set of stairs going down.
Claire: My legs are going to get huge at this rate.
Ahead of them stood a series of iron doors with electrical panels, each fitted with a chess piece.
Time to start the puzzle.
They began pulling out the chess pieces and inserting them into the correct slots based on the clues.
“Hey, Leon, you locked me in.”
“Oh, sorry.”
Claire noticed what looked like a flamethrower behind one of the gates.
Nice.
We definitely need that.
She recalled that Alan Han had left fuel back in the main hall.
Without overthinking it, she called out.
“Leon.
Give me the king piece.”
“Got it.”
Leon pulled the piece from upstairs and tossed it down.
Claire unlocked the door and grabbed the flamethrower.
She pressed the trigger twice, but nothing happened.
Just as expected, no fuel.
She slung it over her back alongside the grenade launcher.
Then she headed downstairs and continued pulling out the remaining pieces.
“Huh?
Why am I locked in here?
Hey!”
Alan Han looked at Leon through the bars.
Leon scratched his head with a grin.
“Hang on a bit.
Let me grab everything first.”
Ignoring the complaints, he ran off to place the pieces.
“You guys are so bad at this.”
Sherry sat nearby, watching them go back and forth until she felt dizzy.
Finally, they turned to Alan Han.
“Hey, Han, we’ve got all the pieces.”
“Why don’t you hand yours over?”
“Nice try.
Get me out first!”
Alan Han hid the pieces.
For a moment, he became the one waiting to be rescued.
After some playful back and forth, they gathered all the pieces and prepared to head back.
“Ada, I’m coming to save you.”
“Wait, we still need to grab the fuel.”
Ada Wong: Still alive.
What incredible luck.