Chapter 5: The Shameless Subtitling Team and the Stairway to Death (Please Keep Reading! Please Bookmark!)

[Ding!]

[Acquired 3 vials each of the T-virus and the T-virus vaccine. D-class side quest completed. Reward points gained: 900.]

“900 points—that means 150 points each? Hmph, not bad. Anyway, the real value of these isn’t in the reward points.”

After using a storage item to pocket the metal case containing the T-virus samples and vaccines, Wu Xian’s earpiece chimed with the system’s notification. Without bothering to explain to Zheng Zha and the others, he simply said, “Keep up,” and quickened his pace to catch up with the mercenary squad ahead.

…

“I want to know who you are. And what exactly is happening here?”

As time passed, Alice, the female lead, finally initiated her storyline, questioning the mercenary captain, Matthew Addison, about Umbrella Corporation and the Hive facility.

Here’s a little trivia: according to the actual translation of the Resident Evil films, the black mercenary squad leader shouldn’t be called Matthew Addison, but James Shade.

This discrepancy arose because when Z wrote this book, he had only seen pirated versions of the movie.

After all, it was 2007—a time rife with pirated films and unscrupulous subtitle groups, leading to all manner of absurd translations. It wasn’t just minor characters’ names; even movie titles were frequently mistranslated.

For example, before his transmigration, Wu Xian had once come across a pirated American film titled “Chastity Archway,” which, puzzlingly, turned out to be *Moulin Rouge*.

Other examples include *Mr. & Mrs. Smith* being called “Smith vs. Wife Smith,” *Lolita* rendered as “A Pear Blossom Tree Overwhelms the Begonia,” and *The Shawshank Redemption* renamed as “Thrill 1995”...

In short, utterly ridiculous!

Meanwhile, the Resident Evil plot continued. The interactions between Alice and the black mercenary captain mirrored the scenes from the film almost perfectly, leaving the members of the Central Plains team trailing behind with strange expressions, clearly struggling to accept that these cinematic events were unfolding right before them.

…

It wasn’t until Alice suddenly pointed at them, questioning their identities, that they were truly shaken.

Clearly, these people hadn’t fully processed Wu Xian’s warnings—or perhaps they were clinging to wishful thinking, believing themselves to be spectators outside reality. They assumed that as long as they evaded the terrifying monsters, no harm would come to them.

But reality delivered a harsh slap, swiftly turning their faces pale—including the protagonist Zheng Zha and all the newcomers—who began imagining the gruesome scene of being devoured by zombies.

Wu Xian shook his head, though without much mockery.

To be fair, this was the normal reaction. If he weren’t a transmigrant, his own response upon entering *A Nightmare on Elm Street* wouldn’t have been much better.

Soon, after Matthew introduced the Central Plains team based on the system’s intelligence, a voice came from the gate above the platform: the long-haired female mercenary reported, “Sir, the gate has been cleared. We can enter now.”

Matthew nodded at his team, then sighed upon glancing at the Central Plains contingent—except for Wu Xian. It was clear he was displeased about having to babysit a few burdens, but given the overwhelming support from their client, he had no choice but to endure. After instructing Wu Xian, the security captain, he turned and led the mercenaries toward the gate.

What followed needs little elaboration: marveling at Umbrella Corporation’s technology far ahead of its time, then finally opening the powerless elevator doors—only to discover the elevator cables had snapped and crashed to the bottom floor. To descend, they’d have to take the stairs.

“Motherf*cker!”

Hearing the report, Matthew cursed softly before shouting back, “Take the stairs! We have ten minutes to reach the bottom! Everyone, keep up!”

Here it comes! The death stairwell scene!

In the original *Infinite Terror* story, due to the system’s rule that the Central Plains team must not stray more than 100 meters from Matthew Addison, two sacrifices were deliberately made during this segment to be wiped out by the system’s rules. This also gave Zheng Zha and the others their first real taste of the system space’s merciless dangers.

“Remember, when we start running, give it your all. Don’t fall too far behind—or else... you’re on your own.”

Wu Xian emphasized this again, his gaze sweeping over the chubby man and the middle-aged woman before he continued forward, following the mercenary squad into the stairwell.

The cinematic experience and reality were worlds apart. As the newcomers of the Central Plains team gazed down into the dark, seemingly endless spiral staircase, their expressions changed one after another. Even Zheng Zha—the strongest in the Future Reincarnation team—felt his lips twitch involuntarily.

“Move!”

At the command, Matthew led his mercenaries charging ahead.

The mercenaries’ professionalism was unquestionable, and Alice, as the number one female lead in Resident Evil, easily kept pace with them. However, the two other male characters looked somewhat ragged, barely managing not to fall behind.

On the Central Plains side, Wu Xian stayed at the forefront. Even if he was feigning modesty, his abilities were undoubtedly on par with the mercenaries.

Next was Zhan Lan, the only pretty girl among the newcomers and the “brains” of the group. Just as in the original story, she cleverly clung to the coat tail of a veteran, gripping Wu Xian’s jacket firmly behind him. Wu Xian, recognizing her vast potential as a psychic, intentionally took her under his wing.

As for Zheng Zha, though his personal life was a bit chaotic and he’d dabbled in some banned substances, he maintained his vitality through regular exercise. Now, running at full speed, he barely managed to keep up behind Wu Xian.

Trailing behind were the middle-aged man named Mou Gang and the legendary “Thousand-Faced Demon Lord” Li Xiaoyi—both panting heavily, clearly at their limits.

At the very end were the chubby man and the middle-aged woman who, according to the original story, die in this segment. Unless some miracle occurs, their distance from Matthew Addison will soon exceed 100 meters, and the system will forcibly erase them.

[Bang!]

Sure enough, about ten seconds later, a dull thud echoed nearby.

The Central Plains team members tensed. Zheng Zha turned to look and saw the middle-aged woman, who had fallen far behind, suddenly swell grotesquely before exploding into a spray of blood and viscera, splattering the chubby man. The scene was horrifically visceral.

So this is... the system’s erasure?

Zheng Zha’s heart jolted violently; his fear of the unknown surged, and his steps quickened.

Wu Xian noticed the subtle detail, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he wondered when the second explosion would come. Suddenly, a piercing scream reverberated through the stairwell.

…